Last week, RF wondered if handgun-caliber carbines were destined to become the next home defense shotgun. He made the connection after firing the Kel-Tec Sub-2000 chambered in S&W .40 during my previous test of the the ArmaLite AR-10. RF was amazed at the Kel-Tec’s simplicity, low recoil and tremendous accuracy. While I’m not sure if his theory is an application too far for handgun caliber rifles, this much is true: the Kel-Tec Sub-200 is a breakthrough piece that offers a little something for everyone, and a lot of something for those who “get it.” Kel-Tec has hit another one out of the park.
How Swede It Is
Kel-Tec is yet another American firearms success story. After making his gun designer bones for foreign firms, Swede George Kellgren landed in the Sunshine State to work for Swedish subsidiary Intratec, makers of the infamous TEC-9. In 1991, Kellgren lived the dream, founding Kel-Tec CNC Industries in Cocoa Beach, FL. Since 1995, his baby’s been manufacturing small, affordable semi-auto pistols, expanding to carbines and rifles in 9mm, 40 S&W and 5.56mm (amongst others).
According to the ATF, Kel-Tec is now the third largest handgun maker in the US.
The Kel-Tec Sub2000 (or Sub2K) is Kellgren’s second attempt at the folding carbine concept. The company pulled the original Sub-9 folding carbine, introduced by Kel-Tec in the mid-90s, after only a few years. Cost, production and reliability concerns stunted sales and killed margins.
As its name implies, Kel-Tec introduced the replacement Sub2K carbine at the turn of the millennium as a “new-and-improved” version of the Sub-9. It’s equipped with a space age polymer receiver that requires significantly less tooling than the original steel version. Kellgren’s mob sent it to market with a significant reduction in the weapon’s price tag: about half of the former Sub-9’s $700-to-$800 price tag.
Kel-Tec’s designers kept the original’s Sub-9′s cheap(ish)-to-shoot 9mm parabellum chambering. The newbie Sub2K’s 16.1 inch barrel adds a lot of potency. Bullets head downrange like a scalded rabbit, delivering the impact of a hot .357 magnum round. Yet another appealing aspect of the design: it’s fed by a variety of popular hi-capacity pistol round magazines from Glock, Sig-Sauer, Beretta and Smith & Wesson.
The Sub-2K 9mm was an immediate success. With a price point of anywhere from $325-to-$375, it was hard to keep 9mm Sub2Ks on the shelves at most gun shops and their scarcity and long order waiting periods made them collectors items and a “cult gun” right from the get-go. Just take one to a range anywhere in the USA, unpack it and it’s only a matter of time before you get a gaggle of curious onlookers all wanting to check it out up close and personal.
What’s even more impressive: most folks can hit what they are aiming at with this folding carbine. A lot more so than they could with a handgun sporting a four or five-inch barrel chambered for the same round.
In the past decade, Kel-Tec’s manufactured thousands of these potent and portable little 9mm carbines. The original Sub2K was a companion piece to my Glock 17L, employing the G17 and G33 hi-cap mags. Over eight years, I put 5,000+ rounds through the Kel-Tec’s tube with nary a hiccup. I eventually sold the gun to a friend who was looking for a reliable Home-D weapon, and waited for the more potent 40-cal version to arrive.
Nuts & Bolts
The Sub2K tips the scales at only four pounds, unloaded. It’s a blowback operated, semi-automatic firearm. Its operating spring is located within the tubular stock. The receiver is made of an impact modified glass reinforced Zytel. The front end houses a hinge block holding the barrel and the rear site. This block is securely locked in place by a swiveling trigger guard. The receiver rigidly attaches to the stock by multiple lugs. The bottom of the receiver forms the pistol grip, also accepting different magazines according to the version specified. The receiver also houses the firing mechanism.
The 4130 ordinance steel barrel has a spring loaded collar to ensure an accurate lock between the receiver and the polymer forend. The tubular steel stock contains the bolt and is terminated by the polymer butt stock. The heavy duty two-piece steel bolt holds the firing pin, the extractor and has the operating handle on the bottom. A captive guide recoil spring with buffer actuates the bolt.
The firing mechanism is a conventional single action. It has a positive disconnector: a push bolt safety that blocks the sear and disengages the trigger bar. The hardened steel ejector is internal. This design, with its long bolt travel, allows for smooth and simple operation and enhanced reliability.
