KelTec has leaned heavily into the 5.7mm round. It started with the insane P50, then moved to the Gen 3 SUB 2000, and now it’s made its way to a true 5.7mm handgun. In standard KelTec fashion, it’s far from normal. The PR57 is a semi-automatic 5.7x28mm handgun that uses a rotational barrel design. It’s incredibly thin but has most of a modern handgun’s features. This, most importantly, includes the ability to mount an optic. There is also a short rail to accommodate a light if you’d like.
What’s The PR57
The real kicker with the PR57 is that it lacks an external magazine. Which in 2025 is a bit odd. It’s like the Mauser C96 or another George Kellgren design, the Grendel P10. This was a .380 that lacked an external magazine and was loaded via a stripper clip. I like joking that PR stands for Problems Reloading, but I think that’s not a bad feature in the long run.
The PR57 holds 20 rounds in an internal magazine and can be reloaded with 10-round clips. This allows me to annoy pedantic nerds by going into forums and asking about the best clips for my pistol. The clips with the PR57 are fancy, with a push tab and both front and rear guide rails.
If you have a fixed magazine, then 20 rounds isn’t a bad capacity to have to deal with. The rotary barrel design allows for reliable operation with less recoil than something like the FN Five-Seven and its direct blowback option.
The lack of a removable magazine does something a little crazy. It makes a 5.7 pistol not feel like you’re gripping a 2×4. The gun’s widest point is .937 inches. That’s nuts for a 5.7mm pistol. I almost want to see how thin they could do other calibers. The gun weighs 13.86 ounces, and the barrel is 4.64 inches.
The PR57 – A Middle Finger To Ban States
A lot of people are jumping on the opportunity to make jokes about the PR57, and ultimately, the gun is a little silly. It looks weird, and KelTec has a history of making weird guns, and people like to meme on them. Where I think the PR57 will shine is in ban states. States with restrictive gun laws will hate this thing.
Most laws prohibit magazine capacities of more than ten rounds, with the keyword in these laws being removable ten-round magazines. I don’t know of any law banning capacities with fixed magazines, and since no one makes semi-auto handguns with fixed magazines, this issue has never been addressed.
The PR57 allows you to carry 20 rounds without running afoul of their silly little laws. I’m most certainly biased. I love anything that irritates the anti-civil rights crowd. Using the 5.7 for self-defense is a bit of a controversial choice, but it penetrates deep enough to work and has very little recoil.
That’s Not All
The group of people who live in ban states who will purchase the PR57 for self-defense to get around the magazine capacity laws is very small. I think people likely buy it for its very low price point, as well as it’s fun factor. It’s a bit silly, but it will likely be fun to shoot.
It’s also a thin 5.7 pistol for people who like 5.7x28mm. I have big hands, and most 5.7 handguns just feel thick and annoying. Ultimately, I like fun, weird guns, and as a fellow Florida man, the KelTec PR57 is for me. I won’t carry it, but for the low price point, I’ll snag one if given the chance.
P.S. KelTec, what about a fixed magazine SUB 2000-style rifle? That would give people in ban states a potential option. Hear me out, KelTec.
For more information, please visit KelTecWeapons.com.
