Ruger 57

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  • Dyerbill

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    Jan 21, 2008
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    I'm almost 70 but I'm out hiking and biking a lot, I want a lightweight handgun reliable and a full size. The 57 feels good and two 20rd magazines. I finally held one at the last Crown Point show felt good and $599 but pretty high. anyone have some thoughts?...Porter county this weekend
     

    mmpsteve

    Real CZ's have a long barrel!!
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    Nov 14, 2016
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    ..... formerly near the Wild Turkey
    With the ones on Gunbroker selling north of $700.00, if I could get one for 600, I'd probably go for it. Of course, it means adding another caliber to the collection, but it looks like a FUN caliber. Hopefully we'll see more offerings in the 5.7, my main interest being rifles.

    .
     

    JettaKnight

    Я з Україною
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    Oct 13, 2010
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    Fort Wayne
    Never heard of the Ruger 57... had to look it up ...


    Wow, that's as ugly as those funky FN's.

    Oh, it's 5.7x28, that explains it.



    As I understand it, the 5.7x28 was designed for confined spaces, but still needed to piece armor. But, the AP ammo isn't available to civilians, so what's the benefit? :dunno:

    As a defense round, it looks like it has less energy than a 9mm, and the latter has a ton of good projectiles that are less expensive.
     

    Trapper Jim

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    Dec 18, 2012
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    Arcadia
    Harder to get ammo for. Reliability challenges with Bottleneck cartridges. More delicate and shorter case life to handload. No gained ballistics over anything already produced. Western Europe Background. However they are a lot of fun to shoot on a casual basis. JMO
     

    Dentoro

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    Nov 16, 2010
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    Fairland
    With 20 rounds on board and extra mag with another 20 that is impressive. As long as it is not a huge pistol I’d be game.
     

    DadSmith

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    Oct 21, 2018
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    Ripley County
    If you buy the 65gr Underwood ammunition 9mm offering you can achieve 1800fps with a 5" 9mm it's a +p round so make sure your 9mm is rated for +p.
     

    two70

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    Feb 5, 2016
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    Johnson
    Yes, you could do that at the expense of recoil but no full size 9mm is going to be anywhere near as lightweight as the 57 which was one of the OP's main requirements.
     

    DadSmith

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    Yes, you could do that at the expense of recoil but no full size 9mm is going to be anywhere near as lightweight as the 57 which was one of the OP's main requirements.

    My Canik TP9DA with a 20rd magazine weights 25 oz. 0.5 oz more than the Ruger 57. However, as you said the recoil would be a lot more than the 5.7x28 round.
     

    tv1217

    N6OTB
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    Mar 11, 2009
    10,195
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    My Canik TP9DA with a 20rd magazine weights 25 oz. 0.5 oz more than the Ruger 57. However, as you said the recoil would be a lot more than the 5.7x28 round.

    I was thinking the kinda along the same lines but now I'm wondering what the right difference is between 20 rounds of 9mm vs the same amount of 5.7x28. there will be some variance depending on bullet weight but I'm sure even the lightest defensive 9 weighs more than the heaviest 5.7
     

    VulpesForge

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    Jan 14, 2020
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    I was thinking the kinda along the same lines but now I'm wondering what the right difference is between 20 rounds of 9mm vs the same amount of 5.7x28. there will be some variance depending on bullet weight but I'm sure even the lightest defensive 9 weighs more than the heaviest 5.7

    So, bullet choice is an extremely important subject when we're talking about 5.7x28. I'm not as well versed as I could be, but I know enough and have experimented enough to feel completely comfortable carrying a 5.7 over 9mm. That being said, your 27-28gr lead free hollow points in the basic SS195 or SS198 (they are for all intents and purposes the same except one says LE ONLY and that's only a manufacturer recommendation) have produced wound results similar to 45acp +p in meat targets. All that in mind, Speer is producing a gold dot hollow point and that should be pretty reasonable for later this year after some testing has been done. There are a couple of really good testers on youtube and the 5.7 forums you can google for additional info. Most commercial 5.7x28 isn't loaded to be as hot as it can be by any stretch and you must remember that reloading it isn't difficult, just more precise that hucking 5 grains +or- .5 grain into a 45 acp case. It is more expensive when you calculate dies etc, but that should be coming a little closer to reasonable with the ruger 57 coming out and more pcc in 5.7. Also worth mentioning, you need to take special care when cleaning the brass. There's a method that isn't expensive and cleans them perfectly fine for reloading that saves the lacquer on the brass so you get greater case life. There are specialty ammo manufacturers that load full power 5.7x28 and really get the potential of the round, but it's expensive boutique ammo and is close to $2 or more a round in certain places if you can find it. it's definitely stronger than 9mm imo despite lacking the strength on paper. 45-70 looks abysmally slow on paper, but I'm sure everyone here is aware of it's destructive potential.
     

    VulpesForge

    Marksman
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    Jan 14, 2020
    232
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    My Canik TP9DA with a 20rd magazine weights 25 oz. 0.5 oz more than the Ruger 57. However, as you said the recoil would be a lot more than the 5.7x28 round.

    Don't forget ammo weight also comes into play here. 20 rounds of 9mm is significantly heavier than 20 rounds of 5.7.
     

    two70

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    Feb 5, 2016
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    Johnson
    My Canik TP9DA with a 20rd magazine weights 25 oz. 0.5 oz more than the Ruger 57. However, as you said the recoil would be a lot more than the 5.7x28 round.

