Ruger 57 as EDC??

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TGW1979

Bearcat
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So and unnamed friend of mine picked up the five seven a couple weeks ago and that is now his everyday carry defensive pistol. I personally don't think that the five seven is a good choice. And I'm going to tell you why I think this...

Look at the velocity of the round that it fires and the shape of the bullet. Those things are going to go right through another human being. With quite a bit of momentum and velocity remaining after piercing in and out of a human. Now please correct me if I'm mistaken. I mean don't get me wrong I would love to have a 5'7 and I will purchase one eventually but.. As an everyday carry weapon? I just don't think that's a good idea. The collateral damage could be horrific.

I would love your opinion on this matter. And please if I've missed something by all means correct me but like I said I just don't think it would be a good EDC piece.
 
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you got it , with gun ownership comes "responsibility" and "liability"......home defense is one thing, personal carry, another and going into 'combat' totally different.... :wink:

sounds like here in the hood, Glocks with 30 round mags....duh :? :roll:
 
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Ideally your CCW handgun round should be made to stop in the torso of a human. But people miss, some rounds might just pass though without striking bone. When you fire you own it and everything that happens after. Bad guys don't care, they will never be sued for property damage or injury/death of another. You will if you work and maybe own a business or home. You should as a CCW holder pick a gun and caliber that is reasonable for self defense. We hear the what if's the bad guy is wearing body armor or in a vehicle etc, etc. All good points when your job is to chase down and arrest crooks not so much the CCW person. Look at the data personal attacks are up close and happen fast. Without repeating Rugerguy, I totally agree with what he printed.
 

TGW1979

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 20, 2022
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I agree with every one of you. Don't get me wrong I think the 5/7 is a well-crafted amazing firearm. I want one. One of many firearms that I want that I would never carry in public as my EDC. Again with the liability and responsibility factors. Right now I just carry a 9 mm. Typical hollow points. It would get the job done if.. God forbid I ever had to do it. The only two rounds that I will carry for personal defense is the 9 mm and the 45 ACP. Some people just.. I don't know what the hell they're thinking. Or if they're even thinking. Like I said the 57 is a beautiful gun. One hell of a round. Just not something to carry down a busy sidewalk. 🤦

Happy New Year to all of you even though it's a little late. Stay safe and God bless.
 
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Personally, I see the 5.7 as a better choice in a PDW rather than a concealable sized handgun. The extra 3-5" of barrel gives that little bullet a LOT of extra oomph. That said, I haven't seen a bullet choice that I'd consider 'controlled expansion' such as would be appropriate for targets bigger than varmint size.
 

GunnyGene

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Ok, I did a little homework on this cartridge. 1750fps 40gr. bullet from a pistol. My .22wmr jhp 40gr. clocks at 1875 (advertised) out of a rifle. The Speer Gold dot 5.7 retails for about $2/rnd. .22wmr is about 64cents/rnd at the high end (CCI Game Point). So is the 5.7 worth the money (gun plus one 50rnd box of ammo would be very close to $1000)? Not even close to being worth it to me. And especially not as a replacement for a 9mm or larger caliber PDW/Carry pistol.
 

Biggfoot44

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In a larger sense , this is reopening the whole debate about about penetration - how much is enough , how much is too much , is there even such a thing as too much ?

I did a quick search for gel testing of 5.7 x 28 , particularly from handguns .

Quick takeaway - JHP or plastic tip rounds Don't excessively penetrate , and penetrate well within the range of common defensive/ duty handgun calibers . A mid 2020 roundup had average 14.4 inch penetration , max of 17 inch .

FMJ from rifle / PDW will tumble and fragment . Not. Necessarily so from handguns . But then whole lots of people use 9mm , etc FMJ , which also significantly overpenetrates by my , and most standards .

So , no . As long as suitable ammo is used , 5.7 x 28 is not irresponsible due to penetration concerns .

Is it acceptable/ suitable/ desirable for routine defensive carry ?

Go to any internet gun fora , local gun store , wherever , and you will find plenty of people holding forth that .22lr is a worthwhile defensive cartridge , and major ammo makers are now introducing defensive specific .22lr rounds . Is 5.7 expanding ammo better than .22lr from handguns , well duh , of course .

Is 5.7 x 28 on par with traditional medium bore defensive/ duty cartridges , using reasonably suitable ammunition ? That's a source of ( legitimate) hot debate .

As of 2022 , I will continue to prefer and recommend a starting point of .38 Special and 9x19 for typical defensive belt pistol . They are fairly mature , with well established performance levels in both testing and Real World .
But I'll keep an open mind . In 5- 10 years from now , we'll see how it works in the ( non- military ) real world , and I will reassess .
 