Folding Money
The carbine’s main distinguishing characteristic: it folds in half. It’s an enormous advantage over other handgun-chambered carbines. In terms of storage, the Sub2K-40 doesn’t require a full-size gun case or gun safe. It’ll tuck away within easy reach for HD owners. You never knew how bulky your rifles were to transport until you put a Sub2K in your car’s trunk. And concealment? Let’s put it this way: don’t tell the bad guys.
The weapon breaks apart and pivots at the centerline. To fold, you pull downwards on the trigger guard and swing the barrel assembly back over the top of the carbine. A latch in the buttstock secures to the front sight housing. For added safety, you can lock the gun in the folded position. The Sub2K cannot be fired when folded.
Takedown for basic cleaning is simple. Just push out the stock pin about ¾ of the way until the buffer is free to be removed. Then pull the bolt back by the operating handle and catch the recoil spring. Pull the operating handle out and downwards from its recess in the bolt. The two-piece bolt slides out. You can separate the two bolt components for more efficient cleaning. Further disassembly is not required.
To reassemble, just reverse this process and make sure that you don’t have any extra parts lying on your workbench. Leave the hammer back and the safety on during the disassembly and reassembly process. I you do not follow this one simple rule, it will be very challenging to put the pieces back together again (sort of like Humpty-Dumpty).
Reach Out and Touch Someone
When sending rounds downrange, the 9mm Sub2K has an effective reach of over 100-yards. At distances up to approximately 50-yards, a standard 115-gr FMJ 9mm bullet approaches the muzzle velocity and impact energy of a .357 magnum round fired at point blank range. At 200-yards downrange, the Sub2K’s 9mm round’s velocity approximates that of a .380 Auto’s muzzle velocity.
The 40-cal version of the Sub2K is an even more potent carbine, sending a 180-gr projectile downrange at over 1,200 fps. That gives the 40-cal Sub2K a lot more knockdown punch than the 9mm version, approaching .41-magnum ballistics. With that 16.1-inch barrel and extended sight radius, most shooters can continue to pour rounds accurately into whatever target they are aiming at time after time at distances ranging from five-to-50 yards with minimal practice. It’s a “plus” weapon right out of the pizza box.
Let’s Dance
Having picked up a Parkerized version of the Sub2000-40G (Glock) earlier this year, I was anxious to get it sighted in and to see what she could do at the range. The good folks at Winchester supplied the ammunition for our field test. My plan: keep it simple, narrowing our 40 S&W loads to 100-rounds each of plain vanilla Winchester White Box 165-gr FMJTC, 180-gr FMJTC and 180-gr HP ammo, just like the economy-priced stuff you can get at Wal-Marts and your local gun shop.
The good news: after popping the caps on all 300-rounds, absolutely each and every one went “boom.” The Kel-Tec fed them reliably from a quartet of pre-ban G22 15-round hi-cap mags in my inventory. While all three flavors of 40-cal ammo produced decent groups at both 25 and 50-yards, the 180-gr FMJTC (full metal jacket truncated cone) seemed to produce the tightest groups—by a hair—over the other two competitors.
If you have some basic shooting skills, you should expect consistent 1.5-to-2 inch groups shooting offhand at 25-yards, and three to four inch groups at 50-yards. For a plinker that shoots pistol ammo with rudimentary sights (the front is adjustable for both windage and elevation) and folds in half, this is pretty good shooting. A LOT better than the average person could accomplish with a pistol shooting the same ammo.
Just for the heck of it, I entered an uber-competitive pistol carbine match at a local range a few months back (in June). I did the whole “run and gun” thing in the “factory stock” category, putting over 150-rounds down the tube during the five-stage match. Just like the earlier range session, the Kel-Tec Sub2K-40 did it’s thing with 100 percent reliability. the Sub2K-40 didn’t miss a beat, firing first time and every time with zero jams, malfunctions or problems of any kind.
I was mildly amused at the steel popper phase of the competition, where many of the 9mm shooters had to send multiple rounds downrange to knock down their targets, losing time and compromising their planned reload schedule. The Sub2K’s 40-cal ammo dropped the plates and poppers with a resounding metallic snap—further testimony to the potency of the 40 S&W round accelerated by a 16.1-inch barrel. If you hit it, it will fall.
When the smoke cleared, I placed in the upper third of the competitors—with an under $400 made-in-USA weapon.
