impulse buy: FNH 5.7 in flat dark earth - Page 2

loose_holster_dan · September 12, 2013, 10:07 AM

i would imagine 95% of five-seven buys are impulse buys. the idea and even the execution by fn are fantastic. every avid semiauto shooter has coveted one at some point in his life. but most people let logic talk them out of buying a $1k+ plastic gun that shoots some of the most rare and expensive handgun rounds available.

Beretta686 · September 12, 2013, 10:56 AM

Quote:

i would imagine 95% of five-seven buys are impulse buys. the idea and even the execution by fn are fantastic. every avid semiauto shooter has coveted one at some point in his life.

I agree with the impulse by part. I bought mine at the Ft. Hood PX when they couldn't raise prices for $1100 during the post-Sandy Hook feeding frenzy, when they were going for $2000+, but fell in love with it and couldn't let it go.

When people ask me about my Five-Seven, I tell them it's exactly like having an NFA Machine Gun. If you're expecting something useful and practical you're going to be sorely disappointed. But if you buy it fully knowing it's just an amusing money pit for you to turn $$$ into noise, you're going to be very pleased.

Quote:

shoots some of the most rare and expensive handgun rounds available.

Yes the rounds are relatively pricey compared to a 9mm, but you can get them for about $0.70 a round if you shop around and that's not much more than you'd pay for .308 or quality 5.56 ammo. It's kind of like having a 10mm or other odd-ball pistol. And it's getting easier to find ammo for it.

kcub · September 14, 2013, 04:05 AM

Beretta686, I have heard through 3rd party gunshop buzz here in Austin that the Ft. Hood shootings with the FiveseveN left a lot of law enforcement people mightily impressed with its performance. Since you are closer to where that crime took place, have you heard the same thing?

Beretta686 · September 14, 2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Beretta686, I have heard through 3rd party gunshop buzz here in Austin that the Ft. Hood shootings with the FiveseveN left a lot of law enforcement people mightily impressed with its performance. Since you are closer to where that crime took place, have you heard the same thing?

I haven't heard anything like that. I was in Iraq during the shooting and have since left Ft. Hood. I'd hear quite a few folks talking about the Fiven-Seven at Weber's Range up in Temple, but it was all speculation and third hand stories.

mrray13 · September 14, 2013, 09:47 AM

kcub, I'm nowhere near Texas, but in my 5 years of law enforcement, I've just now met a single officer who carries the FiveseveN. Part of the problem is duty gear, although he was carrying his FiveseveN in Kel Tec gear. (thinking the holster and mag pouch are for the pmr 30?) The other problem is the caliber, being something around .25. Some departments have a minimum required caliber, usually a something around a .38 or greater. Not always the case, but can definitely be an issue.

kcub · September 14, 2013, 09:55 AM

This particular store is frequented by a lot of DPS and Texxas Rangers who either were on the scene our have buddies that were. Still just heresay though.

CurlyQ.Howard · September 16, 2013, 08:41 PM

I was just notified by email: $203.99 for 10m boxes of 50 Federal American Eagle 5.7 ammo (app $0.406/round)! But when I clicked on the site, instead I got sorry - already sold out:-(. However, if I had acted sooner, I would have gotten a great price. So, it can be done if everything falls into place.

Beretta686 · September 17, 2013, 04:58 PM

Wow. $0.41 is a great price. Usually they're hovering around $0.70 a round. I really wish Wolf would make a cheapo plinking 5.7 round.

kcub · September 18, 2013, 04:18 AM

Curly, who had the cheap 5.7 ammo?

thedudeabides · September 18, 2013, 04:24 AM

Why I don't like the FN 57:

-ammo is hard to find, it's usually expensive, and disappears FOR YEARS whenever there's a panic
-the performance isn't that special as the interwebs make it out to be
-you have to be super careful to reload (and it damages the brass sometimes, so you might not be able to get a good return on your empties)
-it's loud

It's an answer to a question no one was answering: can we make a sidearm that shoots the same ammo as the P90 so soldiers can use the same ammo in their sidearms.

