Kel-Tec SU-22: “4 Pounds of Tactical” by Nutnfancy

Many things make the Kel-Tec SU-22 cool. First and foremost the weight: this little Tactical .22 only weighs 4 lbs! You will be amazed at the Philosophies of Use that this lightweight will open for you: recreational, tactical training, backpacking, or even survival rifle uses are all appropriate. Moreover the light weight makes shooting and carrying the SU-22 for the female or young shooter more enjoyable. It is a “Tactical .22″ as I have been calling them for some time. It mimicks the centerfire Kel-Tec SU-16 series of rifles (reviewed, rec’d by me at ) and many of its components are directly interchangeable. Of course you won’t get the recoil, range, ToF, and noise of a the .223 SUs, but the ergonomics and battery of arms are similar. Another big SU-22 attraction is price: about $200 lower than many other tactical .22s. Remember in this category, threaded muzzles, Picatinny rails, polymer furniture, larger capacity magazines, sling attachments, etc are found and they often add cost. But the SU-22 provides most of those features for less. Reliability is good when the gun is kept clean. In my extended firing (without cleaning) that the SU-22 would experience failures to go into battery when dirty (no matter the ammo). When kept clean with appropriate lubrication, the little SU-22 cranked along with few jams, even with affordable bulk Federal .22 ammo (Remington Golden .22 is garbage and choked repeatedly in the tests…not recommended). Kel-Tec wisely uses the proven Black Dog Machine (BDM) 25 round magazine which is excellent (but a bit heavy at 6.5 ounces) and provides adequate firepower. BDM, as of 2010, also makes a 50 rd drum that wit fit as well (but will be bulky to carry). Several types of ammo were tried but best accuracy was obtained with CCI Mini Mags solids (I always like shooting a commonly available round for my testing). Expect about 1 inch groups at 25 yards with rested shooting (maybe 2 MOA with very careful shooting, a good scope, and ammo selection). Other high points include: dedicated bolt lockback in mag well, cool looks, perfectly sized and thickness barrel, quality steel throughout, decent trigger, integrated Picatinny on top of receiver (pretty standard nowadays), great stock with folding capability (to a compact 22”), ability to take SU-16 stocks and accessories, good durability, easy light integration, and ability to take both suppressors and flash hiders easily. There are some downsides as well: fieldstrip is more complicated than some competitors, no real sling integration is provided (one method shown), it won’t run reliably when dirty (like many other .22s actually), it lacks a real bolt hold open feature (discussed), and due to Kel-Tec’s continued limited manufacturing capability, it is hard to find sometimes. But these downsides do not distract from the attraction of the SU-22 as you will see when you hold it; that’s why they don’t last long on the gun store shelf. As a survival rifle, I recommend it highly as few match it’s firepower and weight (albeit in .22LR chambering). And as a recreational or training gun it matches or exceeds its competitors. Outfitted with a high value red dot (recommended), a cool FH, a good two-point sling, and weapon light, the SU-22 provides extreme levels of fun and proves that indeed it is four pounds of tactical./////////// Nutnfancy Likability Scale: 8.5 out of 10 //////////////////////Music: Licensed from Zapac