Summary
The Kel-Tec Sub2K-40 is the perfect “companion” gun for .40-caliber Glocks, Beretta model 96, Sig-Sauer P226 and Smith & Wesson model 4006 40-cal pistols (whose mags match-up with the Kel-tec carbine). Just about everyone who shoots this handy little carbine for the first time loves it. Why wouldn’t they? It’s fun to shoot! Recoil is minimal while that 16.1-inch barrel assures phenomenal accuracy.
The gun’s light weight and fold-in-half portability make this carbine unique amongst its peer group. There’s nothing else like it on the market that can do the same things at the same affordable price. At $350-to-$375 retail with a lifetime warranty (to the original owner), you really can’t go wrong. AND you don’t need a pistol permit to buy it.
Whether or not the Kel-tec Sub-2000 in .40-caliber is the perfect Home-D gun is a question for another day. Judged by its own merits, what’s not to love?
SPECIFICATIONS:
Weight: 4 pounds
Length Open: 31 inches
Length Folded: 16.5 inches
Height Folded: 7 inches
Width: 2 inches
Barrel Length: 16.1 inches
Sight Radius: 14.5 inches
Magazine Capacity: 10 rounds, supplied (also uses hi-cap mags)
RATINGS (Out of FIve)
Style * * * *
Stylish it’s not. A Beretta CX4 has all the looks, But sometimes ugly is beautiful, especially when it’s functional.
Ergonomics (carry) * * * * 1/2
What’s not to like? It’s light at under four pounds, folds in half and you can hook up a single point sling to carry in under your arm.
Ergonomics (firing) * * * 1/2
It’s a little challenging to center the front sight with the somewhat poor cheek weld, but you’ll get used to it. Technically, tje front sight is “adjustable,” but it’s a real PITA. Very manageable recoil—way more than a 12-gauge and further reach too.
Reliability * * * * *
Shot everything I fed it, including steel case wolf, aluminum case CCI (not recommended) and 500-rds of Winchester 180-gr FMJTC and HPs.
Customize This * * * *
Kel-Tec makes an interesting assortment of aftermarket parts like a low-pro forend, stock extension, rail attachments, etc.
Overall Rating * * * * 1/2
It’s ugly, but it sure can shoot straight. The “perfect” SHTF weapon and survival tool, especially in hard hitting 40-cal.
Wow! It's under $400, it reliably shoots cheap and readily available ammo, and it's accurate, lightweight and compact? As a defensive/survival carbine, this sounds almost perfect in my book.
And (as if this gun weren't already a bargain) you wouldn't necessarily have to use premium defensive ammunition in it, although you'd probably want to. When a 180-grain, .40 inch bullet goes 1,200 feet per second it causes beaucoups of damage whether it expands or not. If you did splurge on the 180-grain JHPs, this gun could reliably (if not legally) harvest medium-sized game at close ranges. That's a defensive/survival carbine par excellance.
Does the 9mm version accept Ruger magazines??? On the other hand, don't answer; my wife would kill me if I brought home *another* stray gun this year…
Chris-
To my knowledge, the Kel-Tec Sub2K-40 only accepts Glock, Beretta, Sig-Sauer and S&W pistol mags (each is a different version of the carbine that must be ordered accordingly). As you so astutely observed, it is a "perfect" survival weapon that has more reach than your typical shotgun or pistol…but not as much as an AR-10 or AR-15. The folding stock is a major plus for portability and I like the 40-cal edition twice as much as my old 9mm flavor due to the additional downrange potential. Plus, the price is right and so is that great L/T warranty. It's a total "can't miss" if you need something a little stronger and straighter shooting than a handgun that shoots handgun ammo. Glad you found the article useful and informative.
Regards,
capt.john
Capt John
Wow! Compact and with a punch ands accuracy at 50 yds. Would be perfect for security at home or aboard my boat.
Question: no permit required to buy the gun but do I need a permit to buy the ammo?
Kevin Falvey
Kevin-
You can get the 40-cal ammo anywhere online and at most local retail outlets. The only place I've had a problem with getting 40-cal ammo is LI based Wal-Mart stores, who seem to have an inane policy of needing to see a pistol permit to buy it, even though it is for a carbine. In contrast, Dicks and Sports Authority don't seem to have a problem with it.
capt.john
Yet another winner from the Capt! I really want to go out and buy one soon.
I can’t wait to meet up with him at our local stomping grounds next week for some new product testing and to alleviate a little stress from home improvement hell.
Very high tech.I though K-Tel made sound alike records.
