Kel-Tec are producing a short barreled shotgun (SHS) version of the Kel-Tec KSG . The KSG patrol has a 16.1" barrel (24" overall length) and the KSG Tactical has a 13.7" barrel (21.4" overall length). The shorter length decreases weight while improving maneuverability.
Because of the short barrel, they are Class III items regulated under the NFA.
I will be posted more photos of the Patrol and Tactical as soon as I can take them.
Wow! Kel-Tec has increased production by three units.
65 
1I almost shotgunned some scotch out of my nose with that one! bravo!
23 1Perhaps we should cap “pointless Kel-tec whining” at 50 posts so as to not use too much internet.
37 4I bet the muzzle flash looks like a massive fireball. That foregrip on the tactical puts your index finger dangerously close to the muzzle IMO.
12 1Tac ninjas always wear some kind of overpriced glove anyway. Now they’ll just have to add nomex to the kevlar.
12 3its a 12 gauge shotgun, not a 20mm cannon. I think the fireball is something one shouldn’t be concerned about with this weapon. if they intend on entering the law enforcement market, a radically different shotgun like this will have a hard time competing; especially against Remington, Mossberg, and Benelli.
One has to appreciate the design, however.
6 2I’d stick with the non-NFA model- even with the extra length, it’s still far shorter than most competing products.
11 0This. Seems like a very niche product considering the original is shorter than a 12″ 870.
2 0Very cool. Kel Tec is putting out the best vaporware weapons in the industry. When can distributors get the regular model in reasonable quantities?
10 0Honestly, who really cares about Kel-tec products since there not available anywhere for sale.
18 8KSGs have been on gunbroker since xmas, just because you dont think they’re worth $1200 doesn’t mean they’re not for sale.
8 11and still a push button safety… Dear god, is it that hard to put a 90 degree lever?
14 9ktwm said on ktog, it was to reduce costs, people all ready love to bitch about how expensive the KSG/RFB is.
4 0FYI the tactical model still holds 11 rounds (5 per tube). And these NFA SBS’S are made to order so it should not affect production.
No mention of the built in flashlight?
4 0A supposedly 350 lumen light no less. I’d like to see how it compares to my Surefire x300.
0 0so that means it’ll hold less rounds, correct? instead of 14+1 it’ll be…………?
6 2If a serbu is 2 or 3 in the tube, I’d assume this could be no more than 4. Most likely 3, so, very small package that holds 6+1, so seems like an OK idea…
Why Keltec would release more vaporware before actually shipping product however, seems like a terrible idea.
4 2Saying KelTec sucks ass at shipping product is not bashing them. It’s stating a well known and clear fact.
They have done nothing but proven themselves to be fine makers of Vaporware so far. When I see an RFB, KSG, -OR- an RMR in a local gun store I’ll withdraw that statement. But we’re at least another year away from that.
6 1Also, to answer the original question, the shortest model (tactical) holds 5+5+1 2.75″ rounds. The patrol is 6+6+1, and the full length is 7+7+1. It really would have been helpful if the entire product flier had been posted here instead of just the photos.
4 0Your last sentence is incorrect on both counts, Steve. They haven’t released these models, and they have shipped product. The full flier (posted on KTOG) states that these are currently prototypes, and will not go into full production status till 3rd quarter. And the KSG has already started shipping. If you want to bash Kel-tec, at least don’t make stuff up.
5 3Also, in order to access them all that means the user will have to stop to flip the tube switch lever sooner.
2 2How many extra button head screws does it come with for when you lose them? How many trips back to the factory to get it to work? How many dremel tips do I need to fluff and buff???
11 8There isnt a fluff and buff for the RFB, and presumably wont be for the KSG either. Its not like other companies havent had issues with their mouse guns.
3 0I bet the recoil of the shorter ones is brutal.
4 2Recoil is not an issue since most U.S. LEOs/Mil wear body armor. If someone is really worried about recoil/multiple shots speed, then pump scatter guns won’t even be in the shopping list.
