FN's New Pistol Sure Has the Bradys Wound Up (blog)

[Ed - See link above for the original article by/at FreedomSight. ]

Say Uncle got the jump on me WRT another press release from the Brady Gun-Ban Bunch in which they caterwaul yet again about the eeeeevvvviiiiillll RN Five-seveN pistol from Fabrique Nationale. Not much to add to what I wrote earlier, but one thing they said is worth noting.

The gun, the Five-SeveN handgun manufactured by FN Herstal of Belgium, is lightweight and easily concealable. It is marketed by the company on its Web site as intended "to defeat the enemy in all close combat situations in urban areas, jungle conditions, night missions and any self defense action. Enemy personnel, even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged up to 200 meters. Kevlar(r) helmets and vests as well as the CRISAT protection will be penetrated."
Yeah, so? Do they have any idea of the vast number of firearms out there which will go through a "bulletproof" vest? The term "bulletproof" is really a misnomer, as it depends on a lot of factors, including bullet construction and velocity. All anybody who wants to defeat typical body armor has to do is get a good centerfire hunting rifle.

I'm not saying that it's a good thing that it's relatively easy to defeat body armor, but rather that it's a completely invalid criterion to use as an argument for banning a particular firearm. It's a non-issue, because there's nothing particularly noteworthy about it, from a technical perspective.

Uncle also points to the ATF Page on the 5.7x28mm cartridge and the Five-seveN pistol. Note there are several types of cartridge available, only two of which are armor-piercing, and, I deduce from the ATF page, only one of which is available for sale in the U.S. to us ordinary civilians. That cartridge is the SS196.
FTB has also examined a 5.7 X 28 mm projectile that FN Herstal has designated the "SS196." The SS196 is loaded with a Hornady 40 grain, jacketed lead bullet. FTB classified SS196 ammunition as not armor piercing ammunition under Federal firearms statutes.

According to FNH USA, FN Herstal tested the SS192 ammunition. SS192 ammunition did not penetrate the Level IIIA vests that were tested. FNH USA states that SS196, Hornady V-Max 40 gr. bullets fired from a 4-3/4 inch barrel did not penetrate the Level II vests that were used in testing. [emphasis mine]
The statements from FN on the capabilities of the 5.7x28mm cartridge are specifically about the SS190 variant of the cartridge, which is, you guessed it, not available to the general public.

But of course, to the Brady Bunch and their ilk, the introduction of any new firearm or cartridge design must seem like an apocalyptic moment, fraught with fear. Why does anybody listen to them?