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Not arguing your points but one of the primary reasons behind the 22 rimfire crowd's position is SIZE of the gun.
The 5.7 is about the same size as a mid-size 9mm, correct?
 

Biggfoot44

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About half the time . Kind of even split between liking teeny tiny micro guns , and liking standard size target/ field/ plinking guns for ease of control and accurate precise shot placement , ie a hit in the eye socket w a .22 is better than a miss with a .45 . Yeah , I know , but that's the argument .

For Devil's Advocate in favor of the 5.7 , it could be thought of as taking on the role of .32-20 in first half of 20th Century .

For outdoors people , not requiring to shoot big game day to day , high velocity and flat trajectory allow for easy long range hits , while still having enough power for plausible ( human felon) self defense . Are they Right ? I'm still watching and waiting , but that's their best arguments .
 

frankenfab

Single-Sixer
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GunnyGene said:
Ok, I did a little homework on this cartridge. 1750fps 40gr. bullet from a pistol. My .22wmr jhp 40gr. clocks at 1875 (advertised) out of a rifle. The Speer Gold dot 5.7 retails for about $2/rnd. .22wmr is about 64cents/rnd at the high end (CCI Game Point). So is the 5.7 worth the money (gun plus one 50rnd box of ammo would be very close to $1000)? Not even close to being worth it to me. And especially not as a replacement for a 9mm or larger caliber PDW/Carry pistol.

That's exactly how I talked myself out of buying a 5.7 anything.
 

GunnyGene

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frankenfab said:
GunnyGene said:
Ok, I did a little homework on this cartridge. 1750fps 40gr. bullet from a pistol. My .22wmr jhp 40gr. clocks at 1875 (advertised) out of a rifle. The Speer Gold dot 5.7 retails for about $2/rnd. .22wmr is about 64cents/rnd at the high end (CCI Game Point). So is the 5.7 worth the money (gun plus one 50rnd box of ammo would be very close to $1000)? Not even close to being worth it to me. And especially not as a replacement for a 9mm or larger caliber PDW/Carry pistol.

That's exactly how I talked myself out of buying a 5.7 anything.

One of the false beliefs that I think many people adhere to, is that somewhere in the wide world of firearms there exists a single gun/caliber that is "perfect for every occasion". That's simply not the case, and is the reason I have a wide variety of firearms, from an old Daisy BB gun to 12 gauge shotguns, and handguns from .22lr to .45acp. I don't use a hammer to drive screws either - I use the right tool for the job at hand. The 5.7 strikes me as being a expensive solution in search of a non-existent problem. :)
 

Biggfoot44

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Actual Military use has different criteria , and different allowable ammunition for 5.7 x 28 .

In USA civilian context , the slightly dumbed down synopsis is : Gives the performance of a .22 WMR Rifle , in the package of a duty sized pistol .

Is that good or bad ? I actually like .22 WMR Rifles , so there's that . If the phrase " 100 yd Trajectory " has any relationship to your handgun skills , or your circumstances , the 5.7 is worthy of a second look .

How will it perform at the cliche " pistol distances " of say zero to 25 yds compared to traditional medium bore duty/ defensive calibers ? Will it be on par with 9mm/ .38 Spl ? Will it be equivalent to say .380acp from pocket gun ?

Gel testing can be very useful in comparing marginal differences in basically similar cals/ loads . But 5.7 vs Medium Bores is enough of an apples vs oranges , I am waiting for statistically significant number of real world usages before drawing a conclusion .
 

Arby

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Messages
3
So and unnamed friend of mine picked up the five seven a couple weeks ago and that is now his everyday carry defensive pistol. I personally don't think that the five seven is a good choice. And I'm going to tell you why I think this...

Look at the velocity of the round that it fires and the shape of the bullet. Those things are going to go right through another human being. With quite a bit of momentum and velocity remaining after piercing in and out of a human. Now please correct me if I'm mistaken. I mean don't get me wrong I would love to have a 5'7 and I will purchase one eventually but.. As an everyday carry weapon? I just don't think that's a good idea. The collateral damage could be horrific.

I would love your opinion on this matter. And please if I've missed something by all means correct me but like I said I just don't think it would be a good EDC piece.
Every gel test that I've seen with any 5.7 ammo whether out of a P90, PS90, FN5.7 or a Ruger 57 suggests that the rounds have optimal penetration (~15") at best and more often than not they tumble or curve sharply in the gel and end up with substandard (9" or less) penetration. Of course, the wound channel is wicked. So, it looks to me like over penetration is the least of the worries with this caliber. In fact, if one is concerned with over penetration, then the 5.7 might be an excellent choice. If you put a lot of stock in the FBI minimum penetration standard, then the 5.7 might not be your first choice.
 
