William Layton
Ive read a good many of your posts (mostly answers) and I find you are a very intelligent man who asks well-thought-out questions and gives excellent and complete answers, so we can put any negative "BS concerning your questions or posts to rest right now.
Frankly, until I read your post, I had never heard of a FN Herstal 5.7x28
but I can do the math
and that millimeter size figures out of .22440944881 inches or
a .22 caliber.
Apparently, this .22 caliber was designed to make body armor obsolete, but its still just a .22 caliber sized bullet
and a light .22 caliber bullet at that.
Certainly, William
your life is worth spending the money to purchase a decent self-defense pistol in a popular and acknowledged self-defense caliber.
If you desire something small
I suggest you consider a Kel-Tec P3AT in 9mm Short (aka .380 ACP) I measured its cartridge case and found this caliber could also be called a 9x17. This caliber is considered by most so-called "experts" to be the smallest true "self-defense" caliber.
I carry one constantly and really like it. Its NOT a target pistol, but at self-defense ranges, it gets the job done. Loaded with +P 85 grain hollow points, it has 221 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, holds 6+1 rounds and fits very comfortably into a pants pocket without showing that tell-tale "bulge".
The Kel-Tec P3AT is about ¾ of an inch wide, about 3½ inches high and 5 inches long
a relatively tiny semi-automatic pistol with a life-time warranty to the original buyer
and it works! While it lists for $299, youll find it in the $240 to $270 price range at a good many gun shops.
Comparatively, a snub-nosed .38 Special using a 158 grain lead bullet has 235 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, usually holds 5 shots and is considerably heavier, wider and longer than the little Kel-Tec.
And lets face it. A .35 caliber bullet has a lot bigger frontal area than a .22 caliber bullet.
Something to consider, eh?
Strength & Honor
Ron T.