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NOTE: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS COPYRIGHT 2010 BY James Bell Jr.
ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.
Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FNH) USA
PO Box 697
McLean, VA 22101 USA
703-288-1292 [VOICE]
703-288-1730 [FAX]
In my line of work, I have people ask me every day about home defense. They have usually heard the classic Internet rumors/hype about "Shotguns with bird shot that won't go through drywall but put huge holes in burglars".
First - you are responsible for every projectile that leaves your firearm. Shotgun shot = multiple projectiles = more chances for something bad to happen. You bought what each projectile hits.
Secondly - birdshot can go through drywall. It can cause injury after going through drywall. Keep in mind that when people (especially children) are scared and hiding, they tend to look in the direction of the potential threat - it is a natural trait to try to keep an eye on the thing trying to kill you. If that birdshot goes into your childs bedroom, they just might catch it in the eye. Even if it doesn't have enough force to penetrate skin (which it still might), the eye is much more fragile. Do you want to risk it?
Third - birdshot is not a man-stopper at much beyond contact range. At contact range to a few feet (3 or 4) you will really mess someone up with it, but you don't want to get that close to the bad guy. Distance is your friend.
Fourth - Shotguns are VERY loud. In your home, it will cause at least temporary hearing loss - for you and your family members, and potentially for an unprepared attacker. That is a factor to consider in home defense. I want to be able to hear any other threats, such as the guy still trying to get in, the one you didn't hear still coming up the stairs, or his buddies outside that start yelling "Oh ****, somebody just shot Johnny". I keep a set of electronic hearing protectors by the bed that amplify ambient sounds but block gunshots. It's a tactical advantage.
People usually then think about pistols. The mainline chamberings (9mm, .38 special, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, and .357 Magnum among them) are much better man stoppers at respectable distances, but shot placement is critical with pistols. They also present some difficulties when using them under stress. If you are awakened from slumber, you will not be totally aware and you may be shaking. You can't stabilize a pistol against your shoulder. A pistol is also, again, very loud. You need to keep in practice with them to be able to reliably hit the target. Since they are more effective at distances, you have to worry about any shots that you fire that do not hit an aggressor.
The next thing people mention is the ubiquitous AR-15 platform. I personally consider it a better option, especially in a 16" "tactical" model (as compared to a 20" standard model or a 24" varminter model) with the right accessories. With a light (to facilitate absolute target identification), a laser (to facilitate quickly getting on-target), and a good collapsible stock (to make the firearm as short as you can while allowing it to be steadied against the body) - you can have a highly effective home defense platform. But there are still some drawbacks.
The customary military 5.56mm 55 gr. ball round does seem to have a tendency to go clear through the bad guy as was observed in Mogadishu and in Iraq. This can be overcome - in defending your home you are not limited to military or NATO standards. You can go with a 64 gr. Winchester Power Point expanding round and have a much more effective man-stopping round, that also helps to limit the potential for over-penetration. It's not a given, however and you may still have a shot run clear through the guy. What will you hit behind him?
The other primary drawback to the AR-15 platform in home defense comes from the length of the firearm. The shortest-standard barrel you can have without filing the Federal paperwork to build a SBR (Short Barreled Rifle) is 16". Our troops carrying the M4 (14.5" barrel) have a slight advantage in terms of maneuverability in close quarters, but that length sacrifices velocity and distance during combat at range. In home defense, that decrease in velocity isn't a bad thing, but our Soldiers and Marines have found that even their 14.5" barrel M4 isn't really for house clearing. House clearing is the counterpart to home defense. If their 14.5" barrels aren't ideal, your 16" barrel certainly won't be.
I'd like to encourage you to broaden your view a little. Keep in mind that any defense of the hallways of your home certainly falls into the Close Quarters Combat role. I'd like you to consider a firearm that was specifically designed for personal protection in close quarters.
Keep in mind that this is coming from one of those guys that loves to get experience and training on as many firearms as he can, but that attempts to limit his personal collection to a minimum number of calibers.
.22LR Pistols and Rifles (for teaching and for fun)
9mm Pistols and Carbines (for teaching, defense and for fun)
.45ACP Pistols (for defense and for fun)
.357 Revolvers with some .38 Special ammo (for teaching, defense, and fun)
5.56mm Rifles (for defense, hunting light game, and for fun)
I do this to keep it simple and keep it relatively cheap. I can stock up on large quantities of a few calibers that are still available at somewhat reasonable prices. With this in mind, I was not looking to add another caliber - and certainly not one that you can't go out and buy cheap at major outlets. But I found a firearm in a completely different chambering that has convinced me that it is well worth adding to your arsenal for defending your home - and for fun.