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Old saying, "you pays your money and takes your choice". If the gent feels well served by the 5.7 then who are we to question his choice. Heck, I carry single action revolvers, even sometimes blackpowder ones. Then again I sometimes carry a Glock 30. In other words, I carry whatever strikes my fancy on any give day. Never felt "under gunned".
 

Born Skeptic

Bearcat
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Nov 4, 2022
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oklahoma
To the OP and everyone else who chimed in, I'm new to the forum but a dyed-in-the-wool Ruger devotee for over 40 years. I respect everyone's opinion herein, but also respectfully disagree with most of them.

I OWN and SHOOT a Ruger rifle and pistol in .22 Magnum
I OWN and SHOOT a Ruger 57 in 5.7x28
I CARRY the 57 as an EDC round and nightstand piece with confidence. ( however, to be honest, the nightstand is also accompanied by an LWRC 5.56 as the first line of defense)
I FORMED MY OPINIONS by shooting, measuring, and comparing results from the specific rounds we're talking about here.

The .22 magnum round is wonderful and I've had great experiences with the most advanced brands and types of ammunition out there in both Ruger, BRNO and CZ rifles, as well as single-action and semi-automatic pistols. That said, it doesn't hold a candle to the TERMINAL BALLISTICS of the 57, and comparing the two is apples and oranges. That said, I prefer the penetration of the 22 mag for close range HUNTING, and the 5.7 for longer distance, still with good terminal ballistics for longer ranges... BUT for nothing larger than coyotes.

Without going into all of the myths out there, the 5.7 was not designed for superior deep penetration and will most likely NOT exit most all human/animal mediums. IT TUMBLES, and it does it very well, leaving a path of destruction the 22 just can't touch. They were designed for different purposes, and with the exception of the newer Speer Gold Dot, they're not designed for exceptional bullet expansion either.

Another minor issue, I was lucky to get 1200-1400 fps out of any 22 Magnum pistol I've owned. My 5.7x28 spits out 27 grain SS198 pills at over 2000. The biggest factor for the 57 is velocity.

Again, I respect opinions, but deal in facts. There's a good reason FN developed this round. It's my opinion, but I'm relatively certain of the fact that FN wouldn't have spent the time, money and research to develop a round to mimic or be inferior to a well established 22 Magnum. There's also the fact that NATO adopted the round, as have select LEO's in the US Secret Service who are reported to now carry the 5.7 both in pistol and rifle.

All that said, seeing is believing. And since I can't invite you all to my hacienda, the following links might help dispel most critics regarding the terminal ballistic performance of the 57. Each is from pretty well respected sites and hosts. Thanks for listening.

Paul Harrell

The Firearm Blog

MAC (Military Arms Channel)


 

buckaroo

Banned
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Again, I respect opinions, but deal in facts. There's a good reason FN developed this round.

Another paid shill or emotional attachment ? Paul Harrell's video clearly demonstrated the 5.7x28 is nothing to write home about.
We don't care about your hunting, we are looking at self-defense applications. Not one reviewer on YouTube has ever reviewed it honestly. Either they are not aware or are getting paid to push it.

FN lost their a**'s on development because NATO never adopted it, so they then turned around and tried to pimp it off on the public. Here's the problem, in it's original development it is indeed one of the best cartridges developed in over 100 years.

It is against the law in United States for civilians to own that NATO development. So all we get is a center fired .22 and that's about it and it requires a behemoth to chamber it.
The .22 TCM is a far better round because you can carry it in a subcompact. (sadly it's propriety)


You want a good cartridge at a reasonable price, look no further than the 9mm.


 

Born Skeptic

Bearcat
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oklahoma
Buckaroo, Like I said, deal in facts:

NRA/American Rifleman, March 4, 2021, "NATO STANDARDIZES FN's 5.7x28 CARTRIDGE... no offense, but I'll take the word of NRA over your rant.

As I said... I OWN IT, I SHOOT IT, and I'VE PERSONALLY EVALUATED AND COMPARED IT. I never knocked the 9mm. I own three 9's, as well as .45 and 10mm.. My point was directed to comparing it to the .22 magnum.

As to your comment on "not one reviewer has reviewed it honestly,"... must be nice to be judge and jury for all of the internet. By the way, just curious, since you speak with such authority, which 5.7x28 do you own?
 
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