You know one of the main reasons the P90 was used on Stargate SG-1 was the ejection of spent cartridges straight down meant they could get better close ups of the actors without having to worry about cartridges flying around. Edit - they used so much blank P90 ammo on the show they cause a minor supply shortage as the 5.7 x 28 round was not exactly commonplace.
It's a very cool weapon,This gun along with some others like resident evil's samurai edge,Metal gears colt SAA wielded by ocelot,And the Socom pistol got me started in weird or video game firearms
Oh yeah I remember playing 007 Agent under Fire You had the KA 57 (AK 47) The P100 (P90) Why make over the top futuristic guns when you can just up the number of existing guns and give it a little twist?
HK when they saw the P90 after presenting their MP7 for the NATO contract probably looked like Patrick Bateman during the business card scene in American Psycho lol.
The thing Ian didn't want to say, IMO, about why this got special forces adoption: It just looks really freaking cool. No way the operators are going to let truck drivers have cooler guns than them.
I know you probably are joking, but I honestly believe that this is a bigger factor than most people think. You clearly can see that aestetics play a role in procurment, and these days everyone wants to be a operator with combat shirts and bump helmets
@@bgsather To be fair. The USAF's opinions on ground weapons is anecdotal at best. Army, Navy, & Marines opinion on ground weapons have greater weight.
If you've ever held one, you get the sense of why special operations might want to use it. It is TINY compared to an M4. It fits very nicely into your shoulder and is very ergonomically designed. The tip of the barrel is closer than if you were wielding a pistol, meaning, clearing a room and spinning/turning is extremely easy and you can do it much quicker than with something longer. The added benefit of the 50rd magazine and light weight just add to that benefit.
That's actually a crazy thought, this thing is so compact that in practice it's more compact than even a pistol. Ideal gun for getting into a firefight inside of an elevator.
If you have to sprinkle the torso of an enemy its not effective. A Mid Western Police Dept. Had 14 shootings with this gun/cartridge and switched back to SBR 5.56 due to DISMAL RESULTS.
After 30 years, it still looks ahead of its time. That's why it appears in so many past and present Si-FI movies and series, from SG-1 to Westworld, and counting...
@@gratefulguy4130 There's definitely some stuff going on like the gun with the built-in suppressor and the handgun that's curved for better concealed carry and some others but it's a very conservative field.
To be fair to the Stargate crowd, the choice of arming their main characters with the P90 makes absolute sense (on paper at least) when you consider the teams mission profile and what this weapon is designed to do. That is a team that is sent to explore without transport (meaning a compact and light weight design is highly desirable) without much in the way of support (meaning a large capacity cartridge is pretty handy) without intending to go into direct combat but if they do go into a fight their most regular foe is known for wearing body armour.
Shame the pistols weren't also FN Five-SeveNs; it would've used the same ammo which would've made a LOT of sense (they barely have a logistics tail, you want everything to also be a backup for something else)
The other bonus of the P90 was that you could carry a LOT of ammo for it on your body, the cartridge is pretty small and the ammo is rather light because of it. You can carry 500 rounds of 5.7x28 a lot easier than 500 rounds of .308. For small quick reaction teams that need to move fast (like the SG teams), it seems like the ideal firearm.
@@Edax_Royeaux Exploration does not require engagement. Range isn't so useful in a forest and binoculars are much lighter. It's notable that SG-1's typical foes had a shorter effective range than a P90. The team also started to rely on aerial drones. A lot of the areas they had to explore manually would have been short range environments. Caves, forests, buildings. The small team size would also make it awkward to have a dedicated marksman. Typically the team is either being ambushed or choosing when to engage. When they do engage it's rapid strikes and retreats. There are surprisingly few opportunities to make use of range. But sometimes with prior knowledge it would make sense to take different equipment. P90s as default gear for the unknown gives them a lot of firepower that will let them leave quickly.
The P90 is probably one of FN's best-ever designs. Strikes a good compromise between penetration and terminal velocity for the role that was set out for it, very high capacity while remaining enormously compact, fully ambi while being light and easy to field strip, and absolutely iconic in terms of industrial design by hitting that sci-fi mix of round and flat.
They really broke the mold with that gun, but honestly I could see tooled up versions of it being used for quite a long while yet. There's still nothing else that does it's _particular_ job as well.
I will never forget the first time I saw a FN P90. I didn't know what it was as I was a kid, my family was visiting D.C. taking a tour of the Whitehouse in 1999 and when we were waiting online to go through security there were secret service off in the distance that had these guns. I didn't find out it was called a p90 until I started watching Stargate SG1.
Never seen one in person but the first time i heard or observed one in any fashion, was when i first started playing "Tom Clancy's rainbow 6" lol. The P90 is in every rainbow 6 game ive seen.
It's an old show now, but those vests they wore with the quick detachable backpacks look like they'd still be perfectly serviceable gear in the field today.
The Stargate fan in me is very happy. Note: Since finding this channel, watching Stargate SG1 has been very interesting. I spotted them using a street sweeper in one episode.
Funny thing with the P90 specifically: way back in the ancient year of 2004, Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica were airing their first seasons on the SyFy channel and Stargate SG-1 was airing its 8th season. All three shows used the P90 as the main rifle of their soldiers. When BSG came back for its second season, they switched to the Beretta Cx4 Storm, simply because the P90 was already in use on two other shows and BSG didn't want it to look like they were copying weapons from SGA and SG1. Coincidentally, the attachments they used on the Cx4 to make it look more futuristic would become highly sought after due to the popularity of the show.
Wish more variety of weaponry were added. The F2000 should be in it. Imagine the P90, F2000, SCAR and FNX in a new Stargate, that'll makes you think FN is the sponsor of the franchise.
I first saw this weapon when it was used in the TV show Stargate SG1. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a real weapon. I was even more surprised to find out the show generally represents it correctly: an easy to carry weapon that has good armor penetrating properties. Before the P90 was used, they carried MP5s, so the transition makes sense. It seems that the show had someone on staff that knew weapons beyond how to make them look sexy on screen.
@@FreedomForever2010 It was filmed mostly in Canada with Canadian actors, but depicted mostly US Air Force officers and operations. Another fun tidbit, the show was so popular, that at the real Cheyenne mountain complex a broom closet was labeled "Stargate Command". Although the real place doesn't allow for visitors, terrestial or otherwise lol
It's funny seeing all the SG-1 comments as I'm currently re-watching SG-1 and it was not until the fifth season that O'neill and Carter started toting P90s, for four seasons I was thinking "I could have swore these guys carried P90s!"
They started carrying them in Season 4, episode 8, to be exact. For the cool factor in production terms, but the AP nature of 5.7x28mm ammo might've made an in-universe reason to switch it up.
The p90 stood out to me when I first saw it on SG-1 because of how different looking they are. At first I thought they were fake guns made just for the show. lol
designed to be roughly the width of a man's shoulders... perfect for moving around in vehicles and clearing tight quarters. the ringsight is special in particular because it is a solid block of glass-- it can never fog or mist because there are no voids for air to enter. they do make battery-illuminated ringsights, but you have to know who to go to nab one, now... my first exposure was the N64 classic Goldeneye, where, due to a coding error, the "RCP90" magazine held 80 rounds... because 50 isn't enough...
I do love how every time after the M1c a weapon was developed specifically for "rear echelon troops", it was only ever issued to select few special forces.
When you think about it though. SF is either doing FIBUA, where handy and rapid fire is useful, or very covert recce or similar where they've got more important things to carry and they're in such small numbers that their best option on contact is spray, pray and run away. The British Army remains contemptuous of the idea of issuing carbines to infanteers but THEM and semi-special troops like pathfinders often get M4 clones because their primary job is not getting into firefights.
In Bundeswehr HK mp7 is exactly PDW. But it seems like for ligistical (to not supply more calibers, 9x19, 5.56x45, 7.62x51, .50 BMG, and for some people 4.6x30 or 5.7x28) when some smaller rifles as m4 or g36c can do similar things with less specific training. And yes, no more the USSR, now the armies are shrinking in size. As economy of China seems better target as its military at least for the our leaders and at least now.
Turns out every time someone came up with a firearm that met the long list of requirements for those rear echelon troop weapons, it turned out to be way more expensive than was desired, because they wanted all those wonder-weapon capabilities but at a price tag roughly in line with a .22 bolt action. Because rear troops.
@@LolTollhurst Skorpion is Czech, but yes it is a PDW aka better than a pistol smaller than a rifle. UZI and Sterling are not PDW they were here because FAL, G3 and M14 (Battle rifles) were not always cars, tanks, aircrafts, and other small spaces friendly. MP-5 (general issue, which police buys, not PDW) here for precision (closed bolt) and less overpenetration in close quartiers.
The thing that impressed me most about the P90 is how crazy simple it is. It's like a top loading polymer sten gun. I'm a huge FN fan, and I got to use most of their weapons in the US Army.
makes sense when you think about why special forces and military groups around the world would adopt these. Its compact, easy to use, easy to disassemble, light and carries a lot of rounds that aren't half bad.
It's rounds also loose energy faster than the typical 9x19mm rounds SMGs typically use which means that stray bullets are less of a problem (and there is going to be fewer of them because the round is more accurate as well).
@@qwormuli77 I don't see the advantage for private use. And for the military it is also questionable if this would be considered as a proscribed weapon as it increases the suffering of the target (as ceramic is rather likely to shatter and you are unable to detect it easy b X-ray).
