FN Five-seveN
FN Herstal · Pistol · In Production · 1998
Also known as: Five-seveN, FsN, 5-7
Overview
The FN Five-seveN is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. Introduced in 1998, it was developed alongside the FN P90 personal defense weapon as part of the same 5.7x28mm weapon system program initiated in the late 1980s in response to NATO requirements for a cartridge capable of defeating body armor at range. The Five-seveN features a unique delayed blowback operating system patented by Jean-Louis Gathoye in 1993 (U.S. Patent 5,347,912), with a polymer frame, internal hammer, and single-action-only trigger in current production models. Chambered exclusively for the 5.7x28mm cartridge, the pistol offers remarkably low felt recoil, a flat trajectory, a standard magazine capacity of 20 rounds, and superior armor-penetrating capability with military-grade ammunition compared to conventional 9x19mm pistol cartridges. Its lightweight polymer construction at just 618 grams empty makes it one of the lightest full-size service pistols in production. The Five-seveN is in service with military and law enforcement agencies in over 40 countries, with the Cypriot National Guard being the first military adopter in 2000. The 5.7x28mm cartridge was NATO-standardized as STANAG 4509 in 2021.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 618 g (21.8 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 744 g (26.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 208 mm (8.19") |
| Barrel Length | 122 mm (4.80") |
| Height | 145 mm (5.71") |
| Width | 36 mm (1.42") |
| Sight Radius | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Action Type | Delayed Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Trigger Pull | 27 N (6.1 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 650 m/s (2133 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 427 J (315 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1510 m (1651 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 228.6 mm (9.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 8 |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Stainless Steel |
| Finish | Matte Black |
Calibers
- 5.7x28mm FN · primary · STANAG 4509 — also known as 5.7x28mm, 5.7mm FN, 5.7 NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Ambidextrous Manual Safety, Firing Pin Safety, Magazine Disconnect Safety
- Features: Polymer Frame, Internal Hammer, Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, Chrome Lined Barrel, Ambidextrous Safety, Reversible Mag Release, Accessory Rail, Adjustable Rear Sight, Loaded Chamber Indicator
Variants
- FN Five-seveN (Original) — Original
- FN Five-seveN Tactical — Tactical
- FN Five-seveN IOM — Individual Officer Model
- FN Five-seveN USG — Us Government
- FN Five-seveN Mk2 — Modernized
- FN Five-seveN Mk3 MRD — Optics Ready
Service history
Operators
- Cypriot National Guard Special Forces · adopted 2000
- Saudi Arabian Armed Forces
- United States Secret Service
- United States Federal Protective Service
- United States Defense Protective Service
- Belgian Armed Forces
- French GIGN
- Canadian JTF2
- Greek Armed Forces
- Indian Armed Forces
- Polish Armed Forces
- Spanish Armed Forces
- Singapore Armed Forces
- Indonesian Armed Forces
- Italian Armed Forces
- Thai Armed Forces
- Peruvian National Police
- Mexican Armed Forces
- Argentine Armed Forces
- Libyan Armed Forces
Production
Production years: 1998-present
Production numbers not publicly disclosed. In service with military and law enforcement in over 40 countries.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Jean-Louis Gathoye
Notes
The Five-seveN name is a stylized reference to the 5.7mm caliber, with the capital N representing FN Herstal. The pistol uses a delayed blowback system where the barrel briefly recoils with the slide, allowing chamber pressure to drop to safe levels before the case is extracted -- this is distinct from both simple blowback and locked-breech short-recoil designs. The original Mk1 model (1998) featured a double-action-only trigger mechanism, replaced by the purely single-action trigger in the Tactical variant and all subsequent models. The IOM (Individual Officer Model, ~2004) introduced an adjustable two-dot sight system and magazine disconnect safety for law enforcement. The USG (United States Government, ~2005) added a MIL-STD-1913 accessory rail and reversible magazine release. The Mk2 (2013) replaced the USG with front cocking serrations, a one-piece machined steel slide (replacing the two-piece welded design), and combat adjustable sights. The Mk3 MRD (2022) added a proprietary optic mounting interface for mini red dot sights with co-witnessing photo-luminescent iron sights, enhanced stippling, and deeper slide serrations. All variants share the same 20-round magazine (30-round extended available) and 4.8-inch chrome-lined, cold hammer-forged stainless steel barrel with eight-groove right-hand rifling at 1:9 inch twist. The 5.7x28mm cartridge uses a rebated rim design (rim 7.80mm vs base 7.95mm) and small rifle primers due to its high operating pressure of 345 MPa. Military SS190 AP ammunition achieves ~650 m/s from the pistol barrel while the civilian SS197SR sporting round achieves ~510 m/s with a heavier 40-grain V-Max bullet. The cartridge was accepted by SAAMI in 2024 and NATO-standardized as STANAG 4509 in February 2021. FN America lists trigger pull range as 4.4-7.87 lbs (19.6-35.0 N) with a typical break at approximately 6.2 lbs (27.6 N).
Background
The Five-seveN name is a stylized reference to the 5.7mm caliber with the capital N representing FN Herstal. The pistol gained unfortunate notoriety after the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, leading to renewed debates about civilian access to armor-piercing ammunition, though the restricted SS190 AP rounds were never sold commercially.