Review: Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 [Hands-On Tested]

In a Nutshell

The Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 offers a bold entry into the 5.7x28mm market, balancing ergonomics, reliability, and features. Using both iron sights and a Viridian RFX 11 Green Dot, our reviewer saw excellent accuracy and no issues in over 500 rounds. Despite limited aftermarket support, the Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 brings a competitive price with decent performance to 5.7x28mm fans.

Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 5.7x28mm
• Action: Semi-auto, internal hammer
• Capacity: 22+1
• Length: 8.5″
• Barrel length: 5”
• Width: 1.1″
• Height: 5.25″
• Weight: 26.7 oz.
• Comes with: Plastic, lockable case, two 22-round magazines, magazine loader, owner’s manual, lock

Features

• Threaded barrel
• TEMPO™ barrel system
• Optics ready
• 22-round magazines

Since its inception, the 5.7x28mm has been somewhat enigmatic, and firearms manufacturers have been slow to support the cartridge. Sometimes maligned, other times overestimated, the round holds a certain mystery.

Recently, those same manufacturers have been taking another look at the hot little projectile and creating new offerings…with Smith & Wesson adding a 5.7 variant to its own M&P lineup.

We can agree more choices are almost always better for the shooting public, but can a respectable company like Smith & Wesson tackle the 5.7 and offer us something better?

We recently got one in hand and took it out to the range to find out for ourselves so read on to learn all about it!

How We Tested The Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7

For this review, we tested the Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 with iron sights and a Viridian RFX 11 Green Dot, shooting 10-round groups at 7 yards.

We went through 300 rounds of ammunition, using both practice ammo in the form of American Eagle 40gr FMJ and FN 27gr hollow point defensive ammunition.

At the helm was Sean Curtis, who has been shooting since childhood but really began to delve into guns more during his law enforcement career of over two decades. He received continued training for his roles in SWAT and was a POST-certified handgun instructor.

Background

The 5.7x28mm cartridge was developed in 1990 by FN Herstal in an effort to replace the 9mm cartridge for a NATO bid. The round was intended to be faster, more accurate, and have better terminal ballistics.

Initially, it was designed for the FN P90, a now famous PDW. Eventually, FN created the first pistol as a companion piece, resulting in the FN Five-seven in 1998.

The original Five-seven used an internal hammer. Big Blue chose an internal hammer-fired action as well but used a tempo barrel system for their 5.7 pistol. The new pistol officially made its debut at SHOT Show 2023.

Who Is It For?

This is a full-size pistol that could be used for various roles, such as home or personal defense. Its size would make it a bit more difficult to conceal, though. It has an excellent capacity of 22+1.

However, because of the length of the 5.7 round, the gun’s grip may be a bit unwieldy for smaller hands. Recoil-sensitive shooters will find the soft-shooting M&P 5.7 very manageable.

Ergonomics: Fit & Feel

Picking up the M&P 5.7, the grip is well-rounded on the ends, though just over 2 inches wide from the side. It’s covered with a moderately aggressive texture on the grip area. This texture does a good job of adhering to the hands under the light recoil the gun produces.

Its frame features a full Picatinny rail, so accessories like pistol lights or even lasers can be easily attached. The M&P 5.7’s trigger guard is fully polymer, following the standard style of the M&P lineup.

An adequate beavertail covers the webbing of the gun hand, and a slight undercut on the trigger guard allows for a good, high grip. This is handy when shooting so you can get a good solid grip to control recoil.

While there’s no beveled edge at the bottom of the grip to help dig out stuck magazines, the inside of the mag well has contours to assist with reloading.

The slide is nicely narrow, just over an inch, and finished with black Armornite. It has good serrations on the front and rear, which helps with manipulating the slide. Additionally, it features an enormous ejection port.

Along the top middle of the slide there are serrations to cut glare for the sights. Smith & Wesson included fully steel, three-dot irons, the rear of which is also serrated.

Notably, two cuts at the top of the slide were placed to lighten and likely balance the shooting experience. The M&P 5.7 is optics-ready and uses the Shield RMSc footprint, so throw on your favorite pistol red dot.

After removing the cover plate, I mounted a Viridan RFX 11 green dot directly to the slide. Although the optic sat low, I was not able to co-witness irons and the red dot.

The magazines were all steel, with window indicators along the side. A bright red follower adorned the top black, while a black polymer baseplate finished out the bottom.

Controls

In my opinion, the ergonomics of the original Five-seven by FN weren’t great, but some of that can be attributed to having to accommodate the long, rifle-like 5.7mm round.

