I decided to nevertheless cover this issue (. Firstly, because I like weapons. Secondly, because even on the Internet there is enough information for a more or less objective assessment. So, let’s try to compare the rather little-known pistols GSh-18 and Fiveseven...

Let's start with the Russian model. I will first give the performance characteristics, and then a few existing reviews. Because both one and the other pistols are more of a curiosity than an ordinary thing.

"The next photos of the GSh-18. This time I took details and general plans from different angles. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out in disassembled form. As I already wrote, I could not figure out how to disassemble it. It turned out that the disassembly was similar to the disassembly of Yarygin’s pistol, but he was dumb later.”

USM: double acting only

Caliber: 9x19mm parabellum, 9x19mm PBP and 7N21.
Weight with empty magazine: 580 g
Length: 183 mm
Barrel length: 103 mm
Magazine capacity: 18 rounds

The GSh-18 pistol was developed in the late 1990s at the Tula Instrument Design Bureau under the leadership of famous designers weapons (mainly air cannons) of Gryazev and Shipunov. The number 18 in the name indicates the magazine capacity.

The GSh-18 is built according to a short-stroke design. Locking is done by rotating the barrel through 10 lugs, the angle of rotation when locking is only 18 degrees. The pistol frame is made of plastic, with steel inserts. The bolt is stamped from a steel sheet, with a rigidly reinforced insert at the point of engagement with the barrel and a bolt block that can be removed during disassembly, in which the firing pin and ejector are mounted. The trigger is striker-operated, with preliminary partial cocking of the firing pin when the bolt moves and additional cocking when the trigger is pressed. The pistol is equipped with automatic safety devices only. including on the trigger. The half-cocked firing pin protrudes approximately 1mm at the rear of the bolt, allowing you to visually and tactfully determine whether the pistol is ready to fire. The sights are non-adjustable, the rear sight is mounted not on the bolt, but on the bolt block, which critics of the pistol consider a drawback, since over time the bolt block can become loose in the bolt and the accuracy of aiming and shooting will decrease. The magazine is double-row, box-shaped, with cartridges exiting in two rows to improve feed reliability. The magazine latch is located behind the trigger guard and can be easily moved to either side of the weapon. The bolt stop is on the left. One of characteristic features The GSh-18 pistol has an open bolt at the front, which is also a favorite topic for criticism of this pistol, since there are fears that dirt can easily penetrate inside the bolt. However, the authors of the pistol believe that there is no such threat, and only actual operating experience can show who is right.

The GSh-18 can use any commercial 9x19mm cartridges, 9mm NATO military cartridges, as well as special domestically developed armor-piercing cartridges, 7N21 and 9x19mm PBP. This capability, however, is not exclusive to the GSh-18, since the PYa (Rook) pistol can also use these cartridges. Moreover, the developers domestic ammunition claim that their developments can be used in any sufficiently durable 9x19mm pistols.

I had the opportunity to hold a serial GSh-18 in my hands (though I never managed to shoot it). Of all modern domestic army pistols (GSh-18, PYA, SPS) it is the GSh-18, in my personal opinion, that has the most ergonomic and comfortable handle. In addition, it is the lightest of the three pistols and fits perfectly into a standard open police holster from PM. So, in my opinion, he has the best place as new police weapons, especially in the traffic police- after all, traffic police officers have to constantly carry weapons (this is a plus light weight GSh-18), A high penetration power of the 9mm PBP bullet at short ranges will allow you to effectively fire at criminals, in cars.

"Since I had quite a lot of time, this time I studied it in detail and assessed the ergonomics. In principle, I liked it, despite my background review about him. As far as this is, of course, possible without shooting. I'm not a fan of weapons, I'm not particularly interested in them. Rather, I was simply a user due to a business need, so I evaluate it solely as a user and, of course, imho.

So, I'll start with the pros: the narrow and long handle - it fits comfortably in my hand; the trigger is narrow, your finger rests completely on it, “you feel it entirely,” it’s more convenient for me to choose a free stroke; deep notches on the bolt - the hand does not slip, it is very convenient to send the cartridge into the chamber; The shutter itself is not wide - it is convenient to grasp it.

Now the disadvantages: narrow shutter stop - it was not always possible to place the shutter on it; the fuse has a very small free play, literally millimeters, I don’t understand its necessity in this form; It’s also not clear to me how to walk with a cartridge in the chamber (let’s say there is such a need), with such an unreliable-looking fuse this could be dangerous; Something is constantly rattling and ringing in it, perhaps it’s just a loose specimen, but it’s still unpleasant; and of course disassembly, which cannot be done quickly in an emergency."

=======

About separately for 7N21

7N21 is a pistol cartridge sealed with red varnish. The sealant varnish is applied at the junction of the bullet and the cartridge case and around the circumference of the primer. To protect against corrosion, the part of the core protruding from the shell is painted with black varnish.

