Posted on 05/27/2005 9:22:22 AM PDT by Covenantor
Okay...It's Friday and time for a gun thread. Yesterday at the local gun and toy store in (believe or not, Maryland, I got to handle the FN Herstal PS90, the civilian semi-automatic version of the P90.
This bull-pup 5.7x28 mm has been around for the LEo and Military markets for a few years. I always thought it strange looking but technically very interesting.
A closed breech blow-back design, it has a unique horizontal top mounted magazine; 30 or 50 rds. Ambidextrous mag releases make it surprising fast to swap out mags. It ejects spent casings from the bottom.
The strange looking stock is more comfortable than it looks once you learn where to place all of you fingers.
Lightweight, it pointed natuarally and quickly. With the integrated 1x optical sight with circle in a circle reticle target acquisition is damn quick.
Shops are taking pre-orders at about $1400 base model.
Here's another photo with the 5.7x28 pistol.
Just might have to sell some of my cameras for this puppy.
The FN Herstal USA web link is www.fnhusa.com, but the site is not fully operational yet. Bookmark it for later. Interesting side note. The USA offices are located in MacLean, Va., just a hop skip and a jump from the Christians In Action headquarters.
here's the friday gun porn.
a cool bang
A lazy Friday afternoon gun thread
Sweet.
I'll be taking delivery of my FN FiveSeveN tomorrow. Along with a case of the SS192 ammo.
BLOAT
That'll be reaction from the gun-grabbers.
Muttly...Bullpups Ho!
Apparently FN USA had a big show and shoot pr gathering for the local dealers. All the fellows from the store had big grins when they were talking about shooting this puppy.
I saw pictures of this a while ago and thought it was a cool concept. Unfortunatly, something like this is a way down on my next purchase list. I'll have to live vicariously through the those of you who buy this and keep the rest of us informed.
My brother already has his FiveSeveN and he reports that it's the real deal - it surpasses the hype.
Hell, they couldn't tell the differences between this and a recharable drill...at least that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
.
How else can I get one home ;>)
One of my all-time favourites! The futuristic design is intreaguing and functional. I read somewhere that it was designed for close-in defense by artillerist's and military police: personel who needs a lighter weapon than a automatic-rifle but with a punch that is heavier that the average sub-machine gun. The bullets eats through several layers of kevlar, so be sure to strap up good if you face the FN P 90. Doesn't the Forreign Legion use them?
Looks pretty good, but it may be worth the SBR registration tax to get that barrel pruned back a bit.
As I said the mag swap is really quick.
Another fun way to deliver .223 rounds.
If it's good enough for SG-1, it's good enough for me. :)
Of course, they get the armor-piercing bullets that we as civilians can't get, and it's fully automatic. Without full auto, we lose one of the best things about the P90 -- the ability to controllably shoot fully auto, as in you can shoot a full 50-round clip at a 50m target and keep a 10-inch group.
The US Secret Service uses them.
The semi-auto P90 is supposed to come out late 2005 or early 2006. I'm trying to decide whether I want a semi P90 or F2000 when FN releases the new toys.
The version of the PS90 that I handled had a legal barrel that projected about half the distance that your photo shows. And that was with a short flash supressor. Keep in mind that this is a bull-pup design with the chamber just about at the back end of the rear thumbhole in the stock. It really is quite short and seems ideal for CQB.
If Mrs.L ever learns of all the firepower in the casita lodwick...
Hoping that fun shoots with family and friends are the only time I have to use'em.
*whimpering.*
I WAAAAAAaaaaant one!
You saw the video?
No, I've just been reading about owner experiences, but I'd like to see the video. I've been interested in this thing since Stargate SG-1 started using it on the show about seven years ago. At first I thought it was some fake futuristic prop.
My coworker just bought a FiveSeveN last weekend. On the P90 I think that's quite an engineering feat to rotate the round from the magazine in order to chamber it and still maintain a reasonable cyclic rate.
