Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

AR-15 Authors Battle Rifles Gun Reviews Rifles Will Dabbs

Why do we die-hard gun nerds do what we do? Sure, we pontificate about self-defense applications, civil unrest, and the pending end of the world. But what really is it that drives this preoccupation we all seem to have with cool dangerous toys that are sleek, black, and oily? I would assert that despite our many cool hardcore tats, ample facial hair, and that flinty resolve present in our steel gray eyes, we are all at our core not altogether unlike your typical 14-year-old girl. No matter our station, background, or wherewithal, we all in quiet moments just want to look cool.

If our mission is simply to throw bullets downrange then there are obviously countless different ways to get there. However, the immutable dicta of Physics are always lurking in the background. Heavy bullets mean recoil and fast bullets require barrel length. As heavy and long are the mortal enemies of fast and maneuverable, American industry has contrived some of the most delightful ways to massage said dicta into conformity with our tactical will.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The Pocket AR began as an intellectual exercise to determine the smallest possible black rifle that might be contrived using stock parts. It is pretty darn tiny.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full ReviewThe Parameters

At a certain point, the exercise gets a bit silly. The practical efficacy of the small fast 5.56mm bullet is predicated upon its remaining fast. When a small bullet gets slow it takes on a more theatrical than practical flavor. As we strive to shrink our 5.56mm combat weapons into ever-smaller platforms we do so at the inevitable detriment of velocity and copious muzzle flash. One can encounter this phenomenon at some of the most rarefied levels.

I recall a vehement cry when the M4 first made its debut over the outrageous nature of its barrel. The 5.56mm round was designed around a 20-inch tube, and the 14.5-inch version on the M4 would never cut the mustard, ballistically speaking. Nowadays 14.5 inches is the starting point for some of the most egregious barrel shrinkage.

The HK416 rifles that Devgru used to introduce Osama bin Laden to his seventy nubile young virgins sported 11-inch barrels and sound suppressors. While the cans do a simply spanking job of arresting all that fire and flash resulting from the fact that we cut the original M16’s barrel in half, there comes a point when all we have really done is create a very expensive souped-up .22 rifle. That is indeed the concept we shall endeavor to explore today.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The free-floated forearm rail on the Pocket AR has plenty of space for widgets and gear.

The Contestants–Brawn

Our two players come from totally different neighborhoods and totally different philosophies. The Pocket AR is a homebuilt contraption that explores the concept of the smallest possible black rifle that might be created using stock parts. The lower receiver had to be registered as a short-barreled rifle so as to avoid any Imperial entanglements, while the Cry Havoc takedown barrel kit allowed the gun to fit into some of the most ridiculously small places. Troy Industries birthed the stubby little buttstock, while Model 1 Sales sourced the barrel and incidental bits. The receiver is a unique creation from Mississippi Auto Arms.

The true strength of the M4 is its modularity. Any three-thumbed ape in possession of even a modest modicum of manual dexterity can bodge together one of these delightful contrivances in his or her basement with a minimum of tools and talent. As the Pocket AR might attest, the end result can indeed be fairly radical.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The tiny little collapsible buttstock from Troy Industries is legitimately petite yet quite effective.

Our Pocket AR is a beast of a gun. The whole rig breaks down into two handy portions that will easily ride within a typical briefcase. In fact, so long as a bit of ingenuity is applied that same innocuous briefcase will tote the gun along with three 30-round magazines and an X-Products 50-round drum. Think of the resulting package as reliable insurance against a world gone nuts. The gun itself weighs about seven pounds and runs like a champ, even up close and indoors.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The Pocket AR breaks down into a truly tiny package thanks to the takedown barrel from Cry Havoc.

The Contestants—Finesse

Kel-Tec is reliably weird. This Florida-based American firearms company makes some of the most innovative tactical firearms in the world. Their 5.56mm bullpup rifle ejects downward, while the 7.62mm version spits empties out the front. Kel-Tec’s pump shotgun sports dual magazine tubes carrying fourteen rounds onboard, and their polymer-framed pocket pistols are the very embodiment of mechanical simplicity. Their PMR30 is unlike anything else out there.

