What Are the Key Features of the FN Five Seven Pistol

Sleek, unconventional and built around a high-velocity cartridge, the FN Five-Seven stands apart from most service pistols. Designed by FN Herstal in the 1990s for military and law-enforcement use, it blends low recoil, high magazine capacity and lightweight construction into a platform that’s equally at home on the range, in a defensive role or as part of a duty loadout. This guide breaks the pistol down into its core features so you can quickly understand what makes the Five-Seven unique. Overview At first glance the FN Five-Seven is recognizable by its long, slender slide and polymer frame. It uses an uncommon 5.7×28mm cartridge and emphasizes controllability and magazine capacity while remaining light. The model reviewed here is finished in flat dark earth, often referred to in listings as fn 57 fde and five seven fde — a cosmetic option popular with shooters who prefer desert or tactical aesthetics. Caliber The Five-Seven fires the 5.7×28mm cartridge, a small-bor...