A couple of years ago, Ruger almost single-handedly breathed new life into the 5.7x28mm caliber by announcing their new Ruger 57 pistol.
Until then, the FN-designed round was primarily used in FN’s Five-Seven pistol and P90/PS90 PDW/PCC platforms. Likewise, the only ammo on the market was a few FN-branded loads made by Fiocchi.
Skip to 2022, and you now have a ton of new 5.7-chambered guns from CMMG, Diamondback, and even KelTec as well as Vista Outdoors making 5.7 ammo in cheap (American Eagle) and expensive (Speer) loads. Heck, even FN has announced a new model of the Five-Seven, now optics-ready.
So, it should come as no surprise that Ruger has struck again and is now selling an LC Carbine in 5.7 just in time for Christmas.
Briefly, the LC seems to use as many parts of the Ruger 57 pistol as possible, including mags, grip, and surface controls but includes a 16-inch barrel, AR-pattern side-folding adjustable stock, and a full-length top Picatinny rail. Weight is just under 6 pounds while, when folded, the overall length is in the backpackable range.
The punchline is the asking price, about $1K, which could be a tough sell as you can get a basic AR-15 for half that and have lots more ammo choices.
