On Sept.3, 2025, with a post on their official Facebook and Twitter/X pages, Kel-Tec CNC Industries announced the imminent launch on the US market of the KS7 Gen2 12-gauge pump-action shotgun – the second generation of the KS7 bull-pup shotgun first introduced at the 2019 edition of SHOT Show.

The Kel-Tec KS7 is a single-tube version of the famous Kel-Tec KSG, and is offered on the global shotguns market as a compact alternative – the overall length is more or less that of an MP5 sub-machine gun with a fully extended stock – that is cheaper, slimmer, lighter and simpler than the twin-tube KSG, while still providing a respectable ammunition capacity.

As of today, the Kel-Tec KS7 was chiefly conceived as a civilian firearm, ideal for hunting, general shooting sports, home and property defense, and private security personnel. The KS7 Gen2 was further elaborated and improved upon input from Gen1 owners, resulting in a sturdier construction and a longer service life for higher-intensity use such as practical shooting competitions or law enforcement applications.

Built on a steel receiver and featuring a steel magazine tube, bolt and 47 cm / 18.5" smoothbore barrel, the Kel-Tec KS7 Gen2 pump-action shotgun – just like the the KS7 Gen.1 and all KSG variants – features numerous high-strength polymer components, including the buttstock, the handguard and grip module that also hosts the trigger group, to keep overall weight within acceptable levels.

All contact surfaces on the forend and grip feature the familiar square-stipple slip-proof pattern that's been a staple of Kel-Tec firearms since the company's inception in the mid-1990s; a bull-pup design, the KS7 Gen2 feeds and ejects spent cases from the same port, located underneath the receiver and behind the grip. Along with an ambidextrous disconnector lever located in front of the trigger guard and crossbolt safety installed just above the pistol grip, this feature makes the KS7 Gen2 shotgun ready to use for right-handed and left-handed shooters alike right out of the box, without any adjustment necessary.

Aside from manufacturing improvements aimed at boosting service life and structural solidity, the KS7 Gen2 can be told apart from the first generation models as it ditches the raised polymer carry handle in favor of a full-length top MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail, providing plenty of room for aftermarket folding or fixed iron sights and optical sights of any sort.

The sliding forend – featuring two prominent front and rear hand stops to address one of the biggest criticisms of Kel-Tec's bull-pup pump-action shotgun designs – was refined for faster, cleaner cycling with every stroke and comes with a 5-slot, recessed Picatinny rail for accessories or vertical grips, which can be capped for a seamless look when not in use.