Gun Culture And Society
KelTec Begins Shipping Ultra-Light PR57 Pistol in 5.7×28 mm
13-ounce rotary-barrel design offers 20-round top-loading capacity and MSRP under $400
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✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Cocoa, Florida
Florida-based KelTec has confirmed that its long-awaited PR57 pistolfirst teased at SHOT Showcleared final QC and entered full-rate domestic shipping this weekend, with black models heading to distributors nationwide. The polymer-framed handgun chambers FNs 5.728 mm cartridge, using a forward-locking rotary barrel and fixed, 20-round internal magazine loaded through a hinged dust-cover port. At 13 oz. unloaded and 0.88 in. slide width, the PR57 aims squarely at conceal-carry users seeking high capacity without reciprocating mass. KelTec engineers told American Rifleman that the pistols cylindrical slide and lugged barrel reduce felt recoil by 30 percent compared with blow-back 5.7 designs, allowing rapid follow-up shots. Early test guns averaged 2useful 2.9-in. groups at 25 yards with American Eagle 40-gr. FMJ while maintaining 100 percent reliability over 600 rounds, according to independent evaluator Neil Roberts of GunTrend Labs. The company is initially shipping in black and FDE, with OD Green planned for September. A proprietary optics plate accepting Shield RMSc and Holosun K-series footprints ships in-box; suppressor-ready threaded barrels will be offered as accessories. MSRP is $399, though early allocation to distributors suggests street prices closer to $375.