Wow! I just read Charlie Petty's excellent article on the FN Five-seveN and the new 5.7mm cartridge it was designed around. Awesome, but...
Something struck me as familiar about the 5.7x28. What could it be? Then I remembered: the "Wildcat" chapter in Cartridges of the World. There it was on page 141 of my 5th edition--the MMJ 5.7mm. Back in 1963 Melvin Johnson, the rifle and machinegun designer, had necked down a .30 carbine case for a 40 gr. .224 bullet and rechambered an M1 carbine to shoot it.
He claimed 3,000 fps from the carbine barrel with a case 33mm long. Now FN shortens the case by 5mm, uses a lighter projectile and gets lower velocity from a shorter barrel. Deja vu all over again.
It seems there really is nothing new under the sun, just lots and lots of variations on a theme.
William Pollitt
Weare, N.H.
My notes (and other findings) related to the FN 5.7x28mm Weapon System (Ammunition, Five-seveN pistol, P90 PDW, PS90 carbine, CMMG Banshee Mk57, SCHV weapons in general, conversion of other weapons, accessories, reloading, etc.)