I wish I had the $s to play with those toys but as for now, I'll be counting on the Alabama National Guard, Baldwin County Sherriffs Dept., and USCG for my safety.
I would like to play student again someday.
For the 9mm market, feed it +P or +P+ aLLLLLLLL DAY, 147gr. HP RANGER or HYDRA-SHOK's for MAX. IMPACT!! Destroys targets, makes a .357 look wimpy! YOW!! Needs a good RED DOT or HOLO optics system, tho. cant wait till they start shipping the new Picatinny Rail Forend. : )
I have a Sub2000 and I like it. I think it is a fun firearm.
I would not trust it for shtf and feel like calling it the "perfect" shtf firearm is more than a stretch.
Want a SUB2000 on steroids? Military-grade tough! Boringly-accurate & reliable, but for not much more than the SUB2000 (all things considered)? Do urself a favor: Try the THUREON DEFENSE 9mm Carbine! [http://www.thureondefense.com/]
I HAVE BOTH! Love the SUB2000 but the THUREON sits next to 'my' bed, hunter-ready! strictly FYI.
So I went and checked that link out. Two problems I see with that unit for SHTF.
It does not fold for easy stashing
It uses Uzi mags that are already expensive, AND they're modified at that. I'd rather have a carbine that took a standard hi-cap pistol mag that interchanged with my sidearm, than have to find unicorn rare Uzi mags and then cut them up or send them off at a cost of $15 a mag to the Thureon folks to be modified.
And my last complaint, price, Thureon lists their 9mm at $659.99, the Kel-Tec can be had for much less, leaving money for ammo and magazines.
I want one now!
Reply to “GR8GUY”
The average Muzzle energy for the .357 magnums is around 550′s ft/lbs and can top out at over 750 ft/lbs
There are no official specs for “+P+” and it is usually just used as a marketing gimmick. Tests have shown that many +P+ are actually weaker than good +P cartridges.
The average energy for 9mm +P or +P+ is around 450 ft/lbs, even the hottest 9mm +P or +P+ was just over 500 ft/lbs which is not even close the average energy of all .357 magnums.
So to say 9mm +p+ makes the .357 look wimpy is a VERY big exaggeration. I recommend, moving to 10mm if you want some good power in a semi-auto or moving the time tested and proven 75+ year old .357 magnum technology.
By the way I am not saying the 9mm is a bad cartridge, it definitely has its place. They are great and fairly inexpensive for plinking and for people who cannot control a more powerful cartridge. Many people like myself believe a person should carry the cartridge with the most power they can comfortably control. If for you that is a 9mm then it is the best cartridge for you.
What???????????????
R.
While I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of Kel-tec’s pistols, Kel-tec’s rifles are another story altogether. Being the owner of a 9mm Sub2000, and having owned a Kel-tec SU-16A, I can attest to the fact that they’re extremely reliable, surprisingly accurate, and easy to shoot well. Oh, and they’re fun, too! I can quickly pick off soda cans at 50 yards all day long, without hardly trying.
It really is an almost perfect survival, home defense or “trunk” gun.
I have a love for all things Kel Tec, even their knives! I anxiously await their bullpup shotgun, and have a badass setup on my plr-16 that includes a green laser, back up red laser and a Blackhawk Gladius flashlight. Brownells has an excellent harmonic muzzle brake which makes life easier-be sure to use loctite as its vicious blast will loosen them up otherwise! I am on the fence over the sub 2000 or a Beretta carbine-I have a case of true NATO pressure 9mm +P+ JHP. I demand 100% reliability and want to KNOW which can handle the +P+ pounding. I grew up suffering NINE break ins as a kid and had my first shootout at 14 years old. I stopped an attempted home invasion during my first marriage with my Remington 870. It’s too late in the middle of the night to find out you bought the wrong weapon! Thanks for the review, knowledge shared is knowledge gained! Mike Perrine
Pingback: I'm looking to buy a gun (or two) by krustyy - Page 7 - TribalWar Forums
Hey I love this gun! Problem is I am only 18, so I can buy the gun but not the ammo in Colorado. Any suggestions?
Brother, move down South!
Honestly, I am not an expert, but I never heard of an under 21 suspect being arrested for only possessing pistol ammo. Do like I did as a young Marine and have a relative buy it.