CurlyQ.Howard · September 18, 2013, 11:27 AM

Midway USA. Last spring I indicated that I wanted the 5.7 ammo (on Midway's site), so they sent me the email message when it came in. I still don't have a 5.7, so missing out on the $0.41 price wasn't upsetting (I still would have bought the ammo at this price though); however, some 5.7 owner is likely as happy as a kid on Christmas.

Wreck-n-Crew · September 18, 2013, 11:38 AM

Though I am not a fan of the dark earth color I really like the FN 5.7. Great guns.

Congratulations and let us know how the range time was.

DealHunter · September 18, 2013, 08:20 PM

Gander by me has it for $29 per box of SS197SR and has it frequently. The local shops have it for 25-7 usually, for 22 more rarely.

It was hard to find to be fair for a while but seems to have gotten much better.

kcub · September 19, 2013, 04:11 AM

Photos do not do flat dark earth guns justice in my opinion. They also make it in olive drab. I didn't have a FDE gun so it was there, why not get something different? I have lots of black pistols.

I have yet to shoot it, dove season has gotten in the way. I plan to resolve that this weekend.

mitchntx · September 20, 2013, 09:48 AM

My local smith and dealer had one on consignment and at a very good price. But, I couldn't find any reasonably priced ammo.

Fast forward a couple weeks and I'm strolling through a gun show and there is a case of SS197 on the table at $30/box.

I call the smith and he still has the gun and the owner wants to move it ... After about 30 seconds of haggling via the phone, I bought it.

I then went back to the table and bought 500 rounds of ammo. Subsequent to that LAX Ammo has had it in stock for a while at about the same price which is about what I spend on 44M ammo.

My thought was to use this oddity as trade fodder. But I made the mistake of taking it to the range. Accurate, nice weight, low-low-low recoil and amazing destruction of 2x4s.

Consequently, I'm hanging onto this guy for a while.

kinoons · September 22, 2013, 12:56 AM

I like mine, but I'll admit to be a bit biased. I have a PS90 and its a blast to shoot, therefor I wanted the companion pistol. There is enough myths and legends about the 5.7 to fill a barn. Here is what has been proven to be (mostly) true.

Fiveseven Advantages:
Damn light weight
Relatively high capacity
Low recoil
Flat trajectory

Fiveseven disadvantages:
Large framed gun
Large handle
Expensive

As far as terminal ballistics go; it's not a death ray, however I believe it to be as effective as any other pistol out there (IE: it's a pistol, don't count on any one stop shots, keep shooting until the threat is gone). Factory ammo is loaded on the anemic end of the spectrum. Hand loading or purchasing from elite ammo really helps the handgun shine -- it is possible to defeat level IIIa armor with civilian ammo, but it is pricey stuff.

There are many accounts of hogs being taken with the PS90. IMHO the ps90 is the perfect civilian self defense carbine, so having a pistol for the same round makes sense. And yes, I do load my own ammo.

Cosmodragoon · September 22, 2013, 10:06 PM

I paid premium for an FNX-45 at the height of the gun market crisis and never looked back. I hunted it down because it had all the features I wanted in a .45 and took a risk on the price. At first glance, it wasn't that impressive. Now having owned and used it a great deal, it has become my favorite .45 and one of my favorite semis in general. These experiences and the novelty of the 5-7 make it very attractive. The problem is that it doesn't really satisfy a pressing need relative to my current collection. There are other things I think I need more and resources are sadly limited. Some day though... some day...

kcub · September 28, 2013, 10:25 PM

Shot this gun today, very accurate and very flat. I was wanting more than 25 yards of indoor range.

I was surprised by some recoil, not the .22 magnum I expected. Probably because it's so light.

barnbwt · September 28, 2013, 11:14 PM

Snappy little guy, isn't it?

It doesn't recoil much, but it's not like you can "resist" what little is there and hold it rock steady through the shot like a 22LR. The grip stippling also likes to dig in as well if you over grip. Very easy to develop a flinch from the noise, flash, and snap, despite the lack of kick, too (I throw an empty case into the mag once in a while to catch myself before it gets too ingrained)

I need to take mine out soon, ammo supplies seem to have been reestablished (for now) and prices are down to about .60$ a round in many places. I was getting seriously worried after last year's ammo plant strike coupled with Newtown pushed the price to like 2$ a round for months

You''ll definitely want to divert a few bucks each week towards an ammo stockpile for this caliber whether you intend to keep it for the long haul or not (these pistols are far more desirable to non-owners if they come with a good chunk of ammo)

I wish someone would offer a cheap bolt rifle in this caliber so I could confidently reuse my spent blow-back pistol brass without as much worry over case separation. I love the round/concept but it's too unforgiving to reload (at least for me) and the gun operates on a razor's edge as is.

