FN P90
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| Caliber: | 5.7 x 28 mm | |
| Action: | Blowback | |
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| Length: | 500 mm (20 in) | |
| Barrel length: | 263 mm (10 in) | |
| Rate of fire: | 900 rounds per minute | |
| Magazine: | 50 rounds | |
| Effective range: | 200 m | |
The P90 is a submachine gun manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (FN).
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Overview
During the late 1980s FN found that existing pistols and submachine guns were becoming increasingly ineffective at disabling troops equipped with body armor. Contemporary assault rifles were capable of fulfilling this task, but they were generally too heavy and bulky to serve as an effective personal defense weapon in tight quarters. To satisfy this demand for a small but effective PDW, FN designed the Project 90 SMG and a new armor-piercing pistol round (5.7 x 28 mm). The weapon can be considered an SMG because its companion sidearm, the Five-seveN pistol, takes the same caliber rounds.
The P90 is designed to accommodate both left and right handed shooters—it features an ambidextrous fire selector and charging handle, and downward ejection of spent shells. It is built in a unique bullpup configuration that places the 50-round transparent magazine above the weapon, parallel to the barrel. A circular ramp at the bottom of each magazine re-aligns each round to the barrel. This design makes the weapon extremely compact and maneuverable and the transparent magazine makes it easy to quickly check the number of rounds left. The P90 is constructed largely out of polymers, and is therefore unusually light.
Thanks to the 5.7 mm round's excellent penetration abilities, the P90 can defeat most forms of personal body armor at a range of up to 200 meters. This performance rivals that of modern assault rifles, and is unsurpassed by any existing SMG, except perhaps H&K's new MP7. However, the round has been criticized for its potentially low stopping power against unarmored targets, although as there have been few combat firings of the weapon, the true effect is as yet undetermined. For this reason, many organisations such as the SAS and the SEALs still prefer a 9 mm or other larger-calibre weapon. The P90 also has very low recoil allowing for accurate burst fire—several shots can be rapidly placed on target, greatly increasing the wounding effect.
The P90 is offered for export to military and law enforcement agencies—its sale is denied to most civilians due to its armor piercing ability. It is used by the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Peruvian Special Forces, Cyprus National Guard, Greek coastguard, special units of Thailand's army and numerous other countries.
Variants
The weapon comes in several variants:
P90 - features a day or night 1x holographic sight mounted on a base that can fit two optional Picatinny rails.
P90 TR - the standard sight is replaced with a triple Picatinny rail interface system (RIS). There is one full-length rail on the top of the sight base and two rail "stumps" on the sides. This setup allows the P90 to mount a variety of commercial scopes, lasers and tactical flashlights that may not fit on the regular model.
P90 L - the L option adds an integrated laser sight projected from below the barrel. The LV variant is equipped with a visible laser, while the LIR variant has an infra-red laser. The lasers have three internal settings: off (to prevent accidental activation), low-intensity (combat training and extended battery life) and high-intensity (maximum visibility). The laser on/off switch is a green button located under the trigger grip. The battery compartment is located below this button.
PS90 - a semiautomatic civilian version. It has a 16 inch barrel, a light blue plastic body and a reflex gunsight identical to that on the standard P90. As of February 2005 it remains in prototype phase, but it can be pre-ordered through licensed dealers.
All variants of the P90 can mount certain optional accessories, including a tactical sling, a spent shell collector bag, and a factory-supplied Gemtech suppressor that uses a spring-loaded system to clip right onto the barrel. The PS90 variant cannot mount the suppressor.
Popular culture
The P90 is an instantly recognizable weapon that has made numerous appearances in fiction:
- The television show Stargate SG-1, as SG-1's standard-issue firearm
- Tactical FPS computer games such as Counter-Strike and Rainbow Six
- Metal Gear Solid 2, as the firearm used by Tengu soldiers aboard Arsenal Gear
- The anime Gunslinger Girl, as Henrietta's primary weapon
- GoldenEye 007, as the RC-P90, Xenia's submachinegun
- Matthew Reilly's book Area 7 as the weapon of the 7th Special Operation Group
External links
- FNH USA product description (Under Construction) (http://www.fnhusa.com/contents/tw_p90.htm)
- SS196SR Brochure (http://www.sturmgewehr.com/bhinton/Misc_Pics/P90.SS196SR.BrochureS.jpg)
- Modern Firearms - FN P90 (http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg13-e.htm)
- Steve's (Latest) Firearms Interest: The FN 5.7x28mm Weapon System (http://stevesfn57.blogspot.com/)
- PS90 Left Front (http://www.sturmgewehr.com/bhinton/Misc_Pics/P90.A.jpg)
- PS90 Left Rear (http://www.sturmgewehr.com/bhinton/Misc_Pics/P90.B.jpg)
- PS90 Left Side (http://www.sturmgewehr.com/bhinton/Misc_Pics/P90.C.jpg)fr:P90
