Kel-Tec RFB
Encyclopedia
The RFB is a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle
, manufactured by Kel-Tec
Industries of Florida
. At the 2008 SHOT Show
held from February 2 to 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada
it was declared by Kel-Tec representatives that the RFB rifle would be made available to the public by the 4th quarter of 2008. Later, the Kel-Tec website stated that the 18 in (457.2 mm) barrel carbine variant would not be shipping until February 2009 due to a change in the production process meant to get more rifles manufactured before a new Assault Weapons Ban
can be put in place. The rifle first shipped to distributors in the first week of March 2009.
It was first seen at the 2007 SHOT Show
.
chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO
, and is also capable of using .308 Winchester
ammunition. The RFB uses metric FAL
magazines, which insert straight into the magazine well and does not need to rock into place. It utilizes a short-stroke gas piston
operating system. The rifle uses a patented forward-ejection system via a tube placed over the barrel that ejects the spent case forwards, over the handguard of the rifle. Extraction is accomplished by two extractors
, each with 2 axes of rotation. The extractors may move side-to-side to engage the rim of the case, and pivot upwards to extract the spent case after firing. Empty cases remain in the ejection chute until either the weapon is tilted downwards, the charging handle is operated, or they are pushed out by following cases. Cases drop gently from this chute to the left of the barrel. To avoid sloppy trigger pull typical of firearms modified into bullpups, the RFB utilizes a floating linkage bar between the sear
and the hammer
, allowing the sear to remain above the trigger. The weapon is fully ambidextrous, much in the style of the Belgian F2000 rifle. The RFB accepts FN FAL
-style magazines, and is delivered without iron sight
s. A mil-spec Picatinny rail
is provided for mounting a wide range of optics and tactical accessories.
The barrel of the RFB is not fully free floated
, it instead serves as the rigid "spine" of the weapon, to which all other components are attached (either directly or through other components).
Meanwhile, Kel-Tec is preparing smaller versions of the same design, adapted to 'intermediate' calibers such as 7.62×39mm
, 5.56×45mm NATO (.223), 6.5 Grendel
and 6.8mm Remington SPC. The 5.56×45mm NATO version has been tentatively named the CFB (Carbine, Forward-ejection, Bullpup), and will feed from standard AR-15
magazines.
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Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
, manufactured by Kel-Tec
Kel-Tec
Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc. is a United States manufacturer of firearms. Founded in 1991 and based in Cocoa, Florida, the company has manufactured firearms since 1995, starting with small, affordable semi-automatic pistols and expanding to rifles. Kel-Tec is a privately-owned Florida corporation....
Industries of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. At the 2008 SHOT Show
SHOT Show
The ' is an annual tradeshow for the shooting, hunting, and firearms industry. It is the biggest event of this type in the world together with IWA & OutdoorClassics , also taking place annually. "SHOT", besides being a general reference to shooting, is an acronym for "Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor...
held from February 2 to 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
it was declared by Kel-Tec representatives that the RFB rifle would be made available to the public by the 4th quarter of 2008. Later, the Kel-Tec website stated that the 18 in (457.2 mm) barrel carbine variant would not be shipping until February 2009 due to a change in the production process meant to get more rifles manufactured before a new Assault Weapons Ban
Federal assault weapons ban
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called "assault weapons"...
can be put in place. The rifle first shipped to distributors in the first week of March 2009.
It was first seen at the 2007 SHOT Show
SHOT Show
The ' is an annual tradeshow for the shooting, hunting, and firearms industry. It is the biggest event of this type in the world together with IWA & OutdoorClassics , also taking place annually. "SHOT", besides being a general reference to shooting, is an acronym for "Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor...
.
Design details
The RFB is a semi-automatic firearmSemi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO
7.62×51mm NATO
The 7.62×51mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries...
