5.7x28mm vs. 223 Rem: Which Is Better For CQB?

By Wes Littlefield

Last Updated: Jan 26, 2026

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Wes Littlefield

Guns have fascinated Wes since pulling the trigger on his BB gun as a kid. He built a private gun range over a decade ago to keep his skills sharp. He loves breaking down complex ideas into understandable pieces for readers, with expertise in hunting and all aspects of shooting.

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Wes Littlefield, "5.7x28mm vs. 223 Rem (Comparison Test)"
(https://ammo.com/comparison/57x28-vs-223)

Like many 2^nd Amendment-loving teenagers of my generation, I was introduced to the FN 5.7x28mm via the Showtime television series Stargate SG-1. Fans of the show will remember how the main characters played by Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping would travel across the galaxy battling alien forces using their full-auto FN P90s.

It was awesome.

FN Herstal (FNH) did not develop the 5.7x28mm ammo for killing space aliens. They intended for it to become an integral part of law enforcement and military organizations – and thanks to its impressive terminal ballistics, low recoil, and armor-piercing capability, it has.

How does the relatively new 5.7x28 round stack up against the most popular centerfire rifle cartridge in North America: the 223 Remington? In this article we’ll take an objective look at how the 223 Rem compares to the 5.7x28, giving you some insights into both cartridges and how they apply to your self-defense needs.

What Is the Difference Between 5.7x28 vs. 223?

The difference between 5.7x28 and 223 is that the 223 is a rifle cartridge, whereas the 5.7x28 is primarily classified as a handgun cartridge. The 5.7x28 was developed for use in a personal defense weapon (PDW, which is like a submachine gun) or handgun for close-quarters battle (CQB), while the 223 Rem was developed for use in a carbine or rifle with a longer effective range.

A Note on Nomenclature

Please note that within this article we will refer to the 223 Remington (223 Rem) and the 5.56x45mm NATO interchangeably. There are important differences between the two which you can read about here: 223 vs. 5.56. In short, a 223 Rem can safely be fired from a rifle or handgun chambered in 5.56, though the opposite is not true.

Cartridge Specs

When evaluating two cartridges, it’s good to begin by analyzing their physical specifications.

One major similarity between the 5.7x28 and 223 is their bullet diameter: 0.224”. This is where their similarities end.

The 223 Remington is just a bigger cartridge than the 5.7x28. The 223 Rem towers over the 5.7 in terms of case length and has more than double the case capacity to show for it. The 223 Rem’s max chamber pressure is also 6,500 psi higher.

Thanks to its larger case capacity, the 223 Rem can fire heavier bullets at higher velocities.

Recoil

The 5.7x28 has considerably less recoil than the 223. In fact, the FN 5.7x28mm is advertised as having approximately 30% less recoil than the 9mm Luger!

The 223 Remington is known for having low recoil for a rifle round. But since the 5.7x28 has half the powder charge, a considerably lighter bullet, and a lower muzzle velocity, the 223 simply can’t keep up.

Assuming a 7 lb rifle, the 223 will have an average free recoil of around 4 ft-lbs; over three times as much as a NATO standard 5.7x28 round’s 1.2 ft-lbs. To put this in perspective, a high-velocity 40 grain 22 LR cartridge delivers approximately 0.15 ft-lbs of recoil energy when fired in a 7 lb rifle.

Its low recoil is one of the key selling points for a 5.7x28 submachine gun, PDW or handgun. Low muzzle flip helps the shooter keep such firearms on target during rapid or full-auto strings of fire. That allows the shooter to get a lot of shots on target in a very short period of time.

Many shooters discover that it takes some training to get used to the recoil impulse of the 5.7x28, especially in a handgun.

Although the 5.7x28’s free recoil is low, its bottleneck case and relatively large powder charge cause a rather large report in a handgun like the FN Five-seveN or Ruger-5.7. Its recoil impulse is also described as fast and a little snappy, but with very little energy actually imparted to the hands.

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Loud report and fast recoil can be a bit surprising at first, but they can be easily controlled with proper training and grip.

Muzzle Velocity and Kinetic Energy

Although the 5.7x28 attains excellent muzzle velocity and kinetic energy for a pistol round, it simply cannot compare to the 223 Remington in this category.

