NRA Gun of the Week: Kel-Tec P17

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.

Kel-Tec P17 Pistol Specifications
Make: Kel-Tec CNC Industries
Model: P17
Chambering: .22 Long Rifle
Action Type: blowback-operated, semi-automatic rimfire pistol
Barrel: 3.8”, threaded with 1/2x28 t.p.i. adapter
Frame: polymer
Slide: steel
Magazine: detachable box; 16-round capacity
Sights: adjustable rear, fiber-optic front
Trigger: single-action
Length: 6.7”
Width: 1.2”
Weight: 10.9 ozs. empty
MSRP: $199

Additional Reading:
Challenging the Status Quo: Kel-Tec CP33 Pistol and KS7 Shotgun
Kel-Tec's Flexible Folding SU Series Rifles
Pocket Pistols Past and Present
How Unicorn Guns are Born (And Why We Hate Them)
The Last Great Mouse Gun Race

Extras:
Kel-Tec Innovation; Winchester XPR Hunter; Danish Madsen Submachine Gun


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