The FN 5.7×28mm (designated as the 5.7×28 by the C.I.P. and FN 5.7x28mm NATO) is a small-caliber, high-velocity, smokeless powder, rebated rim, bottlenecked centerfire cartridge designed for handgun and personal defense weapon (PDW) uses manufactured by FN Herstal.[9] It is similar in length to the .22 WMR (5.7×27mm) and to some degree similar also to the .22 Hornet or .22 K-Hornet. Unlike many new cartridges, it has no parent case; the complete package was developed from scratch by FN.
The 5.7×28mm was developed in conjunction with the FN P90 PDW and FN Five-seven pistol in response to NATO requests for a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. In 2002 and 2003, NATO conducted a series of tests with the intention of standardizing a PDW cartridge as a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. The tests compared the relative merits of the 5.7×28mm cartridge and the 4.6×30mm cartridge, which was created by Heckler & Koch as a competitor to the 5.7×28mm. The NATO group subsequently recommended the 5.7×28mm cartridge, citing superior performance in testing, but the German delegation objected and the standardization process was indefinitely halted.
By 2006, FN's 5.7×28mm firearms—the P90 PDW and Five-Seven pistol—were in service with military and police forces in over 40 nations throughout the world. In the United States, 5.7×28mm firearms are currently used by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service.
In addition to being used in the FN P90 and FN Five-seven firearms, the 5.7×28mm cartridge has subsequently been used in a number of other weapons, such as the AR-57 and FN PS90 carbines. Excel Arms has developed four firearms chambered in 5.7×28mm, MasterPiece Arms offers three different firearms in 5.7×28mm., and CMMG offers several of its AR-Style Banshee firearms in 5.7x28.[19] As of December, 2019, Ruger offers its Ruger-57 semi-automatic pistol chambered in this cartridge. January 2021 saw the announcement by Kel-Tec of the P50 handgun, which uses 50 round P90 magazines. Palmetto State Armory introduced its Rock 5.7 pistol in January 2022; it became available for purchase in May 2022.
The 5.7×28mm cartridge itself is produced in a number of varieties, two of which—the SS195LF and SS197SR—are currently offered by FN to civilian shooters.
The 5.7x28mm cartridge began its development in 1988 by FN after a number of NATO-allied nations asked for manufacturers to develop a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) for non-frontline troops such as drivers and artillery crews who didn’t necessarily need a rifle. The criteria included the ability to defeat Russian body armor of the era at 100 meters. This resulted in the production of the FN P90 and its companion pistol, the Five-seveN.
5.7mmx28mm History
5.7mmx28mm Usage
5.7mmx28mm Usage
Full Metal Jacket (FMJ / Ball) loads of 5.7x28 are restricted to military and law enforcement use in the United States due to its ability to punch through SAAMI Level-II armor. Civilian use includes ballistic tip and hollow point ammo where it is most commonly used for varmint control, precise target shooting, home defense in densely-populated areas, and flexing on the poors.
5.7mmx28mm Trivia
5.7x28mm was set to receive a NATO designation in the 1990’s with the expected adoption of the P90, however the German delegation caused the 1989 PDW program to end after HK’s MP7 was outbid by the far cheaper P90. The 5.7 cartridge was relegated to specialized and infrequent use until the mid-2010’s when companies started making new guns in 5.7mm allowing it to gain mainstream popularity.
5.7mmx28mm Trivia
5.7mmx28mm Design
5.7mmx28mm Design
The 5.7x28mm cartridge has an overall length of 1.59 inches and a case length of 1.135 inches. It is a straight-walled, bottlenecked case measuring .311 inches in diameter with a rim that is technically rebated at .309 inches. It uses a .224” diameter bullet with typical bullet weights including 23 to 30 grains while the FMJ rounds weigh 30 to 45 grains with muzzle velocities approaching 2400 feet per second.
5.7mmx28mm Types
The most common 5.7x28mm load to find on gun store shelves is the “blue tip” SS197SR Sporting Cartridge which uses a 40 grain Hornady V-MAX projectile that is designed to expand upon impact. As the caliber is used by specialized military and police units, tracers, blanks and other loads have been developed to fill different roles. The realistic effective range of the 5.7 is about 200 yards, not including the blanks.