The 223 Rem can fire a 55 grain bullet at 3,240 fps muzzle velocity with 1,282 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The 5.7x28 can’t come close to those kind of numbers. It conventionally fires a 40 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1,810 fps with 291 ft-lbs accompanying recoil energy.

When discussing the 5.7x28, it is important to note that there are two distinct types of 5.7x28 ammunition: military/law enforcement, and sporting.

Due to the Gun Control Act of 1968, armor-piercing ammo capable of being fired in a handgun is illegal in the United States. The ATF has unconstitutionally expanded on this ban with some rifle rounds as well, primarily the 2014 banning of the importation of Russian 7N6 5.45x39mm ammo.

With this in mind, how is it possible for FN Herstal to sell 5.7x28 in the United State considering that the cartridge was specifically designed to penetrate Kevlar soft body armor?

FNH initially developed the 5.7x28 for NATO forces only. But after they realized the civilian applications for the round, they developed a sporting cartridge that worked around the ATF’s restriction on armor-piercing handgun ammo.

NATO standard 5.7x28 (otherwise known as SS190) fires a 31 grain V-MAX bullet at 2,350 fps muzzle velocity with 380 ft-lbs of accompanying energy. That’s more than sufficient to punch through NATO soft body armor.

The sale of this ammo to American civilians is prohibited by law, so FNH reduced the muzzle velocity of their sporting ammo to inhibit its armor-piercing ability. The ATF ruled that this ammo was acceptable, and is why it is legal to purchase it in the United States.

Federal Premium offers an FMJ sporting round that is popular with the 5.7x28 shooting community. It has a muzzle velocity of 1,655 fps with 243 ft-lbs of accompanying kinetic energy. It’s a far cry from the full-power NATO loads the Secret Service carries in their FN P90s!

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Trajectory

Trajectory is how we quantify a bullet’s flight path as it travels downrange, measured in inches of bullet drop.

A flatter-shooting cartridge is preferred for long-range shooting, as it requires a shooter to make fewer adjustments to compensate for bullet drop. Having a flatter trajectory also means that a cartridge will be more forgiving of ranging mistakes.

Comparing a rifle cartridge to a handgun round in terms of trajectory is not what many would consider a fair fight. Rifle rounds are typically employed for long-range shooting where rifles are often zeroed for 50 or 100 yards. Handgun rounds are generally used for close-quarters battles at short distances where trajectory is a non-issue.

Bearing all that in mind, the 223 Remington has a much flatter trajectory compared to the 5.7x28.

For this comparison we’ll consider the 5.7x28 40 grain FMJ and 223 Rem 55 grain FMJ.

At 100 yards, the 5.7x28 round exhibits -3.8” bullet drop, which is an extremely flat trajectory for a handgun round. The 223 Rem exhibits a mere -2.7” bullet drop at double that distance, though.

The high velocity of the 5.7x28 delivers an amazingly flat trajectory for a handgun round, but it simply cannot compete with a rifle cartridge.

Ballistic Coefficient

Ballistic coefficient (BC) is a measure of how well a bullet resists wind drift and air resistance. Put another way, it’s a numeric representation of how aerodynamic a bullet is. A high BC is preferred, as it indicates the bullet will overcome wind deflection more effectively, conserve a higher percentage of its momentum, and strike harder on impact.

BC varies from bullet to bullet based on design, weight, and other factors that are beyond the scope of this article. That said, heavier bullets tend to exhibit higher BCs than their lighter counterparts; likewise, narrower bullets tend to achieve higher BCs as well.

As the 223 Remington can fire heavier bullets than the 5.7x28, it typically has a higher BC as well.

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For example, take Hornady V-MAX bullets which are commonly loaded in both cartridges. The 5.7x28 35 grain V-MAX has a BC of 0.109; the 223 55 grain V-MAX, 0.255.

Sectional Density

Sectional Density (SD) is the measure of how effectively a bullet penetrates a target. This is extremely important when hunting big and medium-sized game, as you need a bullet that can punch through thick hide, bone, and sinew.

SD is calculated by comparing the bullet’s weight diameter. The higher the SD, the deeper the bullet is inclined to penetrate into its target. (This is a simplified view of penetration, as there are other factors to consider such as bullet expansion and velocity, but it will do for this cursory overview.)

