Kel-Tec PLR-16

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Kel-Tec PLR-16 is a gas-operated, long-range pistol chambered in .223 Remington (5.56x45mm NATO), and is manufactured by the American firearm company Kel-Tec Industries. It was designed by George Kelgren, formerly of the Intratec and Grendal companies. It uses the same magazines as the military M16 rifle, and the civilian variant AR15, giving the PLR-16 the ability to utilize magazines with capacities ranging anywhere from 5 to 40 rounds. Higher capacity drum magazines exist as well, such as the Beta C-Mag.

The pistol debuted in November of 2005.

The PLR-16 combines the multi-lug rotating bolt design found on the AR15/M16 with a gas piston system like that found on the M1 Garand, M14 and Kalashnikov. This lends itself to more maintenance-free use than the direct gas impingement system of the AR platform. The PLR-16 also uses state-of-the-art reinforced polymer construction, making the pistol both durable and light-weight. It has an M1913 style picatinny rail molded to the top of the receiver to accept optics, and the separately-supplied polymer handguard also has a picatinny rail upon which to mount lights or laser sights.

Though the picatinny rail found on the bottom of the PLR's handguard (as well as beneath the barrel of many other handguns) will accept readily available vertical forward grips, it is unlawful to attach a vertical forward grip to a handgun without proper authorization from the BATFE. Attaching a vertical forward grip to a handgun makes it an AOW (Any Other Weapon, as defined by the 1934 National Firearms Act.

The PLR (short for Pistol, Long Range) is typically used for recreational plinking and informal target shooting, as well as for hunting small game, or for varmint or predator hunting at moderate ranges. Velocity is reduced from the short barrel of the PLR as compared with a rifle, losing roughly 600 feet per second muzzle velocity with standard 55 grain ball ammunition.