The thing that cause me a brief pang was that I had just paid for my Marlin 1895 CB in .45-70 before the other clerk pulled th PS90 out for another customer. Boom, faster than hounds going for a pork chop, there was an instant crowd
You guys are so lucky to be able to purchase such gems. In norway those babies are no-no...By the way Santa; I want a Barrett light .50 for christmas too...
I'd like to know the real reason that NATO took a pass on these fantastic weapons.
Found the link...try this:http://defensereview.com/1_31_2004/P90.mov
LOL!
Each round doesn't rotate 90 degrees per shot. The feeder on the magazine steps them down in increments, so that it takes IIRC three (maybe two, can't remember exactly) shots of previous rounds to bring the next round through the full 90 degrees to be inline with the chamber. With that system, the full-auto version keeps a 900rpm cyclic rate, meaning you can blow your whole 50-round clip in a little over three seconds.
http://defensereview.com/1_31_2004/P90.mov
I have heard some good things about the gun from contractors in the sandbox
Yup, that rotating feed is really something. I'm guessing that gravity with a spring assist does the job of dropping it into the chamber, but I'd really like to see the working drawings of the mechanism.
Thanks! I'll get it later.
There's actually some interesting stories about SG-1 adopting the P90s, for a time they basically ran out of blanks, had to really conserve, and I think Sam Carter went back to using the MP-5 for a couple of shows because of that.
I actually didn't realize they were real at first too.
That may be successful, in part, due to the small size of the cartridge. IIRC, a similar configuration was tried by H&K during their "caseless cartidge" experimentation. I definitely recall a rotating "breech cylinder" of some sort. Of course, there's no extraction or ejection to deal with in a caseless design, which makes FN's success all the more impressive.
I think my FN-FAL wants a little brother. ;-)
There are those here working everyday, all day, to do their best to grab our weapons to further take our country down.
The history is a bit funny, since this is actually a NATO-based weapon. NATO had a need for a small armor-piercing round to counter fears that enemies would all start wearing body armor, and in the end FN basically won with the 5.7x28, so it is as much of a NATO round as is the current M-16 ammo. Now that they had this round, FN decided to build an SMG for it, the P90.
Fun fact: the Belgian FN beat an inferior French design.
the differences between this and a recharable drill
Reminds me of the scene in "Lethal Weapon II" where Danny Glover "nails 'em both" with a nail gun.
oops, almost forgot you.
The H&K design was interesting, but flipping the breach around for feeding wouldn't work with cases. With the P90, the magazine rotates the rounds so they're ready for the breach.
The history is a bit funny, since this is actually a NATO-based weapon. NATO had a need for a small armor-piercing round to counter fears that enemies would all start wearing body armor, and in the end FN basically won with the 5.7x28, so it is as much of a NATO round as is the current M-16 ammo. Now that they had this round, FN decided to build an SMG for it, the P90.
+++
Good information, thanks.
Exactly. The rotary magazine element is visible through the translucent gray plastic and is fixed within the magazine.
Reminds me of the scene in "Lethal Weapon II" where Danny Glover "nails 'em both" with a nail gun.
Well, I was speaking of a rechargable 'hammer drill'...yeah, that's the ticket ;>)
I remember that H&K prototype with the rotating mechanism. Regarding the size of the round, I also think it's nifty that the FiveSeveN fits 20 rounds in a through handle magazine and it's still a managable size for your hand.
im sorry but thats about the ugliest looking gun i have ever seen definitly not on my to buy list
I live in California.
I may move to buy one of these toys.
Yep my thoughts too.... I carried select fire weapons all my career and have never needed or "had" to flip the selector around to "full". Albeit nice to have a select fire aka full auto class three NFA version I'll add the semi P90 to my toy box with the Fn7 companion piece.
Ya'll stay safe !
A new FiveSeveN SHOULD be delivered with three, 30 round mags.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.