The KelTec Sub2000 5.7x28mm: Slimmer, Faster, Folding Firepower
By Oleg Volk KelTec’s Sub2000 5.7mm converges two trends, com- pact foldable carbines and PDW calibers. It folds down to 16.1 inches, weighs a little over 4 pounds, and makes the most of the ballistic potential of the 5.7x28mm cartridge. The story of the cartridge began around 1990, when it was introduced together with the FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon. The design of the cartridge was focused on defeating Kevlar helmets and body armor. Later, FN in- troduced a handgun in the same caliber. The 5.7x28 was only a moderate success in military use, but it was ad-
Pulling down on the trigger guard to unlock the forend from the receiver made for a 16.1” package that unfolded almost instantly for use. The carbine could not be carried with a chambered round, but a full magazine could be in- serted. Made with a metal receiver, they used Glock mag- azines. Before the 1994 ban went away in 2004, that was important because pre-ban Glock magazines were among the most available types. In 2001, a lighter polymer frame Sub2000 was introduced at a lower price and became instantly popular. Later, the 2nd generation Sub2000 added adjustable length of pull, an option to support
several other magazines, and integrated picatinny rails on the top and the bottom of the forend. Because the top of the forend contacted the top of the receiver, mounting optics remained difficult, though swing-out mounts for red dots were available. The Gen 3 Sub2000 solved that issue by making the forend twist 90 degrees, allowing all kinds of optics to remain mounted and zeroed even on a stowed weapon. By 2024, these two de- signs converged in a 5.7x28
opted by a number of police and counter-terrorist agencies. Its adoption by private users was long delayed by the high price and low availability of the ammunition. The P90 magazine – a complex 50-round design – required a slick coating on the case, limiting manufacturing to a few makers who all got their cases from Fiocchi. More recently, availability of 5.7 ammunition has improved in response to several compa- nies making handguns and carbines for it, Ruger, KelTec,
The 3rd generation Sub2000 allows folding with optics still mounted.
model of the Sub2000. Visually, it is almost indistin- guishable from the 9mm version but features a com- pletely different performance envelope. The gun uses FN57-pattern magazines: the rifles come with 20-round Promag polymer mags that work well. Additional 20- and 30-round magazines are available from both FN and Promag, and a 55-round Promag drum fits as well. With the carbine itself weighing only 4-1/3 pounds, larger magazines actually help the balance. Even with
Smith & Wesson, Tisas, Palmetto State Armory, and AR57 among others. Flat-shooting, and capable of defeating lower-level vests even with ball ammunition, the 5.7 has an increasingly loyal following among American shooters. The story of the Sub2000 began in 1999 with KelTec’s Sub9, a folding 9mm carbine designed to be compact without violating the 1994 prohibition on folding and collapsible stocks. This original design hinged the gun in the middle, enabling it to fold in half around the chamber.
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