For starters, the PMR30 is all but weightless. No kidding, the gun weighs 14 ounces empty. You can slap this rascal on your hip for a stroll around the rural farm and literally forget it is there. The PMR30 runs zippy little .22WMR magnum rimfire rounds. The hybrid blowback action is reliable and fun, while the single action trigger is pleasantly crisp. The grip to frame angle is a bit blocky, but the gun is nonetheless a hoot to shoot. Each round produces the most delightful little softball-sized muzzle flash. The real magic happens, however, in the gun’s remarkable magazine.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The Kel-Tec PMR30 is a revolutionary lightweight high-capacity .22 Magnum autoloading pistol.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The thumb safety on the PMR30 is replicated on both sides. The second catch is used to manually lock the slide to the rear. Releasing the slide involves snatching it back slightly.

The box magazine of the PMR30 is a polymer contrivance infused with some sort of high tech Information Age lubricant so as to be maintenance-free and thoroughly easy to load. It is compact and handy enough to hide in your pocket while producing a grip geometry that is manageable even by folks with modest mitts. It also packs a full thirty rounds into the sorts of spaces that might tote half that many 9mm.

The safety on the PMR30 is in the same spot and operates in the same manner as does that of the 1911. The gun has what appears to be a slide release on the left side of the frame, but looks can be deceiving. To drop the slide on a fresh magazine one should grasp the slide and give it a quick snatch to the rear. The switch is actually intended to lock the slide back manually, not to facilitate rapid reloads. The magazine release is located in the heel in the manner of most classic European handguns. However, there is a nifty recess to accommodate your thumb so dropping the magazines remains fast and intuitive even if not thoroughly optimized.

The end result is a compact lightweight cutting edge handgun that offers literally unprecedented firepower. The gun is fast in action and fun to run, while being environmentally resistant and pleasantly accurate. It is also, for what it offers, remarkably reasonably priced. As a result, there was a time when demand outstripped supply by a breathtaking margin. Back in those days PMR30’s were being scalped on Gunbroker for twice their MSRP. Nowadays these nifty little guns are fairly easy to find.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The magazine of the PMR30 is infused with some kind of Information Age forever lubricant. It also packs a full 30 rounds into a tiny space. The applique grip material from Talon Grips keeps the gun sticky when rushed or sweaty.

Technical Specifications

Pocket AR                                       PMR30

Caliber                          .223 REM                                       .22WMR

Operating System           Direct Gas Impingement                   Hybrid Blowback

Takedown System          Cry Havoc Quick Release Barrel        N/A

Barrel Length                7.5 in                                              4.3 in

Overall Length               20.25 in collapsed/24.8 in extended    7.9 in

Weight as tested             112 oz                                             14 oz

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

Comparisons

Pocket AR .223 Performance

Load                                               Velocity (fps)   Group  Size (inches)

HSM 55-gr Sierra Blitzking                       2208           0.65

Gorilla Ammunition 69-gr Matchking OTM 1982           0.7

Winchester 62-gr FMJ                               2178           0.7

Hornady 75-gr BTHP                                1959           0.8

Kel-Tec PMR30 .22 Win Mag Performance

Load                                               Velocity (fps)       Group Size (inches)

Winchester 40-gr JHP                                1215           1.5

Notes: Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph set 10 feet from muzzle. Accuracy is the best 4 of 5 shots at 16 meters from a simple rest.

If the point really is to put horsepower downrange a comparison of these two comparably radical smoke poles is illuminating. The 5.56mm Pocket AR throws a 55-grain bullet at about 2,000 feet per second from its stubby little tube. The PMR30 tosses its 40-grain pills at about 1200 feet per second. While these two ballistic solutions are obviously not interchangeable, they remain close enough to each other to facilitate some interesting deductions.

Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

The Pocket AR obviously benefits from the addition of a buttstock, if even a tiny one. The folding, pivoting buttstock of the MAC-series submachine guns has been vigorously maligned, but it yet remains markedly more effective than a comparable gun lacking any such appendage. The stock produces an adequate cheek weld, but it really is small. However, the mission of the gun is to be compact, not to ring steel a kilometer away. In such applications, the lithe little heater is indeed superb.

