Kel Tec su 16

[Robertgg]

Does any one have one?
Or know anything about them?

[R_Bert]

Yes. A PLR-16 & a SU-16C  What do you want to know ?

 

BTW, welcome to TGO.

[Robertgg]

I'm considering one and was just wondering about quality/ reliabilty.

And thanks I've been a member for a bit mostly going through the classifieds.

[R_Bert]

Mine are reliable.  Pretty cool guns.  SU-16s have an affinity for P-Mags which solves a world of feeding & mag-tweaking issues. 

 

My SU-16 has forearm & trigger set by Red Lion Precision, with Magpul CTR & ATI side-folder. Fairly easy gun to work on / modify.

 

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The quality is typical Kel-Tec.  Work-horse/truck gun, but the gas-piston design is very nice.  If you purchase new, Kel-Tec warranty is outstanding, although I have not had any problems with either gun.  Although  the forum admin is a crank, there is tons of support & info at KTOG also.

Edited September 16, 2013 by R_Bert

[seez52]

KTOG ? Yes he sorta seems like a forum "Nazi"

I've always wanted a Charlie model Edited September 16, 2013 by seez52

[R_Bert]

Mine is kind of a "Franken-Charlie".  I had forgot that I switched out the pistol grip (it stayed on the under-folder for future project).

[broylz]

i have had several KT weapons, SU16-B, Sub2000, and a P3AT. all of them were ok. they shot decent when at the range as long as they were kept decently clean but felt super cheap. for the prices they seem to be going for when i see them, there are better options for the money. just my opinion though.

[Steelharp]

The only thing that ever bugged me about KT is their disclaimer that their barrels are only good for 6,000 rounds.

 

Seems to me that they should have a better handle on barrel building.

[R_Bert]

The only thing that ever bugged me about KT is their disclaimer that their barrels are only good for 6,000 rounds.
 
Seems to me that they should have a better handle on barrel building.

Chrome lined bbl on later versions of SU-16. The very few (1or2 ??) I heard of actually wearing out were replaced under warranty. The 6000 figure is lawyerese. That topic is long hot on the other forum. A number of folks have run significantly greater round counts in the tens of thousands. Several ran mud & water and obscene reliability tests. They *will* melt plastic furniture at some point of extreme mag dumping.

[R_Bert]

i have had several KT weapons, SU16-B, Sub2000, and a P3AT. all of them were ok. they shot decent when at the range as long as they were kept decently clean but felt super cheap. for the prices they seem to be going for when i see them, there are better options for the money. just my opinion though.

The price point has certainly seemed to increased in the last few years. I never liked the bi-pod forearms at all. Edited September 16, 2013 by R_Bert

[Jonnin]

I have the PLR which is, as far as I can tell, the exact same thing at the action/reciever/bolt/ parts of the gun.   Very nice gun...

 

pros:

accurate and reliable.  Easy to work on.  relatively inexpensive (not true anymore?).  Uses standard AR mags.   Its a toy, really, but I wanted an AR that could be carried on my permit. 

 

Comments... kel tec did me very right.  I got a used but busted P40 and they rebuilt it from the ground up to like new without charging me a dime.  (The normal warranty is for original owner only, they chose to be kind).  After that great experience, I bought the plr which I had been on the fence about.   I have had good luck on the KTOG, both for info about my guns and for general chatter. 

 

cons are minor:

1) you cannot use steel ammo in them.  Well, you can, but the extractor may not survive it --- people who have done it claim no problems but kel tec says do not do it. 

2) the rail on mine is plastic, which i did not care for

3) The plr, at least, you cannot remove the front sight easily. 

4) it can melt as said if you put 100+ rounds thru it in 60 seconds. 

[whitewolf001]

delete

Edited September 16, 2013 by whitewolf001

[whitewolf001]

I have the PLR which is, as far as I can tell, the exact same thing at the action/reciever/bolt/ parts of the gun.   Very nice gun...

 

pros:

accurate and reliable.  Easy to work on.  relatively inexpensive (not true anymore?).  Uses standard AR mags.   Its a toy, really, but I wanted an AR that could be carried on my permit. 

 

Comments... kel tec did me very right.  I got a used but busted P40 and they rebuilt it from the ground up to like new without charging me a dime.  (The normal warranty is for original owner only, they chose to be kind).  After that great experience, I bought the plr which I had been on the fence about.   I have had good luck on the KTOG, both for info about my guns and for general chatter. 

 

cons are minor:

1) you cannot use steel ammo in them.  Well, you can, but the extractor may not survive it --- people who have done it claim no problems but kel tec says do not do it. 

2) the rail on mine is plastic, which i did not care for

3) The plr, at least, you cannot remove the front sight easily. 

4) it can melt as said if you put 100+ rounds thru it in 60 seconds. 

 

The gents who claim this SHOULD be right, that is unless KelTec uses a very soft and malleable steel comparatively to a hardened tool steel

 

Mine are reliable.  Pretty cool guns.  SU-16s have an affinity for P-Mags which solves a world of feeding & mag-tweaking issues. 

 

My SU-16 has forearm & trigger set by Red Lion Precision, with Magpul MOE & ATI side-folder. Fairly easy gun to work on / modify.

 

 

The quality is typical Kel-Tec.  Work-horse/truck gun, but the gas-piston design is very nice.  If you purchase new, Kel-Tec warranty is outstanding, although I have not had any problems with either gun.  Although  the forum admin is a crank, there is tons of support & info at KTOG also.

 

Not to be a nit picker(okay, maybe a little) BUT that is a CTR not a MOE. ;)  Beautiful gal nonetheless.

[R_Bert]

I have the PLR which is, as far as I can tell, the exact same thing at the action/reciever/bolt/ parts of the gun.   Very nice gun...

