KelTec’s PR-5.7 is one of the strangest and most practical new pistols to hit the market this year.It is a clip-fed, top-loading 5.7x28 that skips interchangeable magazines entirely, which lets it stay thin, light, and high capacity.On paper, it reads like a carry cheat code.
What’s the appeal? It has interested me for a while now, but I can’t put my finger on why. I can’t see a reason to jump into that caliber over other more common options. But, for some reason I can’t express, I really want to try it anyway.
It was designed as a personal defense round that doesn’t over penetrate or ricochet like 9mm does. It also is low recoil (my S&W 5.7 feels like a 22lr shooting it), higher round count (most are 20+ round count, thinner profile than double stacked 9mm and hollow points are cheaper than 9mm. It also flies faster than 9mm which is great for unarmored targets.
With NATO adopting it’s only a matter of time before the US swaps over to it. It’s a solid round that I think people don’t understand since it was designed as a defensive round to prevent issues 9mm has.
(also don’t believe the fudd lore “it’ll go through body armor” because the real AP rounds are unobtainium and not found off the shelves)
In the US you can absolutely buy “AP” rounds for it. I saw the FN 27-gr red box “LE Only” on the shelf at a big box sporting goods store as recently as last year, and that stuff will punch soft armor out of a handgun in some tests.
Moreover, out of a rifle (P90 length barrel or longer, but especially the 16 inch PS90) even the shitty practice ammo can defeat soft vests. There is a Military Arms Channel video where he demonstrates this.
I highly doubt they are producing SS190 Duty or SS196 off the shelf for civilians. As someone who actually buys 5.7, all I see is hollow point and fmj, no AP stuff. Sure maybe a few boxes slipoed into the used market,but FN is like HK and hates their civilian market. It all marketing just like “military use only” buckshot you can buy.
Again, the myth around 5.7 is so much fuddlore. Put it up to a reputable brand like second chance or safariland with 3a and the civilian sporting ammo wont go through. The ATF already tested 5.7 and concluded non AP doesn’t penitrate,heck even some 357 is stopped by level 2/3a
SS198LF. It is “LE only” ammo, which is more of a restriction that FN puts on it than anything, it has no legal weight. There are very specific legal definitions of “AP” ammo, and you are correct it does not meet that.
I saw it on the shelves approximately 1 year ago at a major chain sporting goods store. $59/box. I have pics but I’m not going to dox myself.
Anyway, if you look up SS198LF testing you will see that it sometimes (but not always) defeats Level IIIA soft armor out of a handgun.
I’m not denying you saw it, but just the overarching blanket statement that 5.7 defeats armor is not true. I’m glad the price has drop on ammo for it.
That’s right. I always roll my eyes seeing LE or military grade stuff sold on the civilial market. Just a marketing gimmick.
I have heard that could, but the ATF would be all over it if it did it consistantly. Just how the 7.62 Tok can defeat some armor using the spicier PPSH rounds.