What’s up channel fans and family, and welcome to Slav Guns. This one is from my SHOT Show 2020 Media Day coverage. A lot of you found the channel through the Ruger-57, which finally made the 5.7×28 round accessible to normal gun owners. Logical next question: what carbine complements it? At Diamondback Firearms, Cody walked me through the answer they were announcing — the DBX57.
Quick note: this is a booth / Media Day first look and a few range rounds, not a full test and evaluation. The price and launch date below are what Diamondback quoted at SHOT Show 2020, so check current pricing and availability before you buy.
TL;DR
- What it is: Diamondback’s DBX57, a thin 5.7×28 pistol-caliber carbine / big pistol meant to pair with Five-Seven and Ruger-57 owners.
- Weight: about 3.7 lb with the stock, 3 lb without; a little over an inch wide so it packs tight against the body.
- Action: dual / short-stroke gas piston, ambidextrous charging handle you can swap sides with no tools, AR-style lower parts kit.
- Mags: ships around FN Five-Seven magazines (Pro Mag makes them too); a Ruger-57 magazine version was also planned.
- Price / launch at the show: MSRP quoted at $1,299, targeted for May 7, 2020 (5/7 — cute).
What is the DBX57?
Cody had the DBX on the Media Day line chambered in 5.7×28. The design goal was pretty clear: keep it light and skinny so you can hold it tight to your body. He called out roughly 3.7 pounds with the stock on and 3 pounds without, and a little over an inch wide. That is the kind of package that makes sense if you already own a Five-Seven or a Ruger-57 and want a longer companion that still runs the same cartridge.
Gas system and AR guts
Inside, Diamondback went with a dual gas piston / short-stroke setup — Cody stressed those internals are unique to this gun, not just another AR upper slapped onto 5.7. The charging handle is ambidextrous: pull it out and stick it on the other side, no tools. They also kept an AR-style lower parts kit on purpose. This sample had a CMC trigger in it, and Cody confirmed you can drop in your favorite AR trigger — Geissele or whatever you already like — instead of reinventing the wheel and driving the price up. Binary triggers? His answer was basically: try them yourself.
Magazines and pricing
To keep mag cost and availability sane, the DBX57 uses FN Five-Seven magazines. Pro Mag makes them as well, and Cody said most of their testing was on Pro Mags because that is what people are more likely to buy. On the video description they also noted a Ruger-57 magazine version would be available. Launch target at the booth was May 7, 2020, with an MSRP of $1,299. For a piston-driven 5.7 PCC that felt like a serious value number at the time — again, verify what they actually sell for now.
Range notes (Media Day, not a full review)
I got a few rounds through it on the line. It was fun. A couple of small quirks from that short session: the magazine does not always drop free cleanly when you are holding the gun, the charging handle felt a little short and easy to catch on the rail, and the mag release was a bit tight especially with the bolt closed. None of that is a full verdict — just what stood out in a few magazines of precious 5.7. I told Cody I hoped to get one in for a proper review on the channel later.
Bottom line
If you jumped on the Ruger-57 wave and started wondering what longer gun belongs next to it, the DBX57 was Diamondback’s answer at SHOT 2020: light, skinny, piston-driven 5.7 that takes FN mags and accepts normal AR triggers, with a show-floor sticker of $1,299. Treat that as historical booth talk and check current reality before you buy. If you are shopping rests, range gear or accessories, peek at slav.li/amazon, and if you want to support the channel, join the channel.
Keep squatting.
Would a thin 5.7 PCC next to your Ruger-57 or Five-Seven actually make your kit, or is 5.7 still too precious to feed a carbine? Let me know.
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