The new SUB-2000 Gen II from Kel-Tec gives users a 9mm carbine that feeds from pistol magazines and can fold down to around 16 inches. Kel- Tec sub2000 Gen. 2–SHOT Show 2015 Kel-Tec is heading into 2015 with some serious changes to some of the guns we know and love, and they’re now shipping some of the guns we’ve all been waiting for. I actually think some of the modified Sub-2000 rifles out there are pretty cool, especially when paired with the Red Lion Precision rotating forend. The owner of this Kel-Tec Sub-2000 added accessory rails to the sides and bottom of the foreend. These modifications are common since the stock rifle offers few provisions for mounting accessories.
So Kel-Tec SUB-2000 is a really interesting gun, super compact, and it’s lots of fun shooting a PCC in 9mm. BUT, the trigger was kinda poo and overall it seems cheap. I asked M*Carbo if they’d be able to send me some trigger stuff and they sent me the whole bunch of Sub-2000 parts to review. In their care package, they sent:
- Pro Performance Curved Trigger Job Bundle
- Armourer’s Wrench
- Trigger Spring kit
- Curved aluminum trigger
- Screw and grip pin upgrade kit
- New loctite for bolt tube cover nut
- New synthetic grease
- Required 2.5mm hex keys
- Handy dandy wooden dowel
Video Review of Kel-Tec SUB-2000 Upgrades
I’ll review these in order of how much impact I felt they made to the gun.
Aftermarket SUB-2000 Trigger Springs
The SUB-2000 comes with pretty heavy springs from the factory and they contribute to a heavy, mushy trigger pull. The spring kit dropped the trigger pull from 8.5lbs to 5.25lbs, a very noticeable improvement. It’s kind of a pain in the butt to get inside a SUB-2000, so if you’re going to upgrade the trigger springs, you might as well do other mods you want to while you’ve got the guts open.
Skeletonized Charging Handle
This one surprised me because I didn’t think there was anything bad with the existing charging handle, but I was wrong. The new one is fatter and makes the heavy recoil spring feel easier to move around. I think it’s because it’s 3X wider in the middle, so I can get a better grip on it. The factory charging handle’s diameter in the middle is just slightly larger than a #2 pencil, and it’s not super ergonomic to grab. The new handle makes it a lot easier to lock the bolt to the rear.
Curved Aluminum Trigger
I’ve upgraded polymer triggers on pistols before, and aluminum just feels more solid than most polymer triggers. This aluminum trigger feels great, and it doesn’t flex at all. The lack of flexing and lower weight really contributed to a less mushy feeling trigger.
Aluminum Trigger Guard
Nothing wrong with the factory part here, but this one is more solid, doesn’t bend at all when you pull it down to release, and will put up with more abuse than the plastic one.
Bolt Tube Cover
With its straight recoil design, the SUB-2000 isn’t jumping up into your face, but the metal bolt tube isn’t super nice to put your face on in -30 weather, and when I pressed my face right up to it, I’d catch my beard hair in between the buttstock and tube. The M*Carbo rubber bolt tube cover covers the gap that would pinch my beard hair, score! Note: this cover must be cut to length depending how far out you want the buttstock. I’m tall, so extended all the way was fine for me, but if you prefer the butt in a little bit more, you’ll have to cut the cover at one of the premarked lines.
Extended Magazine Release
I had absolutely no issue with the factory mag release, but those with shorter thumbs will appreciate the extended mag release. It is slightly easier to depress since it’s a larger surface and it feels less cheap than the factory one.
Screws and Grip Pin Upgrade
Kel Tec Sub 2000 Stock Mods
Factory Kel Tecs use metal screws screwed into aluminum pins. I’ve seen some Kel-Tecs with loose screws that won’t tighten because they’ve been over-torqued on the aluminum and they’re stripped. The upgrade kit uses steel pins and screws and is more about peace of mind and long term durability with disassembly.
Conclusion
Gen 2 of the Sub-2000 is a lot better than Gen 1 and they upgraded a lot of smart parts, but these M*Carbo parts really round out the Gen2 to a very decent PCC. The trigger is MUCH better, the charging handle is easier to grab, and the stock doesn’t steal beard hair. For a bit more, it really makes the gun a better shooter and in my mind, is a vastly improved gun afterwards.
Even if you’re not much of a fan of Kel-Tec, there’s a good chance you’ve seen, or at least heard of their folding pistol caliber carbine, the Sub-2000. With an MSRP of $409, the Kel-Tec Sub 2000 is an inexpensive alternative to AR-15s and pricier “tactical” rifles for someone on a budget. But if you’ve looked around for one lately, you may have noticed that the Sub-2000 is pretty tough to come by. And if you do happen to find one for sale, the price will most likely be closer to $500 for the .40 S&W version, and 100 bucks more for 9mm.
Before we start trying to figure out why a funny looking rifle from a company with a dubious reputation is in such high demand, here’s a quick overview of the Sub-2000 to get you up to speed:
What’s the Appeal of the Kel-Tec Sub-2000?
