PS90 Pretty Fun

[Welding Rod]

So I picked up a PS90 w/ factory red dot (labelled FN, a C More STS).

Super fun gun to shoot, pretty accurate too. Trigger has creep but it is smooth and light so not too hard to shoot reasonably well. First time out I was able to hit our 100 yard gong, about 10" in diameter, most of the time standing.

Appears well built. Design is quite interesting. I like the ergonomics and handling characteristics. Nice and short for inside the house or vehicle.

Super quick and easy to take down and clean.

I bought this gun sight unseen.... Don't think I ever saw one in person. Rolled the dice and came out on the good end it seems. Wish I had tried one long ago. I plan to shoot it in a few 200 yard high power matches just for kicks, and I will probably use it the rest of this year for carbine matches too.

 

[gunnutery]

Glad you like it. I had one on the short list for a while, mainly because my wife can't hold up a rifle and I knew she'd be able to hold a PS90. But when I mentioned it to her she seemed uninterested, she likes pistols.

So I've tabled the idea for now. Which is okay because the drawback for me was diversifying into another caliber. My state also doesn't allow SBR, which would be sweet.

Enjoy!

 

[Welding Rod]

I didn't want to add another cartridge either, as I was down to just a few. But I needed a longer range pistol for one of the club matches I shoot in so I got a FN 5.7 pistol. The accuracy of the pistol and the cartridge impressed me, and since I already became committed to the extra cartridge I decided to bite the bullet and try the carbine.

Our carbine matches are only at 50 yards so it should be plenty competitive there.

I had overlooked this gun for years due to the odd and ugly appearance. I quickly came to realize it actually has quite high cool and fun factors. The wife and I have been forming a stack to move about the house at bed time for goofy fun... Never did that with the Garand!

 

[Corn-Picker]

How's the length of pull? The literature says 13 3/8 inches, which is about the same as the average deer rifle. I find standard deer rifle LOP about an inch too long for my liking, but the ps90 is such a unique design that I'm not sure that's a good comparison (and there's no bolt to work on a semi-auto so that may make the longer LOP OK for me).

I really need to find one of these to try in person. Seems like a fun gun, and the best HD weapon, especially when shared with the wife.

 

[barnbwt]

The main thing that's different the width of the thing is quite a bit more than you'd expect from a deer rifle, or any compact weapon, for that matter. Not bad, really, just different. Makes it seem larger than it really is, in my experience messing with one.

TCB

 

[aarondhgraham]

The best thing that ever happened to the PS90,,,

The best thing that ever happened to the PS90,,,
Was when the TV show "Stargate: Atlantis" started using the shorter P90.

The armorers of the show liked them,,,
Because they eject out of the bottom of the gun,,
That makes framing a shot in a combat scene so much easier.

But seriously folks,,,
They are amazing rifles.

The Magazine attaches on top of the rifle and lies horizontal to the ground,,,
I can't begin to describe how that mechanism feeds cartridges,,,
It holds 40 or 50 rounds of lightning fast ammunition,,,
A person could make the argument that it is,,,
The ideal close-quarters combat gun.

Every year on my Birthday I go to H&H in Oklahoma City,,,
Last year I rented a PS90 and bought 200 rounds of ammunition,,,
What an experience that was to try and conserve the ammo I had bought.

I finally gave up and just blasted away,,,
But the last magazine I did slow fire,,,
It was surprisingly accurate for me.

I like the gun so well that if there was a scenario where I could only have one gun to defend my life with,,,
I've never fired a gun that suited me and how I would wield it,,,
As well as that sci-fi looking thing did.

Alas, I will never pull the trigger on a purchase,,,
At heart, I am truly a cheap old Bas----,,,
I could never afford ample ammo,,,
I wouldn't shoot it much.

But there is another route if someone just wants the aesthetics,,,
High Tower Armory makes a stock to fit the Ruger 10/22,,,
It's not exact but it's darned close in appearance.

I apologize for the high-jacking of your thread this wee amount,,,
You started talking about my dream firearm,,,
I got a bit carried away.

Aarond

P.S. Congrats on a great purchase. I am in full-blown envy mode.

.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello gunnuttery,,,

..I knew she'd be able to hold a PS90. But when I mentioned it to her she seemed uninterested, she likes pistols.

Rent a DVD from the 2nd season of the television series, Stargate: Atlantis,,,
Find an episode where the female character Tayla appears,,,
She is a heroine fighter who uses a P90,,,
Once your lady sees it in action,,,
Get your checkbook out.

Aarond

.

 

[barnbwt]

I can't begin to describe how that mechanism feeds cartridges,,,
It holds 40 or 50 rounds of lightning fast ammunition,,,

The double-stack magazine constricts to single stack, then pushes the rounds into a helical channel (the circular plastic piece) where they rotate 90deg as they drop ~1/4". At that point, they are sitting on standard single-feed feed lips.

What's cool about the arrangement, is the helical path is a tremendous mechanical disadvantage toward pushing rounds back up into the magazine, which means the force pushing the feeding round into the lips is actually quite low. That means the rounds feed very easily, which is surprising considering how hard the mags are to load (the one major drawback; I assume PD's have a mag-loader or something to make the job easier)

"Ideal close-quarters combat gun."
That sums it up nicely. The only things I wish were different are;
-A locked breech so reloading spent cases is much easier
-Even less reciprocating mass (goes with a locked breech)
-Even more space efficient; a shorter bolt design would move the breech back a good inch or two, increasing mag capacity even more (though the mags would be getting long)
-Better safety setup; cross-bolts/levers are so pre 2004
-Find a way to swing the magazine into position from either side, rather than sliding it in from the top; far more ergonomic
-Steal a few pages from H&K and get some faceted edges and finer-looking surface textures so it doesn't look like it came from the same plant in China that makes Super Soakers

I have come to find I like the MP7 layout better than the P90 (airsoft experience only, of course ) since it collapses smaller, but there is certainly something to be said for simplicity. The P90 could probably take more bashing than the H&K, too, since so much of it is merely a shroud for the internals and not integral to function.

