The 5.7x28mm pistol field broke wide open. Six current guns ranked by price, capacity, optic-readiness, and suppressor fit, from the $400 KelTec PR57 to the incumbent FN Five-seveN MRD.
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The best 5.7x28mm pistol for most buyers is the Ruger-57, which settles around $450 street with an optic-ready slide, 20+1 capacity, and adjustable fiber-optic sights. The category that FN owned alone for two decades is now a six-gun field. This guide ranks every current 5.7 pistol by price, capacity, optic readiness, and suppressor fit, from the featherweight KelTec PR57 to the duty-pedigreed FN Five-seveN MRD, and tells you the truth about what 5.7x28mm ammunition actually costs to feed.
The 5.7x28mm exists to do three things a 9mm cannot: deliver near-flat trajectory, almost no recoil, and 20-plus rounds in a standard pistol magazine. FN designed the round in the late 1980s to defeat soft body armor at PDW range, firing a light 27-40 grain bullet at roughly 1,900-2,000 fps from a handgun barrel. For two decades the FN Five-seveN was the only pistol chambered for it and it carried a four-figure price tag. That monopoly is over. Six guns now compete for the 5.7 buyer, and the cheapest costs a quarter of what the FN once did.
The defining 5.7 experience is how little it kicks. A light bullet at high velocity generates a fraction of the recoil impulse of a 9mm, so muzzle rise is minimal and splits between shots are fast. For recoil-sensitive shooters, new shooters, and anyone who values speed over bullet mass, that softness is the entire pitch. It is also why these guns are genuinely fun to run at the range.
The skinny 5.7 case stacks dense. Most guns here carry 20+1, the PSA 5.7 Rock runs 23+1, and the S&W M&P 5.7 holds 22+1, all in a single grip column. That is duty-rifle onboard count from a handgun, without the bulk of a double-stack 9mm. For home defense or high-volume range use, fewer reloads is a real advantage.
Several current 5.7 pistols ship threaded or offer a threaded variant, and the bullet uses .224-class projectiles, so a .22-caliber-rated can covers it. The threaded S&W M&P 5.7 and threaded PSA Rock carry a factory 1/2x28 barrel; the Ruger-57 needs Ruger's drop-in threaded barrel kit first, the Tisas ships non-threaded, and the FN Five-seveN uses metric M10x1.0 and needs an adapter. Suppressed, the cartridge is quiet and pleasant. Want the same cartridge in a suppressor host you can configure? Build a 5.7 carbine around the Ruger LC Carbine on our rifle builder.
5.7x28mm ammunition costs more and is stocked less widely than 9mm. Plan on roughly $0.45-$0.80 per round versus about $0.25-$0.35 for bulk 9mm. If your priority is the cheapest possible practice, a 9mm is the better buy, and our concealed carry pistol guide covers those. If low recoil and high capacity are worth a premium per trigger pull, read on.
Best overall value
Best mid-tier and best-equipped
Best pedigree (the incumbent)
Best for concealed carry
Best budget capacity
Best cheapest way in
Street prices on 5.7 pistols move quickly; confirm current pricing and availability before buying.
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We ranked these pistols on price-to-capability first, then action type and feel, optic mounting, and track record. Every gun here fires the same cartridge, so what you pay and how the gun feeds, mounts an optic, and suppresses are what separate them, and the value story is what makes the modern 5.7 field interesting.
The Ruger-57 wins overall because $450 street buys an optic-ready, 20+1 5.7 with adjustable sights that the FN, at more than twice the price, does not meaningfully beat on features. The PSA 5.7 Rock and Tisas PX-5.7 push the entry price down further; the question with each is what you give up to hit the number.
5.7 pistols split between simple blowback-style actions and locked-breech designs. The Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 uses its TEMPO locked-breech rotary barrel, which runs cleaner and softer than a straight blowback gun and is the reason it ranks second despite costing more than the Ruger. The KelTec PR57 also uses a rotary barrel in a far lighter package.
How a gun takes a red dot matters. The S&W M&P 5.7 has a direct Shield RMSc cut, the cleanest path to a micro optic. The Ruger-57 and FN Five-seveN use adapter-plate systems instead of a direct slide cut, which works but adds a part. The PSA Rock uses Glock-pattern sight cuts, opening a deep aftermarket. See our pistol red dot guide for picking the optic itself.
The FN Five-seveN earns its pedigree ranking on decades of duty and law-enforcement service; nothing else in the field has that history. The Ruger-57 and KelTec PR57 have years of production behind them. The PSA Rock and Tisas PX-5.7 are newer, with thinner holster and parts support, which we weighed against their lower prices.