4 0I definitely don’t feel much kick through the body armor, though reduced kick is nice when I wander out to practice at a range. Since I shoot way more without armor on, I hadn’t really thought about that.
3 0Recoil won’t substantially change just because it weighs a few ounces less. Reduced tactical loads will likely help more.
3 3Yes, JMD, ounces. If you look at the full Kel-tec flier posted on KTOG, the KSG tactical is listed as 6.2lbs, compared with 6.9 for the full length model. So, about 10oz. difference.
7 0More like a few pounds less, due to removing several inches of the complete front half. That’s a few inches less barrel, and a few inches less of two magazine tubes. Ounces, indeed.
3 7Is it just me, or does that Tactical model look disturbingly like the shotgun from Deus Ex: Human Revolution?
For reference: http://deusex.wikia.com/wiki/Shotgun_(DX3)
Of course, that’s points in its favor, in my biased opinion. 
1 0The lower rail of the forend where a foregrip is recommended is PLASTIC unlike the upper rail which is metal. Within the first 10 shots using a sig sauer stoplight foregrip, the lower rail shattered, fragmented, and broke off. Very very disappointed. Otherwise, the gun shoots great.
0 0Looks… interesting. Has Anybody used the standard one? Is It any good?
1 1I have used the standard model throughout its prototype phases and fired the production model as well. I truly believe that Kel-Tec has done their homework, eliminated the reliability concerns voiced early in its production, and brought a quality item to market. As soon as one beccomes available locally for me to purchase, I am definitely making it my house gun.
5 0I recently watched a video review of the KSG and it did not reliably feed and fire.
3 3I’ve seen a lot of these, and people do seem to have some trouble cycling the KSG the first time they use it. I’d like to see someone give it a good workout (500+ rounds) and come back on how hard/easy it is to cycle then.
I think a lot of it is just due to inexperience with the format.
10 0Personally I would not buy any first generation firearms unless it’s for a collection/investment. First generation firearms always have trouble and there is a good possibility it will be discontinue.
5 1Great 2 more KSG’s that probably aren’t going to be available for another year!!
0 0So one question; what would the accuracy and spread be for the 14″ barrel?
I have a feeling that with a cylinder bore that anything past 15 meters is going to be pushing it for the accuracy department.
2 4Why would the accuracy and spread be any different than for a longer barrel? If you want distance, the KT choke adapter should fit a short model the same as an 18″. Either way, patterns and accuracy should not appreciably correlate with barrel length.
5 3Then why do skeet shooters and hunters bother with 28 inch + barrels?
Here is my thinking about it;
Two shotguns (one 28 inch and one 14 inch barrel) both fire exact same load at the same time.
By the time the shot is leaving the barrel of a 28inch shotgun the shot of the 14 inch shotgun has already traveled an extra 14 inches where the shot has already begun to spread.
You can argue that 14 inches won’t change anything but the point is there is a difference between the two barrels.
7 2@hammy Barrel length is not an indication of shot pattern and never has been. It’s all about the choke. Trap shooters use a longer barrel because it provides for a better swing and other reasons.
6 1@Komrad
Keep it polite. Some people are curious and would like to ask a question without getting a starkly answer back. So go be rude somewhere else.
@Mert
I understand that a longer barrel helps with swing but why such a long barrel then? Why not use a 22-24 inch barrel then instead of 28+ inch barrels?
And also how much does velocity affect the spread? Because if it does then then a shorter barrel would be disadvantaged.
4 1Choke determine pattern. Longer barrel are for better sight radius. With that said I do not know if you can put your own choke in the KSG. It would suck if you can’t.
2 0@Hammy Hamster
in that case, patterning measured a certain distance FROM THE MUZZLE would be the same. Measuring from the breach or chamber would obviously give different results, but that’s just some BS you used to justify your incorrect statement.
5 6Wow, a new version and they still haven’t bothered to fix the tube selector toggle position which requires you to come off the ready position to change pipes.
7 9No matter what you mean by “ready position”, which is faster- flicking a switch, or thumbing 7 loose rounds into the tube of a Benelli, Beretta, Mossberg, or Remington? And there’s no reason you have to take your sights off target or your firing hand our of position. Seems like a straw man.
