I picked up the second of the three Kel Tec firearms on my long-term list - an RDB Survival.
(The first was a KS7, and I have a thread in the Shotguns forum which I will keep updating as I find opportunities to get it out. TL;DR - I'm very happy with it so far.)
The AR-15.... I don't like them much. The ergonomics just don't quite work for me and I don't find them to be particularly good looking. Having had the opportunity to shoot several examples in the past, I have no interest in adding one to my collection.
That said, I absolutely see the appeal of the 5.56/.223 cartridges. Cheap and widely available round options and widespread reliable cheap magazine availability, along with filling a ballistic gap relative to the rest of what I own, makes it something that I have wanted to find a firearm for for quite a long time.
After seeing the initial coverage of the RDB Survival from SHOT shows the last few years I figured it might be a good option. The very small (but still legal as a non-NFA rifle) size, light weight, traditional-ish stock profile, and compatibility with standard AR-15 mags grabbed my attention. The feature list fills out with being completely ambi, simple to disassemble with no tools, and having regular threads on the barrel.
Three years later I finally found one available at the same time I had money allocated for another gun.
I picked up an OpticsPlanet semi-custom Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6 scope several years ago on special that didn't have a home yet, so that's on it for now and seems to be a perfect fit. It does bring the overall empty weight up to just over 7 lbs, but is still compact and extremely handy.
OK, so here's the deal: I love this little rifle. With the Vortex mounted it balances on my first knuckle right where it falls naturally on the grip at the trigger, and feels like an extension of my arm. It points a bit weirdly at first, but once I got used to the relatively rearward balance that went away. The controls are right where they need to be and work as expected, though since it's a bullpup obviously there's some habit to build.
After ~260 rounds (about half Norma 55grn and half Hornady 55 grn) at 25 yards, I'm satisfied with the accuracy. Once I got used to how it handles and got semi-serious for groups after sighting in and getting the gas adjusted I was getting 5 rounds in about a third of an inch. While I wasn't too careful about letting it cool between groups, for a pencil barrel I'm happy - this obviously isn't designed to be a precision instrument after all.
I am working through an issue with light primer strikes. Thus far, 11 rounds haven't ignited between the two brands' boxes. I'm not sure yet if it needs more break in time or if it's an issue getting fully into battery, a gas issue, or something actually related to the firing pin. We'll see. I haven't cleaned it at all yet, and the issues started after adjusting the gas; I went all the way closed and opened it up until single shots locked the bolt back. It's certainly possible it needs more gas to fully cycle back into battery which is my suspicion since the rounds weren't captured by the extractor when I opened the bolt and they dropped down through the magazine well instead of the ejection port further back.
I'll keep this thread updated as time goes on and I can get out more this summer and fall.
Happy to answer any questions. Thanks for reading.