Ruger 57 Review: Best Handgun-Sized AR?

When Beth from Ruger said that my requested test gun was being shipped, I became excited. This is one gun that has a waiting list of buyers, at least around here.

My good friend Duane, who has owned and operated his sporting goods store since 1986, said he had a waiting list of guys who would plunk their hard-earned dineros down on his counter for one. However, he couldn’t get one to sell. So, it was with much appreciation that I opened the shipping box in his store — he is our FFL dealer that my guns get shipped to — and brought out the new, brightly-lettered Ruger box with the Ruger 57 presumably inside.

This box is a new design for Ruger. Nobody will mistake what company made this gun, to be sure. I like it. It’s different, in sort-of bright, showy, billboard-y style.

So, when I was opening the box, I was prepared to be impressed. After all, if the gun was half as impressive as the box it came in, we were in for quite a treat. I was not disappointed. I was all set to unbox this blaster and find the modern equivalent of Buck Roger’s U-235 Atomic Ray Gun.

The Ruger did not look like that, but I’m sure it will be at least as potent. After all, the 5.7×28 is one tiny atomic round, according to some.

Why 57? It Worked For Heinz.

The Ruger 57 is basically their answer to FN’s 5.7×28 caliber pistol, the aptly-named FN Five-seveN.

This gun, introduced in 1998 and available to civilians since 2004, is used by at least 40 countries including the U.S. Carried by various U. S. law enforcement agencies (including the Secret Service), FN’s 5.7×28 round was originally designed to be used in both the pistol and their P90 personal defense weapon (PDW).

NATO requested development of a cartridge to possibly replace the 9mm, and the 5.7×28 was FN’s answer. It did well enough that FN put their PDW and pistol into production. The round is similar in length to the .22 Magnum, but puts V-Max-type bullets downrange very fast, well past the .22 Magnum’s ballistic capabilities.

Other manufacturers build guns for this cartridge, but only FN and Ruger make pistols specifically for the civilian market (to my knowledge). The round generated not a little gnashing of teeth by some gun control groups when they found out that this little .22 had the potential of breaching some types of Kevlar body armor. This is accomplished by the calibers’ military-issue ammo, but civilians are limited to sporting varieties of ammo that are not quite as potent.

Ballistics

There are military/law enforcement loads (for example, the SS190 which is capable of penetrating a Kevlar IIIA-level vest), but our interest lies with the civilian versions. Federal makes civilian-available ammo for the 5.7, as do a few other companies including the one that started it all, FN.

The 5.7×28 shoots a .224 caliber bullet — in typical sporting guise, this is usually a 40-grain Hornady V-Max bullet at around 1800 to 1900 fps. Some lighter-bullet loads are a bit more potent.

The ammo is not plentiful, at least where I live — I had to drive a bit to find a box for our tests, and it was not cheap. (I tend to forget that most of the ammo I shoot for enjoyment comes from my reloading bench, so I’m not too familiar with store-bought ammo prices. I do buy ammo for most tests, however). The ammo I used was branded F&N, the originator of the species, and uses a 40-grain V-Max bullet. But you get a lot for your money.

Why should I get a Ruger 57?

I agree that the 5.7×28 fills a pretty narrow niche as far as pistol calibers go, but it does have some advantages. Let’s just agree that military and law enforcement agencies and units will have their uses for this caliber, but what about the rest of us? I could see this gun filling a home defense role, for one usage.

I don’t mean just two-legged varmints. Where we live, we have critters of all types that hang around. Just four days ago, I took photos of a coyote lounging precisely 103 yards from our front yard across the road. Since we have dogs, cats, hogs, and chickens, I tend to pay attention and take seriously visits by such critters.

He wasn’t too bothered by my proximity, not nearly as much as I was by his. He even was kind enough to pose for several photos. (It was when I edited these pics that I saw a second coy dog in one pic that I hadn’t seen earlier). These varmints are one example of a good reason to own a Ruger 57.

The 5.7 would make short work of that size critter, especially at that range. What if you live in a more populated area that doesn’t suffer from an abundance of animals? Well, there are those two-legged varmints we mentioned above — this gun would get their attention. If you had to, for whatever reason, you could effectively shoot through a car door or windshield.

What is the Ruger 57 For?

What about self-defense? You could carry this gun concealed. Although, I don’t think that was envisioned when it was designed. It is an effective round, though — the military’s interest in it verifies that. With its ability to penetrate body armor and similar substances, this little guy is one doozy of a cartridge. One thing folks sometimes don’t think about is repeat shots. This gun’s recoil is very manageable and would allow for quick follow-up shots. With two or more 20-round magazines on you, you would be set.

