I have had one for over two years, I've not had any malfunctions with at all. I use CCI 40gr Hollow Points with it and it eats them like a monster. My wife is sensitive to recoil and she love this pistol. Good review as always.

I've had mine for almost 2 years now had the Mcarbo up grade kit installed and it works flawlessly. The first time I took it to the range everyone there stopped to ask what I was shooting because of the fire ball and the noise, it's a real tack driver.

I love my PMR30 I had 2 malfunctions in the first 100 rds so I got the MCARBO kit ($165) it's been flawless since. I now have around 2,000 rds through it now.

I must say, I have always written off these firearms, however, as i have started backpacking and hiking, i realize the value in a lightweight, high capacity pistol. when you cant carry a rifle( or at least its not practical to), maximizing what you can get out of pistol becomes more critical. and this checks alot of boxes. decent power, high capacity, and light weight.

My mother has shot her whole life, but she is 72 years old now, i bought this for her bedside gun. (I ran it through it paces first). With a light and extra mag. She loves this thing and feels way comfortable with it. Her other corner gun is a youth 20 ga. Now she still has all her other guns, but she really loves this.

One of the most fun pistols to come along in the last 20 years.

Is not the "The first 22 magnum semi-automatic pistol". In 1988 I bought the AMT AutoMag II Stainless with 6 in. barrel that held 9 rounds. Made from 1987 to 1999. It's accuracy totally surprised me and so did the fact that with every trigger pull you never knew how many rounds it would fire. Usually, it would fire one but sometimes 3, 5, or more and on rare occasion it would empty all 9 rounds in what seemed like a half second. Totally fun but unpredictable so I traded it back to my dealer who sent it back to AMT. There are a couple reviews on KZfaq. Liked your review!

Great Video! I love mine! There was another semiauto 22 Magnum before the PMR 30, it was the AMT Automag II & they also made an AMT 30 Carbine Semiauto Pistol

I have had a PMR-30 for a couple of years, had some issues at first and sent it back to Kel-Tec since it came back it has been flawless and I love it, with the new Federal ammo it hits like a brick and appears to be a good carry option! Especiallly for an older gentleman like myslf, love the 30 round capacity especiallly when I can carry an additional two magazines! 90 rounds!!!!!😃😁😁

I love mine!!! I actually had the CMR-30 first, both upgraded with stainless steel feed ramps so underrated I will never get rid them.

I will say that the FIRST GEN was where 90% of these “ documented issues “ happened the 2nd Gen is flawless for us guys that know and understand the right ammo is everything to this gun. I’ve have currently shot over 1000rnds in mine and it’s still factory internals looking to upgrade eventually with the Mcarbo internals.

Thanks for your review. I've had my Kel-Tec PMR-30 for several months now. It's great having a light weight, high capacity 22 Magnum pistol.

I run a PMR 30 with 40gr ammo and it's been super reliable. Read your manuals folks and you'll have a pretty badass lil .22

I own 2 of these pistols and love them! Over the top is an understatement! KelTec is an extremely innovative gun manufacturer!

That one is a blast to shoot! The fireball never gets old!

Another great thing about Ken-Tec is they offer a nice discount for military members. I bought a PMR-30 a few years ago for $310 through their HALO program. Definitely recommend that for any veterans like myself who want to pick one up and save some money.

Kel-tic also manufactures the p17 a 22 rimfire automatic that holds 15 rounds it's extremely accurate and reliable for under $250 you should do a video on it to thanks schooch for the video

I just purchased one about 2 weeks ago and I've loved it ever since.

I have owned one for about 2 years and I do carry it in an Alien Gear IWB. This is due to a severely damaged right hip. I was carrying a Ruger P90 that I still love, but the weight is an issue. No problems ever with the PMR30. I alternate rounds in the mag. Self defense HP and CCI Gamepoint. Love this one.

Great Review !!! , My PMR 30 is 5 years old and runs flawlessly on Hornady 30 gr. which have a velocity of 2200 fps.

Great review! Top notch job as usual. I really appreciate the details in the field strip. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos.

30rds is a lot of fire power.and it’s light as a feather and deadly accurate . Nice piece

Love this gun. Had an issue, customer service was incredible and within two weeks resolved and on the range. Great trigger and fun to night shoot with a huge fireball!