TCB

rdmallory · September 29, 2013, 04:15 PM

Ever thought of reloading?

It takes a standard .224 bullet.
Small pistol primers
Ram Shot True Blue power (was factory don't know anymore)

Don't tumble the brass just wash with simple green. one or two reloads then trash them. The shoulder get pushed back ever time so the brass work hardens. At one time I was getting 1K once fired brass for $60.

I also shoot it in a T/C encore.

Doug

barnbwt · September 29, 2013, 10:33 PM

Quote:

one or two reloads then trash them.

This is what kills the deal (for me, anyway). The neck sets back .1" IIRC, which is huge relative to the size of the case, and just kills your brass life. Since the round takes a premium bullet (as opposed to cheap cast) and a fairly obscure powder (which I assume isn't cheap), you don't get to recoup much cost through materials. And since you only get 2-3 shots per case, you don't save a ton there, either. Mainly, it's a good practice to tide you over during shortages like we saw last year.

Quote:

I also shoot it in a T/C encore.

If my gun had a locked breech like the T/C I'd have no problems reloading, but the delayed blowback deforms the brass too much for me to trust it, and the Five-seveN pistol really isn't built to take a case head failure in a particularly controlled manner. I am somewhat paranoiedly aware of the 5.7's 50,000psi operating pressure

. That's like having a 308 going off about .5" from my fingers --I don't want to chance anything. Having a brick-house action to drop your reloads into is very attractive, though.

Just curious, what wears out first on your brass, the primer pockets, the necks, or the case head attachment?

TCB

kinoons · September 30, 2013, 12:38 AM

I've successfully used true blue, blue dot, and autocomp in my 5.7 reloads; none of which are obscure powders. As far as bullets go, the 40 grain vmax isn't an obscure one either. If you're lucky and watch, midway occasionally has blemished ones on sale for real cheap. And since the 40gr vmax is lighter than the 55gr pill everyone wants for their AR15 I can still find them on the shelf occasionally if I ever run out of what I have.

edit: its the necks that seem to let go first 9 times out of 10

SpareMag · September 30, 2013, 08:13 AM

I played with one at the range Before the Madness, and loved it!

Didn't love the $1200 pricetag attached to the one for sale, but FN has really figured out modular systems.

The FN carbine for that round looks like a Xerox copier when it is stripped down...all the pieces go back together only one way, but you have no idea what the pieces actually _do_....

September 12, 2013, 10:07 AM	#26
loose_holster_dan Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2011 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 2,461	i would imagine 95% of five-seven buys are impulse buys. the idea and even the execution by fn are fantastic. every avid semiauto shooter has coveted one at some point in his life. but most people let logic talk them out of buying a $1k+ plastic gun that shoots some of the most rare and expensive handgun rounds available. __________________ Favorite range gun for the money - CZ 75B or STI Spartan V 9mm Go-to carry setup - Walther PPS or PPQ in FIST kydex holster 1AK Favorite semi-auto design - HK P7 "A Sig is like a lightsaber - not as clumsy or random as a Glock."

September 17, 2013, 04:58 PM	#33
Beretta686 Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 761	Wow. $0.41 is a great price. Usually they're hovering around $0.70 a round. I really wish Wolf would make a cheapo plinking 5.7 round. __________________ "Our contract called for 16 cases of rifles and ammunition for $10,000 dollars, not a machine gun...........That is our present to the General"-Pike Bishop “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”