A few months ago I was able to get some trigger time, training, and experience on the FNH USA P90. It's a short-barreled, select-fire (fully automatic or semi-automatic) firearm designed specifically for personal protection, bodyguard details, and vehicle drivers and others operating primarly from within vehicles. If you have ever seen Stargate SG1 or Stargate Atlantis, it's the short black gun favored by SG1 and many of the other teams on the shows. It is only available for purchase by Law Enforcement Agencies and Military Units - they came out in the 90's are not available on the NFA registry. You can't buy one - but if you find a gun store that has a Class III License, sells to LE Agencies and the Military, and has a shooting range - you might be able to shoot one.
An FNH USA P90 - Select Fire (semi-automatic or fully automatic). Overall length is 19.88" with a 10.39" chrome-lined barrel.
It is chambered in 5.7x28 - essentially a 5.56 with much less powder. If you are wondering how that can be (based on the 5.7mm number) - caliber is normally measured as the distance between the lands (high points) in the rifling. 5.56 equates out to about .224" (which is the bullet diameter used in the M16/M4). The 5.7x28 round uses bullets that measure .224", just like the 5.56, but are on the lighter side (40gr.maximum). 5.7mm is the distance between the grooves (low points) in the rifling. The case is shorter and more narrow.
A 5.56 round next to a 5.7x28mm SS197 Round with the 40 gr Hornady V-Max Bullet
The 5.7x28mm SS190 round was originally designed to penetrate NATO body armor, but also to limit over-penetration. The armor-piercing ammunition choices (as tested from the P90 and Five-seveN Pistol) are presently limited for purchase by Law Enforcement Agencies and Military Units only. However, there are a number of non-armor piercing options for non-LE agency/non-military purchase. The most notable of these is the SS197 - a 40 gr. Hornady V-Max round, which has excellent characteristics for fragmentation and expansion and yet will limit over penetration. The maximum effective range on the P90 is rated to be about 200 meters. While it can be effective at reasonable distances, it excels at personal protective distances - such as inside your home.
Speaking of the ammunition for the P90, the magazine is another unique feature on this firearm. It holds 50 rounds, and it sits on the top of the firearm. The rounds sit longitudanally across the magazine, turned 90-degrees off of the chamber. As rounds approach the feed lips, they are turned to be paralell to the chamber for feeding. It's a unique system, but it works very well.
An Empty 50-round magazine and a full 50-round magazine. The rounds turn 90 degrees just before the feed lips.
Even in FA mode, the P90 is exceptionally easy to control, and is far more ergonomic than any other close-in defensive firearm I have ever had the opportunity to test. I much prefer it over the MP5. The recoil - what little there is - is almost all straight back. It is very easy to control the trigger for managed bursts. The safety has three positions - S for Safe, 1 for semi-automatic, and A for Fully Automatic. Even in the FA mode, if you pull the trigger back a short distance you get a single shot. Pull it back all the way for FA.
It's easy to use, and a heck of a lot of fun for target practice. I have to admit, I'd love to be able to check one out long enough to go do some jack rabbit hunting.
Safety on the P90
In all honesty, the FNH USA P90 is the ONLY firearm, other than the Glock 18, that I would be willing to go to the trouble and expense to file a Federal Form 4 on - if it was available on the NFA registry. Alas, neither of them are. Maybe someday congress will address that issue. Maybe someday, you'll be able to buy any firearm - full-auto or semi-auto - off the shelf by simply passing the basic NICS check. Contact your elected representatives. It could happen.
Fortunately for now, FNH USA released the PS90 in 2005. It's a semi-automatic version of the P90, with a 16.04" civilian-legal barrel (14.8 rifled inches) with a 1:9 twist rate on the rifling (one full twist for every 9" of barrel) with 8 grooves in a right-hand twist. The overall length (due to the longer barrel) is 26.23", and it's less than 2.5" wide. It weighs in at about 6.5 pounds when loaded.
Aside from the semi-automatic firing group and longer barrel, it is identical to the P90 in terms of stock, length, feel, and function. It even retains the chrome-lined bore of the P90.
It is purpose-built for personal protection in and from tight spaces. It allows you to place multiple, directed, stopping-capable shots into a bad guy with minimum potential for over penetration. All of that, and it is very easy for almost anyone to use.
