After seeing Tim Harmsen’s video, I had an impulse to get this optic mount and see how it runs on the new Sub2000 Gen 2. I called my local gun shop and they had a Kel-Tec Sub2K Gen 2 in 9mm Glock Mag for $500. I ran over and picked it up on June 6. Then I ordered the optic mount from Midwest Industries. Andy Yohnk sorted me out. The mount was to arrive on Thursday which would be perfect as my friend and I were going to a local club practice that still had a steel match stage left up.

Here is a video from the steel match I shot on Sunday June 5th. I shot it with my CZ Scorpion Evo3.

 

Before the Midwest Industries optic mount, running optics on Kel-Tec Sub2000s were a compromise. With the old Gen 1 Sub2ks an optic or top rail would interfere with the gun’s ability to fold completely.

One method of mounting an optic was the use of the Red Lion Precision indexing handguard. It allows for optics to be mounted but you have to unscrew a locking ring, rotate the handguard and retighten the locking ring.

Here are some old pictures of my Gen 1 Sub2000. When I heard about the Gen 2 I immediately sold it off. And now just recently acquired the Gen 2. It was the Midwest Industries optic mount that sold me on getting this gun again.

 

Unfortunately the optic mount got delayed by UPS due to Train Derailment.

 

So in the interim I used my Holosun HS503C red dot on my Samson QD Mount. Unfortunately I cannot completely fold the Sub2K with the optic on it. But since it is quick detach, I can remove it to fold the gun.

More importantly I was surprised how well this setup works for fast shooting even though the gun is light weight at 4.25 lbs and has a 9lb trigger pull. Here is a video showing how the Kel-Tec Sub2000 runs on the left over 36 steel target stage.

 

The gun and optic are precise enough for my needs and then the optic mount arrived the next day on Friday.

 

Installation was very straight forward. I had to back off the screws a bit so that the MLOK threaded washers could do their job and lock onto the polymer handguard of the Sub2K Gen2. Then it is just a simple matter of screwing it tight to the handguard.

The MI optic mount has to be installed into the fourth MLOK slot due to the storage position and charging handle. When stored you lock the charging handle back, turn the optic 180 degrees, fold the gun and turn the optic back 180 degrees. I opted for putting the mount on the right side of the gun so it would not interfere with my left support hand.

The only tricky part of the installation was tying the piece of paracord. Make the loop too long and the charging handle can smash into the optic or the mount. Make it too short and it can’t loop over the charging handle even when it is locked back to the rear.

When all folded the Sub2000 is still compact and the optic mount only sticks out a little bit. The only downside is that the bolt is held back and open. But even without the optic mount and the gun is folded, the chamber is still exposed anyway so this is a moot point.

Due to the height of the optic mount required to clear the buffer tube when folded, this mount positions the optic too high to co-witness the irons. You can sort of look underneath the optic mount or just swing the optic out of the way if you need to resort to irons

 

Last Saturday, at the last minute, I decided to go take the Kel-Tec Sub2K out for a spin in a local USPSA match. Unfortunately I did not have time to zero my red dot. Here is the video from last Saturday’s USPSA match running the Kel-Tec Sub2000 with Holosun HS503C mounted on the Midwest Industries Optic mount.

Aside from not having a zeroed dot, the Midwest Industries optic mount worked as expected. As I explained in the notes of my video, the folding nature of the Sub2000 is actually a benefit for USPSA pistol caliber carbine (PCC) division. At this moment there are only provisional rules regarding the use of PCC in USPSA. It is up to the match director how a shooter brings his rifle up to and off the line. At this match I was told to bring the gun bagged and flagged. After I am done shooting a stage the range officer has to check the chamber and insert a flag. It is easier to just fold the gun thus exposing the chamber and making it easier to insert the chamber flag. The Midwest Industries optic mount just swings out of the way. Not hitting steel was embarrassing and annoying since I know that this gun and I can do a lot better. That is what I get for not zeroing the optic. But I knew that going in. Now I had to zero the optic to make sure the mount can hold zero. Here is a little test I did at my local range using their 6 plate rack to test the gun after being zeroed. This is the type of precision that I require for this gun and optic setup.

Some things to note, while I was zeroing my Holosun I noticed my groups were all over the place. Then I noticed there was play in the optic mount. The MLOK screws had come loose. I simply retightened them. I am not sure if perhaps I did not tighten them enough when I first installed them or if the gun will continue to vibrate the screws loose. It is something for me to keep my eye out for in the future. Another issue is with the position of the optic. Even when using Samson QD mount, the optic was positioned so far forward the ring reticle of the Holosun is almost as big as the aperture of the optic and it obscures more that I would like. The Midwest Industries mount is positioned just a little more forward which exacerbates this issue. So it is a waste using this optic on this gun setup. I cannot benefit from the Eotech like ring reticle. Luckily the Holoson HS503C is dual reticle and I can switch to just a 2 MOA dot.

Small idiosyncrasies aside, this optic mount is a perfect solution for having an optic on the Kel-Tec Sub2000 Gen 2. It is quick and easy to deploy. Best part is that it is not terribly expensive. The only thing I would change would be to make adapter plates so you could mount pistol MRDS like RMRs, Fast Fire, and similar red dots. Also they could make a picatinny rail that could be screwed into this mount allowing the end user more options in optic choices. I think a Trijocon MRO may be short enough to work on this setup.

The Midwest Industries optic mount retails for only $99.95 on Midwest Industries website. Click here to find out more information.

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