KelTec is known for its out-of-the-box designs, so when it came to designing a dedicated personal-protection firearm, naturally, the company took a different approach than nearly every other firearm maker out there. The PR57, chambered for the 5.7x28 mm FN cartridge, does not use a traditional detachable box magazine, instead relying on a unique top-feed, clip-loading design that maximizes the number of rounds inside the gun. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" Rifleman Review segment above to see the details of KelTec's design and understand the thinking behind it.
"So we are really used to unusual designs coming out of the fertile mind of George Kellgren. Of course, George is the founder of KelTec and its chief inventor," NRA Media Editorial Director Mark Keefe said. "And before that, he was with Intratec and Grendel. So if you've ever heard of a pistol called the Grendel P10, you'll know where George Kellgren was going in 1988. The gun in front of me is really the realization of a concept that he came out with well before its time, and that is a clip-loading pistol that has all the rounds you're probably going to need on board."
Since the grip frame of the KelTec PR57 doesn't have to be constructed to contain a box magazine, the design frees up more space for cartridges on board. That gives the PR57 an internal capacity of 20 rounds of 5.7x28 mm. And this capacity doesn't impact the compact dimensions of the gun, as it measures just 7.13 inches long, 5 inches high and 0.97 inch wide. Unloaded, the pistol weighs just 14 ounces, and it's equipped with a 4-inch barrel.
"There's no magazine release here. There's no detachable box. With this gun, you load it with 20 rounds, and that's what you have," Keefe said. "So if you think about it in terms of a New York reload, you have 20 rounds here, which is typically more than I carry in my personal protection gun. And I'd have to change magazines. With this gun, they're all in there. So this is a decision that George Kellgren has made in terms of how people can defend themselves."
Due to the lack of a box magazine, controls on the KelTec PR57 are minimal, consisting of a single slide-stop lever located on the left side of the frame, along with a double-action-only trigger pull that measured 4 pounds, 8 ounces on our test sample. Sights are of a simple, fixed, three-dot configuration, but the polymer cover at the rear of the cylindrical slide can be removed, revealing a footprint that allows for the mounting of red-dot optics of the Shield RMSc footprint. An optics plate accompanies each PR57, along with two 10-round stripper clips. Suggested retail pricing on the PR57 is $400.
"The thing about this PR57 is it changes the dynamic of what we think of in terms of a personal protection handgun," Keefe said. "Maybe you don't need a magazine. Maybe you want it chambered in 5.7. So it challenges a lot of norms. And, frankly, anything from KelTec? It's going to be innovative and outside the box."
To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/videos/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.
