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HANDGUNValue Tier

KelTec

KelTec PR57

The lightest 5.7x28mm pistol in production at 13.86 oz, with a top-loading stripper-clip magazine, 20+1 capacity, and a factory optics plate.

Key Highlights

  • Lightest 5.7x28mm pistol on the market at 13.86 oz unloaded, roughly 40% lighter than the next-lightest 5.7
  • Top-loading clip-fed magazine design holds 20+1 in a slim, carry-friendly frame
  • Optic-cut slide ships with a factory plate, and $399.99 MSRP undercuts every other 5.7 pistol

Specifications

Price
$400
Weight
13.86 oz
Calibers
5.7x28mm
Rail Type
picatinny

Capability Profile

0-10 Scale Across 8 Axes

Compatibility Tags

family: handguncaliber: 5.7x28frame: keltec-pr57interface: picatinny-pistoloptic-system: adapter-plate

Overview

The KelTec PR57 is the lightest 5.7x28mm pistol in production, and weight is its whole argument. At 13.86 oz unloaded it undercuts the next-lightest 5.7 by roughly 40 percent, turning a cartridge that normally lives in large, range-oriented pistols into something a shooter can actually carry all day. The frame is slim, the bore axis sits low over the hand, and the light 5.7x28mm cartridge produces almost no recoil, so the PR57 stays flat and controllable despite its low mass.

The defining mechanical feature is the loading system. Instead of a conventional detachable box magazine, the PR57 feeds from a top-loading internal magazine charged with a 10-round stripper clip, two clips for the full 20+1 capacity, in the manner of a C96 Broomhandle Mauser. The design keeps the grip thin and the parts count low, which is part of how KelTec hit both the weight figure and the $399.99 MSRP. A rotary-barrel locking action handles the 5.7x28mm pressure in a compact, light package, and the 4.00-inch barrel keeps the slide short.

At $399.99 MSRP the PR57 is the value entry in the 5.7 pistol category, far below the FN Five-seveN MRD and under the Ruger-57. The slide ships optic-cut with a factory plate, so a micro red dot mounts without gunsmithing. The tradeoffs are the unconventional reload, which is slower and less intuitive than swapping a box magazine, and a thinner aftermarket than the established 5.7 platforms. For a shooter who wants 5.7x28mm capacity and velocity in the lightest, most carry-friendly package available, the PR57 has no direct competition on weight.

Key Features

  • 13.86 oz unloaded weight, the lightest 5.7x28mm pistol in production
  • Top-loading internal magazine fed by 10-round stripper clips, 20+1 total capacity
  • Rotary-barrel locking action chambered in 5.7x28mm
  • 4.00-inch barrel in a slim, low-bore-axis frame
  • Optic-cut slide with a factory optics plate included
  • Polymer frame with an accessory rail for a light or laser
  • $399.99 MSRP, the value entry in the 5.7x28mm pistol category

Pros

  • +Lightest 5.7x28mm pistol available, roughly 40% lighter than the next-lightest competitor
  • +20+1 capacity of high-velocity 5.7x28mm in a genuinely carry-friendly weight
  • +$399.99 MSRP undercuts the FN Five-seveN MRD by over $1,000
  • +Optic-cut slide ships with a factory plate, no gunsmithing required to mount a red dot
  • +Very low felt recoil from the light cartridge and slim frame

Cons

  • Stripper-clip top-loading reload is slower and less intuitive than a box magazine swap
  • 5.7x28mm ammunition costs more and is less available than 9mm
  • Thinner aftermarket support than the established FN and Ruger 5.7 platforms
  • Unconventional internal magazine is a learning curve for shooters used to detachable mags

Detailed Specifications

caliber
5.7x28mm
Barrel Length
4.00 inches
capacity
20+1 (top-loading internal magazine, 10-round stripper clips)
action
Rotary-barrel locking, internal clip-fed magazine
sights
Iron sights, optic-cut slide with included plate
weight
13.86 oz unloaded
frame
Polymer with accessory rail
msrp
$399.99

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