Kel-Tec PMR-30
Speaking of Kel-Tec, they have currently suspended production of the Kel-Tec PMR-30 (of which they weren’t really producing a lot of guns anyway) due to keyholing issues with the gun. For those not familiar with the term, keyholing is what happens with the rate of twist in the barrel doesn’t stabilize the bullet in flight. The result is that the projectile tumbles and loses both accuracy and velocity at a much more rapid rate than a properly stabilized bullet. Kel-Tec’s official press release follows the jump.
As time has progressed, so has the PMR-30. Since the start of the year the PMR-30 has been shipping in full quantities to all of our distributors on a rotating basis (to make it fair for all distributors). Recently we have been made aware of a potential issue that we feel our customers should definitely be made aware of. We are in the middle of a re-design to our barrel due to key-holing concerns. For those unfamiliar with key-holing, basically it is when the bullet tumbles end over end rather than travelling stable with a solid spiral. It seems as though the 1:16 twist ratio of our barrels isn’t quite preventing these issues from occurring. We are currently testing new twist ratios for the PMR-30 so that these issues no longer occur (1:9 and 1:12). There has also been a cosmetic change to the barrel: we have removed the fluting on the barrel. The initial fluted design was for weight reduction, however it was time-consuming to produce. We have created a new design that matches the weight and decreases production time significantly. It will look like a more traditional pistol. IMPORTANT: For customers who DO own a PMR-30 and are experiencing key-holing, you may send your barrel in to be replaced by the newly redesigned versions once they are available. When they are available, a status update will be made so that our customers know that they can go ahead and send their barrel in for replacement. Shipping costs will be reimbursed, of course. Once the new design is tested and implemented, we will post all necessary information for sending back your defective barrel for replacement. As of today: 5/10/2011, we are halting shipments on the PMR-30 to reduce the number of potential key-holing pistols that go out. We estimate a 2-week period until shipments are resumed. We sincerely apologize to everyone who is affected by this. We hope that our customers understand that we are trying hard to make sure that the best possible product goes out.
I’m glad that Kel-Tec is going to try and make this right, because honestly the PMR-30 is the only Kel-Tec product I’ve ever really been interested in buying. I have a deep love affair with .22 Magnum, and I think it’s just a neato little cartridge in an autoloader. That being said, the PMR-30 has been plagued with reliability issues since it was introduced, and now with the added problem of tumbling bullets it has been effectively removed from my list of guns I’d want to buy.
I personally lost interest when I discovered that they weren’t using a real locking mechanism. Firearm designers really need to stop treating the .22 WMR like a big .22 LR and lock it up just like a centerfire cartridge. They don’t take it seriously enough to go all-out, and the half-measures they resort to never seem to work out.
But why would twist rate be a deal killer? It’s just a matter of finding one that works for the ammo people are likely to shoot. Think of all the twist rates the AR-15 has had over the years. In a couple of weeks the PMR-30 will have a new twist rate too, and any new one you buy should stabilize bullets properly. Kel-Tec’s even paying shipping on return of existing barrels.
If dropping in a (free!) new barrel with a new twist rate was the only issue, I’d be a satisfied customer. Ain’t no thing.
Well I don’t feel so bad now, I was at a local gun show and saw three of them for sale, all priced way beyond what I could afford, between $450 and $620. I really want one, but don’t want to take a loan out to get one.
How will Oleg get women to disrobe now?
Hah!
To be fair, keyholing is caused by an unstable bullet, not necessarily a lack of twist. Although that is apparently the cause in this situation. My first several attempts as 9mm lead bullet loads would keyhole badly. Cause number one was seating the bullet to far from the rifling. And second by running to soft of lead for the pressures I was loading to.
The problem is that .22WMR ammo is available in bullet weights from 28-50 grains. Percentage-wise, that is a huge range.
And then there’s the fact that most .22WMR bullets are plated, rather than jacketed. And a fast-moving bullet like the .22WMR is really not going to get enough grip on the rifling in a pistol-length barrel, even if it is the “right” twist.
“And then there’s the fact that most .22WMR bullets are plated, rather than jacketed. And a fast-moving bullet like the .22WMR is really not going to get enough grip on the rifling in a pistol-length barrel, even if it is the “right” twist.”
That is simply not true, .22WMR bullets are trully jacketed bullets. I suppose you are confusing it with .22LR Hiper Velocity bullets. I get a really nice performance out of a 2″ barreled Taurus 941, so my guess is pistol-length barrel are not the issue too. I would bet that the wright rifling twist will do the job.
I’d like the gun. . . if it was chambered in .22LR.
.22WMR? Meh — never been impressed with the performance I got (even with even “decent” .22WMR), compared to the cost and apparant performance I got with almost any .22LR gun with high quality ammo.
Just never became convinced the .22WMR gave enough extra to justify the cost, as opposed to stepping up another notch into a low powered centerfire.
it seems to me that a longer barrel is needed to get the power out of the magnum anyways.
I would probably buy this gun in .22lr because of the high capacity.
Good Job With The New Barrel. I LOVE The Gun, And Am Trying To By, A New One, With The New Barrel, And Keep This One The Way It Is, Having , No Problem With It, GRATE GUN.
Reduced velocities, like those obtained from sticking rifle cartridges in pistol length barrels need faster twists. This isn’t a new discovery.
I was told buy a rep at CDNN that the wait for a PMR is now a year and a half he stopped taking names at 500 people and Kel Tec is not even producing firearms right now because of a contract they have with the government involving helicopters of some kind I have not been able to find any information on this though
Unbelievable: Rifle twist rate is one of the most fundamental ballistic specifications, right after caliber and barrel length.
If Kel-Tec doesn’t know how to follow the Miller stability formula to calculate an adequate twist rate before ramping up mass production of a gun … pretty scary. Sounds like they could use some adult supervision down there.