Kel-Tec P17
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 97 mm
- Weight, empty
- 298 g
- Introduced
- 2020
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Kel-Tec P17 is a lightweight, polymer-framed .22 LR semi-automatic rimfire pistol introduced in 2020. Hammer-fired and blowback-operated, it weighs roughly 10.5 ounces and feeds from 16-round single-stack magazines (three are included). It features ambidextrous safety and magazine-release controls, a fiber-optic front sight with an adjustable rear, an accessory rail, and a 1/2x28 threaded muzzle adapter for suppressors, all at a budget price point that has made it a popular plinking and training pistol.
Kel-Tec's founder George Kellgren built the company on lightweight, affordable polymer designs, and the P17 leaned into that ethos so hard it launched at an MSRP under $200 while still shipping with three magazines and a threaded barrel.
The P17 uses a two-half polymer-shell frame design with metal components sandwiched between the halves. Barrel is sometimes listed at 3.93 in including the threaded muzzle adapter.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kel-Tec CNC Industries
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2020
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 97 mm
- Overall length
- 170 mm
- Height
- 135 mm
- Width
- 30 mm
- Weight, empty
- 298 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 13.0 N
- Capacity
- 16
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Slide
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Cerakote
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 25 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Threaded barrel adapter
Ambidextrous safety
Ambidextrous magazine release
Accessory rail
Fiber optic front sight
Adjustable rear sight
Three magazines included
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 151 .22 Long Rifle pistols | 298 g | 900 g | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 144 .22 Long Rifle pistols | 170 mm | 241 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 155 .22 Long Rifle pistols | 97 mm | 140 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 156 .22 Long Rifle pistols | 16 | 9 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Kel-Tec P17
How much does the Kel-Tec P17 weigh?
The Kel-Tec P17 weighs 298 g (10.5 oz) empty. It is the 9th lightest of 151 .22 Long Rifle pistols in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Kel-Tec P17?
The Kel-Tec P17 is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
How many rounds does the Kel-Tec P17 hold?
The Kel-Tec P17 holds 16 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Kel-Tec P17?
The Kel-Tec P17 is 170 mm (6.69 in) long overall, with a 97 mm (3.82 in) barrel.
Who makes the Kel-Tec P17?
The Kel-Tec P17 is made by Kel-Tec CNC Industries (United States).
When was the Kel-Tec P17 introduced?
The Kel-Tec P17 was introduced in 2020.
How does the Kel-Tec P17 operate?
The Kel-Tec P17 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/kel-tec-p17' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "kel-tec-p17", "name": "Kel-Tec P17", "manufacturer": { "id": "kel-tec", "name": "Kel-Tec CNC Industries", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1991, "website": "https://www.keltecweapons.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "510f94db90ac830742510a5176f9b1dc25a2e3bbf433e5f56f499b8b623d8511" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2020, "barrel_length_mm": 97, "weight_empty_g": 298, "action_type": "blowback"}