Why Does KelTec’s Sub2000 5.7 Make So Much Sense?

They called the 5.7 a “meme gun,” and I memed along. Behold, I have now become the meme.

KelTec recently announced a new arrival that sent shivers down the spines of the 5.7x28mm cult. Despite the fact that I’m pretty indifferent to any 5.7 firearm, KelTec’s new Sub2000 Gen 3 5.7 piqued my interest nicely. For the first time I can see myself owning my first 5.7. Yeah, I said it.

People either love or hate the 5.7 chambering. It started life as a fail, having been originally developed in the late 80’s to replace 9mm firearms for NATO countries. Obviously, that didn’t happen. But what did happen was the creation of a new cartridge based on NATO’s requirements: greater range, accuracy, terminal performance, and the ability to penetrate body armor. The result? The Fabrique Nationale (FN) 5.7x28mm round, with a muzzle velocity of around 2,800 feet per second (fps), able to penetrate a Kevlar vest at 200m. Essentially, this was a pistol round that gave users rifle performance, specifically out of short barrels.

To be certain, armor-penetrating ammo is restricted to military/Law enforcement use. While the civilian versions of the ammo are nothing to laugh at, many “experts” asked what was the point if you could not have the full capability ammo.

So why does the Sub2000 5.7 make so damn much sense? It’s all about the versatility of the platform and how it is capable of doing something my current firearms don’t do. Earlier in the year Keltec released a new generation 3 version of its Sub2000 rifle, as I wrote about here.

Want the TL;DR? What makes the Gen 3 Sub2000 such a game-changer is that it is a foldable rifle with a twisting barrel allowing you to keep optics mounted. I need a good ranch rifle for my spread, but 9mm does not give me the distance and accuracy I need to reach across a field to hit predators like coyotes. The 5.7×28 is such a flat-shooting round that a Sub2000 with a 16” barrel will give me all the range and accuracy I need.

On the flip side I might have to also take a shot at small Varmints like gophers that tear up fields. A rifle chambered in .223/5.56 would be great for the predators mentioned, but it’s overkill for small varmints. One of the biggest pluses to the 5.7 is the lack of over penetration even on small varmints. And, because the Sub2000 folds in half and clocks in under 5 lbs., it can easily be stowed on an ATV/UTV or tractor.

Having an MSRP of $511, this is a very budget-friendly arm. Chat around the gun-store water cooler says this Sub2000 will be sell out a couple of times, then street prices will come down to the $400s. Here’s another thing: When 5.7 first came out, it was jaw-droppingly expensive. That was then, and this is now. The weird thing is that 5.7 ammo has actually dropped in price as more and more ammo manufacturers come on board to support the 5.7x28mm. Even Palmetto State Armory-owned ACC is churning out competitively priced 5.7 ammo. Because 5.7 is growing in popularity, more and more firearms manufacturers realize this round is not going away anytime soon.

KelTec, I have to say, you got me twice in the same year. You got me with the improvements of the Gen 3—it was everything that I had been asking for and have loved shooting it. Now you got me hitting refresh on my browser looking at inventories, wondering how quickly I can get my hands on the 5.7 version.

SPECS

• Caliber: 5.7x28mm
• Magazine Capacity: 20 rounds with factory mag; FN pattern Five-Seven pistol magazines offer capacities of 20, 30, and even 55-round drum.
• Weight Unloaded: 4 pounds, 6 ounces
• Overall Length: 30.45 inches
• Length Collapsed: 29.25 inches
• Length Folded: 16.15 inches
• Barrel Length: 16.15 inches
• Twist Rate 1:7-inch
• Trigger Pull: 5 pounds

—James the “XDMAN” Nicholas, Mr. UnPewFessional Himself!