We’ve already mentioned potential issues with the Kel-Tec KSG’s barrel switch switch. Namely its position and operation. In this video, the officer is more than a little tentative in his changeover from one barrel to the other. By my clock, it takes him some seven seconds to sort his shit out. Training will cut that way down, but it’s something to think about—when thinking about such things might not be to the gun user’s advantage. At :24, the officer short strokes the KSG. Other commentators have flagged Kel-Tec’s checkered past in regard to quality control. That aside, is the plastic fantastic short-barreled shotgun more prone to short-stroking than ye olde thunderstick? Survival-minded minds wants to know.
Another problem I just thought of was round count. It is very unlikely that you are going to know that one mag is empty until the gun goes “click”. If they weren’t going to make it a semi-auto they should have at least figured out a way for the thing to automagically switch mags when the first one was dry. Still.Do.Want. But a little disappointed.
Even with the time to switch the tube it is still faster than reloading and once you were used to the gun you would probably not run the risk of short stroking. My biggest issue is that it is Kel-Tec. All of they’re stuff seems like a good idea but the materials they use and the final design just don’t add up to how good it could be. From what I’ve seen online the KSG looks better made but I will wait for some review before I will buy one. If it is well made and doesn’t need the old kel-tec “fluff and buff” then I hope it does well and want one for my collection.
Training is the key. If the weapon doesn’t live up to what it is advertised as DON’T USE IT. As far as switching tubes, well practice. And the other thing to think about is firefights. Short of the LA mess, I don’t think the KSG will make or break what law enforcement deals with by having difficulty counting how many rounds you have shot.
Kel-Tec makes some cool looking guns which are cheap and suffer quality control problems. As they say you get what you pay for, and this gun would never stand a chance against either of my Benelli’s.
This gun will also cost less than half of what your Benelli’s does. Keltec is just like any other makers some of their products are better than others. My 400$ glock Has fewer FTF/FTE than my 1200$ Kimber. Its not always about money.
I would much rather see some one buy a Rem 870 for 180 bucks and spend the rest on ammo and training than I would see them spend 2 grand on an auto shotty.
I see this thing as being somewhat gimmicky. The Taurus Judge is too, but it has the snake gun role that it fits well. Outside of home defense from a multitude of intruders, I can’t see much of a use for this shotgun. At least I can convert my Mossberg from home defense to skeet/trap to slug gun with barrel changes… even if I don’t have a 14 round tube.
I know, I know… it doesn’t need a justified use and all that, but I prefer home defense things to have another use, or at least have good quality control.
Grow up guys. Pretty easy to see LEO wasn’t experienced with weapon. We know it doesn’t stand a chance against your Benelli, its not supposed to. What law enforcement department has the money to outfit officers with Benellis? Kel-Tec guns are exactly what they are designed to be. Inexpensive, reliable weapons. Half the price of Glocks, but Glock owners spend money on getting trigger jobs.
Jesus Christ guys! Remember when we had to hand load 6 more rounds when the mag went dry!?!? Who the heck cares if the magazine toggle is a little far from your finger….or if you don’t know when your about to run out. I always count the rounds as they’re fired. And it’s obvious from the video that the officer wasn’t counting when he jammed. This is no Benelli, but it’s a step forward in the right direction in my opinion.
Like everything else, from cars to blondes to shotguns. Never, I mean NEVER, buy any new item until it’s been out a few years and the kinks gets worked out. In time, consumer usage will cause Kel Tec to produce a newer version with improvements incorporated into the new design.
Oh, it’s OK to get hold of a blonde who still has some kinks.
Never used a keltec so I cannot comment on their quality. But I am a huge Benelli fan. I have owned several of them (The hk M1 being my favorite.) That being said, if this weapon is quality made and relieable, I would snap it up in a minute. You cannot move in close quarters( or exit a veihicle) with a regular shot gun like you can with a bullpup. With total ambidexterity and bottom ejecting, not to mention being able to carry a large amount of ammo that you can instantly change from buck to slug(or what ever) makes this weapon very attractive to me.
I own several kel tecs, and yes, once I had a quality issue. Instantly and without quesion keltec resolved it. OK by me. I imagine in the beginning they had alot more of these issues, but they have been around a while now and seem determined to improve and innovate. Can’t fault them for that. I see nothing with this gun that a little practice with it wouldn’t cure, although automatic tube changeover on empty would be wicked and might be doable. will have to think on that some…
I’ve read some articles that claim you cannot switch mags w/o emptying one mag completely. Sounds odd to me. Does anyone know if this is true.
I have several Kel-Tecs – (4) had problems with 1. They fixed it at no charge. Their guns are light, work well, reasonably priced… they are what they are.