Thanks Don , for a great view , I like that you did the jell box test , it really shows the difference between 22lr. And 22mag. Huge difference . The mags load like the M4 mags. DBL stack , there's nothing else like this ! Awesome,

ATTENTION: If you are purchasing a new PMR-30 and want to narrow down its manufacturing date, Look at the date on the sheet of brown oil paper that is wrapped over the slide in the box. It has a date on it. Hope this helps.

Rimfire guns are underrated Edit: *Ends up starting an whole arguement in the comments*

I’ve had one for several years. It absolutely would not shoot more than two shots in a row without the MCarbo mods. Even with the mods, I still had trouble and sent it to MCarbo to look at. They said that 1 in 5 of their mod kits didn’t work and mine was the 1 that didn’t. Now it works quite well, with one caveat. Don’t dry fire it. The firing pin will break. I’ve had several pins break. (My son was dry firing it). I took it to keltec and the tech told me they set aside cream of the crop pins for their repairs…I guess they’re not all created equal. Now it shoots like a champ. It’s a lot of fun to shoot. I wouldn’t dream of planning to use it for self defense, however, as I’ve had too many issues with it to trust it. Keltec’s customer service is great.

I really like my PMR-30. Mine will feed hollow points just fine if I don't fill the magazine up or put FMJ the last five or so rounds. Even though my tastes are traditional, preferring revolvers and classic semi-auto designs, I was actually intrigued by the weird look of the PMR-30. Now I want the carbine version!

AMT Automag II I believe, was first of its kind.

Fled IL. 25 yrs ago, never looked back, TN. now, love it!

I have this exact model, same color. Love mine! 30 rounds in a light, carry pistol is awesome. Love that the mags are useable with the CMR30. I highly suggest getting the speedloader for it though. Not only does it make it a lot quicker and easier, it also seats the rounds in the rounds in the mag properly whereas hand loading can lead to issues if not done correctly. Great gun.

Probably THE BEST SHTF gun to carry. Small enough to kill small game but big enough to take down the 2 and 4 legged kind. 50 rounds in your pocket compared to anything bigger than .223.

Capacity and shot placement have always been more important than stopping power. 31 rounds is insane and .22 WMR is not at all weak.

I've had mine about 4 years already. I replaced parts with MCarbo upgrades right away and its been flawless. Take your time and load the mags correctly and you will have no problems.

Ran 600 rounds @ the range with mine using 5 different ammo types with 4 total ftf type errors. LOVE THIS FIREARM. Just picked up a used cmr30 but haven't been to the range yet but wouldn't be surprised if it ran as good. I have installed grip tape @ mcarbo mag release to both.

I love this gun!! One of my favorites that I own. I've got all the Mcarbo upgrades on it, and she runs great! Thank you for doing a review of this pistol!!!

Absolutely love mine, have the full M-Carbo upgrades in mine and a mini-red dot on it. It runs everything reliably now.

The first .22 magnum semi-automatic pistol was made in 1987 my AMT, it was called the Automag and was followed by the Automag II, they were made until 1999 and it was an all steel pistol.

Against intuition I put a handall grip sleeve on the pistol and was amazed at how good the grip felt and shoots. I have moderately large hands and you wouldn't think the PMR30 would need it, but it was amazing. Best backpack gun ever.

My only regret, selling my CMR-30. Such a great combo. Going to have to buy it again. PMR30 still stock and never had an issue. Maybe cause I load the mags right.

Bought it, shot it, and love it! Light weight. You almost forget you have it on. pretty accurate also.

mine is stock. i have over 500 rounds through it. maybe a thousand. zero malfunctions. i love that light trigger but gotta watch it!

Love my PMR, Ive dropped alot with the 22 mag that I would only discuss in person. I also bought the ruger 5.7×28, it's a hot one. There was other companies that made 22mag, one was an AMT clear back in the 80s , fine quality gun. There was another polymer but I can't remember, my buddy had one it was junk.

Have over 1500 rds thur mine. If you like the pmr you'll love the cmr 30. Great match set. I do recommend the Kel tech speed loader best 15$ you'll spend.

The PMR-30 22Mag is my go-to sidearm for patrolling the farm in my side by side carrying 30 rounds of fury from hell. It's loud as balls, finicky to load, but so much fun to shoot.

I am also a big fan of WMRF , & I think you have just bumped me off of the fence on this model , which I have been eyeballing for the longest time !!! I have a P32 in all black for my front pocket , but have been wanting more & from Kel-Tec !!! THNX for the really informative video !!!

