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Description
date of existence: 1986

Creator: FN Herstal

Cartridge: FN 5.7×28mm

Wielder: jonathan meteors

The P90 is a selective fire , straight blowback -operated weapon with a cyclic rate of fire of around 850–1,100 rounds per minute.[7] [8] The weapon is chambered for FN's 5.7×28mm ammunition. Its unusual shape is based on extensive ergonomic research.[7] [9] The weapon is grasped by means of a thumbhole in the frame that acts as a pistol grip , as well as an oversized trigger guard that acts as a foregrip for the shooter's support hand.[17] The P90 fires from a closed bolt for maximum accuracy, and its design makes extensive use of polymers for reduced weight and cost.[15] Overall, the weapon is relatively lightweight, weighing 2.5 kg (5.6 lb) empty, or 3 kg (6.6 lb) with a loaded 50-round magazine.[9] [17]
The P90 is notable for being fully ambidextrous —it can be operated by right or left-handed shooters with equal ease, and without making any modifications to the weapon.[17] FN Herstal has described it as the "first fully ambidextrous individual automatic weapon."[20] The charging handle , magazine release and backup iron sights are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the weapon, and the firing selector is located directly at the foot of the trigger, where it can be operated from either side by the shooter's trigger finger or support hand thumb.[8] When fired, the P90 ejects spent cartridge casings downward through a chute located behind the grip, so spent cases are kept out of the shooter's line of sight.[17]

The P90's unique magazine has a capacity of 50 rounds, and it fits flush with the weapon's frame[10]

The P90 can be fitted with a sling for greater ease of carry, and since the weapon has a fixed stock (as opposed to having a collapsing or folding stock), it can be quickly deployed when needed.[17] [21] The weapon's smooth, rounded contours prevent it from snagging on the shooter's clothing or equipment, and a small vertical protrusion is provided at the front end of the weapon's frame to prevent the shooter's hand from accidentally slipping in front of the muzzle while shooting.[9] [17] A hollow compartment inside the rear of the weapon's frame—accessed by removing the buttplate—allows for storage of a cleaning kit.[17]
The P90 was designed to have a length no greater than a man's shoulder width, to allow it to be easily carried and maneuvered in tight spaces, such as the inside of an armored vehicle .[10] To achieve this, the weapon's design uses the unconventional bullpup configuration, in which the action and magazine are located behind the trigger and alongside the shooter's face so that there is no wasted space in the stock .[15] The P90's dimensions are minimized by its unique horizontally mounted feeding system, wherein the box magazine sits parallel to the barrel on top of the weapon's frame.[10] The weapon overall has an extremely compact profile—it is the most compact fixed-stock submachine gun to be made.[10] The standard version of the weapon has an overall length of 500 mm (19.7 in), a height of 210 mm (8.3 in), and a width of 55 mm (2.2 in).[7]
The P90 requires minimal maintenance , and it can be disassembled quickly and easily.[7] [22] It is a modular firearm, consisting of four main component groups: the barrel and optical sight group, the moving parts group, the frame and trigger group, and the hammer group. The P90's barrel is cold hammer-forged and chrome-lined , with an overall length of 263 mm (10.4 in).[8] The barrel has eight rifling grooves with a right-hand twist rate of 1:231 mm (1:9.1 in), and it is equipped with a diagonally cut flash suppressor that also acts as a recoil compensator.[7] [8] The stated service life of the barrel is 20,000 rounds.[10]
The P90 uses an internal hammer striking mechanism and a trigger mechanism with a three-position rotary dial fire control selector, located at the foot of the trigger. The dial has three settings: S – safe, 1 – semi-automatic fire, and A – fully automatic fire. When set on A, the P90's fire selector provides a two-stage trigger operation similar to that of the Steyr AUG assault rifle—pulling the trigger back slightly produces semi-automatic fire, and pulling the trigger fully to the rear produces fully automatic fire.

