Monday Gunday: Accessorizing the Kel-Tec Sub-2000

Last time on Monday is Gunday, I reviewed the Kel-Tec Sub-2000. Today I'm going to talk about accesories for it because, as I have said earlier, my girliest feature is my need to put accessories on everything.

I'm still deciding upon a name for this one. In fact, I'm not sure if I should name it at all, since the moment I name it I consider it "mine" and this gun was bought as a self-defense weapon my mother could use. Admittedly, I'm the head weapons-handler (weaponista?) of the household, and therefore its storage, maintenance and upkeep fall under my purview. Still... I didn't buy this one, nor was it expressly gifted to me. And I'd feel really strange about taking it with me if I moved out, since that would leave mom once again without a way to defend herself.

Sigh. My feelings, they are mixed.

Regardless, these are the accessories I have bought for the S2k, either out of perceived necessity or desired comfort.

1)  Three 33-round magazines. (Although, by an odd quirk, one of them holds 34.) This allows me to put 2 full boxes of 9mm ammo into ready-to-use containers, which saves on space and time spent loading. The S2k comes standard with a 10 round magazine, which is probably sufficient for any self-defense scenario, but is a pain to load at the range. 3x33 is not only far more convenient, it gives the user peace of mind that they won't run out of ammo any time soon -- unless they're at the range. In which case, I can probably empty all three of these before the lanes go cold for checking & changing targets.You'd pay $35 for a Glock-branded magazine, but if you're willing to accept magazines made in Korea and approved by NATO, you can get them for $15, for no tax and free shipping, from Botach Tactical.

2) A Butler Creek UPLULA (Universal Pistol Loader/UnLoader Accessory). I had never loaded a pistol magazine before I owned the S2k, and let me tell you -- it is damned difficult. You have to hold the magazine in your off-hand while the thumb and forefinger of your primary hand simultaneously hold a bullet and try to mash it down and back into the magazine, fighting the spring. This is not easy even in the best of situations, as the more you load the mag the greater the spring compresses and therefore the force required to depress it increases. This is made even worse if you have a brand new magazine (stiff spring), small hands (like me) or arthritis (like my mother).

This bad boy, however, makes loading fast, easy, and practically idiot-proof. Best of all, it works for nearly all pistol-caliber ammo (9mm to .45), and if you shoot something smaller, you can get the Baby UPLULA for .22 to .380). It retails for $35 (and it would be the best money you ever spent) but you can get it for $24.95 and free shipping at Amazon.

3) This is more of a modification than a purchase. I took a sling swivel stud (machine screw kind, not wood screw), cut it down, and then threaded it through the sling loop in the buttstock. A washer and a locking nut secured it on the other side. I attached the sling loop, and now I can attach my single-point sling to it easily. When not in use it tucks snugly behind... 

4) ...a small Limbsaver-brand recoil pad. This is included not so much to reduce recoil as it is to make the hard plastic buttstock with uncomfortable knobby thing (seen above) more comfortable when held against my shoulder. You can get this at most any Wal-Mart for $20 - $25.

5) This is the flashlight which used to be on Leo, my shotgun. As soon as I'm flush with Christmas money I'll be getting another one so that both home-defense weapons have tactical flashlights. What's nice about this particular setup is that I can dismount the light from the barrel clamp with a single allen screw, revealing a single Weaver-style mount to which I can then attach other accessories as needed. 

Also shown: my modded operating handle, now covered in 3 coasts plasti-dip. 

6) This just arrived in the mail today: a bolt tube cover from Tacticool Products ($13.50, free shipping).  I bought it strictly to make the carbine more comfortable. From their website:

The Kel-Tec SUB-2000 carbine is fun to shoot, but the cheek weld to the steel bolt tube is a source of some discomfort.  The heavy bolt recoils inside the bolt tube which is in contact with the shooter's cheek.  The steel bolt tube is also a good thermal conductor, transferring heat or cold into the shooter's cheek.  The bolt tube cover insulates the shooter from the shock loads and temperature extremes, greatly increasing the comfort when shooting the SUB-2000.  It also provides a tough rubber armor for the bolt tube, making it an even tougher little go-anywhere, do-anything carbine.

I haven't tried it at the range yet, but so far I like it. It takes a little bit of work to get it installed, as removing the buttstock from the buffer tube is a pain in the ass. Once put on, however, it doesn't need to be removed, and it fits the tube snugly. 

Also, I ordered this product on the 14th and received it on the 17th. Free AND fast shipping? Love it!

I need a conclusion here, don't I? Drat. All right, how about this:  while I know I am a compulsive accessorizer, I hope it is clear that I add things which are a) useful and b) tasteful. If I'm wrong, I'm certain I'll hear about them in the comments below!