Police Worried About New Vest-Penetrating Gun

[Justin]

On 2005-01-14T16:54:32-0500, R.A. Hettinga wrote:
> 
> <http://www.wnbc.com/print/4075959/detail.html>
> Police Worried About New Vest-Penetrating Gun

I care?  Well, perhaps I do... I should go pick one up before they're
banned.

>  The most shocking fact may be that the gun -- known as the "five-seven" --
> is being marketed to the public, and it's completely legal

The name is "Five-seveN."  It's made by Fabrique Nationale (FN).

Allegedly the U.S. secret service likes the Five-seveN, along with the
FN P90 (unavailable to civilians except title 2 firearms dealers because
it's only made in a select-fire version).  They both use the same 5.7mm
rounds, which makes logistics easier.  Of course, they also use MP5s and
9mm handguns...

Other guns with civilian-legal "armor-piercing" ammo include the CZ-52,
.223 pistols, and most all rifles.

> At a distance of 21 feet, Trumball police Sgt. Lenny Scinto fired the
> five-seven with the ammo sold legally to the public into a standard police
> vest. All three penetrated the vest.

The real ammo penetrates CRISAT/PAGST armor at 100m and 300m
respectively.  Level 2 or 3a armor is really rather pathetic.

> Back in Trumball, Scinto said his officers would have to rethink how to
> protect the public and protect themselves.

Police have no duty to protect the public.  Anyway, most of "the public"
doesn't walk around wearing vests, so protecting "the public" from these
is no different than protecting them from other firearms.  Protecting
the police from these is no different than protecting them from rifles.
Only trauma plates can stop pointy, high-velocity rounds.

> "This is going to add a whole new dimension to training and tactics. With
> the penetration of these rounds, you're going to have to find something
> considerably heavier than we normally use for cover and concealment to stop
> this round," Scinto said.

Cool, more LEOs instantly recognizable as beetles, having exoskeletons.
I recommend Kafka's Metamorphoses to them as sociological grounding for
what sort of reaction they can expect.

-- 
"War is the father and king of all, and some he shows as gods, others as men; some he makes slaves, others free." -Heraclitus 53