Those of you who haven’t had the chance to put some rounds through a
Kel-Tec SU16 are in for an experience. This lightweight polymer based
rifle is one in a growing new class of .223s. Make no mistake about
it–the SU16 isn’t Kel-Tec’s take on the venerable AR-15 design, as I’ve
heard some suggest. Despite a passing resemblance, and a common
chambering, the SU16 is intended for an entirely different purpose.
Specs on the SU16CA
Calibers: |
.223 Rem |
5.56mm |
Weight unloaded: |
4.7lbs. |
2.1kg |
Length: |
35.9″ |
912.0mm |
Length Folded: |
24.9″ |
632.7mm |
Barrel length: |
16.0″ |
406.4mm |
Magazine Capacity: |
10 rounds, or M-16 compatible |
Twist: |
1:9″ |
1:228.6mm |
Trigger Pull: |
5lbs to 7lbs |
22.2N to 31.1N |
Sight Radius: |
15.5″ |
393.7mm |
At heart, the SU16 is a new class of .223. For those interested in the functionality of the round, it is a solid choice.
What makes it a SU16CA? Kel-Tec makes several versions of the SU16.
The CA has Parkerized steel parts. The front sight is moved back to the
gas block, and the barrel is threaded. It won’t fire when the stock is
folded, which makes the gun more likely to pass muster in states with
serious restrictions on liberty. More on that later. It is essentially
an SU16C with storage in a stock that won’t scare California Democratic
lawmakers quite so badly.
Taking the SU16 down is not difficult at all.
This isn’t a gun for those of you with polymer prejudices. I
originally had a hard time deciding if the Kel-Tec Su16CA was a tool, or
a range-time treat for the guy who has everything else. The gun just
didn’t look rugged enough. The amount of polymer left me questioning if
this gun would function
at all. Even now, after I’ve put 1,000 rounds through this one, I’m left scratching my head. It works, and works exceptionally well.
Let’s start with the obvious highlights. One of the first things that
makes the gun attractive is its 4.7 pound weight. The SU16 achieves
this by limiting the amount of steel in the build. The barrel and action
are steel. Most everything else is polymer, and it can be unnerving.
When you first pick up the SU16, you will feel what I mean. It is
designed to be easy to carry in a pack. It is a survival rifle. And it
is certainly does that job well.
But the SU16 does more than your typical survival rifle. Most
survival guns sacrifice features and performance for a reduction in
weight. The SU16 has some nice attributes that set it apart. The forend
splits open into a bipod. And the long-stroke gas-piston makes the rifle
reliable and very easy to maintain. When you add in the folding stock
and threaded barrel, the SU16CA begins to look much more versatile than
the typical pack gun.
The stock will hold two 10 round mags.
The gun is designed to work with all AR-15 compatible magazines, and
ships with two 10 round polymer magazines. The magazine is released with
an ar15 style button. Sadly the magazines I had during the testing of
the rifle did not drop free, however I’m sure some out there do.While
I’m not one to use 10 round mags, I appreciate the way they fit into the
stock. It is useful for organizing ammo selection for specific
purposes. And if you keep them loaded, the mags make this a grab-and-go
type of gun.
The rifle features a removable (and adjustable) rear sight that
mounts directly onto a polymer 1913 rail (which can also be used for the
mounting of optics). The charging handle reciprocates, and the safety
operates on a cross bolt design. The trigger breaks at a clean 6 pounds.
The gun also folds at the grip, but this does render the rifle
unusable. Lastly the chrome lined barrel is threaded to 1/2×28. So if
you wanted to add something to the end of the barrel, you could. Just
saying.
Shooting the Su16
So how does a gun that’s made with so much polymer shoot?
Surprisingly well. Maybe I’m exposing my own polymer prejudice, but I
didn’t expect the SU16 to work flawlessly, but it did. I began at 100
yards with the factory presets. Brass and steel cased ammo both worked
fine and I put round after round onto a steel silhouette. The SU16 is
very easy to shoot form the shoulder as it’s substantially lighter than
your typical decked-out AR. The rifle balances well and isn’t fatiguing,
at all.
