5/5/2014 Defensive Handguns | On Target Magazine

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TheFNFiveseveN
byMassadAyoob
WhentheheartbreakingmassacreoftheinnocentoccurredatFortHoodinearlyNovember,Iwasalreadyworkingonthis
articleontheFNFiveseveNpistol.IfounditironicthatthefanaticalmassmurdererinTexashadchosensuchagunto
commithismonstrouscrime.
Fromthefirstdayofthenewsreports,themediawasalloverthekillerhavingusedasemiautomatic(shudder!)pistolto
commithiscrimes,andwhenitwasannouncedthatthedeathweaponwasthe5.7,therewasafloodofantiguncrapthat
remindedmeofasewerbackingup.Copkillerpistol,theycried,becausetheBradyBunchhadalreadysocharacterizedthe
FiveseveN,despitethefactthatnoonecouldfindacaseofaU.S.copbeingkilledwitha5.7.FortHoodmayactuallyhave
beenthefirstcaseofaU.S.policeofficereverbeingshotwithone.
ThecopkillerBShadcomeoutofthefactthattheoriginaliterationofthe5.7X28mmcartridgethisgunfireshadbeena
NATOroundintendedtoshootthroughenemybodyarmorandhelmets.TheBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,Firearms&
ExplosiveslongagobannedthesaleofthatarmorpiercingmilitaryammofortheFabriqueNationalegun,andeveryround
soldlegallyintheU.S.todayhasbeentestedandspecificallypronouncedasnonarmorpiercingbytheBATFE!Butsuchare
theBigLietacticsoftheantigunfaction,andthemassmediatheyhavesoeffectivelysuckeredovertheyears.

ABriefHistory
The5.7X28mmcartridgebeganitsexistencecirca1990inFabriqueNationalesexoticP90,aPDW(PersonalDefense
Weapon)designedformaximumcompactnessandfirepower,andintendedtofallinbetweenapistolcalibersubmachinegun
anda5.56mmNATOassaultrifleinpowerandwoundingcapability.Theoriginaldutyroundforit,dubbedtheSS190,
comprisedafullmetaljacketballprojectileweighing31grainsandtravelingatabout2,130f.p.s.Akeydesignparameter
wasthatthebullethadtopunchthroughbodyarmorandstillcauseatakethisguyoffthebattlefieldleveloftraumainthe
underlyingflesh.ThebulletdidsobytumblingendoverendonceithadhitsofttissueaftergoingthroughKevlar,Twaronor
equivalentarmorprotection.
In1996,FNcameoutwithapistoltofirethesamecartridge,andthatisthehandgununderdiscussionhere.Therewassome
brilliantuseofpolymerapplied,andtheresultisaphysicallylargepistolwhich,withmagazineremoved,weighsonly20.5
ouncesonmyscale.ThatslessthantheweightofasnubnoseColtDetectiveSpecial,butdependingonthemagazine,the
FiveseveNcarriesten,twenty,oreventhirtyroundsof5.7mm,comparedtosixroundsof.38Specialinthesnubbie.TheFive
seveNhasbeenlovedandhatedintheyearssinceitsintroduction.Itisoneofthemostcontroversialhandgunsofourtime,
andwassoevenbeforetheFortHoodatrocity.

