Fabrique Nationale FN P90

Submachine Gun (SMG) / Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) [ 1990 ]

The Belgian Fabrique Nationale FN P90 submachine gun was designed with the auxiliary military unit in mind.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/10/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image courtesy of FN Herstal marketing material.

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The Fabrique Nationale FN P90 is a Belgian-originated "Personal Defense Weapon" with qualities akin to both a submachine gun (SMG) and an assault rifle. The gun was originally developed to arm indirect auxiliary combat units such as vehicle crews, messengers and clerk-type elements within the army with a potent, portable man-stopper. As with many other current, and emerging automatic weapons, the P90 is arranged as a "bullpup" assault weapon where the action and magazine feed are concentrated aft of the trigger unit. This allows a full-length barrel to be used with a more compact package. The result of this mating is a fixed, slightly oversized stock with integrated pistol grip and carrying handle. Due to its compact footprint, the P90 is an ideal weapon for second-line forces not requiring the commitment to a full-length assault rifle.

Design is attributed to Stephane Ferrard, begun in 1986, with serial production forthcoming in 1990 through the storied concern of Fabrique Nationale de Herstal of Belgium.

One of the interesting physical qualities of the P90 is its translucent, swiveling 50-round magazine made of polycarbonate. This is mounted over the receiver with the feed positioned over the stock. Individual cartridges are inserted into the magazine in a traditional fashion and automatically rotated to rest at a 90-degree angle to the receiver. Ejection of spent shell casings is through a port at the base of the pistol grip. The charging handle, found along the sides of the receiver ahead of the trigger group, can be managed with either hand due to its ambidextrous design. Safety / firing controls are contained near the base of the grip. The barrel is of forged steel and capped by a flash suppressor. Overall body construction of the P90 remains mostly high-tolerance alloy and polymers. The P90 supports use of a sound suppressor and this can be coupled with subsonic ammunition for reduced-noise operation - a particularly useful feature for clandestine operatives. The weapon also features select-firing through single-shot and full-automatic fire. The including rail system can adapt a variety of optics and aimers as needed.

Unlike other Western-originated submachine guns that center on the ubiquitous German 9mm Parabellum pistol cartridge, the P90 is engineered to fire the specialized, high-velocity 5.7x28mm cartridge (SS190 Ball). These cartridges certainly maintain a unique look when placed alongside 9mm and 5.56mm types.

The pistol grip, optical sight (low light and daylight use, non-magnifying) and trigger guard are all inherent components of the P90's design. Field-stripping breaks the system down into four major components. The oversized stock also aids the shooter with improved stability when firing from the shoulder with a two-hand hold. Recoil is very low, as is muzzle flash, with engagement ranges out to 656 feet.

The P90 has since appeared in various roles - military, security/police, civilian. Two major variants are the P90 Standard and the P90 Tactical. Subvariants, with subtle changes and additions, have also been introduced.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1990

Origin

Belgium

Classification

Submachine Gun (SMG) / Personal Defense Weapon (PDW)

Fabrique Nationale Herstal - Belgium

(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)

National flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Austria; Argentina; Bangladesh; Belgium; Canada; Chile; Cyprus; France; Greece; Indonesia; India; Ireland; Italy; Lebanon; Malaysia; Mexico; Morocco; Netherlands; Pakistan; Panama; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Spain; Thailand; United Kingdom; United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

Overall Length

500 mm
19.69 in

Barrel Length

264 mm
10.39 in

Empty Wgt

5.60 lb
2.54 kg

Sights

Iron Sights; Included Optics; Optional Optics Support

Action

Straight Blowback; Closed-Bolt; Select-Fire

Blowback Operation
Gas pressure from the rearward movement of the ignited cartridge case provides the needed bolt movement, ejecting the spent case and stripping a fresh case from the magazine.

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

Caliber(s)*

5.7x28mm

Rounds / Feed

50-Round Detachable Box Magazine

*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.

Max Eff.Range

656 ft
(200 m | 219 yd)

Rate-of-Fire

900
rds/min

Muzzle Velocity

715 ft/sec
(218 m/sec)

P90 - Base Model Designation.

P90 TR - MIL-STD-1913 rail system interface.

P90 USG - Different optic system; aluminum sight.

P90 LV - Integrated Laser Sight.

P0 LIR - Integrated Infrared Sight.

PS90 - Civilian Market Model with semi-automatic fire.

PS90 TR ("Triple Rail") - Different receiver assembly; no back-up iron sights; Picatinny rail.

PS90 USG - Semi-Automatic Model; unmagnified sight.

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Image courtesy of FN Herstal marketing material.

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