TACTICAL - TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Caliber, mm
Used in weapons
Chuck length, mm
Bullet length, mm
Bullet diameter, mm
Cartridge weight, g
Bullet weight, g
Core weight, g
Weight powder charge, G
Average maximum pressure of powder gases, kgf/cm2
Capsule used, brand
Gunpowder used, grade
Bullet jacket material	polyethylene

=========================================================

Now to Five-seveN

Characteristics

USM: Double Action Only OR Single Action (Tactical Option)
Caliber: 5.7x28mm
Length: 208 mm
Barrel length: 122.5 mm
Weight: 618 g without cartridges; 760 g charged
Magazine capacity: 20 rounds

The Five-Seven pistol (that's right, not Five-Seven!) was developed by the Belgian company Fabrique National, Gerstal, as a companion weapon for the P90 submachine gun of the same company. Key features of both the Five-Seven and the P90 are the new, specially designed 5.7mm SS190 cartridge with a pointed bullet that produces a muzzle velocity of over 650 m/s in the Five-Seven and approximately 700 m/s in the P90. The main task of such weapons is to fight an enemy protected by body armor.

The Five-Seven pistol is built according to a semi-blowback design, and has a polymer frame with guides located under the barrel for attaching a tactical flashlight or laser designator. The trigger mechanism is striker-fired, with an integrated firing pin lock until the trigger is fully pressed. Currently, Five-seveN is available in two versions: standard, with only a double-action trigger, without a non-automatic safety, and Tactical - with a single-action trigger, with a double-sided manual safety located on the frame above the trigger guard.

The standard Five-seveN variant is intended primarily for the military as a weapon of last chance, and the Tactical variant is intended for the police, where a pistol is often the main weapon. A shorter trigger stroke with less trigger force ensures more accurate shooting.

This is one of the first options - noticeable differences in the shape of the handle, safety and bolt

This is a modern option

Unfortunately, I didn’t find a video review of Fife-North in Russian. I advise you to take a look - there's quite a lot there in simple language the strengths and weaknesses of the pistol are described

Reviews
(my translation after Google translate)

For some gun gurus, the Five-Night is the equivalent of the world's most outstanding fireproof paper hat. It's a brilliant technical achievement, but who cares? On the one hand, you have a better chance of finding Keira Knightley at your local country deli than a box of 5.7×28mm ammo at K-Mart. On the other hand, shooting a hundred rounds costs more than burning through a bottle of excellent whiskey. As for the weapons themselves, you can buy two Springfield XDs for the price of one of the weird FN ones. Did I mention that safety five-seven is on the side of the barrel? Or the fact that the handle is longer (from one end to the other) than Tolstoy's War and Peace? All this makes the five-seven a novelty for Range Rovers lovers who jerk off to Glocks 24/7. Is not it?

However, let's summarize the dry statistics: on the day of writing this article, 23,000 five-seven were sold and all of them cannot be wrong. By the way, most of them were purchased by the USG (United States Government), buyers saw, in addition to the obvious disadvantages of owning an expensive weapon with a strange caliber, genuine character and usefulness. What do they see at five to seven? Let's start with the pistol's most obvious advantage: weight.

Five-seven is as easy as an episode of iCarly. Full size loaded pistol weighs 617 grams (1.36 lb)(By the way, an empty Beretta weighs a kilogram - approx.) .. The first time you picked up a gun, you would swear that you were holding a pneumatic replica of yourself. But the feeling of plastic pistols is not the worst nightmare. In Five-Seven, the creators were so keen on the polymer fashion that they even dressed steel parts in plastic, such as the barrel, bolt and various pins.



A loaded Glock weighs less, but in this case, the greater weight plays a rather positive component, because when firing quickly, the Glock’s recoil jerks more strongly and therefore the return to its original position takes longer (for the Glock). In addition, recoil is also reduced due to the design features of Fife North. And in this respect I must admit that it deserves the highest score.
It is also worth mentioning that the flame emitted after a shot is also much smaller, which means the shooter’s visibility is lower. And what’s most interesting is that a bullet flying at a distance of 1.5 kilometers allows for targeted shooting at significantly greater distances than a standard 9mm cartridge. Thus, 100-150 meters become quite realistic - and this, you must agree, is not enough for a pistol.
This way you can shoot quickly, accurately and, most importantly, over long (for a pistol) distances


Shooting result from last video

Here's another cheerful grandfather from Fifeseven

Ease of descent

So to summarize. FN is trying to do everything to convince American ammunition manufacturers to produce this cartridge, but so far without results. Until then, you have to buy imported ones - 30 bucks per box of 50 pieces. And this, in turn, means that unless you robbed a bank or are not the owner of a Platinum Credit Card, you will only have to dream of shooting with this weapon. That doesn't change the fact that this is an outstanding pistol.

