FN 5.7 on the STREET

As a patrol officer you are more likely to confront a suspect armed with a handgun than you are a rifle or shotgun. From 1994 to 2003 of the 616 officers killed in the line of duty 425 were killed with a handgun. Just last year (2003), nationwide there were 1,866 officers assaulted with firearms. There is a new tool on the market that all officers MUST BE AWARE Of. The FN 5.7

The Gun and the Bullet

 The FN 5.7 Is now available for purchase on the civilian market. I personally saw three of these being used at a private shooting range here in our city. You can pick one up at your local gun shop. Why officers need to be aware of the FN 5.7 is its capability on the street.

The 5.7 is the same size as any full size service weapon (your Glock).

What makes it unique is the cartridge. The Five-seveN shoots a 5.7x28mm cartridge. The bullet comes in several different types. Some are not available to civilians but we all know how long that last. The base cartridge for this weapon is the SS190. This bullet Will Perforate 48 layers of Kevlar from 50 meters out of the 5.7 Pistol. This translates into “it will punch through your vest, PLATE included.” The bullet will then travel into your body and inflict damage. The bullet is traveling at 2,133 fps. That’s about the speed of the bullet coming out of the new carbines we are about to put on the street.

Another unique fact about this weapon is the low recoil and control- ability. The 5.7 only has 60% of the recoil impulse of a 9mm. Having shot one personally I compare it to a .22 target pistol. Where this aides the shooter is in his ability to accurately engage targets very quickly. The average shooter can engage man-size targets all day from 50 to 100 yards with a great degree of accuracy. This is only made easier with the fact that the standard magazine in this pistol holds 20 Rounds.

Tactics and Solutions for Law Enforcement

Knowledge is power. Making yourself familiar with this weapon and its capabilities is very important. If you get a chance to shoot one I highly encourage you to do so. You will be really impressed with its accuracy at distance and control. Keep an eye on the local gun shops and dealers. See how many of these are going out the doors and, the type of ammo that’s being sold. If you run into one on a call I would definitely make a mental note of that in case you have to return to the residence under other circumstances.

This is a fine weapon and a fun gun to shoot but in the hands of the wrong person it could create a big problem for officers. Because of the range and accuracy of this weapon a gunman could hold patrol officers off at a distance making it impractical if not impossible to engage him with the officer’s service weapon or issued shotgun.

Not only does the gunman have distance to his advantage but, the fact that the SS190 will penetrate military body armor (PASGT vest) at 300 meters and, a (PASGT helmet) at 240 meters adds to his lethality. The officer must be aware of his COVER vs. CONCEALMENT if confronted by this weapon. Hard cover must be utilized. In a tactical situation I would treat the incident as if the suspect were armed with a rifle.

Consider alternate approach paths toward the assailant and flanking/Distraction maneuvers. Remember this cartridge makes most ballistic shields useless so consider other devices available like smoke, Bangs (LSD’s) and OC/CS. If he can’t see or hear and doesn’t know where he is for a few seconds you will have the opportunity to move and engage.

As always good basic officer safety practices on the street will allow you to survive almost any encounter. BE SAFE!