FN FiveSeven SS197SR 5.7x28mm ammo test in ClearBallistics gel

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• published: 09 Oct 2014
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Someone loaned me their FN Five-seveN and a box of SS197SR ammo to test out. The Five-seveN is a very interesting pistol, so I happily agreed. In this video I am testing the SS197SR hollowpoint ammo. There are various types of ammo offered in the 5.7x28mm caliber; some are legal and some have been declared illegal for civilians or restricted for law-enforcement use only. The SS197SR is one of the few legal offerings and, at least according to wikipedia, one of only two commercially-available hollowpoint designs. They are rated at 2,000+ fps but that appears to be when using them from a P90 with its full-length barrel. From the Five-seveN pistol, velocities of about 1700 fps are more typical. But, I can't tell you exactly, because my chronograph refused to register the velocities of these shots! Looking at other tests by other testers I've found them listing speeds of around 1,700 fps. The SS197SR in this test was not a great performer, because the bullets didn't perform as designed. Meaning -- they didn't expand. Instead, the nose of the bullet got smashed in on impact with the gel block, and the bullets then appear to have tumbled to a stop. Now, that'd be superb performance from an FMJ, but is not the ideal from a hollowpoint, especially a fragmenting hollowpoint like the Hornady V-MAX (which is the type of bullet that SS197SR uses). Penetration depth was excellent, ranging from 12" on the low end to 15.75" at the deepest. But only one of the six bullets I tested expanded, the others all deformed. In comparison to another small-caliber gun, I had previously tested Gold Dots in .22 Magnum from an NAA Black Widow mini-revolver. The Gold Dots all penetrated to about the same depth, and created similar nasty damage cavities in the shallower portion of their travel range, but -- the .22 Magnum Gold Dots all expanded. Only one out of six of the SS197SR expanded. Based on that particular performance, I didn't observe the FN delivering notably better performance than the mini-revolver did. Much higher velocity, yes, but in terms of actual damage done to the tissue simulant, they seemed to be very much on par with each other. Note: I'm not making any claims for these videos other than that these are the results I achieved, in my own testing, from the stated pistol(s). I have no intention to make a blanket endorsement or indictment of any product, only to review and report what I found in a given instance. Obviously it is incumbent upon each individual to conduct their own research and make up their own mind about which defensive ammunition is best for their own purposes, in their own firearms. Also keep in mind that individual firearms can be persnickety; my gun may feed a particular round consistently whereas yours might not work as well with those rounds, so -- please conduct your own testing before trusting any particular ammo. If you like what you see, subscribe to the channel, and also visit the blog at www.shootingthebull.net.