Transcription
So years ago, I did a video review on the FN Five-seven. It was a long time ago, and I was pretty new to firearms. So what I wanted to do was bring out the FN Five-seven, especially in FDE, because when I did [the review], it was in black. I kind of want to revisit it and give my takes on the gun after years have gone by. Now, over the years, the gun has essentially grown in popularity. A lot of people love this gun, especially rappers; they love it. Probably has a lot to do with the fact that it has bullets that look like rifle ammunition. It's a unique gun, so I understand why people like it so much.
And think about it: some of the positives—a 20-round magazine that has bullets that look like they come out of a rifle. Then you also have this very unique-looking gun that looks like it's completely covered in plastic. When in reality, it is covered in plastic, but there is a metal frame, a metal slide underneath here; it's just also covered in plastic. So it gives a certain unique look to this gun that a lot of people like. This gun is also really light, as well. On top of that, you have a lot of features on this gun, some of which are also unique. So, for instance, this safety selector here—I'm used to safety selectors being on the frame, on the back-end part, but here it's on the side that you use with your index finger. Now, on paper, it makes a lot of sense. In reality, I'm not really sure yet, largely because I don't really train to it. And just like swooping up and down on a thumb safety, if you don't really train to it, it's not going to do any good. However, a lot of people like it because there is that safety component, and it's not a safety switch that's going to easily come off.
So the one thing I absolutely like, or love actually, about the FN Five-seven is the lack of recoil. This gun does not really recoil anywhere nearly as close as it does, say, on a 9mm, .40, or even a .45. It is a really soft-shooting gun. So, for that, I would actually probably recommend this gun to new shooters from a recoil standpoint because it's such an easy gun to shoot. And because it's such an easy gun to shoot, it's more approachable in a lot of ways, even though it looks very unique and not like a traditional handgun.
So now let's talk about the trigger on this gun. I enjoy this trigger for a number of reasons because it's good. So it has a really nice take-up that you hit that firm wall, and then it resets pretty short. Then you couple that with the fact that this gun recoils very soft, and it makes it really shoot easy. This gun shoots fast, really well, and the gun sits on target because you don't have a lot of that recoil coming back and forth. On top of that, you get these adjustable rear sights along with the suppressor-height sight. So if you wanted to—I think you can get a suppressor—you can get a threaded barrel for this and actually add a suppressor onto it as well. Of course, you have the Picatinny rail down here, which allows you to have a light on here. And I mean—and let's talk about this grip real quick, too. The grip on this gun is a little bit wide; it's kind of like a two-by-two. I like it; some people don't. I personally like it because it allows me to get a really, really good grip on the gun, and I don't really have that big of hands. So, and then also with this kind of cheese-grater texture, it looks way more aggressive than it is, but it functionally works exactly the way it needs to—hold onto the gun the way I need to hold onto the gun.
Let's talk about the actual ammo. So one of the big things that I mentioned about people loving this gun is the fact that it has bullets that look like they're rifle bullets. And this gun—the ammo for this gun was designed very specifically. Now, there are different types of ammo for this gun, so all the ammo, all the 5.7 ammo, are not the same. They have some that are designed more for, uh, range practicing. Then there are some that are, um, with hollow points. Then there are some that are actually designed to be more penetrative. So from that perspective, the ammo choice is going to be the biggest deciding factor in terms of a self-defense aspect of the firearm. So if you come to the range, you use the range ammo. If you don't—if you shoot—and then as far as your concealed-carry aspect, you want to use a different round; you want to use a different type of ammo. And as far as home defense, I would say the concealed-carrying ammo and the home-defense ammo would be the same.
So that being said, the ammo is not as popular as, say, a nine-millimeter, .40, or .45. So you may have a harder time finding ammo versus, say, 9mm, .40, or .45. But it's not so hard to find that it makes this gun a non-option. You're just going to have to do a little bit more digging than you normally would. And so, for some people, that's a deal-breaker; for others, not so much, because the benefits outweigh the negatives. On top of that, too, the ammo is going to be a little bit more pricey than your 9mm, .40, or .45. So if you're not—if you're not—if the cost aspect isn't that big of a deal to you, then I think the FN Five-seven is honestly a pretty good choice for a gun from a home-defense standpoint, self-defense standpoint, as far as concealed carry. Because the gun size—it is like a full-size gun, but it's not that much bigger in profile than, say, a Glock 17. So I think from a concealed-carry standpoint, there are people who can still carry Glock 17s and even bigger; I think you'll be just fine. I think—I think the gun gets a lot of a bad rap because it is so unique in a lot of ways, and it hasn't really been proven compared to, say, other rounds like nine-millimeter, .40, and .45. And there are a number of countries and police forces that are actually using this particular round. So clearly, them continuing to buy it says something.
So I like the FN Five-seven. I think it's the mag daddy of the FN Five-seven round. There are only two guns that I know of, from a handgun standpoint, that shoot this. And you know, even now in 2021, compared to when I reviewed it years ago, I got to say not much has changed for me in terms of my allure—or not to say—just kind of my admiration for the 5.7. It's a different gun; it approaches things a little bit differently, but I think in a good way. It's not going to work for some people, but I think some people will absolutely love it. [Music] You know how frightening it is to think about what happens in the moments before, during, and even days after having to use your gun in self-defense? When you first start carrying a gun for protection, it can be a very scary and nerve-wracking experience, especially if you haven't gotten the education and training you need to feel confident. I've been there myself, hoping I never have to go through a self-defense shooting, which is why I'm a member of the USCCA. As a USCCA member, you can eliminate some of the stress of carrying a gun for protection by accessing the amazing wealth of firearm education, training, and current state-specific gun laws of your state or states you may travel to. This can help you be prepared for, or hopefully even avoid, a self-defense incident. As a bonus, members automatically become insured on the self-defense liability insurance policy purchased by and issued to the USCCA. Click below to learn more, and don't forget to subscribe to the channel and, most importantly, make sure you hit that bell symbol.