Keltec SU-16A

[Esquire]

Thanks everyone for the input. I decided to pass on it, mainly because the consensus here and in other related threads is that SU-16 does NOT like steel-cased ammo. I think a AK/Saiga in 5.45 caliber is a better choice for me.

[Steve_In_29]

I to vote for the CA model and bought my wife one as it was the lightest 5.56 platform I could find after she found her new Mini14 to be too heavy. She is TINY!

Hers does well with steel cased ammo as long as it gets the chamber brushed every so often. Goes longer if I shoot Silver Bear with it's zinc vice lacquer coating. We have put quite a few rounds through it and have been very pleased.

One advantage of the Keltec is that you won't have to be competing (as in the other thread) on building the lightest AR, as it is already ONLY 4.7 pounds.

Personally I find the lightweight SU16 to be the perfect match to the 5.56 cartridge.

OP: the Russians did a better job on the 5.45 cartridge then we did with our 5.56.

[Eddie1965]

I still shoot mine even after I added 2 ARs and 2 AKs to my safe. Get the CA model. Here's mine:

[mrblah]

the su16ca is a great utility rifle that is foldable, lightweight, cheap, and is featureless (big deal for me).

It won't replace my ar and ak's, but it never was meant to be.

[North Bay Guy]

If you can find a Saiga in .223 I'd get that, even though I prefer it in 7.62x39 because the ammo is so cheap and widely used. Saiga's shot up in price after the sanctions on Russian goods. I'd imagine the price has come down a bit since the panic has slowed down and people are mostly buying SSE guns right now. Even if you have to dish out a couple hundered more for a Saiga it's worth it in my opinion. If money is a major consideration and you like it get the Keltec. In my limited experiences with the Keltec it functioned fine.

[Quiet]

The Kel-Tec SU-16CA is a decent lightweight rifle.

The SU-16CA is the better variant than the SU-16A and SU-16B.

The SU-16C, SU-16D, and SU-16E are not CA legal.
The SU-16C can be made CA legal by replacing the C stock with the A stock (making it into a CA) or by fixing the C stock so that it no longer folds.
The SU-16D can not be made CA legal due to being a Title 2 SBR.
The SU-16E can be made CA legal by installing a maglock + 10 round magazine.