 

pros:

accurate and reliable.  Easy to work on.  relatively inexpensive (not true anymore?).  Uses standard AR mags.   Its a toy, really, but I wanted an AR that could be carried on my permit. 

 

Comments... kel tec did me very right.  I got a used but busted P40 and they rebuilt it from the ground up to like new without charging me a dime.  (The normal warranty is for original owner only, they chose to be kind).  After that great experience, I bought the plr which I had been on the fence about.   I have had good luck on the KTOG, both for info about my guns and for general chatter. 

 

cons are minor:

1) you cannot use steel ammo in them.  Well, you can, but the extractor may not survive it --- people who have done it claim no problems but kel tec says do not do it. 

2) the rail on mine is plastic, which i did not care for

3) The plr, at least, you cannot remove the front sight easily. 

4) it can melt as said if you put 100+ rounds thru it in 60 seconds. 

 

 

The gents who claim this SHOULD be right, that is unless KelTec uses a very soft and malleable steel comparatively to a hardened tool steel.

 

It is the optional plastic forearm that melted (replaces the "bi-pod" forearm) .  Not the metal parts.  

 

The barrels are chrome lined, and actually pretty darn good.

 

B.

[whitewolf001]

It is the optional plastic forearm that melted (replaces the "bi-pod" forearm) .  Not the metal parts.  

 

The barrels are chrome lined, and actually pretty darn good.

 

B.

 

Sorry, my bad, didn't list to what I was referring to. I was talking about the extractors with the steel ammo.

[R_Bert]

The gents who claim this SHOULD be right, that is unless KelTec uses a very soft and malleable steel comparatively to a hardened tool steel

 

 

Not to be a nit picker(okay, maybe a little) BUT that is a CTR not a MOE. ;)  Beautiful gal nonetheless.

DOH!  correct. fixed.

Edited September 16, 2013 by R_Bert

[R_Bert]

Best part about the SU-16 and especially the PLR is that they get attention at the range from all the AR-15 guys  - "WTF is that ?!?!?  Can I shoot it??"

[Guest Lester Weevils]

My plr is reliable and fun. Works good with pmags, not good with generic metal mags. If I can take it apart and put it back together again, anybody can. :)

[Oh Shoot]

....The very few (1or2 ??) I heard of actually wearing out were replaced under warranty. The 6000 figure is lawyerese. That topic is long hot on the other forum. A number of folks have run significantly greater round counts in the tens of thousands.

 

Well, that 6K thing is their general statement in FAQ regarding all their guns in general.

 

And btw, KT warranty only good for first retail buyer anymore.

 

- OS

[broylz]

i really like the idea of their actions. it hink the buffer tube is the part I don't like about standard AR15s but I just don't feel comfortable with the plastic/cheap feel. if I ran across one for a decent price I might play with the PLR but I wasn't impressed with the su16B.

[whitewolf001]

i really like the idea of their actions. it hink the buffer tube is the part I don't like about standard AR15s but I just don't feel comfortable with the plastic/cheap feel. if I ran across one for a decent price I might play with the PLR but I wasn't impressed with the su16B.

They may "feel" cheap but believe you me that those plastics can put up with a hella beating, ask anyone here who has served in the military, they'll tell ya.

[broylz]

I was in the military for 10 years. not sure what that has to do with the plastics feeling cheap. fit and finish is marginal, stuff is loose, sights are crude and difficult to adjust properly on the models ive dealt with, they start jamming pretty quickly with a few hundred rounds through them.

 

others may have different experiences. but im still not sure what the military has to do with cheap feeling plastic parts...

[Robertgg]

Thanks for all the info... I think they are kinda cool but I dont know if they are for me.

[whitewolf001]

I was in the military for 10 years. not sure what that has to do with the plastics feeling cheap. fit and finish is marginal, stuff is loose, sights are crude and difficult to adjust properly on the models ive dealt with, they start jamming pretty quickly with a few hundred rounds through them.

 

others may have different experiences. but im still not sure what the military has to do with cheap feeling plastic parts...

 

When you refered to the "cheap plastics", were you not talking about the Eugene Stoner line or were you talking about the KelTec SU/PLR? The way  you worded it made it seem as though you were talking about the former... If you were, the M16/M4 line has been continually evolving, not sure when you served BUT they have changed tremendously just in the last 10 years. They haven't used the plastic forearm since the A2 model which was COMPLETELY phased out(except basic) in USMC in 2004, the M16A4 took over that role and in the Army, the M4 weapon line is pretty much the front runner infantry weapon which these all use alum. KAC RAS.

Edited September 17, 2013 by whitewolf001

[Spots]

When you refered to the "cheap plastics", were you not talking about the Eugene Stoner line or were you talking about the KelTec SU/PLR? The way you worded it made it seem as though you were talking about the former... If you were, the M16/M4 line has been continually evolving, not sure when you served BUT they have changed tremendously just in the last 10 years. They haven't used the plastic forearm since the A2 model which was COMPLETELY phased out(except basic) in USMC in 2004, the M16A4 took over that role and in the Army, the M4 weapon line is pretty much the front runner infantry weapon which these all use alum. KAC RAS.

The A2's were still in service in the USMC when I got to my first unit in 2008. And TMF reported recently that some Army units are still using them. And I'm pretty sure he was refering to the SU line up. I had one, neat little rifle, but felt to much like a toy, the plastic flexed, the mags popped out of the stock holders when fired, the sights weren't all that great. It made a good rifle to fold up and throw behind a truck seat, but at current going prices, there are better options. I sold mine in favor of a custom AR-15, which to me is much more of a reliable tool than a toy.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.