Intro, 5.7x28mm SS190 Overview, and Armor Test Plan
The video opens at Neutral Ground Gun Company in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the Classic Firearms crew teams up with James Reeves from TFBTV. After some light banter about the range name and location, they introduce the 5.7x28mm platform and immediately contrast a standard 27-grain sporting round, the SS195LF, with the SS190 service load. SS190 is described as a 31-grain projectile with an aluminum core and steel penetrator, running roughly 2,100 feet per second from an FN Five-seveN pistol and around 2,400 feet per second from an FN P90. James mentions that he has previously seen this load defeat some Level IV plates from the P90 and calls himself a bit of a 5.7 nerd, explaining that he has done several videos on the cartridge. They briefly touch on the legal nuances: the load is restricted to law enforcement and military sales, but private possession is not prohibited, making its status somewhat unusual. The hosts then lay out the armor to be tested: a Gardoc Level IV ceramic plate with polyethylene backing intended for a plate carrier, and a lightweight Gardock Level III+ polyethylene backpack plate rated to stop .308. They note how light and rigid the backpack plate feels compared to the heavier ceramic option. The test plan is to start with a regular 5.7 load from a Tisas PX-57 pistol on the Level III+ backpack plate, then move to SS190 from both the Five-seveN and the P90. They expect the standard 5.7 to be stopped easily and are more interested in seeing how the hotter service load behaves against modern hard armor.
Standard 5.7 vs Gardock Level III+ Backpack Plate
The hosts move to live fire on the Gardock Level III+ backpack plate, a polyethylene design rated to stop .308 Winchester. Shooting from about seven yards with standard 27-grain 5.7x28mm sporting ammunition out of the Tisas PX-57, they evaluate how the lightweight plate handles the small, fast projectile. After impact, they inspect the front and back of the plate, finding only minor back-face deformation and no sign of a complete pass-through. The result confirms their earlier prediction that regular 5.7 lacks the construction and energy to defeat this Level III+ polyethylene armor. Because the plate shrugged off the pistol shots so easily, they decide there is no point in repeating the same test with a P90 using the same non-specialized load, reasoning that the higher velocity would be unlikely to change the fundamental outcome. This segment sets a baseline for how conventional 5.7 behaves against modern rifle-rated backpack armor before introducing the more advanced SS190 round.
Switching to SS190 and First Pistol Tests
With standard 5.7 testing complete, attention shifts to the SS190 service load. The hosts emphasize that the Gardock Level III+ plate is not specifically rated for this type of projectile, and they debate how much plate thickness versus official rating really matters when dealing with exotic small-caliber penetrators. One shooter expects the SS190 to zip through the “chunky” polyethylene plate despite its .308 rating, citing the steel penetrator and higher sectional density. Using a Five-seveN pistol, they fire SS190 into the same backpack plate. On inspection, they are unsure whether the round has actually made it all the way through. The polyethylene material appears to self-seal around the entry point, making it difficult to visually confirm a through-shot. They discuss options: cutting the plate open or firing another expensive SS190 round to gather more evidence. Jokes surface about TFBTV footing the ammo bill for Classic Firearms, highlighting the cost of testing genuine service-grade ammunition while they plan a more definitive way to detect penetration.
Paper Backing Setup and Pistol vs P90 SS190 Debate
To resolve the uncertainty around SS190 performance, the hosts tape sheets of paper behind the armor plate so any complete pass-through will leave a clear mark. After setting up, they fire another SS190 round from the pistol and finally get a visible hit on the plate. Checking the paper, they confirm that this pistol-fired SS190 did not fully penetrate, though it clearly impacts with authority. Next, they transition to the FN P90, noting that its longer barrel pushes SS190 a few hundred feet per second faster than the pistol. They also mention the P90’s roughly four-inch optic height over bore, which requires aiming low to get hits where intended at close range. Shots from the P90 show more violent impact and torn paper behind the plate. This leads to a debate: some think the paper tears indicate full penetration, while others argue it is just back-face deformation and shock ripping the paper without the bullet exiting. The disagreement prompts them to design yet another test using a water jug and additional taping to make any true through-shots unmistakable.
Taping Tactics and Why 5.7 Penetration Is Hard to See
The crew spends time joking and debating the best way to tape the target, eventually deciding to tape the armor securely and place a water jug directly behind it. The idea is that any round that fully penetrates will rupture the jug, providing an obvious visual cue. They explain that 5.7x28mm SS190 projectiles are extremely small, with a needle-like steel penetrator, and that the rubber and polymer test media they use tend to self-seal around the entry holes. This self-sealing effect makes it very difficult to spot clean penetration just by looking at the front or back of the block. By combining paper, tape, and a water jug, they hope to overcome the limitations of visual inspection on dense, elastic materials. The segment highlights the practical challenges of documenting real armor performance with such small, high-velocity rounds, and underscores why simple plate inspection can be misleading when dealing with advanced polyethylene and rubber backers.
SS190 vs Thick Soft Armor and Preparing Regular 5.7 Test
With the new setup in place, the hosts focus on a thick, non-ceramic soft armor panel, aiming at the head area to see if SS190 can punch through. They fire the 31-grain SS190 at high velocity and then inspect the armor and the backing. Instead of a clean hole, they find only a pronounced bulge, indicating that the round was stopped within the soft armor layers. This outcome surprises them, given SS190’s reputation for defeating thinner soft vests and even some steel helmets. The test suggests that thickness and construction can trump caliber-specific marketing claims, especially when the armor is designed with substantial layering and modern materials. After confirming the lack of penetration, they prepare for another round of experimentation by taping the armor panel to a rubber block. They then load regular 5.7 ammunition, planning to run a string of standard rounds to see how non-specialized 5.7 behaves against the same setup compared to the SS190 load.
P90 Mag Dump with Standard 5.7 and Plate Inspection
The video shifts to a more dynamic demonstration as the hosts load a full magazine of standard 5.7x28mm into a personal FN P90. They comment on the P90’s extremely light recoil and controllability, while also poking fun at its less-than-stellar trigger. Despite any ergonomic quirks, they agree it is an undeniably fun gun to shoot. A rapid mag dump sends a stream of standard 5.7 rounds into the armor-backed rubber block. After the shooting, they carefully inspect the armor plate and backing. The surface shows heavy damage, scarring, and deformation from the concentrated fire, but they confirm that none of the standard 5.7 rounds actually penetrated through. Given that the Level III+ plate has already stopped both standard 5.7 and SS190 from the pistol and P90, they decide there is no practical need to move on to the heavier Level IV ceramic plate in this session. The results reinforce the effectiveness of modern rifle-rated backpack armor against small, high-velocity calibers.
Armor Level Comparisons, Previous Big-Bore Tests, and Wrap-Up
In the closing segment, the hosts reflect on the day’s results and compare them to previous armor tests. They recall earlier experiments where a similar armor setup stopped a first .50 BMG round but allowed a second hit to punch through, illustrating how repeated impacts can degrade protection. They also mention prior work with SS190 and black-tip 5.56 steel-core ammunition, using those experiences to contextualize how 5.7x28mm stacks up against other penetrator-style rounds. The conversation drifts into lighthearted fitness banter, joking about turning the range session into a workout segment and poking fun at each other’s conditioning. Before signing off, they promote cfcontest.com, encourage viewers to check out TFBTV and James Reeves’ channel, and thank Classic Firearms’ audience for watching. The wrap-up ties together the collaboration, the surprising resilience of Level III+ and soft armor against 5.7, and the broader theme of testing real-world ballistic performance rather than relying solely on ratings or reputation.
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