The CP33 is a strange looking handgun in comparison to most, but it’s a pleasure to shoot. And accurate to boot.
Kel-Tec’s new CP33 is easily one of my favorite handguns of Shot Show 2019 for two cool reasons.
First, it is bizarre. Second, it’s an absolute blast to shoot! Chambered for .22 Long Rifle, this pistol is able to hold 33 rounds of ammunition in a flush fitting magazine due to the unique way the bullets stack. The gun also has a 50-round magazine available that is just 2 inches longer.
This is the largest non-drum magazine for .22 LR that I am aware of. This goofy looking pistol may look familiar because it is based on the CMR-30 design, but I can assure you that it is very comfortable to hold and operate. Also, you will notice that this gun is a hybrid mix of mainly polymer and aluminum.
The CP33 is a pistol designed with the competition shooter in mind – CP is for Competition Pistol. There are reports of this handgun being able to cloverleaf rounds with open sights at 25 yards, which I believe after shooting it for my self.
The gun has minimum recoil for a semi-automatic pistol and the trigger is fairly good with an advertised pull weight of 4-6 pounds. The CP33 has a sight radius of 9.5 inches which can be the reason why it is so easy to shoot accurately with iron sights.
The quad stack magazine (which is best appreciated from this view) is truly an accomplishment, and I am happy to report that it ran flawlessly.
However, you do not have to just use iron sights because of the full-length Picatinny rail that runs along the top of the pistol which allows you to mount nearly any kind of optic.
The bolt on this gun locks back on the last round and is released with the slide release on the left side of the gun. The ambidextrous charging handle is in the back, similar in fashion to an AR-15’s.
It is non-reciprocating and seems to have a good gas seal so that hot gasses don’t escape toward the shooter’s face when firing suppressed. The heel magazine release is found at the bottom of the grip and seems to be able to reliably hold magazines in place during use.
Another look at the magazine.
The CP33 is a gun that I would love to add to my collection. Prospective buyers are getting a gun that is cheap to shoot, has light recoil and a nearly endless supply of ammunition. 33 rounds!!!
This gun operated reliably at Range Day. We observed no hiccups. And this is after firing hundreds if not thousands of rounds. Did I mention the best part? The MSRP: $475.
The CP33 is currenlty shipping from Kel-Tec.
The fiber optic sights that are included on this pistol make for a great shooting experience.
SPECS
- Chambered for .22 Long Rifle
- 33- or 50-round magazine capacity
- Unloaded weight is 24 ounces
- Overall length of 10.6 inches
- 5.5-inch barrel
- 1/2-28 threaded
- 1:14 twist
- Fiber optic sights
- $475 MSRP
Like anything Kel Tec releases it will be 2 years before you can find one easily and then maybe at or below MSRP lol. Also I’m sure boring black will be the first wave of these out of their factory. I like to wait till some of the cool cerakoted color options are out in the wild. All of my current KelTecs are something other than boring black.
Another bonus of waiting are any teething issues will usually have been hammered out. It’s best to wait for that Gen 2 model release before pouncing. For you early adopters, have fun being the guinea pigs.
I’m sure eventually they will release a carbine/rifle version of this thing. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the creative aftermarket folks wind up releasing some sort of pistol brace add on for this current model. It’s almost guaranteed to happen. It definitely piques my interest for sure but in my experience its best to wait a few years for any new Kel Tec to have matured first.
Another happy PMR30 owner. I did not buy an early model, waited a couple years. It runs flawlessly wth the ammo I bought. Winchester is the cheapest, and the most accurate. CCI is the least accurate in all my win mags. Remington was right behind in accuracy. Trigger is good, mags are hard to load to 30, so I just do 25. To the comment about adding a suppressor, the barrel needs to move back based on the power of the shell. Not designed for a suppressor and why would you on a 22 mag. Have to see how this 22lr version pans out.
Why would you suppress a 22 mag? The same you would suppress a .300 win mag … BECAUSE YOU CAN!
Another Kel-Tec must have dang they get a lot of my money and I’m still smiling !!!