The Pocket AR runs fast and shoots straight at typical handgun ranges. At 100 meters or more the gun becomes an area weapon system, but we expected that. The primary detriment to this gun is all the wasted energy that is expelled out its snout. The short tube only allows for a fraction of the ample propellant charge behind the 5.56mm round to conflagrate prior to the bullet’s leaving the barrel. As a result, the muzzle blast will clear your sinuses, and the gun’s racket is adequate to alert the Air Force technicians who render yeomen’s service monitoring the planet for errant nuclear detonations. The muzzle flash in dim light is also readily visible from the International Space Station. The gun drops its magazines freely. The practical ergonomics of the M4 platform set the standard for everybody else.Showdown: Pocket Rocket v. PMR30 — Full Review

Importance of Control

By contrast, the PMR30 is a sedate and thoroughly controllable machine. Modest recoil makes for fast follow up shots, and the gun’s ergonomics offer fairly rapid magazine changes. Literally, nothing is more maneuverable in tight confines than a lightweight polymer handgun. The fiber optic sights on the PMR30 glow nicely in sunlight, and there is plenty of railed real estate on the dust cover for cool-guy stuff.

The PMR30 will punch those zippy little .22 bullets right where you want them as fast as you choose to stroke the trigger. You can conceivably hide the gun in a generous pocket, and the compact spare magazines allow you to pack a truly ridiculous amount of spare ammunition. I invested in five mags total. If I cannot solve my problems with 150 rounds of .22 Magnum I should likely find some new problems.

Philosophical Musings

The Pocket AR requires federal registration, takes up about as much space as a proper toaster, and cost me a fun Saturday afternoon in the shop to bodge it together. The gun thumps you in the face every time you stroke the trigger. Imagine fighting Chuck Norris when he was a toddler to get an accurate mental picture of the experience. The gun indeed runs fast and has been imminently reliable in my extensive experience. At typical close quarters ranges the combination of the Pocket AR and a nice compact Holosun combat optic will reliably secure your home and family against most reasonable threats as well as many of the unreasonable sorts.

The Kel-Tec PMR30, by contrast, transfers like any other handgun and weighs less than your lunch bag. It is small enough to conceal easily and packs just as many rounds onboard as does the chunkier black gun. Additionally, Winchester offers .22 Magnum versions of their superb PDX1 Defender defensive loads in this caliber. These horrific little monsters deploy razor-sharp petals on contact with something moist and soft. The downrange effects would be intuitively vile.

At the End of the Day

At the end of the day if the point of the exercise is to be secure and look cool doing it then the Pocket AR does undoubtedly have the edge. Nothing screams Spy Gadget like a takedown black rifle that will fit inside an aluminum briefcase. However, if the mission is more utilitarian in nature the argument can be made that the bantamweight PMR30 offers most of what the expensive AR does at a fraction of the cost, weight, and hassle. If practicality is the answer then the humble PMR30 from Kel-Tec might be a sensible choice.

For more information about Kel-Tec, click here.

***Check out GunsAmerica for your next Kel-Tec PMR30.***

 

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  • ejharb March 18, 2018, 4:20 am

    On the other hand,that funky little rifle chambered in 300 blackout would dominate! 5.56 sux

  • Hill Creekmore March 1, 2018, 6:13 pm

    This has to be one of the stupidest compared firearm articles I’ve ever heard 1000 ftps difference whatever!

