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

National Firearm Act
National Firearm Act

150,000 NFA Applications Filed On Day 1 After $0 Tax Stamp Becomes Official

Approximately 150,000 NFA enthusiasts filed their paperwork through ATF’s electronic system in just the first 24 hours of 2026, the first day after the $0 tax stamp for most NFA items became official.

Gun Of The Week: Caracal USA CMP9K

Caracal's CMP9K pistol is based on a design originally produced to replace the aging stock of Heckler & Koch MP5s in United Arab Emirates service.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 9, 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.

Preview: Roundhouse Provisions Ultimate Campout Kit

Founded by Chuck Norris (yes, that Chuck Norris), Roundhouse Provisions is a company that produces emergency foodstuffs designed to be quickly and simply prepared that will stay fresh for years.

New For 2026: Taurus TX9 Pistol

Taurus launches the TX9 family of striker-fired, polymer-frame pistols, adding to its popular TX series of handguns.

Heavy Browning At War: Combat Tales Of The Browning M1917 Machine Gun

For the first half of the 20th century, one of the most important firearms in the U.S. military arsenal was the water-cooled Browning M1917, known to gunners and infantrymen alike as the "Heavy Browning."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.