I loaded up the magazines and leave them loaded. These magazines benefit greatly from being cleaned after a range day too. I highly recommend the MCARBO upgrades; all of them. All that said; it's a range toy. I would not carry a Keltec as a primary defensive weapon. I own three Keltecs and they are fun. Definitely worth owning. But they are not reliable enough for defensive carry in my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

ATM 22 magnum auto mag made in the late 80s now go for over a grand and not nearly reliable as this gun. My wife uses it as her EDC because it is light and easy to use.

Great review. I've owned one for over 2 years and is my every day carry 50% of the time. I'm not saying it's perfect for every situation but more than adequate for most of mine.

My Brother In Law has an early model and it was a hot mess, didn't matter what ammo or how carefully we loaded it. Then, for Christmas this year, I bought the $80 kit from M*Carbo and now it runs like a Scalded Dog! Trigger was always great. I must admit, when I was installing the Kit for it, it was VERY disconcerting 'unscrewing' the frame. Lol, he bought the Walther before I installed the kit and now, he's sorry he paid for the Walther before we upgraded. PMR-30, so much fun! Everyone should have one!

It’s 2025 and I’m here to review the S&W M&P .22Mag 30

Love mine, I carry it in my get home bag with 200 extra rounds.

I love my PMR 30! I have used multiple brands, types and ages of ammo without issues. I ordered a speed loader that makes such a difference in loading the mags, it is so worth it. I use and recommend a Maglula PMR30 & CMR30 speed loader, it the best!

I love mine. It's a fun gun to shoot. Lesson I learned: Like any gun it does have a break in period. I kept it mag load to 15 rounds the first couple hundred. The buffer is a pain in the backside to stay in place when reassembling it. A small dab of white grease to front side of the buffer will hold in place while reassembling. Yes, doesn't like anything under a 40 grain. CCI seem to work the best.

1. Look around on the range for the right side safety lever. 2. Buy spare firing pins, you'll probably break one about every 1k rounds. 3. 22LR and 22WMR ballistics on the boxes are for rifles. The speed of 22 mag out of the CMR 30 is about the same as a 22 mini mag out of a rifle (1425 fps according to my chrono. Still need to test Federal Punch) 4. Lula makes a loader specifically for the PMR/CMR 30 5. A popper target set for a 9mm will need two 22 mag hits to fall but you should be able to get 4 or more hits before gravity takes over. 6. Built in flash bang is a bonus feature.

I love mine. I replaced the polymer feed ramp and magazine release with the Mcarbo stainless steel ramp and enhanced mag release. Runs a lot better.

I have one & honestly love it. It's definitely a different looking pistol but it's truly a good gun. Due to its extremely low weight & high capacity, it's a great option for hiking, kayaking, riding ATV etc. .22 Mag is not the best self defense round but I believe there's several worse options. There's not many pistols out there that would give you an available 61 rounds from 2 mags. Even with the small caliber, That is a major advantage.

I love mine, I have shot over a thousand rounds easily without any issues... from Hornaday, CCI, Federal, and Aguila not one issue.... from 30-50 grain not one issue.. If you haven't shot one you need to feel the trigger and feel how well it fits in the hand with a low bore axis.. I have many other guns but this is by far one of if not my favorites hand guns.... anyone who has shot it has only loved it... great video thanks for sharing and pushing the norms of gun channels usual opinions!!!!

I've had my PMR for about 12 years. I need to at a minimum get the Mcarbo feed ramps, also have the CMR. At first the PMR ran great, then a ton of FTF in the first 10 rounds of the mag. The CMR runs much better. I used to have folks come over & ask what kind of 9 mm I was shooting, I would show them the .22 Mag, usually impressed by the fireball.

When I went to Army Basic training, the M-16 was still a controversy. Guys that had fathers that used the M-1 or M-14 had concerns about the puny .223 round. The senior instructor demonstrated the fact, that the size of the bullet means nothing. It is all about where you put the bullet that counts. He pointed out the greater accuracy because of less recoil, the ability to carry more ammo, because it is lighter, etc. This gun can not only drop a person with criminal intent, it will provide suppressive fire, when they try to reload their 9, 10, .45 etc. I am going to buy one.

A new Kel-Tec PMR -30 pistol comes from the manufacturer with the safety latch on both sides making it ambidextrous.