  • Willie-O February 28, 2018, 2:33 am

    I don’t necessarily see the point of the exercise, other than the sheer amusement value. I do want to use the opportunity to discuss one of the article’s “test subjects”. When the PMR-30 came out I knew I had to have one. It took awhile to find one that wasn’t 2 x suggested retail, but I did. I read the owner’s manual (seriously) and I even followed the factory’s instructions and recommendations regarding both the magazine loading procedure and the exact type of ammunition – manufacturer, weight, etc. I was ready for the fun part – the range. The reality is that I have never been as disappointed in a firearm as I was that day with the PMR-30. Talk about a let down. Out of the 1st 30-round magazine there were at least a dozen feeding failures. Each one the same – the round was stripped from the magazine, but instead of properly seating in the chamber (barrel) it went above and to the left, getting “jammed” and preventing the slide from completing the cycle. This happened repeatedly thru not only the 1st magazine, but also the 2nd. At least a dozen times with that magazine too. I can’t see it being the pistol or the magazines – the issue was always the same, but happened sporadically. ALOT. Maybe it needed more break-in. We’ll never know because I traded it immediately. That was my 2nd Keltec and sadly, I had issues with the 1st one as well. There won’t be a 3rd. Oh well, at least none of the issues occurred when it mattered.

  • Andrew Reagan February 27, 2018, 8:37 pm

    The only PMR 30 I have ever owned was total junk. It jammed every other shot with any ammo. It got it sent back to Kel-Tec from my dealer. After 3 months he got a totally different gun back. It jammed at least once every other mag. My dealer is a good guy so he he let pick another gun/brand and he took that one back. Keltec gave him a credit and put a totally different gun out for sale. I dont think I am the only case like this with Keltec. buyers beware………

  • Bad Penguin February 27, 2018, 6:58 am

    Notice only SOF have the short barrels on AR style rifles. Its because they need an easy maneuver in confined spaces and easy to control rifle (especially at full auto) with more killing power at a very short range than a pistol offers. At the range ben Dead for awhile was shot, the velocity loss from the short barrel was meaningless.

  • Donald G Silvernail February 26, 2018, 9:25 pm

    What about the noise factor of a 7.5″ bbl. AR? When you hear a noise in the night are you going to put on your muffs before you grab your micro AR and check it out? Has the intrepid author tried firing that piece inside a room with no ear protection? Of course not as permanent hearing damage would possibly result. Hearing damage is better than dead loved ones but isn’t there a better alternative, albeit one decidedly less cool?

    • Koolhed March 2, 2018, 4:32 pm

      Any un-suppressed .223 weapon, of any barrel length is going to cause hearing loss when fired inside a home without ear pro. A .22 LR from a rifle would be the only combo that wouldn’t cause (much of) a loss of hearing.

  • Noel P. February 26, 2018, 9:21 pm

    While I was in the Army back in the 68-74 period when I was retired medically (which I fought hard to stop but now know why as they fidn’t Need Infantry with near useless left Arms) I worked with military firearms from just about all nations and got to travel and test many. One of the things that I got to see was not a rifle but it had an interesting portion that I believe could apply here. It was called the Screw Gun. It was a handy little breech loading mountain howitzer. The barrel came apart midway for packing it. It had guides and once these were lined up it could be reassembled. I tried it and was able to make it work with no prior training or problem doing.
    We had a CEO 3 (as high as they could go back then) that was building some interesting weapons from requests we recieved (mostly from SOGs) I discussed this with him and I was trying to get him to convert a handgun into a rifle. What we ended up with was a BHP stocked pistol with a screw caped barrel to this we added a indexed extension that lined up the rifling and had a simple retractable forward grip. We also added a blade by rear polished sight to line up for better accuracy. It worked but needed some finishing touches. Velocity using higher powered SMG 9mm ammunition was outstanding. What we ended up with was a carry pistol that for about 18ozs of desperate carry could be used as a pistol caliber carbine.
    Why not invest in this for either weapon here and get “cool” with the added possibility of usefulness.

  • Douglas Riding February 26, 2018, 8:21 pm

    So… You’re now comparing a 5.56 pistol ( wait – ‘SBR’ ) with a .22 ?
    I wonder who won ?
    Don’t you think that, maybe an FN57 would be a bit more fair ?
    Plus, your shoulderin’ the AR, and your usin’ optics to boot !

    What’s next; The GM6 Lynx versus the Boker AK74 ?

    I’m glad I don’t play cards with you !!!