The most important aspect of the FN 5.7x28mm is its ability to prevent collateral damage. The bullet deforms upon impact rather than being deflected and tumbling. That makes it one of the safest rounds to use in public and especially densely populated urban areas!
The first part of your statement is correct, the second part is - to my knowledge (only Wikipedia, take with a grain of salt) incorrect. It *does* prevent collateral damage, but because it looses energy faster than a 9x19mm (because it's lighter) - so there's less of a stray bullet problem. It also has a flatter trajectory (because it's faster). The 5.7x28 *does* tumble because it's a spitzer round, but it can loose energy that way; I haven't heard of it deforming, but I'm no expert.
@@TurinTuramber I didn't realize until years later that the RCP 90 and the P90 were supposed to be the same weapon, being a dumb kid does do that to you, also I was and still am more of a Perfect Dark type of man myself.
Regarding the armor penetration capabilities 9 Hole Reviews did a deep dive on the actual NATO trials report and points out that the listed armor spec the gun needed to perforate was NOT anything the Soviets were actually using at the time. He concludes that the armor specified was actually a conceptual one, far less effective than what the Soviets actually had, but guaranteed to prevent a 9mm firearm from being adopted. He refers to another UA-camr showing that neither 5.7 or 4.6 would penetrate actual Soviet body armor of the time.
@@jetburrito5205 What armor? The one they're using now... which can be shot right through with 9mm as seen in captured examples posted by the Ukrainians and Legion members? Soviets had barefuckall, it was all a smoke and mirror bullshit propaganda, mostly fueled by satellite nation successes. Ukraine basically built everything the moscovites prided themselves with, from cold weather machinery to lunar rovers.
a hand granade ...Again, I could have been misled. I haven't been able to confirm that and I've been dubious of the claim, thus why I asked. I'm guessing the guy I talked to didn't like the P90 because of Stargate. (shrugs)
Alleluia brothers and sisters... Witness!!! Witness the glory of our all mighty savior!!! Gun jesus bless us again with his infinite power to give us a demonstration of another exotic weapon
I only saw this weapon used when I was stationed around embassies. Agents said they requested the weapon for performing VIP work and escort missions. The ability to conceal a fully auto weaponry under your arm (Especially in a work suit) that carries a 50 round magazine was blessing in disguise (pun intended). I see the P90 more as a responsive weapon then an assault weapon. The ability of one person to hold position and offer cover fire during an evacuation is amazing to imagine.
The fact that gun Jesus has posted hundreds of videos yet only just made this video shows how many guns actually exist. It's always a treat to have Ian cover new things.
It makes a great home defense weapon (PS90 variant). The light recoil makes it easy to handle, the USG sight can be purchased now with an illuminated reticle, and the capacity makes round count a non-issue in a stressful situation. Another great detail of this weapon is that it was designed to be snag free. Notice how most of the exposed surfaces have been rounded off to prevent catching onto gear or clothing in tight handling situations. It is also extremely easy to use with one arm should the situation call for it (they really thought about the truck drivers lol)
@@BerndFelsche Basically everyone does. Given the facts that one hand on the wheel, and the other can use this to shoot while running through an ambush. 50 rounds makes it even more useful in that regards.
@@BeingFireRetardant To be fair in your average combat situation if you can't spare a dude to open the door while you cover him shit has really hit the fan. Besides I would rather have a rifle caliber carbine than a P90 if I couldn't have a full size service rifle. The ability to engage at longer ranges is always nice. Not to mention having the same ammo as your unit's light machine guns is a bonus.
Im almost as old as this gun, and first time I ever saw it was in Goldeneye 007 for N64. I think it was called thw rcp90. It looked so crazy cool and weird, i thought for sure it was a made up gun, especially since it was one of the ‘power’ weapons in multiplayer and prob best gun in the game lol. Surprised theres no goldeneye references here, 90’s kids where ya at?
It's really amazing that Pierce Bondsnan could reload that weird magazine so quickly by just dropping it down below his line of sight for a second or so, especially when all he had for hands were two weird boxes with poorly-mapped textures. You good now?
"We wanted a gun that would defeat Russian paratroopers." "Yes." "This is a murder weapon for professional assassins." "I mean it doesn't HAVE to be.... but it COULD."
@@grimlock1471 I think it keeps de receiver locked a bit longer and assists in the start of extraction. Also note the shape of the flashider, which resembles a recoil booster cone. In my experience fitting a silencer greatly diminishes reliability.
That is something i didn't knew about. I will look it up if i don't forget when i get back to work (i work there). Also, about the truncated flash hidder, i have been explained that it was so that if it falls to the ground barrel first, it would make it tilt to the side and reduce the risk of having a fire.
About that short recoil it has. I learned something today. One of my collegue engineer whom worked on it explained to me that the play was left to accomodate for the thermal dilatation of the barrel, so that it doesn't get seized in it's assembly. But it wasn't designed to opperate with a short barrel recoil and is considered a simple blowback.
The same mistake is often made for the Fiveseven pistol, which has a much more obvious short recoil action and yet is consistently called straight blowback.
This [holds up staff weapon] is a weapon of terror. It's made to intimidate the enemy. This [holds up P90] is a weapon of war. It's made to _kill_ the enemy.
@@glee21012 ...sorry Admittedly I've only given SG-1 a full watchthrough once, last time I tried to get into a full rewatch, I got quite disinterested. Season 1 has its moments, but overall it just feels like I'm watching Star Trek, only with better action sequences and an overarching story that connects each episode together.
@@corinthianimperialstudios704 Yeah, it can be easier if you skip many of the bottle episodes and just watch through certain story arcs across the seasons. Different goulds, Asgard, Cassandra, Jacob, replicators, Ori, etc, etc. Might be hard to remember after only one watchthrough but I'm sure there's lists out there that tell you which episodes to watch for each arc.
Masamune Shirow is absolutely in love with this gun. His Seburo Arms (a fictional firearms company in his Appleseed series) had several variable ammo rifles, machine pistols and mech-operated arms that closely resemble this design.
Another of his creations, Ghost in the Shell, features a fictionalized version called the Crvena Zastava Nosle Model 22 (or CZN-M22). It made a few changes to the P90, but is conceptually based on it.
Love firing this weapon. Looks odd to hold with the ergonomic grips. But very comfortable. Gun is completely ambidextrous, sights, mag release and safety on both sides to left or right handed shooters. Biggest problem? Cost of ammo. 2.25 a round adds up quick with the 50 round mag. If you look close at the secret service, now that you are aware of this gun. You can see them carrying it under their suit coats. Very concealable.
@@NoNameAtAll2 AFAIK it’s only compatible with the P90 and the accompanying pistol (the Five-seven), so it’s not like your local WallyMart is gonna be well stocked with it.
IDK if anyone else has said it but the P90 *does* have Iron Sights on it; that notched slit to the left *and* right of the rear of the top assembly (left and right behind the reflex sight) are the rear slit sight and the forward post*s* are the smoothed edged ends at the very front of the assembly. Depending on your hand hold you can use either side to line up a shot. They are *somewhat* effective, obviously non-adjustable, but are a nice built in backup and are moderately useable.
When he mentioned that special forces had adopted it despite it being meant for rear line troops because it was handy, it reminded me about his video on the artillery luger. Some troops found that the small, high capacity weapons were better in trench raids than their full-sized rifles, despite the reduced range and stopping power. It sort of makes me think that the guys intentionally making weapons for the frontline or special forces might not always know what their target audience wants when there are cases where a preferable weapon is made by accident. :P
More that also the target audience does not knows what they want as they do not know what the next war is going to be. The saying goes the army always prepares for the last war. Soldiers at the start of WW1 did not have a clue that they would go trench raiding. Stopping power became much more important once forces started to face suicide bombs attackers. Special forces often have the resources to acquire a selection of guns and see what works. But they are to small a market to warrant the special development of a whole gun system. And criteria simply cross classes. A MP90 can be easily stowed and handled in both a truckdriver position and the driver position of the Presidential Beast.
Or they try to design a weapon that affords them flexibility on the battlefield. As not every conflict can be predicted or the battlefield then the only option is to design a weapon that allows for good characteristics for the environment. While there are specific weapons for specific battles, I wouldn’t want to be carrying the P90 on an open plain, facing down rifle caliber weapons.
@@ionpopescu3167 It's just funny how both the artillery luger and the p90 were made for rear line troops as a light, handy weapon with smaller caliber bullets, and were both adopted by special forces for the exact same reasons. It's almost history repeating itself rather than a new type of warfare. Apparently special forces and rear line troops have somewhat similar weapon requirements.
@@Nerdnumberone What you said about Lugers reminds me that the favorite weapons of American "Tunnel Rats" in the Vietnam War were the .45 M1911 and the .45 Colt revolver
I always thought this was an awesome piece, especially as a left-hander. The look, the rate of fire and the ambidextrous design, the magazine, cartridge, the whole shebang... And it's a classic cool
@@Chaos89P the AUG is also a pretty good contender, but I have to dock it points for the distinctly retro scope of the A1 variant, and the obviously modern look of the A3 rail layout. There isn't one singular version of the AUG that fits the bill, but the model of the P90 with integrated red dot has been about the same since the 90s, other than the optional side rails.
