Wow! Five Seven Accuracy

Harrishmasher · Mar 13, 2015

Historically I mainly shoot rifles. Since my wife and I have a young baby I find I don't have the time to spend the day at the outdoor rifle range 45 mins away from my home. I basically have an hour or two a week to devote to shooting. So I find myself going to the indoor range a few blocks from my home once or twice a week.

Most of my gun purchases the last two years have been handguns, mostly S&W Revolvers. I went on a big revolver kick. I have gotten damn good with them too. If you can shoot a revolver with a heavy DA pull well, you can shoot anything well.

For a change of pace I bought a Five Seven 3 weeks ago. After today I have a total 800 rounds through it. Today was the first day I shot SS195 ammo. I ran 100 rounds of it through my 5 7. Over the last 3 weeks I had been shooting AE 40gr. Though it has functioned perfectly, I have not been too impressed with the accuracy. Well today that changed. Let's just say SS195 will be my new practice load. Since I carry SS198 it makes more sense anyway...I won't have to adjust the sights when I switch from AE to my lighter carry round the SS198. It takes 14 clicks of elevation when I switch between the 40gr and 27gr rounds.

Here is my best group from the day, but the others were not far off. I am extremely impressed with the accuracy of this gun and the SS195 ammo.

25 Feet, 5 Rounds SS195

For those of you who don't know, Sportsman's Guide has the SS195 for $232.97 per 500 round case. They usually have a code for free shipping as well. That seems to be the best deal around for SS195. But strangely they sell a 50 round box of SS195 for $37.97!!! So 1 box is $37.97, but when you buy 10 they are $23.29 a box??? Makes no sense to me, but I am not complaining. I will take the huge discount and buy 10 boxes!

I had been getting the AE 40gr from targetsportsusa.com for $199 per 500 round case delivered. I think the SS195 is worth the extra $33 bucks per case. It is my understanding that the SS195 and SS198 are made in Belgium by FN and the SS197 and AE 40gr are made by Fiocchi here in the US. I think I will stick with the ammo from the gun's motherland.

Trentofdestiny · Mar 13, 2015

Harrishmasher said:
Historically I mainly shoot rifles. Since my wife and I have a young baby I find I don't have the time to spend the day at the outdoor rifle range 45 mins away from my home. I basically have an hour or two a week to devote to shooting. So I find myself going to the indoor range a few blocks from my home once or twice a week.

Most of my gun purchases the last two years have been handguns, mostly S&W Revolvers. I went on a big revolver kick. I have gotten damn good with them too. If you can shoot a revolver with a heavy DA pull well, you can shoot anything well.

For a change of pace I bought a Five Seven 3 weeks ago. After today I have a total 800 rounds through it. Today was the first day I shot SS195 ammo. I ran 100 rounds of it through my 5 7. Over the last 3 weeks I had been shooting AE 40gr. Though it has functioned perfectly, I have not been too impressed with the accuracy. Well today that changed. Let's just say SS195 will be my new practice load. Since I carry SS198 it makes more sense anyway...I won't have to adjust the sights when I switch from AE to my lighter carry round the SS198. It takes 14 clicks of elevation when I switch between the 40gr and 27gr rounds.

Here is my best group from the day, but the others were not far off. I am extremely impressed with the accuracy of this gun and the SS195 ammo.

25 Feet, 5 Rounds SS195
View attachment 36140

It is my understanding that the SS195 and SS198 are made in Belgium by FN and the SS197 and AE 40gr are made by Fiocchi here in the US. I think I will stick with the ammo from the gun's motherland.

I believe they are all loaded by Fiocchi currently. I have a box of SS197 with an 06 headstamp which is labeled FN (all-white box). The blue and white boxes, red and white boxes, and the AE should all be loaded by Fiocchi but not sure if it's also imported.

PursuitSS · Mar 13, 2015

Trentofdestiny said:
I believe they are all loaded by Fiocchi currently. I have a box of SS197 with an 06 headstamp which is labeled FN (all-white box). The blue and white boxes, red and white boxes, and the AE should all be loaded by Fiocchi but not sure if it's also imported.

Fiocchi only manufactures SS197 & Federal American Eagle.

Thats why I will pay a premium for SS198LF.

QA/QC on Fiocchi SUCKS!!!!

sldcountry · Mar 13, 2015

I thought ss195 had been discontinued

dank · Mar 13, 2015

sldcountry said:
I thought ss195 had been discontinued

its back... not cheap.. but available SGAmmo has it...

Widget23 · Mar 13, 2015

When I got my Five-seveN, there was a letter in the box from FN saying they did not recommend the SS195 for it. They recommended staying with the SS197, AE5728A, SS198, etc.

