KelTec has quietly released a new SUB 2000, which will change the entire platform. Well, kind of. This new Gen 3 SUB 2000 is a 5.7×28 variant of the famed pistol caliber carbine. Is this still considered a PCC? The 5.7x28mm isn’t necessarily a pistol round, so what exactly does this gun qualify as? It’s too big to be a PDW, so I think the 5.7 SUB 2000 is best described as a light rifle. It falls into the same vein as the M1 Carbine.
The Gen 3 SUB 2000 series is KelTec’s latest implementation of the SUB 2000. This is the first generation to make adding optics easy. They lopped off the iron sights and added a rotating handguard similar to their CQB model. This isn’t KelTec’s first 5.7mm gun, either. They had the rather interesting P90 magazine consuming P50.
The 5.7 SUB 2000 Changes Everything
What’s the big deal with using the 5.7 cartridges over something like 9mm? As noted, it changes the genre of the gun entirely. It’s not just a PCC anymore. It’s a light rifle—the use of the 5.7x28mm cartridge gives you a rifle that handles a helluva lot differently than the stand 9mm model.
The gun still uses a straight blowback design, but the 5.7x28mm generates a lot less recoil than a 9mm or .40 S&W. It recoils a bit like a .22 WMR from a direct blowback gun. That’s cool, but the big benefit comes from the cartridge’s long-range capabilities. It can reach 100 to 150 yards, much easier than 9mm.
The 5.7 SUB 2000 shoots much flatter. At 100 yards, it drops about three inches compared to 9mm’s 12 inches. (This can change depending on zero and sight height.) The round also has great penetration, tumbles, and yaws, more like a 5.56, which helps make up for its small size.
Since the KelTec Gen 3 SUB 2000 is easy to optically enhance, I think a lightly magnified optic would be nice. However, I don’t think the eye relief will work unless we go with a scout scope.
The 5.7 SUB 2000 – What Else?
KelTec famously uses popular pistol magazines for their varied SUB 2000 incarnations. With the 5.7 SUB 2000 the gun uses an FN Five SeveN magazine. (They spell it all weird, not me.) This gives you 20 rounds in a flush-fitting magazine, and there are thirty-round magazines and drum magazines out there from the aftermarket.
That’s a good bit of lead. Additionally, the 5.7 SUB 2000 is likely to be the cheapest 5.7x28mm rifle on the market. In my mind, I see a very capable, very low-recoil defensive weapon for recoil-sensitive shooters. It’s like a 10/22, but you have centerfire reliability and a substantially more powerful round.
At 4.36 pounds, this is a very lightweight rifle. It could be a great backpack gun, a ranch rifle, and more. I can see it being the handiest of SUB 2000 rifles, and I’m a SUB 2000 fan. Toss a red dot on, fold it up, and toss it in a bag, and you have a super handy and effective weapon.
Now I just need to get my hands on one….
For more information, please visit KelTecWeapons.com.
