Monday Gunday: the Kel-Tec PMR-30

The Kel-Tec PMR-30 is, without a doubt, the finest anti-zombie pistol ever made.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (from the Kel-Tec website)

Calibers:	.22 Magnum	(.22WMR)
Weight unloaded:	13.6oz.	385.6g
Loaded Magazine:	6oz.	170.1g
Length:	7.9"	200.7mm
Height:	5.8"	147.3mm
Width:	1.3"	33.0mm
Barrel length:	4.3"	109.2mm
Sight radius:	6.9"	175.3mm
Energy (40gr):	138ft-lbs	187J
Capacity:	30 rounds
Trigger pull:	4-6 lbs	17.8-26.7N

Not that I'd ever want to be within pistol distance of a zombie, mind you; I think they are best eliminated sniper-style, over a range of several hundred yards. But if I had to clear a house in the zombie apocalypse, this is what I'd want to use.

Why? Well, let's start with the big reason: It has a thirty-round magazine.  If zombie movies have taught me anything, it's that you run out of ammunition at a fast rate. With 30 rounds in your gun, you will be changing magazines less often. And carrying extras won't be a problem: the magazine is almost all polymer (I think that the spring is the only metallic component) which makes it very light, and the .22 Magnum round it carries is also very light. Three full magazines would be negligible weight; six would be barely noticed. I imagine (though I cannot prove) that 10 magazines -- 300 rounds -- would constitute a manageable combat load. Bulk would be more of an issue than weight.

Comes with two magazines: one in the pistol, and one spare. 

Actually, I think the real issue would be continued supply of ammunition. On the good side, the .22 WMR is a commonly available (if pricey) cartridge, such that stocking up prior to Z-Day, or scavenging supplies in wrecked Wal-Marts post-Z, is entirely possible. On the bad side, it's a rimfire cartridge, meaning that it can't be reloaded. And the manual specifically says not to use anything but .22 WMR, so no loading it with .22 Long Rifle.

But the best thing about the pistol is that it is screamingly accurate. Bright fiber-optic sights make target acquisition easy, even in dim lighting. The .22 WMR cartridge is essentially flat-shooting, and its already low recoil is further mitigated by a full-size frame.

Sexy fibre-optic sights. 

In short, the pistol handles exactly how you imagined guns worked as a kid: you pull the trigger, there is a flash and a bang, and the muzzle rises a little. There is barely any kick to it, and follow-up shots are fast and easy. 


THE TALE OF THE TAPE
Some photographic evidence to back up my claim. All shooting was performed at an indoor range under artificial light.

A full magazine at 25 feet (left) and 50 feet (right). The last 5 rounds of each magazine were shot quick-fire, to test how easily I could re-acquire a target.  As you can see, accuracy degrades with distance, but since the last 5 rounds were quick-fire, and there are 5 hits in the 7 ring, the decreased accuracy might be due to speed of shooting. 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'm sure a better-trained shooter could wring far more accuracy from this pistol. 

Headshots at 12.5 feet (left) and 25 feet (right); 30 and 10 rounds, respectively. I leave it as a matter of debate whether or not missing the Shoot-N-C but still hitting the head counts as a hit or a miss.

OTHER THINGS I LIKE
In no particular order:

• The pistol is full-sized but extremely light, yet still absorbs recoil. 
• Integral accessory rail for mounting a laser or flashlight. 
• Top slide comes already drilled and tapped for mounting a sight. 
• Controls are ambidextrous and easy to manipulate.
• Magazines have windows for every 5 rounds. 
• Magazines insert and remove easily and ambidextrously. 

Grid squares are 1". 

THINGS I DON'T LIKE
Also in no particular order:

• The pistol requires a tool (a punch or unspent bullet) to remove a pin before you can field-strip it. 
• Getting the slide off is a bit of a trick. I discovered that once the pin was removed, racking and releasing the slide was the best way to get it started down the track. 
• The recoil spring is not the easiest thing in the world to remove. I had to grab the spring, pull it toward the muzzle, and practically wrestle it out of place. Fortunately, putting it back together is much less difficult. 
• The length of the .22 Magnum round means the grip is surprisingly wide. However,  Kel-Tec can't really do anything about that. 

THINGS WHICH ARE NEITHER HERE NOR THERE
There is a special way to load the magazines, which is clearly illustrated in the manual. If you try to load the magazine the traditional way, not only will it be a lot harder, the cartridges will seize and bind. Do yourself a favor and Read The Manual.


WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS PISTOL
Absolutely yes. It's a bit of a specialty gun, to be clear, but I would recommend it for the following uses:

• As a farm, kit, truck or trail gun. Not only can it be used on small game, or against varmints such as foxes or coyotes, the muzzle flash and loud bang of the magnum could serve as further discouragement to larger predators such as wolves and mountain lions. 
• As a training gun for novice shooters who have progressed past .22LR but are not yet ready for the increased recoil of larger calibers. The combination of flash, loud bang, but low recoil would be excellent in helping them overcome anticipatory flinch. 
• As a self-defense pistol for those who find regular pistols too heavy, or recoil too severe. The only drawback to this is that its full-size frame could make it difficult to carry concealed.*
• As a sidearm for a zombie apocalypse. 

Photo courtesy of Oleg Volk. 

IN CONCLUSION

The PMR-30 is a fun pistol, and you owe it to yourself to shoot it at least once in your life. 

It is a specialty pistol, I grant you, and I would not want it in a war zone (zombies excepted). But for what it is -- trail gun, varminter, trainer -- it does its job very well.

*I think that if Kel-Tec were to sell a model with a shorter barrel and 20-round magazine, it would be a dandy concealed-carry pistol for the elderly and the infirm.**
** A version in .22 LR would probably also sell very well, since the leading semi-auto pistol in that caliber is has a magazine capacity of only 10 rounds. 

EDITED TO ADD:
Yes, I am aware that about 1 in 10 rounds seem to keyhole. Several astute readers pointed this out to me and explained why this is bad. I sincerely thank them for curing my ignorance.

It is my understanding that keyholing was an issue with earlier versions of this gun, and they have since increased the twist rate of the barrel. In addition, the manual makes it plain which ammunition to use.

Per the manual, the following cartridges are also recommended:
* CCI Maxi-Mag JHP+V 30gr
* Federal Game-Shok JHP 50gr
* Winchester Super-X FMJ 40gr
* Remington Premier Magnum 33gr

The following cartridges are NOT recommended, also per manual:
* Armscor 40gr
* Fiocchi 40gr
* Winchester Dynapoint 45gr
* Winchester Supreme 30gr
* Any other Non-U.S. made ammunition

Unfortunately, I was using 40-grain CCI Maxi-Mag, which is specifically recommended by name for "reliable functioning."   Rest assured that I will mention this to Kel-Tec in an email.


SECOND EDIT:  The Mystery of the 10% Key-Hole has been solved. 

Obligatory FTC disclaimer: I received this pistol to test and evaluate for 90 days. No monetary compensation was given for me to write this article.