Documents
Belgium FN Herstal
Five-seveN
A polymer-framed pistol chambered in FN's proprietary 5.7×28mm cartridge, developed alongside the P90 personal defense weapon to share ammunition. Its light recoil, high magazine capacity and armor-defeating ammunition options have made it popular with military and law-enforcement units.
In service since 1998 · 40 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
50
m range
650
m/s
20
rds
💲 ≈ $1,400 — Approximate retail price
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Belgium export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 40 operators
In service since 1998. Status: active · ~500,000 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Effective range
Distance at which the weapon reliably hits point targets. Higher extends engagement envelope.
- 50 m Stronger than 50% of pistols
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 650 m/s Top 2% of pistols
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 5.7×28 mm FN
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 5.7 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 20 Top 2% of pistols
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 0.21 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 1 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
- Barrel length
Barrel length — longer improves muzzle velocity and accuracy, shorter improves handling.
- 122 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $1,400 Bottom 7% of pistols
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 500,000 Stronger than 36% of pistols
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 40 Stronger than 81% of pistols
Specifications compiled from public FN Herstal and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Beretta 92FS 
Ceska zbrojovka (CZ) CZ 75 Frequently asked questions
How many crew does the FN Herstal Five-seveN require? +
The FN Herstal Five-seveN requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the FN Herstal Five-seveN? +
The FN Herstal Five-seveN's primary weapon is the 5.7×28 mm FN.
What is the FN Herstal Five-seveN used for? +
The FN Herstal Five-seveN is a pistol & sidearm typically used for infantry combat.
How many countries operate the FN Herstal Five-seveN? +
The FN Herstal Five-seveN is operated by 40 countries.
How much does the FN Herstal Five-seveN cost? +
The FN Herstal Five-seveN has an approximate unit cost of 1,400 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
