Take a look at the KelTec P50. This compact handgun with an out-of-the-box design uses FN P90 PDW magazines.
In a company tradition of making guns that look like they stepped out of an 80s sci-fi movie yet are strangely appealing, and even kind of practical, KelTec is celebrating it's 30th anniversary by releasing one of the wildest pistols on the market. They somehow managed to outdo last year's CP33 pistol release in terms of capacity.
Back in 2020, Ruger made a big splash with the first new handgun, the Ruger 57, chambered for the interesting 5.7x28mm, joining only one other pistol offered for the rounds, the FN Five-seveN. But this P50 5.7 pistol from KelTec is a whole different animal.
The KelTec P50 looks less like a pistol and more like the blasters carried by a Star Wars stormtrooper—it would be a carbine if it had a longer barrel—and it uses FN P90 magazines. Yeah, that's right, it takes the same weird rotary mags that the P90 personal defense weapon (PDW) uses, with a standard 50-round capacity.
Where as the horizontal 50-round magazines ride on the top of the P90 and feed downward into the bullpup's action, on the largely polymer P50, the magazines feed upward. The barrel and upper receiver of the gun rotate upward on a hinge at the muzzle. The magazine is then inserted with the feed lips at the rear, facing up. The receiver is then closed, and the gun is loaded and chambered via a charging handle at the rear.
The P50 features QD sling mounts at the rear of the receiver and on the bottom of the pistol grip for a number of options, and Picatinny rails on the top and the bottom allow for the ready mounting of a range of sights, optics, laser sights, and gun lights.
In an announcement post on KelTecWeapons.com, Director of Sales Derek Kellgren said "It's only fitting that we kick off our 30th Anniversary with the introduction of a firearm that may well be our most innovative yet."
If nothing else, the 50-round mags allowing for that kind of capacity in such a small firearm is really attractive. I understand why this isn't being sold with a folding stock (so it can be considered as a pistol by the ATF and not an SBR), but I'm a little surprised there's no option to attach a pistol brace.
The downside is that the P90 mags used by the new P50 pistol are only made by FN, and they're normally pretty expensive. With prices jacked up due to the buying surge, they're even more expensive at the moment. And 5.7 ammo isn't much easier to find.
KelTec P50 Specs:
- Caliber: 5.7 x 28mm
- Weight Unloaded: 3.2 lbs.
- Capacity: 50+1
- Overall Length: 15"
- Barrel Length: 9.6"
- Barrel Threads: 1/2-28 TPI
- Height: 6.7"
- Width: 2"
- Trigger Pull: 5 lbs.
- MSRP: $995
It will be interesting to see how the KelTec P50 pistol holds up to testing and reviews. Once ammo demand gets back to something like normal, this could be the most fun range toy in the world, especially with a suppressor on the threaded barrel. It could even serve as a very effective self defense firearm with a remarkable number of shots on board.
For more info and further details, check out KelTecWeapons.com.
NEXT: THIS CUSTOM .50 CALIBER GLOCK PACKS QUITE THE PUNCH
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