Okay, so it’s probably pretty obvious from the video that I’m not the biggest fan of the Sub-2000. To be honest, I don’t actually hate the rifle, and I hold no ill will toward Kel-Tec, even if I think the Sub-2000 has some pretty obvious faults. I actually think some of the modified Sub-2000 rifles out there are pretty cool, especially when paired with the Red Lion Precision rotating forend.
But once you pay for all the extra do-dads to upgrade the Sub-2000 so that it has the same features and usability that most self-defense carbines give you out of the box (accessory rails, usable sights, stock cheekpiece, optics mounting solution, etc), you’ve kind of negated the low price point advantage to some extent. Since people seem so willing to pay well over MSRP for this rifle, it can’t be the low retail price that’s attracting people to the Sub-2000. So I did some poking around to see if I could find out from fans of the Sub-2000 what the mystery is behind this rifle that’s keeping demand so high, and I think it boils down to four main reasons:
1. The Price
Okay, forget all that stuff about the price not being the big selling point. Despite high demand driving up prices on the secondary market, the Sub-2000 still occupies an important niche in the market.
Kel Tec Sub 2000 Accessories Gen2
There aren’t a ton of options available for semi-auto pistol caliber carbines, especially if you stick with current production models. The ~$250 Hi-Point 995 Carbine is at the low end of the price spectrum, but it might actually be even uglier than the Sub-2000 and… well, it’s a Hi-Point. On the other end, there are high-dollar offerings like the Kriss Vector and FN PS90 that cost more than a fully equipped top-shelf AR-15, or the Colt AR9651 which basically is an AR-15, with the price tag to match. Somewhere in the middle is the Beretta CX4 in the $700 range. There are a few other obscure options from smaller companies, and some out of production carbines, but that’s just about all there is from the major manufacturers.
Even with an inflated aftermarket price, the Kel-Tec Sub 2000 offers an attractive mid-range option that’s been left vacant ever since Marlin ended production of their Camp Carbine in the late 90s and Ruger stopped making the Police Carbine in the last decade. With a price tag anywhere from $350-600, it’s high enough that buyers feel like they’re out of the sketchy “bargain basement” territory, but low enough to be more affordable than even a budget-level AR-15.
Kel Tec Sub 2000 Rear Sight Mod
2. Common Magazines
For reasons known only to Gaston Glock himself, there is still no official Glock carbine on the market, despite plenty of demand. In the absence of a Glock-made carbine, Kel-Tec has given Glock pistol owners another use for their scores of affordable magazines with the Sub-2000. And if you’re not a Glock fan, fear not. A second version of the Sub-2000 is available that can be adapted to accept either the plentiful Smith & Wesson 59-series magazines, Beretta 92/96 series, or Sig P226 mags. And if you’re willing to tinker around and experiment, I’m sure there are plenty of other magazine types out there that will fit into the mag well of a Sub-2000.
By taking advantage of the magazines that customers already have for their handguns, the Sub-2000 side-steps one of the largest contributors to the overall cost of ownership of a new rifle. Instead of waiting for Glock to put out their own carbine, it makes sense that some people would be willing to pay a few bucks over retail for a Sub-2000 that will use mags from their pistol of choice.
Best Kel Tec Sub 2000 Mods
3. The Kel-Tec Sub-2000 Folds!
In last Tuesday’s post, I talked about the usefulness of takedown rifles. The Sub-2000 technically isn’t a takedown, but the ability to fold it in half offers many of the same advantages. It also doesn’t hurt that folding and unfolding the carbine is extremely quick and easy to do.
I’ve been aware of the Sub-2000 for years, but I didn’t really “get” the appeal of this feature until I handled one in person. When folded, it’s super compact. It could fit in my laptop bag, even with the laptop already in there. I have no reason to actually do this, but if I had one of these rifles, I’d be trying to find an excuse to, just because I could. Say what you want about the Sub-2000’s looks, or Kel-Tec’s reputation, there’s no other pistol caliber carbine on the market that can do this.
Kel-tec Sub 2000 For Sale
4. Production Lag
The final and most obvious reason for the inflated prices of the Sub-2000 is simple supply and demand. Kel-Tec just isn’t making the Sub-2000 fast enough to keep up with the demand from customers. The same can be said for their PMR-30 pistol or KSG shotgun and several of their other products. This article does a great job of explaining the why behind Kel-Tec’s constant lag in output. It basically comes down to the fact that the folks running Kel-Tec refuse to go into debt in order to increase their production capacity. Because today’s demand for their products could vanish the moment they take out a big loan, they’ve decided to wait until they have the cash on hand before doing any major expansions. They have been building more facilities and hiring more staff, but this policy slows expansion plans dramatically, further contributing to the lack of supply of their more popular products.
So there you have it; there’s no conspiracy or secret plot to artificially drive up the market price on the Sub-2000. It’s just the result of simple economic principles at work. I’m not saying you should buy one… I’m not even saying you should like it, but the Sub-2000 is a truly unique little carbine. After spending some time with one, I definitely understand the appeal, and if I didn’t already own a 9mm carbine (Beretta CX4), I have to admit that I might be tempted to join the scores of buyers paying 25% over retail.