Ra 5.7 Uppers

[Ned Christiansen]

Some of youse may have seen my article on the PS90 in a recent issue of SWAT Magazine. I tried to stay objective on it in terms of whether or not the caliber is a meaningful one for gunfighting since, although I study these things as best I can, I can't present myself as an authority on them.

An incident I did not relate in the article, and that can now be revealed, is that I have drawn blood with the 5.7. My vehicles were being vandalized by someone with a very small bite radius, chewing through spark plug wires, brake light wires, and even a gas line. OK, a gas line is not vandalism, that's sabotage! I'd had about enough of this and determined that the next unauthorized.... creature I saw within 10' of a car would be fair, um, small game. I kept the PS90 handy, loaded with 50 rounds or SS196, the 40-grain V-Max load at 1700-plus FPS (I think some guys have chrono'd them at 1900-plus in the PS90's 16" barrel).

My vigilance paid off and I spotted the squirrely little culprit casing the car. I quietly and slowly reached for the PS90, estimated the range, and used the appropriate holdover (20 feet and about 3 1/4" due to the PS90's very high-from-the-bore sight), quietly and carefully took it off safe, and sent 40 grains of vengance towards the author of my sorrows.

One shot, one kill. True story.

Obviously this has no serious bearing on the discussion (although it really DID happen) but my intent here is to remind everyone that life is friggin' short and those of us posting here have a sh'load of things in common, that's the cake, and the few differences between us ought to be the frosting. We need to be exchanging info to help each other out, and maybe have a little fun in doing it. Maybe even have a little fun at each other's expense from time to time .

One chum is Kandahar is telling me the Dutch guys are using them too and love them. Doesn't mean they have a lot of notches on their P90's, that I really don't know. Training with a P90, you could sure love it. Low noise, low recoil, low weight, low maint.

Not to dis FNH, but I have wondered why they released a civvy version of the P90 (and FiveseveN for that matter). I have wondered if maybe they see it petering out in terms of military and police sales due to the caliber not really catching on, and figured it would be a good way to wring a little more out of it before discontinuing it. Just a thought. If I'm right, good on 'em for letting us regular folks have a chance to own one if we want.

Which is not to say I wouldn't like to have one, I would. I thought it had a lot of "cool factor" and some features of merit. Would not care to be handed one with orders to "take Fallujah", but as part of a collection and as a fun gun to shoot, definitely.

[Griz]

I have a question for those of you who have fired a full auto P90 and competing platforms. Do the ROF, low recoil and/or ergonomics make it more likely to score multiple hits with the P90?

If so, I could see where more chances at a CNS hit might be worth trading off much better single shot terminal performance.

[KevinB]

Griz, I have only a few days playing with the P90's so I am not a good spokeman for it (and I hate the round plays a part too). I found it easy to use - but not more than a Mk18 or M4A1 - I have years of muscle memory with the M16FOW so it is a bit skewed as well.

One of the shootings I am aware of was all neck/face (11rds) -- Two shooters (LE) range was aprox 17m.
Compared to a pistol - great - they hit...

Mk18 -- I would hazard a rather educated guess a lot less rounds would have been used. Face or neck hits with even M855 the shooter could get in 2-3 rds max before the tgt was dropping.

[Dport]

For the record, I started this thread not to debate the merits or lack thereof of the 5.7 round. It was to address the novelty item that is/was/would have been the RA 5.7 upper.

My interest in the 5.7 stems from readings a decade ago. I remember reading about the 5.7 and the .224 BOZ at about the same time. A decade ago those concepts were far out of reach of mere civilians as the AWB was 6 years from sunsetting. To me it is an interesting piece of firearms history. If I could get my hands on a gyrojet, I'd have one of those too.

Firearms are an interest and a hobby for me. Not everything firearms related has to have "serious" uses. I'm far more likely to use something between a .50 cal and a Tomahawk for "serious" use than a rifle, carbine, PDW or pistol.

[VA_Dinger]

For the record, I started this thread not to debate the merits or lack thereof of the 5.7 round. It was to address the novelty item that is/was/would have been the RA 5.7 upper.

My interest in the 5.7 stems from readings a decade ago. I remember reading about the 5.7 and the .224 BOZ at about the same time. A decade ago those concepts were far out of reach of mere civilians as the AWB was 6 years from sunsetting. To me it is an interesting piece of firearms history. If I could get my hands on a gyrojet, I'd have one of those too.

Firearms are an interest and a hobby for me. Not everything firearms related has to have "serious" uses. I'm far more likely to use something between a .50 cal and a Tomahawk for "serious" use than a rifle, carbine, PDW or pistol.

How is yours working out?

[Dport]

How is yours working out?

I usually save shooting it for special occassions. I can't afford to shoot it more often than that. To be honest, I haven't shot the damn thing in months.

[VA_Dinger]

I usually save shooting it for special occassions. I can't afford to shoot it more often than that. To be honest, I haven't shot the damn thing in months.

I forgot how expensive the ammo is.