There are several versions of the PS90 out there. The USG version comes with the black-reticle sight specified by the Secret Service and other agencies that use the P90. It replaced a white-reticle version that tends to wash out easily. The optic can be removed and replaced with a picatinny rail for mounting optics, but be aware that this places the optic higher than the PS90 TR (Triple Rail) version - further increasing the optic height above the bore axis.
Here is a shot to compare the FNH PS90 USG Version with the 16.04" barrel (Top) and the P90 with the short barrel and full-auto capability (Bottom). The side rails on the P90 can be added to the PS90 USG.
As you can see, even in the longer configuration it still gives you all excellent advantages for close-in personal defense with some added distance capability. It weighs in at 6.39 pounds when unloaded.
Keep in mind that with an overall length of 26.23", the factory PS90 is NOT legal in California. They require that any CA-legal firearms have a minimum length of 30". I strongly encourage any of our readers in California to move to a free state if at all possible. The folks in charge there have bankrupted that state with their efforts to control everything via legislation. Let that be a lesson to all other states.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the USG version. The black-reticle sight can still be a little difficult to pick up in certain lighting conditions, and the eye-relief on it (even though it has no magnification) an field of view just doesn't work well for me. The latter is very much a personal preference, and you may find that it doesn't bother you at all. Find a gun shop that stocks them and check it out for yourself.
The Reticle on the PS90 USG
PS90 USG Reticle Against A Target
I'm recommending the PS90TR (Triple Rail) version to our readers. It comes in either black or OD green. I prefer the OD green for a few reasons we will get into later. The TR version has a picatinny rail on the top of the firearm in place of the factory sight, and two short sections of rail on either side. This allows you to select whatever aftermarket optical sight that works for you. You can even put a set of Back Up Iron Sights (BUIS) from Magpul or another manufacturer on it.
Our FNH USA PS90 Triple Rail version with Critical Dimensions Aftermarket Replacement Side Rails
The PS90TR has the same overall length as the USG version, but with the triple rail, you can mount your choice of accessories. The top picatinny rail on the PS90TR sits a little closer to the bore axis than the rail that you can attach to the PS90 USG after removing the factory optic. If you are mounting a laser, this becomes even more critical due to the point of convergence between the laser and the bore axis. You must mount some form of sights on the PS90TR.
Our has side rails that differ slightly from the factory version. Here you can see the standard factory side rails.
The factory side rails provide only one groove and two non-standard ridge segments. This works fine for any device that uses only one groove for mounting, but does not facilitate the mounting of any accessory that requires two or more. We found a company called Critical Dimensions that makes a set of longer rails that have standard groove and ridge spacing. They facilitate mounting a wider assortment of accessories. I'd recommend that FNH USA consider offering these standard from the factory. A dedicated review is coming shortly including contact information for Critical Dimensions.
As you can see, you also have a choice of colors on the PS90 platform - either Black or Olive Drab (OD) Green. While the black version is more appropriate for Stargate fans that wish to be as true as possible to the setups used in the series, the OD Green version is what I'd recommend. Anything that breaks up the appearance of the firearm will make it look less like a firearm - especially at a distance. The OD Green version also offers a lower IR signature. While this is of no importance for home defense, it is something to keep in mind if you are considering this as a GBTH (Get Back To Home) or SHTF (Stuff Hits The Fan) firearm.
Here is a roundup of what we found with the PS90TR.
PACKAGE:
Upon opening the package you find the firearm, a single 30-round magazine, a lock, and the instruction manual.
APPEARANCE:
The PS90TR is a "bullpup" design. This means that the trigger sits ahead of the chamber. They are available in both OD Green and Black. The black version is easily identifiable due to popularity in the Stargate TV Series and in many video games. The OD Green version breaks up the appearance from a distance.
LOADING AND UNLOADING:
The magazine loads much like a pistol magazine, with rounds pressed in from the front. Put the loaded magazine onto the firearm, and pull either cocking handle (left or right, it is ambidextrous) to the rear and let it go. A round will be stripped from the magazine and chambered. Visual inspection of the chamber requires that the magazine be removed from the firearm. To unload, remove the magazine, and pull and hold the cocking handle to the rear and verify that the chamber is empty.
