Countless new firearm models were announced at SHOT Show 2025, but, with no disrespect to any gun manufacturers intended, most are variations of designs that have been around for a long time and are usually reactions to trends rather than attempts to set their own. However, there was also no shortage of innovation and out-side-the-box thinking in evidence on the showroom floor—if you know where to look for it. Here are a half dozen of the more eccentric products that American Rifleman’s staff found in Las Vegas this week:
KelTec PR57
Several new pistols have joined the growing 5.7x28 mm FN party in recent years, and the PR57 from KelTec is not only likely the most easily carried of all, standing just 7.16” long and weighing only 13.86 ozs., but also unquestionably the least conventional in design. Taking its cues from the ‘90s—the 1890s—the new PR57 has no detachable box magazine, with rounds instead being loaded into the gun, either singly by hand or with the help of an included stripper clip, solely through the slide’s elongated ejection port and into its blind internal magazine. Yes, you read that correctly. Also uncommon in this day and age, this hammer-fired semi-automatic operates via a rotary-barrel mechanism with locking lugs near the muzzle. However, in a nod to modernity, the PR57’s rounded receiver is drilled and tapped for the installation of a micro red-dot. MSRP: $399. keltecweapons.com
KGM Technologies FDP Suppressor
Designed by Fischer Development, a German silencer company, and brought to the domestic market thanks to a partnership with the American firm of KGM Technologies, the FDP is an innovative model-specific suppressor design that—in a complete departure from convention—does not require that the host gun possesses a threaded barrel. Instead, the FDP mounts via a patented method directly to the pistol’s dustcover accessory rail—with no permanent modifications to the firearm needed. At launch, five SKUs are being offered, but the modular design of the mounting interface allows the can to be used with multiple hosts through the use of extra adapters: Glock 17 Gen5; Glock 17 Gen3/4; Glock 19 Gen5/19X/45; Glock 19 Gen3/4; and Heckler & Koch VP9. Thanks to its unorthodox design, the FDP Suppressor is quick to attach/detach, can be disassembled for maintenance and does not require a booster for reliable semi-automatic use. MSRP: $750, $165 for each additional adapter. fd-suppressors.com
Kriss Vector Gen 3
The third generation of Kriss’ curiously shaped Vector is now available, with carbine (CRB), large-format pistol (SDP) and short-barreled rifle (SBR) versions all being offered chambered in a trio of pistol cartridges—9 mm Luger, 10 mm Auto and .45 ACP. The platform’s distinctive, recoil-cutting Super-V delayed-blowback operating system is still present, and all of the controls are also still in the same places, although Kriss has tweaked most of them in some way. The magazine release is now reversible, the bolt lock has been recontoured for easier activation and the left-side non-reciprocating charging handle has been shortened. Gen 3 updates include a folding, collapsible stock, an improved trigger with far less take-up, integral M-Lok slots on the handguard for accessories and that the firearm’s pistol grip is now removable and compatible with AR-platform replacements. MSRP: $1,749 (CRB), $1,499 (SDP), $1,699 (SBR). kriss-usa.com
Magpul/Zev Technologies FDP
It’s been several years in the making, but it seems like the shapeshifting FDP is finally ready for market. The result of a joint effort between Magpul and Zev Technologies, the 9 mm Luger-chambered FDP (available in both a stockless pistol variant and a stocked SBR version) folds into an innocuous and easily totable rectangular shape that is small (10.75” long) and light (3 lbs., 4 ozs.) enough to stow easily within most backpacks. Yet, with the press of a button, it deploys into a pistol-gripped, 20.13” firearm that can be brought to bear against a threat within seconds. Both models feature Picatinny rail segments for accessories and a carry handle with integral iron sights, however, this can be removed in favor of mounting an optic. The FDP feeds from Glock-pattern magazines, and a pair of Magpul 17-round PMAGs come with each gun. MSRP: $1,699. zevtechnologies.com
Taurus 22 TUC
Looking a bit like Taurus’ old PT-22 mated with a multi-blade razor, the company’s new 22 TUC is one of a very few tilt-barrel pistol designs to come out in a good while. Great for shooters with limited hand strength, who may struggle to rack a semi-automatic’s slide, a round can be loaded directly into the 22 TUC’s tip-up barrel—allowing the manual operation of the slide to be circumvented entirely—and giving the gun a topped-off capacity of 10 rounds. The tiny .22 Long Rifle pistol measures just 5” long and 4.35” tall and weighs a scant 10 ozs. thanks to its polymer frame, yet, unlike most pistols in this size range, the 22 TUC’s sights, consisting of an orange dot up front and a U-notch rear, are prominent and easy to acquire. The pistol forgoes the manual safety of its predecessor, but the rest of its controls remain unmoved. MSRP: $334 (black), $349 (stainless). taurususa.com
Traditions NitroBolt
A collaboration between Traditions Performance Firearms and Federal Premium Ammunition back in 2021 led to the creation of the FireStick—a pre-charged, breech-loaded, sealed capsule containing Hodgdon’s Triple Eight blackpowder substitute—and the NitroFire break-action muzzleloader that fires it, respectively. Together, by greatly simplifying, speeding up and making the loading process safer and more consistent, this pairing really pushed the boundaries of what a muzzleloader can be. Well, for 2025, Traditions has introduced the NitroBolt, the first bolt-action platform compatible with the FireStick ignition system. The .50-cal. NitroBolt employs a 24”, free-floating, chromoly-steel barrel that is both fluted to shave weight and threaded for the optional addition of a muzzle brake. Other features include a pillar-bedded stock that is adjustable for both comb height and length of pull, a patented extractor designed specifically for use with FireStick capsules, a three-position safety and a bolt handle threaded 5/16x24 TPI for potential customization. MSRP: $995. traditionsfirearms.com
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