Posted on 10/28/2014 6:46:18 AM PDT by Jed Eckert
While PMR30 rides in a Jim Ryan custom holster, CMR30 topped with a Lucid M7 red dot is in action. Between the pistol, the carbine, and one magazine pouch, the shooter has 90 rounds available.
The long-awaited companion carbine to Keltec’s 22WMR pistol is finally nearing public release. Sensitive to the charges of releasing only trivial numbers of new products, Keltec is preparing to ship several thousand CMR30s late this year. The carbine was originally introduced as RMR30, but the name was changed because of Trijicon’s opposition (they manufacture a small red dot sight called RMR).
CMR30 ships with a knurled muzzle thread protector. It’s shown here with Primary Weapons Triad flash hider.
This carbine is extremely lightweight, just under 3 pounds. The four-position stock can be collapsed flush against the back of the receiver. Unlike the hybrid blowback/delayed blowback mechanism of the PMR30, it’s pure blowback, but with slow enough operation to make for smooth and reliable extraction of the long 22 Magnum cases. It uses the same magazines as the PMR30, making it easy to carry ammunition for both. The main advantages of the carbine are the much increased muzzle velocity (2000fps vs. 1250fps with standard 40-grain loads) and great accuracy. All samples of CMR30 I’ve tried were about 1MOA with CCI Mini Mags. Muzzle energy matches FN PS90′s 5.7×28 round, and 22WMR is more available at half the price per round.
The impressive accuracy of this lightweight carbine is the reason for “overscoping” it with the 4-16x Lucid L5 optic. Below is a group I shot two years ago with a prototype RMR30, firing all 15 rounds in about as many seconds.
We got similar results with the L5 scope, and its mildot reticle enables drop and drift estimations past point blank range. 22WMR stays supersonic out to 175 yards, making it a good choice for rural varminters. 30-round magazine can last for a while, making additional magazines optional.
Safety levers, stock adjustment levers, and non-reciprocating charging handles are ambidextrous, but the manual bolt stop/release lever is on the left only. Felt recoil and muzzle rise are negligible, so impacts can be easily observed through the scope. The carbine is well balanced and can be fired one-handed with ease.
Maintenance is quite simple: pull one pin in the back of the receiver and the pistol grip comes off. The bolt, guide rod, and spring come out for cleaning; no further dis-assembly is needed. So far, I have found two minor limitations in this design. One, the stock is not very robust, an understandable problem for the super light, non-military design. Fortunately, if it’s ever bent or broken, the gun remains functional, and the replacement takes a few seconds. Second, the sling loop is fairly small and requires using para cord for attachment. The carbine has plenty of rail space forward and back, so Magpul rail mounted sling eyelets work well to fix that.
In my experience with the prototypes, they run best with some semi-viscous lubricant, such as Liberty CLP. I actually never cleaned CMR30 as my prototype ran reliably for the few hundred rounds I put through it. Jacketed ammunition makes 22WMR run a lot cleaner than 22LR, and the quality of priming appears to be higher as well. Based on my RMR30 experience, CMR30 got re-designed charging handles, wider and with a bit of a hook on the front to keep fingers from slipping off. Thanks to the light weight, excellent balance, and accuracy, CMR30 has been enthusiastically received by everyone who tested it. I think it makes a terrific hunting “long kit gun” and can be pressed into service for defensive use if need be.
My son has a later model PMR30 pistol and loves it. Never had a problem. A friend had an earlier model PMR30 and had some jamming problems. Luckily KelTec has some of the best customer service in the industry and quickly resolved the problems at no charge. They are located within a short drive right here in central Florida so he was able to bring it in person and got a tour of the place while they worked on the pistol. Hasn't missed a beat since.
I would suggest waiting till these are out for awhile and before getting one. Let them work out the bugs first.
I have to agree with the author about the stock. I really wish they'd improve the stock on this. For hunting I think the stock is a major turn off. In any any case KelTec is a good company to deal with and their firearms are made right here in Florida.
I have a later model PMR-30 which had some pretty bad feed problems that took a while to fix (they replaced the barrel and some other stuff they didn’t specify - I’m thinking slide). That said, when the problem was fixed, it worked and still works great.
cost?
caliber?
> caliber?
.22 WMR
> cost?
$469 here ...
http://www.sebastianammo.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ItemID=29338
cost hasn't been announced yet but the pistol goes for around $425-$450 down here.
caliber is .22 magnum rimfire (.22 WMR)
I concur about waiting a while until the bugs are out. New mechanical tech, be it guns or cars or whatever, almost invariable needs some tweaking that the manufacturer didn’t foresee, simply because the public uses (and misuses) things in so many unanticipated ways that glitches are bound to show up.
Freezing cold, boiling hot, dusty and sandy, muddy, un-lubricated, over lubricated, uncleaned, soaking wet, a dozen different kinds of ammunition, you name it.
Thanks for posting that. Been looking for a price. Right about what I figured.
wmr? seems like an odd choice. Do they have a more common size round version?
Has production caught up with demand for the PMR30? For months I tried to find one and when I finally did it was slightly more than double MSRP so I didn’t buy it and quit looking.
I also tried to find a Sub-2000 configured for 9mm to have as a companion to a Glock 19, but never found one of those either.
“I also tried to find a Sub-2000 configured for 9mm to have as a companion to a Glock 19, but never found one of those either.”
They’re almost impossible to find. I’ve been looking for one at the usual providers for almost 2 years. Can’t find one! A friend of mine asked for one at a gun show. He was laughed at. I don’t understand why KelTec isn’t trying to satisfy demand.
What makes a carbine a carbine?
“I don’t understand why KelTec isn’t trying to satisfy demand.”
Exactly! Their business model makes no sense to me. If they just want to innovate perhaps they should find someone to manufacture for them. That said, I don’t know how much contract manufacturing goes on in the firearms industry.
Looks Interesting suggested retail of the PMR30 is reasonable but the shortage is causing gouging. I prefer this anyway. We’ll see...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbine
Basically, a carbine is a shorter, handier version of a full size rifle.
With today’s technology and quality, it is possible for a carbine to be virtually (I think) as effective as a full size rifle, so it is much more common to see carbines in use.
(your mileage may vary)
It’s a popular stout round.
I really like the .22 wmr. I have several pistols and rifles in that caliber.
If all else fails try this: Gun Genie
I've had pretty good luck with the Gun Genie in past (and got what I wanted at an excellent price)
How’s the availability on 22WMR? I haven’t had anything chambered for that since I got rid of a single-action revolver back in the 70s.
Keltec's dirty little secret is they're actually an aerospace machining operation that got into guns as something to take up their downtime. Given the demand for their products, I'd say their aerospace business must be rather lucrative.
A regional problem is exactly what the 1968 Firearms laws were intended to do:make it difficult an add expense for Americans to legally acquire the firearm of their choice.Before 1968 I could have bought a gun in another state but since then it requires paperwork and fees to buy outside my home state.And it only bothers non-criminals.
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