KelTec

Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc., commonly referred to as KelTec (previously hyphenated as Kel-Tec until 2021),^[1] is an American developer and manufacturer of firearms. Founded by George Kellgren in 1991 and based in Cocoa, Florida, the company has manufactured firearms since 1995, starting with semi-automatic pistols^[2] and expanding to rifles and then shotguns. KelTec is a privately owned Florida corporation. George Kellgren, KelTec owner and chief engineer, is a Swedish designer who also designed many earlier Husqvarna, Swedish Interdynamics AB (in Sweden), Intratec and Grendel brand firearms. The company has been developing and manufacturing a wide variety of firearms, ranging from semi-automatic handguns, i.e. pistols, to semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.

Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Firearms
Founded	1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Founder	George Kellgren
Headquarters	Cocoa, Florida , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	George Kellgren (President)
Products	Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns
Website	www.keltecweapons.com

KelTec has a reputation in the firearms industry for releasing innovative, and often radically disruptive new designs for firearms, such as the KSG shotgun and SUB-2000, as well as inexpensive, reliable and easily concealable firearms such as the pocket pistol KelTec P32.

History

Some Firearms manufactured by KelTec include the following: P11 pistol (9 mm); the P32 pistol, chambered in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) and one of the smallest and lightest pocketable pistols still in production weighing only 6.6 ounces (190 g); the P3AT pistol chambered in .380 ACP (9mm Short) since discontinued; the P-40 chambered in .40 S&W which has also been discontinued; the SUB-9 and the later very popular Kel-Tec SUB-2000, both semi-automatic pistol caliber carbines that readily fold into themselves for easy storage. In addition, the company offers a family of 5.56×45mm rifles known as the SU-16 series.

In November 2005 the PLR-16 was released. The PLR-16 is a long-range pistol design based on key design elements copied from the earlier SU-16 rifle design.

In 2010 Kel-Tec introduced the PMR30, a lightweight, full-size, .22 Magnum 30-shot semiautomatic pistol.^[3] In 2016, Kel-Tec introduced the CMR-30 carbine, based on the PMR30.^[4]

Additionally, in 2016 Kel-Tec released the KelTec KSG and permanently changed the firearms industry by releasing the highest capacity mass produced shotgun, with a capability of holding 14 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun shells.

Lightest, thinnest semi-automatic 9 mm pistol

KelTec PF9

The PF9, a flat 9×19mm single-column magazine semi-automatic pistol based on the earlier P11 and P3AT designs, was upon its release in 2006 touted as the thinnest and lightest 9 mm pistol ever mass-produced.^[5] The PF9 was retired in 2022 and replaced with the P15.^[6]

"High-Efficiency Rifles"

At the 2007 SHOT Show held in Orlando, Florida, Kel-Tec introduced a series of new "High-Efficiency Rifles" called the RFB, standing for "Rifle, Forward-ejection, Bull-pup."^[7] The RFB is a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle with tilting breech block locking mechanism, loads the 7.62×51 NATO cartridge and uses metric FAL magazines; the RFB "family" consists in a series of bullpup rifles with three barrel lengths (18" barrel carbine, 24" sporter and 32" target versions), and a patented forward-ejection system via a tube placed over the barrel that ejects the spent case forwards, over the handguard of the rifle. This eliminates a major drawback of bullpup rifles, which is that they may not be readily usable by left-handed shooters.^[8] Distribution of the RFB rifles in the USA was scheduled for February 2009; as of 2013, it has been publicly released for sale. As a further Revolution of the Bullpup, the RDB (Rifle Downward-ejecting Bullpup) was released in late 2015.^[9]

Products

Kel-Tec breaks down their product line into three main categories: pistols, shotguns and rifles.^[10]

Pistols

• KelTec PF9 9x19mm
• KelTec P11 9x19mm
• KelTec P15 9x19mm
• KelTec P17 22 LR
• KelTec P32 .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning)
• KelTec P3AT .380 ACP
• KelTec P50 FN 5.7 5.7x28mm
• KelTec PLR16 5.56 NATO
• KelTec PLR22 .22 LR
• KelTec PMR30 .22 WMR
• KelTec CP33 .22LR
• KelTec PR57 FN 5.7 5.7x28mm

Shotguns

• KelTec KSG series
  • KelTec KSG-25
  • KelTec KSG Tactical
  • KelTec KSG Compact
  • KelTec KS7
  • KelTec KSG410

Rifles

• KelTec R50 FN 5.7x28 (P50 in rifle form)
• KelTec SUB-2000 9mm/.40S&W/5.7x28mm
• KelTec SUB-2000 CQB (integrally suppressed SUB-2000)
• KelTec SU-16 5.56 NATO
• KelTec SU-22 .22 LR
• KelTec RFB 7.62 NATO bullpup
• KelTec CMR-30 .22 WMR
• KelTec RDB 5.56 NATO bullpup^[11]

Gallery

• 
  P11 9 mm with loaded magazine
• 
  P32 .32 ACP
• 
  P3AT .380 ACP
• 
  PF9 9mm blued finish with gray grip
• 
  SUB-2000 9 mm with 15-round Beretta magazine
• 
  SUB-2000 9 mm, folded
• 
  PLR-16 5.56×45mm with compact forend and Levang linear recoil compensator
• 
  SU-16A 5.56×45mm
• 
  SU-16C 5.56×45mm, with stock in fixed position
• 
  SU-16C 5.56×45mm, with stock in folded position
• 
  SU-16C 5.56×45mm, with after-market collapsible stock, pistol grip, and telescopic sight
• 
  RFB 7.62×51mm, with holographic weapon sight and sling
• 
  KSG 12 Gauge