Going prone is easier with the 10 round mag than a 30 round mag.
The bipod is easy to use, too. Pull the slider back and the arms pop
down. The bipod supplies enough support and steadies the gun well enough
that I was able to engage the steel silhouette’s head. While it isn’t
an MOA gun, it works well enough that I could consistently flip the
center flipper plate on the torso. Groups came in at roughly six
inches–nothing to write home about, but perfectly in line with the
intended use of the rifle.
I added a 3×9 briefly, but it didn’t feel right on the SU16. I was
able to get the group sizes down to 3 inches, but I didn’t get the
consistency I’d hoped for. The rail on the top is polymer, and that in
itself poses some challenges for securely mounting optics. In the end, I
decided I wouldn’t put anything on the rail (apart from the rear
sight). The extra weight didn’t seem worth it. This is a featherweight.
Leave it alone.
Why isn’t it an MOA rifle? There are a number of factors. The first
is the mix of polymer and steel. These materials heat up and respond to
heat quite differently. And the barrel isn’t free-floated. The front
sight is built onto the gas block, which limits the sight radius. On the
back end, the rear sight sits on a polymer rail. The whole system is
rigid enough for its intended purposes, and not rigid enough for
exceptional repeat accuracy.
And I’m perfectly fine with that. The more I worked with the SU16,
the more I thought of this as a survival rifle. And I’d never trust a
survival gun that was reliant on a scope or on optic. The SU16 gets a
pass as far as I’m concerned.
The SU16 next to a Colt SBR. The two couldn’t be any more different.
Limitations?
As far as I’m concerned, the rifle has no limitations. If you insist
on comparing it to an AR-15, sure, there are going to be obvious places
where the gun comes up short. The SU16 isn’t as customizable as an AR,
and it doesn’t offer as much recoil control or ergonomic sophistication.
But this isn’t an AR. Even though it shoots the .223, it has to be seen
in a different light.
The SU16 is only meant to stand in for an AR in places where the
AR-15 is legally challenged. Another big feature of the SU16 is that the
gun meets compliance standards in many states. If you had to live in
California, for example, an SU16CA would be a decent replacement for the
AR-15. And it is also a packable firearm designed for the hiker, the
predator hunter, or for the bug out bag. It follows the old world
protocol of the pack weapon; light, small, and deadly. As far as
compromises go, the SU16CA isn’t bad.
We put the SU16CA through the California criteria and it seems to
pass. The forums, though, are full of stories of questionable rifles
being confiscated by LEOs. The moral of the story is this. Check. Double
check. Print out documentation. Tuck it in the gun case. Cover your
ass.
Check out the flowchart Calguns has put together. The absurdity will melt your brain.
For the rest of us, the SU16CA, or any of the SU16s, would be a
compliment to our other guns. The MSRP on the SU16CA is $770. In this
market, where you can buy an AR-15 for less than a night out at the
movies, that price may seem steep. But again, I’m comparing it to the
AR, which isn’t fair. The market isn’t swimming in SU16s, so you’ll end
up paying close to that price.
Conclusions
Beauty isn’t a word I generally use when talking about Tupperware
guns, but this gun is a work of art. It is not beautiful in the
classical sense, but it is in the world of function. Every part of this
gun has a well thought out purpose. The integral handguard/bipod, the
gas block front sight, the folding butt stock that holds two ten round
magazines–it all fits. And the SU16 has been built into a gun that can
take whatever abuse you could possibly throw at it.
The bipod forend in forend mode.
The front sight is robust.
The gas tube comes out easily.
To get the stock to fold, simply pop a pin.
The SU16’s bipod isn’t tall, but it is sufficient.
The controls on the SU16 will be familiar to those accustomed to the AR, though the charging handle is different.
The threaded barrel has a nice cap that is easy to remove.
The forend pops open at the touch of a button.
the rear sight sits on the rail.
The rifle is light, and allows you to get very low.