  • wiscogunner February 26, 2018, 1:18 pm

    The PMR-30 is a great woods gun. If you have to take something with you, nothing like a lightweight pistol with good sights and 30 rounds of 22WMR. Try a little graphite in the magazines if you are having issues. Be sure to clean your PMR regularly as the 22 WMR rounds can leave a lot of unburned powder not to mention the carbon build up. If I clean my PMR between sessions, I have had no problems. I also see the price has come down in the low to mid 300 range…which is where street prices were expected to be after the initial “got-to-have-it” price spikes were over.
    This really was a poor comparison. I would like to see a 3-way comparison of the 22 TCM and FN 5.7 (you could throw in the PMR-30 for fun but it wouldn’t match the velocity of the other two).

  • JoshO February 26, 2018, 11:50 am

    The article that asks the burning question: which of these nearly useless guns is ‘better’?

    • Billy Bad Ass February 26, 2018, 8:23 pm

      Exactly…and wonder how a Robinson Arms \”mirco\” or \”mini\” would compare

  • jOHNNY February 26, 2018, 11:23 am

    I HAVE BOUGHT 2 OF THE PISTOLS AND LOVE TO SHOOT THEM. ONLY IT DOES HAVE A FTL AT TIMES AND
    TRYING A NEW UNUSED MAG WORKED LIKE A CHAMP. CANT SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ORIGNAL
    MAG BUT I TRIED IT AGAIN, SAME THING, HANG FIRES AT ABOUT 5 ROUNDS. ALSO, HARD TO GET 30 ROUNDS TO LOAD. FROM 27 ON HARD TO DO.

    • lj March 1, 2018, 12:14 pm

      Why are you SCREAMING?!

      • Koolhed March 2, 2018, 4:35 pm

        He HAS TO YELL!. He says ear protection is for pansy-boys.

  • BR February 26, 2018, 10:25 am

    Two things, I do not expect any gun to become an area weapon at 100 yds. (with the exception of smooth bores) If it can’t group at 100 yds it is not well made. Accuracy tested at 16 m, really?
    Second if you want a compact gun with useful horsepower why are you not looking for something in the class of the 22 boz or 22tcm or as others have said FN 5.7.

    • Bad Penguin February 27, 2018, 7:04 am

      Short rifles arent meant for 100 yd fighting, house and cave fighting. Also why the 5.57? The .22mag outperforms the 5.57 until the 5.57 is loaded with armor piercing ammo and fired out of a rifle.

  • Dan February 26, 2018, 9:59 am

    What this article made me think of is how some of these ridiculous, impractical, and unreliably ineffective toys make those of us who appreciate how fortunate we are to live in such a politically corrupt country, but still have Second Amendment Rights, look foolish. We, at a time when children are being murdered by mentally disturbed individuals using “Tactical” looking weapons, are possibly more at risk of losing those rights than ever.

    The NRA has seemingly been transformed, probably through financial necessity, into an organization that represents the gun industry more than anything, but that organization could easily crumble under the weight of the consequences of the acts perpetrated by those crazed individuals because rather than admit that we have some obvious vulnerabilities, proven by multiple incidents, and saying we welcome the chance to discuss them with legislators, they dug their heels in and made statements, some of which sounded insensitive considering how many innocent children had just been slaughtered.

    Ironically, the responsibility for this tragedy lies with the people who will be in charge of collecting our guns if these shootings continue. The only thing that is going to be able to ensure the safety of our children while in school, is the same thing that has been ensuring the safety of air travelers – metal detectors and screeners to control access!

    Unfortunately, more children are likely to meet the same fate because the anger of those involved and affected has been directed at firearms! It may be the AR-15 now, but once gone, it will be shotguns, and when those have all been confiscated, it will be pistols, etc.

    Outlawing firearms to protect schools is about as effective as outlawing bombs to protect airplanes! We all know that, but those with an agenda will use whatever is the most effective at accomplishing their objective, and what could be more motivating than a tragedy.

    For us, this is a time for reflection. Oppose what makes us vulnerable, but do not endorse, nor suggest, ridiculous solutions like Trump did. Arming teachers will only increase the likelihood of an accidental discharge, or a disgruntled teacher incident, or a domestic violence episode involving an armed teacher. The next school shooting may be the straw that convinces Trump that it will be easier to be an anti-gun advocate. He is a rich kid, with questionable morals and ethics, who harnessed a wave of discord, with the help of the Russians, in order to facilitate the Republicans’ MASSIVE tax cuts for Corporations and the Wealthy, and to catapult his brand name to the top of the heap internationally. He does not care about gun rights, we taxpayers pay to ensure he never needs one.

