THE NEWBIE FAQ THREAD

Discuss the FN Five-seveN line of pistols and accessories.

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PainKillaX
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Posts: 3201
Joined: 08 Nov 2009, 21:01

THE NEWBIE FAQ THREAD

Post by PainKillaX » 28 Mar 2011, 22:20

This thread, coupled with the Forum Wiki and Search bar on the banner, will serve as the most educational resource for new members that have just joined our forum. Welcome to our forum, FN addicts!!! :)

The forum staff ask that you please read through the Wiki, this thread (courtesy of Painkillax), and use the search function (in that order) before posting, in order to avoid repeated threads and maintain thread cohesion. Thanks! :thumb:

- Blueorison


To respond to topics on this thread or add your input to data on this thread, post your comment here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10607" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Last updated: 2217 2011-05-11


This thread is a response to the repeated posting of the same question by new members. Not to rag on the newbies, but the senior members get tired of answering the same question 20 times a month. Please, if you only read one post before you ask questions, START HERE. Hopefully this will answer some of those questions through minimal work by the newbies :laugh:

Please note, this is 1) a work in progress and 2) filled with the information that I could find. For now it will only cover the FiveseveN pistol—that’s what I know, so that’s what I'm covering. Help on the PS90 and AR57 from you guys who own and operate them would be GREAT!! There is surely more to be found and added. If you can think of anything to add or would like to make a correction, please shoot me a PM and I’ll do my best to add it, or place your response in the response thread above.

CONTENTS
Welcome
Rules
Searching for info and available databases
Membership
Posting quotes and photos
Cleaning and what you’ll need
Ammunition sources and info
Elite Ammunition
Accuracy issues and malfunctions
Leaded Primers
Holsters
Suppressors
Magazine Extensions
Does the 5.7x28 perform?
Reloading
Other 5.7x28mm

WELCOME
First off, welcome to the forum!! There is a wealth of information to be had, and we are BY FAR the number one source anywhere for information regarding the 5.7x28mm round and its platforms. Among us are people with years of shooting and reloading experience with a wide variety of calibers and weapons, former and current military and law enforcement, competition shooters, innovative engineers, and general gun enthusiasts. Our members aren’t content to sit around and speculate about their safe queens. You’ll see lots of independent test results and posts of firsthand experience of the weapon and round’s performance from matches and training courses. These are guys that run their guns and know their stuff. Your first stop should be to make an introduction.

RULES
Everyone is here because they want to learn and they want to help. We all have differing opinions and different fields of knowledge. We’re all adults here—respect will be met with respect and attacks will be met by attacks. If you start slinging scat you best expect some back. For the full run down on the rules and expected conduct, read this thread Rules and Conduct.

SEARCHING
So, you’re looking for specific information. First, check to see if there is a stickied topic already covering this. Each sub-forum has its own set of stickies, and they’re all at the top of said sub-forum. Look there. If that doesn’t work, see it has been covered on theForum Wiki. If you can’t find it there, try using the Forum Search. The search can be a little finicky and operates on keywords, but you should be able to find at least something regarding your inquiry. It never hurts to dig through the Forum Archives either! If not, THEN throw up a post :thumb:

MEMBERSHIP
Now you might be wondering, hey this is a pretty great forum and I would LOVE to help our admins keep it running so I and everyone else can continue enjoying this massive wealth of information, how can I support it?? Or maybe you’re just thinking, I want a nifty avatar and custom signature, what’s that all about?? Well, then the Membership Upgrades thread is the one you want! A $10 donation gets you a year of silver membership and access to the parts of the forum for members only. A $25 donation gets you a year of gold membership, an avatar, a custom signature, and members only access. Oh, and as if that’s not enough, either paid membership will get you a discount with our forum sponsor and manufacturer of THE BEST 5.7x28 ammo available, Elite Ammunition. More on them later. For more information on payment, check the thread and/or contact your helpful administrator jmz5.

POSTING
If you’re trying to put some stuff up and you’re new to this whole technology thing, this bit is for you.
---To quote people, either click “quote” on their post or use the format [quote*=*”username”]what you want to quote[/quote], minus the asterisks :)
---To post pictures, you need a photosharing site such as Photobucket, Imageshack, or whatever you use; the forum does not allow directly uploading photos. To post photos, use the code [*img*]the URL of your photo[/img], minus the asterisks. For a more in depth guide, refer to the post Posting Pics.

