Following the introduction of the CP33 competition pistol at the 2019 SHOT Show, Kel-Tec announced another rimfire pistol offering an appealing design and a staggering ammunition capacity: the Kel-Tec P17, announced officially at the 2019 NRA's Personal Protection Expo in Ft. Worth (TX), promises affordability, reliability, and accuracy in a compact package.

Advertised as a "tack driver" sporting an "excellent trigger, fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear sight", the Kel-Tec P17 is conceived for those shooters who want a good plinking and training pistol that could dub as a concealed carry pistol in a single and affordable package.

What it lacks in stopping power, given the .22 Long Rifle chambering, the P17 makes up for in capacity: its double-stack magazine offers a staggering sixteen rounds, plus one in chamber – a true swarm of angry bees ready to be directed at any opponent.

A straight blowback design, the Kel-Tec P17 comes with a magazine release catch and a manual frame safety in fully ambidextrous configuration, making it perfectly viable for left-handed or right-handed shooters alike, and tips the scale at 11 oz (312 grams) when unloaded and at barely 14 oz (397 grams) with a fully loaded magazine. It is 6.65-inch (16,9 cm) long overall, with a 3.93" (10 cm) barrel sporting a 1/2-28 TPI protected thread at the muzzle to allow the use of muzzle devices such as sound suppressors, flash hiders, or muzzle brakes.

Other features include an aluminum Picatinny rail for accessories and Kel-Tec's typical checkered slip-proof grip, albeit the squared design of the top portion and trigger guard is reminiscent of some of George Kellgren's work from the late 1980s and early 1990s, more specifically the Grendel P10 and P12 pistols. Each Kel-Tec P17 will come issued with three magazines.

The Kel-Tec P17 will begin distributing in the United States by December 2019, at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $199.00.