TCB

 

[mstreddy]

I really enjoy mine. It fits me just fine. I like the ambidextrous features of it. I agree with Barnbwt on wishing it was locked breech for brass reloading life/ease. I have dies, but haven't loaded for it yet.
It is very well suited to CQB.

 

[4thPointOfContact]

I've had one for a number of years now

Pro -

Sticks out less than having a pistol in most shooting positions.

Ambitiousness as already mentioned

The ability to reach out far beyond normal defensive pistol ranges while still having a lightweight weapon.​

Cons -

No built-in M1913 rails (I guess the design was too early for them). A Picatinney rail over the magazine instead of that multi-angled mishmash they came up with would have worked wonders from the very beginning.

No OEM cleaning kit at less than ridiculous prices (the one that fits in the buttstock)

Awkward to equip with a sling (cured with a Urban ERTL though)​

Bonus Trivia Time...
Who here knows how to visually identify (by looks alone) a P90 from a PS90 that has been SBR'd and given a cosmetically enhanced safety?

 

[Schwing]

I don't own one but it is on my bucket list. I have shot them a few times and they are a hoot... Kicks about like a .22, is dead accurate and has the weight of a cap gun

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Bonus Trivia Time...
Who here knows how to visually identify (by looks alone) a P90 from a PS90 that has been SBR'd and given a cosmetically enhanced safety?

That's easy. The SBR has super sized etching of someones unfortunately long trust name on the receiver?

 

[4thPointOfContact]

Okay, that too. But I was thinking of how to differentiate them from one another in the manner that FN manufactures them.
So far as I can tell (by looking at ones I know are P90 and ones I know are SBR'd PS90's), there's an obvious cosmetic difference that's easy to spot once it's been pointed out.

 

[4thPointOfContact]

To the best of my knowledge, one of these is a real P90 and the other is an SBR'd PS90. Given the same color stock, could you tell which is which just from what's here?

 

[barnbwt]

What, the bevel at the barrel of the fore end tip?

TCB

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Other than it having PS90 stamped on the sight riser?

 

[4thPointOfContact]

What, the bevel at the barrel of the fore end tip?

Bingo.
On every photo where I know that it's a P90 and not an SBR'd PS90; the PS90 has a bevel instead of the right-angle. (At least that's held true so far.)

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

That's the integrated laser mount.

 

[barnbwt]

No built-in M1913 rails (I guess the design was too early for them). A Picatinney rail over the magazine instead of that multi-angled mishmash they came up with would have worked wonders from the very beginning.

You'd be mounting stuff directly on the magazine body in that case (didn't work well for Calico), and way below the line of sight. The magazine does still have to lift up and slide out, which somewhat drives the solution they came up with (I'd have simply put a teensy elevated rail at the very tip, so mags would not have to slide under anything to be seated, but my guess is NATO wanted bigger optics devices than that.) Also, no one put Picatinny anything on stuff in the late 80's. Even video games didn't have railed-guns until like 2008 or so (see also the F2000, XM8, etc. all being anti-modular designs with only two or three configurations dependent upon proprietary add on's)

I agree with Barnbwt on wishing it was locked breech for brass reloading life/ease.

I'm working on it. Gas-operated falling block using somewhat modified PS90 magazines (the helical ramp and feed lip configuration are different, but will be drop/glue-in mods). The prototype will be housed in an MP7 airsoft shell, only 4" longer than the shell at the barrel to reach 16" and 28" with the stock extended. The magazines will rock/slide in from either side over the action, under the sight rail. Based on the longer barrel, better weight distribution, higher capacity, and smaller profile (magazine) I suspect it would surpass the actual MP7 in every way, which isn't all that tall an order to be honest

TCB

 

[4thPointOfContact]

That's the integrated laser mount.

The integrated laser mount is a flat plate.


Here, shown on a PS90 frame.

On a replica p90 frame.

And on what I think we can be assured is a real P90 (Again, note the juncture between barrel and frame.)

 

[barnbwt]

**DO NOT POINT IN EYES**

LOL

TCB


(now stay capitalized, this time, dammit!)

 

[4thPointOfContact]

Funny thing... that gawdawful huge pic of the real P90 is the one that made me say, "Hey, mine doesn't look like that, what's different?"

You'd be mounting stuff directly on the magazine body in that case (didn't work well for Calico), and way below the line of sight....

As a former Calico M900 owner, I'm sooooo well aware of that little failing, lol. But, no, I don't object to the 'housing' that's surrounds where the magazine is inserted, I just wish FN had made it with a flat top (as they more-or-less have done with the 'triple rail' model. As I understand it, the only reason the rail is mounted as high as it is, is because it allows FN to use its sling in the standard mounting slot in the P/PS90. I'd gladly have given up that ability in exchange for being able to mount most optics at (or closer to) the same 'height above cheekpiece' that seems common to the AR platform.

This would be my first choice...

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

The integrated laser mount is a flat plate.

"Mount" as in "laser goes here".

 

[barnbwt]

Just a heads up, fellows; Palmetto State Armory is selling SS197SR for 23$/50. After shipping, it's right at fifty-one cents a round; not too shabby

TCB

 

[Welding Rod]

Thanks for the tip. Cases of 2000 SS197SR have been selling for about 45 cents per round on gun broker this past week. Including shipping.

A couple cases sold for about 43.5 and 44 cents with shipping included.