, and is also capable of using .308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
ammunition. The RFB uses metric FAL
FN FAL
The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...
magazines, which insert straight into the magazine well and does not need to rock into place. It utilizes a short-stroke gas piston
Gas-operated reloading
Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate autoloading firearms. In gas-operation, a portion of high pressure gas from the cartridge being fired is used to power a mechanism to extract the spent case and chamber a new cartridge. Energy from the gas is harnessed...
operating system. The rifle uses a patented forward-ejection system via a tube placed over the barrel that ejects the spent case forwards, over the handguard of the rifle. Extraction is accomplished by two extractors
Extractor (firearms)
An extractor is a part in a firearm that serves to remove brass cases of fired ammunition after the ammunition has been fired. When the gun's action cycles, the extractor lifts or removes the spent brass casing from the firing chamber.-Overview:...
, each with 2 axes of rotation. The extractors may move side-to-side to engage the rim of the case, and pivot upwards to extract the spent case after firing. Empty cases remain in the ejection chute until either the weapon is tilted downwards, the charging handle is operated, or they are pushed out by following cases. Cases drop gently from this chute to the left of the barrel. To avoid sloppy trigger pull typical of firearms modified into bullpups, the RFB utilizes a floating linkage bar between the sear
Sear (firearm)
In a firearm, the sear is the part of the trigger mechanism which holds the hammer or striker back until the correct amount of pressure has been applied to the trigger; at which point the hammer or striker is released to discharge the weapon...
and the hammer
Hammer (firearm)
thumb|150px|Hammer with an integral [[firing pin]] on a [[S&W Model 13]] revolver The hammer of a firearm was given its name for both resemblance and functional similarity to the common tool...
, allowing the sear to remain above the trigger. The weapon is fully ambidextrous, much in the style of the Belgian F2000 rifle. The RFB accepts FN FAL
FN FAL
The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...
-style magazines, and is delivered without iron sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
s. A mil-spec Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
is provided for mounting a wide range of optics and tactical accessories.
The barrel of the RFB is not fully free floated
Free-floating barrel
A free-floating barrel is a specific design technology used in highly accurate rifles, particularly match grade rifles, to increase the accuracy of the weapon.With normal rifles, the barrel rests in contact with the stock...
, it instead serves as the rigid "spine" of the weapon, to which all other components are attached (either directly or through other components).
Meanwhile, Kel-Tec is preparing smaller versions of the same design, adapted to 'intermediate' calibers such as 7.62×39mm
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm round is a rifle cartridge of Soviet origin that was designed during World War II. It was first used in the RPD machine gun. Due to the worldwide proliferation of the SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, the cartridge is utilized by both militaries and civilians alike.The 7.62×39mm...
, 5.56×45mm NATO (.223), 6.5 Grendel
6.5 Grendel
The 6.5 Grendel is a proprietary intermediate cartridge developed in 2002 by Arne Brennan . This cartridge is an improved version of the PPC cartridge family designed by Dr. Lou Palmisano and Ferris Pindell in 1974. The first 6.5mm member of the PPC cartridge family was created in 1984 by Dr...
and 6.8mm Remington SPC. The 5.56×45mm NATO version has been tentatively named the CFB (Carbine, Forward-ejection, Bullpup), and will feed from standard AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
magazines.
Variants
Kel-Tec has planned to build at least 3 versions with differing barrel lengths, weight, overall length, and performance. The Carbine with a 18 in (457.2 mm) barrel, a Sporter variant with 24 in (61 cm) length barrel and Target version with either a heavy profile 32 in (81.3 cm) barrel or 26 in (660.4 mm) stainless steel barrel. The Target version also features a 5-way adjustable trigger, for a trigger pull from 2 to 6 lbf (8.9 to 26.7 N). As of the end of 2010, the Carbine version has been the only one publicly released for sale.External links
- Official Page.
- 2007 Kel-Tec promotional information release (PDF)
- Review and breakdown of features of the Kel-Tec RFB from American Rifleman
- Review and analysis of the Kel-Tec RFB from EmptorMaven
- KTOG RFB Forum
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