.22 Mag Semi-Auto's

[palmetto99]

Kel-Tec is introducing a .22 Mag semi-auto pistol, the PMR-30. I've seen a few things on line about it and I must say I'm intrigued. I can only think of one other gun maker that had a .22 Mag semi-auto, AMT. Can anyone come up with more examples and tell me why there are so few? Have a good day.

 

[GatorFarmer]

The KT .22 Mag autos should be available by now for order, I think I saw CDNN list them.

While there have been a number of semi auto .22 Mag rifles, .22 mag self loading handguns have indeed been less common. One that comes immediately to mind is the old Grendel (KT's older incarnation) hi cap .22 mag auto. Those tended to reportedly self destruct after a time, so one can only hope that the design has improved a bit.

The expensive FN 5.7 pistols offer superior ballistics and a high capacity, presumably the new KT offering is meant to be a poor man's FN.

 

[jerryg22]

The PMR 30 will start shipping end of this month (Maybe). Nice looking with top rail and fiber optic sights. Have a 30+1 capacity won't hurt its sales appeal.

 

[Homie]

Don't trust your life to a .22 Mag. semi-auto- rifle OR pistol. The people that currently own AMT are still trying to get their design to work-what's that, 25 years?. Also note that Ruger quit the 10/22 Mag. rifle because of problems even they couldn't overcome.

Good shooting.

 

[Rule3]

Besides, who wants to pay the price for 22 mag ammo? Almost as much as centerfire ammo which you can reload.

The FN 5.7 is a great gun to shoot but reloading it has its quirks. The price of factory ammo has not really changed even through the whole ammo shortage. Still around $20 a box.

There is a nice used one at the shop but it is still way expensive and I still can't figure what niche it fills for regular Joe shooters. I hear a lot of Women like it for a self defense pistol as it is lot and little recoil. I'd like one just for the cool factor.

 

[Bullzaye]

I own 2 of the Grendel P-30 pistols in .22 WMR. I have put thousands of rounds through each, and the only failures I can recall were with some cheap ammo. When fed with standard Win. ammo, they have always fed flawlessly, and both are extremely accurate as well.

Tim

 

[westkybanded]

I own 2 of the Grendel P-30 pistols in .22 WMR. I have put thousands of rounds through each, and the only failures I can recall were with some cheap ammo. When fed with standard Win. ammo, they have always fed flawlessly, and both are extremely accurate as well.

Tim

This new KelTec is the re-invention of the Grendel. The guy that designed the Grendel now owns KelTec. This is just the modern version of the same delayed blowback action.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Swedish born George Kellgren is the brains behind KelTec and their lead designer. He's sort of the John Moses Browning of cheap firearms having also designed such things as the Tec-9.

To their credit, some of the marketing for the new KT (or revamped if you will) was pushing it as a field gun rather than a defensive weapon. Potential users seem to be viewing it as the poor man's 5.7 more so than KT marketing it that way at this time.

(Check Elite Ammunition for the better 5.7mm offerings, runs about a dollar a round, some will indeed penetrate some soft body armor by virtue of velocity, which keeps them from being banned as AP by ATF. Fun fact.)

AMT had spotty history at getting anything, including 1911s, to come out of their hands working perfectly. The KT's look to be cheap enough, and should they fail, the current KT has good customer service.

Note that .22 mag is still cheaper than most centerfire ammo, though is close in price to 9mm FMJ. Also note that .22 mag gets the most impressive ballistics from rifles, not pistols, and even then it's used for shooting raccoons and such, and sometimes felt to be "pushing it" for use on coyotes.