Another purpose that I could see using this gun for is long(er)-range pistol target competition. I’m not sure I’d want to use it in a steel shoot (they wouldn’t like the neat little holes or dimples that its bullets would drill in their targets), but target shooting way-out-there might be fun. With its flat trajectory and power, this gun would be fun shooting at steel targets starting at about 100 yards or so.

Then, there’s always the fun of walking up to your stall at the range, letting a few rounds go, waiting for the dust to quit falling out of the ceiling from the blast, and then watching the certain-to-form group of inquisitive shooters walk over when the range is safe and drool all over it. Let’s face it: we all know folks who buy guns for that purpose primarily. This gun is drool-worthy, to be sure, but I don’t think that should be the main reason you buy one.

I’m not sure if you noticed that I omitted one of my standard, go-to uses for handguns that I didn’t mention for the 57 — hunting. I’m a big fan of handgun hunting and have taken many deer over the years, not to mention lesser critters. But, I don’t believe I would recommend hunting with the 57 unless you are in one of two situations:

Ruger 57 Features

Let’s look at some features of the Ruger 57 and check out some specifications. Here is a profile shot with a clean background to see its details.

Now for some up-close shots I took.

Not much different here. What you can’t see is the hidden hammer — this is not a striker-fired gun.

Now, for the frame.

Notice the take-down lever rotated down. This is an excellent way to separate the slide from the frame. It is captured, unlike the loose takedown pins in the LC9s/ EC9s and Security 9 pistols, among others. Also, note the ubiquitous hammer safety lever blade. And, if you look down into the frame, you see this.

Note how tight they are to the frame, and their length. This is something new for Ruger, and I like it.

This cut should help in re-holstering, but it doesn’t go all the way down. Looks good, though.

Note the downward angle and bright fiber optic insert.

Notice the texture pattern that Ruger started with the LCP II. It is a good thing that they kept that pattern going on different models, as it helps with immediate brand identification and grip commonality among Ruger guns. The texturing is just enough to stick the grip securely in your hand. Also, note that the trigger guard is undercut so as to allow your hand a higher purchase, closer to the bore axis.

Note the white locking compound under the sight. That rear sight is not going to move. It’s under the front sight, too.

Ruger 57 Hands-On Review

Construction

As we can see from the photos above, Ruger has built a very nice-looking pistol here. As is usual with this company, this pistol shows no extraneous machining marks or chatter, no roughly-finished surfaces or rounded edges on the gun that shouldn’t be.

Sights

Ruger has always (well, since I bought my first one in 1978 at least) had very nice adjustable rear sights, and this one’s no exception. The adjustment clicks are secure, and the blade’s rear surface has some lines machined to break up reflections or glare.

The Ruger-57 features fully adjustable rear sights. It has a green fiber optic front sight.The sights were excellent, but the green fiber was too big for a handgun if you wanted to shoot accurately. The back is serrated, while the front is bright and easy to see.

Safety

Another feature that I noticed was the safety levers. Usually, thumb safety levers tend to be short and stick out a bit. This is so your thumb can engage them quickly. The Ruger’s levers are longer than most and don’t stick out very far. I’m not quite sure about their reasoning for this, but I like it.

I doubt this pistol will be carried much in a concealed role, so the non-beefy levers are well-suited to this gun. They click on or off with a positive “snick” (the official sound of a thumb safety being moved up or down, of course). Plus, there’s one on each side of the gun — a feature we lefties appreciate.

Slide

The slide is relieved (cut out) just at the front sight, presumably to cut down on weight. I guess this is a good thing. It’s hard to judge the difference you might feel since we don’t have an unrelieved slide to compare against. But it sure looks good.

Ergonomics

The grip is more than 2 inches long from front to back. It just feels good in your hand. The grip is well-designed and works well to help keep the gun anchored in your hand. Texturing is good as well — not too little or too much. With its undercut trigger guard and pronounced beavertail, this gun is very comfortable to shoot.

Ammo

Another random thought — ammo price. I paid about 28 bucks for the box of ammo I bought to test the gun with. That box was one of few options available at the time. The store had ammo for the gun, no problem, but it wasn’t cheap.

RCBS, Hornady, Redding, and Lee all make reloading dies of one sort or other for this caliber, so reloading isn’t out of the question. I would think that a set of dies, some Hornady V-Max 40-grain bullets, and the right powder would allow you to churn out cheaper ammo than the factory-loaded stuff, meaning it would allow you to shoot more for the same amount of money as you’d spend on factory loads.

