KelTec PR57

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.