FN P90
- Category
- Personal Defense Weapon
- Barrel
- 263 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.54 kg
- Introduced
- 1990
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FN P90 is a select-fire personal defense weapon chambered in 5.7x28mm FN, produced by FN Herstal since 1990. This Belgian-manufactured firearm reflects the engineering traditions and quality standards of its country of origin, designed to meet the demands of both civilian and professional users in a competitive global marketplace. Featuring a 50-round magazine capacity, this personal defense weapon offers generous firepower for duty use and home defense. The 10.4-inch barrel maximizes accuracy potential and ballistic performance, making this an excellent choice for target shooting, competition, or field use. At 2540g (89.6 oz), this is a substantial firearm whose weight contributes to reduced felt recoil and enhanced stability during precision shooting. The polymer frame construction reduces weight while providing a textured, ergonomic grip surface designed for secure handling in all conditions. This firearm represents its manufacturer's commitment to delivering a well-engineered, reliable product that serves the needs of discerning shooters seeking quality, accuracy, and dependable performance from a proven platform.
The P90's revolutionary horizontal 50-round magazine rotates each cartridge 90 degrees as it feeds, solving the engineering challenge of fitting a high-capacity magazine onto a compact bullpup. The U.S. Secret Service adopted it in 1997 for presidential protection details, where its compact size and armor-piercing capability are ideal for close-protection work.
The P90's 5.7x28mm cartridge was developed specifically for this weapon system and offers a flat trajectory, minimal recoil, and armor-penetration capabilities exceeding NATO standards. The P90 TR variant introduced in 1999 features a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny triple rail interface instead of the integrated reflex sight. The civilian PS90 variant, introduced in 2005, has an extended 407mm barrel to comply with US NFA regulations and is semi-automatic only. The P90's unique magazine design rotates cartridges 90 degrees as they feed, allowing for the compact bullpup configuration while maintaining a full-length barrel.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Category
- Personal Defense Weapon
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1990
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 263 mm
- Overall length
- 500 mm
- Height
- 210 mm
- Width
- 55 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.54 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 2.86 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Closed bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 50
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 715 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 512 J
- Effective range
- 200 m
- Maximum range
- 1800 m
- Rate of fire
- 900 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
- Bullpup design
Horizontal magazine
Ambidextrous controls
Integrated reflex sight
Chrome lined barrel
Select fire
Accessory rail- Transparent magazine
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 54 personal defense weapons | 2.54 kg | 2.23 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 53 personal defense weapons | 500 mm | 582 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 55 personal defense weapons | 263 mm | 168 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 57 personal defense weapons | 50 | 30 | Among the largest capacities |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the FN P90
How much does the FN P90 weigh?
The FN P90 weighs 2.54 kg (5.60 lb) empty and 2.86 kg (6.31 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the FN P90?
The FN P90 is chambered in 5.7x28mm FN.
How many rounds does the FN P90 hold?
The FN P90 holds 50 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the FN P90?
The FN P90 is 500 mm (19.7 in) long overall, with a 263 mm (10.35 in) barrel.
Who makes the FN P90?
The FN P90 is made by FN Herstal (Belgium). It was designed by Stephane Ferrard.
When was the FN P90 introduced?
The FN P90 was introduced in 1990.
How does the FN P90 operate?
The FN P90 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is closed bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- United States Secret Service
- 1997
- Belgian Armed Forces
- 1991
- French Armed Forces
- 1995
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Canada
- Austrian Armed Forces
- Austria
- Greek Armed Forces
- Greece
- Indian Armed Forces
- India
- Malaysian Armed Forces
- Malaysia
- Netherlands Armed Forces
- Netherlands
- Polish Armed Forces
- Poland
Provenance
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/fn-p90' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fn-p90", "name": "FN P90", "manufacturer": { "id": "fn-herstal", "name": "FN Herstal", "countryCode": "BE", "foundedYear": 1889, "website": "https://www.fnherstal.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "868b12ac455d24b965edddf486bafb1892f606961311b1ab9907556e3a23b075" }, "category": { "id": "personal-defense-weapon", "name": "Personal Defense Weapon", "description": "Compact firearms designed for non-frontline military personnel" }, "country_of_origin": "BE", "year_introduced": 1990, "barrel_length_mm": 263, "weight_empty_g": 2540, "action_type": "blowback"}