September 18, 2013, 04:24 AM	#35
thedudeabides Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2012 Posts: 1,031	Why I don't like the FN 57: -ammo is hard to find, it's usually expensive, and disappears FOR YEARS whenever there's a panic -the performance isn't that special as the interwebs make it out to be -you have to be super careful to reload (and it damages the brass sometimes, so you might not be able to get a good return on your empties) -it's loud It's an answer to a question no one was answering: can we make a sidearm that shoots the same ammo as the P90 so soldiers can use the same ammo in their sidearms. __________________ OK, so not all plastic guns are bad

September 18, 2013, 11:38 AM	#37
Wreck-n-Crew Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,820	Though I am not a fan of the dark earth color I really like the FN 5.7. Great guns. Congratulations and let us know how the range time was. __________________ If you ever have to use a firearm, *you don't get to pick the scenario!*

September 28, 2013, 11:14 PM	#44
barnbwt Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2012 Posts: 1,085	Snappy little guy, isn't it? It doesn't recoil much, but it's not like you can "resist" what little is there and hold it rock steady through the shot like a 22LR. The grip stippling also likes to dig in as well if you over grip. Very easy to develop a flinch from the noise, flash, and snap, despite the lack of kick, too (I throw an empty case into the mag once in a while to catch myself before it gets too ingrained) I need to take mine out soon, ammo supplies seem to have been reestablished (for now) and prices are down to about .60$ a round in many places. I was getting seriously worried after last year's ammo plant strike coupled with Newtown pushed the price to like 2$ a round for months You''ll definitely want to divert a few bucks each week towards an ammo stockpile for this caliber whether you intend to keep it for the long haul or not (these pistols are far more desirable to non-owners if they come with a good chunk of ammo) I wish someone would offer a cheap bolt rifle in this caliber so I could confidently reuse my spent blow-back pistol brass without as much worry over case separation. I love the round/concept but it's too unforgiving to reload (at least for me) and the gun operates on a razor's edge as is. TCB __________________ "I don't believe that the men of the distant past were any wiser than we are today. But it does seem that their science and technology were able to accomplish much grander things." -- Alex Rosewater

September 14, 2013, 04:05 AM	#28
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	Beretta686, I have heard through 3rd party gunshop buzz here in Austin that the Ft. Hood shootings with the FiveseveN left a lot of law enforcement people mightily impressed with its performance. Since you are closer to where that crime took place, have you heard the same thing?

September 14, 2013, 09:47 AM	#30
mrray13 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 911	kcub, I'm nowhere near Texas, but in my 5 years of law enforcement, I've just now met a single officer who carries the FiveseveN. Part of the problem is duty gear, although he was carrying his FiveseveN in Kel Tec gear. (thinking the holster and mag pouch are for the pmr 30?) The other problem is the caliber, being something around .25. Some departments have a minimum required caliber, usually a something around a .38 or greater. Not always the case, but can definitely be an issue.

September 14, 2013, 09:55 AM	#31
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	This particular store is frequented by a lot of DPS and Texxas Rangers who either were on the scene our have buddies that were. Still just heresay though.

September 16, 2013, 08:41 PM	#32
CurlyQ.Howard Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2012 Posts: 280	I was just notified by email: $203.99 for 10m boxes of 50 Federal American Eagle 5.7 ammo (app $0.406/round)! But when I clicked on the site, instead I got sorry - already sold out:-(. However, if I had acted sooner, I would have gotten a great price. So, it can be done if everything falls into place.

September 18, 2013, 04:18 AM	#34
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	Curly, who had the cheap 5.7 ammo?

September 18, 2013, 11:27 AM	#36
CurlyQ.Howard Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2012 Posts: 280	Midway USA. Last spring I indicated that I wanted the 5.7 ammo (on Midway's site), so they sent me the email message when it came in. I still don't have a 5.7, so missing out on the $0.41 price wasn't upsetting (I still would have bought the ammo at this price though); however, some 5.7 owner is likely as happy as a kid on Christmas.

September 18, 2013, 08:20 PM	#38
DealHunter Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2012 Posts: 225	Gander by me has it for $29 per box of SS197SR and has it frequently. The local shops have it for 25-7 usually, for 22 more rarely. It was hard to find to be fair for a while but seems to have gotten much better.

September 19, 2013, 04:11 AM	#39
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	Photos do not do flat dark earth guns justice in my opinion. They also make it in olive drab. I didn't have a FDE gun so it was there, why not get something different? I have lots of black pistols. I have yet to shoot it, dove season has gotten in the way. I plan to resolve that this weekend.

