From Armor to Answer: How the 5.7x28mm Was Built to Beat 9mm’s Limits

Summary

FN Herstal developed the 5.7x28mm cartridge in the 1980s for the P90 and Five-seveN system, specifically to counter modern body armor that 9mm Parabellum rounds struggled against. Designed for high velocity, low recoil, and compact platforms, the cartridge evolved from the SS90 (1990) to the SS190 (1994) with improved armor penetration and was later adopted as a NATO standard.