    Dang, the Ruger needs to go on a bit of a diet, lol! I assumed it was closer to or less than the FN 5.7 but I guess the steel mags make a difference in weight.

    That being the case, if the OP really prioritizes light weight and is willing to put up with the reduced reliability of rimfire ammo, then the PMR 30 might be worth a look. The PMR 30 with two loaded 30 round mags weighs about the same as the Ruger. The cost would be $100-$150 lower.
     

    two70

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    Johnson
    I was thinking the kinda along the same lines but now I'm wondering what the right difference is between 20 rounds of 9mm vs the same amount of 5.7x28. there will be some variance depending on bullet weight but I'm sure even the lightest defensive 9 weighs more than the heaviest 5.7

    Not knowing the weight of the cases and assuming the difference in powder weight is negligible, I would think that a mag full of the 65 grain Underwood load mentioned would probably weigh less than 3 ounces more than the a full mag load of 5.7.
     

    NHT3

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    My Canik TP9DA with a 20rd magazine weights 25 oz. 0.5 oz more than the Ruger 57. However, as you said the recoil would be a lot more than the 5.7x28 round.

    Have you weighed a 20 round mag of 9 with 65 GR bullets on board? Have you fired a 9mm with 65 grain bullets and signifigant reduction in recoil? I can tell you a mag of 65 GR bullets is appreciably lighter as is the recoil with 65 GR bullets. Recoil is a simple product of action VS reaction. Obviously a 30 grain bullet recoils less than a 65 grain bullet just as a 65 grain bullet recoils less than a 124 GR bullet. There's a lot of variables involved but considering the size difference between a Glock 19 VS either of the 5.7 pistols I don't understand the fascination with the 5.7. I will happily embrace the moniker of dinosaur and be sticking with what I know works, the 9MM. :p
    [FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” ….Coach[/FONT]
     

    DadSmith

    Grandmaster
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    1   0   0
    Oct 21, 2018
    22,177
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    Ripley County
    Have you weighed a 20 round mag of 9 with 65 GR bullets on board? Have you fired a 9mm with 65 grain bullets and signifigant reduction in recoil? I can tell you a mag of 65 GR bullets is appreciably lighter as is the recoil with 65 GR bullets. Recoil is a simple product of action VS reaction. Obviously a 30 grain bullet recoils less than a 65 grain bullet just as a 65 grain bullet recoils less than a 124 GR bullet. There's a lot of variables involved but considering the size difference between a Glock 19 VS either of the 5.7 pistols I don't understand the fascination with the 5.7. I will happily embrace the moniker of dinosaur and be sticking with what I know works, the 9MM. :p
    [FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” ….Coach[/FONT]

    I've never fired the 65gr Underwood ammo. I'm just thinking 65gr going 1800 fps will have a lot more recoil than a 40gr going 1800 fps. I'm going to buy a box or two of the Underwood 65gr and run it through a chronograph with my 4" barrel and test a accuracy and see how the recoil is. 65gr at 1800fps is around 465 ft lbs of energy.

    https://www.underwoodammo.com/products/9mm-luger-p-65-grain-xtreme-defender
     

    Amishman44

    Master
    Rating - 98%
    48   1   0
    Dec 30, 2009
    3,678
    113
    Woodburn
    So, bullet choice is an extremely important subject when we're talking about 5.7x28. I'm not as well versed as I could be, but I know enough and have experimented enough to feel completely comfortable carrying a 5.7 over 9mm. That being said, your 27-28gr lead free hollow points in the basic SS195 or SS198 (they are for all intents and purposes the same except one says LE ONLY and that's only a manufacturer recommendation) have produced wound results similar to 45acp +p in meat targets. All that in mind, Speer is producing a gold dot hollow point and that should be pretty reasonable for later this year after some testing has been done. There are a couple of really good testers on youtube and the 5.7 forums you can google for additional info. Most commercial 5.7x28 isn't loaded to be as hot as it can be by any stretch and you must remember that reloading it isn't difficult, just more precise that hucking 5 grains +or- .5 grain into a 45 acp case. It is more expensive when you calculate dies etc, but that should be coming a little closer to reasonable with the ruger 57 coming out and more pcc in 5.7. Also worth mentioning, you need to take special care when cleaning the brass. There's a method that isn't expensive and cleans them perfectly fine for reloading that saves the lacquer on the brass so you get greater case life. There are specialty ammo manufacturers that load full power 5.7x28 and really get the potential of the round, but it's expensive boutique ammo and is close to $2 or more a round in certain places if you can find it. it's definitely stronger than 9mm imo despite lacking the strength on paper. 45-70 looks abysmally slow on paper, but I'm sure everyone here is aware of it's destructive potential.

    I've had some interested in the 5.7x28 round...thanks for the info...appreciated!
     

    ISP3435

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 27, 2011
    26
    3
    I bought a crap ton of 40g Vmax 5.7 ammo from Palmetto really really cheap, so shop around and be patient if you do decide to buy some.
     

    Dyerbill

    Expert
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    9   0   0
    Jan 21, 2008
    824
    18
    NWIndiana
    I sold five guns at the CP and Porter County shows...I bought the S&W EZ in 9mm and 380.....they are better the 380 is the best.....but now I have the itch for that 57...they have one to rent at Point Blank.....
     
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