Kel-Tec’s P17 is a compact seventeen-round .22LR pistol aims to achieve a lot for its cost. Meant as a small lightweight plinker with tons of value in its MSRP of 199, the P17 comes with a lot of “stuff” for its cost. Built in optics compatibility, a threaded barrel, and three sixteen-round magazines come standard with each P17. It also features some novel ergonomic changes for Kel-Tec, diverging from the conventional layout of their other pistols. But can it compete with the current giants on the .22LR pistol market, or even Kel-Tec’s own CP-33?

The P17’s layout differs somewhat from a standard Kel-Tec. Glock-style takedown tabs appear to be present on the front of the pistol, but as the P17 lacks a full length slide, these likely release the reciprocating partial slide from the pistol.

The P17 also has an ambidextrous “paddle” mag release, the type that was popularized in H&K pistols. While some dislike these mag releases, finding them too easy to actuate, they can make it easier for some people to drop mags without having to shift their grip, as some have to do to hit traditional mag releases. However, the P17 retains Kel-Tec’s standard semi-recessed safety lever, which can be hard to actuate.

All of these controls are retained in a standard Kel-Tec style frame: plastic overmolding over most metal parts. This makes the integration of an optics cut onto the P17 trivial, it’s just molded into the rear, with the screw holes presumably matching up with holes in the metal portion of the partial slide. This stands in contrast to optics cuts on most full size 9 millimeter pistols, which require complex milling work.

The integration of the optics cut onto the partial slide is an odd design choice, as generally, .22LRs require a light reciprocating mass to work. Adding an optic onto the reciprocating part of the slide could cause the slide to slow down and fail to pick up a round on a following shot, though Kel-Tec likely has engineered the slide to work with the most common pistol optics.

All in all, if the P17 proves reliable, the pistol seems like an incredible deal for it’s MSRP. Three magazines are sufficient for a training gun, and training with a dot optic can allow a novice shooter to easily see how they might be jerking the gun around, leading to faster learning when compared to irons alone.

Ruger’s most popular .22 pistol, the “Mk” series, now on its latest iteration, the Mk IV is normally double the price of the P17. However, it has an internal bolt system similar to Kel-Tec’s CP33, which allows it to have a fixed picatinny rail on the top for the mounting of a dot optic in a nonreciprocating position that doesn’t change the bolt mass. Browning’s Buckmark is a little cheaper than Ruger Mks on entry models, but feature a more “target” style trigger and grip, and lack optic compatibility on entry models.

The P17’s trigger looks to be better preparation for most modern polymer service pistols in comparison, with a pull length that looks similar. As for the actual characteristics of the trigger, Kel-Tec describes it as “excellent”, but it’s not clear whether this means they’ll turn down the weight for accuracy or whether it will remain around the 5-6 pound mark typical for duty triggers, just with a crisp break and reset.

Charlie Gao studied political and computer science at Grinnell College and is a frequent commentator on defense and national-security issues.

Image: Creative Commons.