FN P90

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{{Infobox firearm |name=P90 |image=Image:Fn p90 right.jpg |caliber=5.7 x 28 mm |action=Delayed blowback, closed breech |mass=2.72 kg (6.0 lb) empty |length=500 mm (19.7 in) |barrel_length=259 mm (10.2 in) |rate_of_fire=900 round/min |magazine=50-round detachable box |effective_range=200 m }}

The P90 is a submachine gun developed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FNH).

1 Overview
2 User base
3 Variants
- 3.1 P90
- 3.2 P90 TR
- 3.3 P90 USG
- 3.4 P90 L
- 3.5 PS90
4 Popular culture
5 Photographs (PS90)
6 See also
7 External links

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Overview

On April 16 1989, NATO issued document D/296 which called for a "personal defense weapon" (PDW) to enter service in the period after the year 2000. The NATO requirement arose due to a problem with existing pistol caliber cartridges becoming increasingly ineffective at disabling troops equipped with body armor. Contemporary assault rifles were capable of piercing modern armor, but the requirement found the need for lighter and more agile weapons for use in close quarters combat. In order to satisfy this demand for a small but effective weapon, FN Herstal designed and submitted the Project 90 submachine gun and the 5.7 x 28 mm armor-piercing cartridge, developed specifically for the P90.

The P90 entered service in the early 1990s. It is a delayed blowback-operated firearm with semi-automatic and fully-automatic firing modes. It is fully ambidextrous — it features an ambidextrous fire selector and charging handle, and downward ejection of spent cases. The P90 is built in a unique bullpup configuration that places the 50-round translucent 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 translucent magazine makes it easy to quickly check the number of rounds left. The P90 is constructed largely out of weight-saving polymers. The hammer group resembles the one found in the Steyr AUG, and is comprised primarily of polymers including the hammer. The breechblock is part of the "moving parts group", which contains the twin guide rods, rate of fire stabilizer, recoil buffer, firing pin, and AR-15-style extractor and ejector.

Image:57 lineup.jpg

The weapon also has very low recoil, allowing for accurate burst fire. The recoil impulse of 5.7 x 28 mm is approximately one half of 5.56 x 45 mm NATO, while the unique moving parts group further reduces felt recoil through the use of twin recoil springs and the recoil buffer. Upon firing, the barrel itself recoils rearward for about 0.030 of an inch (0.76 mm), enabling the pressure in the barrel to drop to a safe level. The chamber pressure is rated at 50,000 psi for 5.7 x 28 mm FN. Field stripping the P90 can be done in under 10 seconds without any tools, breaking it apart into 4 major groups: barrel support/optical sight group, moving parts group, hammer group, and the frame/trigger group.

There is an inherent problem with the magazine, where if the operator stores it in a regular magazine pouch, the cartridges can fall out during maneuvers. The special FN P90 magazine pouches have a plastic cap that encloses the round part of the magazine. While the magazines are not prone to internal cartridge jams, the operator should note to either cap them or use the special pouches to prevent loss of cartridges out in the field.

The SS190 5.7 x 28 mm round has higher penetration abilities than cartridges with similar recoil impulse, 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 than existing common pistol rounds, such as the .45 ACP or .40 S&W. This performance is similar to the 4.6 x 30 mm round used in the HK MP7 PDW. However, both cartridges have suffered much controversy, as some are skeptical of their stopping power against unarmored targets. As there have been few combat firings of the P90, its true effect is yet undetermined, and many special forces such as the SAS and the U.S. Navy SEALs still prefer using traditional weapon systems.

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User base

The P90 is offered for export to military and law enforcement agencies — its sale is denied to the civilians in many countries due to its automatic firing mode and short barrel. It is used by some members of 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, Special Services Group of Pakistan Army, certain army units of the Philippines and numerous other countries.

Certain civilian law enforcement teams have also adopted the P90. Of special note, the Richland County, South Carolina Sheriff's Department was the first law enforcement agency in the United States to officially adopt the P90 as their weapon of choice [1]. Additionally, the P90 was recently seen in action in New Orleans in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina. There has been growing interest in the P90 in various police departments following the aftermath of the hurricane.

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Variants

The weapon comes in several variants. All of them can mount certain optional accessories such as tactical slings, empty case collector bags, bayonets, visible and infrared laser aiming modules (LAM), and tactical flashlights. The military and Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) versions can also accept a Gemtech sound suppressor (model SP-90) that uses a spring-lock system to snap onto the weapon's flash suppressor. The PS90 variant cannot mount this sound suppressor, because its barrel's flash suppressor is incompatible with the spring clip system.

