Garand Thumb tests the FN 5.7's outsized reputation

Clear gelatin and slow-motion footage reveal markedly different results from cartridges sharing the same caliber.

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Garand Thumb Story of October 28, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? 966,554 views so far, and here is what is inside it.

Is the FN 5.7 Really As Deadly As They Say?

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2:47The host introduces the ammunition varieties being compared through the same FN Five-seveN pistol.
5:34The blue-tip load fragments and yaws in gelatin; the black-tip test follows.
9:40The SS192 hollow point penetrates less deeply than the host wants.
11:49Critical Defense fragments heavily, while the subsequent subsonic test produces much shallower penetration.
17:15A 9mm hollow point provides a separate gelatin comparison.
18:50The answer to the title's question is conditional: the host rates the caliber favorably with suitable ammunition.

The lab coats suggest a serious investigation; the barely noticeable recoil gives Garand Thumb an early running joke. "Every time I fire this, I'm like, did I fire it? Because there's just no recoil," the host says.

His question in "Is the FN 5.7 Really As Deadly As They Say?" gets a qualified answer: the ammunition makes a substantial difference. Joined by returning guest Jordan, he fires several varieties through an FN Five-seveN pistol into clear ballistic gelatin, examining how far they travel and whether they tumble, expand or break apart.

The blue-tip load fragments and penetrates farther than the SS192 hollow point, whose shallower path leaves the host wanting more penetration. Hornady's Critical Defense load also produces substantial fragmentation. The subsonic ammunition supplies the sharpest disappointment: it tumbles but penetrates much less deeply than the other loads.

A separate test with a 9mm hollow point gives viewers a comparison before the conclusions arrive near the end. The host's verdict is favorable, but explicitly conditional on using the right ammunition. The video also contains sponsor segments for optics, holsters and firearms companies.

The upload has drawn nearly a million views in three days, an ordinary performance for this channel rather than an unusual surge. In the comments, requests to bring Jordan back sit alongside jokes about ammunition costs and references to Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher, another familiar Five-seveN user.

After the testing, the pair finish somewhere less technical: the host's regular dad-advice segment urges viewers to eat vegetables. Jordan's choice is artichoke.

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What viewers say

The FN 5.7 is extremely deadly. Especially if you're financially responsible.
@qabënllaiSee it on YouTube
Sam Fisher isn’t the only one I think of now when I hear Five-seveN!!!
@Sun-Warrior1911See it on YouTube
Please make him a regular on this channel
@blackjdm93See it on YouTube

3 more comments

The opening montage is everything i want out of youtube gun content
@parmeshaun708See it on YouTube
Jordon needs to be on more shooting shows.
@papijuan-b3pSee it on YouTube
Please keep bringing Jordan back on the channel
@johnnyvaliant334See it on YouTube

Public comments from the video's page on YouTube