Handlingthe5.7
Thefirstmodelscamewithdoubleactiononlytriggersthatnobodyseemedtolike,whereasthecurrentiterationtested
employsasingleactiontrigger.Withover1/4oftakeup,thistriggersystemshouldnotbeconducivetonegligentdischarge.
Thegunalsocomeswithamanualsafetythattakessomegettingusedto:itsonthesideoftheframeabovethetriggerguard
ambidextrous,withaleveroneachsideandisapparentlyintendedtobeoperatedbythetriggerfinger.
Themagazinereleaseispushbuttonstyle,behindthetriggerguard.Itsnotambidextrous,butitisreversibleforsouthpaw
carry.Thegripframeisnotparticularlywidebodieddespiteastandard20roundmagazinecapacity.(Youcangetupto30
roundmags,anda10rounderisavailableforthosebenightedjurisdictionsthatstillhavea10roundmaximumlegal
capacity.)The5.7X28mmisalongcartridgebyhandgunstandards,andthatsignificantoveralllengthnecessitatesagrip
framethatcoversconsiderabledistancefromfronttoback.Inmyaveragesizeadultmalehand,Ihadtousethepadofthe
indexfingeronthetriggerwhenshooting.Itseemedlikealongtriggerreach,butpetiteGailPepin,theFloridaStateIDPA
Womenschamp,wasabletohandletheFiveseveNjustfine,sowhatdoIknow?
Takedownisdifferent,buteasy.Theleftsideonlyslidestopleveriseasytoreach,buttakesafirmdownwardpushtoactivate
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theslidereleasefunction.Theupissafe,downisfiresafetyswitchmakessomesenseforanewshooter,sinceitcreates
onemorereasontokeepthefingeroffthetriggeruntilthedecisiontofirehasbeenmade,butitistotallycounterintuitivetous
oldmossbacksindoctrinatedonmoreconventionalautopistols,andrequiressomerewiringbetweenbrainandtriggerfinger.
Italsoforcesthefiringfingertomultitask,andIdoubtthataquickdrawcontestwilleverbewonwithanonsafeFiveseveN.I
didnotfindthethreeprovided20roundmagazinesdifficulttoloadbyhand.Speedreloadsweresnagfree,andsmoothand
easytoaccomplish.Thepistolhadamagazinedisconnectorsafety,preventingthechamberedroundfrombeingfiredifthe
magwasoutafeatureIcancertainlylivewith,andoneIveseensavelivesindocumentedcases.

ShootingtheFiveSeven
Goodnews:Theresminimalrecoil.Itfeelsasifyoureshootingaloud.22withabrightmuzzleflash.Themuzzledoesnt
jump,thesightsjustcomebacktowardyouandforwardagainastheslidecyclesbetweenshots.Moregoodnews:Youcan
getusedtorunningthesafetywithyourtriggerfinger,andyoucanrunitwiththethumbofyoursupporthandandgofaster,
thoughtheresnoguaranteethatthissupporthandwillbetherewhenyouneedtofireinanemergency,soyoushouldntbe
dependingonit.
Badnews:Thetriggeronoursamplegunleftsomethingtobedesired.Ithadafairamountofcreep.Thatis,youcouldfeelit
draggingasitmovedtotherear.Itneededalongforwardmovementaftertheshottoresetforthenextround.Mydigital
LymantriggerpullscalefromBrownellsfoundaveryconsistentpullweightthataveraged5lbs.13.5ounces.Theweight
wasnttheproblem,thecreepwas.Infairness,though,therewasnopalpablebacklashoncethesearreleasedandthe
bulletwasonitsway.
FNhadprovidedsome27grain,leadfree,hollowpointammoratedforabitover1,900feetpersecond,andIdbeenableto
buysome40grainbluetipVMaxratedfor1,700plusfootseconds.Theleadfreeshottothefixedsights,withtwoshots
strikingthe0.80aimingdot,anddelivereda5shotgroupthatmeasured1.95withthebestthreehitsin1.30at25yards
fromabenchrest.TheVMaxcentereditsgroupabout2.5belowpointofaimandthatgroupmeasured2.30forallfive
shots,withthebestthreein0.85.Thelatteristestamenttothehighdegreeofaccuracyothertestershavefoundwiththisgun.
Itshighvelocitygivesitaflattrajectorythatextendsitsrangefordeliveringaccuratehits.Ourtestguncamewithfixed3dot
sights,butFNalsooffersanadjustablerearsightasanoption.
5.7mmammoisnoteasytofind,andweonlyhad200roundstoplaywith,buttherewerezeromalfunctions.Straightlinefeed
combineswiththe5.7sbottleneckcasetoenhancereliability.

TheBottomLine
Ballistictestersaredividedintheiropinionastowhetherthe5.7mmisamanstopperoramousegun.Itspaperballisticsare
roughlythoseofa.22Magnumrimfirerifle,andfewpolicedepartmentshaveadoptedit,thoughmanyhavetestedit.Experts
interminalballistics,ghoulishasitsounds,mustawaitthedeclassificationofautopsyandmedicalreportsfromthemorethan
40peopleshotwithitbythesoullessmonsteratFortHood,andatthiswritingwedontevenknowwhich5.7mmcartridgehe
used.Asforthegunitself,well,whathappenedinTexaswasntthefaultofthegun,orFabriqueNationaleinHerstal,Belgium,
orFNHUSA,theAmericanimporter(www.fnhusa.com).Sufficeittosaythatfromthepuregunsideofit,theFiveseveNisa
fascinatingdesignthatdeservesaplaceinmodernguncollections,andwhichhaswrittenafascinatingandcomplexchapter
intheevolutionofmodernhandguns.