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P90

Features a plastic day and night 1x magnification Ring Sights MC-10-80 reflex sight mounted on a cast aluminum base that can fit an optional Picatinny rail. The day sight shows a large white circle with a smaller circle in the center using ambient light through a translucent fiber optic collector at the front. The night sight is an open "T" reticule that utilizes a tritium module in the rear that shines through a small fiber optic collector. The day sight will tend to wash out on bright surfaces such as white walls, snow, and the sky. The night sight requires total darkness and several moments for the shooter's eyes to adjust to the darkness if transitioning from a bright environment. Essentially, the operator will lose all sight function by transitioning from outdoors into a dark house. Even with a tactical light, the MC-10-80 performs poorly in unlit/dark rooms unless the light is somehow reflected either into the front collector or into the rear collector. If used in a dark environment, aiming at a bright object will cause the tritium lit reticule to wash out. Backup iron sights are designed into both sides of the metal receiver. The P90, P90 USG, and PS90 can be fitted with a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail to replace the MC-10-80 in case the operator wishes to use aftermarket optics.

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P90 TR

Image:P90tr 2.gif The standard sight receiver houses a triple Picatinny Rail Interface System (RIS), or Triple Rail (TR) for short. There is one full-length rail on the top of the base and two rail "stumps" on the sides. This setup allows the P90 TR to mount a variety of aftermarket optic systems such as red dot sights or compact scopes. The TR and standard P90 are not interchangeable since the entire receiver assembly is different.

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P90 USG

A fully-automatic P90 similar to the standard P90, except with a revised optic system developed based on input by the United States Secret Service and other government agencies. Essentially, the aluminum USG Black sight uses a 100% black reticule that does not require ambient light nor does it contain a tritium module for night time usage. The USG IR (infrared) models contain an optic system designed to be used with night vision goggles. The USG Black reticule does not suffer from the same problems as the MC-10-80, since the reticule does not "wash out" on bright surfaces. Tactical lights would be employed in dark areas, and the black reticule would function properly.

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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.

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PS90

Image:FNH CB PS90.jpg Image:PS90 1.jpg Image:FN 57 ballistics.gif

A semi-automatic "sporter" version designed for the civilian market. It has a 16.04-inch (407 mm) barrel, an olive drab green plastic body (there will be a limited production run of black PS90s), and a MC-10-80 reflex sight identical to that on the standard P90. The MC-10-80 must be removed and replaced by a special top rail in order to use aftermarket optics.

The barrel rifling has 8 grooves, a 1:9 right-hand twist, with a rifled length of 14.8 inches (376 mm) and a full barrel length of 16.04 inches due to the addition of a fixed "birdcage" flash suppressor. The overall length of the PS90 is 26.23 inches (667 mm). The trigger pull is specified as between 2.5–4.5 decanewtons (daN) or approximately 5.6–10.1 pounds-force (lbf); however, actual tests show it is 7.5–8 lbf (33 to 36 N).

The receiver assembly is drilled and tapped to accept accessory Picatinny rails on either side. The front swivel sling mount is not included, and installation requires the barrel shroud to be unpinned and removed. It accepts the standard P90 50-round magazines, but ships with a 10 or 30-round magazine depending on local and state regulations. The PS90 weighs 6.4 lb (2.9 kg) empty, and 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) with a fully loaded 50-round magazine.

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Popular culture

Main article: FN P90 in popular culture

Like the Uzi and the Desert Eagle and unlike most firearms, the P90 has an iconic role in pop culture. It appears frequently in books, computer and video games and on television due to its unique, modern appearance. The P90 is often visible in the hands of guards and soldiers in sci-fi settings, such as the TV series Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, and the film X-Men 2. In video games, its distinct silhouette and unusual appearance contribute to its popularity — it has appeared in games such as Fallout 2, Counter-Strike and GoldenEye 007.

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Photographs (PS90)

The pictures below are from the PS90 (see details above). The original P90 is very similar. The main differences are the P90 has a black dyed plastic frame, a different safety selector / trigger pack for full auto and single shot, and a shorter barrel with a different flash suppressor.

1. Hammer group, 2. Barrel support and optical sight group, 3. Butt plate, 4. Magazine, 5. Moving parts group, 6. Frame and trigger group	1. Receiver lock button, 2. Cocking handle, 3. Ring Sight MC-10-80 Reflex sight, 4. Elevation adjustment, 5. Windage adjustment	P90/PS90 magazine release pad	PS90 safety selector. Note that it is the opposite of the P90 selector, and does not have "A" for a fully-automatic firing mode
PS90 hammer group	1. Rate of fire stabilizer, 2. Extractor, 3. Ejector	The flash suppressor is part of the barrel shroud, which is blind-pinned to the barrel	The previously loaded cartridge rotates 90 degrees
The daytime reticule of the reflex sight. Note that normally it is not this clear or bright. A light is shined into the fiber optic for this photograph	The nighttime reticule of the reflex sight. Note that normally it is not this clear or bright. The tritium module should make it glow red/orange. A light is shined into the fiber optic for this photograph	1. Recoil buffer, 2. Firing pin, 3. Recoil guide rods and springs