This makes the grip much deeper than your standard 9mm double-stack. Control placement then becomes crucial. Smith & Wesson did a great job. (Granted, I have 2X-sized hands, so keep that in mind.)

I was able to reach the reversible magazine release without changing my grip. The same can be said of the slide stop/release, which is present on both sides of the gun.

Though the M&P series does offer models with an external safety, our test model didn’t have that feature.

The trigger shoe features a flat face with a safety device that tucks away neatly under pressure. It pulls back a couple of millimeters before hitting a firm wall, then breaks crisply.

Testing the trigger with a Lyman Digital Gauge, I found it to average 2 pounds 13 ounces. Reset was audible and tactile, occurring near the full return of the trigger.

How Does the Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 Shoot?

Before I began shooting, I had to load the magazines. This was quite a learning experience.

Those not familiar with the 5.7mm round might be tempted to push the rounds down and back like a normal pistol…but that doesn’t work here.

This loading process has more in common with an AR-15, where you push the rounds directly down through the feed ramps.

That tactic worked well until I got around 10 deep. Then, the spring pressure got pretty stiff. Loading additional rounds really became a chore at that point. (Keep in mind, this is a 22-round magazine we’re using.)

Returning to the case, I noticed a ribbed chunk of plastic — a mag loader Smith & Wesson includes to make loading a little easier on the hands. I have to say, it works really well.

Simply insert the rounds in the hole and let them slide forward all the way along the top of the magazine. With a firm press down (against a table), the mag loader seats the next round. All in all, it makes the loading process go much faster.

And it’s a good thing, too. The soft recoil of the 5.7mm in this gun means you can run out of ammo quickly — even with 22 rounds at your disposal.

Recoil

Describing recoil can be challenging, but I would liken shooting this gun to something in between a 9mm and a .22 magnum. There is a little bit of muzzle flip, though not much, and the grip texture and ergos help you lock it down.

Subsequently, you can shoot the M&P 5.7 pretty fast without losing a great deal of accuracy. The green dot of the Viridian just kept popping back into place.

One observation when shooting the American Eagle (the bulk of testing) was that it ran pretty dirty. While not .22 levels, my arms ended up covered in debris and the optic had to be cleaned twice.

Accuracy was decent between the two different rounds. Shooting 10-round groups from 7 yards, American Eagle averaged around 2 inches and FN a little less, omitting a flyer.

Reloads were smooth though took some getting used to with the narrow and wide magazine. Mags locked back on the last round, inserted easily, and dropped cleanly when called upon.

Reliability was perfect throughout the course of the test, with zero malfunctions, even shooting the gun fast enough to get the slide untouchably hot and barrel smoking.

The Viridian RFX 11 proved a simple yet effective green dot that held up well during the test. Its green dot was bright enough to be visible during the full sun of the day.

Why is the Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 Unique?

There have been an increasing number of 5.7mm pistols lately, like the Palmetto State Armory 5.7 Rock, the Ruger 5.7, and the OG FN Five-seven. However, there are a couple of things that distinguish M&P 5.7 from other companies.

First, the M&P 5.7 features a gas-operated, locked-breech TEMPO barrel system. This means the barrel doesn’t cam until the bullet actually passes the gas port.

In addition, the M&P 5.7 comes standard with a threaded barrel and thread protector.

Accuracy: 4/5

The M&P 5.7 averaged around two-inch groups shooting 10 rounds from 7 yards.

Reliability: 5/5

With 300 rounds downrange, the M&P 5.7 experienced zero malfunctions.

Customization: 2.5/5

The M&P 5.7 is available in black, tan, or black and tan and comes with or without an external safety. There isn’t much aftermarket support for this firearm yet.

Ergonomics: 4/5

While the ergonomics are much improved over the original Five-seven, the grip is still fairly big and might not fit smaller hands well.

Value: 2.5/5

The M&P 5.7 is available in black, tan, or black and tan and comes with or without an external safety. There isn’t much aftermarket support for this firearm yet.

Overall: 4/5

Final Verdict

Smith & Wesson’s new addition to the M&P line is a fine entry into the 5.7mm market. The pistol has solid ergonomics, is accurate and reliable, is competitively priced, and holds 22+1 rounds.

If you’re in the market for a 5.7 — if your hands can handle the grip size — the M&P 5.7 is a great option. You can take advantage of the light recoil and run this gun fast.

What do you think of the Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7? Drop us a comment below to share your thoughts. Interested in more 5.7x28mm guns? Head over to our list of the Best 5.7x28mm Guns & Ammo.