January 10, 2020
By David M. Fortier
As expected, we are seeing some exciting new 5.7x28mm loads being introduced following the release of the Ruger-57 pistol. I expected Ruger to team up with an ammunition manufacturer or two, and evidently they have. Why did I expect this? While the 5.7x28mm cartridge is an interesting design with a lot of potential, it has never received a great deal of industry support for the commercial side. Sure, there has been a small shop or two doing very interesting and thought provoking work, but there really hasn’t been much in the mainstream. For Ruger’s 57 pistol to really be successful they need sufficient support from the ammunition manufacturers with both high-end expanding loads and an economical practice load or two.
So, I’m very happy to see Speer Ammo has just released a new 40-grain Gold Dot load in 5.7x28mm. This is a bonded bullet, to eliminate jacket separation at high impact velocities or while going through intermediate barriers. The new load is part of their Gold Dot Protection line and will be sold in 50-round boxes. Price is a stiff $51.95, but it IS a Gold Dot load. I'm interested to see what the muzzle velocity is from a Ruger-57, average expansion in calibrated 10% Ordnance Gel and average depth of penetration. This is the type of industry backing Ruger needs to help make their Ruger-57 successful. For more information visit https://www.speer-ammo.com/
