I have been a fan of FN’s odd bullpups ever since I bought my first FS2000 in 2010. After a few years kicking around the idea of getting a PS90, sort of the FS2000’s little brother, I finally picked one up off the EE this week. No better way to kick off Canada Day weekend last night with a shake-down visit to the range to try out a new gun.
But first—a little background. The full-auto version of the PS90, the P90, has been in production since 1990 (I can remember using the PS90 in the video game “Goldeneye” for the N64 in the late 1990s), but I was surprised to learn that the PS90 (with the US-legal 16" barrel) has only been available for sale since 2005. FN developed the 5.7X28mm ammunition specifically for use in the P90 and FiveSeven pistol (hmmm….might have to keep an eye open for one of them next). Speaking of the 5.7X28mm round—I was surprised by how small it is. Here’s one compared with a 5.56X45mm and a 7.62X51mm round:
The first thing I noticed about the rifle was how many features it shares with the FS2000, which was launched 11 years after the P90.
Even disassembled, you can see the similarities—the main components (barrel group, breech block assembly, stock, and removable trigger group.
Disassembly of the PS90 is surprisingly easy—the video below shows the process.
The trigger packs are quite similar too—here’s the PS90’s
and the FS2000’s:
The PS90 is blowback, while the FS2000 uses a gas-driven piston operation—here’s a close-up of the breechblock (the “moving parts group” as FN calls it)
Those protrusions on the breechblock fit into recesses in the chamber areas:
Instead of the FS2000’s forward ejection, the PS90 ejects straight down (with some vigor, I might add!) The ejection chute is directly below the chamber area.
It has a dust cover you can pop close to keep crap out—it’ll spring open as soon as the gun’s fired.
Operation of the PS90 is completely ambidextrous—the charging handle and mag release are identical on both sides.
The charging handle is quite small, easy to work (that’s it, right above the second nut).
The safety is in the trigger guard, just below the trigger.
The magazine release is operated by pushing rearwards and lifting the mag out—it’s not super fast, although with an intended capacity of 50 rounds it was probably felt by the designers that rapid mag changes were a less-necessary feature.
The magazines are a really cool (and heartbreaking) design. For a 50-round magazine they add very little to the bulk of the PS90, and nothing to the height. They work in a neat way, too.
Here’s an empty magazine. The PS90’s magazines feed from the rear, well behind the trigger. At first glance, the tendency is to put the round in backwards—that’s probably why there’s a handy diagram showing the correct orientation of the round just to the left of the mag’s mouth.
Here it is with one round inserted:
Now, when you add second and subsequent rounds the previously-inserted ones rotate to become perpendicular to the mag body. In this picture here with two rounds loaded you can see the bottom of the first round at the 6 0’clock position of the circular areas of the magazine.
And here’s the magazine loaded to full Canadian-legal capacity of 10% of its intended use. This was probably the main reason I waited so long to pick one of these up.
Apparently (and I didn’t realize this until I was researching the purchase of this PS90) FN has made various versions of the PS90 with different sigthing arrangements. The first version only had iron sights, while mine (the “Triple Rail”) has a mounting rail integral with the upper receiver. Current ones, I think, have a higher rail with integral iron sights. I think I’d prefer the lower-profile rail on mine.
I had a chance last evening to take the PS90 out for a quick run through at 25m, 50m and 100m. Blackflies are done for the year but mosquitos were out in full force!
After a few sigthing-in rounds I tried two groups of five at 25m just to see how it’d work.
Not bad but not great. The trigger is very reminiscent of the FS2000 trigger—fairly long and heavy—but while the FS2000’s has noticeable feel just before the break (which allows you to “stage” your shots somewhat) the PS90’s trigger lacked it, and made it tougher.
I tried a few rounds at a faster pace—twelve rounds at the middle target and five at the lower right. The five round capacity is certainly a pain so I was loading one round from a magazine then inserting a five round magazine to at least have six rounds.
I was surprised by the recoil—it’s almost nothing of course but there is a certain “sharpness” to it, I’m thinking maybe from the cycling of the fairly heavy breechblock.
I tried ten rounds at 50m, standing. I was getting used to the trigger by now.
Finally, more for fun than anything else, I thought I’d try 5 rounds from the bench at 100m.
That’s a 3.25” group—I was really surprised! I can hardly shoot my FS2000 or CTAR that well. I was really impressed—with a 2MOA red shot and the first time shooting at 100m. I forgot to mention earlier than my PS90 had its original 16” barrel replaced by at 10.3” one from Herron Arms by the previous owner (as well as the AAC Blackout flash hider).
The video below shows all the fun (and bugs). You can really hear the "ring" from the AAC flash hider! As with the FS2000 it does not lock open on an empty mag so I racked the charging handle after each mag to ensure that the chamber was empty.
So, what do I think? Well, it’s cool and fun to shoot for sure, and I like its quirky designs—although I am a sucker for oddball guns. It’s surprisingly accurate too. But those damn five round magazines…even if they were easier to swap it’d be more fun. As it is, it’s more of a fun curiosity than a gun that will get a lot of use. Still glad I picked it up, though!
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Nice review, really cool firearm.
