FN Five-SeveN
This gun is a real outlier, not only in the MHS contract bake-off, but for modern handguns in general.
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If you haven’t noticed yet from the image above, it shoots some really funky looking handgun ammo. In fact, you might think it’s NOT handgun ammo at all… Wrong.
The 5.7x28mm round was designed by FN Herstal to replace the ubiquitous 9mm, to be used in a should fired weapon and a handheld. Thus this 20 caliber round was born. After testing, the results were clear: The 5.7 was a vastly more efficient cartridge.
Yet, due to a convergence of factors (controversy, bureaucracy, etc.) the round has been slow to overtake the 9mm. This innovative firearm is used by the US Secret Service, as well as 40 other nations around the world.
But what are the chances of it being adopted by the Department of Defense? It’s hard to say, but it certainly feels like a long shot.
Still, the FN Five-seveN (that’s how it is trademarked) is a very interesting gun, and battle-tested. The military and police versions fire ammo that can penetrate body armor including kevlar. Plus, the magazine capacity is 20 rounds.