FN P90
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| Caliber: | 5.7 x 28 mm | |
| Action: | Blowback, closed bolt | |
| Mass: |
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| Length: | 500 mm (20 in) | |
| Barrel length: | 263 mm (10.5 in) | |
| Rate of fire: | 900 rounds/min | |
| Magazine: | 50-round detachable box | |
| Effective range: | 200 m | |
The P90 is a personal defense weapon manufactured by Fabrique Nationale developed at the end of the 20th century, first entering service in the 1990s. It is chambered for the 5.7 x 28 mm cartridge, developed specifically for the firearm.
Contents |
Overview
During the late 1980s, NATO issued a requirement for a PDW due to a problem with existing pistols and submachine guns becoming increasingly ineffective at disabling troops equipped with body armor. Contemporary assault rifles were capable of piercing modern armor, but the requirement called for something less heavy and bulky. They were to serve as an personal defense weapon in tight quarters. To satisfy this demand for a small but effective PDW, FN designed the Project 90 submachine gun and a new armor-piercing pistol round — the 5.7 x 28 mm. The weapon is usually considered to be a submachine gun. 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. The weapon also has very low recoil, allowing for accurate burst fire.
The 5.7 mm round has higher penetration abilities over similar impulse rounds, and can defeat the standard Warsaw Pact body armor (a layer of titanium and several layers of kevlar) at the ranges listed by the NATO requirement. This is inferior to most rifle rounds, but better then existing common pistol rounds, such as the .45 ACP. It is similar to the HK MP7. However, the round has suffered much controversy, as some are skeptical of its stopping power against unarmored targets. As there have been few combat firings of the weapon, the true effect is yet undetermined. As a result, many special operations forces, such as the SAS and the Navy SEALs still prefer the 9 mm or other higher power firearms. Despite this, the few combat reports thus far show the P90 is an effective weapon system.
The P90 is offered for export to military and law enforcement agencies — its sale is denied to most civilians due to its armor piercing capability. It is used by the United States' Secret Service, Saudi Arabia's Special Forces, Canada's Joint Task Force 2, France's GIGN, Peru's Special Forces, Cyprus' National Guard, Greece's coast guard, special units of Thailand's army, certain army units of the Philippines and numerous other countries. Additionally, the P90 was recently seen in action with the New Orleans Police Department in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina.
Variants
The weapon comes in several variants:
P90 — features a day or night 1x reflex 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, laser sights, 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 infrared 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 semi-automatic "sporter" version designed for the civilian market. It has a 16-inch barrel, an olive green plastic body, and a reflex gunsight identical to that on the standard P90. As of December 2005 it remains in prototype phase, but it can be pre-ordered through licensed dealers. It will accept the standard P90 50-round magazines, but instead will ship with 30-round magazines, and currently starts at a pre-order price of $1,475 USD.
All variants of the P90 can mount certain optional accessories, including a tactical sling, a spent shell-collector bag, and a factory-supplied Gemtech sound suppressor that uses a spring-loaded system to attach it right onto the barrel. The PS90 variant cannot mount the sound suppressor, because its barrel's flash suppressor is incompatible with the spring clip system.
Popular culture
Image:Doom poster.jpg Like the Uzi and the Desert Eagle and unlike most firearms, the P90 has an iconic role in pop culture. It appears frequently in popular fiction, video games, and near-future science fiction, due to its unique, modern appearance. In movies and television, the P90 often appears in the hands of guards and soldiers in near-future science fiction settings; for example, the P90 has appeared as the standard sidearm in the television series Stargate SG-1 and in the hands of police officers in the films I, Robot and X2: X-Men United. In video games, its distinct silhouette and unusual appearance contribute to its popularity; it has appeared in games as varied as Counter-Strike to Goldeneye 007.
Non-interactive
| Year | Type | Title | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-present | TV series | Stargate SG-1 | Standard-issue firearm |
| 1999 | Film | The World is Not Enough | Robert Carlyle's character and henchmen |
| 2001 | Film | 3000 Miles to Graceland | Hamilton (Ice-T) |
| 2001 | Book | Reilly's Area 7 | 7th Special Operation Group firearm |
| 2003 | Film | X2: X-Men United | Stryker's soldiers |
| 2003 | TV series | Battlestar Galactica (2003) | Used by the Colonial Marine Forces onboard the Galactica |
| 2003-2004 | Anime | Gunslinger Girl | Henrietta's primary firearm |
| 2004 | Film | I, Robot | Guards in the interrogation room scene |
| 2004-present | TV series | Stargate Atlantis | Standard-issue firearm |
| 2005 | Film | Doom | as MG-88 Enforcer |
| 2005 | TV series | CSI: Miami | Used by bank robber |
Interactive
| Year | Type | Title | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Console FPS | GoldenEye 007 | as RC-P90 |
| 1997 | RPG | Fallout series | as P90c |
| 1998 | RPG | Parasite Eve | |
| 1999 | FPS | Counter-Strike series | as ES C90 |
| 1998 | FPS | Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series | First included in Rogue Spear: Black Thorn |
| 1997 | Console FPS | Perfect Dark | as RC-P90 |
| 2001 | Stealth Action | Metal Gear Solid 2 | Used by Tengu soldiers and Solidus Snake |
| 2002 | Console FPS | TimeSplitters 2 | as the SBP90 |
| 2004 | FPS | Far Cry | |
| 2005 | Stealth Action | Metal Gear Ac!d | Used by Teliko and Solid Snake |
| RPG | Front Mission | as Dark Star | |
| FPS | Stargate: The Alliance |
External links
- FNH USA product description
- Modern Firearms - FN P90
- FN FiveseveN Discussion Forum
- Steve's (Latest) Firearms Interest: The FN 5.7x28mm Weapon System
- Spring 2003 Experiences with the FN P90 (Houston, TX PD)
- Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide
- Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide (FILM) FN P90 Presentation (.MPEG)
See also
- MP5 — one othe most famous submachine guns in popular culture.
- Desert Eagle — a handgun that has had disproportionate popularity in media.de:FN P90
fr:P90 nl:FN P90 ja:P90 (サブマシンガン) pl:Pistolet maszynowy FN P90 sl:FN P90
