Description
The Ruger 5.7×28 is commonly understood to refer to the Ruger-57, a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. It is chambered in the 5.7×28 mm cartridge — a small, high-velocity round originally developed by FN Herstal in the late 1980s. The pistol and caliber combination is intended to offer low recoil with high speed and flat trajectory relative to many traditional handgun cartridges.
Key points about the overall concept:
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Platform: Modern semi-automatic pistol
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Cartridge: 5.7×28 mm — a bottlenecked, bottleneck centerfire cartridge
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Design Intent: Balance of controllability, capacity, and performance
About the 5.7×28 mm Cartridge (General Info)
The 5.7×28 mm round was developed for military and law enforcement applications to offer:
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High muzzle velocity compared to many traditional handgun rounds
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Low perceived recoil for quicker follow-up shots
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Penetration characteristics that in some loadings are intended to defeat certain soft body armor (specific performance varies by ammunition type)
It is used in a few niche pistols and carbines from multiple manufacturers.
General Characteristics of Pistols Chambered in 5.7×28 mm
Pistols like the Ruger-57 that are chambered for this cartridge tend to be described with these broad, non-technical attributes:
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Ergonomics: Designed for ease of handling and controllability
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Recoil: Relatively mild compared to many centerfire defensive calibers
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Capacity: Typically higher magazine capacity than similarly sized pistols in larger calibers due to the smaller cartridge size
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Use Cases: Sport shooting, recreational range use, some choose them for personal defense (subject to local laws and personal suitability)
