American Handgunner: SPEAKOUT

American Handgunner: SPEAKOUT
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.30 Mauser Vs. 5.7mm

So what's the big deal about the 5.7mm? Years ago I had a Broomhandle Mauser. Being young and foolish--and I would not recommend this to anyone unless they did some pricey research on reloading data which wasn't available at the time -- we stuffed that bottle neck cartridge full of Bullseye and crimped in a spitzer bullet.

Needless to say it, played havoc on the trees about the old homestead and completely decimated rabbits. I seriously doubt there is any body armor that would withstand the combination. This was long before anyone came up with the idea of the .44 Magnum.

The plus side was we learned respect for firearms and it kept us outside in the fresh air and off the streets. No one ever got in any trouble with the law and we moved on to productive lives. Just maybe the fact our parents gave us the trust to know the rules, and obey them, had some bearing on the rest.

Dianne White

Merritt Island, Fla.

Deja Vu Again

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.

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