and now for something completely different
or is it
this is the keltec su16
its a gas operated semiautomatic rifle in 5.56 and using ar magazines
it was not designed for the military
and yet we will see this civilian rifle is in many ways a modern incarnation of the m1 carbine
so our story starts with george kellgren
he was born in sweden and worked on gun designs there for husqvarna and interdynamic
perhaps you have heard of the tec9
kellgren helped design that
then he started his own company in florida called keltec
hes a very innovative designer and keltecs weapons are characterized by being very light and incorporating a lot of polymer
he is also big on designing guns for the civilian market
the first few designs were subcompact handguns for civilian concealed carry
now theyre making unorthodox things like bullpup shotguns with double feed magazines
but his first real rifle was the su16
su stands for sport utility
this is designed to be a gun you can easily carry with you all day
it only weighs 4.7 lbs unloaded
even with a decently thick 16 inch barrel
it does this by having a bunch of polymer
like dude even the receiver itself is polymer
its pretty hardcore
yet it also has cool features like a built in bipod
mag storage in the buttstock
it also folds in half to take up less storage space
plus the operating system is all based on proven concepts from successful designs like the ar and ak
and even though its not designed as a military weapon the disassembly is still really easy
pop out the bipod and you can even use that to help
so to disassemble you remove one pin
this is one of those just use the tip of a bullet type things
i prefer zero tools but this is really close to zero
so you break open the weapon
twist the gas tube 90 degrees
then pull back the charging handle
let it drop down slightly and remove it out the side
then the bolt carrier comes out the back
slide off the dust cover
and the bolt comes out very similarly to an ar
push cross pin out with the charging handle
pull firing pin out the back
turn and remove cam pin
bolt falls out
boom
the recoil spring is contained but you can clean it by removing one little pin in the gas tube
so what we end up with is a reliable very light compact handy rifle shooting an intermediate cartridge
sounds very familiar doesnt it
in wwii intermediate cartridges were just starting to be developed
and the .30 carbine is at the weak end of intermediate
so the su16 has a longer range
say 500 m
the su16 is half a pound lighter
both have detachable box magazines
same overall length
much easier field stripping
very reliable operating system with few parts
guys if this had been entered into the m1 carbine competition it would have blown everything away
thats the benefit or newer technology i guess
the su16 has a few variants
theres an su16a with an 18 inch barrel and front sight block
but honestly im not a huge fan of the extra length and having the plastic front sight out there
theres an su16b which has a lighter barrel
an su16c with 16 inch barrel and skeletonized stock
it cant store extra mags but can fire while folded which is neat
theres an su16d with short barrel
an su16e which is a pistol
and an su16f with longer barrel and no folding capability because canada
oh and there is the su16ca
personally i think thats the best
thicker 16 inch barrel like the c with metal front sight attached to the gas block
super durable
but with the storage in the stock like the a
its the toughest and most useful all around design
keltec sells some accessories if you want to swap things around a little
and they all have a picatinny rail molded into the top of the receiver
tho honestly im not sure how well you can trust the plastic to hold zero
its everything you could want in a rifle to have while youre doing something else
and a fun gun to take to the range
people often suggest a 20ga shogun for home defense use by wives and teenagers
but might i suggest the su16 is a better choice
if you want to get an su16 nowadays
hell go get one theyre still making them lol
its maybe 750 bucks at your local gun store
i think they come in black green and tan
overall its a great reliable rifle that has mild recoil but hits pretty hard and can be carried all day
i think its really cool to see that in a modern designed rifle
everything you could want in a modern day m1 carbine
pew pew
#click here for previous articles
robot7247 ago
@clamhurt_legbeard , you could do a whole series on Keltec mutants like the RDB-S
clamhurt_legbeard ago
truth
the rdb and rfb are both very interesting designs
keltec is definitely one of the most innovative
clamhurt_legbeard ago
i bet
voids can happen in any material
polymer even moreso
clamhurt_legbeard ago
ya man
i wonder how that even happened
clamhurt_legbeard ago
seems like a weird situation
ive never heard of them needing to replace an entire gun before
Conway2 ago
Looks like something for the California suckers. So what problems does this fix over an ar platform. None? then whats the point.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
who said the ar had problems
as for differences compared to the ar
much much lighter
cheaper than many ar rifles
folds in half
built in bipod
mag storage in buttstock
gas piston rather than direct impingement
but it sounds like you feel thing need to angrily justify your preference of an ar for some reason
i cant help you with that buddy lol
ExpertShitposter ago
cool. i member you bought one of these a year ago?
