So, FN Five seveN or Blackwater 1911?

[DHJenkins]

I've been "prompted" to make only one more purchase for the next few months. We need a new roof, yadda yadda, so I have a choice and I've narrowed it down to the two.

The blackwater is certainly collectable, and it's possible the "original" 5.7 may get that way as well.

I already have a 1911 that's a tack driver, and I'm geniunely curious about the FN, especially from the descriptions I've heard about the the way it shoots so I'm really at a loss as to which one I want.

And of course there's the fact that I probably wouldn't keep the blackwater in the safe - I wouldn't carry it or fire it much, but I don't have safe queens; It's the mechanic in me - it either drives or it's gone.

So out of the two what would you get, and why?

 

[spartanpride]

Hmm, I would say the 5.7 just because you already have a 1911 (although you can't have too many of those!) and ammo is cheaper, and well I don't know, I would just go ahead and get the 5.7 for something different, seems like a fun plinker anyway.

 

[paintballdude902]

id stay away from the 5.7 ammo isnt very common and fairly expensive.

 

[Gunfighter123]

I am not a fan of the 5.7 ----- if you want something different -- get a 10mm !!!!

 

[DHJenkins]

I reload so ammo isn't a problem; besides, 10mm's are for people with no aim.

I'd put any of my Sig 9mm's under fire in an active engagement against *any* 10mm slugger any day of the week. IDPA, USPSA, military (not likely) or not, you probably don't have a chance. I have capacity & follow-up on my side - what do you have again?

No offense, but in an engagement, it all comes down to placement. One in the eye will have the same effect with a .32 as it will with a .600 nitro; granted, the clean-up will be different.

I'm not looking for effecitveness - I'm looking for the most "bang" for the buck and a decent return on an "investment" (at least, that's what I call it).

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

5.7? why would you want that??

get the 1911

 

[DHJenkins]

To answer FMJ - Over 2000 fps from a (less than) 5" barrel? With the kick of slightly more than a .22?

Don't get me wrong, I really want the blackwater 1911, but my wife (who's very gun savvy) thinks the five seven would be a better "investment"...

Yeah, I know, make the wife happy - but our money is seperate and she has waaaay more dough than I do. I may end up getting both, but I'd rather just get one to make her happy.

Trust me, if it weren't for the five seven, the 1911 would already be in my hot little hands.

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

To answer FMJ - Over 2000 fps from a (less than) 5" barrel? With the kick of slightly more than a .22?

sounds better than it is. it doesn't have much for stopping power, especially if you miss a vital organ.

it was designed for LE/military as a high capacity, low recoil round to pierce body armor, and it is used in that capacity. the armor piercing ammo abviously is LE only.

it's an extremely specialized caliber & gun design that has little, to no use in the civilian market.

 

[m2steven]

I have an FN 5.7 pistol and I like it for several reasons. It's really accurate. Shoots flat as a board. The slugs hit what your shooting BEFORE you pull the trigger. They are almost that fast. This pistol is very light even with a full load of 20. If you just put 10 in it, it's almost like carrying water pistol. Very comfortable. The trigger is a bit nicer than your regular Glock, and after 1000 rounds or so it's done nothing but be perfect.

As to stopping power, I believe it's pretty destructive of tissue based upon my reading. I know from experience that the little 17cal pistol I have is very destructive. I love mine. It's expensive to shoot, but I have lots of pistols and I don't get it out but once every 2 months or so and I still have about 14 boxes left from a Christmas spending spree....

 

[nwilliams]

I love how people think the 5.7x28 is an ineffective round. Does anyone remember Ft. Hood?

There was also a time when the 5.56 was considered too small to be an effective combat caliber. While it's true 7.62x51 is a larger, heavier and more powerful round than the 5.56, that doesn't mean that the 5.56 can't be used to great effectiveness.

Personally I would not want to get hit by a 5.7 round and I wouldn't have any issue using it as a defensive caliber. Does it have the stopping power of the .45? No, but that doesn't make it an ineffective defensive cartridge.

As for cost. When I can find .45ACP it's generally going for around $18-$22 per box of 50 and mind you this is the cheap plinking stuff. The average price of 5.7x28 is around $19-$24 per box of 50 and it's Hornady V-Max.

As to what pistol you should get. It really depends on what you want, it's your money so spend it on what really interests you. There is nothing wrong with adding another 1911 to your collection, I personally love 1911's and feel you can never have too many. However if the FiveSeven interests you then by all means buy one! They are incredibly fun guns to shoot, accurate, reliable and different, they also make the anti's angry which is reason enough to buy one.

Here's mine...

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

I love how people think the 5.7x28 is an ineffective round.

see for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQuhudjqmiI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JuvKWckwg8

 

[TG13]

i think the families of the victims of Fort Hood would beg to differ on how effectual the 5.7 can be..

the gel videos seem to counter your opinion, fmj..

 

[Girodin]

I love how people think the 5.7x28 is an ineffective round. Does anyone remember Ft. Hood?

72% of the people shot mere only wounded and lived.