As the 223 can fire heavier bullets at a higher muzzle velocity than the 5.7x28, it generally penetrates deeper than the 5.7x28 as well.

Comparing the same V-MAX bullets described in the BC section, the 5.7x28 has a SD of 0.100, whereas the 223 has a SD of 0.157. Since the bullets share an identical diameter, only the 223’s heavier weight can account for this disparity.

Hunting

When it comes to varmint hunting, it’s hard to beat a 223. Long regarded as an excellent pest control round, the 223 has been at the forefront of the varmint hunting scene since its release in the 1960s. The 223 is more powerful than any rimfire round on the market, full stop.

The 5.7x28 has not caught on as a hunting round primarily due to a lack of hunting ammo options and firearms that utilize the cartridge. Although the 5.7x28 has been around for almost 30 years, it has been primarily dedicated to self-defense. Truth is, there are many more effective and economical options for varmint hunting on the market.

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Could you go pop some woodchucks or raccoons with your FN Five-seveN pistol or KelTec P50? Sure! It would work just fine for such pursuits within 100 yards. However, the 223 does the same thing for about half the cost, which is why it has remained the more popular hunting round.

Neither the 223 Remington nor 5.7x28 are good choices for whitetail. Most states require a larger bullet, like 0.243” diameter or higher, for deer hunting.

Self-Defense/Home Defense

The 5.56 has been the frontline battle cartridge for the United States military since the Vietnam War. Although the combat effectiveness of the round has been proven time and time again, the 5.7x28 is the better choice for personal protection and/or home defense.

The first reason I’d favor the 5.7x28 in a self-defense situation is magazine capacity. A standard Ruger-5.7 or FN Five-seveN pistol has a magazine capacity of 20 rounds, which is higher than almost every other pistol on the market. By comparison, the Glock 17 magazine (9mm Luger) can hold 17 rounds, whereas the Glock 21 (45 ACP) mag can hold a mere 13 rounds.

For your home defense carbine, you could consider the CMMG Banshee AR handgun or SBR packing a 40-round magazine, or a KelTec P50 that uses the 50-round P90 horizontal magazines. That’s a lot of bullets, and in any personal defense situation, you will always prefer more bullets over fewer.

The second reason the 5.7x28 is a better option for self-defense are its terminal ballistics and bullet design. Early bullet designs for the 223 Rem underwent fragmentation when they impacted soft tissue, causing additional damage. However, more recent battlefield reports question the fragmentation capabilities of current military loads. This could lead to over-penetration in a short-range engagement. The last thing you want is your bullet to go through an attacker and strike an innocent bystander.

The 5.7x28 does not rely on fragmentation. It is instead designed to destabilize and yaw following impact with soft tissue. This tumbling causes additional damage to the target without the need for a conventional hollow point bullet, which is strictly prohibited for use in war by the Hague Convention of 1899. Although an American civilian is not constrained to wartime doctrine, the tumbling of the 5.7x28 bullets does greatly reduces the chances of overpenetration. Furthermore, the lightweight bullets generally resist deflection, which decreases (but doesn’t eliminate) the risk of a ricochet.

Ballistic gelatin test results for some 5.7x28 defense loads is quite impressive – especially for SS197SR, a sporting load which was approved for civilian use. It is a formidable defense round, with a 40 grain V-MAX that attains 2,034 fps muzzle velocity and 256 ft-lbs muzzle energy.

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The 223 Rem is an excellent self-defense option. However, the flat trajectory, low recoil and higher magazine capacity of the 5.7x28 all make it the superior choice.

Ammo and Rifle Cost/Availability

When it comes to ammo cost and availability, the 223 Remington is the clear winner.

Since the 5.56 NATO is a military cartridge and currently in service, there is a plethora of surplus ammo available on the market to drive prices down. Furthermore, the widespread success of the AR-15 has catapulted the 223 to incredible heights of popularity.

Every major ammo manufacturer, including Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, Federal, PMC, Wolf and Remington, all produce multiple factory loads for 223.

Buying in bulk is always smart. Check out our stock of 223 bulk ammo and bulk 5.7x28 ammo!

Cheap steel-cased 223 ammo can go as little as $0.40/round on average, while premium hunting ammo typically costs $1.20/round (at the time of writing). In comparison, 5.7x28 ammo starts around $1.20/round.

