5.7 mm FN versus .45 ACP and 9mm in the dry ice challenge

Matt from Demolition Ranch is back with one of the more uncommon calibers in his arsenal, the FN 5.7x28mm.

Matt had a great time stopping his .50 cal BMG with a few blocks of dry ice. Now he’d like to see what happens when smaller calibers are put to the same test.

For this experiment Matt compares the slow but heavy .45 ACP against the small but fast 5.7mm FN. He’ll also take a look at the 7.62x39mm and the 5.56x45mm NATO.

What Is The FN Five-seveN?

Designed by FN Herstal in Belgium, the 5.7mm is a bottle-necked center-fire cartridge that’s very similar to the .22 Hornet. This unusual pistol round was developed for use in both the Five-seveN handgun and FN P90 PDW. With a bullet weight around 40 grains, the 5.7mm is lighter and faster than many other semi-automatic handgun rounds.

Originally intended for military and law enforcement agencies, the FN Five-seveN became available to civilian shooters after 2004. This light-weight polymer-framed pistol features large capacity magazines, low-recoil cartridges, and ambidexterious controls. In the civilian market the FN Five-seveN is popular as a target shooter or varmint control weapon.

FN Five-seveN In Pop Culture

The FN Five-seveN was featured as the primary sidearm throughout the final three seasons of the Battlestar Glactica reboot. A fictional miniature “explosive grenade” under-barrel attachment was added to the prop along with a modified trigger guard.

The popular video game series Counter Strike has used both the original model and USG variant of the FN Five-Seven. The pistol is only available to the counter-terrorism teams.