Hands-On KelTec P15 Review – Pros, Cons, and Performance

KelTec has a long history of producing two things. Concealed carry pistols and innovative and odd designs. KelTec has finally combined the two and delivered The KelTec P15; we’ve got hands-on with one! 

The P15 – KelTec’s Micro Compact

Everyone—and I mean everyone—seems to make a micro compact these days. Well, except for CZ and Walther, for some reason. Micro compacts are subcompact handguns that prioritize efficiency. While they are small and easy to carry, they still often hold 10 to 12 rounds in flush-fit magazines. KelTec decided to get into the crowded market with the P15 but took a slightly different route. 

Rather than make an ultra-small gun that mimics the size of a single stack 9 with the capacity of a double stack, KelTec made a Glock 19-sized gun that’s thinner than almost every other firearm its size. The P15 features a 4-inch barrel with an overall length of 6.6 inches. The gun comes with a flush-fitting 12-round magazine and a slightly extended 15-round magazine with a pinky extension. 

With that in mind, the gun is 7/8ths of an inch wide—that’s it. It’s also the lightest micro-compact on the market. The P15 weighs a mere 16.2 ounces, which makes it lighter than the P365, even though it’s larger than the P365. That’s impressively lightweight and impressively thin. 

This sets the P15 apart, but that’s not all. The P15 comes with both a magazine and a grip safety, two safety features that downright annoy me. The P15 is the only gun I know that allows you to turn them off. Using a small slotted bolt, you can turn off one or both of those safety devices. 

The P15 has both metal and polymer frame designs. I’m reviewing the polymer frame model. Sadly, the polymer P15 lacks the ability to mount an optic, which is annoying for a modern pistol.

Features of the KelTec P15

1 Grip Safety 

2 Accessory Rail

3 Adjustable High Viz Sights

4 Safety Cut Off Device

5 Magazine Safety 

Other Model of the KelTec P15

The Little P15 In Action 

Toting the KelTec P15 is remarkably easy. It’s extremely light and thin. It carries comfortably even with its somewhat long length compared to competitors’ guns. It’s really competing with guns like the Glock 19, and compared to the Glock 19, the P15 carries like a dream. It does offer you a light, thin, and trim gun. 

That lightweight and thin design doesn’t come without its problems. The ultra-thin grip and lightweight create a snappy recoil impulse. Handgun recoil is felt more with muzzle rise rather than rearward recoil. That’s not the case here. The P15 digs that thin grip into your hand with some force. It kicks itself into your hand and snaps upward. 

It’s not uncontrollable, but you pay for that thin, lightweight design. While it might be easier to carry than the Glock 19, it’s harder to shoot than the Glock 19. It requires a very firm grip and is less forgiving of an inconsistent grip. It’s also fairly unforgiving when shooting with a single hand. 

I was shooting it side by side with a CZ P09 C, and the guns have near identical lengths, but the recoil difference was extremely noticeable. 

The ergonomics are solid outside of the thin grip. The slide lock is quite nice and offers a lot of leverage to release the slide. The magazine release is huge for such a small gun. The gator grip texture is fairly nice and gives you a good grip on the gun. 

Shooting Straight 

My first group was way too low. I was a bit scared, but I realized I hadn’t even peeped at the sights before shooting. The rear sight was dialed down, and a quick turn of an Allen wrench fixed that. I dialed the sights in and was scoring surprisingly tight groups. You forget that this gun has a 4-inch barrel and a solid sight radius, which might help nice groups. 

The P15 was capable of landing 10 rounds in a six-inch group at 25 yards. It’s quite consistent, and if you take your time, it does what you need to. The front sight is very large and obscures a fair bit of your smaller targets. When you pack up to 25 yards, hitting those smaller targets can be tough. 

A big front sight creates an easy-to-see sight. When you’re drawing and shooting, the big sight that pops up on target is quick and easy to see. I use a stress sight picture, which has me mostly focusing on the target, with the front sight taking the lower part of my vision. I can see the front sight, but it’s a little blurry. 

The big green sight works exceptionally well with this type of sight picture. I can see that big-ass greet dot without a problem. The P15 makes quick shooting easier than something like a three-dot sight. 

Save Some Change 

I fired a lot of steel-cased ammo through this thing, specifically 115-grain steel-cased Moanrch ammo from Academy. This cheap, dirty ammo couldn’t choke the gun. It ran through 500 rounds with ease. 

If you shop around, the P15 costs less than 250 dollars. KelTec is well known for its low-priced, high-value weapons, and the P15 is no different. It’s cheap but quite functional and refined for a KelTec. 

Pros and Cons

KelTec P15 Preferred Ammo

KelTec P15 was a fun pistol to test out on the range. Check out below what 9mm ammo we preferred to use while seeing it in action:

KelTec P15 Accessories:

1. Streamlight TLR 7 Sub

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KelTec P15 Resources and Guides

Being sure to take care of your KelTec P15 is crucial to its reliability and functionality. Check out the video and manuals below to ensure you are doing everything you can to keep yours long-lasting.

• KelTec P15: Quick Start Guide
• KelTec P15 Manual