clamhurt_legbeard ago
truth
big fan zero ragrets
clamhurt_legbeard ago
daaang
sounds like that gun was jinxed
glad to hear they replaced it and the new one works
Rellik88 ago
Man I really need to get a tec9.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
dude i friggin want one
Rellik88 ago
I dont know if it was because I grew up in So Cal in the 90's, and gangster rap made me like Tec9's and Mac10's but man I love em.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
the design is great
i mean i hear they dont actually function great lol
but i love how they operate
Rellik88 ago
Yea I read Keltec had issues with the tec9. Semis going full auto? Would have to look it up. However I just want one to own one. I wouldn't carry it. haha
65Creedmoor ago
Always love these posts.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
lol no way
your name seems indicative
thanks dude
Helbrecht ago
Good post clammy. I need one lol
clamhurt_legbeard ago
dude yes
then again people always say that about whatever the post is lol
seriously tho this is an excellent and very useful gun
super versatile
highly recommend the su16ca
Helbrecht ago
It's true though. I need all the guns. Except for the ones I already own, in which case I need another one just in case.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
dude
i have two aks
i need several more aks
plus all the rest of the different guns i need
Helbrecht ago
Everyone needs an AK.
Or 10.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
truth
Nadeshda ago
Oooh so nice! Such nice features, light and versatile can fit in a womans larger bag... lol
Little recoil, but has oomph and even approved in CA... nice...
Much enjoyed even though I was late to the party, thanks /u/dirtypuma for being here!
@battlefat @expertshitposter @1moar @terannotterran @twoopsy
Check out OP’s post, what a beauty and the girls seem nice too, lol
clamhurt_legbeard ago
get one
im a little jelly i dont have one
only nts has one lol
we take it on trips
its the hotel gun
IanTheTerrible ago
Honorable mention, the SU-16’s pistol-style cousin, the PLR-16.
The PLR-16 is basically what you get when you decide that your SU-16 would be more comfy for you if it looked and felt more like a bigass TEC-9. Same system, same AR mags, same 5.56mm caliber, just with a short barrel and no stock.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
truth its a closely related gun
FireMarshallBill ago
Great breakdown, good pics and great info. Thanks!
clamhurt_legbeard ago
thanks dude
i wish i had more info on the development history
but its tricky lol
DillHoleBagHands ago
I have a P380. Decent for the price point. The only thing I would change is the horrible trigger.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
ya for their pistols theyve been at it so long theyre even retiring some of the earliest ones now
DillHoleBagHands ago
It is definitely a poker table pistol. I have forgotten the pistol was there because it is so light.
The P380 is my "I am waist deep in shit" backup pistol.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
i carry a bersa firestorm 380
and a model 60 j frame
small guns are great
DillHoleBagHands ago
Until I get a better holster for my 1911, I have been carrying my Taurus PT111.
Hard to beat the small size, large mags, and 9mm.
thedirtypuma ago
That was an unexpected but cool choice this time. So modern. Great read as always.
I never knew a Swede was behind Kel Tec. It makes sense though.
The sub 2000 is the gun that has tempted me most by keltec and the RDB. I never even gave the su16 any real thought. It's cooler than I though it would be.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
in a way its one of the least innovative and most play it safe guns theyve done
its excellent tho
and i was struck months ago about how it is so close to an m1 carbine in overall performance and role
i had to present my thesis lol
it was hard finding anything on the history of its development tho
i wish i had more info on that
virge ago
Virge approved.
Nadeshda ago
Nadeshda approved!
:)
clamhurt_legbeard ago
its my hotel gun lol
virge ago
You need a briefcase gun. So useful.
clamhurt_legbeard ago
i dislike the pin i have to remove
id rather it click together like modern assault rifles with folding stocks