Champion Firearms | FN Five-seveN MRD FDE 20+1 Capacity 5.7X28mm 66-101275

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FNH USA: Five-seveN MRD Flat Dark Earth 5.7X28mm

FN Five-seveN MKII MRD 20+1 Capacity 5.7X28mm 66-101275

FN Five-seveN MRD FDE 20+1 Capacity 5.7X28mm (66-101275)

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Product Code: 66-101275

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Low prices on the FN-Hertsal: Five-seveN MRD FDE 5.7X28mm start at Champion Firearms.

From Controversy to Confusion. For more than a century, the Belgian manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Armes de Guerre ("FN" for short), has been a pioneering institution in the world of high quality arms production. The Five-SeveN series of pistols represents a departure from the company's more traditional handgun designs of the past, such as the FN "Browning" Hi Power. In fact, during the early years, many of FN's guns came from the genius of John Browning, who made frequent Atlantic crossings to conduct business in Europe. Herstal, the parent company to FN in Belgium-- which also owns Browning and Winchester-- manufactures all of its advanced polymer frame pistols at their state-of-the-art facility in South Carolina.

The FN Five-seveN was originally restricted to military and law enforcement agencies, but since 2004, it has also been offered to civilian shooters. Although supplied with sporting ammunition only, the gun's introduction was met with strong opposition from various gun control groups. Needless to say, the antigun crowd set out on another witch hunt, stating that this gun "had no legitimate sporting use", "fired cop killer ammo" and was a "deadly military-style automatic weapon".

It is currently in service with military and police forces in over 40- countries throughout the world. Here in the United States, the pistol has been issued to numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service. Particularly significant to the design of the FN Five-seveN is the small caliber, high velocity bottle-necked cartridge it uses.

The 5.7x28mm was created in response to NATO requests for a replacement to the 9mm cartridge, which is standard issue in pistols and submachine guns around the world. It weighs roughly half as much as the 9x19mm-- allowing additional ammunition to be carried more easily. The 5.7x28mm produces roughly 30% less recoil than the 9mm, greatly improving controllability.

Due to its high velocity, the 5.7x28mm also exhibits an exceptionally flat trajectory. One of the design intents of the original 5.7x28mm SS190 cartridge, which is restricted to military/law enforcement only, was the ability to penetrate Kevlar. The SS190 fired from a FN P90 rifle is actually capable of defeating the CRISAT body armor that consists of a 1.6mm titanium plate with twenty Kevlar folds at a distance of 100- yards; or passing through 48- layers of Kevlar at 50- yards (roughly equivalent to two Level II vests); or even penetrating a PASGT helmet at a range of 260- yards.

On the civilian market, this has led to a great deal of confusion, along with some wildly exaggerated claims as to the capabilities of this handgun. There have been some incredible reports of 3,000 fps out of the FN Five-seveN, which if these were even close to being accurate (which they are not), it would almost put the stopping power and lethality almost in the same league as an AR-15. Realistically speaking, fired from the P90 rifle using restricted SS190 ammunition, muzzle velocities are closer to 2,350 fps.

When fired from a pistol, however, using civilian legal SS 195 28-grain or SS196 40- grain ammunition-- those muzzle velocities plummet to around 2,100 fps and 1,600 fps respectively. By comparison, the muzzle velocity of Winchester 40- grain 22 MAGNUM SUPER-X fired through a 6.5- inch barrel handgun is listed at 1,910 fps-- leaving the FN a little more anemic in terms of stopping power than many of these inflated claims, and putting it on par with a magnum rimfire in terms of ballistic performance. On the bright side, recoil is extremely mild and the FN Five-seveN holds 20+1 round of ammunition.

While pricey, the handgun is well built and extremely lightweight. In fact, it weighs in at just 23- ounces and is supplied with three magazines. Its 4.8" cold hammer forged barrel yields extreme accuracy, while the chrome lined bore is designed to withstand a lifetime of high velocity ammunition. The pistol wears a rear adjustable set of 3- dot sights that get on target well. The frame's surface texture provides a firm grip under adverse conditions and the integral Picatinny rail allows for the attachment of tactical accessories such as a light or laser. While awkwardly placed, the ambidextrous safety lever and other fire control features function flawlessly and the magazine release is reversible.

Admittedly, the FN Five-seveN may not be an ideal concealed carry pistol, but it does offer unique advantages most other handguns cannot match. Again, while pricey it's certainly portable. While performing work around the farm or ranch, it allows you to easily strap a high capacity semi-automatic on your hip that goes anywhere and is capable of quickly dispatching close range varmints such as coyotes, skunks, Nutria rats or racoons. For those who are recoil sensitive or lack the physical stamina to tote a heavy pistol, this may be just the ticket. Finally, while the Kel-Tec PMR looks great on paper, if the moment of truth should arise in a deadly self- defense situation, many shooters feel much more comfortable betting their lives, and that of their family, on FN's impeccable reputation for quality.

Mirroring sister companies Browning and Winchester, FN is almost impossible to pin down when it comes to warranty. Suffice it to say that for service or repairs, the pistol is not backed by anything detectable in writing. Nevertheless, in the wake of the Moss-Magnuson Act, many reputable firearms manufacturer's similarly do not offer written repair warranties, yet provide better service and repair than most gun makers providing so-called "written lifetime" warranties.

To date, we are not aware of any problems or malfunctions with the Five-seveN, which is a remarkable testament to the engineering and quality of FN-Hertal pistols. Furthermore, the company literature does state that, "with careful use, regular cleaning and proper maintenance, your FN firearm should provide you with years of trouble free service". Overall, the Five-seveN has enjoyed a flawless track record, proving itself to be a highly capable, precise and effective utility handgun.