In my experience, it’s been reliable, accurate and fun to use. The optic shown is 3x Vortex Spitefire, quite reasonable with this cartridge for ranges up to 250 yards. 22mag ammo ranges in bullet weight from 30 to 50 grains. The most common 40 grain bullets have the same velocity at 100 yards as 22LR has at the muzzle, and stay supersonic out to 175 yards.
CMR30 carbine partially complete barreled receivers awaiting final assembly
About 60 CMR30s have gone out for field testing. Kel-Tec plans on shipping 500 to 1000 to consumers before the end of 2014.
All the specs listed, combined with its compatibility with/use of the PMR-30’s magazines make the CMR-30 one seriously awesome little rifle. I love that it stands out as an ideal training weapon that could be used for a lengthy multitude of uses.
With all the people showing ballistic similarities of 22Mag to 5.7mm, it goes without saying that the PMR-30 has a lot of potential as a self- and home-defense weapon.
The two (only?) big things working against it is Kel-Tec’s reputation (not my opinion of it, but it’s general reputation) and the recent boom of 22Mag popularity, which may work in its favor in the long run, but recently just means far less available or economic ammo. Interested in what happens. As it is, my safe is pretty much maxed out and I don’t have any 22Mag weapons. Hopefully the CMR-30 is still around and abundant when I get around to making babies.
The little carbine is a stellar little rifle and performs at a level completely different that what your mind thinks it should. Zero recoil, flat shooting, hard hitting, compact, lite weight and laser beam accurate. The ergonomics are great and it has the only wire stock that allows for a decent cheek weld. It fits into such a tiny space and is so handy. Use your imagination, PDW sure, Saddle Rifle yup, Truck rifle is a go, Backpack Rifle yes sir , Plinker , Varmint Rifle no problem. It’s a winner…
The compact size and light weight would be great. Why do I seem to see a tendency toward higher and higher sight-over-bore offset in modern firearm design? Surely that’s not necessary. It’s lighter and apparently less expensive than a lightweight AR or a 30 Carbine, so it may find a niche.
I am seriously interested in one of these for a truck/car gun. I’m a traveling salesman, and I want a long arm that can be carried in a case that doesn’t scream “gun” to anyone who sees it. I’ve been thinking of the sub-2000 in .40, but i like the looks of this one better. Any word on MSRP? That’s the one thing not mentioned so far.
You’re approaching the subject from an optics focus, whereas I am confident the design had more than that in mind – recoil, function, function, and necessity.
1. For recoil, having a low bore axis is phenomenal for reducing imparted recoil of the system as experienced by the shooter. In lamens, the lower the barrel is, the less it kicks up. This mantra is adhered to strictly by all sorts of weapons, including the AK, and extremified in the case of the Vector KRISS.
2 & 3. I repeated function for a reason. The CMR-30 was designed specifically to use the same magazines as the PMR-30 which has a similarly low bore axis/barrel. Rather than create a mountain of work trying to make the magazine do things differently, it makes perfect sense to have the carbine function similarly.
4. Notice the sliding stock? It occupies what little area there is between the top rail and the right hand ejection port (not depicted here). Putting a Picatinny rail at the least height on top of that is definitely the way to go in today’s industry, with consumer interest, availability and use of rail-mounted optics/sights.
As a varmint, PDW, truck rifle, plinker, (as Henry points out) etc., a red dot or holo is perfectly sufficiently to let experience and a teeny bit of Kentucky windage adjust for the height offset, and I’ve seen it used rather well out to quite some distances…
Lyle, by mimicking the sight height of the AR platform, it allows users to take advantage of the mind boggling assortment of sighting options already on the market.
Obviously, but you’re talking about height-over-rail, and that rail is already quite far over the bore.
Anyway the AR is but one system, and among rifles it is a bit of an exception in that it requires the otherwise clownishly high, jacked up optics and sights on the rail.
From an aftermarket-accessory-options-availability-only perspective, the AR is an excellent standard, at least right now, today. From a geometry perspective as applied to other platforms, the AR sight height is one of the worst. Anyway, how many different sight options do you need?
I had a PMR-30 and loved the concept, but it was nothing but trouble. It would never feed properly and always jammed. I lived close by the kel Tec factory and brought the gun for testing. The customer service was fantastic. They were very responsive and had a solution that day. They didn’t know what the problem was, but they put on an entirely new slide, guide rod and barrel. For the 1st hundred/ 2 hundred rounds, it was ok, but after that, it would religiously have 5-10 failures per 30 round mag. I have seen similar issues and have also known others that have had no issues…just my experience.
Sucks that was your experience. Reading a lot about that convinced me not to get one, especially as 22Mag rose in cost and fell in availability.
Do you still have it? Did you ever try underloading the magazines? I’ve known a few guys who would have problems with AKs and/or ARs and loading down to 24-26 rounds in 30 rounders would almost always fix the problem. Always get a little funny when sometimes the mags would work fine in other guns, or other mags would work better in the guns with problems. Just that oddball bit of design and functional tolerances.