===================

Separately for 5.7x28mm cartridge (SS190 5.7mm caliber)

Specifications
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	5.7 mm (0.224 in)
Neck diameter	6.35 mm (0.25 in)
Shoulder diameter	7.9 mm (0.311 in)
Base diameter	7.9 mm (0.311 in)
Rim diameter	7.80 mm (0.307 in)
Rim thickness	1.14 mm (0.045 in)
Case length	28.83 mm (1.135 in)
Overall length	40.50 mm (1.594 in)
Case capacity	0.90 cm³ (14 gr H 2 O)
Rifling twist	228.6 mm (1:9 in)
Primer type	Boxer Small Rifle
Maximum pressure	345.0 MPa (50,040 psi)
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
23 gr (1.5 g) SS90 AP FMJ ( prototype)	850 m/s (2,800 ft/s)	540 J (400 ft lbf)
31 gr (2.0 g) SS190 AP FMJ	716 m/s (2,350 ft/s)	534 J (394 ft lbf)
28 gr (1.8 g) SS195LF JHP	716 m/s (2,350 ft/s)	467 J (344 ft lbf)

===================================================

Now let’s compare the performance characteristics of pistols in more detail:

Characteristics
Weight, kg:	0.47 (without magazine) 0.58 (with empty magazine)
Length, mm:	183
Barrel length, mm:	103
Width, mm:	34
Height, mm:	136
Cartridge:	9x19 mm 7N31
Caliber, mm:	9
Work principles:	recoil of the barrel during its short stroke
Rate of fire shots/min:	15-20
Initial bullet speed, m/s:	600
Sighting range, m:	50
Type of ammunition:	box double-row magazine for 18 rounds

Specifications
Weight	610 g (1.3 lb) empty 744 g (1.6 lb) loaded
Length	208 mm (8.2 in)
Barrel length	122 mm (4.8 in)
Width	36 mm (1.4 in)
Height	137 mm (5.4 in)
Cartridge	FN 5.7×28mm
Action	Delayed blowback
Rate of fire	Semi-automatic
Muzzle velocity	650 m/s (2,130 ft/s) ( SS190) 625 m/s (2,050 ft/s) ( SS195) 520 m/s (1,700 ft/s) ( SS197)
Effective range	50 m (55 yd)
Maximum range	1,510 m (1,651 yd)
Feed system	Detachable box magazine; capacities: 10 rounds ( restricted) 20 rounds ( standard) 30 rounds ( extended)
Sights	"Three-dot" type: fixed or adjustable; 177.8 mm (7 in) sight radius

=============

Here's the video that started it all

On my own behalf, I’ll just say that I’m slightly annoyed by the shitty way of presenting material in programs from that series “Russian Arms” or whatever it is. " A specially designed cartridge for it..." - and it’s funny to read later “The 7N21 cartridge was born “thanks” to the pistolYarygina "Rook".

And then hear" It penetrates all the body armor in the world..."Then go to the page of classifications of body armor and read not even engineer armor, but an ordinary body armor of class 6a according to the Russian classification, which, in order to penetrate, must be fired from an SVD from a distance of 5 meters with a specially armor-piercing bullet.

"it can pierce 8 mm steel sheet... not a single pistol in the world can do this..." and then go to the Wikipedia page and read it in black and white"

5.7x28 mm (SS190) (bullet weight 2 g, muzzle velocity 715 m/s) - basic cartridge, capable of penetrating body armor from 200 m, 48 layers of Kevlar, steel or Kevlar helmet.

Video of FN breaking through the new Class IIIA (protects against .44 magnum) police vest. And not SS190, but SS195LF with expansive bullet and its version with a polymer tip.

If we ignore the weird way of presenting material and evaluate only the facts, then the pistol should, first of all, be easy to operate (disassemble and assemble) - which, unfortunately, cannot be said about the GSh-18. I also noticed that the pin indicating the cocked hammer of the GSh-18 is located at the back of the bolt and something tells me that the back of the bolt is the last place where I would like to move my finger. With the FN, everything is excellent in this regard - the pin is located on the side of the bolt, and even with an accidental shot, the maximum that threatens is slightly torn skin.

The FN itself can be disassembled into several parts, and the spring remains one piece with the barrel, which means that the pistol is not only easier to assemble, but there is no chance that it will fly away somewhere in the dark. And the absence of small details is an even more powerful argument. The coating of almost all parts in polymer prevents them from rusting - which is undoubtedly a plus.

The presence of an open part of the shutter in front of the main gun is rather a minus, because dust and dirt will get clogged there in any case - Beretta suffers from this quite badly. The accuracy of fire is undoubtedly higher with the FN; in general, I doubt that it is possible to shoot accurately from a main gun at a high rate - for pistols of similar characteristics (weight/size), a high rate of fire is unrealistic. You can only shoot quickly from a Glock at point-blank range. Especially The 7N21 cartridge is more powerful, which means the situation with accuracy during rapid shooting worsens even more.

It is also worth noting that the firing range of the GSh-18 is the same 50 meters, and taking into account the specifics of the rear sight, I think after several years of use - even less. That is, first of all (like the Glock) it is a point-blank combat weapon for penetrating body armor or shooting at people in cars, but not shooting at medium distances. In this regard, FN can do both. Of course, I don’t think that the price of the GSh-18 is even close to the cost of the FN, and this, you see, is a key element.