What's the real story on the SS195 then, besides it being slightly slower than the SS198?

jhs27275 · Mar 13, 2015

Widget23 said:
What's the real story on the SS195 then, besides it being slightly slower than the SS198?

Same round just a little slower.

SONYtec · Mar 14, 2015

Nice shooting!!!

You were going to shoot out the middle weren't you???

Harrishmasher · Mar 14, 2015

dank said:
its back... not cheap.. but available SGAmmo has it...

I pointed out in my original post Sportsman's Guide has SS195 for $232 for a case of 500.

Sig FN AMG · Apr 9, 2015

SS195 or SS195lf ? Mine came with the piece of paper saying SS 195 could cause performance issues.

jhs27275 · Apr 9, 2015

Sig FN AMG said:
SS195 or SS195lf ?

Same thing.

Harrishmasher · Apr 9, 2015

Sig FN AMG said:
SS195 or SS195lf ? Mine came with the piece of paper saying SS 195 could cause performance issues.

There is no difference. Only one kind of 195. What came with a piece of paper saying 195 could cause performance issues? Gun? Ammo? FN uses 195 to sight-in the pistols at the factory.

SAVAGEJIM · Apr 9, 2015

Widget23 said:
When I got my Five-seveN, there was a letter in the box from FN saying they did not recommend the SS195 for it. They recommended staying with the SS197, AE5728A, SS198, etc.

What's the real story on the SS195 then, besides it being slightly slower than the SS198?

jhs27275 said:
Same round just a little slower.

The real story between SS195 and SS198 is only speed.
Both rounds use the same weight projectile, 28gr, but the faster SS198 has more muzzle energy, muzzle momentum, and muzzle impulse because of that speed.

If you calculate the recoil energy of both, the SS198 has 40ft-lbf more energy it exerts on the muzzle crown which is needed to guarantee that the pistol will cycle.

Now, AE5728A might be as slow (if not slower) than SS195, but is has a higher muzzle energy, muzzle momentum, and muzzle impulse due to the heavier 40gr projectile weight.
That is sufficient enough to cycle the pistol reliably

SAVAGEJIM · Apr 9, 2015

Sig FN AMG said:
SS195 or SS195lf ? Mine came with the piece of paper saying SS 195 could cause performance issues.

jhs27275 said:
Same thing.

Yes, exactly correct; SS195 is SS195 LF.

Many drop off the "LF" at the end.
Just like how we only say:
SS197 for SS197 SR
SS198 for SS198 LF
etc

jhs27275 · Apr 9, 2015

Harrishmasher said:
What came with a piece of paper saying 195 could cause performance issues?

That was when the factory changed the recoil spring to function better with the 40gr rounds.

Sig FN AMG · Apr 9, 2015

ok so the paper is wrong and the mk2 will cycle ss195 just fine im guessing ?

SAVAGEJIM · Apr 9, 2015

Sig FN AMG said:
ok so the paper is wrong and the mk2 will cycle ss195 just fine im guessing ?

It depends. No guarantees it will or will not all the time.
Some others have said that certain SS195 lots will cause problems. Assuming this, I don't know which lots to avoid.

Harrishmasher · Apr 9, 2015

SAVAGEJIM said:
It depends. No guarantees it will or will not all the time.
Some others have said that certain SS195 lots will cause problems. Assuming this, I don't know which lots to avoid.

I had no idea. I have been running ss195 through both of my 5 7 pistols. Just finished up 500 rounds and have not had a single hiccup. I have another 500 rounds of ss195 on the way!

I prefer to shoot the 195 as my practice round because I carry ss198 and want to keep the pistol sighted in for that round. 195 and 198 hit the target exactly the same from my guns. When I shoot the 40 grain loads I have to adjust my sights up 10 to 14 clicks. So instead of practicing with the AE stuff and having to change the sights all the time, I just want to run 195 at the range exclusively. Guess we will just see how it goes, but 500 rounds and zero problems thus far.

SAVAGEJIM · Apr 9, 2015

The ballistics on the SS195 will be different than SS198.
This has to do with the speed again. The SS195 will drop more at range than the SS198.

However, if you are firing at close distances (QCB distances), you will not notice a difference between the two when killin' paper and cardboard

Harrishmasher · Apr 9, 2015

SAVAGEJIM said:
The ballistics on the SS195 will be different than SS198.
This has to do with the speed again. The SS195 will drop more at range than the SS198.

However, if you are firing at close distances (QCB distances), you will not notice a difference between the two when killin' paper and cardboard

I know. The difference is only about 100fps. It will take a much greater distance than I shoot paper with a pistol to see the difference. I sighted the gun in with the 198 and the 195 is dead the same at any distance I have shot.

Wow! Five Seven Accuracy

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