Has anyone here fired the Kel-tec SU16??

[Didorian]

If so how well did it perform. Was it as accurate as the average AR15??
I've been considering purchasing one some time in the near future.. It would be my basic truck gun, but would pull double duty as a SHTF long gun. In THAT instance being used for both hunting and self defense.
And on that note.... considering that they are of relativly the same price.... Which would fill that role better, The Kel-Tec SU16 or a VEPR in 7.62x39???

I've been wondering on this one for a while...

 

[El Rojo]

I haven't had a chance to mess with my SU16 as much as I would like, but so far it keeps jamming on me. I keep getting double feeds. Keep in mind I am using reloaded ammo so that might be my problem. I need to shoot some factory ammo through it and see if that solves the problem.

For a couple hundred more bucks, just build you an AR-15. You are in free America for Pete's sake. :banghead:

 

[KaceCoyote]

I just got mine, will be going to the range tomarrow I think. Will give an accurate and detailed range report when I return.

 

[KaceCoyote]

I haven't had a chance to mess with my SU16 as much as I would like, but so far it keeps jamming on me. I keep getting double feeds. Keep in mind I am using reloaded ammo so that might be my problem. I need to shoot some factory ammo through it and see if that solves the problem.

For a couple hundred more bucks, just build you an AR-15. You are in free America for Pete's sake. :banghead:

ARs are over-rated, they're fine rifles but they are not the greatest rifle on the planet. The SU-16 was not designed to somehow be a poor man's AR. Its unique and individual.

 

[yorec]

Fine little plinking rifle, but not a serious gun for use under serious conditions. Funny I would've classed it as an attempt to make a poorman's AR even without KC's attempt to preempt that reminder that it was so...

Oh yeah - it would hold 4" groups at 100 yds with cheapo ammo. Pretty good if not quite ARlike.

 

[KaceCoyote]

So are all battle rifles in .223 AR like?

The SU-16 is mostly polymer
The AR-15 is mostly Aluminum

The SU-16 is Gas piston
The AR-15 is direct gas implimentation

The SU-16 has a folding bipod, and a folding stock
The AR-15 has neither, it has a telescoping stock

The SU-16 was from its initial concept a non pistol grip weapon
The AR-15 was from its initial concept a pistol grip rifle

The SU-16 was designed to plink and maybe do alittle light hunting
The AR-15 was designed to go war.

The only thing the two rifles have remotely in common is the caliber and the fact they both accept STANAG magazines. We may like to call them AR mags but they're NATO standardized magazines first, and AR mags second. If Kel-tec wanted to create a poor man's AR, they would have. It would've taken AR parts like crazy, the only AR parts the Su take is the front sight post. Show me how the SU-16 is a poor man's rifle.

 

[silverlance]

fired both

su16 ca. it's not bad. low recoil, light as hell cmpared to sks yugo. couldn't tell about accuracy though. I couldn't hit a clay lying on the ground about 25 yards away for crap. course, i only fired 3 shots, but still..

then again, i don't know how the guy who oned it had been taking care of it. and he had been shooting pretty crazy with it, too.

 

[epijunkie67]

I bought one when they first came out. I love mine. Even with the cheap plastic sight one the original model I get pretty good accuracy. I've ordered a replacement front sight for it but haven't had time to install it yet. I don't think I've ever had a jam of any kind with it and it's my current truck gun.

As with most things you have to repect what it is and what it does. For me it's a light, medium quality, dependable rifle. Would I use it as a SHTF rifle? Maybe. Mine's been totally reliable so that wouldn't be an issue. No, it isn't designed to be a rough and tough battlefield weapon. So the question for me would be, what kind of SHTF? Temp situation likely to last days or a week or two, keep looters away gun? Sure, I'd use it. Long term, I'm going to need this as my only survival weapon because civalization as we know it has collapsed gun? Not if I have something better.


As to the question of this vs the vepr I'd say in this case decide based on the ballistics of the rounds involved. If you were going to get a rifle that came in either .223 or 7.62X39 and was exactly alike in every other way, which would you pick? They each have certain strengths which are routinely discussed here.