Thus, I think it is quite likely that the General Staff will be adopted by the traffic police and special forces, as well as the FN. Because for an ordinary mortal, who has no point in punching a rail with a pistol, neither one nor the other pistol will be interesting. Although perhaps not, the FN would suit me - I like to shoot at long distances, although from my own experience I doubt that the Five-seveN will give the same accuracy on the trigger as its prepared but steel counterpart. Thus, five.seven is just an outlandish toy that shoots rifle cartridges, rather than a workhorse. If a mere mortal has enough money, but not that much, it’s better to have H&K USP, Walter P99. If you don’t have a lot of money, then undoubtedly a Glock 19 or 21, but if you don’t have any money at all, then the CZ 110 will go like children to school.
The bottom line is that we have an unremarkable GSh-18 that can only boast of armor-piercing ammunition, which can be used in any NATO 9x19 standard pistol on the one hand and is outstanding in several characteristics (such as accuracy, accuracy/rate of fire and ease of operation/reliability and corrosion resistance), but expensive both itself and its Five-seveN ammunition on the other. And although both are positioned as penetration pistols, I would still say that they are different.
In my opinion, it’s better to buy a Walter P99 and load it with the same cartridges and get a decent option instead of the GSh-18. But I would think about five-seven - funny pistik. In addition, cartridges for it can be found in any gun store (and not K-Mart, as in the article), and even ordinary SS195 cartridges approved for civilian use have unsurpassed penetration, while how to find cartridges 7N21 (like SS190) will be quite problematic, and without them, the GSh-18 is generally unremarkable.


and a couple of goodbye pictures

What characteristics should a cartridge intended for self-defense have?

Some prefer a lighter, but faster bullet with weak recoil and increased penetration. Others use a less fast, but heavier bullet, which better transfers kinetic energy to the target and has greater destructive power.

The Belgian FN Five-seveN pistol chambered for 5.7x28mm will appeal to those who agree with the first opinion. The design of this model makes extensive use of polymer; the pistol operates on the principle of barrel recoil, with a single-action trigger. In appearance, it looks more like the weapon of a stormtrooper from " Star Wars”, but its design is not the main thing.

The 5.7x28mm cartridge looks very aggressive and is capable of penetrating light armor. It was developed by NATO as a standard self-defense cartridge. But since the civilian population does not always have access to military ammunition, the sports version of this cartridge has lost its armor-piercing properties.

In addition, its price is significantly higher than traditional 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP cartridges. So why buy it then?

The fact is that due to its small size, the magazine can fit many of these cartridges (20 in a standard magazine and 30 in a larger magazine). And the high-velocity bullet coupled with low recoil makes it very easy to hit torso-type targets from 50 yards.

Despite its Glock-shaped appearance, this model is a pistol with a trigger trigger. It has a rail for additional accessories, as well as an ambidextrous safety, which, although located in an unconventional place (above the trigger), after a few hours of shooting you get used to it. Plus, its activation does not require changing your grip.

There are massive serrations on the slide housing, and corrugation on the back and front of the handle frame. But with the handle itself, not everything is so smooth: the length of the cartridge is 4 cm, the handle turned out to be quite thick, and it will be inconvenient for a shooter with not very large hands to reach the trigger.

It has fired over 500 rounds at the range and has never failed. Then, during testing, the myth about the excessive penetration of the 5.7 mm bullet was refuted. Although the test was not an example of accuracy, the bullet did not penetrate a 20-cm block of wood.

The price of the pistol is $1,349, the cartridge is 40 cents each. Training at the shooting range will be very expensive. But if you have enough money, the FN Five-seveN can be an excellent weapon for self-defense and target shooting.

FN Five-seven Review - Guns.com

The data in the table is given relative to the basic Five-seveN model

Pistol Five-seveN

In 1996, the arms company Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal introduced a pistol called Five-seveN as an auxiliary weapon to its P90 submachine gun. The first and last letters of the name were highlighted as capital letters, thus forming an abbreviation for the name of the Belgian company FN itself, known throughout the world for its weapons products. And first of all, the name Five-seveN (five-seven) denoted the caliber of the pistol - 5.7 mm. Chambered in the same cartridge as the P90, the pistol began its service in 2000 with the Greek Special Forces (a batch was purchased by the Cyprus National Guard), and then, thanks to a successful combination of characteristics including low recoil, ease of use, high accuracy and serious penetrating ability, large magazine capacity (20 rounds), Five-seveN has become widespread in other countries.

Five-seveN

There are also increased-capacity magazines for 30 rounds. The civilian market received a modification of the Five-seveN IOM, which has a magazine safety mechanism (impossibility of firing with the magazine removed), has a Picatinny rail and allows you to adjust the sights, while the police sector used the Five-seveN Tactical, which had a single-action trigger and a double-sided safety. It is curious that the pistol was so loved by US law enforcement agencies that in 2009 it was even introduced into the standards of police competitions.

