I really like the AR57 upper.  It's very clever, and a ton of fun to shoot.  Extremely controllable.

@pursuitss knows a bit about the 5.7.....

9mm Steel Core WILL NOT penetrate like 5.7x28. Now that Elite Ammunition is offering DevestaTOR to "Joe Public", the penetration is MUCH better than FN SS190 A.P.

I hate using this example, but it is documented and not some "Well I heard from the guy at the local gun shop that it won't stop small mice"

Keep in mind, neither load used by the dirt bag was in anyway one of the better loads for the 5.7x28....

FORT HOOD SHOOTING...


Using SS192 and SS197SR ammunition (common commercial 5.7x28 ammo), several 20-30 round magazines and an FN 5.7 (shooter also had a .357 revolver but did not use it), Hassan killed 13 and wounded 32 people.

Many armchair ballistics expert criticized this result as proof that the FN 5.7 platform is not lethal enough because of the proportion of the fatalities to the wounded. Others have proposed that had Hassan used another type of pistol, 9mm or .45, there would have been more fatalities.


1. 11 people were shot center-of-mass (COM), one was shot in the stomach and one was shot in the head. All 13 died. All 11 victims who were shot COM did not survive.
2. 3 of the 13 people who died, tried to charge Hassan, but he stopped them with COM shots.
3. The 32 people who were wounded were hit in the arms, legs, hips and shoulders. None of the wounded survivors were shot COM.

The following conclusions can be drawn:
1. The FN 5.7 is a very lethal round CQB because all 11 victims who were shot COM died. No survivors for those hit COM.
2. The FN 5.7 is a real stopper, because 3 tried to charge Hassan at close range and were stopped by COM shots.
3. One of the fatalities was shot in the stomach, and died. The fragmentation of the SS197R round can create a hail of metal shards that can cause serious internal organ damage and bleeding in the stomach.
4. None of the 32 people who were hit in the extremities, hips and shoulders were able to muster a counter-attack because the FN 5.7 must have shattered or broken bones. The high rate of wounded vicitms to fatalities was the direct result of the shooting ability of Hassan (or lack thereof), and not because the 5.7x28 round is not lethal.
5. Sgt. Kimberly Munley (base civilian police), one of the first responders, was immediately disabled with 5.7x28 bullet shrapnels to her wrist and a second 5.7x28 bullet broke her femur. The light 5.7x28 commercial ammo showed that it can shatter large bones due to its velocity. Her femur (the largest bone in the human body) was SHATTERED into 120 pieces.
6. According to medical personnel, there was so much blood in the room that it was difficult to get to the victims because the floor became very slippery. One can conclude that the commercial 5.7x28 rounds can fragment or tumble, causing immense blood loss.
7. It took five bullets (which I assume was a 9 mm) from Sgt Mark Todd to stop Hasan. And he survived his wounds (no available info on where he was hit, except that one of the bullets paralyzed Hasan).

In conclusion:
1. The FN 5.7 is definitely a very lethal round. 100% fatality for COM shots.
2. The FN 5.7 is a man-stopper. Three military men tried to charge Hasan, and all three were stopped.
2. The FN 5.7 is a very incapacitating round, if extremities are hit, because it is powerful enough to break the femur (which is the largest bone in the body)
3. The fragmentation or tumbling effect of commercial ammo can cause a lot of blood loss.

This is a DOCUMENTED real world shooting as compared to "I was told by my brother-in-law who heard it from a gun shop employee" story.

In comparison, here is a LINK to another DOCUMENTED shooting where Officer had to place 17 ROUNDS OF .45 acp in a dirt bag to stop him.

I only carry an FN FiveseveN now as I trust it more than any 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 acp. The main issue I had was trying to locate a Duty holster and spare magazine carrier.

I carry Elite Ammunition S4M which chronographs OVER 2,400 fps out of the FiveseveN pistol and WILL penetrate Level IIIA body armor. In addition it will penetrate 1 1/4" bullet proof glass.

It's generally excepted that hydrostatic shock begins at 2,000 fps, some studies report it as low as 1,100 fps.

I really have to believe that for the U.S. Secret Service to adopt the 5.7x28 that had pretty good documentation of round performance.