My Five-Seven exploded

fairchase · **Joined:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:14 am **Posts:** 12

Last week my FN Five-Seven blew up causing severe damage to my left hand (I am right handed). There are 6-8 pieces of shrapnel deep in my thumb and palm area which severed the nerves to my thumb and a portion of my palm. Surgery is required in an attempt to repair the hand by harvesting tissue from my leg. Wish me luck.

The “explosion” occurred on the last round of a 30 round mag loaded with the factory 40gr v-max stuff. On this particular day I only had three loaded magazines (70 rounds total) with me for the Five-Seven but had several other handguns to shoot after the Five-Seven. I began with a 20 round mag loaded with hand loads, then a 20 round mag loaded with factory ammo and finished with the 30 round mag with factory ammo. It was the very last round of 5.7x28 in my immediate possession that ruined my day ……. and a whole lot more!!

I have fired (600-700 rounds) both factory and hand loads through the pistol with zero issues since purchasing new in 2/2011. There are reports of the Five-Seven firing out of battery (OOB) which appears to be the case here but I am no weapons forensics expert. I am not a novice to shooting, handguns or reloading and have 20+ years of extensive experience with shooting and reloading.

I have been completely straightforward with FNH (i.e. Browning) so will now wait and see how they respond.

EL29jm · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:49 pm

fairchase,

I wish you luck in your recover and the full use of your hand. This is the second FiveseveN that I have heard of that KB. The first pertained to a double charged round. In your case you were using factory. Again, best wishes to your recovery.

-John

justa22 · **Joined:** Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:31 am **Posts:** 34

This is terrible, I wish you speedy and 100% recovery. Please let us know how things go for you. Best wishes.

cHaMeLeoN352 · **Joined:** Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:57 am **Posts:** 150

Thank you for the information!

I wish you the best in your recovery.

toyslr · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:13 pm

No chance a hand load got loaded in with factory ammo? Sorry but good example of why i don't shoot reloads, have seen more than one firearm explode from a double charge. Wish you a speedy recovery and I wouldn't have told them about reloads..
FNH will likely back away quickly with that as their response because if it had been factory only ammo, you would own their a**

panzermk2 · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:49 pm

Holy crap! I hope things go as good as possible for you!

Do you have a lot number on the SS197?

Again I hope things go well for you.

Is there a piece of neck in the chamber in front of the blown out case?

fairchase wrote:

Last week my FN Five-Seven blew up causing severe damage to my left hand (I am right handed). There are 6-8 pieces of shrapnel deep in my thumb and palm area which severed the nerves to my thumb and a portion of my palm. Surgery is required in an attempt to repair the hand by harvesting tissue from my leg. Wish me luck.

The “explosion” occurred on the last round of a 30 round mag loaded with the factory 40gr v-max stuff. On this particular day I only had three loaded magazines (70 rounds total) with me for the Five-Seven but had several other handguns to shoot after the Five-Seven. I began with a 20 round mag loaded with hand loads, then a 20 round mag loaded with factory ammo and finished with the 30 round mag with factory ammo. It was the very last round of 5.7x28 in my immediate possession that ruined my day ……. and a whole lot more!!

I have fired (600-700 rounds) both factory and hand loads through the pistol with zero issues since purchasing new in 2/2011. There are reports of the Five-Seven firing out of battery (OOB) which appears to be the case here but I am no weapons forensics expert. I am not a novice to shooting, handguns or reloading and have 20+ years of extensive experience with shooting and reloading.

I have been completely straightforward with FNH (i.e. Browning) so will now wait and see how they respond.

Prepper · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:35 pm

Sucker Punch

Lucky 13 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:39 pm **Posts:** 16

WOW, what a terrible thing to happen ,good luck with everything.please keep everyone informed of what happens next ,curious to see how fnh customer service handles this one!!!

blueorison · **Joined:** Sat Apr 11, 2009 2:28 pm **Posts:** 9743

UT/EA Pistol Captain

Rapier1772 · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:58 pm

Ouch. That does look like how I would picture an out of battery firing - but I have never seen one & am by no means an authority on the subject. I wish you a speedy recovery and good luck with FNH.

Thedirtyheat · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:08 pm

Sigh everything that can go wrong with a 5.7 feels like it is lately

Buffman · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:18 pm

BTW where's the top cover?

truehuntersupply · **Joined:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:36 am **Posts:** 499

Wow hope for the best....

SHEEPDOG · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 2:22 pm **Posts:** 815

A.K.A. DW

s-industries · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:35 pm

M.E.

fd57 · **Joined:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:13 pm **Posts:** 648

Polymer sucks at times like this. Folks sometimes look at us at indoor ranges - "Why are those schmoos wearing gloves?" And the answer is ...

fairchase · **Joined:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:14 am **Posts:** 12

Buffman wrote:

BTW where's the top cover?

I was alone and a bit shookup when this happened and I didn't see the slide cover after the malfunction. I will attempt to locate it at the incident site.

fairchase · **Joined:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:14 am **Posts:** 12

toyslr wrote:

No chance a hand load got loaded in with factory ammo? Sorry but good example of why i don't shoot reloads, have seen more than one firearm explode from a double charge. Wish you a speedy recovery and I wouldn't have told them about reloads..
FNH will likely back away quickly with that as their response because if it had been factory only ammo, you would own their a**

No. The 30 rd mag had been loaded for a couple months with SS197.

fairchase · **Joined:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:14 am **Posts:** 12

panzermk2 wrote:

Holy crap! I hope things go as good as possible for you!

Do you have a lot number on the SS197?

Again I hope things go well for you.

Is there a piece of neck in the chamber in front of the blown out case?

fairchase wrote:

Last week my FN Five-Seven blew up causing severe damage to my left hand (I am right handed). There are 6-8 pieces of shrapnel deep in my thumb and palm area which severed the nerves to my thumb and a portion of my palm. Surgery is required in an attempt to repair the hand by harvesting tissue from my leg. Wish me luck.

The “explosion” occurred on the last round of a 30 round mag loaded with the factory 40gr v-max stuff. On this particular day I only had three loaded magazines (70 rounds total) with me for the Five-Seven but had several other handguns to shoot after the Five-Seven. I began with a 20 round mag loaded with hand loads, then a 20 round mag loaded with factory ammo and finished with the 30 round mag with factory ammo. It was the very last round of 5.7x28 in my immediate possession that ruined my day ……. and a whole lot more!!

I have fired (600-700 rounds) both factory and hand loads through the pistol with zero issues since purchasing new in 2/2011. There are reports of the Five-Seven firing out of battery (OOB) which appears to be the case here but I am no weapons forensics expert. I am not a novice to shooting, handguns or reloading and have 20+ years of extensive experience with shooting and reloading.

I have been completely straightforward with FNH (i.e. Browning) so will now wait and see how they respond.

Sorry, no lot number.

sentry36t · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:55 pm

fittysev

My Five-Seven exploded

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