At the 2020 SHOT Show, Palmetto State Armory announced a new 9mm pistol called the PS9 Dagger.
With its combination of features and price, the new gun stands to make quite a splash in the industry.
Category: Handguns
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Ruger-57: New 5.7×28 Pistol
I like it when companies do unexpected things. Sometimes these outside-the-box ideas change the industry while other times they simply become a curiosity. Either way, it keeps things interesting.
The Ruger-57 is one of those unexpected pistols.
In the days leading up to the SHOT Show, Ruger is rolling out its new products for 2020. Yesterday, the company announced the Lite Rack LCP II. Today, the latest is a handgun chambered for the 5.7×28 cartridge.
Let’s take a look at what this new gun offers.
Where to Buy the Ruger-57
The Ruger 57 is proving to be a very popular pistol. If you cannot pick one up for a reasonable price locally, consider purchasing one through our affiliate links:
- Palmetto State Armory (best price)
- Guns.com
- Sportsman’s Warehouse
- Sportman’s Guide (offers interest-free payments)
I’ve done business with all of these companies and found them to be good people to work with. I willingly spend my own money with them.
Gun Design
The new Ruger-57 is a full-size pistol with a polymer frame. It has a barrel just short of 5″ and a modest weight of 24.5 ounces.
It is a semi-automatic, blowback design. Ruger designed the hammer-fired gun with a 1911-style thumb safety. The safety is ambidextrous for ease of use regardless of which hand grips the pistol.
A front fiber optic sight with a fully adjustable blacked-out rear sight is standard. The gun is red dot ready. Ruger sells multiple mounting plates for the addition of an optic like the Burris FastFire and Vortex Venom.
Standard magazines hold 20 rounds. However, the company also offers limited capacity 10-round magazines for shooters who live in less-free states.
The 5.7×28 Cartridge
There is a good chance that some of my readers are not familiar with the 5.7×28 cartridge.
That’s understandable as the cartridge has never secured a large part of the firearms market. Nevertheless, it is a caliber that offers a blend of low recoil, high velocity and the reliability of a centerfire round.
In general terms, it is a cartridge with a bottleneck case and a bullet with a diameter of 0.224″ (5.7mm.) Bullet weights range from about 20 grains to about 50 grains. The cartridge could be thought of like a thinner, shorter .221 Fireball though I have no information that suggests the Fireball directly influenced the 5.7×28 design.
Lightweight projectiles tend to make for less recoil and increased velocities. In my own testing, for example, I found the SS197 load with a 40 grain Hornady V-Max bullet averaged 1,683 fps from a 4.8″ barrel.
FN Herstal developed the round in response to a NATO request for a small arms cartridge that could be fired from a pistol and personal defense weapon (PDW) and could penetrate body armor. Although the cartridge and companion firearms were never adopted in any significant quantity by military units, the cartridge and guns have found use in law enforcement and sporting contexts.
Other than the new Ruger-57, there are few companies manufacturing firearms chambered for this cartridge. FN builds the Five-seveN pistol and PS90 rifle chambered for the 5.7×28. There are also several smaller companies that make or previously made specialty guns for the round including the AR-57 and Masterpiece Arms MPA 57.
While ammunition selection is fairly limited, Speer introduced a new Gold Dot defensive round for the 5.7×28 at the same time Ruger released this new pistol.
The Speer load uses a 40-grain bullet and will be sold in boxes of 50 rounds. The MSRP is about $1/round but street prices are expected to be about $35-39 for a box of 50.
Where to Buy the 5.7×28 Ammo
Finding 5.7×28 ammunition is tough in this market. However, you can find Ruger 57 bullets if you do a little digging. Here are two affiliates that have some in stock:
The best choice for 5.7×28 self-defense ammo I can find right now is the Speer Gold Dot load here.
Holster Options
For self-defense, predator control or just plinking on a camping trip, there is a good chance you will need a holster for your new Ruger-57. Fortunately, Ruger had the good sense to work with a number of companies to ensure there would be carry rigs available at launch.
Check out my Ruger-57 Holsters Guide and see what is available.
Specifications
| Caliber | 5.7×28 |
| Capacity | 20+1 |
| Barrel Length | 4.94″ |
| Overall Length | 8.65″ |
| Height | 5.6″ |
| Weight | 24.5 oz |
| Grip Frame | polymer |
| Finish | matte black |
| MSRP (at launch) | $799 |
| MSRP (2022) | $869 |
Final Thoughts
I have a positive first impression of the new Ruger-57.
As I always say, the proof will be in the shooting. Even so, I am intrigued by this gun and have high expectations for its performance and the amount of fun it can provide.
The guns are not cheap by Ruger standards, but it is an all-new design and there are costs associated with that. Compared to the FN Five-seveN, the pistol is significantly less expensive – by more than $600. That will definitely bring more shooters to the 5.7×28 niche. I hope that means we will see more ammo made for it as well.