ERGONOMICS:
Recoil on the PS90 is very manageable. The fully-automatic P90 is one of the easiest to hande FA firearms in existence. The semi-automatic PS90 is just as easy. It is very fast to get quick follow-up shots, and the natural rythm of the firearm during recoil recovery is very good. During a trip to St. George, UT, I took the PS90TR to the Southern Utah Shooting Sports club and ran it at about 20 yards. I was able to place 50 shots from one magazine as fast as I could effectively fire them EASILY onto a 8" Shoot-N-C target pasted to the carboard target backer. I was also able to hit side-by-side targets just as easily, moving from one to the other and back.
Even with the standard legal 16.04" barrel it is functionally shorter than even a 14.5" barreled AR-15. That's very convenient for Home Defense, and not bad at all in a Jeep. It's designed to fit in tight to the shoulder and be easily managed. Maneuvering in the home, in a vehicle, or in any other CQB space is far easier than with a 16" AR-15. It's the ideal CQB platform in this writer's opinion.
The thumbhole stock could not be ANY better for CQB. The overall length combines for me with what I consider to be about the perfect grip - and I'm 6'1". My 10-year-old nephew was able to fire it with great accuracy as well after about 60 seconds of instruction, so it works well for smaller shooters too.
It is also completely ambidextrous. The magazine loads in the top and has a rear-mounted release lever with ambidextrous thumb points, ejection is from the bottom of the firearm, and there are identical cocking handles on both sides of the firearm. Even the firing selector is ambidextrous, mounted just ahead of and under the trigger.
The firing selector (safety) on the PS90. The PS90 lacks the "A" position of the P90.
FUNCTION:
It's a closed breech blowback operated system. To simplify it - as the expanding gasses push the bullet out of the barrel, they also start to push the spent casing back, pushing the casing against the bolt. The momentum forces it backwards, causing the firearm to eject that casing. The recoil springs then overcome this rearward energy and cause the bolt to move forward, stripping another round from the magazine and pushing it into the chamber to repeat the process.
AMMUNITION:
The PS90 is chambered in 5.7x28mm. It's essentially a 5.56 (using the same .224" bullet diameter, the 5.7 measurement is the distance between the grooves in the rifling), but with about 1/2 of the powder in the shorter casing. The standard round that is available for consumer consumption is the SS197SR, with a 40 gr. Hornady V-MAX (blue tip) bullet. This round is designed for rapid expansion while limiting over-penetration. It is NOT classified as armor piercing.
In looking at terminal performance - we have not yet been able to run our own tests in ballistic gelatin (we are still planning to run them in the near future), but the tests we have seen others conduct show that the SS197 round tends to penetrate an average of 16" and fragment into several pieces - with each piece doing significant damage. We plan to run our own tests in the near future.
We ran a set of chronograph readings on a Gamma Master Shooting Chrony over 100 rounds and got an average muzzle velocity of 2189 FPS from the factory SS197 round fired from the PS90TR.
Personally, I feel very confident using this for home defense. Being able to place multiple, directed, stopping-capable shots into a target in rapid succession with a firearm that allows you to quickly go from target to target is about as good as it gets.
MAGAZINES:
The PS90 (all versions) ships from the factory with either a 10-round magazine (for capacity-limited states) or a 30-round magazine (for everyone else). The factory also manufactures a 50-round magazine (which is used and shipped with the P90) that functions perfectly (in our experience) with the PS90.
It IS possible to convert the factory 30-round magazine to hold 50 rounds. The process is well detailed on a number of other sites, and essentially involves cutting out an extra-length portion of the floorplate.
We did do this with a 30-round factory magazine to test, but found that magazine would jam (failure to feed) the last three rounds in the magazine every time. We had no problems with any other factory 50-round or 30-round magazine, so we strongly recommend using factory 50-round magazines. I will admit that our test was performed using a Dremel on the floorplate in haste, and the rough job may have contributed to the lack of reliability.
I want to emphasize that we do NOT recommend the use of modified magazines in any defensive firearm. The factory 50-round magazines functioned perfectly.
Some balk at the cost of the factory 50-round magazines - but you do not want to trust your life to a questionable setup. They are simply expensive from the factory, and most resellers seem to mark them up even more. We found a fantastic deal on the real factory 50-round magazines from A&A Arsenal. They sell for $26.50, and Charles Albert (the owner of A&A Arsenal) is great to deal with. I haven't seen another reseller that comes anywhere near the value that A&A Arsenal offers on these magazines, and they can supply just about anything else you are looking for on the PS90.
CLEANING:
The PS90TR is about as easy to clean as it gets. Field stripping is VERY easy.
Remove the magazine, verify that the chamber is empty, and do NOT pull the trigger.
