Handguns

One of the all-time classic handgun arguments that has raged since the beginning of the smokeless era has been between shooters who believe in large, heavy bullets fired at low velocities and those shooters who prefer small, light bullets pushed at high velocities.

Catering very much to the high-speed school of thought is the FN 5.7 pistol, as offered by Fabrique Nationale, Herstal, Belgium--an outfit long associated with the designs of John Moses Browning.

The first glimpse of the cartridge came in the late 1990s when FN introduced the FN P-90 submachine gun in 5.7x28mm. This introduction came as the result of a 1989 NATO requirement for a personal defense weapon for soldiers serving in a support role. FN met and exceeded the requirement, introducing a compact, controllable full-auto weapon with a cyclic rate of 900 rounds per minute.

In my conversations with the staff of FNH USA in MacLean, Virginia, I was told that the initial gun/cartridge combination was so successful that they decided to introduce a sidearm for troops or officers equipped with the FN P-90--and came up with the FN 5.7 pistol.

The first version was called the FN 5.7 IOM (Individual Officers Model). The FN 5.7 USG (United States Government) is the newest iteration. (Its official designation is Five-seveN USG, but since that's somewhat unwieldy we'll refer to it as the 5.7 USG in this article.)

The adoption of a U.S. Government version could have something to do with reports that the U.S. Secret Service, among other law enforcement agencies, has adopted both the P-90 and the 5.7 USG. FNH USA, understandably, does not comment as to which agencies or governments have adopted this series of weapons.

FNH USA says the differences between the IOM and USG models are mostly cosmetic. The IOG's trigger guard has a pronounced bow in the bottom, reminiscent of the Walther P99. And the USG features more stippling on the front strap than the IOG, a slightly different shape on the rear sight and more serrations on the safety lever.

The 5.7x28mm, essentially a centerfire .22, is a rimless (even lightly recessed), bottleneck cartridge. While many American law enforcement agencies have purchased the USG, commercial sales have been brisk throughout the country as well. Many officers have purchased this weapon for off-duty carry, citing magazine capacity, lethality and light weight as the selling points.

Th 5.7 USG that I purchased came in a hard-sided, easily secured case. Also included were three 10-round magazines for those of us (like me) "fortunate" enough to live in California. Those residing in most of the other states will have to contend with the 20-round variety. Naturally, there was an owner's manual, written in easily understood English, appropriately illustrated and laden with warnings to anyone who might undertake custom work and thereby void the factory warranty through modifications. The case sported a useful cleaning kit, cable lock and sight adjustment tool.

When I first lifted the gun from the box, it felt, in terms of texture, appearance and heft, like an AirSoft gun. And, frankly, once it was loaded it was not much heavier. In fact, the USG loaded with 20 rounds weighs less than a Glock 17.

The slide is steel, encased in polymer, with tactile serrations at the rear so the shooter can perform a press check or chamber a round with bare or gloved hands. The frame was constructed of polymer, and the front strap was generously stippled. No one should have any difficulty hanging onto this gun.