    Focus on directing efforts in the right direction, which is securing our schools the same way we secure our airports. Ask those who oppose this effort if they think the safety of air travelers is more important than the safety of our children. Point out to them that if the next school shooting is three months away, which it may very well be, any proposed legislation will still be being debated while children are being killed!

    • JoshO February 26, 2018, 11:52 am

      Don’t really care what happens after the ARs have been ‘confiscated’ because I’ll be dead. And so should you be.

      Nobody is going to confiscate anything without a full scale civil war. Bet on it.

    • B.Parker February 26, 2018, 5:21 pm

      Spoken like a true blue closet Liberal

    • Noel P. February 26, 2018, 8:52 pm

      OK, I get your point but think this through. If the FBI, who said it could manage within three days a background check didn’t how will adding enough days to make a week help. They have missed so very much at almost all major shootings for the last few years.

      Then the issue of outlawing say simiautomatic firearms period is not a slam dunk. Australia tried it and it has been bandied about for years. Recently they admitted that about only 20% of the Guns conservatively counted had been turned in. No mass shootings but a good number of individual ones. The people there are not all that happy with the exception of their two biggest urban areas. JoshO, makes a point about the violence associated with any confiscate attempt. With our national divide between big city and more rural folks, our crime other than mass shootings, race, law you name it there is enough danger for vicious discord that we should worry about it. Who will get the job to knock on your door to take your guns (maybe all of them ? I hope you aren’t picked or me either. That’s a political can to kick down the street for years. There exists the Possie Comotatus law that says the military can not be used for civil purposes. The Congress and the president may authorize it but then we would all be shooting at each other. These eliete individuals that write that only the military and the police should have guns forget that is the poster identity of the dictated Bannab and African republics as well as Russia and a few others. I would not feel safe were that to happen here. It would be goodbye America hello Mr. Hitler or sub in whichever name you feel fits.

      Again I understand what you are saying and i’m Not going be calling you any derogatory names becuase I also am troubled by these “me to” crimes.

    • Noel P. February 26, 2018, 8:53 pm

      OK, I get your point but think this through. If the FBI, who said it could manage within three days a background check didn’t how will adding enough days to make a week help. They have missed so very much at almost all major shootings for the last few years.Then the issue of outlawing say simiautomatic firearms period is not a slam dunk. Australia tried it and it has been bandied about for years. Recently they admitted that about only 20% of the Guns conservatively counted had been turned in. No mass shootings but a good number of individual ones. The people there are not all that happy with the exception of their two biggest urban areas. JoshO, makes a point about the violence associated with any confiscate attempt. With our national divide between big city and more rural folks, our crime other than mass shootings, race, law you name it there is enough danger for vicious discord that we should worry about it. Who will get the job to knock on your door to take your guns (maybe all of them ? I hope you aren’t picked or me either. That’s a political can to kick down the street for years. There exists the Possie Comotatus law that says the military can not be used for civil purposes. The Congress and the president may authorize it but then we would all be shooting at each other. These eliete individuals that write that only the military and the police should have guns forget that is the poster identity of the dictated Bannab and African republics as well as Russia and a few others. I would not feel safe were that to happen here. It would be goodbye America hello Mr. Hitler or sub in whichever name you feel fits.Again I understand what you are saying and i’m Not going be calling you any derogatory names becuase I also am troubled by these “me to” crimes.

    • Bad Penguin February 27, 2018, 3:50 pm

      In Maryland it is AGAINST THE LAW for school security/police to carry guns during school hours. Liberals are insane.

    • Mark February 28, 2018, 9:03 pm

      Dan, if you were really concerned about the lives of children (which you’re not) you would be more concerned about automobile/pedestrian accident, or household chemicals, which outpace gun homicides of children 100 to 1. You made your position clear. You could care less about the lives of children. Keep swinging at windmill and fail to look at the real problems.