Last Update: October 15, 2022
On the heels of its PDW announcement earlier in the year, Chiappa Firearms has another new gun based on the same design. Called the CBR-9 Black Rhino pistol, the new handgun will officially roll out at the 2020 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
The new pistol uses a steel “upper” receiver that holds all of the mechanical components save the ejector and magazine. Those parts are housed in the polymer lower receiver that also forms the pistol grip.
Chiappa uses a blowback system in the Black Rhino. According to the company, the system is “improved and efficient” with a bolt that is about 50% of the weight of competing products.
Chambered in 9mm, the gun uses proprietary 18-round magazines. The company stated the magazine design is a patented design that prevents the deformation of the feed lips for improved reliability. In other words, don’t expect to slip a 33-round Glock magazine into place.
Good news, however. The company suggests larger magazine capacities may be available at a later date. This would seem to be an obvious play on its part.
One of the most interesting aspects of this new pistol is the collapsible arm brace. Similar to the shoulder stock on the PDW, the arm brace can make this gun extremely compact for transport and provide the additional bracing for someone to shoot the gun more accurately with one hand.
Low profile fiber optic sights are standard, while a top Picatinny rail allows for the addition of a red dot or some other optic. There are also side rails for lights and additional gear.
A few years back, Chiappa introduced the AK-9. That was an AK-style pistol that fed from Beretta 92 magazines. The CBR-9 pistol looks far more refined.
The original personal defense weapon that the Chiappa CBR-9 pistol is based on was unveiled at the 2019 IWA Outdoor Classics trade show in Nuremberg, Germany. To my eye, the CBR-9 Black Rhino pistol bears a passing resemblance to the HK MP7 PDW. I’m not suggesting the one is a copy or clone of the other – just that they have a resemblance. Here’s hoping the Chiappa is more affordable than the HK.
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SCCY DVG1 – New Striker-Fired 9mm Pistol
Florida-based SCCY appears ready to launch a new striker-fired pistol called the DVG1. (Scroll down for updates including the crazy price on the red dot version.)
Print advertising for the new SCCY DVG1 handgun appeared in magazines this week though the company does not have any mention of it on its website. Nevertheless, the ad does include a significant amount of information about the new pistols.
Where to Buy a SCCY DVG-1
If you are interested in purchasing a DVG-1, I recommend using one of my affiliate links below. All of these companies I do business with and have given me good service in the past.
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Smith & Wesson M&P 9EZ Shield
Building on the success of the M&P 380EZ, Smith & Wesson is introduced the new M&P9 EZ today.
The new gun blends the easy-racking slide of the original pistol with the more powerful 9mm cartridge. This means that people with reduced hand strength are no longer handicapped by the comparatively low powered .380 ACP.
Features of the new M&P 9EZ include:
- a slide that is easy to manipulate
- a slide with tapered rear slide serrations
- magazines with a loading tab for easier insertion of rounds
- reversible magazine release
- a one-piece trigger design
In the above video, Julie Golob gives you an introduction to the pistol.
| Standard Model | Crimson Trace Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Caliber | 9mm | 9mm |
| Capacity | 8+1 | 8+1 |
| Action | internal, hammer-fired | internal, hammer-fired |
| Barrel Length | 3.675″ | 3.675″ |
| Overall Length | 6.8″ | 6.8″ |
| Weight | 23.2 oz | 23.2 oz |
| Sights | 3-dot | 3-dot, CT red Laserguard |
| Grip | integral polymer | integral polymer |
| Finish | matte black | matte black |
| MSRP (2022) | $549 | $669 |
Guns will be available with and without a thumb safety. All of the pistols will have a grip safety.
Smith & Wesson is also offering a version of the gun with a Crimson Trace Laserguard that uses a red aiming laser. Lasers can be very useful for people when a traditional sight picture is unavailable. For example, if you are knocked to the ground or are using cover that precludes the alignment of gun and eye.
At this time, Smith & Wesson lists all versions of the M&P 9EZ at the same price: $479. It would seem that there is no additional charge for getting the pistol with the Crimson Trace Laserguard.
Where to Buy the S&W M&P 9EZ Shield
The Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield EZ is an amazing pistol. If you cannot find one locally, I’d recommend using the following affiliate links:
- Guns.com
- Palmetto State Armory (best price)
- Sportsman’s Warehouse
There are a lot of things to like about this pistol. When Smith & Wesson launched the “EZ” line, the company had a clear vision of what they were aiming for. I think they achieved it completely.
I’ve had a chance to shoot and review the 9mm and .380 versions of this gun. Both are excellent shooters that are easy to operate. If you have reduced hand strength, the .380 ACP pistol might be the best. Otherwise, I’d recommend opting for this, the 9mm EZ to optimize your firepower in a defensive encounter.
Last Update: October 16, 2022