Particularly significant to the design of the P90 is the small-caliber, high-velocity bottlenecked cartridge it uses. The 5.7×28mm cartridge was created by FN Herstal in response to a NATO requirement that called for a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge, which is commonly used in pistols and submachine guns.[18] The 5.7×28mm cartridge weighs 6.0 g (93 grains )—roughly half as much as a typical 9×19mm cartridge—allowing the same number of rounds to be carried for less weight, or allowing more rounds to be carried for the same weight.[15] [23] [24] Since the 5.7×28mm cartridge has a relatively small diameter, an unusually high number of cartridges can be contained in a magazine.[25] The cartridge has a loud report and produces considerable muzzle flash (when fired from a pistol), but it produces roughly 30 percent less recoil than the 9×19mm cartridge, improving controllability .[24] Due to its high velocity, the 5.7×28mm exhibits an exceptionally flat trajectory , compared to typical pistol ammunition.[10] [22]
One of the design intents for the standard 5.7×28mm cartridge type, the SS190, was that it has the ability to penetrate Kevlar protective vests that stop conventional pistol bullets.[24] Fired from the P90, the 5.7×28mm SS190 has a muzzle velocity of roughly 716 m/s (2,350 ft/s, Mach 2) and can penetrate the NATO CRISAT vest or a Level IIIA Kevlar vest at a range of 200 m (219 yd).[22] [24] FN states an effective range of 200 m (219 yd) and a maximum range of 1,800 m (1,969 yd) for the 5.7×28mm cartridge when fired from the P90.[7]
In testing conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1999, the SS190 fired from the P90 at a distance of 25 m (27 yd) exhibited an average penetration depth of 25 cm (9.85 in) in ballistic gelatin covered with a Level II vest .[26] The SS190 exhibited penetration depths ranging from 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13.5 in) when fired from the P90 into bare ballistic gelatin, in tests conducted by Houston Police Department SWAT .[22] In testing, the SS190 and similar 5.7×28mm projectiles consistently turn base over point ("tumble") as they pass through ballistic gelatin and other media, using the 21.6-mm (.85 in) projectile length[27] to create a larger wound cavity.[9] [15] [22] [28] However, some are skeptical of the bullet's terminal performance , and it is a subject of debate among civilian shooters in the United States.[28]
The 5.7×28mm projectile potentially poses less risk of collateral damage than conventional pistol bullets, because the projectile design limits overpenetration, as well as the risk of ricochet .[26] [29] The lightweight projectile loses much of its kinetic energy after traveling only 400 m (437 yd), whereas a conventional pistol bullet such as the 9×19mm retains significant energy beyond 800 m (875 yd), posing greater risk of collateral damage in the event of a miss.[10] This range exceeds the engagement distances expected for the 5.7×28mm cartridge's intended applications, so the cartridge's limited energy at long range is not considered to be disadvantageous.[10] Since the SS190 projectile does not rely on fragmentation or the expansion of a hollow point , the cartridge (and 5.7×28mm weapons) is considered suitable for military use under the Hague Convention of 1899 , which prohibits the use of expanding bullets in warfare.

The P90 was originally equipped with the Ring Sights HC-14-62 reflex sight , but the current weapon is instead fitted with the Ring Sights MC-10-80 sight, which was specifically designed for it.[16] [34] The HC-14-62 has a polymer housing and uses a forward-aimed fiber optic collector to illuminate the white daytime reticle, which consists of a large circle of about 180 minutes of arc (MOA), with a 20 MOA circle surrounding a 3.5 MOA dot in the center. The MC-10-80 has an anodized aluminium housing, and has a similar black reticle. The night reticle for both the HC-14-62 and the MC-10-80 consists of an open T that is primarily illuminated by a tritium module , and, in the HC-14-62, ambient light drawn in by an upward-facing collector. The sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation, and it can be used in conjunction with night vision equipment .[34] As backup in case the reflex sight is damaged, a set of fixed iron sights is provided on each side of the reflex sight housing.[34] The newest MC-10-80, designated as the MC-10-80 Electronic, no longer uses tritium for its night reticle. Instead, the normal reticle can be illuminated in green powered by a CR2032 battery, with eight different brightness settings. The illuminated reticle makes the sight more versatile in a variety of different conditions.[ citation needed]
The P90 has provisions for mounting a number of different types of accessories, including tactical lights and laser aiming devices . A sling can be attached to the P90 for greater ease of carry, or it can be fitted with various sound suppressors such as the Gemtech SP90, which was designed specifically for the weapon in cooperation with FN Herstal.[7] This stainless steel suppressor with a black oxide finish is built according to MIL-SPECs , including saltwater corrosion resistance.[7] It has a length of 184 mm (7.2 in), a diameter of 35 mm (1.4 in) and a weight of 680 g (1.5 lb).[7] When subsonic ammunition is used in conjunction with the suppressor, it reduces the sound signature of the P90 by 33 dB .[7] A small case collector pouch for the P90 is available which fits over the ejection port and collects spent cases as they are ejected downward; the pouch will collect up to one hundred cases before filling.