18 0Tony, unless you can reload your Saiga or SPAS 12 without moving either hand, I’m afraid you’re not making much sense. I don’t see how an 8-round pump shotgun that’s a foot shorter than comparable designs has a “valid issue” because it has an extra 7-round magazine tube ready to go at the flick of a switch. You seem to be inventing things to criticize.
10 2Coming off the ready position means the switch cannot be reached with the hands in firing position, unless you have 6 inch thumbs. and while flicking a switch may be fast, it isn’t that much faster than reloading a magazine fed shotgun like the Saiga/Molot 12 or SPAS 15, and reloading when both pipes are dry takes much longer, longer even than reloading a conventional layout shotgun.
The design has promise, but the last thing that should happen when people raise a valid issue (and I’ve raised this before) is for company shills to try and discredit it.
0 10It really seems like Kel-Tec needs to *increase* costs so demand doesn’t overwhelm them then reinvest in production.
3 6Increase cost will only destroy a product that is made for a niche market.
7 0There’s less availability than demand which means there is room to increase the price without knocking their feet out from under themselves.
4 2I so hate it when its for LE or Military only Those guns look so awesome!!
11 14Yup. Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the State and illegal for the citizenry, to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson.
21 5Sorry Lance, I missed the bit in the article where is says for Military and LE only.
I thought you only had pay a tax stamp for an SBS? Maybe I’m missing something.
16 4From what I’ve heard, all of you are correct, in that anyone in a free state can go through the hoops to get an SBS or SBR, but the Kel-tec SU-16D and short-barrel KSB are/will be made to order, and not marketed or sold to the private market. If they’re going to make up a special version, it makes sense that they’d rather sell 40 units to the Denver PD than 1 to Bob in Tallahassee.
3 0Lance all you have to do is find a FFL that deals with LE in your area and he/she will order it for you and will even help you out with all of the necessary paperwork(Form 4 and blue finger print cards), pay for the $200 tax stamp and wait. It’s not very complicated. Or you can form an NFA trust.
4 4You are aware that there is no such thing as a “class 3 item” right?
2 6Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
0 24I wasted 10 minute of my time reading your post over and over again. For the life of me I still can’t understand what you’re talking about.
I would assume the SBS version is design for door/lock breaching. It can be used for defense but the short barrel and limited capacity are not ideal.
16 2
Great 2 more KSG’s that probably aren’t going to be available for another year!!
The lower rail of the forend where a foregrip is recommended is PLASTIC unlike the upper rail which is metal. Within the first 10 shots using a sig sauer stoplight foregrip, the lower rail shattered, fragmented, and broke off. Very very disappointed. Otherwise, the gun shoots great.
You are aware that there is no such thing as a “class 3 item” right?
Very cool. Kel Tec is putting out the best vaporware weapons in the industry. When can distributors get the regular model in reasonable quantities?
Is it just me, or does that Tactical model look disturbingly like the shotgun from Deus Ex: Human Revolution?
For reference: http://deusex.wikia.com/wiki/Shotgun_(DX3)
Of course, that’s points in its favor, in my biased opinion.
Honestly, who really cares about Kel-tec products since there not available anywhere for sale.
KSGs have been on gunbroker since xmas, just because you dont think they’re worth $1200 doesn’t mean they’re not for sale.
Wow, a new version and they still haven’t bothered to fix the tube selector toggle position which requires you to come off the ready position to change pipes.
No matter what you mean by “ready position”, which is faster- flicking a switch, or thumbing 7 loose rounds into the tube of a Benelli, Beretta, Mossberg, or Remington? And there’s no reason you have to take your sights off target or your firing hand our of position. Seems like a straw man.
Coming off the ready position means the switch cannot be reached with the hands in firing position, unless you have 6 inch thumbs. and while flicking a switch may be fast, it isn’t that much faster than reloading a magazine fed shotgun like the Saiga/Molot 12 or SPAS 15, and reloading when both pipes are dry takes much longer, longer even than reloading a conventional layout shotgun.
