For almost ten years now, Kel-Tec CNC
in Cocoa, Florida has been manufacturing firearms. Unlike
most new gun companies, Kel-Tec from the beginning has
concentrated its efforts on new and interesting designs. We
have reviewed most of them here on Gunblast in the last few
years, and we own a few of their pistols ourselves. Their
small .32 and .380
auto pistols are the lightest and most compact designs
available, and are great little pocket guns, and their Sub-2000
is a handy little break-down 9mm "fun gun".
A couple of years ago, Kel-Tec unveiled
their design for a new 5.56mm/.223 rifle. While it was an
interesting firearm, and very lightweight, I was at first
underwhelmed. To me, it seemed almost too light for a
serious rifle. About three months ago, Kel-Tec sent to us
one of their SU-16 rifles for testing, and I have been
shooting the little carbine occasionally ever since.
The SU-16 has a few unique features that set
it apart from the AR-15 style rifles available. Most notable
is the light weight of the Kel-Tec, which is just five
pounds and one ounce, without magazine. In use, the SU-16
feels even lighter. Another unique feature of the SU-16 is
its folding buttstock, which , with the removal of one pin,
folds up neatly underneath the barrel and receiver, reducing
the overall length from thirty-seven and one half inches
down to only twenty-six and one quarter inches for easier
storage. In this position, the trigger and hammer are
disconnected from the receiver, rendering the weapon
incapable of firing until the buttstock is returned to its
proper position. The buttstock on the SU-16 also has storage
for two loaded magazines, in addition to the one locked into
the magazine well. While the rifle is shipped with two
ten-round plastic magazines, the SU-16 can also use readily
available twenty or thirty round M-16/AR-15 magazines.
The synthetic fore arm on the SU-16 is a
two-piece design which, when deployed from its locked
position, makes into a handy little bipod for increased
stability when firing from a benched or prone position. I at
first thought this to be a frivolous feature, but it has
proven to be quite useful in the field. The operating handle
on the right side of the weapon reciprocates with the bolt
upon firing, and therefore provides a built-in forward
assist mechanism to aid in the chambering of a stubborn
cartridge, if one so chooses.
The bolt head is of the rotating AR-15
style, and the bolt locks open when the magazine is empty.
The magazine release is in the same position as on the
AR-15/M-16 family of weapons. The gas system on the SU-16
uses a piston to actuate the bolt, and is of a simple and
rugged design, much like the system on the AK-47 family of
weapons.
The trigger pull on the sample SU-16
measured five pounds and three ounces, and was without any
excess creep or overtravel. The rifle wears an aperture rear
sight and a highly visible but well-protected fiber-optic
type front sight, that is rudimentarily adjustable. The
eighteen and one-half inch barrel measures three-quarters of
an inch underneath the hand guard, then steps down abruptly
to five-eighths of an inch just in front of the gas block,
tapering to just over one-half of an inch just behind the
front sight. The barrel is rifled one turn in nine inches.
Shooting the SU-16 turned out to be a
pleasure. I tested the rifle with several brands of military
and commercial ammunition. The SU-16 functioned perfectly
with every type of ammo tested. There were no failures of
any kind. Accuracy proved to be good for such a lightweight
weapon with coarse sights. I was able to keep a thirty-round
magazine easily within a six inch circle at one hundred
yards, firing quickly while using the built-in bipod.
Mounting a Trijicon ACOG
scope for accuracy testing proved the gun capable of holding
five shots within three inches at the same range, with a
couple of ammo types doing just a bit better. The receiver
wears an integral scope mounting rail that accepts Weaver
type rings. The factory lists the mount as a Picatinny type,
but the groove width and spacing is a bit close for
Picatinny specifications. However, the rail is very handy
for mounting optical sights of most types.
After my initial lukewarm impression of the
SU-16, I have changed my mind. The gun is absolutely
reliable, and as accurate as most 5.56mm/.223 carbines
available. Accuracy is on par with the majority of Mini-14s,
and the gun is compact and lightweight. It would make for a
dandy little weapon to keep stowed away in a vehicle for
emergencies, offering lots of firepower while taking up
little space. It would also make for a great little
backpacking weapon to harvest game or just for plinking. The
SU-16 is a fun little rifle, and sometimes that is reason
enough to own one.
Check them out online at: http://www.kel-tec-cnc.com.