Regarding: “That’s the reason I never bought the PMR-30, too many reliability issues and complaints. And Kel-Tec wouldn’t even answer my email inquires about using my suppressor on it.”
The answer to the question about a suppressor for the PMR-30 is available at Kel-Tec’s website: https://www.keltecweapons.com/pmr-30-threaded-barrel-with-flash-reducer-325
A little research.. or just a simple google search will get you the answer… no need to email.
I have a PMR-30, CMR-30 and RFB18.
I have no reliability or ftf issues with any of the 3.. I have over 1k rounds through each of the PMR-30 and CMR-30 with no ftf issues.. but I load the magazines as recommended by keltec as well as clean and lube them correctly. The RFB18 is reliable with over 300 rounds through it..
My experience with all of my keltec guns has been great.. I will be happy to buy this new pistol when I see it available
WOW “S” … a little research, or a simple google search … Damn, why didn’t I think of that. Thank you for your kind and informative suggestion.
I can tell you why; Because when I contacted Kel-Tec – via email no less – about using a suppressor on their PMR-30 it hadn’t even hit the street yet. As a matter of fact, If my poor old behind-the-times memory serves me correctly, it had just been introduced at the Shot Show and it probably never occurred to Kel-Tec that some enterprising individual would actually like to shoot the PMR-30 suppressed to begin with. I know I didn’t want it without that ability, that’s why I never bought one. If I can’t suppress it, I don’t want it. I have a safe full of .22’s that I don’t give two shits about shooting anymore because I CAN’T suppress them. What little hearing I have left I plan to keep, thank you very much.
MAYBE they learned a hard lesson from the PMR-30 and now fully understand that there IS a portion of the shooting society that won’t purchase another Kel-Tec without the ability to suppressed it. I won’t, and thrust me, I WILL OWN one of these CP33’s.
I wonder what hard lesson about trying to suppress a 22 mag was learned. Probably that it isn’t even close to being worth it. Or what lesson about suppressors owners was learned, when they are basically a rounding error compared to the total number of firearms sold. I think there are better websites to request men to thrust you.
Obviously you know absolutely NOTHING about suppressors except what you’ve seen on television, or the silencer industry for that matter and the hundreds of thousands sold each year.
The reason it takes so long for the permit paperwork to pass through the BATF’s hands is because of the tens of thousands of applications that are backed up awaiting approval. That should tell you something about how popular suppressor have become and the growth in the industry. One of my stamps took over a year.
You can suppress anything. I say suppress and not silence because that’s exactly what it does, it suppresses the sound and not silence it. The crap Hollywood has you to believe in the movies is total BS.
Sadly – no doubt you live in a state where firearm ownership is prohibited and it’s forcing you to troll gun forums for YOUR gratification. Probably the Republic of Kalifornia where your governor is thrusting it in you every day. Enjoy it, I’m sure you do …
From Feb 2016 to April 2017, 356k forms were submitted for suppressors, which left a 100k oversupply from production in that time period. It is estimated 15.7 million firearms were sold in 2016. That means suppressor submissions were 2.27 percent of firearms sales. It is ridiculous to think the demand is anywhere near parity.
And I know quite well that suppressors suppress. And that’s the point. There’s subsonic 22’s, but they ain’t magnums. Velocity is within 90% similar on pistol lengths, so why waste 22 mags when stingers will get you the same. ES on shot groups is literally as large or larger than the differences in average velocity between hyper velocity lrs and magnums. So, there’s your go-fast inaccurate crap. And hey, you want a lower decibel level as well, you can go as low as you want with lrs. There goes reasons to own a PMR30. You can get both comparable velocity at pistol barrel length and better sound suppression with the smaller round.
Since 98 firearms are sold for any single suppressor, what in the world would make anyone think that a 22 mag plastic fantastic rimfire pistol from one of the cheapest manufacturers with one of the poorer reputations is going to be affected by demand from people who are buying suppressors. There are far too many higher quality, more accurate, and better established 22 lr pistols out there to worry about suppressing a molded magnum toy.