The design has promise, but the last thing that should happen when people raise a valid issue (and I’ve raised this before) is for company shills to try and discredit it.
Tony, unless you can reload your Saiga or SPAS 12 without moving either hand, I’m afraid you’re not making much sense. I don’t see how an 8-round pump shotgun that’s a foot shorter than comparable designs has a “valid issue” because it has an extra 7-round magazine tube ready to go at the flick of a switch. You seem to be inventing things to criticize.
I’d stick with the non-NFA model- even with the extra length, it’s still far shorter than most competing products.
This. Seems like a very niche product considering the original is shorter than a 12″ 870.
FYI the tactical model still holds 11 rounds (5 per tube). And these NFA SBS’S are made to order so it should not affect production.
No mention of the built in flashlight?
A supposedly 350 lumen light no less. I’d like to see how it compares to my Surefire x300.
It really seems like Kel-Tec needs to *increase* costs so demand doesn’t overwhelm them then reinvest in production.
Increase cost will only destroy a product that is made for a niche market.
There’s less availability than demand which means there is room to increase the price without knocking their feet out from under themselves.
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
I wasted 10 minute of my time reading your post over and over again. For the life of me I still can’t understand what you’re talking about.
I would assume the SBS version is design for door/lock breaching. It can be used for defense but the short barrel and limited capacity are not ideal.
I bet the muzzle flash looks like a massive fireball. That foregrip on the tactical puts your index finger dangerously close to the muzzle IMO.
Tac ninjas always wear some kind of overpriced glove anyway. Now they’ll just have to add nomex to the kevlar.
its a 12 gauge shotgun, not a 20mm cannon. I think the fireball is something one shouldn’t be concerned about with this weapon. if they intend on entering the law enforcement market, a radically different shotgun like this will have a hard time competing; especially against Remington, Mossberg, and Benelli.
One has to appreciate the design, however.
Perhaps we should cap “pointless Kel-tec whining” at 50 posts so as to not use too much internet.
I recently watched a video review of the KSG and it did not reliably feed and fire.
I’ve seen a lot of these, and people do seem to have some trouble cycling the KSG the first time they use it. I’d like to see someone give it a good workout (500+ rounds) and come back on how hard/easy it is to cycle then.
I think a lot of it is just due to inexperience with the format.
Personally I would not buy any first generation firearms unless it’s for a collection/investment. First generation firearms always have trouble and there is a good possibility it will be discontinue.
I bet the recoil of the shorter ones is brutal.
Recoil won’t substantially change just because it weighs a few ounces less. Reduced tactical loads will likely help more.
More like a few pounds less, due to removing several inches of the complete front half. That’s a few inches less barrel, and a few inches less of two magazine tubes. Ounces, indeed.
Yes, JMD, ounces. If you look at the full Kel-tec flier posted on KTOG, the KSG tactical is listed as 6.2lbs, compared with 6.9 for the full length model. So, about 10oz. difference.
Recoil is not an issue since most U.S. LEOs/Mil wear body armor. If someone is really worried about recoil/multiple shots speed, then pump scatter guns won’t even be in the shopping list.
I definitely don’t feel much kick through the body armor, though reduced kick is nice when I wander out to practice at a range. Since I shoot way more without armor on, I hadn’t really thought about that.
So one question; what would the accuracy and spread be for the 14″ barrel?
I have a feeling that with a cylinder bore that anything past 15 meters is going to be pushing it for the accuracy department.
Why would the accuracy and spread be any different than for a longer barrel? If you want distance, the KT choke adapter should fit a short model the same as an 18″. Either way, patterns and accuracy should not appreciably correlate with barrel length.
Then why do skeet shooters and hunters bother with 28 inch + barrels?
Here is my thinking about it;
Two shotguns (one 28 inch and one 14 inch barrel) both fire exact same load at the same time.
By the time the shot is leaving the barrel of a 28inch shotgun the shot of the 14 inch shotgun has already traveled an extra 14 inches where the shot has already begun to spread.