Description
date of existence: 1986

Creator: FN Herstal

Cartridge: FN 5.7×28mm

Wielder: jonathan meteors

The P90 is a selective fire , straight blowback -operated weapon with a cyclic rate of fire of around 850–1,100 rounds per minute.[7] [8] The weapon is chambered for FN's 5.7×28mm ammunition. Its unusual shape is based on extensive ergonomic research.[7] [9] The weapon is grasped by means of a thumbhole in the frame that acts as a pistol grip , as well as an oversized trigger guard that acts as a foregrip for the shooter's support hand.[17] The P90 fires from a closed bolt for maximum accuracy, and its design makes extensive use of polymers for reduced weight and cost.[15] Overall, the weapon is relatively lightweight, weighing 2.5 kg (5.6 lb) empty, or 3 kg (6.6 lb) with a loaded 50-round magazine.[9] [17]
The P90 is notable for being fully ambidextrous —it can be operated by right or left-handed shooters with equal ease, and without making any modifications to the weapon.[17] FN Herstal has described it as the "first fully ambidextrous individual automatic weapon."[20] The charging handle , magazine release and backup iron sights are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the weapon, and the firing selector is located directly at the foot of the trigger, where it can be operated from either side by the shooter's trigger finger or support hand thumb.[8] When fired, the P90 ejects spent cartridge casings downward through a chute located behind the grip, so spent cases are kept out of the shooter's line of sight.[17]

The P90's unique magazine has a capacity of 50 rounds, and it fits flush with the weapon's frame[10]

The P90 can be fitted with a sling for greater ease of carry, and since the weapon has a fixed stock (as opposed to having a collapsing or folding stock), it can be quickly deployed when needed.[17] [21] The weapon's smooth, rounded contours prevent it from snagging on the shooter's clothing or equipment, and a small vertical protrusion is provided at the front end of the weapon's frame to prevent the shooter's hand from accidentally slipping in front of the muzzle while shooting.[9] [17] A hollow compartment inside the rear of the weapon's frame—accessed by removing the buttplate—allows for storage of a cleaning kit.[17]
The P90 was designed to have a length no greater than a man's shoulder width, to allow it to be easily carried and maneuvered in tight spaces, such as the inside of an armored vehicle .[10] To achieve this, the weapon's design uses the unconventional bullpup configuration, in which the action and magazine are located behind the trigger and alongside the shooter's face so that there is no wasted space in the stock .[15] The P90's dimensions are minimized by its unique horizontally mounted feeding system, wherein the box magazine sits parallel to the barrel on top of the weapon's frame.[10] The weapon overall has an extremely compact profile—it is the most compact fixed-stock submachine gun to be made.[10] The standard version of the weapon has an overall length of 500 mm (19.7 in), a height of 210 mm (8.3 in), and a width of 55 mm (2.2 in).[7]
The P90 requires minimal maintenance , and it can be disassembled quickly and easily.[7] [22] It is a modular firearm, consisting of four main component groups: the barrel and optical sight group, the moving parts group, the frame and trigger group, and the hammer group. The P90's barrel is cold hammer-forged and chrome-lined , with an overall length of 263 mm (10.4 in).[8] The barrel has eight rifling grooves with a right-hand twist rate of 1:231 mm (1:9.1 in), and it is equipped with a diagonally cut flash suppressor that also acts as a recoil compensator.[7] [8] The stated service life of the barrel is 20,000 rounds.[10]
The P90 uses an internal hammer striking mechanism and a trigger mechanism with a three-position rotary dial fire control selector, located at the foot of the trigger. The dial has three settings: S – safe, 1 – semi-automatic fire, and A – fully automatic fire. When set on A, the P90's fire selector provides a two-stage trigger operation similar to that of the Steyr AUG assault rifle—pulling the trigger back slightly produces semi-automatic fire, and pulling the trigger fully to the rear produces fully automatic fire.

