The Five-Seven Pistol

In a speech to the Economic Club of Detroit in May 1999, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., committed to speak on the issue of gun crimes each week that the Senate is in session. This is the 229th week he has continued to live up to his pledge; his remarks follow:

Mr. President, the Five-Seven handgun, manufactured by the Belgian firearms company FN Herstal, was reportedly designed to provide military and law enforcement personnel with a small, lightweight, and accurate pistol that was powerful enough kill or seriously injure enemies wearing body armor. A January 2000 cover article in the popular “American Handgunner” magazine profiled the handgun and predicted that, for obvious reasons, “neither the gun nor the ammunition will ever be sold to civilians.” Unfortunately, the American Handgunner article was wrong and FN Herstal made the Five-Seven pistol available to private buyers in 2004. These high-powered firearms clearly have no sporting purpose and pose a great threat to the lives of our law enforcement officers.

According to the FN Herstal website, the Five-Seven weighs less than two pounds fully loaded and measures only 8.2 inches in length, making it easily concealable. A statement which previously appeared on the website boasted “Enemy personnel, even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged up to 200 meters. Kevlar helmets and vests as well as the CRISAT protection will be penetrated.” This statement has since been removed.

Ballistics tests conducted by the American Handgunner for their January 2000 article provided evidence of the armor piercing capabilities of the Five-Seven pistol. In the tests, ammunition fired by the Five-Seven successfully pierced level IIA Kevlar body armor and penetrated six inches into ballistics testing gelatin behind it. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, level IIA Kevlar body armor is the kind commonly worn by law enforcement officers.

The already lethal nature of the Five-Seven handgun was amplified when Congress failed to renew the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, allowing it to expire on September 14, 2004. Among other things, Congress’ inaction resulted in the legalization of previously banned high-capacity magazines, including the 20 round clip currently sold with the Five-Seven.

The law enforcement community is rightfully concerned about the Five-Seven’s ability to kill law enforcement personnel, even while they are wearing protective body armor. Last year, a coalition of law enforcement groups including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives issued a warning to their members about the threat posed by Five-Seven handguns.

Bernard Thompson, Director of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives warned regarding the Five-Seven, “No one is safe from a weapon like this. Police body armor won’t offer protection if a criminal has this pistol.” In addition, the Legislative Director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Steve Lenkhart called the Five-Seven “an assault rifle that fits in your pocket.”

In response to concerns raised by law enforcement officials and others, Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Protect Law Enforcement Armor Act on March 3, 2005. Among other things, this legislation would prohibit the sale of the Five-Seven pistol and its ammunition to private buyers in the U.S. Unfortunately, despite the continuing threat posed by this high-powered pistol to our law enforcement officers, Senator Lautenberg’s legislation has yet to receive any consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee in the year since it was introduced.

We should not ignore the concerns of our law enforcement officers with regard to the Five-Seven pistol and other military style firearms. Congress should take up and pass common sense legislation banning the sale of these dangerous weapons because of the threat they pose to the safety of our communities and those who work so hard each day to protect them.