Great review! I own a PMR30 and a Walther WMP. The PMR30 has a better trigger, crazy to me how good it is for an inexpensive gun. Mine has been pretty reliable, especially with 45 gr Hornady Critical Defense, it likes heavier bullets. Loading the 30 rd magizines is....tedious, I pretty much never load them to 30. The accuracy is very good. The WMP will shoot a wider range of ammo without malfunctions, I have 30 gr TNT varmit loads I picked up cheap (under $10/box) and it functions flawlessly. Only 15 rd mags, but super easy to load the mags with the pull down tabs on the sides. Also very accurate, but heavier than the PMR, plus the WMP is truely optics ready. I like them both, I don't use either as a self defense gun (not that I wouldn't), and for a range gun I'll pick the WMP just because how easy and quick the mags reload.

AMT made a semi-auto pistol and 22 mag in the 1980s. Very nice pistol. But it was expensive. Another problem with the 22 mag is that the length of the cartridge made a Long forward to the back grip frame. It was easier to mold plastic small enough to make the grip frame small enough to function. I do remember when these firearms first came out, you almost had to load 25 rounds in it for the first few cycles of the magazine before you could eventually get 30 rounds in it and you have to make sure that the rounds are seated to the back of the magazine as you load them so you load a few and you smack it to make sure all the rounds are shifted to the back. Other than that I've heard that once they get settled in they are quite nice. The 22 mag carbine they make is pretty nice as well. It actually gets more the velocity out of it.

The heel mag release can be problematic if you're wearing an OWB holster and you sit in a vehicle. It is easy to bump that release as you sit, leaving the mag out of engagement. Always, always check for a solid mag seat when you exit the vehicle.

I have shot over a thousand rounds in my kel tec and it is the best. The trigger is awesome and if you have a maglua speed loader the mag is easy to load and it all but eliminates failure to function.

I have a PMR 30, it is fun. It's very ammo picky and the magazines don't last long. If the mags were better quality it would be more reliable and be a much better buy.

pretty nice gun, i think the most fun part is the muzzle flash pattern you can very easily see when firing

I got mine 3 years ago. Bought the upgrade from Mcarbo. I was fortunate to get the all black for $300. That was a deal I couldn’t refuse. Great practice gun.

I have watched numerous videos posted on u-tube about the PMR30 since I’ve considered purchasing one. When it first came out it seemed to have problems but as time has passed they seem to have been resolved. I have also noticed second reviews by individuals who gave it a bad review the first time giving it a good to excellent review the second time. Most of them were honest and said they didn’t read the owner’s manual and were using the wrong ammo and loading the magazines incorrectly. They stated if you use 40 or more grain ammo and load the magazines as instructed the pistol works flawlessly. I guess it those minor quirks are just too much for you to handle don’t buy a PMR30. I have also watched numerous reviews on the CMR30 and to this point not seen one malfunction at all. Everyone reviewing it has given it a great review. Since they both run off almost the identical platform, I think the PMR30 has proven its self. One other point. Most of the gun dealers I’ve asked say they both sell almost the minute they get them in. Someone out there must like them.

I have both the Kel-Tec PMR 30, and CMR 30, and I really like them both. Both work very well.

I'm still hoping for a TX22 magnum from Taurus 🙏

Sold mine, affectionately nicknamed "Jam Master J." Hope the newer ones are better. Would love to have another. They are a lot of fun when functioning properly.

Well I watched the review and I'm impressed. Matter fact I want to buy one. Good video very informative. I love the way you show us how to break it down.... Fantastic!

I bought a grendel p30 on my 21 birthday. It was essentially the same gun in the 90s . Same design and designer. Never could shoot a full 30 round mag without failure. Also grendel made a carbine version.

Mine has done fantastic. I only shoot 40 grain and can't think of an issue I had. The sucker is accurate too.

Love my PMR-30 and CMR-30. FYI I had a .22 Auto Mag in the mid 1980's (.22 mag version of the Automag), that was a jam-a-matic. Kel-Tec did this right.

That was a great review! I love the way you went into great detail and depth on its tear down, accuracy, weight, etc. I’ve been looking for a 22mag pistol and from your review, I think I might have found one to consider. Great job!

The Grendel P30 actually predates the PMR30 because guess what? George Kellgren designed that one, too before KelTec was created!