I would have bought a PS90 if it wasn't for the cartridge. I ended up going with a Tavor SAR instead because .225/5.56 was like half the price at the time and is available everywhere. I also considered the AUG, but I'm left handed and the STANAG version is RH only. The tavor I was able to swap to shoot lefty
14:21 I heard that the P90 won by a "significant margin." It was more mature, already had* suitable PDW and Pistol designs, and performed better against armor.
I watched a lot of StarGate when i was a kid. Because of that show this particular weapon forever was burned into my mind. I always liked how it looks, the insane fire rate and how its basically perfect weapon for sci-fi adventurers because its a lot of firepower in a tight package.
Holds up staff weapon "This requires no maintenance, no ammo, easy to learn, can survive use by generations of conscripts, hits like a truck compared to weapons of same size and weight and we have not observed the shot losing velocity or altitude over the distance even once. Oh, and Tealc over there never misses a shot with it." Holds up zat "This is a small pistol analogue of the same thing with even more cool features." Holds up P90 "And this is a plastic toy that is good only in videogames and in marketing brochures."
@@TheArklyte Only for a couple episodes in season 7. In fact, the reason why they had her character use that shorty M4 for those episodes was actually because the show had trouble getting enough 5.7x28mm blanks for filming. So they had Carter change weapons for those couple episodes; if you notice, she's doing most of the shooting (with guns anyway) in those episodes. Anyway that super short M4 build would be pretty ridiculously stupid in reality (severely compromising the ballistics of 5.56, and loud as hell).
Holds up staff weapon "This requires no maintenance, no ammo, easy to learn, can survive use by generations of conscripts, hits like a truck compared to weapons of same size and weight and we have not observed the shot losing velocity or altitude over the distance even once. Oh, and Tealc over there never misses a shot with it." Holds up zat "This is a small pistol analogue of the same thing with even more cool features." Holds up P90 "And this is a plastic toy that is good only in videogames and in marketing brochures."
FW: This gun was designed to penetrate Russian body armor. Stargate Fans: it can also penetrate advanced space aliens' armor. Do you think this guy has any idea how many people are coming here just from SG forums? lol
Nah, the real reason why the PDW program never pulled through was the end of the cold war; the soviet union fell in the same year the P90 got introduced. The P90/MP7 never competed against each other, there were 10 years inbetween the guns. (edit: Never competed in the original PDW trial, if I understand correctly)
@@termitreter6545 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_P90 The results of the NATO tests were analyzed by a group formed of experts from Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the group's conclusion was that the 5.7×28mm was "undoubtedly" the more efficient cartridge.[10] However, the German delegation and others rejected the NATO recommendation that 5.7×28mm be standardized, halting the standardization process indefinitely.
@@Obskyre Thats not NATO, thats "an international group" thats not really described in any way. They havent actually tested anything, they've just interpreted and rated stuff from the nato report, which is rather strange. And the NATO report was in the early 2000s, so long after the end of the cold war. Thats about standardizing cartridges, not chosing a PDW.
@@termitreter6545 Both issues are tied together in the case of 5.7mm, as there are few other platforms that support it other than the FiveSeven and P90.
@@MaakaSakuranbo it looks horrible to me. The only bullpup i really like is the tavor. I should clarify i mean the the f200 not the p90. I love the look of the p90.
Let's not forget, it was also the weapon of choice for the SGC to arm its SG teams in the exploration of the galaxy, and also the Jaffa's rebels in the fight against their former Goa'uld masters. Damn, I miss good'ol Stargate SG-1.
@@Hans-gb4mv I think they saw the futuristic look, plus the ability to realistically not needing to recharge and lose or break MP5 chargers any more, thanks to the fully integrated ones of the FN. Also, the MP5 isn't armour-piercing, if I remember correctly, hence can't kill the cobra guards of Apophis.
Holds up staff weapon "This requires no maintenance, no ammo, easy to learn, can survive use by generations of conscripts, hits like a truck compared to weapons of same size and weight and we have not observed the shot losing velocity or altitude over the distance even once. Oh, and Tealc over there never misses a shot with it." Holds up zat "This is a small pistol analogue of the same thing with even more cool features." Holds up P90 "And this is a plastic toy that is good only in videogames and in marketing brochures."
For the record, in the Belgian military, the P90 is not really used by truck drivers or logistical personnel. They still use an FN FNC (although the use of P90 for them has been a long debate). Its main users are in fact medical personnel (so combat medics), followed by Special Forces, close protection units, etc... Also good to know, "our" P90's for the military are all equipped with an Aimpoint T-1
Looks perfect for breach and clear work. The extrnely short barrel length would be exceptionaly good for rounding tight corners. So it makes sense spec. forces teams would use them. In urban and building clearing situations.
And that the cartridge ejects down to the floor instead of up into anyone who is to the ejection side of the weapon. Lends itself for a makeshift brass-catcher when the only clue you want to leave that you were there is the fragmented remains of the projectile in the target.
Thanks for a real world reply. I am NOT Miltary, so this is superstition but: It makes perfect sense as a tool for specialist forces. It's small & easily hidden. Specialists are likely to be involved in close support, where killing the attacker is not useful, you just want them not targetting you and worrying about not being in pain anymore & then you can later ask them why they attacked! Or they are in a context where an operators skills make head shots more likely to connect through a helmet & skull, then slow moving tumbling bullets interacting with brains, tends to leave brains in a distressed & less than functional state. And lots of specialists have watched Stargate as a kid, so they get to carry the cool looking SG1 gun, and they can show pictures to their mates at home!!!
I have a PS90 SBR, agree with this comment. They are awesome. Unfortunately, Ian made a small error on the operating system. The barrel recoils about 0.030” with the bolt, so it is a delayed unlocking blowback system.
@@justignoreme7725 most individuals are taught center mass shots, "headshots" in general are not as easy nor as effective as one might think. Bullets have a nasty habit of deflecting when hitting bone, like off a jaw and outwards, or across a nose and out through a the side of the head. With a pdw like the p90 or mp7, you just add a few more to the squishy bits when you pull the trigger.
@@paintballplayer700 ? I havent taken one apart in years, but there is no "locking" of the action that i can remember. Even if the bolt and barrel recoil together it would still just be a delayed style action right?
@@JohnSmith-bf1sq oh wow, thankyou I never knew. I assumed the armour penetrative capabilities would punch through the bone. Thank you for teaching me new stuff!!
I always laugh when I take apart P90s and PS90s. Only gun I know of that comes apart like a printer. It is a beautiful design. Also, in addition to the gun seemingly being designed to fill the roll the M1 Carbine held for the US military, the 5.7x28mm always reminded me of the 22 Spitfire, which was the 30 Carbine round necked down to 5.7 mm.
Other than the obvious slow reloads that magazine would cause this looks like an absolutely awesome well executed gun. And 50 rounds! That's a large capacity for such a small package!
Yeah, that magazine seems like a problem. Seems to me that the last thing you want to be doing under fire is screwing around with an even slightly difficult-to-swap magazine. But maybe they figured that for the situations it was envisioned to be deployed in, if you can’t get it done with the first 50 rounds it’s not going to happen? That polycarbonate also doesn’t seem like it’s going to be super-durable.
@@Casadebox You're not getting it. The video has already been uploaded but schedulled to only be listed tomorrow. A year or so ago, the unlisted video used to show up at the end.
The P90 will always remind me of the Secret Service and SG-1. The SPAS-12 (in pump action mode) also makes me think of SG-1. I didn't even know the SPAS-12 can run pump action until i saw the show as a kid.
It's gonna be a sad day tomorrow for the Famas when Ian declares the P90 his new favorite bullpup. Loving all the Stargate and Tarkov references here, btw. Seems like most people know their guns from TV and games these days :)
Love the attention to detail in explaining the nuts and bolts of the gun's operation and design. Was always intrigued by this gun for over a decade, but never knew the history and design.
Wow, I am very surprised by the fact that the P90 uses straight blowback when the gun looks so futuristic. I expected some fancy system but I guess that FN realised there is no need of over-engineering things (ejem, HK...)
So just found out a thing about the p90. The barrel reciprocates, not by much but it is there. The barrel moves back a few millimeters and just behind the flash hider there is a barrel return spring that pushes the barrel back forward.
Just looking at the P90 I feel a major draw for "operators" is the very sleek design. Most guns have a lot of protruding bits sticking out all over. The P90 looks like it has very little of this, which means there are less chance of having it snag on anything when least you can afford it. Having worked around camouflage nets while carrying guns it can be a F-ing nightmare. The P90 looks like it would be a lot easier to handle while crawling under those nets than most common rifles or SMG's.
"Why did you purchase your P90?"
A) Armour penetrating capability
B) Compact weight and low mass
C) Saw it on Stargate
D) Dual wielding while holding a katana with your mouth
E) Rushing B site
C.
C.
Saaaaaaame
Never know when you're going to have to rush the objective
Gotta love it. "We need a PDW for behind the lines. Two companies submitted designs and we like both of them. Therefore we will adopt neither."
nato moment
Why adopt neither? Do they expect someone esle to make something BETTER than a P90?
@@chee.rah.monurB they were going to adopt the P90, but Germany vetoed it.
@LOAN NGUYEN Of course it's not Germany's fault for not adopting the P90 XD
Well it did not become the NATO standard across all members but some members do have as standard within their own nations military.
Highly effective against replicators and snake heads.