Five-seveN Tactical

On this moment all modifications of the pistol were reduced to one, produced to this day - the Five-seveN USG, which has a rectangular trigger guard, a replaceable magazine latch and is offered in various finishes.

Five-seveN USG

The use of the pistol by the military had a somewhat specific character: the pistol was part of a complex that included itself and the P90, and the somewhat exotic cartridge (made contrary to NATO standards) blocked its prospects for large military orders. On the other hand, its ability to easily penetrate NATO CRISAT body armor could not but arouse interest, so the pistol found its niche. The automatic operation of the pistol is based on a semi-blowback recoil scheme. The pressure of the gunpowder gases from the shot holds the bolt and barrel moving backwards in one position until the bullet leaves the barrel. After this, due to a drop in pressure, the barrel, with a slight displacement, releases the bolt, which continues to move back independently, reloading the pistol. The trigger is a striker-type pistol; the spring is compressed due to the force applied to the trigger. The design is characterized by the extensive use of polymers, due to which the weight of the pistol reaches only 617 g. and general ease of use. The cartridge for the P90 complex - Five-seveN with a caliber of 5.7x28 mm, was developed back in the late 80s and bore the index SS90. Its modification was completed in 1993, and then the cartridge received its current name - SS190. The cartridge has a low weight (due to the small caliber), a “bottle” shape of the cartridge case, more typical for rifle cartridges, significant penetrating force (thanks, again, to the caliber and shape of the pointed bullet) and surprisingly high lethality and stopping effect for such a caliber . This is explained by the fact that the pointed bullets of the 5.7x28 cartridge, penetrating the body at high speed, create a large temporary pulsating cavity (TPC), which causes injuries stronger than the penetrating effect of the bullet itself, because the remaining wound channel remains thin from such bullets. The cartridge was developed to fight an enemy protected by body armor.

In 1996, FN introduced its new pistol chambered for the 5.7x28 FN cartridge. The name of the pistol – “Five-Seven” – means its caliber. The 5.7×28 small-caliber cartridge was developed by the Belgian Fabrique Nationale for their FN P-90 submachine gun, created as a personal defense weapon (Personal Defense Weapon, abbreviated PDW) for military personnel not involved in combat missions. Drivers, signalmen, radar operators, artillery crews, and crews of combat vehicles need a simple, light, compact and unburdensome weapon that they could use in the event of a sudden clash with the enemy. Among other requirements, there was not only a high penetrating effect of the bullet, necessary in the context of the widespread use of NIB in armies around the world, but also a non-obstructive action on the target, that is, the bullet must retain sufficient stopping and penetrating effect after penetrating body armor or some kind of light cover. At the same time, one of the main tasks was to minimize the weight of weapons and ammunition.

The Belgians followed the path of creating a small-caliber cartridge with a high muzzle velocity and developed ammunition that met the requirements, which also had a flat bullet trajectory and gave a low recoil force, which made it easier to fire and defeat the enemy for inexperienced soldiers with poor fire training. Such a weapon-cartridge complex was intended in the future to replace pistols and submachine guns chambered for the traditional 9mm Parabellum cartridge in the active armies of NATO countries. But the Belgians eventually faced a number of difficulties. One of the most heated debates since the beginning of the smokeless powder era concerns the effectiveness of cartridges used in weapons.

Most experts are supporters of heavy, large-caliber bullets with a low initial velocity, while others are supporters of light, small-caliber bullets with a high initial velocity. Belgian designers preferred high penetration, flat trajectory, low recoil force, large magazine capacity and low weight. These qualities were achieved at the expense of the stopping power of the bullet, an extremely important quality for close combat weapons.

Despite this, new complex The developers considered the cartridge weapon so successful that they decided to create a pistol in addition to it. Of course, it should be taken into account that the cartridge was originally created for a submachine gun, with a firing distance of 150 - 200 meters, at which a high ODP is not a priority. However, a pistol, even in war, during combat operations in open areas, is used at extremely short distances. The first version of a self-loading pistol chambered for a small-caliber 5.7 mm cartridge was designated FN Five-seveN IOM (Individual Officers Model), and later a version for the United States appeared under the designation FN Five-seveN USG (United States Government). The USG version is visually different in the shape of the trigger guard, the notch of the handle, the bolt-casing and the safety lever, and in design - the presence of an automatic magazine safety, an adjustable magazine latch, guide grooves in the front of the frame and an adjustable rear sight. Five-seveN was adopted by the famous French National Gendarmerie Intervention Group GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale). Also among the special forces using Five-seveN is the Polish Mobile Rapid Response Team GROM (Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego) .

