.22 Magnum vs. 5.7x28mm

The Firearms Blog says they aren’t really equivalent. Certainly that’s the case with the full-house round only available to the military, but the civilian rounds are considerably neutered. The SS196SR reports a muzzle velocity of 1650fps fired from a Five-Seven. This round is discontinued though, and has been replaced by the SS197SR round, which 1750fps.

Still, the point they aren’t really equivalent is a good one. That’s still 272 ft/lbs as opposed to 139 ft/lbs for the .22 Magnum. But I have seen other 5.7mm loadings that have even lower muzzle velocity than the SS197SR round, but there are also loadings of 5.7mm that are hotter too. In terms of overall capability, I think Steve is correct to point out the 5.7x28mm outperforms the .22 Magnum. It’s only in considerably neutered loadings does the 5.7x28mm come down close to the .22 WMR.

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5 thoughts on “.22 Magnum vs. 5.7x28mm”

  1. Sorry, FN only gets to make comparisons to stuff it actually sells to us peasants. If the only commercial loading it makes is weak, then that’s what it gets compared to.

  2. Well it may be similar but you’re only paying $0.20 a round vs $0.40. Add to the fact I can buy .22 WMR at Wallyworld. Last time I checked 5.7 was only online, at specialty shops for a huge markup, or in the realm of the reloading bench. I don’t know why you would buy 5.7×28 if the AP rounds aren’t available. It kinda defeats the intended purpose of the pistol.

    Besides, a guy like me is more likely to buy a $300-400 Kel-Tec than a $1000+ FN. Not saying the 5.7 is a bad gun, its just that the Kel-Tec is much more accessible to more people.

    I am so hoping someone or Kel-Tec makes a .22 conversion for it. Lets get those engineers cracking on the magazine. If they can do it for the WMR then they can figure out the LR.

  4. I think the 139 ft/lbs rating you quote for the 22 Mag is low. From what I’ve seen there are plenty of varieties of 22WMR that are in the 175 ft/lbs range from a pistol, with some going a good bit above that.

    Still a good chunk below 272, though. Then again, if you get the new pistol that Kel-Tec is coming out with next year you get 30 of those 175 ft/lbs rounds in the magazine. That’s gotta count for something.

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