Ruger-57 Combat/Tactical Pistol: 20+1 Rounds of 5.7x28mm Firepower!

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By David Crane
david (at) defensereview (dot) com

September 6, 2021

DefenseReview’s (DR) first heard about the Ruger-57 5.7x28mm combat/tactical pistol in June, 2020, and we were immediately intrigued, due to the caliber, its ammo capacity (20+1 rounds), and it’s pleasing aesthetics (that means its good looks). It’s actually a significantly more attractive pistol than the original 5.7mm pistol, the FN Five-seveN, in our opinion.

However, as intrigued as we were, the Ruger-57 still managed to fall off our radar, somehow. Maybe it was COVID-19, or just life, but it flitted off our minds…that is until last week, when a good friend of ours reminded us of it, since he’s interested in it…with good reason.

DR likes a lot about the Ruger-57. We like the caliber/cartridge, as we like its velocity, range and penetrative/penetration capability. We like it’s low recoil. We like the ammo capacity. We like the looks. We the ambidextrous 1911-style frame-mounted sweep-down thumb safety. We like the grip angle. We like the 4.94″ barrel length and long sight radius, since they appears to work well with the 5.7x28mm cartridge. We like the front slide-cocking serrations. We like the flat trigger AND the Glock-style trigger safety. We like the empty weight (24.5 oz), and relatively low loaded weight. AND, we like the price ($849.00 USD) as of this writing. We also like the ability to mount a mini-red dot optic.

However, there are a few things we don’t like about it, and these are very well outlined in an “Honest Outlaw” range review on the Ruger-57 titled “The Truth About The Ruger 57: 1000 Round Review”. DR likes “Honest Outlaw” and his reviews, generally, and we really dug this review (see below), in particular. He does a nice job over there. Anyway, he points out some of the pistol’s drawbacks, like ammo availability, high decibal levels when shooting it (unsuppressed), and its potential lack of stopping power due to the ammo’s relatively low kinetic energy and the design of the avalable bullets. “Honest Outlaw” also had a round nosedive on him, which caused a jam with the slide locked back. That one took him more than just a simple tap/rack drill to clear. He DID clear it after a few tries, though, and the gun didn’t experience any more stoppages on that mag. He also noticed that the 5.7mm rounds are very susceptible to crosswinds, due to their light weight. Finally, he didn’t like the trigger long and non-audible, non-tactile reset.

Anyway, he does like the Ruger-57 as a potential small-game-hunting pistol and plinking pistol, as he thinks its ballistics are adequate for both. DR definitely agrees with his recommendation that Ruger outfit the gun with a better trigger at the factory, even if it ups the price a bit. Definitely a good suggestion.

Defense Review just hopes Ruger can make the Ruger-57 death-and-taxes reliable. Perhaps Ruger’s already managed to make the pistol more reliable. We’ll try to find out, and do a follow-up at some point. At the time of his review, “Honest Outlaw” wouldn’t trust his life with it, so we don’t, either.

Company Contact Info:

Ruger Customer Service – Newport, NH
411 Sunapee Street, Newport, NH 03773
Phone: 336-949-5200
Fax: 603-863-6165
Email Contact Page: https://ruger.com/dataProcess/customerService/
Website: https://ruger.com

(Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm ET)

Ruger Customer Service – Prescott, AZ
200 Ruger Road, Prescott, AZ 86301
Phone: 336-949-5200
Fax: 928-541-8835
Email Contact Page: https://ruger.com/dataProcess/customerService/
Website: https://ruger.com

(Monday through Friday 6:00am – 4:00pm MST)

Ruger Customer Service – Mayodan, NC
271 Cardwell Road, Mayodan, NC 27027
Phone: 336-949-5200
Fax: 336-949-5300
Email Contact Page: https://ruger.com/dataProcess/customerService/
Website: https://ruger.com

(Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm ET)
Ruger ShopRuger Customer Service
271 Cardwell Road, Mayodan, NC 27027
Phone: 336-949-5200
Fax: 336-949-5300
Email Contact Page: https://ruger.com/dataProcess/customerService/
Website: https://ruger.com

(Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm ET)

© Copyright 2021 DefenseReview.com (DR). All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without receiving permission and providing proper credit and appropriate links.

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Ruger-57 Combat/Tactical Pistol: 20+1 Rounds of 5.7x28mm Firepower! by

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

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