Good against Russian armor? Sketchy…
Good against Goa’uld armor? Confirmed!
dont forget wraith and genii assault teams
Indeed.
All you need is one working hand and a single-point sling, then you're ready to take on the Galaxy(ies)!
Several seasons of R+D agrees it has a armour penetration of note to non-taree protective garments.
You know one of the main reasons the P90 was used on Stargate SG-1 was the ejection of spent cartridges straight down meant they could get better close ups of the actors without having to worry about cartridges flying around.
Edit - they used so much blank P90 ammo on the show they cause a minor supply shortage as the 5.7 x 28 round was not exactly commonplace.
Infinite ammo. The pinnacle of Tauri tech development.
stonks!
That is actually hilarious causing a short
@@nejinaji It's just the cover story for why there is a shortage like Wormhole Extreme..
@@DKNguyen3.1415 Indeed
Favourite of the air force's extraplanetary branch.
The real Space Force lol
Indeed.
Yeah. Screw HK! :p
Along side the emp grenades and plasma mines 👍🏼
Might be hard to get hands on a zat though.
The gun meant for rear-echelon troops to defend against special forces is instead used by special forces against rear-echelon troops.
This is freaking hilarious yet true
Well said.
Sounds a bit like the M1 Carbine
insert spiderman pointing at spiderman meme here
You have become the very thing you swore to destroy
The gun every kid in the 90s/2000s grew up with seeing in almost every shooter they played.
It's a very cool weapon,This gun along with some others like resident evil's samurai edge,Metal gears colt SAA wielded by ocelot,And the Socom pistol got me started in weird or video game firearms
The only time that I remember seeing it was in Madness Combat videos, mainly in Madness Combat 6: Antipathy and Xionic Madness 1.5
@@michaelgum97 Goldeneye 64 and TimeSplitters 2. And you could dual wield.
And of course...
Stargate bois
Oh yeah I remember playing 007 Agent under Fire
You had the KA 57 (AK 47)
The P100 (P90)
Why make over the top futuristic guns when you can just up the number of existing guns and give it a little twist?
HK when they saw the P90 after presenting their MP7 for the NATO contract probably looked like Patrick Bateman during the business card scene in American Psycho lol.
“Oh my god, it even has a water mark!!”
"Let's see Paul Allen's gun"
"I cannot believe that NATO prefers FN's gun to mine..."
And the 5seven
200 likes in 3 months
Every time Ian says "We'll be doing some shooting with this tomorrow." What I hear in my head is a bunch of children screaming in unison, "YAY!!!"
I hear the Halo 3 confetti explosion YAY sound effects.
I've been looking forward to this
YAY!!!!!!!
@@seanrosenau2088 First thing that came to my head lol
Given the simplicity of the design can this be adapted for 3D printing, especially as its likely to be out of patent??
The thing Ian didn't want to say, IMO, about why this got special forces adoption: It just looks really freaking cool. No way the operators are going to let truck drivers have cooler guns than them.
Indeed, it looks sick. Also because it's a bullpup it's fantastic for close quarters, the muzzle is literally right on top of your grip hand.
@@luukas2660 Not to mention the maximum rof of 1,100rpm lol
@@Electromagneticplutonium And it'll turn soft body armor into Swiss cheese
@@luukas2660 Ideal for Urban Combat
I know you probably are joking, but I honestly believe that this is a bigger factor than most people think. You clearly can see that aestetics play a role in procurment, and these days everyone wants to be a operator with combat shirts and bump helmets
"Small batch use, by highly trained & specialised units" - Yep my brain went straight to SG1 too
"This is a weapon of war, it is meant to /kill/ your enemy."
Pretty sure one of the P90s in SG1 was one I actually fired before the USAF declared them junk and gave it to the TV show.
@@bgsather To be fair. The USAF's opinions on ground weapons is anecdotal at best. Army, Navy, & Marines opinion on ground weapons have greater weight.
@@Rudofaux True. Their not using P90s either.
I kept waiting for a Stargate reference... At least as part of the Elbonian Stargate program...
If you've ever held one, you get the sense of why special operations might want to use it. It is TINY compared to an M4. It fits very nicely into your shoulder and is very ergonomically designed. The tip of the barrel is closer than if you were wielding a pistol, meaning, clearing a room and spinning/turning is extremely easy and you can do it much quicker than with something longer. The added benefit of the 50rd magazine and light weight just add to that benefit.
That's actually a crazy thought, this thing is so compact that in practice it's more compact than even a pistol. Ideal gun for getting into a firefight inside of an elevator.
and also, it is ambidextrous, you can fire it well both left and right-handed, and the projectile ejects down, gotta love the ergonomics.
Close quarter Sweet roadhouse cleaner, packs a nice punch
Very beneficial benefits
If you have to sprinkle the torso of an enemy its not effective.
A Mid Western Police Dept. Had 14 shootings with this gun/cartridge and switched back to SBR 5.56 due to DISMAL RESULTS.
Even now, dispite being almost 40 years old, it still looks like it's from the future. I love the design of the P90.
Almost 40? It's just over 30 years old.
@@nickel36 some kids cant do math yet, :P
l think its ugly AF
@@DCAKAJ And that's make it so iconic.
Is it just me or it's literally genius-level firearm design?
The P90.
Future Vision.
Exotic Caliber.
Kinsgslayer.
Ahoy?
@@cerealata9035 Yep
@@cerealata9035 you got it. 😎👍
I love ahoy
Drrrumm
Ting ting ting~
After 30 years, it still looks ahead of its time. That's why it appears in so many past and present Si-FI movies and series, from SG-1 to Westworld, and counting...
also its a stupidly effective and simple design, doenst uses up much space, high mag cap and its ambidextrious
It should look dated though. There's just a lack of more modern designs.
@@gratefulguy4130 There's definitely some stuff going on like the gun with the built-in suppressor and the handgun that's curved for better concealed carry and some others but it's a very conservative field.
@Shaliqua Smith Show me something that looks more futuristic then.
@@TheIndianalain haven’t seen the alien I’m guessing?….I do agree there aren’t a huge number of unique firearms but that one is in a league of its own
To be fair to the Stargate crowd, the choice of arming their main characters with the P90 makes absolute sense (on paper at least) when you consider the teams mission profile and what this weapon is designed to do. That is a team that is sent to explore without transport (meaning a compact and light weight design is highly desirable) without much in the way of support (meaning a large capacity cartridge is pretty handy) without intending to go into direct combat but if they do go into a fight their most regular foe is known for wearing body armour.
Shame the pistols weren't also FN Five-SeveNs; it would've used the same ammo which would've made a LOT of sense (they barely have a logistics tail, you want everything to also be a backup for something else)
@@Attaxalotl hey, they had to have some realistic nods to Air Force paperwork!
The other bonus of the P90 was that you could carry a LOT of ammo for it on your body, the cartridge is pretty small and the ammo is rather light because of it. You can carry 500 rounds of 5.7x28 a lot easier than 500 rounds of .308. For small quick reaction teams that need to move fast (like the SG teams), it seems like the ideal firearm.
I'd figure if you are going exploring, you'd want a long range weapon like a SCAR-H Battle Rifle.
@@Edax_Royeaux Exploration does not require engagement. Range isn't so useful in a forest and binoculars are much lighter. It's notable that SG-1's typical foes had a shorter effective range than a P90. The team also started to rely on aerial drones. A lot of the areas they had to explore manually would have been short range environments. Caves, forests, buildings. The small team size would also make it awkward to have a dedicated marksman. Typically the team is either being ambushed or choosing when to engage. When they do engage it's rapid strikes and retreats. There are surprisingly few opportunities to make use of range. But sometimes with prior knowledge it would make sense to take different equipment. P90s as default gear for the unknown gives them a lot of firepower that will let them leave quickly.
The BEST advertisement for this gun was Stargate SG1.
Don't forget Goldeneye 007
I never watched the series but i watched the original movies
@@ThePaperKhan I recently finished the series - it was pretty good 👍
Original Counterstrike made me fall in love with it. But you’re right, SG1 definitely did good things for its fame.
Or Ghost In The Shell
This is a weapon of war - colonel Jack O'Neill Stargate
(proceeds to blow a whole ass log apart) 😂 god I love that show
Likely the most well known (barring video games) use. Stargate made it famous
Then why the hell did we use those MP5s for 3 years? - Jackson, probably
Has a high velocity 22 caliber AP bullet, making it superior to the M16 for Jaffa armor
Funny how I've been watching SG1 again
The P90 is probably one of FN's best-ever designs. Strikes a good compromise between penetration and terminal velocity for the role that was set out for it, very high capacity while remaining enormously compact, fully ambi while being light and easy to field strip, and absolutely iconic in terms of industrial design by hitting that sci-fi mix of round and flat.
They really broke the mold with that gun, but honestly I could see tooled up versions of it being used for quite a long while yet. There's still nothing else that does it's _particular_ job as well.
Some would argue you that the FAL or the MAG are also really good designs in their own category. The debate is on i think. :D
So much want... personal favorite design of mechanical function.
@@guilemaigre14 FAL FTW
This IS the manufacturer that designed the most successful battle rifle ever made, so there's stiff competition there.
"This particular one is the u SG-version..."
Ahhh, the Stargate Version!
It's P-Chan from Gun Gale Online, just paint it pink.
@@Folker46590 Stargate and GGO, I see I am in good company here.
lmao. words of the wise.
