Kel Tec Sub 2000

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wingriderz

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For those that have this , please weigh in. I would like to get one in 40. Thoughts please.
 
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I had an older 2000 .40 being recoil operated it slapped pretty good. It was the only .40 anything I owned so I sold it. I got a new gen two 9mm I had for awhile. I liked it a lot better, used g19 mags. It was just a toy to me so I sold it after about six months. I have a SU22E that I have held on to and will keep that one. To me an AR with a 14.5 or 14.7" pinned barrel and collapsible stock is much more practical. I guess if you had a .40 that took the same mags, that would be some benefit.
 
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I have a Gen 1 in 9mm. Fun to shoot but you go through ammo VERY quickly and need to get a good cheek and shoulder fit (or suffer bruises per post #2). I also had (now sold) a Gen 1 in 40SW. Not really any difference from the 9mm in my opinion.
 
I had an older Gen 1 in 9mm. I like the concept, and it was fun to shoot, but not for too long. The stock is just a tube, so there’s no good place for your cheek, and I can believe those that that say the .40 recoil is pretty stiff. I sold mine and just recently bought an ATI 9mm AR rifle. It takes Glock mags like the KelTec, and even better, it will take a Glock 26 mag, one of my favorite carry pistols. . .
 
IMO Kel Tec guns are garbage. Interesting designs but horrible manufacturing standards.

I shot a Sub 2000 9mm and it is so small I found it really hard to "get down on it".
 
The Sub2000 folds up nicely for storing in a get home bag. Paired with the sidearm which uses the same mags, hard to go wrong.
 
Rammer Jammer said:
IMO Kel Tec guns are garbage. Interesting designs but horrible manufacturing standards.

I shot a Sub 2000 9mm and it is so small I found it really hard to "get down on it".
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Interesting on your take on 2000. Got tell ya my experience with 9mm , 380, and 32 hand guns all are 8 to 10 years old all bought new all have thousands of round threw zero failures to date. I have many other brands too . But KelTec has been fine for me. I grew up and lived less than 20 minutes from where their built.
 
I have a second generation Sub 2000 in 9mm, takes Glock mags. I like the convenience, portability, 33 round capability. It does sacrifice some ergonomics to achieve other features. I added a homemade recoil pad, padding on the tube stock, aftermarket bolt handle.

Yeah, KelTecs are garbage. That's why I own, in addition to the Sub 2000, a P11, P3AT, PMR 30, P32, PF9. Haven't had a problem with any of them.

Some who denigrate Kel Tecs have never owned or shot one.
 
Subs are not garbage. They have a reputation for reliability. Mine takes Glock 33 round mags and works 100%. It sits under my car seat in case of dire need.

I'd skip the .40 and get the 9mm. .40 limits you to 22 rounds and kicks more. 9mm gives you 33 rounds and kicks less.


Things to know:

1. Feed it lighter, hotter rounds with rounded profiles. Mine refuses to feed 147 grain flatnose stuff. 147 also is too weak and runs the action sluggishly. I use Q4318 NATO and it works fine.

2. The rear peep sight is too small for combat. From the factory it is 3/32". Drill it out to 1/8" for much quicker front sight acquisition.

3. Get a 3/8" hardwood dowel to aid in re-assembly after field stripping.

4. These are blowback guns that run dirty, so expect that.

5. Mine works fine with either brass or steel case ammo. Aluminum case should be avoided in blowbacks.

6. There's plenty of aftermarket stuff available, e.g. MCARBO and others.


7. There are two types, Glock only and interchangeable. Glock only comes in two varieties, G19, and G17. Mine's the G17 which I like because the grip is bigger than G19. But if your carry gun is G19 the mags will match up. The interchangeable kind lets you use Beretta, Sig, M&P by changing the magazine release part.


I paid $349 for mine, pre-panic. I think that's a bargain. Although they are reliable, I don't think they are durable, i.e. I wouldn't put 50,000 rounds through one like it was a Colt or BCM AR.

I think of mine as a sort of enhanced handgun. Fires pistol round, but 30 of them, and is shoulder-fired therefore more accurate. Cool to have on hand when the Gang of Five drops in. If that happens, the Sub surfaces.
 
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I had a first Gen several years ago. As Muss mentioned it was difficult to get a good cheek weld. But other than that it was a fun gun to shoot.

If you want a folding carbine that’s easy to carry or store then the 2000 is great. Makes a good truck gun. Otherwise I would recommend an AR platform. The recoil with a pistol caliber AR is less noticeable.
 
We auctioned one off a couple of years ago.

To benefit the NRA. I was showing that thing to people all day. Not my cup of tea, but nothing really wrong with it. They only thing that I did not like was that it was a bear to rack the slide on that thing.
 
Had a gen 1, shot it a bit, sold it. at 6'3 with long arms, just a really poor fit, all hunched over trying to sight it. Switched to a Ruger PC, more comfortable, more accurate...eventually sold that as well, just as much fun with a 10/22 and cheaper to run..
 
Had a Gen 2 in 9mm. It functioned OK but it did not fit me at all. So I sold it when the pandemic started and bought a Ruger PC in 9mm. Much better for me.
 
mine uses S&W 59 series mags, likes 147gr. bullets and it takes some time to get use to, but it works and is an oddity in firearms. Don't shoot it as much since I got the Ruger PC 9, the problem with these 2 rifles is that you will go through the ammo...
 
I bought a new gen 2 in 9mm using S&W M&P mags last year. Gave it a good cleaning and exam and a lube job. Put an EoTech and a Streamlight on it for its intended use. Then over multiple range sessions put 500 rounds through it with no additional cleaning and lube. Accuracy is good and had no malfunctions of any kind. I was rather surprised that for a blow back it was rather clean inside the action.

So yes, I'm happy with mine.
 
Had the non-Glock .40 version a few years ago. The Subs set up for other-than Glock magazines are easily convertable to other brands (SIG, Beretta, S&W) by swapping out the magazine catch to match one's sidearm.

The Glock version is only for Glock mags, but is easier to find for sale.

As mentioned above the cheek weld is not the best, but the gun was interesting and fills a niche, I suppose. Mine was reliable, fun to shoot. I decided the gun didn't really do anything -- for me -- I coudn't get done with an AR better. Traded it for what I paid for it.
 
As much a novelty item (concealable carbine) as anything. Interesting and tempting design,but as mentioned not so durable to my eye, by the time that you put the extras on to be as useful as a handgun (for me), it is no longer foldable and costs twice as much. I took a close look for the design, but eventually passed. Get what you want and enjoy it, but I would take a cold shower if necessary and move on. Definitely shoot one before you buy. Maybe if it were built better.
 
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HOUSTON RICK said:
As much a novelty item (concealable carbine) as anything. Interesting and tempting design,but as mentioned not so durable to my eye, by the time that you put the extras on to be as useful as a handgun (for me), it is no longer foldable and costs twice as much. I took a close look for the design, but eventually passed. Get what you want and enjoy it, but I would take a cold shower if necessary and move on. Definitely shoot one before you buy. Maybe if it were built better.
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Mine runs 100%. Offhand firing fairly rapidly I can make a fist sized group at 50 feet. I can shoot it much faster accurately than a handgun. It carries 30 rounds. It folds and fits into a laptop bag, small backpack, or under a car seat. In 4 or 5 seconds I can unfold, stick in a magazine, and charge the handle.

It's built well enough to do all this. Box stock, except for drilling out the peep sight, it is more useful than any handgun.
 
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