One of the people he shot, also shot him and stopped him.

Besides, there is a huge difference between walking up and shooting unarmed people and stopping someone in relative proximity to you from attacking you

I haven't shot any gel with the 5.7x28 round but I have shot a fair number of varmints using the Ps90 (which offers better performance than the Five Seven which I have also used to hunt varmints). The performance on critters much smaller than the average human and the typing of wounds I saw left me less than impressed.

 

[Strahley]

1911. 5.7 is a novelty IMO

 

[gofastman]

5.7, no question

 

[Zerodefect]

I'd get the 5.7, you allready have a 1911, and one Model T Ford is enough for any garage.

To the 5.7mm haters that have no exerience with the round:
- no pistol stops anything without a headshot or CNS hit. Direct hits to the heart may take a while.
- My Glock 19 is less effective than my ps90 and my friends 5.7, in my own less than perfect tests. Water jugs, gelitin, phone books, giant raw pork roasts.
-low recoil, fast shooter, easy to get multiple hits quickly with the 5.7
-ss195 kills feral pigs (230lb mean nasty vermin) just fine. They're alot tougher than me, I got the scars to prove it, anything that can put down those things quickly will do the same to me. The 5.7 temp stretch cavity is nasty looking.
- You can allways pull the bullet out and dump in your own amount of powder. Handloads penetrate 12" of gelatin easy.

 

[Strahley]

I have experience with the round, I just see no reason to own one. If I could get the gun for $500 and the ammo for the same as 9mm, maybe I'd get one for a range queen

It would be one of the last guns/calibers I would want to use for any sort of legal/justified self defense. I'll stick to 9mm and .45 ACP for that

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

i think the families of the victims of Fort Hood would beg to differ on how effectual the 5.7 can be..
the gel videos seem to counter your opinion, fmj..

72% of the people shot mere only wounded and lived.

One of the people he shot, also shot him and stopped him.

excellent post, my friend.

 

[philip964]

I selected the 5.7 as after firing everything from a 1911 to a 9mm Glock, I was consistently the most accurate with the 5.7. Recoil is very low and it is fun to shoot.

 

[Jim Watson]

72% of the people shot mere only wounded and lived.

I believe M. Ayoob has published that about 3/4 of those shot with a pistol calibre survive the wound, over all reported case studies.

 

[RebelRabbi]

Is this an April Fools post? 1911 - duh.

 

[BushyGuy]

nwilliams - the ft hood shooter didnt use the v max bullets he used the special military rounds, i like the fn57 but i am worried about its future and hte ammo supply. i rather have the .45 acp then the fn57. dont get me wrong the 57 is lethal but only worry is ammo availability.

 

[DeepSouth]

1911

 

[NG VI]

Eliteammo.com specializes in loading full-power 5.7x28mm, and they have a variety of rounds tailored for different results.

Personally I would go with the different thing, the FN.

Also I really like FN.

 

[Girodin]

I believe M. Ayoob has published that about 3/4 of those shot with a pistol calibre survive the wound, over all reported case studies.

Source? and his source? I’m not even doubting it but I’d be interested in the source particularly because it is very incomplete info (as is that concerning the Ft. hood shooting) to draw any conclusion other than that pistols are not death rays. What is the caliber break up across all these reported cases? How many times were the people hit? Where were they hit? Etc. Gun rag articles typically have very weak methodology and are more or less for entertainment purposes only.

To the 5.7mm haters that have no exerience with the round:

I'll add by way of disclaimer that I am not a "hater" of the round. I have probably shot more (several thousand) 5.7x28 rounds than most of its vehement proponents.

-ss195 kills feral pigs (230lb mean nasty vermin) just fine.

This does not mirror my experiences shooting various critters. Many of which are much smaller and not nearly so tough as feral hogs. Where were these hogs shot? Was it head shots? I do not doubt that a head shot could kill one. I spent a fair amount of time on a cattle ranch and have seen a number of cattle meet their demise with a .22LR to the head). I’d be more interested to know what a 40 grain varmint bullet (or the little 28 grain pill for that matter) does going through the boiler room of a hog at velocities much lower than a .223 will push it.

My Glock 19 is less effective than my ps90 and my friends 5.7, in my own less than perfect tests. Water jugs, gelitin, phone books, giant raw pork roasts.

What loads in the G19? What was the measure of “effective”?

no pistol stops anything without a headshot or CNS hit.

The head (the brain at least and I presume that is what you are really talking about) is part of the CNS.

nwilliams - the ft hood shooter didnt use the v max bullets he used the special military rounds

Source?

I like the 5.7 for what it is. I shoot it regularly. Based on what I have experienced hunting with it and various other rounds I’m convinced there are better handguns and unquestionably better long guns for personal defense than FNs offerings in 5.7.
That is just the caliber, IMO there are much better carry guns than the Five-Seven when examined apart from caliber.

The Five-Seven is a sweet small game hunting pistol though. It is a unique gun. It is also cost about $400 more than it should. If another manufacturer would chamber a semi auto handgun in that round the five seven might sell closer to what it should.