The main problem with 5.7x28 is that only four major ammo manufacturers currently produce it: FN Herstal, Federal Premium, Hornady, and Speer. A general lack of ammo options has severely limited the 5.7x28’s growth and acceptance as a mainstream cartridge.

If lack of ammunition weren’t enough of a bottleneck, for many years only 5.7x28 two firearms were available: the FN P90 PDW, and the FN Five-seveN handgun. New additions have recently expanded the 5.7x28 family of firearms, including the CMMG Banshee line of AR-15 carbines and pistols, as well as the Ruger-5.7 and KelTec P50 handguns.

Although the 5.7x28 is gaining popularity, its market share does not even compare to the 223’s.

Reloading

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If you enjoy reloading, then you’re going to love the 223 Rem. Handloading for the 223 is an awesome experience. Brass is inexpensive and easy to find, and components are relatively plentiful and can be found easily.

Although the 5.7x28 fires the same diameter bullet as the 223, the 5.7x28 typically fires lighter bullets than most shooters choose for 223 reloads. Furthermore, the 5.7x28 requires the use of pistol powders, whereas 223 uses slower-burning rifle powders. This means that you’ll need to buy different powders for both rounds.

The 223 is well known as being a rather forgiving cartridge when it comes to reloading, meaning that minor variations in powder charge and bullet seating depth don’t have a major impact on its functionality.

The same cannot be said for the 5.7x28. Based on what I’ve learned from 5.7x28 reloaders, the round is incredibly temperamental – especially when it comes to bullet seating depth and shoulder length.

That’s not to say you can’t reload 5.7x28. Many handloaders successfully do it every day. However, my recommendation is to be overly careful when handloading for 5.7x28, as it is considerably pickier than 223.

Ballistics: 5.7x28 vs. 223

Here are tables comparing ballistic performance for 223 Rem and 5.7x28. For those seeking more comprehensive performance data, our detailed 223 ballistics and 5.7x28 ballistics charts cover additional manufacturers and load specifications beyond this comparison.

5.7x28 Ballistics

Note: This information comes from ammo manufacturers. Real-world results will almost certainly vary. Actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

223 Remington Ballistics

Note: This information comes from ammo manufacturers. Real-world results will almost certainly vary. Actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

A Brief History of 5.7x28

Development of the 5.7x28 was initiated by a NATO request for a replacement for the 9mm Luger. Although the 9mm had served NATO well for many years, the organization wanted something with a longer effective range, enhanced terminal ballistics, and superior accuracy.

The ballisticians at FN Herstal quickly got to work.The first iteration of the 5.7x28mm saw the light of day in 1990. The first cartridge was designated “SS90” and fired a 23 grain plastic-core bullet at 2,800 fps muzzle velocity, with an effective range over 200 yards. When fired from the FN P90 submachine gun, the SS90 was capable of penetrating NATO CRISAT soft body armor or an NIJ Level IIIA Kevlar vest.

In 1993, the SS90 was replaced by the SS190 AP which fires a 31 grain bullet at 2,350 fps muzzle velocity. The SS190 had a shorter overall length and therefore functioned more reliably in the FN Five-SeveN pistol that was still being developed at the time. It was released in 1998. Also developed at the time was the SB193 subsonic load, which was intended for use with a suppressor.

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From 2002-2003, NATO began evaluating the 5.7x28 against the German-made HK 4.6x30mm as a replacement for the 9mm Luger as their PDW cartridge.

After a series of tests overseen by ballisticians of multiple NATO countries, the consensus was overwhelmingly in favor of the 5.7x28. Analysts cited lower temperature sensitivity of the 5.7x28, improved terminal ballistics over the 4.6x30, and increased barrel life for the 5.7x28. The evaluation committee also noted that the P90 and FN Five-SeveN were already in production, while the HK MP7 was still only a design concept.

The stage was set for the 5.7x28 to become a standardized NATO cartridge, but the German delegation, unable to take the hit to their ego, opposed the standardization of the 5.7x28 – thereby killing any chances of it becoming the de facto NATO PDW cartridge.

This left both the 5.7x28 and the 4.6x30 in limbo. Both were accepted NATO cartridges, and countries were left to elect either round based on their own preferences.