Particularly significant to the design of the P90 is the small-caliber, high-velocity bottlenecked cartridge it uses. The 5.7×28mm cartridge was created by FN Herstal in response to a NATO requirement that called for a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge, which is commonly used in pistols and submachine guns.[18] The 5.7×28mm cartridge weighs 6.0 g (93 grains )—roughly half as much as a typical 9×19mm cartridge—allowing the same number of rounds to be carried for less weight, or allowing more rounds to be carried for the same weight.[15] [23] [24] Since the 5.7×28mm cartridge has a relatively small diameter, an unusually high number of cartridges can be contained in a magazine.[25] The cartridge has a loud report and produces considerable muzzle flash (when fired from a pistol), but it produces roughly 30 percent less recoil than the 9×19mm cartridge, improving controllability .[24] Due to its high velocity, the 5.7×28mm exhibits an exceptionally flat trajectory , compared to typical pistol ammunition.[10] [22]
One of the design intents for the standard 5.7×28mm cartridge type, the SS190, was that it has the ability to penetrate Kevlar protective vests that stop conventional pistol bullets.[24] Fired from the P90, the 5.7×28mm SS190 has a muzzle velocity of roughly 716 m/s (2,350 ft/s, Mach 2) and can penetrate the NATO CRISAT vest or a Level IIIA Kevlar vest at a range of 200 m (219 yd).[22] [24] FN states an effective range of 200 m (219 yd) and a maximum range of 1,800 m (1,969 yd) for the 5.7×28mm cartridge when fired from the P90.[7]
In testing conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1999, the SS190 fired from the P90 at a distance of 25 m (27 yd) exhibited an average penetration depth of 25 cm (9.85 in) in ballistic gelatin covered with a Level II vest .[26] The SS190 exhibited penetration depths ranging from 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13.5 in) when fired from the P90 into bare ballistic gelatin, in tests conducted by Houston Police Department SWAT .[22] In testing, the SS190 and similar 5.7×28mm projectiles consistently turn base over point ("tumble") as they pass through ballistic gelatin and other media, using the 21.6-mm (.85 in) projectile length[27] to create a larger wound cavity.[9] [15] [22] [28] However, some are skeptical of the bullet's terminal performance , and it is a subject of debate among civilian shooters in the United States.[28]
The 5.7×28mm projectile potentially poses less risk of collateral damage than conventional pistol bullets, because the projectile design limits overpenetration, as well as the risk of ricochet .[26] [29] The lightweight projectile loses much of its kinetic energy after traveling only 400 m (437 yd), whereas a conventional pistol bullet such as the 9×19mm retains significant energy beyond 800 m (875 yd), posing greater risk of collateral damage in the event of a miss.[10] This range exceeds the engagement distances expected for the 5.7×28mm cartridge's intended applications, so the cartridge's limited energy at long range is not considered to be disadvantageous.[10] Since the SS190 projectile does not rely on fragmentation or the expansion of a hollow point , the cartridge (and 5.7×28mm weapons) is considered suitable for military use under the Hague Convention of 1899 , which prohibits the use of expanding bullets in warfare.

The P90 was originally equipped with the Ring Sights HC-14-62 reflex sight , but the current weapon is instead fitted with the Ring Sights MC-10-80 sight, which was specifically designed for it.[16] [34] The HC-14-62 has a polymer housing and uses a forward-aimed fiber optic collector to illuminate the white daytime reticle, which consists of a large circle of about 180 minutes of arc (MOA), with a 20 MOA circle surrounding a 3.5 MOA dot in the center. The MC-10-80 has an anodized aluminium housing, and has a similar black reticle. The night reticle for both the HC-14-62 and the MC-10-80 consists of an open T that is primarily illuminated by a tritium module , and, in the HC-14-62, ambient light drawn in by an upward-facing collector. The sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation, and it can be used in conjunction with night vision equipment .[34] As backup in case the reflex sight is damaged, a set of fixed iron sights is provided on each side of the reflex sight housing.[34] The newest MC-10-80, designated as the MC-10-80 Electronic, no longer uses tritium for its night reticle. Instead, the normal reticle can be illuminated in green powered by a CR2032 battery, with eight different brightness settings. The illuminated reticle makes the sight more versatile in a variety of different conditions.[ citation needed]
The P90 has provisions for mounting a number of different types of accessories, including tactical lights and laser aiming devices . A sling can be attached to the P90 for greater ease of carry, or it can be fitted with various sound suppressors such as the Gemtech SP90, which was designed specifically for the weapon in cooperation with FN Herstal.[7] This stainless steel suppressor with a black oxide finish is built according to MIL-SPECs , including saltwater corrosion resistance.[7] It has a length of 184 mm (7.2 in), a diameter of 35 mm (1.4 in) and a weight of 680 g (1.5 lb).[7] When subsonic ammunition is used in conjunction with the suppressor, it reduces the sound signature of the P90 by 33 dB .[7] A small case collector pouch for the P90 is available which fits over the ejection port and collects spent cases as they are ejected downward; the pouch will collect up to one hundred cases before filling.