NRA Gun Of The Week: KelTec P15

KelTec has a rich history of innovation, particularly in personal-defense guns. The company’s P11 was a pioneering design for the concealed-carry market. KelTec’s P3AT set the standard for pocket-size .380s, and its P32 was one of the smallest CCW guns ever produced and continues to be one of the smallest semi-automatic handguns you can buy today. But it was the introduction of the company’s P15 that really fulfilled the company’s potential for innovation in the CCW space. Watch the video above to see the KelTec P15 in use on the NRA Tech Range.

Despite this class-leading capacity, the P15 measures only 0.875” in width, making it not just the thinnest 9 mm Luger-chambered micro-compact on the market but one of the thinnest concealed-carry handguns ever made. Its other dimensions also make it one of the smallest overall, as the gun measures just 5" tall and 6.6" long, all while housing a 4" barrel. It’s not just the compact dimensions that ease daily carry, either. Unloaded, the gun weighs 14 ozs., making it significantly lighter than many other micro-compacts on the market. Like many micro-compact handguns on the market, the P15’s extended magazine holds 15 rounds of 9 mm Luger.

In addition to a lightweight polymer frame, the P15 incorporates a hybrid slide design, too, which blends polymer and steel. Not only does this reduce overall weight, the polymer section of the slide can serves to cover the accommodation for a micro red-dot sight. For those who choose to go without an optic, the P15 includes an enhanced set of fully adjustable sights, which are tritium-illuminated for low-light use.

Any gun chambered in 9 mm Luger that’s billed as one of the smallest, lightest guns of its type ever made will certainly be a handful on the range, but KelTec put some effort into ensuring that the pistol anchors well in the hand. On either side of the polymer grip frame are a number of textured panels that sit above the frame’s surface, ensuring that the generous texturing can bite into a shooter’s hand for a secure hold. The P15 is outfitted with an intuitive grip safety at the rear; there is no manual safety lever. A reversible, push-button magazine release is located on the left side of the frame.

Specifications
Manufacturer: KelTec
Action Type: recoil-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Barrel: 4"
Slide: steel with polymer covering
Frame: black polymer
Trigger: striker-fired; 5-lb. pull
Sights: adjustbale tritium; two-dot rear, post front
Magazine: 15-round detachable box
Overall Length: 6.6"
Height: 5"
Width: 0.87"
Weight: 14 ozs.
MSRP: $450