The 5.7x28 is presently used by military and law enforcement agencies in over 40 nations.

Civilian versions of the 5.7x28 with reduced powder charges (to satisfy ATF restrictions on armor-piercing ammunition) were released in North America in 2004. Although the terminal ballistics of the 5.7x28 are impressive, the round has yet to reach widespread success like the 9mm Luger, 40 S&W, or 45 ACP. This is due, in part, to the relatively high price tag attached to 5.7x28 firearms in addition to many shooters having difficulty in sourcing ammo.

However, in recent years, newer firearms chambered in 5.7x28 have hit the market with relative success. The Ruger-5.7 and KelTec P50 have both boosted popularity of 5.7x28. The future looks bright for this high-velocity round.

Check out the full history of the 5.7x28 on our 5.7x28 history page.

A Brief History of 223 Remington

Development of the 223 Remington rifle round began in 1957. The final design was submitted by Remington Arms to the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) in 1962.

Development of the 223 Remington cartridge was a joint operation organized by the U.S. Continental Army Command between Fairchild Industries, Remington Arms, and Eugene Stoner of Armalite.

The 222 Remington was chosen to provide the parent case for the new round. It was elongated 0.06”, and its neck was shortened. These changes allowed for the new 223 Remington cartridge to have a 20% larger powder charge than its progenitor.

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Eugene Stoner was the primary inventor of the AR-10 (chambered in 7.62x51 NATO), which he was invited to scale down to accommodate the new 223 Rem cartridge.

The resulting rifle that the military accepted was the M16, the civilian version being the AR-15. Since its adoption, the AR-15 carbine has become the most popular sporting rifle in U.S. history.

With its light weight and low recoil, the M16 is an ideal platform for full-auto fire. Better yet, its ammo is considerably lighter than its 308 Winchester counterpart. That allows soldiers to carry more ammo into battle, which is never unhelpful.

Since then, the M16 and the shorter-barreled M4 carbine have become symbols of American military prowess across the globe.

The original Mil-Spec223 Rem ammo the U.S. Military adopted was named “M193,” which fires a 55 grain full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet at a muzzle velocity of 3,240 fps with 1,282 ft-lbs muzzle energy.

The new 223 Remington cartridge had sufficient long-range capability out to 500 yards.

The 223 Rem was released to the civilian market one year before its adoption by the U.S. Army. Varmint hunters enjoyed the new cartridge’s low recoil, extreme accuracy, and lower pressure.

It was not long until all the major firearm manufacturers began offering semi-auto and bolt-action rifles chambered for 223 Remington.

Check out these articles if you’d like to learn more about how the 223 Rem compares to other rounds:

• 223 vs. 308
• 223 vs. 5.56
• 223 vs. 300 Blackout
• 224 Valkyrie vs. 223
• 22-250 vs. 223

Final Shots: 5.7x28 vs. 223

When comparing 5.7x28 vs. 223, it’s important to remember that the cartridges fill different tactical roles.

The 5.7x28 was developed for use in handguns and submachine guns. It has very low recoil and, when used in conjunction with a suppressor, is incredibly flat-shooting and easy to handle. In contrast, the 223 Remington is a frontline battle rifle cartridge that has more than double the case capacity and combat-effective range compared to the 5.7x28.

Although the terminal ballistics of the 5.7x28 are impressive for a round of its size, its widespread acceptance as a mainstream cartridge has been hamstrung due to the lack of easily accessible ammo and firearms. Firearm manufacturers such as KelTec and Ruger seem to be warming up to the 5.7x28. But until more ammo manufactures start offering 5.7x28, it will remain niche.

On the other hand, 223 ammo can be found at almost any sporting goods store and is relatively inexpensive compared to 5.7x28.

The choice between the two cartridges boils down to what you are wanting to do with your carbine or handgun.

If you’re looking for a rifle that can reach out to ranges past 500 yards with minimal recoil, then the 223 is the better option. However, if you’re looking for a lightweight and maneuverable personal defense weapon that packs a punch and has excellent magazine capacity, then you should seriously look at the 5.7x28.

Regardless of which you choose, make sure that you get all of your ammo here at Ammo.com. I’ll see you at the range!

Written by

Wes Littlefield