MilitaryArms
Master
- Apr 19, 2008
- 2,751
- 48
5.7x28mm performance information:
SS195 FMJ and SS197 ballistic tip (bare and heavy clothing)
9mm performance information:
9mm Ammunition Performance Data
.45 ACP performance information:
.45 ACP Ammunition Performance Data
The 5.7 does not even meet the minimum FBI standards for penetration (9" is far short of 12"):
CALIBERS -- FBI Ballistic Test Protocol
By all established measurement standards for ballistic performance, the 5.7 fails miserably. The one and only area where the 5.7 excels is in body armor penetration with the SS190, which again is illegal for civilians to purchase. Even if you could purchase it, it would still make a terrible personal defense round unless you plan on being attacked by body armor wearing thugs.
Why anyone would select the 5.7 over a 9mm or .45 for civilian personal protection is beyond me. Why handicap yourself? The 9mm and .45 both deliver more energy and provide more penetration. To say the 5.7 was designed to penetrate is very misleading. It's true that the SS190 (illegal for civilians to purchase) was designed to penetrate body armor it was not intended to deeply penetrate flesh. The civilian loadings not only don't penetrate body armor, but as you can see from the tests above it doesn't penetrate flesh all that well either.
The civilian loadings (non-SS190) are more like a .22 WMR than they are dissimilar.
SS195 FMJ and SS197 ballistic tip (bare and heavy clothing)
9mm performance information:
9mm Ammunition Performance Data
.45 ACP performance information:
.45 ACP Ammunition Performance Data
The 5.7 does not even meet the minimum FBI standards for penetration (9" is far short of 12"):
CALIBERS -- FBI Ballistic Test Protocol
By all established measurement standards for ballistic performance, the 5.7 fails miserably. The one and only area where the 5.7 excels is in body armor penetration with the SS190, which again is illegal for civilians to purchase. Even if you could purchase it, it would still make a terrible personal defense round unless you plan on being attacked by body armor wearing thugs.
Why anyone would select the 5.7 over a 9mm or .45 for civilian personal protection is beyond me. Why handicap yourself? The 9mm and .45 both deliver more energy and provide more penetration. To say the 5.7 was designed to penetrate is very misleading. It's true that the SS190 (illegal for civilians to purchase) was designed to penetrate body armor it was not intended to deeply penetrate flesh. The civilian loadings not only don't penetrate body armor, but as you can see from the tests above it doesn't penetrate flesh all that well either.
The civilian loadings (non-SS190) are more like a .22 WMR than they are dissimilar.
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