@Watzetzface Tial'c complies!
@@cptjfk Teal'c 🙈
As a Stargate fan I appreciate this upload
"I would love to get to do some shooting with this.."
But?
"Tomorrow we're going to do exactly that!"
YAY!
Quite effective at defeating the body armour of Jaffa.
KREE!
@@kafs1822 beat me to it Shol'va!
Found the Stargate fan
Indeed
INDEED
I will never forget the first time I saw a FN P90. I didn't know what it was as I was a kid, my family was visiting D.C. taking a tour of the Whitehouse in 1999 and when we were waiting online to go through security there were secret service off in the distance that had these guns. I didn't find out it was called a p90 until I started watching Stargate SG1.
Never seen one in person but the first time i heard or observed one in any fashion, was when i first started playing "Tom Clancy's rainbow 6" lol. The P90 is in every rainbow 6 game ive seen.
cool story zuh
SG-1
Me 2
First saw it referenced in an issue of Popular Mechanics around 1990
Ian has all sorts of military uniforms and hats, I really really hope he shows up tomorrow in some SGC BDUs.
Or maybe just an Edina, MN SWAT team uniform
How about Jaffa armour?
Shol'va Kree
It's an old show now, but those vests they wore with the quick detachable backpacks look like they'd still be perfectly serviceable gear in the field today.
The Stargate fan in me is very happy.
Note: Since finding this channel, watching Stargate SG1 has been very interesting. I spotted them using a street sweeper in one episode.
Same. Also spotted some Calicos in the hands of an alien civilization they visited.
@@scienceguy8 try the website imfdb.com. the have every weapon used on SG-1 and alot other shows/movies.
Funny thing with the P90 specifically: way back in the ancient year of 2004, Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica were airing their first seasons on the SyFy channel and Stargate SG-1 was airing its 8th season. All three shows used the P90 as the main rifle of their soldiers. When BSG came back for its second season, they switched to the Beretta Cx4 Storm, simply because the P90 was already in use on two other shows and BSG didn't want it to look like they were copying weapons from SGA and SG1. Coincidentally, the attachments they used on the Cx4 to make it look more futuristic would become highly sought after due to the popularity of the show.
Wish more variety of weaponry were added. The F2000 should be in it. Imagine the P90, F2000, SCAR and FNX in a new Stargate, that'll makes you think FN is the sponsor of the franchise.
@@Joshua_N-A The P90 is pretty much the perfect gun for a show.
15:17 "[purchasers were] Special operation teams. Small forces. Highly trained." so... Stargate teams?
USAF Stargate teams. The marine and other branch teams have their own branch specific loadouts.
@@Captain_Draco : Even the USMC teams operating out of the SGC had P90s.
I first saw this weapon when it was used in the TV show Stargate SG1. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a real weapon. I was even more surprised to find out the show generally represents it correctly: an easy to carry weapon that has good armor penetrating properties. Before the P90 was used, they carried MP5s, so the transition makes sense. It seems that the show had someone on staff that knew weapons beyond how to make them look sexy on screen.
@EnlightenmentLiberal that's interesting because of how much of the show was filmed/financed in Canada or with Canadian actors.
@@FreedomForever2010 It was filmed mostly in Canada with Canadian actors, but depicted mostly US Air Force officers and operations. Another fun tidbit, the show was so popular, that at the real Cheyenne mountain complex a broom closet was labeled "Stargate Command". Although the real place doesn't allow for visitors, terrestial or otherwise lol
All the gun touching crew and cast were trained to operate them.
It's funny seeing all the SG-1 comments as I'm currently re-watching SG-1 and it was not until the fifth season that O'neill and Carter started toting P90s, for four seasons I was thinking "I could have swore these guys carried P90s!"
True, in the beginning they used MP-5s, SG Atlantis always had P90s.
They started carrying them in Season 4, episode 8, to be exact.
For the cool factor in production terms, but the AP nature of 5.7x28mm ammo might've made an in-universe reason to switch it up.
The p90 stood out to me when I first saw it on SG-1 because of how different looking they are. At first I thought they were fake guns made just for the show. lol
By season 7 Carter cooked up a custom AR pistol deal. Season 9 Mitchell gets an occasional G36K and the team sometimes switched to Mp7A1.
They switched to P90s because blanks for them were cheaper than what they were using.
designed to be roughly the width of a man's shoulders... perfect for moving around in vehicles and clearing tight quarters.
the ringsight is special in particular because it is a solid block of glass-- it can never fog or mist because there are no voids for air to enter. they do make battery-illuminated ringsights, but you have to know who to go to nab one, now...
my first exposure was the N64 classic Goldeneye, where, due to a coding error, the "RCP90" magazine held 80 rounds... because 50 isn't enough...
This thing in goldeneye was a monster when you got two going at once
Same bro
Same, never got into SG-1 but played the hell out of Goldeneye.
Yep, same! I never cared much for SG but I played an absolute sh*t ton of Goldeneye back in the day lol!
Lol, same here. Best gun in the whole game. Especially when dual-wielding.
I do love how every time after the M1c a weapon was developed specifically for "rear echelon troops", it was only ever issued to select few special forces.
When you think about it though. SF is either doing FIBUA, where handy and rapid fire is useful, or very covert recce or similar where they've got more important things to carry and they're in such small numbers that their best option on contact is spray, pray and run away.
The British Army remains contemptuous of the idea of issuing carbines to infanteers but THEM and semi-special troops like pathfinders often get M4 clones because their primary job is not getting into firefights.
Uzi. Swedish K. Skorpion. And arguably the MP-5 because cops buy it.
In Bundeswehr HK mp7 is exactly PDW. But it seems like for ligistical (to not supply more calibers, 9x19, 5.56x45, 7.62x51, .50 BMG, and for some people 4.6x30 or 5.7x28) when some smaller rifles as m4 or g36c can do similar things with less specific training. And yes, no more the USSR, now the armies are shrinking in size. As economy of China seems better target as its military at least for the our leaders and at least now.
Turns out every time someone came up with a firearm that met the long list of requirements for those rear echelon troop weapons, it turned out to be way more expensive than was desired, because they wanted all those wonder-weapon capabilities but at a price tag roughly in line with a .22 bolt action. Because rear troops.
@@LolTollhurst
Skorpion is Czech, but yes it is a PDW aka better than a pistol smaller than a rifle.
UZI and Sterling are not PDW they were here because FAL, G3 and M14 (Battle rifles) were not always cars, tanks, aircrafts, and other small spaces friendly.
MP-5 (general issue, which police buys, not PDW) here for precision (closed bolt) and less overpenetration in close quartiers.
The thing that impressed me most about the P90 is how crazy simple it is. It's like a top loading polymer sten gun. I'm a huge FN fan, and I got to use most of their weapons in the US Army.
makes sense when you think about why special forces and military groups around the world would adopt these. Its compact, easy to use, easy to disassemble, light and carries a lot of rounds that aren't half bad.
It's rounds also loose energy faster than the typical 9x19mm rounds SMGs typically use which means that stray bullets are less of a problem (and there is going to be fewer of them because the round is more accurate as well).
You can use ceramic rounds.
@@analogalbacore7166 if you hate having a weapon with rifling you can use ceramic ammo.
@@Heidelaffe You could jacket the ceramic core or tip of the bullet. However, I don't know if there have ever been a commercial ceramic round created.
@@qwormuli77 I don't see the advantage for private use. And for the military it is also questionable if this would be considered as a proscribed weapon as it increases the suffering of the target (as ceramic is rather likely to shatter and you are unable to detect it easy b X-ray).
The most important aspect of the FN 5.7x28mm is its ability to prevent collateral damage. The bullet deforms upon impact rather than being deflected and tumbling.
That makes it one of the safest rounds to use in public and especially densely populated urban areas!
The first part of your statement is correct, the second part is - to my knowledge (only Wikipedia, take with a grain of salt) incorrect. It *does* prevent collateral damage, but because it looses energy faster than a 9x19mm (because it's lighter) - so there's less of a stray bullet problem. It also has a flatter trajectory (because it's faster). The 5.7x28 *does* tumble because it's a spitzer round, but it can loose energy that way; I haven't heard of it deforming, but I'm no expert.
@@jeffbenton6183 There are some good ballistics test videos on youtube if you're interested in seeing deformation
@@upinacorner9227 Thanks! I'll look into it.
@@jeffbenton6183 You got it! Paul Harrell does a good job inspecting the rounds after penetration in this vid:
ua-cam.com/video/kh_WxeOAcxo/v-deo.html
So that's why FN is serious in marketing FiveseveNs to housewives. The price tag, though...
The P90 became my favorite weapon because of Stargate SG-1.
N64 GoldenEye.
@@TurinTuramber I didn't realize until years later that the RCP 90 and the P90 were supposed to be the same weapon, being a dumb kid does do that to you, also I was and still am more of a Perfect Dark type of man myself.
Same, indeed.
@@GFMarine Perfect Dark was awesome game, done all the speed runs also.
For me it was Metal Gear Solid 2
Regarding the armor penetration capabilities 9 Hole Reviews did a deep dive on the actual NATO trials report and points out that the listed armor spec the gun needed to perforate was NOT anything the Soviets were actually using at the time. He concludes that the armor specified was actually a conceptual one, far less effective than what the Soviets actually had, but guaranteed to prevent a 9mm firearm from being adopted. He refers to another UA-camr showing that neither 5.7 or 4.6 would penetrate actual Soviet body armor of the time.