According to some information, the FN P-90 and the FN Five-seveN USG pistol were purchased by the United States Secret Service and some other law enforcement agencies of this country. When Five-seveN pistols entered the US civilian weapons market, they initially began to be sold quite actively, including police officers because of their very low weight and high firepower. However, the advantage of a large magazine capacity was negated by a special variant with only ten round magazines, created to comply with certain state laws. These pistols are sold in hard plastic cases with a set of three magazines, a cleaning kit, instructions, a rear sight adjustment tool and a lock. The Five-seveN pistol, even with an attached magazine fully loaded with 20 rounds, weighs less than the popular Glock 17. When you pick up the Five-seveN, you get the impression that you are holding a toy...

The main feature of the pistol is the SS-190 cartridge used, which is loaded with ordinary steel-core bullets, tracer bullets, as well as soft-core bullets. There are several advantages to using a small caliber high velocity bullet. When hit, such a bullet transfers more of its kinetic energy to the target, in this case up to 90%, which increases the stopping effect. The flat flight path provides more uniform aiming at different shooting distances. Low recoil force contributes to a higher rate of fire, and most importantly, better accuracy when conducting high-speed shooting. According to the experience of the owners, the recoil force when firing the Five-seveN with SS-190 cartridges is less than that of mid-size pistols chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge with a supersonic muzzle velocity. According to the manufacturer, a bullet with a steel core is capable of penetrating 48 layers of Kevlar fabric from a distance of 150 meters and maintaining a fairly high stopping effect. When firing from a Five-seveN pistol with 5.7×28 SS197SR cartridges with a bullet weighing 2.6 g, the initial speed is 534 m/s, and with SS195LF cartridges it is 626 m/s. However, the superiority of such bullets in terms of stopping effect compared to conventional bullets of normal caliber has not been proven. On the contrary, the experience of combat use of personal short-barreled weapons of small caliber, even with a high initial speed and high bullet energy, shows, as a rule, their lower effectiveness. Except, perhaps, assault rifles and carbines chambered for 5.45 and 5.56 mm, but this is a completely different class of weapon.

The Five-seveN pistol uses mostly familiar design solutions. The polymer frame has ribbed plastic inserts in the front and rear of the handle, as well as guide grooves for attaching accessories according to the Mil-Std 1913 standard (Picatinny rail). The frame is available in three colors - matte black, olive and light brown. The steel shutter casing with a polymer outer coating is made by stamping and has a massive inner liner. The automation operates according to a semi-blowback design. Slowing down the opening of the bolt-casing, which is not rigidly connected to the barrel, and the unlocking of the barrel bore is carried out in the first moments of the shot due to the ability of the barrel to move backward in the frame. In this case, the barrel compresses its own return spring. The frame has a special U-shaped part that moves longitudinally in it. With its help, the bolt-casing acts on the barrel. But the barrel is subject to the opposite force of friction of the bullet on the rifling and the inertia of its own mass, which prevent the bolt-casing from quickly moving back through the lever part.

The barrel moves back about 3 mm, after which the lever part stops interacting with the bolt-casing, which continues to move under the influence of the remaining pressure of the powder gases and its inertia, reaching the rearmost position. Then the bolt-casing returns forward again, sending the next cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. The trigger mechanism is striker-fired, available in two versions - only self-cocking or single action - the Tactical model. The weapon is equipped with an automatic firing pin safety and an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. The bolt stop lever is located on the left side of the frame, above the handle. The double-sided safety levers (in the version with a single-action trigger) are located on both sides of the frame above the trigger. The barrel lock is located on the left side of the frame, in front of the safety lever. The magazine release, located at the base of the trigger guard on the left side of the frame, can be easily moved to the right side.

Sights consist of a high non-adjustable front sight and a rear sight adjustable in two planes. The front sight has a round white insert, the rear sight has rectangular marks or two round dots, which is necessary for aiming in low light conditions. For incomplete disassembly you need to disconnect the magazine, make sure that there is no cartridge in the chamber, pull the bolt-casing back, press the barrel lock back and remove the bolt-casing moving back, up, forward. FNH USA does not recommend performing complete disassembly yourself and should only be done by a qualified gunsmith. The recoil, the force of which is approximately 2/3 of that of pistols of similar weight and dimensions chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge, is barely noticeable even with such a low weight of the weapon and a high initial velocity of the bullet, since the mass of the bullet itself is extremely small, of course, plays a big role comfortable handle. When using cartridges with the heaviest bullets available for these cartridges, recoil is still negligible, as is kick-up. We can say that thanks to such a weak recoil from this pistol, you can not only “stack” high-speed series of several shots extremely closely, which significantly increases the shooting efficiency, compensating for the insufficient stopping effect of the bullet, but it is also very pleasant to simply shoot from it. The sound of the shot also does not cause any problems; it does not exceed the volume of the shot from the famous High Power.