    • Ted Amsden July 7, 2020, 7:57 am

      Thats why the shooters target schools! They know guns are not allowed. If the think the school has firearms to shoot back they will go somewhere else! Always looking for soft targets! And yes car wrecks kill more people every year but you don’t hear that on the news because it doesn’t fit their anti gun agenda!!!! Now back to the article, not even a close comparison, similar to apples and oranges!

  • Mika February 26, 2018, 9:55 am

    The Micro AR is very cool but can’t figure why these two weapons are being compared other then to see the pistol left in the dirt. The AR has a heavier bullet going almost 2x faster and is way more accurate not even counting having 3 points of contact. The PMR is a very high capacity pistol that is a feather weight. Should have just been 2 reviews, not a “vs” article. How about some specs on the Micro AR? The only thing I see the same in these two is the fact they both throw huge fireballs!

  • Rod February 26, 2018, 8:55 am

    Winchester cases expand the least of all the .22 mag. They eject easier. It helps to clean the chamber every couple of magazine loads too. I have had a P30 Grendel since ’92. Clinton banned hi- cap mags then.

  • Russell A Brown February 26, 2018, 7:53 am

    When Kel Tec caught up on production, many people jumped on the pmr30. The small sample size i have experience with have been less than reliable. This comparison is ridiculous on many levels, but on reliability alone it is rendered absurd.

  • Oh Not Again February 26, 2018, 7:27 am

    What a stupid review. Next up, you should compare the German Shepherd puppy with the Jack Russel Terrier. The other comments were right on – the FN 5.7 or PMR were the correct comparison firearms.

    And did you get the memo yet on AR Pistols??? Nobody is wasting a Form 1 on that AR abomination you claim to have concocted.

  • srsquidizen February 26, 2018, 7:23 am

    Yep apples & oranges IMO. I have a PMR30 and consider it a handy kit gun that weighs less than most revolvers intended for that purpose. Downside: it’s a picky eater. Load only what Kel-Tec blesses if you want it to work.

    That said, the PMR is SO light it could also be a CCW for the recoil-sensitive that won’t add much weight to a lady’s purse. Not to be sexist, but any gun that comes comes in several colors for no good reason is a dead giveaway that at least part of the intended market is packing double-X chromosomes. 22WMR is not the best choice on earth for personal defense but I suspect 30 rounds of it would take the rape out of a rapist.

    The so-called “Pocket AR” is hardly what the name suggests. Thought on first glance they were comparing the .223 Heizer, which truly is a pocket pistol, to a PMR30. That would also be apples & oranges since the Heizer is a single-shot.

  • Frank February 26, 2018, 6:53 am

    The little black rifle is taking things a bit far, at least in .556. Now if it were a pistol caliber it would make a lot more sense! 9mm/.40/.45 shorty would have about the same performance under 100 yards/meters, maybe better. Could carry more ammo too.

  • Jim February 26, 2018, 6:44 am

    Unfortunately my PMR 30 has feeding problems and hangs up with FTF issues routinely.

  • Tom February 26, 2018, 5:54 am

    Well written! Interesting configuration…

    Too bad you didn’t compare the FN 5.7 pistol instead of the Kel-Tec. The 5.7 hand gun can launch a 5.7×28, 28 grain projectile at 2,600 fps, or a 40 grain bullet at 1,900 fps (both made by Elite Ammo). To me, that would be a bit more “apples to apples.” Also, it would be interesting to see how Hornady’s TAP 40 grain Urban round would do out of that SBR.

    Thanks!

  • Apples to Apples February 26, 2018, 4:46 am

    Why not compare it to the CMR-30, that would seem the logical choice to me and one that I think most of us would like to see. Just sayin’

  • B Whitcomb February 26, 2018, 3:55 am

    I feel like a mistake got made somewhere and someone heard/typed a “P” instead of a “C” and then before you know it, they had something written up and were like, “just let it slide. Maybe no one will think of it.”
    Wouldnt comparing the CMR to a pocket AR make a lot more sense than the PMR?

    • Douglas Riding February 26, 2018, 8:24 pm

      I believe you have a point…
      A good one !!!

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