You guys see the 308 from kel-tec

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Very cool looking rifle, even more so IF there was a non-restricted version... Tagged for future reference...

Cheers
Jay
 
18" Carbine MSRP 1880.00$ hum...

If Kel-tec can stamp something else than 7.62 NATO and with a barrel slightly longer, we get a heavy hitter in Tavor package only slightly heavier. Interesting.

Metric FAL mags, are they available somewhere ??
 
It's been in prototype and was introduced as a concept at the Shot show in 2007 I believe. But it won't be available to the public until February 2009.
So no it's not really old news considering they haven't even been for sale yet ;)

The 24" barrel "sporter" version would be non restricted. Of course so is the "target" version with the 32" barrel.
 
I'd be very interested in one of these as well. I've been holding out on ordering a Tavor hoping that a non-restricted black rifle in .308 would become available.
 
This is what I want mine to look like.

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Here's a tacticool version. hehe
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It's been in prototype and was introduced as a concept at the Shot show in 2007 I believe. But it won't be available to the public until February 2009.
So no it's not really old news considering they haven't even been for sale yet ;)

The 24" barrel "sporter" version would be non restricted. Of course so is the "target" version with the 32" barrel.

Correct. This is what I wrote for the CSSA magazine shortly after the SHOT2007 show.
(Back then, Jamie M was not a convict!)


Another interesting new design is from Kel-Tec. ( www.kel-tec.com )The RFB is a “bullpup” design. The Bullpup layout is becoming quite popular now, due to the longer barrel length in a shorter package. For those not familiar with bullpups, the receiver and magazine are moved rearward, and housed within the buttstock. The trigger and pistol grip are kept forward, so there needs to be some sort of linkage between the trigger group and the sear and hammer at the back. When designed well, a bullpup can have a decent trigger pull and release. When done poorly, it will be heavy and spongy, and probably squeaky also. I did not have a chance to feel the pull on this one (dry firing someone else’s gun is considered rude) so I cannot comment on that aspect, but perhaps I will have the chance to fire one at next years SHOT show in Las Vegas. The information at the show indicates that the target model will have a five way adjustable trigger as standard, and this can be ordered as an option on other models.

Another concern with bullpups is that if the ejection port is on the right side of the gun, you cannot fire from the left shoulder, as you would get hot brass forcibly stuffed into your left ear. The British L85 is one such design. Some designs are built with the ability to change which side it ejects from. The Austrian Steyr AUG does this.

The Kel-Tec RFB solves this quite gracefully. Upon firing, the gas system cycles the bolt rearward. Using two extractors, not one, the fired case is withdrawn from the chamber. The second extractor is needed in order to keep the case in place as the bolt travels rearward, then forward. Yes, you read that correctly. The empty is not ejected sideways at this point. Instead, it flicks upwards slightly, and then is driven forward by the return spring. (The initials RFB stand for Rifle, Forward ejection, Bullpup). During this forward thrust of the bolt, a fresh round is picked up from the magazine, as is standard practice. Both the live round below and the fired case above continue forward with the live round being chambered in the normal fashion. The empty case is directed into a chute above the barrel, where it is released. It is not violently ejected, as some side ejection guns do, but there is enough momentum to properly clear the entire chute. I expect that is shot from a fixed position, you would find a small, tidy pile of brass about 5 feet forward of the barrel. This should please the reloaders. I at first wondered whether the case would clear if you were to fire straight upwards. I was concerned that a case might fall back inside the works. A quick email confirmed that Kel-Tec has thought of this, and there are stop grooves inside the ejection tube.

It uses commonly available metric FN-FAL magazines, rather than rare, expensive proprietary ones. A wise choice, in my view.

As noted, it is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first bullpup to be chambered in 7.62x51. (I had recently thought about altering a Norinco M14 to become a bullpup design, but it looks like Kel-Tec beat me to it)

Some of the readers of this article may be thinking that bullpups are completely prohibited in Canada. Not so!! As Jamie Mauder proved in the last issue of The Bulletin, there is not a blanket ban. Several models including the Steyr AUG have been banned by NAME, and some aftermarket stocks have been banned as prohibited devices.
Currently, there are several properly registered examples of the FN-PS90, the FN2000, and the Chinese QBZ-97 in legal private ownership.

As with the Magpul Masada, the big question is whether the US State Department will allow them to be exported to civilians outside of the US. Again, I suspect it will depend on how Kel-Tec chooses to market it. Kel-Tec currently says that they are marketing it as a sporting and Law Officer use firearm.


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The black hole just above and to the left (gun right) of the barrel is the ejection port.
 
Kel-tec owners group has a forum. Might be a good place to get more info, or get the latest info.
ht tp://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=499
 
TooTall,
Good write up.

Any idea what the accuracy expectations are for the 24" and 32" barreled versions?

By the way I actually really like the looks of this rifle.
 
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