This is off topic as hell… But I don’t know anyone who owns an RFB. And I really want one but I am reluctant because of reviews. How reliable is it. Mainly I was wondering about ejection. I figured if you point nose down after firing (as intended during tactical movements) could expel spent casings.. have you ever had the ejection issue?
I own a keltec sub 2000 and love it. Cycles anything and very accurate for what it is. I may have to try one of these pistols out but the only brand of 22LR ammo I have found that reliably cycles in all my 22s is the CCI high velocity stuff.
I was watching this video with my son… All of a sudden my son asks me… Dad, why does he keep calling the gun “Crazy” I told my son… that’s the extent of his vocabulary. So make sure to stay in school… So you can make a “Crazy” salary. My son goes… Huh?
By-the-way cool 22 for sure.
MY LITTLE 7 0Z KEL-TEC 380 HAS NEVER FAILED ME. HUNDREDS OF ROUNDS AND NEVER JAMBED! I CARRY IT MY BACK POCKET AND SOMETIMES FORGET IT’S THERE. IS IT MY WALLET OR MY KEL-TEC? HAHAHAHA… BEST LITTLE CARRY GUN EVER.
When & where are they available to purchase?
Not for me, another plastic injected junk. All they make is junk couldn’t wait to get my hands on a 30 and couldn’t wait to get rid of it. Difference in me and Kel Tec is I hate to unload my junk on others.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ll stick with my Buckmark and Mark IV, thank you.
Good. Neither of you two try to buy one. KT’s are so popular and hard to find that two less people trying to buy one has to be a good thing for the rest of us.
Looks like a slick little range plinker. I want one!
Why can’t Glock give us a small high capacity .22LR fun-gun with a threaded barrel? Hey Glock – WAKE UP!
total fail ! 5.5 inches ? that means most bulk ammo will run supersonic… how will it run with subsonic ammo ? if it doesn’t , then there is no need to be threaded.. as other kel-tec product , people will think it’s cool till they own one … then they will sell it at a great loss … like i did! nop! i won’t ever buy anything kel-tec…. they are all junk !
I’d like to see that quad stack magazine adapted for the 10/22.
Now that is a 22LR pistol I would own!
This is cool. Wonder how difficult it it to load the magazine.
First, it’s blizzard. 2nd it is BUTT Ugly. Horrendous is a better description. And not one mention of accuracy, which usually means – it wasn’t. You can do better than that Riley.
Read, don’t proof read:
“The CP33 is a pistol designed with the competition shooter in mind – CP is for Competition Pistol. There are reports of this handgun being able to cloverleaf rounds with open sights at 25 yards, which I believe after shooting it for my self.”
did you read the article or just watch the video? Idiots like you should engage brain before putting your mouth or keyboard in gear.
Are you a real idiot or just play one on the internet?
You win haha
Where is the best place to buy one or are they not available to the public?
looks great however I live in New Jersey and it would get me 10 years and some other not nice stuff.
The so-called ‘lawmakers’ in NJ should be getting Ten years for the serious felony (USCC18-241-242)of violating your rights by depriving you of Constitutionally protected ownership of this pistol. That is, if we, the brainwashed pusillanimous, skeered shitless sheeple get off our fat couch potato chip asses and do something about the most corrupted criminal justice system in the world?
The most corrupt criminal system in the world? I want whatever your dumbass is smokin bro
Very well stated, I don’t know about in the World but definitely in the top 10.
I wonder if it’s going to be another jam-o-matic like the PMR-30.
That’s the reason I never bought the PMR-30, too many reliability issues and complaints. And Kel-Tec wouldn’t even answer my email inquires about using my suppressor on it.
But just based on what I’ve seen in the video’s, the CP33 should be a fun, reliable plinker. And at an affordable price to boot. I want one!
I own 4 PMR 30’s, they shoot great, but they are designed for quality ammo, not bulk box cheap ammo. There is a list of compatible ammo with it in the gun case when you buy it. I’ve have great accuracy with the Hornady vmax 30gr bullets. Great for hunting as well!! No recoil along with hi mag capacity, I love it!