I have 2 of them and they are so much fun to shoot. They also are very accurate! However, you must use the 3 types of ammo they suggest in the manual! I had a problem with one of them and sent it back. Customer service was great. With over 4500 rounds through each of them, I suggest 3 things: 1- Get a Kel- tec speed loader! 2- Only load 25 rounds in your mags. 3- After 1500 rounds start using heavier grain ammo. I would Never use this gun for self defense because of reliability issues! So why buy it? They are so stinkin Fun! In my Opinion- get the P-17 in 22lr. no issues yet.

Kel-tec is highly underrated, and while people really criticize them for poor QC and wonky designs, I have to give them credit for basically pioneering 22 magnum semi auto firearms, and now big names are chasing their coat tails. Same with folding 9mm PCCs. I love them for at least innovating and making other companies to try to make something other than the same polymer striker fired 9mm compact or AR.

Using MCarbo upgrades really, really makes the pistol more reliable. If you get the Stainless feed ramp, improved spring and tighter tolerance magazine release, you’ll be able to mag dump with 90% of 22WMR ammo. It usually only likes a few brands, CCI being the most reliable one.

I have one, love it. Not the most reliable out of the box, can be fixed. Tons of fun to shoot.

AMT II is a .22 mag. I have a PMR-30 and CMR-30. The Hornady Critical Defense 45 gr hp works flawlessly.

The best review for this pistol I've seen so far. Makes me want one.

Have one, love it. Light, Accurate, next to no recoil. What's not to love!

Gotta love these kel tec space age designs. Looks like something that should shoot lasers. I owned one and my only gripes with it were that the back sights fell out and sometimes this gun would spit hot powder or metal back at the shooter. Thing definitely makes a fireball. Other than that, once the guns break in after a couple hundred rounds they worked flawlessly in my experience. 22wmr has some power behind it, and with 30 of them in a small light package, you could do worse.

Goodness gracious, great balls of fire! I would love to have one just for low light fireball fun.

I had the pistol and the matching rifle and the 22cal version, no miss fires in 3 years and a ton of rounds.

I love mine!!! Newer manufacturing date of 2021. Runs like a clock. Mine are bone stock and runmperfect. About 450 round through it. First two mags had about 4 problem rounds, but it was brand new. Do NOT over lubricate! Too much lube on any slide can cause drag. That's my advice.

I've had one for years as long as you shoot CCI I've never had a jam. I've also carried it in a iwb holster. It's so light weight that it Caries great despite the size

If you get the Mcarbo stainlessness feed ramp and mag retaining clip it will run the lighter ammo without issue in my experience. I've had no jams since installing it and I've put at least a 1000 rounds through it since the install.

I like my pmr 30 now when I first got it it was a jamming machine couldn’t go through a whole mag with out a jam. I got a maglula loader and polished the feeder ramp because there was an injection nipple on it. Now after those little tweaks it is an awesome pistol.

Since I live in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Massachusetts our fashionable lesbian governor has dictated that the peasants shall not have guns that hold more than 10 rounds in a magazine. 30 would cause the world to stop turning and everyone burst into flames. Interesting firearm for the people who are fortunate enough to live in a free state.

Wow! It's an active day today 2 shorts and 1 video

Dang man you always provide a thorough review. I own one that's the second addition. You know about the misfires. I agree with the 40 gr. Cci. But bottom line with any semi auto that you want to rapid fire is no different than a machine gun. Is oil it till it quits dripping and do it again. That's how I survived with the M 60. All my semi auto fire arms are oiled or lubed till they stop dripping and don't let me ever see WD40 around my machinery.

Buying one of these Friday! Can't wait!

That gun, has been on My wish-list, for over 10 years. But I’m quite shure, it’s not possible to get the permit You’ll need, to buy it in Norway.😔 Anyway: Thank You for the video, sir. Informative, and entertaining, as usual. Thumbs up!😀👍

I really like mine. Ive had about 300 rounds through it, with one fail to eject. Be mindful of the heel mag release. I've had the mag pop out unintentionally a couple of times, when it gets inadvertently bumped on something.

I have owned mine for about a year now. I love shooting it. Using the CCI 40gr ammo, I have not had any failures. Your handgun is missing the manual safety from the right sight. I have the switch on both sides. The fireball, fiber optic sights and the lightweight are all what attracted me to buy this handgun, the 30 rd capacity didn't hurt either. 😁

This is my next gun purchase! I love 22wmr but only have revolvers. The 30 round capacity really intrigues me. Seems like a solid auto magnum