When firing at a distance of 23 meters in five series of ten shots with SS195 cartridges (civilian version), the maximum diameter of the group of hits was 38 mm. The pistol’s capabilities also include regularly hitting silhouettes at a distance of up to 200 meters. The advantages include: high bullet penetration; high firepower; shooting accuracy; low recoil shoulder and weapon toss when firing; light weight; constant combat readiness in the version with only self-cocking trigger; reliability; simplicity and ease of use; safety in handling; absence of strongly protruding parts. Disadvantages: low stopping power of the bullet; a relatively large trigger force and its long stroke in the version with only a self-cocking trigger, reducing shooting accuracy. Although the P-90 submachine gun and the Five-seveN pistol were initially created as self-defense weapons, in the end, they were preferred not by the armed forces, but by special forces, using these models as offensive, assault weapons. For the army, the transition to this complex turned out to be too financially burdensome. But for professional fighters of assault groups and counter-terrorism units, who can afford to choose the weapons they need, accurate in shooting and having a high penetrating effect of the bullet of the Five-seveN cartridge used, it came in handy. The pistol is not widely used in the civilian arms market due to the use of rare ammunition and the low stopping power of the bullet. Nevertheless, this pistol is in, albeit small, constant demand. Owner's impressions: “Very good pistol, pleasant to shoot. Fits well in the hand, there is almost no recoil. When shooting, the toss is less than that of the 9x19, and the accuracy is also good. It’s quite possible to shoot at 100 meters.”

Main characteristics

Caliber: 5.7×28 FN

Weapon length: 208 mm

Barrel length: 123 mm

Weapon height: 144 mm

Weapon width: 31 mm

Weight without cartridges: 590 g.

Magazine capacity: 20 rounds

The FN Five-seveN is a self-loading pistol developed and manufactured by the Belgian arms company Fabrique Nationale of Herstal. The name of the pistol can be interpreted different ways, on the one hand, 5.7 is the caliber of the weapon, on the other hand, the first and last letters of the name, written in capitals, are the abbreviation of the company Fabrique Nationale.

The Five-seveN pistol was designed to complement the FN P90 submachine gun, which used the FN 5.7x28mm cartridge. The P90 was released in 1990, and the Five-seveN was introduced in 1998 and used the same cartridges. The pistol takes many cues from its older brother: a lightweight polymer body, a high-capacity magazine, ambidextrous controls, low recoil, and the ability to easily penetrate body armor.

The Five-seveN pistol is currently used by military and police units in more than 40 countries, including the United States, Canada, France, Greece, India, Poland, Spain, etc. In the United States, it has been adopted by many agencies, including the Secret Service. Initially, it was created for special forces soldiers.

The history of the creation of the FN Five-seveN pistol.

The Five-seveN pistol and its 5.7x28 mm cartridge were developed by the Belgian company FN Herstal at the request of NATO in 1989 to replace the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridges that did not meet modern requirements and the pistols and submachine guns that used them.

The new cartridge was supposed to provide firing at a greater distance, have high accuracy and bullet speed. In addition to this, it had to be able to penetrate certain types of body armor.

The pistol had a weight requirement not to exceed 1 kg, and the magazine had to hold at least 20 rounds. The pistol had to be compact, simple and reliable to use, as well as suitable for use in any climate zone and in any weather.

FN Herstal developed the FN P90 submachine gun in accordance with NATO requirements, using small-caliber 5.7x28 mm cartridges with pointed bullets and high flight speed. The first version of the cartridge was developed in 1990 and was called SS90. This cartridge was produced until 1993 and was replaced by the 5.7x28 mm SS190 cartridge, the bullet of which was slightly heavier (2 g) and shorter.

The cartridge weighs 6 g, which is almost half as much as the standard 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, which it was intended to replace, this allows you to easily carry more ammunition. The cartridge has a flatter trajectory and almost 30% less recoil, which improves the pistol's controllability. However, the sound and flash produced by the cartridge is significant.

The main feature of the SS190 cartridge is its ability to penetrate Kevlar body armor, such as the CRISAT body armor used by NATO, which is effective against conventional pistol bullets, at a distance of 100 m. And the standard PAGST body armor penetrates at a distance of 300 m. Bullets of the SS190 cartridges, when tested on ballistic gelatin, showed a tendency to " tumble,” which creates a large wound cavity.

FN states that the Five-seveN has an effective firing range of 50 m and a maximum bullet range of 1510 m. Because the SS190 bullet is not prone to fragmentation or expansion, the weapon and cartridge are considered authorized for military use by the Hague Convention of 1899 and 1907, which prohibits the use of expansive and explosive bullets in combat operations.

In 1993, FN employee Jean-Louis Gathoye patented the blowback delay system, which was the basis for the Five-seveN pistol. And in 1995, FN officially announced the development of a pistol, prototypes of which appeared in subsequent years. With some improvements, a version with a double-action system was released in 1998, and a little later a version with a single-action system, called Five-seveN Tactical, was released. The first consumer was the Cyprus National Guard, which ordered 250 pistols for its special forces.