CLEANING AND GETTING STARTED
Enough boring stuff, I just bought my FNH FiveseveN (FsN from here on) and I want to do some shoosting! What should I do? Well, if you bought it new you should have, depending on what box it came in: Your FsN, three (3) 20-rd magazines, a set of manuals, a lock and two (2) keys, and a spent casing from the factory test firing. If you bought it used, live in California, or got the big blue box, your results may vary. If your box says “IOM” and your pistol has a square trigger guard, you have a USG no ifs ands or buts; FN puts USGs in IOM boxes…guess they didn’t want to re-label them.
Before you start shooting there are two things you should do. Clean the heck out of your gun. The factory leaves gunk and grease in there and you should clean it out and lube your gun. To take your gun apart, refer to your manual or see here. The second is to peel off that silly barcode; it doesn’t make your bullets go faster and it’s not needed anymore. Stick it somewhere for reference and be done with it.
Cleaning the FsN is ridiculously easy, as the gun doesn’t get dirty very quickly and cleans ups real fast. A .22 caliber bore snake is great for a quick shine, and a .22 caliber brush kit is all you need for the detailed cleaning. If you really want to drop the money, Otis makes a 5.7x28 specific cleaning kit and comes in a fancy case. I linked our forum sponsor A&A Arsenal. You don’t need something that elaborate but what do I care it’s your money :p

AMMUNITION
If you need bullets, our forum sponsors at the top of the page have them at some of if not THE best prices anywhere. SS197SR and SS195LF are more than adequate for plinking and I personally trust them for self-defense. More on that in a bit. If the factory rounds don’t cut it for you, then you want Elite Ammunition (EA). They make the best 5.7x28 there is, and they’re always working on something new. Just about anybody who has shot one of their rounds will vouch for them. EA is often back-ordered. BE PATIENT. They are a small shop pumping out custom rounds. They’re at the mercy of larger distributors. If EA can’t get their bullets or powder in because the manufacturer is backed up, they CAN’T make your round; if EA has 100 orders ahead of you, you just have to WAIT. EA is a family business working as fast as they can. Your nagging will NOT make your order arrive faster, it’ll only stress out Lisa. Don’t do it.
If you have questions on different types of 5.7x28mm ammunition, read through the Factory Loaded Ammunition sub-forum, which has such threads as FN 5.7x28mm Ammunition Tables, Best personal defense ammo?, and Best 5.7 Ammunition???.

ELITE AMMUNITION
For info on EA rounds, read through the Elite Ammunition sub-forum, specifically EA Product Info and Multimedia START HERE!!!. To help decide which EA round is best for you, look at the EA application chart!

ISSUES
Some people have experienced accuracy and/or mechanical issues in the past. It’s unlikely that you got a lemon. If you are having accuracy issues, it is very likely operator error. The combined light weight and extreme accuracy of the FsN make mistakes on behalf of the shooter much more pronounced. For example, many people tend to “pull” their shots. The FsN has been described as sometimes shooting like an airweight snub nose; people used to shooting full steel handguns will just need to learn to shoot with the FsN. In the paid members section, blueorison has posted some very helpful videos demonstrating techniques for better handling, Grip Mech Tutorial. Mechanical “failures” can often be attributed to limpwristing or an improperly cleaned weapon. There were some bad lots of SS195LF as well, which lead to failures. Occasionally some people have experienced other problems like a piece of primer caught in the firing pin channel. If your magazine release is giving you trouble and you have an older gun, you may want to get your mag catch upgraded to the new metal ones. If you can’t diagnose it and you can’t find it after searching, throw up a post with pics and someone will be sure to come along. For any problems beyond your control the go to guy is FN Customer Support Manager Robert Ailes:
Bob Ailes
Tel : 703 288 1292 ext. 122
Fax : 703 288 1730
Email : [email protected]

LEADED PRIMERS
There has been concern raised regarding the shelf life of ammunition with lead-free (LF) primers, such as the SS195LF. Basically the chemistry of a lead free primer causes it to degrade over time and become unreliable. The LF primers -should- be good for at least a few years; nobody has left a box of 195 around for 10 years and then tried to shoot it so as of now we don't have an exact window, but 195 WILL last for a while. That said, if you want to store ammunition, store something with a leaded primer. For more questions, see Lead free vs lead primers or use the search function.

HOLSTERS
Some other stuff we’ve seen quite a bit, folks looking for holsters. Thankfully, a member stepped up and compiled a HUUUUGE list of FsN holsters!! Checky here Holsters.

SUPPRESSORS
There are a number of suppressors or "cans" in the 5.7x28 flavor. First, it is important to note that suppressors WILL NOT make your gun Hollywood silent. They SUPPRESS the sound, not SILENCE it. You won't be a ninja assassin but you might be able to shoot without hearing protection (do so at your own risk!!).
First, to slap a can on your FsN, you'll need barrel threading. There are two ways to go about this.
1) Send your existing barrel to Tornado Technologies and they'll weld a threaded extension on. The upside to this is a slight increase in velocity due to the longer barrel, and you maintain factory accuracy. The downside is you go without a barrel until they're done or you get a spare. Tornado Tech charges $175 and throws in a thread protector.
2) Buy a new pre-threaded barrel from Jarvis Inc. ($385 w/ protector) or EFKFiredragon ($320 w/ protector). The advantage to this route is having a second barrel, and not having to go without one while you wait. The downside is cost and the dependence on quality control; you aren't guaranteed the same accuracy out of these as you are the FNH barrel.
Once you get your threads (and have completed the appropriate BATFE paperwork :rules: ) you'll have to pick a can. As I said, many companies make 'em. For a good list of 5.7x28 friendly cans and accompanying reviews, check out Forum input for cans or do a search.

