Kel-Tec FRB - Good Gun or Gimmick?

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The 3 malfs I had were failures to feed, always last round in the magazine. I figured it was the mag and haven't used it since, but might have been part of the break in. Either way, mine runs like a champ.
 
Ran another 60 rounds through my RFB this morning, bringing the current rounds without failure count since the last broken part exchange to 180.

All my failures prior to the last broken part exchange were ejection/extraction failures. The last broken part exchange caused failures to feed and the carrier to not go fully forward, a weld that holds the recoil spring end broke.
 
nutnfancy raves about Kel Tec.

Do you think he gets a few buck from them to promote them???
 
No, I don't think he does. He's griped about them just as much as he's raved if you watch his other videos. He's easy to criticize, but if you actually get into the Nutnfancy Project and watch a ton of the videos, you'll see that he's probably one of the most honest and objective reviewers out there.
 
I don't see what the fuss is about. One of the driving reasons (romanticized or not) for purchasing a tactical-style rifle such as the RFB is for combat. All struggles involving force are combat, including home defense. The RFB fits the home defense role quite nicely, when it's stoked with expanding ammunition.
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Only if you live in rural no-where! I wouldn't feel good using a .308 for HD where I live, my 5.45 covers that role better. I may not know my neighbors that well, I don't want to know them better because a round went through their house.
 
To generalize a bit, what is the overall opinion about Kel-Tec? I see that they have some really great ideas for products, and at least their listed prices seem reasonable, but my LGS can't get any because they have insufficient supply (versus the incredible demand these days), and comments about unreliability disappoint me when there seems to be so much potential with these great ideas (e.g., the SUB 2000 as a HD/Urban firearm).
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I can't speak for the RFB first-hand, but I do have a Sub2000 in .40S&W (glock mag), that I've fired over five hundred rounds through before cleaning, with zero malfunctions. The rifle looks (and to some, feels) like a toy, but it's a serious piece of hardware.

Inevitably the RFB will suffer some issues during its first few years of production. The Sub2000 has been produced for over a decade now, all the kinks have been worked out, and it shows. I trust it as a portable defensive rifle for keeping with me while travelling in or through states where pistols are verboten or severely restricted.
 
FIVETWOSEVEN said:
Only if you live in rural no-where! I wouldn't feel good using a .308 for HD where I live, my 5.45 covers that role better. I may not know my neighbors that well, I don't want to know them better because a round went through their house.
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Honestly, no centerfire rifle really makes a good HD round unless you don't mind permanent hearing damage. Plus, where are you going to keep a rifle safely and responsibly, yet still have it be easily accessible? A pistol can be kept in a locked drawer or a small safe on the nightstand.
 
Honestly, no centerfire rifle really makes a good HD round unless you don't mind permanent hearing damage.
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Centerfire rifles are not appreciably louder than centerfire pistols. Both will cause permanent hearing damage. From what I recall, a .357 magnum revolver is actually louder than a .30-06 or .308 rifle. cite

Plus, where are you going to keep a rifle safely and responsibly, yet still have it be easily accessible? A pistol can be kept in a locked drawer or a small safe on the nightstand.
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Depends on your definition of safely and responsibly. I keep my HD rifle propped against the wall near my bed. Since I don't have children or irresponsible adults in the house, that's perfectly safe and responsible.
 
General Geoff said:
Centerfire rifles are not appreciably louder than centerfire pistols. Both will cause permanent hearing damage. From what I recall, a .357 magnum revolver is actually louder than a .30-06 or .308 rifle. cite


Depends on your definition of safely and responsibly. I keep my HD rifle propped against the wall near my bed. Since I don't have children or irresponsible adults in the house, that's perfectly safe and responsible.
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Assuming its locked up during the day I'm sure thats fine, I personally wouldn't do it or use a rifle though.
 
The door to the house is locked while I'm out, if that's what you mean. :confused:


I have far more expensive things in my house than guns, which are not kept locked in containers inside the house. I don't see the point of locking up my guns unless my house is going to be empty for a long while (I have roommates who are also gun owners, and at any given time at least one of us is home).
 
If you want an HD bullpup, you can now get a conversion for the SKS at around $225.

I have the Kel-Tek SU-16C, and so far I'm very happy with it. It reliably goes bang, and I think it will end up being about a 2 MOA shooter with five-shot groups. Just haven't done enough load development yet to be sure (sometimes better, sometimes worse).

My view of their handguns is that they reliably go bang, don't cost much, don't weigh much, aren't especially accurate, and will probably save your life in a pinch. I think they are elegantly engineered for that particular niche.

I spend a lot of my professional life dealing with quality issues. There is no firearm manufacturer that I know of that "gets" the quality thing. If they did, prices would go down year after year, all rifles would shoot 1 MOA or better out of the box, and a major defect during the first year of use would be a once in a decade experience for a shooting board this size. As it is, most firearm purchases are the beginning of a project and an out of the box defect is unremarkable.
 
I am an M1A guy through and through but after handling one I had to have it.

Zero malfunctions, handles beautifully, and 2.5" at 100 yards with Federal Premiums. I will always pick the M1a first if it hit the fan, but for my purposes this little bullpup might be the perfect Hog Rifle. Time will tell.

I shoot left handed because I am blind in my right eye and this is a serious choice for a southpaw looking for a semi auto .308.

I have a Swavroski 1.5 x 6 on it and it works well for me.
 
I like the bullpup design, but it's quite pricey and still untested for my tastes.

It would be great for urban/vehicle type use. But what do I really need that for. My guns are all range toys, maybe some home defense. I'm not concerned with an extra few inches of rifle...
 
What are your opinions regarding the forward ejection of the RFB, versus say the downward ejection of the P90?
 
Forward ejection works fine in both my RFB and my FS2000. I will say its a bit more forceful in the RFB though.
 
Honestly, no centerfire rifle really makes a good HD round unless you don't mind permanent hearing damage. Plus, where are you going to keep a rifle safely and responsibly, yet still have it be easily accessible? A pistol can be kept in a locked drawer or a small safe on the nightstand.
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I have no need to lock mine up during the night. No kids here.
 
My RFB is now up to 260 rounds without failure since the last broken part. The previous record was 196 rounds.

Time will tell if after three trips back to Kel-Tec and two broken part exchanges will have it finally working reliably enough to be useful.
 
Enough of the politics. We don't do politics, and its off topic any way.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
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