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KelTec is the king of weird, and I have a compulsion to collect the eclectic. This means I have too many KelTecs, for better or worse, one of my latest being the PLR-22. The PLR series is essentially the handgun variant of the SU rifle series. The PLR-16 is a micro-sized 5.56 pistol, and the PLR-22 is the .22LR variant. I stumbled across this used 200-dollar gun and snatched it up.
This model features a compact forend with a bottom rail. KelTec makes a few different variations. There are handguard-free and braced Defender models. For half the price of what I paid for the gun, I can add a brace adapter, and adding a brace will take it over the top. Seriously, KelTec, 99 dollars for a few pieces of metal?
Anyway, I bought the PLR-22 to have a little fun, and it doesn’t get much better than a weird .22LR as long as it works.
Breaking Down the PLR-22
The PLR-22 uses Atchisson-style magazines. They are AR-sized magazines that hold 25 rounds. I found that the CMMG magazines that come with the Bravo conversion work, and are a few bucks cheaper than KelTec’s semi-transparent magazines.
The gun has a 10.5-inch threaded barrel. The overall length is 18.5 inches, and the gun weighs a lightweight 2.8 pounds. There is a slightly smaller model with an unthreaded 10.1-inch barrel, so the barrel length varies slightly between models.
The gun uses a direct blowback system, which we all expect from 99.99% of semi-auto .22LRs. It’s simple, but it works with the limited oomph the .22 LR has
Like many KelTec guns, this thing is mostly made from recycled Coke bottles, held together with fasteners. They use so many fasteners, I’m beginning to think KelTec is a front for “big fastener.” The polymer dominates the majority of the gun, and it’s fine.
There is a right-side, reciprocating charging handle. It’s quite large and knurled aggressively. The PLR-22 is topped by an optic rail, and it’s begging for a red dot. The gun comes with iron sights, so out of the box it’s ready, which I always appreciate. The rear sight is a simple open sight that aligns with an AR-style front post.
There is a simple magazine release button and an even simpler crossbolt safety. The gun does have an odd appearance, but it is fairly routine when you break it down piece by piece.
PLR-22: Fun Defined
No matter how much shooting I do, there will never be any greater fun than just mag dumping a semi-auto .22LR. With any other gun, it’s expensive, and potentially tough to control, but I can drive my trigger finger back and forth as fast as possible without the gun ever rising upward beyond fractions of an inch. Dropping 25 rounds of .22LR into steel targets is forever satisfying.
The PLR-22 has effectively no recoil, just a loud noise and a little movement of your sights. As an SBR with a stock, the PLR-22 would be an amazing option for a new shooter. It’s super lightweight and has a light recoilhttps://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/ruger-10-22-review-redesigned. It looks cooler than Grandpa’s Model 60 and reloads a lot faster.
I found the gun extremely reliable, and as I drained a brick of Federal Automatch, I had only a single failure. The first round of a fresh magazine failed to load correctly. After a quick manipulation and a tip of the gun, I was back up and running. I was pleasantly impressed.
Semi-auto .22LRs are finicky and cheap .22LRs even more so. That’s not the case here; slap some ammo in it, and hit the go button. It’s a typewriter, a rimfire typewriter, so the ribbons are cheap.
With that said, it didn’t like the Remington 29-grain Golden Bullet. I got quite a few malfunctions from my old bucket of bullets. Keep running the heavy stuff, and it’s fine.
More Than Reliability
The PLR-22 has a spongy trigger with a long pull, but it’s fairly light. It’s fine, nothing fantastic, but for the price, it works. The PLR-22 would be as awkward as any other “large format pistol” if it weren’t so lightweight. It avoids the awkwardness of the pre-brace era of AR pistols through weight and the absolute lack of discernible recoil.
If you can point it, you can shoot it effectively. I did several run-and-gun-style drills, engaged multiple targets, shot Bill Drills, and Failure-to-Stop drills. I used cover, assumed different positions, and the PLR-22 never felt challenging to shoot. It was handled with absolute ease. I imagine a brace or stock would make it an excellent PDW-style option for shooters who absolutely loathe recoil.
The gun’s accuracy is fine, but the rear sight holds it back a little. There is a ton of air between the front sight and rear notch. Getting the front sight to sit between the spacious rear sight evenly isn’t easy when it’s this spacious. It’s begging for a red dot.
Still, even with the spacious rear sight, I had no problems hitting what I aimed at. At 25 and 50 yards, I could hit a ten-inch gong with ease. The PLR-22 didn’t print the tightest groups, but they remained inside a 3×5 card at 15 yards easily enough.
The PLR-22 is a pure “fun gun,” and for the price, it’s a blast. It’s certainly not a “need to have” gun, and for practical reasons, the 10/22 will probably be the better choice. Still, I have a blast with this obnoxiously sized rimfire pistol, and I can’t wait to suppress it.
Specifications
- Barrel Length: 10.5 inches
- Overall Length: 18.5 inches
- Weight: 2.8 pounds
- Caliber: .22LR
- Capacity: 25
Accuracy: ***(and a half)
It’s good enough to hit most things you’re aiming at, but the rear sight is a little wide for creating tight groups. A red dot will clean this up nicely.
Reliability: ****
Keep it running the heavier, hotter ammo, and it’s solid. The lighter bulk loads won’t give you the best performance.
Ergonomics: ***
Nothing is wrong, but do not expect anything to be ambidextrous or to excel. The safety feels a bit awkward, but everything else is fine.
Overall: ****
Maybe it is the fun that created the bias, but I had a blast with the PLR-22. It is not perfect, but it is a ton of fun, and sometimes fun is a good enough reason to slap plastic on the counter.
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