Kel-Tec CNC Industries has, time and time again, provided the market with innovative designs at price budget-friendly prices, such as the company’s P3AT, a .380-ACP-chambered subcompact and the company’s SUB-9 and SUB-2000 carbines—designs that are trend-setting and, in some cases, game-changing, like its well-respected KSG double-barreled bullpup shotgun. Furthermore, the award-winning company has built a reputation on designing reliable firearms, some of which feature complex, complicated engineering.
Rimfire ammunition can be host to myriad function problems in semi-automatic platforms, and conquering such has provided headache and failure, as well as success for many manufacturers, Kel-Tec proving the latter. Enter the P17 semi-automatic pistol, a compact-size pistol from Kel-Tec and one of the company’s newest rimfire offerings.
Chambered for .22 Long Rifle, the P17 provides shooters with a design that is unique to Kel-Tec. The pistol features direct-blowback operation of its stamped-steel slide, which includes a pinned breech block, and fires via a single-action trigger and traditional hammer-on-pin system. A two-piece clamshell frame molded from polymer completes the lower end. Feeding Kel-Tec’s P17 pistol is a 16-round detachable box magazine, also constructed of polymer.
Putting rounds on target is aided by a fiber-optic front sight and adjustable rear. Fully configured to make the most of what the modern shooting world has to offer, Kel-Tec includes a 3.8” with an included 1/2x28 t.p.i adapter. Additionally, a muzzle cap is provided to protect the barrel’s threads.
All told, Kel-Tec’s P17 tips the scales at 10.9 ozs. empty and provides a Picatinny rail integrated just forward of the trigger guard for accessories. A manual safety is also included. To learn more about the Kel-Tec P17 pistol, watch our NRA Gun of the Week video above.