Still deciding? Sort by capacity for the highest onboard count, by weight for a carry gun, or by price to find the value pick.
| Product | Buy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Palmetto State Armory PSA 5.7 Rock | 5.2 inches | 23+1 | 25 oz | $499 | Buy |
Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 | 5 inches | 22+1 | 26.7 oz | $699 | Buy |
Ruger-57 | 4.94 inches | 20+1 | 24.5 oz | $459 | Buy |
FN Five-seveN MRD | 4.8 inches | 20+1 | 25.2 oz | $849 | Buy |
KelTec PR57 | 4.00 inches | 20+1 | 13.86 oz | $400 | Buy |
Tisas PX-5.7 | 4.82 inches | 20+1 | 25.6 oz | $413 | Buy |
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5.7x28mm runs roughly $0.45-$0.80 per round, against about $0.25-$0.35 for bulk 9mm, and it sits on fewer shelves. That is the cartridge's real headwind, and no marketing softens it: a 5.7 pistol costs more to shoot than a 9mm, every range trip. Buy one because you want what 5.7 does, not because you expect cheap practice.
What you get for the premium is the package that defines the round: minimal recoil, a flat trajectory, and 20-23 rounds onboard. Light, fast bullets mean fast follow-up shots and easy accuracy, and the high velocity gives a near-laser hold out to practical pistol distances. For a recoil-sensitive shooter or a home-defense gun where capacity and controllability matter more than ammo budget, the math works. For high-volume training on a tight budget, it does not, and a 9mm is the honest call.
The cartridge is also unusually suppressor-friendly for the price. The factory-threaded 5.7 pistols (threaded S&W M&P 5.7 and threaded PSA Rock) carry 1/2x28 barrels and take a .22-caliber-rated can directly; the Ruger-57 needs Ruger's drop-in threaded barrel kit (about $200), the Tisas ships non-threaded, and the FN Five-seveN's metric M10x1.0 thread needs an adapter. If you want a 5.7 carbine to share the ammo and stretch the velocity, the Ruger LC Carbine covers that ground in our modern PCC guide.
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The Ruger-57, S&W M&P 5.7, FN Five-seveN MRD, PSA Rock, and Tisas all take a micro red dot, and the optic transforms the gun's natural flat-shooting accuracy into fast, precise hits. The S&W uses a direct Shield RMSc cut; the others mount through adapter plates or Glock-pattern cuts. Match the footprint to your slide before you buy.
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The Ruger-57, S&W M&P 5.7, FN Five-seveN, PSA Rock, and Tisas PX-5.7 all carry a full-length accessory rail that takes any standard weapon light, which is essential for a home-defense 5.7. The KelTec PR57 has only a short single-slot rail on its dustcover, so keep its light compact to avoid loading down the ultralight frame.
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Because 5.7 fires a .224-class bullet, a .22-caliber-rated can covers it. A threaded S&W M&P 5.7 or PSA Rock takes one directly on its 1/2x28 barrel; the Ruger-57 needs Ruger's drop-in 1/2x28 threaded barrel kit first, the Tisas ships non-threaded, and the FN Five-seveN needs an M10x1.0 adapter. Under current law the federal making and transfer tax on a suppressor is $0, though the standard ATF registration process still applies.
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Related Guides
Best Concealed Carry Pistols 2026 - 9mm CCW options to cross-shop against a slim 5.7 like the KelTec PR57.
Best Concealed Carry Holsters 2026 - Carry rigs that fit a slim 5.7 pistol for everyday carry.
Best Pistol Red Dots 2026 - Picking the right micro optic for an optic-ready 5.7 slide.
Best Modern PCCs 2026 - The Ruger LC Carbine shares the 5.7x28mm cartridge in a carbine.
Sling, light, backup sights, and QD mounts, the upgrades most builders add first.
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The Verdict
Buy the Ruger-57 first. It is the most gun for the money in 5.7, with an optic-ready slide and adjustable sights at less than half the FN's price.
Step up to the Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 if you want the softer-running TEMPO action and a direct RMSc optic cut, or to the FN Five-seveN MRD for duty pedigree. Going the other way, the KelTec PR57 is the only true carry 5.7, and the PSA 5.7 Rock and Tisas PX-5.7 are the cheapest doors into the cartridge. Whichever you pick, match an optic and light to your slide cut, and budget for 5.7 ammo before the gun.
Avid shooter with 10+ years of experience including competition shooting, and an associate member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA). Built 10+ AR-pattern rifles and several handgun platforms for home defense, competition, and suppressed night shooting.
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