Kel-Tec: Beyond Blued Steel and Walnut

The ingenuity, engineering and quality of Kel-Tec’s products have always impressed me. They have always been pushing boundaries and testing limits to create firearms that are more or less than other designs. And the looks? Kel-Tec is the place to go if you love “modern industrial.” Kel-Tec is the place to go if you’re into “modern industrial.” In 1991, George Kellgren, a Swede who was born in the United States, founded Kel-Tec. The idea wasn’t to make firearms just like everyone else. As a small business, and a new upstart, do you really want to make rifles like Ruger, Winchester, or Remington? (OK, Remington is a rare case, but it was not an exception in 1991. Do you want to compete with handgun manufacturers like Ruger, Glock and Sig? If you want to keep your business afloat, it’s not possible. It’s a good idea to target specific markets. The first Kel-Tec firearm, the P-11, was a compact 9mm pistol that could hold 10 rounds in a flush magazine. However, it also accepted magazines from the S&W 59 series. Magazines are a specialized area of design and manufacturing. The cleverness of a brand new company using an existing magazine feed mechanism is unmatched. Although we are used to super-compact EDC 9mm pistols, the PF-9 was a completely new concept back in 2006. The PF9 is the smallest and most compact 9mm pistol. It’s a single-stack DAO pistol that’s so light it can be difficult to shoot with hot defensive ammunition. The standard flush magazine can be used or the extended version can be used. This makes the PF9 a great sidearm for certain purposes. It’s a great backup for those who don’t want to pack heavy. You get 12 ounces of insurance made in the USA if you have a PF-9. I have knives that are heavier than that, but they aren’t as long as a PF-9. Yes. Both the barrel and slide are made from heat-treated 4140 stainless steel. The 7075 aluminum billet is used to machine the chassis. The frame is made from high-strength polymer. All the manufacturing takes place at the Kel-Tec plant in Cocoa. Why the emphasis on “Made In the USA”? The COVID-19 pandemic taught us one thing. A super cargo container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal. It was so large that it blocked the canal, literally wedged itself across the channel. It was stuck on the channel for over 300 days before it was finally freed. Ships now transport 14,000 containers each. That’s more than half a million containers that were stuck in traffic. In the Mideast, there are billions of goods sitting in traffic. Tell me not to tell you that American made doesn’t matter. Back to Kel-Tec. The PMR30 is a very cool pistol that they make (the P11 is no more in the lineup). It’s a pistol made in.22 Magnum and holds 30 rounds in the magazine. This is the perfect home-defense pistol for those who don’t want to have too much recoil. There’s a solution for anyone looking for a home-defense pistol that doesn’t have a lot of recoil. Kel-Tec’s design and dimensional standard work is now done on computers, true to the 21st Century. This information can be sent directly to CNC-machining centers so that a modified firearm or a new prototype can be made immediately. Once extensive testing has shown that a modified firearm is needed, an updated version can be made and sent directly into the testing process. They have long guns too. Kel-Tec’s design efforts are also geared toward shotguns and rifles. They offer bullpups that are practical and useful, as well as a polymer and steel design. The RFB and RDB rifles use common-capacity magazines (20 rounds or more), but they also have carbine-length barrels in rifles that are as compact as possible. The trigger on the RFB they gave me was so good, I just told them that they wouldn’t be returning the gun. Do you want a compact sledgehammer. The KS7 and KSG shotguns are even more compact. The KS7 looks straight out of Aliens. The KSG is almost twice as big. Kel-Tec doesn’t take into account the traditional design, look, or mechanism when building these firearms. That’s the Kel-Tec standard. Kel-Tec’s P50A is a good example. The current Kel-Tec “gotta-have it” firearm is called the P50. The P50 uses a 5.7x28mm cartridge that was developed by FN in late 1990s to meet a NATO requirement. While I love the FN firearms and they are a great crew, they don’t seem to be interested in price competition. You can shoot FN firearms using 5.7 ammunition for as low as $1,200. The P50 is the newest member of the 5.7x28mm family. The P50 uses the same magazines that the FN carbine but with less bulk. The MSRP for the Kel-Tec P50 is $995. While $200 might seem like a small price difference, it still gets you plenty of ammo, even with today’s high ammo prices. The P50 has 50 rounds of ammunition capacity. It uses the same magazines that the FN PS90. After their first attempt, the designers told them: “We don’t make firearms that look like others’ firearms.” You can go back and chug some Red Bulls to try again. The usual assembly of sheet-steel stampings, machined aluminum, and the well-engineered one is available. The back end has a charging handle that looks just like an AR-15’s. It looks exactly like the Kel-Tec process. The charging handle on the back of the P50 is the same as the one on an AR-15. The PS90 magazine slides horizontally inside the action. There’s also a thumb safety that you can use to fire your weapon. The receiver set’s top half has a full-length rail. This allows for more accessories to be stored, which is a big plus. A sculpted hand-hold is located just ahead of the trigger guard. This allows you to use the P50’s balance point as a second hand. Non-traditional shooting can have its drawbacks. Reloading the P50 requires two hands. Unlatch the upper and then swing it open to remove the old magazine. The new magazine should be inserted into the lower receiver. Once it is in place, press the lower receiver into the upper receiver. Finally, swing the lower up towards the upper. You can load the P50 by opening the action and stuffing the magazine into the upper. It is not recommended to lay the magazine in the lower. You can do this as many times as you need. Although it takes some time, you have 50 rounds ready for you once you do. Storm Tactical’s impressive target pack includes62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range usage. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Get Free Targets