MAGAZINE EXTENSIONS
We get a lot of questions and concerns about the magazine extensions for the FiveseveN, manufactured by ProMag and CMMG. The majority of the time, it is people asking why their extensions don’t work, or asking what the problems are. So here goes. Usually there is one of two issues. The first is that the magazine spring may not be powerful enough. To remedy this, purchase Extra Power Mag Springs from Elite Ammunition. The second is that there is “flashing” inside the magazine body, or extra bits of plastic from the manufacturing, which is causing the spring and/or follower to catch and thus not feed. You should be able to disassemble it and do some light filing/sanding on the interior of the magazine, making it smooth and double checking that nothing can catch. This -should- eliminate your problem. The issue was asked and addressed in this thread. For a very helpful photo comparison and internal look at the magazines, check out these dissection photos. If not, use the search function with keywords like “extension” “ProMag” “30 round” or “CMMG”.

MODIFICATIONS
Some people have wanted to modify their FsN. Modifications include:
Custom Slide Covers by Elite Ammunition
Accurizing trigger work package by Elite Ammunition
Fixed Night Sights by Elite Ammunition
Adjustable Night Sights by Elite Ammunition
Fixed to adjustable sight conversion by Elite Ammunition
Rear rail for mini red dot mounting from Elite Ammunition or True Hunter Supply--FiveseveN Red Dot
Magazine release reversal
Magazine safety removal
Slip on grips by Hogue (get the Handall) or Pachmayr (get the #2).
Custom trigger work by creative members—you can look for that yourself!

PERFORMANCE
Now to the big question—Will my FsN and the 5.7x28 do what I need it to? The short answer is yes, if you do your part. The key to all wounding is SHOT PLACEMENT. The 5.7 has a big advantage here in that it is lightweight, very accurate, and has low recoil. High capacity is a bonus. People will argue all day about the ballistics. Keep in mind this is a rifle round out of a pistol; the 5.7x28 uses the same diameter bullet as the 5.56x45 NATO, albeit a bit shorter and lighter and in front of a smaller charge. The easiest place to see proof is here, EA Product Info and Multimedia START HERE!!! , looking at the ballistic gel and pork shoulder tests conducted by Elite Ammunition. Many members have done their own tests, some have taken down hogs hunting, and more independent tests are being conducted. Give the search function a go or browse old topics to find these.

RELOADING
Now for reloading. I’ll link you to the resources but USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!! The 5.7x28 is a high-pressure round and when reloading the difference of 0.1 grains of powder can be the difference between a hot round and a kaboomed firearm. Be very careful; it is advised that new reloaders wait on the 5.7 until they have some experience, and that the experienced guys be real careful and precise. Measure twice, cut once as they say. The best two 5.7x28 reloading resources available anywhere, The FiveseveN Forum Wiki and The FiveseveN Forum reloading sub-forum.

OTHER 5.7X28
Aside from the FNH made FiveseveN and PS90 there are:
MasterPiece Arms make pistol and carbine MAC-10 versions
AR57 Upper by 57Center.
T/C Contender and 5.7x28 specific barrel. I dunno where to get it but forum guys have it...
Excel Arms who make the X-5.7R, X-5.7P, MR-5.7, and MP-5.7
Savage bolt actions



As I said, this is a work in progress and I hope to continue adding more. If this saves us just one time of answering a question that has been covered literally fifteen times, I’m peachy.
:guns: :guns: :guns: Happy shooting! :guns: :guns: :guns:
Last edited by PainKillaX on 11 May 2011, 21:17, edited 10 times in total.

PainKillaX
Senior Member
Posts: 3201
Joined: 08 Nov 2009, 21:01

Re: The super thread for new folks (work in progress)

Post by PainKillaX » 29 Mar 2011, 15:27

Will do. I need to scour the PS90 and AR57 sections now...might be a few days. I'll use this post to note additions, and start a separate thread if need be. I'm hoping that if people see a topic they think should be referenced or if they can add information they'll shoot me a PM. Either way I'm hoping to get everything compiled soon.

Recently added:
Leaded primers
Other 5.7s
Suppressors
Magazine Extensions

To be added:
PS90
--cleaning/dis-assembly, accessories, lower pressure tolerance, trigger packs
AR57
--cleaning/dis-assembly, accessories, mechanical issues
Difference in models (w/o pics but link to thread with pics)
Different projectiles (w/o pics but link to thread with pics)
NFA form crap

Sorry this is taking as long as it is, school is taking up a good deal of time. If anyone wants to PM me sources or what you want to see it would be a major help, otherwise I'll get to it when I get to it. :)

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