Hang on, so neither of them did what they were actually supposed to be designed to do? Sad.
That's it! Soviets never had what they 'claimed' they had but NATO still had this badass P90 which could handle it anyway
@@TheWetworm it would have failed against soviet armor
@@jetburrito5205 What armor? The one they're using now... which can be shot right through with 9mm as seen in captured examples posted by the Ukrainians and Legion members? Soviets had barefuckall, it was all a smoke and mirror bullshit propaganda, mostly fueled by satellite nation successes. Ukraine basically built everything the moscovites prided themselves with, from cold weather machinery to lunar rovers.
@@TheWetworm
Learn how to read bro
I have a felling his video will get a lot of views, judging by the universal popularity of the FN P90.
I hear that a lot of gun enthusiasts (beyond Stargate fans) do not like the FN P90. Is that true and why?
@@BigGator5 i don't know. I've never heard that before.
@@BigGator5 I love it 💘
@@ahandgrenade3640 "optimum foregrip angle" elitists hate it because they can't grab the handguard like the wrist of their redheaded step-daughter
a hand granade ...Again, I could have been misled. I haven't been able to confirm that and I've been dubious of the claim, thus why I asked. I'm guessing the guy I talked to didn't like the P90 because of Stargate. (shrugs)
"I would love to do some shooting with it..." Oh, so you weren't given the chance? "... so that's exactly what I'm going to do!" praise gun Jesus.
I am glad I am not the only one who thought this!
Amen!!
Always be praised
Alleluia brothers and sisters... Witness!!! Witness the glory of our all mighty savior!!! Gun jesus bless us again with his infinite power to give us a demonstration of another exotic weapon
Well, we have to wait, there was no time traveling UA-cam link 🙁.
A lot of SG1 references have been made already... So I'm just going to say that Arsenal Tengu called, they want their weapon back.
KhanSeb the legend himself still alive, I grew up with your vids :') greetings from Mexico
Metal Gear Solid 2?
Arsenal Tengu are underrated
seeing you in this comment section is fkn cool :) I grew up with your videos too
Don't forget the FROGS.
I only saw this weapon used when I was stationed around embassies. Agents said they requested the weapon for performing VIP work and escort missions. The ability to conceal a fully auto weaponry under your arm (Especially in a work suit) that carries a 50 round magazine was blessing in disguise (pun intended). I see the P90 more as a responsive weapon then an assault weapon. The ability of one person to hold position and offer cover fire during an evacuation is amazing to imagine.
@El Cactuar maybe they mean to use it as a reactive weapon, then transition into an assault weapon lol
The P90 has also defended humanity from aliens, too bad FN won't be able to take credit for that!
it specifically saved me from alec
"For England, James?"
"No. For Earth."
Body armor, Jaffa, Replicators, Wraith. You name it? It kills it, Ask the SGC for further reviews!
With some gadget expansion it even kills Kull-warrior drones. Very versatile.
@@Hortifox_the_gardener INDEED.
I tried, but I kept getting shown to a broom closet. :P
@@seanheath4492 lol good one. I forgot about that.
The fact that gun Jesus has posted hundreds of videos yet only just made this video shows how many guns actually exist. It's always a treat to have Ian cover new things.
Praise be to Gun Jesus
Ian explaining the reason behind this weapons conception is interestingly chilling for recent events, lol.
Turned out to be an overestimation, huh
@@LIONTAMER3D you haven't got a clue what you're talking about
@@TheTuttle99 lmao
This gun defeated the goa'uld in our corner of the galaxy.
takes the fight to space and takes out snake heads
"That is a weapon of fear, you scare people with it.
This (P90) is a weapon of war, you kill people with it"
Replicators too 😂
Even FreeJaffa nation thinked its primitive 😁
It makes a great home defense weapon (PS90 variant). The light recoil makes it easy to handle, the USG sight can be purchased now with an illuminated reticle, and the capacity makes round count a non-issue in a stressful situation.
Another great detail of this weapon is that it was designed to be snag free. Notice how most of the exposed surfaces have been rounded off to prevent catching onto gear or clothing in tight handling situations.
It is also extremely easy to use with one arm should the situation call for it (they really thought about the truck drivers lol)
Which army employs one-armed truck drivers?
Asking for a friend.
@@BerndFelsche Basically everyone does. Given the facts that one hand on the wheel, and the other can use this to shoot while running through an ambush. 50 rounds makes it even more useful in that regards.
You can also open doors and still run the gun. Why does nobody think about doors? Lol.
@@BeingFireRetardant To be fair in your average combat situation if you can't spare a dude to open the door while you cover him shit has really hit the fan.
Besides I would rather have a rifle caliber carbine than a P90 if I couldn't have a full size service rifle.
The ability to engage at longer ranges is always nice. Not to mention having the same ammo as your unit's light machine guns is a bonus.
Im almost as old as this gun, and first time I ever saw it was in Goldeneye 007 for N64. I think it was called thw rcp90. It looked so crazy cool and weird, i thought for sure it was a made up gun, especially since it was one of the ‘power’ weapons in multiplayer and prob best gun in the game lol. Surprised theres no goldeneye references here, 90’s kids where ya at?
It's really amazing that Pierce Bondsnan could reload that weird magazine so quickly by just dropping it down below his line of sight for a second or so, especially when all he had for hands were two weird boxes with poorly-mapped textures.
You good now?
To me, it will always be an RCP-90.
SOCOM II, PS2
I first saw a variation of it in ghost in the shell, the FIRST ghost in the shell.
For me I knew it because it was on Stargate SG1
"We wanted a gun that would defeat Russian paratroopers."
"Yes."
"This is a murder weapon for professional assassins."
"I mean it doesn't HAVE to be.... but it COULD."
To be fair, ANY gun can be an assassin's gun.
I mean, anything that can hit its target COULD...
@@Khono laughs in Bow and arrow
@@cleshsesh6155 laughs in pointed stick
@@cleshsesh6155 laughs in a spiked bat
Me: "Hmm I kinda want to watch some stargate again soon."
*Forgotten Weapons posts a video about the P90*
Me: "It was meant to be."
one of the most beautiful firearm ever created
Ian missed that the barrel is actually spring loaded to the front and will move back about 1 to 2 mm's during firing resembling a short recoil action.
Interesting. I wonder why FN did that.
@@grimlock1471 I think it keeps de receiver locked a bit longer and assists in the start of extraction. Also note the shape of the flashider, which resembles a recoil booster cone.
In my experience fitting a silencer greatly diminishes reliability.
That is something i didn't knew about. I will look it up if i don't forget when i get back to work (i work there).
Also, about the truncated flash hidder, i have been explained that it was so that if it falls to the ground barrel first, it would make it tilt to the side and reduce the risk of having a fire.
About that short recoil it has. I learned something today. One of my collegue engineer whom worked on it explained to me that the play was left to accomodate for the thermal dilatation of the barrel, so that it doesn't get seized in it's assembly. But it wasn't designed to opperate with a short barrel recoil and is considered a simple blowback.
The same mistake is often made for the Fiveseven pistol, which has a much more obvious short recoil action and yet is consistently called straight blowback.
Dude, you know your getting old when one of your favorite guns gets a Forgotten Weapons episode.
This is probably #3 on the list of "the exact opposite of a 'Forgotten Weapon'" behind AKs and AR15-based guns.
Nah, move it down a slot, you forgot the MP5
@@kiel_3222 the irony of this phrasing.
in 2021, yes. I think we will have an interesting stance towards many of these videos around 2035.
CheyTac M200 Intervention. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefield 4 are two very famous and well known games
i dunno, i think MP5 gets that #3 spot imo
Just watched the Stargate SG1 episode where they demo its ability against the alien blasters! "This is a weapon of war"
This [holds up staff weapon] is a weapon of terror. It's made to intimidate the enemy. This [holds up P90] is a weapon of war. It's made to _kill_ the enemy.
@@corinthianimperialstudios704 You failed to add who said that, "Jonathan J. 'Jack' O'Neill, Colonel, USAF"
SHAME ON YOU
@@glee21012 ...sorry
Admittedly I've only given SG-1 a full watchthrough once, last time I tried to get into a full rewatch, I got quite disinterested. Season 1 has its moments, but overall it just feels like I'm watching Star Trek, only with better action sequences and an overarching story that connects each episode together.
@@corinthianimperialstudios704 Yeah, it can be easier if you skip many of the bottle episodes and just watch through certain story arcs across the seasons. Different goulds, Asgard, Cassandra, Jacob, replicators, Ori, etc, etc. Might be hard to remember after only one watchthrough but I'm sure there's lists out there that tell you which episodes to watch for each arc.
Masamune Shirow is absolutely in love with this gun. His Seburo Arms (a fictional firearms company in his Appleseed series) had several variable ammo rifles, machine pistols and mech-operated arms that closely resemble this design.
Another of his creations, Ghost in the Shell, features a fictionalized version called the Crvena Zastava Nosle Model 22 (or CZN-M22). It made a few changes to the P90, but is conceptually based on it.
Love firing this weapon. Looks odd to hold with the ergonomic grips. But very comfortable. Gun is completely ambidextrous, sights, mag release and safety on both sides to left or right handed shooters. Biggest problem? Cost of ammo. 2.25 a round adds up quick with the 50 round mag. If you look close at the secret service, now that you are aware of this gun. You can see them carrying it under their suit coats. Very concealable.
that cost of ammo wouldn't have been an issue if nato adopted the round. thanks h&k!
