2022 Tactical Product Of The Year: Kel-Tec P50

American Rifleman is pleased to announce the 2022 Tactical Product Of The Year goes to Kel-Tec.

by
posted on June 16, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Keltec P50

Now in their 20th year, the Golden Bullseye Awards are chosen annually to recognize the firearm industry’s best new offerings. Here is this year’s winner as selected by the editors of “The World’s Oldest And Largest Firearm Authority.”

Kel-Tec P50 handgun magazine article spread text and gun with accessories such as light magazine ammunition black background


A 56-oz., 15"-long pistol chambered in 5.7x28 mm FN that feeds from the quirky, horizontally mounted 50-round magazines used in FN’s P90/PS90 platform, the P50 exemplifies Kel-Tec’s penchant for creating novel and unorthodox firearm designs. But despite what an odd duck the P50 would seem to be, once he got his hands on one, Field Editor Jeremiah Knupp was impressed by its adaptability, and he expounded upon the pistol’s qualities in "Kel-Tec’s Radical P50."

“The P50’s compact size, ease of use and capacity ... would certainly lend itself to home defense with the addition of an electronic optic and light,” Knupp said. His testing revealed the P50’s accuracy to be excellent—partly attributed to its barrel being fixed to its receiver and partly due to its crisp trigger—and also noted the pistol’s potential as a close-range varmint-hunting tool. For thinking so far outside the box in creating a truly innovative gun capable of a broad range of applications, we determined that the Kel-Tec P50 was deserving of our Tactical Product Of The Year award.
keltecweapons.com


About the Golden Bullseye Award:
The Golden Bullseye Awards were created two decades ago to recognize quality, innovation and value within the firearm industry, with the editors of the NRA Publications Division convening annually to nominate and select the standout performers from the previous year’s crop of new products. The discussions can get animated at times—as each year there are always more new guns, ammunition, optics and accessories worthy of accolade than we could possibly call out—but consensus eventually results in winners being selected, with the passionate back and forth serving as evidence of the firearm industry’s health and innovative spirit.

Latest

Hunter in gun store
Hunter in gun store

Hunting for the “Grail” Gun in the Modern Era

To really enjoy hunting for “that gun,” burn shoe leather instead of your mouse pad.

5 New Rimfire Suppressors for 2026

Generally speaking, rimfire suppressors tend to be less-expensive than their centerfire counterparts, providing an entry point in the world of suppressor use for many firearm enthusiasts.

Top Firearm Manufacturers Estimated from ATF Report

Orchid analyzed the ATF’s Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report for 2024 (the most recent data available) and compiled a list of the industry’s top 30 domestic firearms manufacturers.

A Deadly Testing Ground: Guns of the Spanish Civil War

Great powers have often used smaller conflicts as test beds for new weapon systems, and also as dumping grounds for obsolete machinery. The Spanish Civil War was one such conflict.

Sequel: The New Taurus Judge

Not content to merely mark the gun's 20th anniversary with a special engraved edition, Taurus also introduced the New Taurus Judge this year.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 3, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.