You can argue that 14 inches won’t change anything but the point is there is a difference between the two barrels.
@hammy Barrel length is not an indication of shot pattern and never has been. It’s all about the choke. Trap shooters use a longer barrel because it provides for a better swing and other reasons.
@Hammy Hamster
in that case, patterning measured a certain distance FROM THE MUZZLE would be the same. Measuring from the breach or chamber would obviously give different results, but that’s just some BS you used to justify your incorrect statement.
Choke determine pattern. Longer barrel are for better sight radius. With that said I do not know if you can put your own choke in the KSG. It would suck if you can’t.
@Komrad
Keep it polite. Some people are curious and would like to ask a question without getting a starkly answer back. So go be rude somewhere else.
@Mert
I understand that a longer barrel helps with swing but why such a long barrel then? Why not use a 22-24 inch barrel then instead of 28+ inch barrels?
And also how much does velocity affect the spread? Because if it does then then a shorter barrel would be disadvantaged.
I so hate it when its for LE or Military only Those guns look so awesome!!
Yup. Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the State and illegal for the citizenry, to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson.
Sorry Lance, I missed the bit in the article where is says for Military and LE only.
I thought you only had pay a tax stamp for an SBS? Maybe I’m missing something.
Lance all you have to do is find a FFL that deals with LE in your area and he/she will order it for you and will even help you out with all of the necessary paperwork(Form 4 and blue finger print cards), pay for the $200 tax stamp and wait. It’s not very complicated. Or you can form an NFA trust.
From what I’ve heard, all of you are correct, in that anyone in a free state can go through the hoops to get an SBS or SBR, but the Kel-tec SU-16D and short-barrel KSB are/will be made to order, and not marketed or sold to the private market. If they’re going to make up a special version, it makes sense that they’d rather sell 40 units to the Denver PD than 1 to Bob in Tallahassee.
Looks… interesting. Has Anybody used the standard one? Is It any good?
I have used the standard model throughout its prototype phases and fired the production model as well. I truly believe that Kel-Tec has done their homework, eliminated the reliability concerns voiced early in its production, and brought a quality item to market. As soon as one beccomes available locally for me to purchase, I am definitely making it my house gun.
and still a push button safety… Dear god, is it that hard to put a 90 degree lever?
ktwm said on ktog, it was to reduce costs, people all ready love to bitch about how expensive the KSG/RFB is.
How many extra button head screws does it come with for when you lose them? How many trips back to the factory to get it to work? How many dremel tips do I need to fluff and buff???
There isnt a fluff and buff for the RFB, and presumably wont be for the KSG either. Its not like other companies havent had issues with their mouse guns.
so that means it’ll hold less rounds, correct? instead of 14+1 it’ll be…………?
Also, in order to access them all that means the user will have to stop to flip the tube switch lever sooner.
If a serbu is 2 or 3 in the tube, I’d assume this could be no more than 4. Most likely 3, so, very small package that holds 6+1, so seems like an OK idea…
Why Keltec would release more vaporware before actually shipping product however, seems like a terrible idea.
Your last sentence is incorrect on both counts, Steve. They haven’t released these models, and they have shipped product. The full flier (posted on KTOG) states that these are currently prototypes, and will not go into full production status till 3rd quarter. And the KSG has already started shipping. If you want to bash Kel-tec, at least don’t make stuff up.
Also, to answer the original question, the shortest model (tactical) holds 5+5+1 2.75″ rounds. The patrol is 6+6+1, and the full length is 7+7+1. It really would have been helpful if the entire product flier had been posted here instead of just the photos.
Saying KelTec sucks ass at shipping product is not bashing them. It’s stating a well known and clear fact.
They have done nothing but proven themselves to be fine makers of Vaporware so far. When I see an RFB, KSG, -OR- an RMR in a local gun store I’ll withdraw that statement. But we’re at least another year away from that.
Wow! Kel-Tec has increased production by three units.
I almost shotgunned some scotch out of my nose with that one! bravo!