Press the take-down button on the top of the firearm under the magazine and slide the receiver/barrel support group out of the stock.
This will allow you to clean the chamber and barrel with ease from the breech end.
Next, tilt the stock forward and allow the moving parts group to come forward, catching it in your hand.
You can clean the bolt and firing pin here.
Next, pull up on the black piece on the end of the stock. It will come up and off of the stock as soon as the moving parts group is out.
There is a small black lever on the right side of the hammer group. Pull it up and slide the hammer group out of the firearm.
It is now disasembled and ready for a full cleaning.
Reassembly is done in the reverse order.
CONCLUSIONS:
I am very comfortable recommending the PS90 for fun, and as the active defense component in your home defense. A good alarm system, lights on the outside of your home, and functional locks on all of your outside-leading doors and windows may prevent the need to actively defend yourself in your home. But if trouble still decides to come looking for you, 50 rounds of SS197 from your PS90 will give you a clear advantage in being able to place directed, stopping capable shots into your attackers.
The PS90 is also a LOT of fun to shoot recreationally, and while they are expensive, they are well worth it. Paper targets and jack rabbits come to know great fear when they encounter one - for a short time anyway. 2189 FPS doesn't give them long.
Please feel free to check out our companion videos to this review at YouTube.
-- James Bell Jr. - Editor - JeepGunner / ATVGunner / HondaGunner
One of the advantages of the relationship we have with many manufacturers is that they are willing to send us products that we can test both by themselves and with other products. We can test multiple configurations and find out what items work well, what items work well together, and which ones just don't fit. What follows are our recommendations.
The side rails on the PS90TR are not bad - but they could honestly be MUCH better. They are very short, and the ridges are not a standard length. If they were, and there was even ONE more slot included, they would be far better. They will mount MOST accessories that require ONE slot for mounting, but won't handle anything needing two. In addition, the factory rails are plastic. They do work, but they limit your choices when it comes to accessory mounting.
FNH does not offer any other alternatives, but I found someone that does.
Click Here To Read Our Review Of The Critical Dimensions Extended 5-Slot Rails For The PS90TR
We found a fantastic deal on the real factory 50-round magazines from A&A Arsenal. They sell for $26.50, and Charles Albert (the owner of A&A Arsenal) is great to deal with. I haven't seen another reseller that comes anywhere near the value that A&A Arsenal offers on these magazines, and they can supply just about anything else you are looking for on the PS90.
We tested a few options for the PS90 (including the Leupold CQ/T) , but it quickly became apparent that the best option was a particular EOTech holographic weapon sight.
We are recommending the EOTech XPS 3-0 for the PS90TR. You can click here to read our complete review of the XPS 3-0.
The ability to clearly identify your target is of paramount importance in home defense. If you can't clearly identify that the target is not a friendly, then you can't shoot. Fortunately, the PS90TR gives you multiple locations on which to mount a tactical light. The issue then becomes - which light, and mounted where?
Click here for our recommendations - coming shortly
Home defense is the main area in which a targeting-assist laser will prove to be valuable. In reality, outdoors in daylight no civilian-legal laser is truly bright enough to be 100% effective (even the green ones), and you can't get the military-issue lasers that are. But indoors, when your motor skills are least coordinated during the phase when you are waking up, they prove to be a very valuable tool.
A red laser is certainly good enough. A green laser is even better. The eye sees green more brighly than red, so you can track on it a little faster. The disadvantage to them is that green lasers start out in the near-infrared and require multiple filter lenses to get them to green. In addition, they tend to operate in a more narrow temperature range without some additional (read that "more expensive") electionics.
We tested a number of lasers (and their associated activation cables/switches) with the PS90TR. We found a couple of configurations with a few products that work, you can pick which one you want based on your budget.
Click here to read about the Laser Devices ITAL-A Green Laser on the PS90TR.
Click here to read about the K-15 from LaserLyte.
The manual of arms is very different for the PS90 - not difficult to master and in some ways easier than the M4/AR15. However, if you are converting you need to keep in mind that you will need an entirely different set of magazine pouches for the PS90 magazines.
TheVestGuy is a Utah-based company that makes fantastic pouches for the PS90. Click Here To Read About Them.
The PS90 is a different enough design that most conventional slings won't work with it. We are looking at several options now and should have our recommendations available shortly.
You will want to take your PS90 out to the range. You need to practice with it, and sight in your optics and laser. It's also an EXTREMELY fun gun to shoot. You need a case a carry it in. We are looking at options now.