 

[KC&97TA]

I've fired 240 rounds (2 bandalears) through the SU16 that one of my friends owned, it jammed every mag, he bought it because he couldn't purchase an AR 15 in CA. He's since sold it. I didn't like it one bit. I had troubles with the stock, cheek weld and eye relief were strange. For those that were there when they transitioned from the M1 to the M16, they didn't like the M16 either, so it's anyones personal opinion on the rifle. For what it's worth a home build AR would be my advise.

You know we beat the crap out of M16's, use them as pry bars, use the but stocks to knock out window frames, we drop them off equipment, use them to knock doors shut, drag them though the dirt, swim with them, bang the barrels against door frames, just generaly abuse them and they still keep a consistant Zero.

It's a great Truck gun, with a barrel cap, mag inserted and the ejection port cover closed, they stay relitivly clean too. There aren't may weapons that will take the abuse and still function the way the AR/M16's do.

I've got a match grade and working on a M4 clone.

 

[KaceCoyote]

I've fired 240 rounds (2 bandalears) through the SU16 that one of my friends owned, it jammed every mag, he bought it because he couldn't purchase an AR 15 in CA. He's since sold it. I didn't like it one bit. I had troubles with the stock, cheek weld and eye relief were strange. For those that were there when they transitioned from the M1 to the M16, they didn't like the M16 either, so it's anyones personal opinion on the rifle. For what it's worth a home build AR would be my advise.

You know we beat the crap out of M16's, use them as pry bars, use the but stocks to knock out window frames, we drop them off equipment, use them to knock doors shut, drag them though the dirt, swim with them, bang the barrels against door frames, just generaly abuse them and they still keep a consistant Zero.

It's a great Truck gun, with a barrel cap, mag inserted and the ejection port cover closed, they stay relitivly clean too. There aren't may weapons that will take the abuse and still function the way the AR/M16's do.

I've got a match grade and working on a M4 clone.

Sure there are. M1 garand, G3, Cetme, FAL, FNC, Galil, AK, AKM, RPK, SKS, SVT, M1 Carbine...and I'm not even going to start on Mausers, Mosin Nagants and lee-enfields.

 

[Caseless]

1,100 rounds of M855 and America Eagle 55gr HP thru my Su-16CA. Had a couple of FTF but they were all after market magazine related. Factory mags are 99% reliable. Accuracy is 4MOA with iron sights. As previous poster mentioned, this rifle is LIGHT, compared to an AR. So I didn't put any scope, or extra doo-dads on it. Mainly use it for 3 gun match and the bipod really helps when prone position is allowed.
I think a Su-16C with the folding stock is a great choice for a truck/car/boat gun. Price is also cheaper than a VEPR carbine with folding stock.

 

[browningguy]

I've probably got 1000 rounds through my SU16A. The plastic sights suck when you get old like me, I've mounted a cheap BSA 4moa red dot on it and it shoots 2-3" at 100 yards (that's as good as I can shoot with a 4moa dot) with Black Hills 52 gr. reloads. Zero problems with it so far. I don't think the bipod is much of a feature, at least on mine it changes the zero so that I'm not even on the paper at 100 yards when I tried to use it. I'd highly recommend a C or CA model for the improved sights. I've been able to shoot a C once and it was much easier for me to use its sights.

As everyone says, it's completely different than an AR but still uses AR mags. Operating rod instead of direct impingement system so it's cleaner, a good bit lighter than the average AR, mine shoots about as accurately as an average AR (although I haven't tried it with a magnified scope mounted). You can also carry two mags, one in the rifle and one in the butt stock.

I have an AR also but the only upper I own is a .50 Beowulf, thought about a .223 upper but the SU is fine for my uses.

 

[kokapelli]

Here is a link to a review of the SU16C that you should find interesting.

http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=105;action=display;num=1107839748

 

[Didorian]

kokapelli: Thank you so much for that link...
And I thank the rest of you for taking the time to answer this thing.....
Thanks alot.

 

[FAT PAT]

I have a SU-16A I like it.Its very accurate and its light.My only complaint is the bipods suck.very flimsy besides that it is a good rifle and alot of fun to shoot.