Intro
The new Five-Seven MRD was announced last June by FN as the MK3, or the third generation of the pistol series. This follows up on the original LE-restricted "Individual Officer’s Model" and USG guns that first appeared while Chumbawamba was on the charts back during the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and the updated MK2 variation that hit the scenes in 2013.
RELATED: Hail the 5.7x28mm Pistol King, the FN Five-seveN MK2
We're not going to get into the whole mystique of the 5.7 NATO round – which was recently standardized by the international defense alliance – as we have done that before. Suffice it to say that the Five-Seven, as its name would hint, was the first pistol on the block to be built to run it, and its standard capacity is 20+1 rounds of the zippy little bottle-necked cartridge, all held in a flush-fit magazine that weighs about as much as an empty Kleenex box.
What the new MRD MK3 brings to the game is the ability to mount just about any micro red dot optic (hence "MRD"), something that was particularly hard to retrofit on previous models, as well as a lot of updates to the pistol's ergonomics. All this in a hammer-fired delayed blowback action semi-auto with a semi-fixed barrel chambered for the spicy little 5.7 round.
Specs (Per FN)
- Overall Length: 8.2 inches
- Barrel Length: 4.8 inches
- Sight Radius: 7 inches
- Height: 5.6 inches
- Width: 1.35 inches over surface controls
- Weight: 25.2 ounces (unloaded)
- Magazine Capacity: 20+1
Function
Weight savings, while still having a full-sized pistol with a decent standard magazine capacity, seems to have been number one on the goal list for FN's Five-seveN engineering team. As mentioned above, the unloaded weight of the 1911-sized pistol is just 25 ounces, while its loaded weight, with a Leupold Delta Point Pro red dot installed and 21 rounds aboard, only comes in at 29.8 ounces on our postal scale.
When it comes to surface controls, the MRD has a left-side-only slide catch and take-down lever. The mag release comes installed on the left side of the frame. Showing its 1990s military roots, the pistol runs a fully-ambi manual safety without an option to ditch it.
Thus:
In addition to the manual frame-mounted safety lever, the MRD uses an internal magazine safety. In other words, it cannot be fired without a magazine inserted, even if there is a round in the chamber.
In bad news, the MRD MK3 uses different mags than the legacy Five-seveN models due to the redesigned grip on the new guns.
Shooting & Accuracy
The blowback action, soft recoiling round, decent sight radius (augmented by an MRD optic capability), and semi-fixed barrel would seem to make the FN MK3 a hyper-accurate pistol. If only the hammer-fired handgun's trigger was there to help with that. With a 6-ish pound pull (FN lists it as "4.4 - 7.87" which is a large swing) and a half-inch travel before coming to the wall, it is functional but could be a lot better. Again, keep the gun's military roots in mind.
Thus:
However, if you are looking for an aftermarket upgrade, Eden Perfection, who already markets MK2 trigger packs and does 4-pound triggers for the same, says they are working on a flat-faced, adjustable, short-reach trigger for the MK3.
While accuracy didn't blow us away – we averaged about 4-5 inch groups firing from the bench at 25 yards with all ammo types and could keep it in the black when shooting rapid strings offhand at the same distance – it is nonetheless very functional. The MRD is not an Olympic competition pistol but it is ready for everything short of that benchmark.|
When it comes to reliability, the FN Five-seveN MK3 MRD cannot be stopped. We ran 500 rounds in a mix of three different loads and had zero malfunctions or issues.
Customer Reviews
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Optics ready for just about every pistol red dot on the market
- Better ergonomics than past Five-seveN pistols
- Nice 20+1 magazine capacity
- Reliable
- Easy to field strip and maintain.
- Excellent sights (but could be slightly taller)
- No factory threaded barrel option
Cons
- Large with a beefy grip which could make it hard for some to use
- Unusual manual safety orientation
- Expensive with a $1,500 MSRP
- Doesn't use legacy Five-seveN mags
Final Thoughts
Now in its 25th year in production, the latest model of the Five-seveN pistol has been updated for the current market. Showing its roots, it nonetheless still has a very 1990s military-issue feel to it. It works without complaint, is accurate enough for use in personal defense, and is easy to maintain and use. Made in Belgium at FN Herstal, the latter European parent company lists the pistol overseas as the "military qualified" Five-seveN Tactical Mk3, pairing it with the select-fire P90 PDW and playing up its recent NATO caliber standardization. We like it as-is, but we'd love it if it were more comparable with the 509/510/545 Tactical series seen here in the states, in other words with an extended threaded barrel, extended (30 round?) mag, and suppressor-height rear sights.
Further, when compared to its more recently introduced American competitors such as the PSA Rock, the Ruger 57, and S&W's new M&P 5.7-- all of which come in at well under $800-- the $1,500 FN is a bit pricey. Of course, none of those other pistols can vouch for a legacy of being adopted by dozens of overseas Mil/LE services in assorted capacities, which falls well within FN's "World's Most Battle-Proven Firearms" motto. I'd bet the folks looking to buy a new Five-seveN aren't worried too much about the price.