This weapon is far from forgotten, but the mechanics are always worth talking about.
I don’t know what I’m more impressed by, the P-90 or the fact Ian found 5.7X28
Is it rare?
@@NoNameAtAll2 AFAIK it’s only compatible with the P90 and the accompanying pistol (the Five-seven), so it’s not like your local WallyMart is gonna be well stocked with it.
@@PromotedPawn Kel-Tec and Ruger both have 5.7x28 pistols out now.
@@LordKhyron85 yeah but that Kel-Tec is hideous. And I want the Ruger57
@@NoNameAtAll2 yes the ammo for it these days is exceptionalally rare
IDK if anyone else has said it but the P90 *does* have Iron Sights on it; that notched slit to the left *and* right of the rear of the top assembly (left and right behind the reflex sight) are the rear slit sight and the forward post*s* are the smoothed edged ends at the very front of the assembly. Depending on your hand hold you can use either side to line up a shot. They are *somewhat* effective, obviously non-adjustable, but are a nice built in backup and are moderately useable.
Ah yes, the p-90. Killer of Gods.... and countless of their minions~
False gods... Dead false gods.
Scho-vah!
For rushing B
Known in South America as the cop killer bullet...FN 5.7 is a nasty little round, very good at making holes in body armour and those behind it.
When he mentioned that special forces had adopted it despite it being meant for rear line troops because it was handy, it reminded me about his video on the artillery luger. Some troops found that the small, high capacity weapons were better in trench raids than their full-sized rifles, despite the reduced range and stopping power.
It sort of makes me think that the guys intentionally making weapons for the frontline or special forces might not always know what their target audience wants when there are cases where a preferable weapon is made by accident. :P
More that also the target audience does not knows what they want as they do not know what the next war is going to be. The saying goes the army always prepares for the last war. Soldiers at the start of WW1 did not have a clue that they would go trench raiding. Stopping power became much more important once forces started to face suicide bombs attackers.
Special forces often have the resources to acquire a selection of guns and see what works. But they are to small a market to warrant the special development of a whole gun system. And criteria simply cross classes. A MP90 can be easily stowed and handled in both a truckdriver position and the driver position of the Presidential Beast.
Or they try to design a weapon that affords them flexibility on the battlefield. As not every conflict can be predicted or the battlefield then the only option is to design a weapon that allows for good characteristics for the environment. While there are specific weapons for specific battles, I wouldn’t want to be carrying the P90 on an open plain, facing down rifle caliber weapons.
Well, the military did adopt the submachine gun after that. Lessons are learnt, but it takes time to implement new things.
@@ionpopescu3167 It's just funny how both the artillery luger and the p90 were made for rear line troops as a light, handy weapon with smaller caliber bullets, and were both adopted by special forces for the exact same reasons. It's almost history repeating itself rather than a new type of warfare.
Apparently special forces and rear line troops have somewhat similar weapon requirements.
@@Nerdnumberone What you said about Lugers reminds me that the favorite weapons of American "Tunnel Rats" in the Vietnam War were the .45 M1911 and the .45 Colt revolver
I always thought this was an awesome piece, especially as a left-hander. The look, the rate of fire and the ambidextrous design, the magazine, cartridge, the whole shebang... And it's a classic cool
Never has a firearm been so classic yet so futuristic whilst being wholly modern.
I thought it was spelled schabang
@@stevenbobbybills The Steyr AUG would like a word with you.
@@Chaos89P the AUG is also a pretty good contender, but I have to dock it points for the distinctly retro scope of the A1 variant, and the obviously modern look of the A3 rail layout. There isn't one singular version of the AUG that fits the bill, but the model of the P90 with integrated red dot has been about the same since the 90s, other than the optional side rails.
I would have bought a PS90 if it wasn't for the cartridge.
I ended up going with a Tavor SAR instead because .225/5.56 was like half the price at the time and is available everywhere.
I also considered the AUG, but I'm left handed and the STANAG version is RH only. The tavor I was able to swap to shoot lefty
14:21 I heard that the P90 won by a "significant margin." It was more mature, already had* suitable PDW and Pistol designs, and performed better against armor.
(Xbox)Ahoy reference?
@@KayoMichiels Stuart Brown hasn't had Xbox in his username for years now.
@@stevenbobbybills Yeah, but i had to include it... because his username was like that for a long time.
The Germans were just salty that they got beaten by the Belgians.
I watched a lot of StarGate when i was a kid. Because of that show this particular weapon forever was burned into my mind. I always liked how it looks, the insane fire rate and how its basically perfect weapon for sci-fi adventurers because its a lot of firepower in a tight package.
Holds up staff weapon
"This requires no maintenance, no ammo, easy to learn, can survive use by generations of conscripts, hits like a truck compared to weapons of same size and weight and we have not observed the shot losing velocity or altitude over the distance even once. Oh, and Tealc over there never misses a shot with it."
Holds up zat
"This is a small pistol analogue of the same thing with even more cool features."
Holds up P90
"And this is a plastic toy that is good only in videogames and in marketing brochures."
Carter did indeed pack a lot of firepower into a tight package.
I imagine the reason it's good for sci-fi adventures is really the sci-fi appearance :P
@@neilwilson5785 ;)
But back on topic, she used M4 though.
@@TheArklyte Only for a couple episodes in season 7. In fact, the reason why they had her character use that shorty M4 for those episodes was actually because the show had trouble getting enough 5.7x28mm blanks for filming. So they had Carter change weapons for those couple episodes; if you notice, she's doing most of the shooting (with guns anyway) in those episodes. Anyway that super short M4 build would be pretty ridiculously stupid in reality (severely compromising the ballistics of 5.56, and loud as hell).
ALMOST bought one as a 'pistol' for $1,300 many years ago... and I'm kicking myself for not doing it
Your wife is kinky
That would have been an awesome buy
The P90 is a cool gun fore sure, but tbh, SMG pistols seem kinda silly to me.
@@ayyo5971 Kinda sus
@@termitreter6545 I paid cash for a Thompson... an Uzi, and HK-94... but those are technically rifle/carbines.
anybody else fall in love with the P90 after watching Stargate?
No, but I enjoyed it playing Golden Eye on Nintendo 64
Yup 👍🏻
Holds up staff weapon
"This requires no maintenance, no ammo, easy to learn, can survive use by generations of conscripts, hits like a truck compared to weapons of same size and weight and we have not observed the shot losing velocity or altitude over the distance even once. Oh, and Tealc over there never misses a shot with it."
Holds up zat
"This is a small pistol analogue of the same thing with even more cool features."
Holds up P90
"And this is a plastic toy that is good only in videogames and in marketing brochures."
Gosh yeah
@@TheArklyte I'd use a gun that had a fan shape of Zats taped to it. Non-lethal for SWAT teams.
FW: This gun was designed to penetrate Russian body armor.
Stargate Fans: it can also penetrate advanced space aliens' armor.
Do you think this guy has any idea how many people are coming here just from SG forums? lol
You can never watch too much stargate.
@@Tounushi you're crazy! Once every 10 years for me.
Unless it's Stargate Universe, that sucked ^^
Skip universe. That was painful. Guess syfy wanted to infuse some “BSG” grittiness and it doesn’t work with star gate.
@@Tounushi I'm pretty sure Atlantis Season 5 takes place after the execution, but I know what you mean ^^
If there's a new SG, they should add variety of Earth's weaponry. XM8s need a more exposure.
Disagreement = H&K didn't like to lose so they vetoed the whole thing. THNX HK!
And that is why SG-1 switched to the P90
Nah, the real reason why the PDW program never pulled through was the end of the cold war; the soviet union fell in the same year the P90 got introduced. The P90/MP7 never competed against each other, there were 10 years inbetween the guns.
(edit: Never competed in the original PDW trial, if I understand correctly)
@@termitreter6545 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_P90
The results of the NATO tests were analyzed by a group formed of experts from Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the group's conclusion was that the 5.7×28mm was "undoubtedly" the more efficient cartridge.[10] However, the German delegation and others rejected the NATO recommendation that 5.7×28mm be standardized, halting the standardization process indefinitely.
@@Obskyre Thats not NATO, thats "an international group" thats not really described in any way.
They havent actually tested anything, they've just interpreted and rated stuff from the nato report, which is rather strange.
And the NATO report was in the early 2000s, so long after the end of the cold war. Thats about standardizing cartridges, not chosing a PDW.
@@termitreter6545 Both issues are tied together in the case of 5.7mm, as there are few other platforms that support it other than the FiveSeven and P90.
I was introduced to this in Goldeneye 007 , on N64. Good times.
Oh man you brought back some memories
Same here .. well remembered
I was browsing the comments to see who was gonna mention goldeneye!
For me, it's Counter Strike 1.6
Also Far Cry 1
Also Fallout 2
I will never forget this gun. Favorite gun in any video game
Ah yes, one of the members of "Real guns that looks like and felt like a toy"
so as f2000s does...
Wdym, with the f2000 is like the only two guns that actually look good
@@MaakaSakuranbo I want one of these so bad, even if it is a clone, just for my truck
@@MaakaSakuranbo it looks horrible to me. The only bullpup i really like is the tavor. I should clarify i mean the the f200 not the p90. I love the look of the p90.
