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

Summary

This article details the development of the 5.7x28mm cartridge by FN Herstal in the 1980s, designed to overcome the 9mm Parabellum's inability to defeat modern body armor. The cartridge, alongside the FN P90 and FN Five-seveN, was engineered for high velocity, low recoil, and compact platforms, ultimately being adopted as a NATO standard despite not fully replacing 9mm.