In 2002-2003, NATO conducted a series of tests to select a cartridge for pistols and submachine guns to replace obsolete models chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge. The tests involved FN 5.7x28 mm and HK 4.6x30 mm cartridges. According to experts from Canada, France, Great Britain and the USA, 5.7x28 mm cartridges were considered more effective than the competitor. However, the German delegation and some other countries rejected NATO's recommendation to switch to a single 5.7x28 mm cartridge. As a result, both cartridges 4.6x30 mm and 5.7x28 mm were adopted by NATO countries according to their preferences.

Initially only the army and law enforcement agencies had the right to purchase Five-seveN pistols. but in 2004, a civilian version of the Five-seven IOM (Individual Officer Model) pistol was introduced, with some differences from the original model in the design of the pistol. These changes include the introduction of a picattini rail, a magazine safety (making it impossible to fire with the magazine removed), and fully adjustable sights, as well as the use of a 5.7x28mm sporting cartridge. The pistol had problems with distribution in the US civilian market.

Further development pistol led to the introduction of the Five-seveN USG, which was approved by the ATF as a sport shooting weapon in 2004. The pistol received a more convenient trigger guard (rectangular) and a replaceable magazine latch.

In 2013, the Five-seveN MK2 pistol was introduced, designed to replace the USG model.

Characteristics of the FN Five-seveN pistol.

Five-seveN is a self-loading pistol made according to a semi-blowback design and using FN 5.7x28 mm cartridges. Polymers were actively used in the design; the outer steel parts have a polymer shell, which increases corrosion resistance and prevents the appearance of unwanted glare. The pistol is extremely light - only 744 g with a 20-round magazine.

The Five-seven pistol is a full-size pistol with a length of 20.8 cm, a height of 13.7 cm and a maximum width of 3.6 cm. The grip angle is the same as the Browning Hi-Power and M1911. The barrel is made by cold hardening followed by chrome plating. Right-hand cutting with 8 grooves with a pitch of 1:231 mm. The barrel is designed to fire 20,000 shots and practice proves that it is capable of heavy loads.

The under-barrel picatinny rail is designed for mounting tactical accessories such as a laser sight or a flashlight. The handle is ergonomically textured to provide a comfortable and secure grip. The pistol can be operated with tactical gloves - the safety switch is serrated for better grip. The Five-seven is currently offered in black, Flat Dark Earth (FDE) and Olive Drab Green (ODG) designs and with two options for open sights - detachable or low-profile fixed sights. For ease of shooting in low light, tritium dots are applied to the sights.

All controls (with the exception of the trigger) on the Five-seveN are made of gray plastic, contrasting with the black polymer body. Likewise, the controls on the Five-seveN in the FDE and ODG variants are made of black plastic, which stands out against the background of the polymer bodies, which are brown and olive in color, respectively.

The weapon disassembly flag is located on the front left side of the weapon body, and the bolt stop button is located on the rear. They are protected from accidental pressing by small protrusions on the body. The chamber charge indicator, made in the form of a pin in a small hole, is located on the left side of the bolt. It protrudes outward by 1.5mm when there is a cartridge in the chamber, which is enough to be identified by touch in low light if necessary.

The Five-seveN has a double-sided manual safety; its flags are located above the trigger on both sides of the body. It is easy to control with the index finger of the shooting hand or the thumb of the supporting hand. When the pistol is unlocked and ready to fire, a red mark is visible. The magazine release is located at the junction of the trigger guard and the handle and has the shape of a square button that can be moved to the other side of the weapon for left-handers.

The Five-seveN pistol is equipped with a magazine for 20 rounds, or 10 rounds (restrictions for the USA). There is also an extended 30-round magazine that protrudes 3.8 cm from the pistol grip. The stores are made of plastic with steel inserts in the jaws. The magazine jaws are designed for double-row feeding of cartridges, which greatly simplifies the reloading of magazines. Four holes on the left side of the magazine allow you to estimate the number of rounds in it, and there is a small protrusion at the base of the magazine for your finger.

The Five-seveN pistol comes with a locking case for storing keys and accessories, a magazine release tool, a sight adjustment tool (models with adjustable sights only), a cleaning kit, an owner's manual, and three 10- or 20-round magazines.

When using a special extended barrel, it is possible to install silencers. In 1998, Gemtech developed the SFN57 muffler specifically for Five-seveN. It has a length of 14.7 cm, a diameter of 3.2 cm, and a weight of 147 g. Silencers for Five-seveN are also produced by AAC, Silencerco, etc.

Characteristics:

weight - 610 g (empty), 744 g (with a magazine for 20 rounds).
length - 20.8 cm.
height - 13.7 cm.
width - 3.6 cm.
trunk length - 12.2 cm.
cartridge - FN 5.7×28 mm.
bullet flight speed - 650 m/s (SS190), 625 m/s (SS195), 520 m/s (SS197).
effective firing range - 50 m.
maximum firing range - 1510 m.
food - magazine for 10, 20 or 30 rounds.

The FN Five-seveN pistol has received recognition among professional military and civilians how reliable precision weapons self-defense. Its popularization is facilitated by its frequent appearance in films and computer games, for example, it is included in the arsenal of Battlefield 4.