Ruger 57 Specs (From Ruger’s Website & My Observations)

Capacity:	20+1. Two magazines included in the box
Grip Frame:	High-Performance, glass-filled nylon
Barrel Length:	4.94"
Overall Length:	8.65"
Barrel Material:	Alloy Steel
Barrel Finish:	Black Nitride
Front Sight:	Fiber Optic
Rear Sight:	Serrated; windage and elevation adjustable
Action:	Ruger Secure Action with internal hammer; double action only
Safety:	Ambidextrous thumb; bladed trigger; hammer catch internal safety
Trigger Pull:	3 lbs 8.2 oz., measured. Trigger had some creep, but broke cleanly.
Magazine Release:	Reversible
Slide Material:	Alloy Steel
Slide Finish:	Black Oxide. Slide has lightening cut in its top and is drilled and tapped for optional optic plate.
Weight:	24.5 oz. It feels lighter.
Slide Width:	1.2"
Frame Rail:	5-slot Picatinny
Height:	5.6"
Grooves:	8
Twist:	1:9" RH

Shooting the Ruger 57

When the gun arrived, I did not have any ammo for it. It was a while before I could drive to the only store in my area that had ammo, which eventually did happen. Then, I put off shooting it because I wanted one of our sons, our other resident firearms expert in the family, to be able to shoot it.

Plus, I wanted some photos of him shooting it. It hasn’t happened yet, so I went ahead and shot it. I was anticipating that something great was about to happen. I’m not sure if anything great happened, but it was a heck of a lot of fun to shoot. The recoil was less than that of most 9mms I’ve shot. The fireball, although not overly large, was nonetheless impressive.

Here is one of the better targets I shot.

The shot furthest left was not part of the group. I was shooting from a rest at my usual distance, about 20 yards. I’d shot a few other groups, but this one worked out to be one of the better ones. Here’s what I was shooting:

This ammo averaged 1751.2 fps out of the gun, with an attendant 273 ft lbs. of energy. There are other loads that are faster, but they tend to use lighter bullets. I wanted to stick with 40-grain bullets, but the lighter bullet loads are out there if speed is your thing.

These little guys are also very effective in the penetration department. As the box says, this is the SS197 “Sporting Cartridge” version of the 5.7 round. The ammo has been made by Fiocchi under license for FN since 2006 and is distributed by Federal. The blue polymer tip is a giveaway as to the identification of the round. Its predecessor, the SS196, used a red tip and was loaded with about 100 fps slower. As I said above, military loads tend to be hotter.

Ruger 57 Performance

The Ruger-57 features a high capacity of 20 rounds, minimal recoil, and a 12- to 18-inch effective range. It has greater recoil than a.22 but less than a 9mm. Compared to a 9mm, I didn’t feel much recoil, but I experienced more bursts and, depending on the ammunition, usually more flash. It’s a lot of fun to fire. The muzzle rise and recoil are minimal, but the noise and flash are substantial.

Whether you’re using it for hunting, plinking steel, or training a novice shooter, this pistol’s outstanding sights, long sight radius, and excellent trigger make it easy to shoot accurately and quickly. Right now, the only real drawbacks are the price and scarcity of ammunition.

Taking the Ruger 57 Apart

After shooting, I always try to clean my guns. I do like to keep them clean. You take this gun apart just about like any other gun that has a takedown lever.

1. Lock the slide back (empty gun, of course, with mag out).
2. Press the takedown lever’s button on the right side of the frame with a magazine baseplate or similar object to pop it loose from right to left, and swing the lever clockwise down about 90 degrees, or until it stops.
3. Drop the slide release as you ease the slide forward about a half-inch and then lift it off the frame. Don’t try to slide it off the front of the frame.
4. Pull the recoil spring and barrel out, clean away to your heart’s content then put it back together.
5. The spring and barrel go into the slide, and the slide gets set back in place on the frame-put it on about a half inch forward then slide it back into its place.
6. Lock the slide back and then rotate the takedown lever upwards until it clicks into place. That’s it.

Here’s a video I found that shows you how to assemble and disassemble the Ruger 57 properly.

Wrap Up: Is the Ruger 57 a Good Gun?

The Ruger-57 is not a gun for everyone. It’s a specialized firearm, one that you would use if you were headed into harm’s way or if you just wanted one to shoot one of the flatter-shooting pistol cartridges out there.

Generating in excess of 50,000 pounds of pressure, the 5.7×28 is one serious cartridge. If you are looking to put bullets through that old frying pan you hung up behind the shed, this might do that. At least, you’d put some major dents in it.

I’m not sure that every shooter might need a pistol that generates almost as much energy as does a .223 out of an AR, but it sure is fun to shoot. Not much recoil, but the blast is impressive. If you do end up with one, check out reloading for it. That will lower your cost per round and allow you to shoot a little more for the same cost as buying factory loads.

As always, leave a comment below if you have experience with this gun or the caliber (or if you’d like to). I hope you can get out to shoot, and as always — be safe.

Other readings you might also enjoy:

• Ruger PC 9mm Carbine: Complete Review
• The Best Ruger SR9 Accessories
• Ruger SP101 Review: One Fun Handful Of A .357