@@gingergorilla695 get yourself a PS90 and sbr it
Let's not forget, it was also the weapon of choice for the SGC to arm its SG teams in the exploration of the galaxy, and also the Jaffa's rebels in the fight against their former Goa'uld masters.
Damn, I miss good'ol Stargate SG-1.
But not in the first couple of seasons. Makes you wonder if there was sponsorship involved.
@@Hans-gb4mv I think they saw the futuristic look, plus the ability to realistically not needing to recharge and lose or break MP5 chargers any more, thanks to the fully integrated ones of the FN.
Also, the MP5 isn't armour-piercing, if I remember correctly, hence can't kill the cobra guards of Apophis.
@@Chocolouf well, at least not in one burst.
Holds up staff weapon
"This requires no maintenance, no ammo, easy to learn, can survive use by generations of conscripts, hits like a truck compared to weapons of same size and weight and we have not observed the shot losing velocity or altitude over the distance even once. Oh, and Tealc over there never misses a shot with it."
Holds up zat
"This is a small pistol analogue of the same thing with even more cool features."
Holds up P90
"And this is a plastic toy that is good only in videogames and in marketing brochures."
For the record, in the Belgian military, the P90 is not really used by truck drivers or logistical personnel. They still use an FN FNC (although the use of P90 for them has been a long debate). Its main users are in fact medical personnel (so combat medics), followed by Special Forces, close protection units, etc... Also good to know, "our" P90's for the military are all equipped with an Aimpoint T-1
"I am a healer but...." *pulls out P90*
@@SMAXZO First, do know harm
Looks perfect for breach and clear work. The extrnely short barrel length would be exceptionaly good for rounding tight corners. So it makes sense spec. forces teams would use them. In urban and building clearing situations.
And that the cartridge ejects down to the floor instead of up into anyone who is to the ejection side of the weapon. Lends itself for a makeshift brass-catcher when the only clue you want to leave that you were there is the fragmented remains of the projectile in the target.
Ian your gonna love how that little sewing machine doesnt move while shooting. It real is a good gun to stop over penetrations when using non AP ammo.
Thanks for a real world reply. I am NOT Miltary, so this is superstition but:
It makes perfect sense as a tool for specialist forces.
It's small & easily hidden.
Specialists are likely to be involved in close support,
where killing the attacker is not useful, you just want them not targetting you and worrying about not being in pain anymore & then you can later ask them why they attacked!
Or they are in a context where an operators skills make head shots more likely to connect through a helmet & skull, then slow moving tumbling bullets interacting with brains, tends to leave brains in a distressed & less than functional state.
And lots of specialists have watched Stargate as a kid, so they get to carry the cool looking SG1 gun, and they can show pictures to their mates at home!!!
I have a PS90 SBR, agree with this comment. They are awesome. Unfortunately, Ian made a small error on the operating system. The barrel recoils about 0.030” with the bolt, so it is a delayed unlocking blowback system.
@@justignoreme7725 most individuals are taught center mass shots, "headshots" in general are not as easy nor as effective as one might think. Bullets have a nasty habit of deflecting when hitting bone, like off a jaw and outwards, or across a nose and out through a the side of the head. With a pdw like the p90 or mp7, you just add a few more to the squishy bits when you pull the trigger.
@@paintballplayer700 ? I havent taken one apart in years, but there is no "locking" of the action that i can remember. Even if the bolt and barrel recoil together it would still just be a delayed style action right?
@@JohnSmith-bf1sq oh wow, thankyou I never knew. I assumed the armour penetrative capabilities would punch through the bone. Thank you for teaching me new stuff!!
You forgot that SG-1 of the United States Airforce adopted the P90.
I think you mean SGC. I'm pretty sure every single SG team used it, not just SG-1.
@@prycenewberg3976 Also the Free Jaffa Army, to a limited extent.
@@glitterboy2098 Of course. I don't know how I forgot about them.
@@glitterboy2098 One of my favourite scene is the Jaffa dissing the "primitive" human weapons and Mj Carter shutting them up lol.
I always laugh when I take apart P90s and PS90s. Only gun I know of that comes apart like a printer. It is a beautiful design. Also, in addition to the gun seemingly being designed to fill the roll the M1 Carbine held for the US military, the 5.7x28mm always reminded me of the 22 Spitfire, which was the 30 Carbine round necked down to 5.7 mm.
Other than the obvious slow reloads that magazine would cause this looks like an absolutely awesome well executed gun. And 50 rounds! That's a large capacity for such a small package!
Yeah, that magazine seems like a problem. Seems to me that the last thing you want to be doing under fire is screwing around with an even slightly difficult-to-swap magazine. But maybe they figured that for the situations it was envisioned to be deployed in, if you can’t get it done with the first 50 rounds it’s not going to happen? That polycarbonate also doesn’t seem like it’s going to be super-durable.
SG1 tested the P90 in a very conspicuous way! Major Carter excelled in aiming.
"Hey you in the skirt get that target swinging a little bit"
@@AlaskanBallistics ...it is called a Kilt!
Ahhh...was not referred to 🏴
Man, I miss the days where a link to "Tomorrow's shooting video" showed up at the end of today's one.
That's because (at time of posting) it's not tomorrow yet.
@@Casadebox You're not getting it. The video has already been uploaded but schedulled to only be listed tomorrow. A year or so ago, the unlisted video used to show up at the end.
@@Arthurzeiro Has to do with UA-cams stupid algorythm that decided that daily/scheduled/constant uploads are needed or you wont get recommended.
You're wish has been granted
If movies and TV have taught me anything, it's that these were invented to fight aliens...
"Don't worry...I know what the aliens like." -SGT Avery Johnson
If movies aren’t real life then I don’t know what real life is
"we got nukes, we got knives, we got sharp sticks!"
The P90 will always remind me of the Secret Service and SG-1. The SPAS-12 (in pump action mode) also makes me think of SG-1. I didn't even know the SPAS-12 can run pump action until i saw the show as a kid.
A similar idea with re: to rear echelon troops and the M1 carbine in the early 1940s.
"...THIS is a weapon of war. It is meant to KILL your enemy."
Great Carter quote
@@chernobyl68 I think it’s O’Neils quote carter shoots the log
the manufacturer probablie payed for that scène
The term "weapon of war" is a term made up by fearmongers in the anti-gun coalition. If you have the heart for it, anything is a weapon of war.
@@sigvar6795 totally, the plate I ate my dinner on is a weapon of war
It's gonna be a sad day tomorrow for the Famas when Ian declares the P90 his new favorite bullpup. Loving all the Stargate and Tarkov references here, btw. Seems like most people know their guns from TV and games these days :)
Love the attention to detail in explaining the nuts and bolts of the gun's operation and design. Was always intrigued by this gun for over a decade, but never knew the history and design.
Everyone making a reference to Stargate or counterstrike and nobody talking aboot the RCP90 in 007 Goldeneye.
I thought the same thing. The RCP90 was just unfair in Goldeneye!
Man that thing had an insane rate of fire. Or at least that’s how I remember it as a kid.
Mainly because it's all I play lately but I always am reminded of Escape from tarkov, the p90 is a beast in that game.
Funniest weapons to dual wield in paintball mode on multiplayer. Just shower everyone with twin fire hoses.
1000 rpm, 50 rounds, high penetration. Gotta be the best smg ever
Richard Dean Anderson's favorite Hand Rest
It's a legend. There may never be anything like it again.
The SG1 uses it regularly since they replaced the MP5 with it^^
The day has come, ladies and gentlemen
so basically this is the modern day story of the M1 Carbine....
The original pdw
Yeah, kinda
With an halfway round, it’s simply a m16 round at 400m, the range being 800m
I absolutely love how super innovative FN is. Nice video, Ian. Thanks. Well presented as always.
Always loved this gun because of Stargate, was cool to hear the reasoning and design behind it. Seems like a solid gun.
I bought a PS90 and Five-seveN pistol as a pair 15 years ago. I love both weapons and will never sell either one.
Damm how much did they cost? And just how much does ammo go for?
And I am here buying that set every round in Counter Strike
@@chrisprizzle278 went to a gun show recently. Saw the p90 for $2500 and the fn pistol for $600. Cheapest rounds for them were $1 each
@@anonymousbiscuit9114 Sounds like they marked them up quite a bit. I usually spend between $35-$40 for a box of 50.
@@chrisprizzle278 Since you never got an answer on cost, it was probably around the $800-$1,100 range for each around that time
Wow, I am very surprised by the fact that the P90 uses straight blowback when the gun looks so futuristic. I expected some fancy system but I guess that FN realised there is no need of over-engineering things (ejem, HK...)
So just found out a thing about the p90. The barrel reciprocates, not by much but it is there. The barrel moves back a few millimeters and just behind the flash hider there is a barrel return spring that pushes the barrel back forward.
Just looking at the P90 I feel a major draw for "operators" is the very sleek design. Most guns have a lot of protruding bits sticking out all over. The P90 looks like it has very little of this, which means there are less chance of having it snag on anything when least you can afford it. Having worked around camouflage nets while carrying guns it can be a F-ing nightmare. The P90 looks like it would be a lot easier to handle while crawling under those nets than most common rifles or SMG's.
I also have a sneaking suspicion that the procurement guys who got these for their units based their decision on it looking "really frickin' ninja".