More P90 Misc

A cursory examination of ballistics suggests that the basic concept for this round is nothing all that new.

The old C-96 "Broomhandle" Mauser was designed around a revoutionary cartridge for the time - the bottle-necked .30 Mauser which could kick out a 90-grain .308" round-nose FMJ slug at velocities exceeding 1,000 FPS. It had a reputation for impressive accuracy and effectiveness at ranges well beyond those normally considered for other handguns of the period, especially when equipped with a detatchable combination holster / shoulder stock.

Sir Winston Churchill in his youger Military days supposedly used and was quite fond of one - as were many Russians.

Knowing a good thing when they saw it, the Russians developed a Browning-inspired T-33 TOKAREV pistol around a rather "juiced-up" version of the .30 Mauser, the .30 Tokarev which in normal service loadings achieves velocities in the 1,400 to 1,600FPS range - pretty impressive for a handgun, and I have read claims that it was, and perhaps still is, the most powerful conventional Military handgun cartridge. It blows the 9X19 MM NATO away, and has a reputation for defeating many types of soft body armor.

In the 1950's Czeckoslovakia modified the rolling-lock breech system of the German MP-40 (also used, we are told, in the P-5) to a semi-auto Military pistol; the CZ-52 chambered for the .30 TOK, also known as the 7.62 X 25MM.

This round was used with some success in submachine guns of several Nations, including the Russian PPSH, and remained popular until obsoleted by the 7.62 X 39 Kalisnakov.

I recently bought a CZ-52, and it is a well made, interesting pistol. The 7.62X25 is a peppy little round indeed, and apparently can be reloaded with a 55 grain saboted .223" (5.56MM) bullet and stepped up to around (as I recall) around 2,300FPS - not bad for a sidearm!

One might speculate that simply necking the .30 TOKAREV to 5.56MM might provide similar carachteristics to the 5.7X28MM developed for this new system. I would not be the least bit surprised if that is essentially just what it is.

If I had my 'druthers and no limit of funds and machine-shop resources, I would be inclined to go with a 7MM using a 65-75 grain projectile.

This new P90 looks as if it might have potential for use as a Police primary weapon; nearly as compact as a pistol but at close ranges nearly as effective as a subgun. The 5.7MM HV round would not be so apt to riccochet off of pavement, vehicles, buildings etc. and pose a threat to innocents downrange as the 9MM etc. would, as these rounds tend to disintegrate on impact. After a couple of hundred Meters, velocity would drop off so as to minimize collatteral damage downrange. How often do LEOs have to engage beyond 25 Meters, anyway?

Rip a couple of punks in two (justly, of course) with one of these little dandies and I'll guarentee that the local Hooligans will treat your Officers with a whole lot more respect for a while!