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.
By Michael Crites
Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18.
During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications.
His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual.
As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY.
He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).
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