It is very obvious that neither shooter had any experience with the gun. I could hand- milk a cow that fast. What counts is that it went bang every time. Yes, Kel-Tec has had some problems in the past, and will in the future. So has every other gun company I’ve ever read the history of. And will in the future. It’s in the nature of the beast that manufactures the gun: human beings. We make mistakes. Misjudgements. Errors of omisssion or commission. Ad infinitum et ad nauseum.
I didn’t see any failure to function. As Bill Laughridge at Cylinder and Slide put it to me one day: “Even if it costs$10,000, if it’s not absolutely reliable, it’s not worth a damn.” Very succinct advice from a true master builder of handguns.
Semi-automatic would be much better. One less function to master. A green laser, and a 400 series Surefire light, IMHO you’d prettty much own the night and everyone/thing around you. From other sites I’ve seen it seems there needs to be a “softly firm” cheek piece. I ain’t beautiful, but I don’t need my face pounded in either.
So if you’ve got the $2K for a fully fitted Benelli, God love you and get on with it. If you ain’t, these are going for $576 on one website as of right now today.
I think they’ve got what could be product that has them usng 53 foot trailers to haul the checks to the bank. IF they have an absolutely and unfailingly long-term 10,000 round MTF (mean time between failure) success with 5 randomly selected guns, none of the principals should ever have to worry about where his next plate of Beluga caviar (Russian, of course) is coming from. L et’s hope they not only read what we write and express, but that they LISTEN TO AND put into operation and production these ideas we have proposed (all of us, naturally) in the future.
There is no better publicity than favorable comments passed by word of mouth. And it’s free. So is negative publicity, and only tremendous amounts of money can overcome it. Only by doing what Tylenol did can the damage be undone, and that takes years. They ate $100’s of millions on that poisoning scare, but they did the right thing.
So be warned Kel-Tec: don’t screw up a good thing. Read your Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management, and Chief Learning Officer. That trio will keep you out of trouble and in the green. Those of us who write (most of us, anyway) want you succceed. Nothing breeds innovation amd improvement like success. Go for it!
Respectfully
Donald H. Conner
[email protected]
Well it is what it is, and it aint nuthin else…. a new idea.. and a new twist on the old bullpup conundrom,, BUT I like the new concept. And if it works for Kel Tek ,..Great!. If not, I suggest you shoot what you can afford and works for you..
I’ll agree with some of the posts here. Currently I do not own a Keltec, but one has to admit that they do come up with ideas that other manufacturers should consider. I don’t know how many “reviewers” in here have ever been with the special operations community, but some did mention that training with the weapon is one of the key points. Again, I don’t own a Keltec so I can’t speak of the quality of the weapon, but to complain about having to switch from one mag to the next is a just plain ignorant. It’s still faster than actually changing a mag. Remember that there are seven rounds to begin with. Imagine seven slug rounds for a second and then flipping a switch for another set of seven. In addition you can have one in the chamber. Those that are slamming the weapon because it adds new features not inherent to the classical shotgun platform simply do not understand that every man has to train with every weapon he is to use to the point that he is more than proficient with the weapon. There are those that train with multiple weapons so they can use any weapon on a battlefield. To complain tells me a lot about an individual. I say this to those people. “Go by an airsoft gun with an on and off switch. It’s much easier to operate and batteries are included.” There are operators in this world who can change rounds in a revolver faster than most enthusiasts can change a mag from a semi-automatic pistol. I typically count the rounds I shoot as I’ve been taught in tactical shooting, but any shooter who has ever been in the “S$%T!” can tell you that you “might” just lose your count when the bullets are flying sometimes because there are so many rounds going off that it’s just “a little distracting”. Still, a big bore shotgun with a “flip of the switch” reload is much better than having to hand load rounds one by one after shooting off six or seven rounds. Typically I like higher end weapons only because they’re built with better materials and have been through rigorous testing, but I also have a Springfield XD I tested and after 17000 rounds of firing without cleaning I finally had a FTF. My Springfield is much cheaper than my HK USP 40. My HK, I lost count of not cleaning and it’s still going. It didn’t beat the HK, but still, the XD went 17000 rounds. I’m waiting to see how the Keltec KSG will fair, but the concept is a great multiplier for shotgun manufacturers. Remember the motto “It’s better to have and not need than to need and not have”. A lot of the modern weapons we have today were developed because of new ideas. From everything I’ve seen, Keltec has already addressed issues with the KSG so that tells me they are “listening” to the shooters (and even the buyers). And remember gentlemen, “Train well. The only easy day is yesterday.”
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