any experience with kel- Tec 223 rifle ???

[bcraig]

I am curious as to whether anyone has one of the Kel -Tec  223 rifles and what kind of experiences have you had with it concerning accuracy,reliability etc??

[jason045]

I have the SU-16 CA version and I am completely pleased with it.  I've run about 700 rounds of various ammo through it without a hiccup.  Its no tack driver but you can easily expect  minute-of-snuff-can accuracy out of it, complete reliability and a readily available supply of mags and ammo.  Plus a price point of around $500.  Whats not to like.  Great zombie gun and can get you a whitetail too if you're so inclined.

[jlwilliams]

  I don't have one but have talked with a few guys who do.  they seem to like them.  I've been considering getting one just because it folds up.  That just seems so cool to me.  I think you can slip a lock onto it in the folded position, which could be real important if you keep it in a vehicle.  Especially in some jurisdictions.

[canon6]

I agree with the two other comments,reliable,light,foldable, and  customer service from KelTec is outstanding.Doug

[jlwilliams]

  After I posted this AM, I remebered a complaint I'd read while reaserching these online last year.  Some guys who had handled them but not bought them described them as feeling 'flimsy'.  I've handled them but not shot them and spoken to a few guys who have them.  I can see the flimsy criticism.  It is light weight enough that it just doesn't have the "rugged" feel of a Mini14 or a Saiga sporter.  I don't think they acually are flimsy or weak.  They are just really light and the plastic stock has a bit of flex to it.  If the flex might bother you, maybe the Mini or the Saiga would be more to your liking.  If the foldability and super light weight are worth the trade off of some stock flex, then the KelTec may fit the bill.
 
  I didn't get one when I was looking into them last year because of other priorites.  It wasn't that I decided not to get one or that they are not something I want.  Other things arose and I moved on.  The fold-up rifle is still something I can see a use for.  Maybe next year it will make the top of the list.

[bubbinator]

I got a SU16C at a great price via the www. Outfitted it with factory tacical accessories and a Holo-Site/foregrip and Tactical light for about $770.!  Try that with your AR platform! Used it for 5 yrs as State LEO including 4 times a yr range quals (100%). First weeks of break-in had FTE/FTF issues-Next day Fed-Ex had new parts to me. Mine loves WW Ranger LEO 60gr Nosler Partition rds. 2 deer DRT and from a rest on a clear aimpoint target-1MOA 5 shot groups.

[bubbinator]

Another post-You can't use this rifle to "Butt-stroke" your opponent but if you just shoot him it will work great! Lots of AR fan critique the SU16 platform on this area. It is not a military-spec combat weapon. It does what Joe Citizen/Farmer Brown and I am My Own Man and I want more than a 22 or 12 ga in my truck gun needs to do. It is reliable,accurate and inexpensive(with research).

[coyotejoe]

Guess I'm a bit late weighing in on this as this isn't a forum I often visit. I had the SU-16B several years ago but didn't keep it long. I scoped it and tried three or four brands of factory loads plus a few handloads and none came close to acceptable accuracy for me, and none were reliable either. They may have improved them, I hope so, but I won't be tempted to try another. I'm not a Kel-Tec basher, I have a P3AT which has been 100% reliable with every brand of ammo and is about as accurate as I could hope to aim with the rudimentary sights and though not pleasant to shoot it is all one can expect for the size and weight, but the SU-16 was a total stinker.

[Kent]

I bought a SU-16C at a local gun show last month. I'm happy with it. I've been to the range twice and have around 200 rounds through her.Very reliable so far. No feed or ejection issues at all.
It's a good compliment to my AR since it uses most standard AR mags. It's a great conversation piece at the range especially shooting it folded. Good plinking gun with the factory sights. No visions of shooting 200 yards with this firearm, but I'm sure it can. I'm happy with it's good open sights and tearing out the 10 ring at 50 yards. I suspect she opens her groups up a bit when real hot. It's hard not to stop shooting a 30 round mag. It takes the brunt of what I like to do with the AR, so it's saving the AR barrel just messing around and shooting for fun.
I had some fun yesterday just shooting at a can that was laying on the range:) Didn't hit every shot, but it is like plinking with a .22. Using cheap ammo of course. There is another one on there under my Kent1955 name with her folded up. Even had a boy scout troop leader ask to fire it folded. He even had his own .223 ammo, so I let him go for it. The scouts were there learning basic gun skills firing .22 long rifle. They all got a big kick out of watching their scout leader rock & roll with the little Kel-Tec.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Pk9xGDzBs

[squirrelslayer]

I see this is an old topic but had to put in my two cents. I bought one of these back when they were about 400 bucks as a camping/goof off gun. I put a train load of ammo through it and it ran until it died at somewhere in the ball park of 40k rounds. Several burnt recoil springs and one time of the operation rod coming loose but it held up time and time again. Eventually I noticed I was having troubles hitting clay pigeons at 100 yds and bore scoped it finding that the first three inches of rifling was gone and the next three severely checked and worn. If you don't feed these guns a steady diet of lauqer coated steel cased crap ammo and maintain them, you will be surprised what they will hold up to. It certainly didn't start life as a precision shooter but 1.5 moa and that kind of longevity was certainly worth the money. I know few people who have that many rounds through an AR and fewer who have seen "little blacky" in action that could talk down on this crazy little zytel wonder. And anyone who complains about the accuracy needs to think about buying a rifle that doesn't have a plastic picantinny rail molded to the top of it. If you are realistic in your expectations of these things you will be more than happy. they are about 1/3 the gun a quality AR is at 1/2 the price. That still equals a bargain. And in all those trips there were plenty when i was shooting while my AR buddies were tinkering on theirs.