September 20, 2013, 09:48 AM	#40
mitchntx Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 358	My local smith and dealer had one on consignment and at a very good price. But, I couldn't find any reasonably priced ammo. Fast forward a couple weeks and I'm strolling through a gun show and there is a case of SS197 on the table at $30/box. I call the smith and he still has the gun and the owner wants to move it ... After about 30 seconds of haggling via the phone, I bought it. I then went back to the table and bought 500 rounds of ammo. Subsequent to that LAX Ammo has had it in stock for a while at about the same price which is about what I spend on 44M ammo. My thought was to use this oddity as trade fodder. But I made the mistake of taking it to the range. Accurate, nice weight, low-low-low recoil and amazing destruction of 2x4s. Consequently, I'm hanging onto this guy for a while.

September 22, 2013, 12:56 AM	#41
kinoons Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2008 Location: las vegas, NV Posts: 409	I like mine, but I'll admit to be a bit biased. I have a PS90 and its a blast to shoot, therefor I wanted the companion pistol. There is enough myths and legends about the 5.7 to fill a barn. Here is what has been proven to be (mostly) true. Fiveseven Advantages: Damn light weight Relatively high capacity Low recoil Flat trajectory Fiveseven disadvantages: Large framed gun Large handle Expensive As far as terminal ballistics go; it's not a death ray, however I believe it to be as effective as any other pistol out there (IE: it's a pistol, don't count on any one stop shots, keep shooting until the threat is gone). Factory ammo is loaded on the anemic end of the spectrum. Hand loading or purchasing from elite ammo really helps the handgun shine -- it is possible to defeat level IIIa armor with civilian ammo, but it is pricey stuff. There are many accounts of hogs being taken with the PS90. IMHO the ps90 is the perfect civilian self defense carbine, so having a pistol for the same round makes sense. And yes, I do load my own ammo.

September 22, 2013, 10:06 PM	#42
Cosmodragoon Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Location: Northeastern US Posts: 1,869	I paid premium for an FNX-45 at the height of the gun market crisis and never looked back. I hunted it down because it had all the features I wanted in a .45 and took a risk on the price. At first glance, it wasn't that impressive. Now having owned and used it a great deal, it has become my favorite .45 and one of my favorite semis in general. These experiences and the novelty of the 5-7 make it very attractive. The problem is that it doesn't really satisfy a pressing need relative to my current collection. There are other things I think I need more and resources are sadly limited. Some day though... some day...

September 28, 2013, 10:25 PM	#43
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	Shot this gun today, very accurate and very flat. I was wanting more than 25 yards of indoor range. I was surprised by some recoil, not the .22 magnum I expected. Probably because it's so light.

September 29, 2013, 04:15 PM	#45
rdmallory Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Location: Deltona FL Posts: 953	Ever thought of reloading? It takes a standard .224 bullet. Small pistol primers Ram Shot True Blue power (was factory don't know anymore) Don't tumble the brass just wash with simple green. one or two reloads then trash them. The shoulder get pushed back ever time so the brass work hardens. At one time I was getting 1K once fired brass for $60. I also shoot it in a T/C encore. Doug

September 30, 2013, 12:38 AM	#47
kinoons Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2008 Location: las vegas, NV Posts: 409	I've successfully used true blue, blue dot, and autocomp in my 5.7 reloads; none of which are obscure powders. As far as bullets go, the 40 grain vmax isn't an obscure one either. If you're lucky and watch, midway occasionally has blemished ones on sale for real cheap. And since the 40gr vmax is lighter than the 55gr pill everyone wants for their AR15 I can still find them on the shelf occasionally if I ever run out of what I have. edit: its the necks that seem to let go first 9 times out of 10

September 30, 2013, 08:13 AM	#48
SpareMag Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2012 Posts: 514	I played with one at the range Before the Madness, and loved it! Didn't love the $1200 pricetag attached to the one for sale, but FN has really figured out modular systems. The FN carbine for that round looks like a Xerox copier when it is stripped down...all the pieces go back together only one way, but you have no idea what the pieces actually _do_....