One might say I went a little 5.7x28mm crazy and that would be a pretty fair assessment. I have the PSA Rock, FN Five-Seven, and the Ruger 5.7, so I’m pretty well-versed in 5.7 pistols.
I also have a few 5.7 classics like the PS90, but we won’t go down that rabbit hole in this Smith and Wesson 5.7 review.
The Smith and Wesson 5.7 is a fairly new gun first released at SHOT Show 2023. It’s an extremely slim gun that uses a new rotary locking barrel system that hasn’t been done with 5.7 pistols before.
One thing I’ve found with 5.7 pistols is they are packed with features that other guns want to break out into several different models.
Most 5.7 guns have threaded barrels, optics cuts, and fantastic sights, which make them a great value considering most of them are priced under $700; *COUGH* stares at FN.
Grip and Ergonomics
The grips on a lot of Five-Seven pistols will feel a good bit different due to the size of the 5.7x28mm round and having to fit it inside of the grip.
At first, you might find these grips to feel a bit odd and not very ergonomic compared to your favorite 9mm handgun.
But once you spend a little time getting comfortable with them, they don’t feel too bad and you accept this round is much longer and the grip length is required.
The length is long but the frames are usually extremely thin, which is nice and you can get a solid grip on the pistol.
Smith and Wesson took some time and innovated the barrel system on its 5.7.
I remember mentioning to a friend when talking about the different 5.7 pistols I have that the barrel design, lockup, and ejection all looked the same.
The locked-breech TEMPO barrel system is truly a barrel innovation because it stops the barrel cam from opening until the bullet passes the gas port and then the cam opens and the gun cycles.
Sights
This gun is mostly packed slam full of features but one I think they fell short on are the sights.
Since this gun is optics ready and has a threaded barrel I wish they would have done suppressor height sights.
While most 5.7 suppressors aren’t very thick and won’t get in the way if you put a red dot on this gun, your iron sights become useless.
One of the nice things about the S&W 5.7 pistol is you can’t buy it without a threaded barrel.
For those who don’t already own a suppressor and say you’ll never get one, don’t worry; you’ll thank S&W later for including the barrel.
If you don’t suppress, that’s okay because it has an excellent barrel cover and since I don’t keep my suppressor on the gun, it’s nice to have the thread protector.
Magazine
This pistol comes with a 22-round magazine. You read that right: 22-round factory pistol.
The all-metal magazine has an orange follower and a polymer base plate and has worked flawlessly.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much compatibility with 5.7 pistol magazines. Most companies use their proprietary mags. The exception is Ruger and PSA’s 5.7 pistols, which use the same magazines.
The Smith and Wesson 5.7 pistol has the same controls as other semi-automatic pistols. The three major ones are the trigger, slide stop/release, and magazine release.
Some models feature an optional thumb safety.
Trigger
I’ve always been a Smith and Wesson M&P trigger hater, but S&W has recently decided to try to fix its trigger design.
The new flat trigger that you see on the M&P Shield Plus is very similar to the trigger that they put on the Smith and Wesson 5.7 pistol.
I would have loved to see this trigger be metal, but the overall design and feel are much better than the previous curved triggers.
Slide Stop
The slide stop/release is fantastic right out of the gate. It’s ambidextrous and not large and obnoxious.
It’s almost too thin, but it works great for me. My thumb rests on it easily and you can send the slide forward with the magazine in or out.
If you have any resistance, you can grab both sides pretty easily, which is always nice.
While magazine releases are guaranteed to be underwhelming, they are still worth mentioning because they are a key control on the gun.
This magazine release sits right behind the trigger guard like you’d expect. It’s a little harder to reach since the frame is longer, but it does what it should.
Safety
Smith and Wesson sell a model with an optional thumb safety; however, my model does not have the safety, so I can’t provide feedback on the safety.
Range Bag
Carrying your new (or old) S&W 5.7 to the range, you’ll want a really solid range bag to carry it to the range.
If you want the best range bag and have it made in the USA look no further than Lynx Defense.
The look of this gun is fantastic. It’s hard to beat the slide milling, frame texture, and window cut slide.
The Smith and Wesson 5.7 might be the most aesthetically pleasing 5.7 pistols on the market today.
I know, I know, it’s all personal preference, but I said it. They put the time into the look of this gun, likely hoping to disassociate it from those Shield dumpster fire pistols they make!
5.7x28mm pistols are some of the smoothest, if not the smoothest, shooting pistols on the planet. I love shooting 5.7, minus the cost of the rounds — which are coming down in cost.
As you can see in this video, shooting suppressor or unsuppressed is a pleasure to shoot.
Almost zero felt recoil and keeping the gun on target for consecutive shots is almost like second nature.
Smith and Wesson 5.7 Ammo
This gun handles any type of ammo I have thrown at it without a single hiccup and so you can scour the internet for the best deals on ammo.
If you’ve made it this far, you know I’m a big fan of the 5.7x28mm round. It’s an impressive round with great ballistics and fun to shoot.
You should add a 5.7 gun to your collection no matter what gun you choose.
Shooting this gun is where it really shines because it’s extremely flat with almost no muzzle flip.
While the Smith is in the middle of the pack price wise it is a good-feeling gun. I still maintain that the PSA Rock is the best value in 5.7 pistols, but the S&W 5.7 has a bit more polish and aesthetic appeal.
The guns are slightly larger than most concealed carry pistols due to the length of the barrel.
They can be concealed and are usually reasonably thin-framed guns. The only thing that hurts them is the overall length.
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Michael Savage
Michael, owner of Lynx Defense, has over a decade of experience in the firearms industry, personally reviewing hundreds of firearms and developing innovative, high-quality products for the community.
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