Just spoke with a nice lady in Sales at the Kel-Tec factory. She says the Sub2000-9mm can take either Glock magazines or, with the installation of an appropriate magazine catch provided free of charge by the company, Beretta, S+W or Sig magazines. This means that if you purchased the Glock-mag variant, you can reconsider your decision and try some of those fine MagTech “18-rounds-in-a-15-round-size” products.
Better yet-Pro Mag makes 18, 20 and 32 rounders in the 9mm Beretta flavor, and both Scherrer and Glock make 33 round 9mm mags. They are also slightly-barely-less capacity available in .40 S&W. I have 8 32-rounders for my Beretta 9mm Cx4 carbine-with the model 92 magazine option, not the Storm magazine option.
I purchased the Sub2000 9mm two weeks ago in the Glock mag version with two 33 round clips. The cost with two 33 round clips and the weapon was $457.63. After firing over 1500 rounds of “expired ammunition” in two weeks, the gun has never jammed or misfired. I bought this to have fun with and because the ammo is much cheaper to shoot than the 40 with fewer rounds of free ammo available. I can tell you, that if you decided to use the Sub2000 as a personal defense weapon in the 9mm, you can expect excellent accuracy with the cheap standard sighting. At 20 yards, you can barely see the remaining center of standard law enforcement bowling pin target after firing 33 rounds. If you like, it looks like the manufacturer sells a single rail attachment for the underside for light or laser. If you want to use this for personal home defense, buy the lower rail and a powerful light. If you want to have fun, spend the money for the new forend with rails ($100 upper and lower) and add whatever you want. The extended barrel on the 9mm is so much more powerful than a standard handgun round, that it easily compares to the 357 magnum handgun round at 25 yards, but the accuracy is phenomenal. I am sure the 40 will give you the same result if it is made the same. Either round is going to knock down a home intruder when the usual shot is less than 6 yards anyway, and usually within 10 feet.
SLS
Pingback: Home defense under $400 « Nuke's
I bought a new 9mm Sub 2000 (Beretta) at a local gunshow in Augusta ,GA last year for $300 plus tax. I was so excited to be able to get one that I didn’t even ask about which mag it took. The first time I took it out I shot 100 rounds WWB ball (no hiccups), 100 rounds Remington UMC ball (1 stovepipe). After 7 stoppages in first 25 rounds of PMC 115 grain ball I stopped trying it. What a lot of fun. The gun is easily more accurate than I am. Barrel gets a little warm but nothing like 5.56 NATO. Recoil almost unnoticeable and I’m a wimp. Was using three factory Keltec 10 shot mags which fed perfectly. Thinking about a Leopold Deltapoint sight for it, but that costs more than the gun. I’ve ordered a Mec-Gar 20 round mag for a Beretta 92f. We’ll see how that works. Thanks for the review.
I am considering the Sub 2000 and the Cx4. Why does the Cx4 cost twice as much as the Sub 2000 to purchase… $375 vs $780? Is it the quality of the steel (4130 vs 4140) or does one come with a chrome lined barrel and the other not?
CX4 vs Sub2000 –
Having owned both, I definitely prefer the CX4.
The Sub2000 is crude, mine had a front sight housing that was offset… so I had to move the front blade all the way over to make it shoot straight. It looked even worse like this, but, in defense to the gun it does shoot straight.
The plastic body on the Sub2k also feel cheap and there is no attention to detail, plastic edges are sharp there is no finish whatsoever. It’s a gun to go bang. It almost feels like a disposable gun. I do love the weight and folding ability though.
The CX4 is quite the opposite. The plastic frame is thick everywhere. It’s polished presentation (it even has soft rubber pieces sandwiched between plastic parts to ensure no-snag areas). The sight are much nicer. The barrel is chrome-lined.
Basically the CX4 is something you could show off and be proud of and twice the cost of the Sub2k which works but is very crude and ugly.
Hope that helps.
I have one 9mm and one .40 of the SUB2000 with matching S&W pistols. Since I have tired eyes, 50-100 yards is all that I need. And they do that very well, thank you. If I need long-range, a scoped 30.06 fills the bill nicely.
GHOST GUNS …
Do these Kel Tec sub2k models actually exist ?
Know one seems to have any and have not had any for months -
Kel Tec seems to be only manufacturing a limited number of these guns and back orders are now off the chart, no one can get them. I am now seeing where dealers are pricing these weapons at $500 or more because of the price and demand situation, when and if they can get them. There are better weapons for less -
Check Gunbroker.com … still under $400 and abundant.