KelTec RFB .308 Bullpup Review

Just over twenty years ago the active shooter response movement crossed our nation. It was a necessary response to an unfortunate list of incidents but a side effect was that law enforcement agencies, even in anti-gun regions/areas, saw the need for patrol rifles. While many agencies (or more specifically, the political bodies controlling the agencies) resisted getting rifles by compromising on pistol-caliber carbines or purchasing pump-action rifles (in .308), plenty of agencies simply did some studying and adopted semi-automatic rifles in .223/5.56mm or .308. As in all urban conflict situations, the length of a rifle plays a role in how maneuverable it is in confined spaces. The average doorway is about 30”-36” wide and if your rifle is anywhere from 33” to 46” (some of the larger .308 semi-autos), that can cause some challenges under stress. Additionally, if you have a “standard” semi-automatic rifle, the ejected brass usually spits out the right side and the controls are designed for right-handed shooters. This makes sense given that about 92% of the population is right-handed. But what if you’re a lefty? Worse, what if your rifle was “built on the cheap” and doesn’t have a brass deflector so the ejected brass sometimes hits you in the cheek or bounces off your ear? It's a tad hot coming out of that chamber and moving quick enough to leave lacerations.

Enter the bullpup configuration semi-automatic rifle, or more specifically, the KelTec Weapons Model RFB chambered in .308. RFB stands for Rifle Forward-ejecting Bullpup. Yes, that says “forward-ejecting.” Part of the challenge of making any rifle entirely ambidextrous (which the RFB is and we’ll take a closer look at that in a moment) is controlling the spent brass ejection so it works with shooters of either dominant hand. The RFB’s proprietary bolt design holds dual extractors that simultaneously extract empty brass and send it down the ejection chute as the bolt reciprocates. The ejection chute dumps the spent brass out the front of the weapon at the front of the fore end. I have heard one argument against this and it had to do with “slippery spent brass on a school hallway floor.” My answer is that while that is a minute possibility, it seems the least of your concerns amidst an active shooter event where there could be plenty of objects and materials making that floor slippery. (NOTE: During testing we experienced one failure to eject that was immediately resolved by cycling the bolt.)

The published specifications say that the rifle weighs 8.7 pounds unloaded. While many will balk at that weight in a patrol rifle, let’s remember that it’s primary purpose is combat. If you’re carrying this rifle, you’re doing so in response to someone who is hunting innocents and killing for sport. Your duty is to move to the sound of shots and neutralize the bad guy(s). This rifle is ideally suited for that and eight pounds isn’t a big deal. It’s designed to feed ammo from the FN/FAL metric pattern 20-round magazines, has an 18.5” barrel length and a 5 pound trigger.

The primary controls, as mentioned, are 100% ambidextrous. In the photos you can easily see the Fire/Safe selector lever. The “F” for Fire is bright red on both sides of the weapon. The “S” for Safe is white. Take a look and you’ll see the small paddle magazine release at the back of the magazine well, easily reached by either hand.

On top of the receiver is roughly a foot of picatinny rail for mounting sights and optics. For our testing purposes we mounted a MeproLight Pro V2 optic, gathered up an assortment of available .308 ammo from Federal, Winchester and Hornady and headed for the range. After the few minutes spent stuffing magazines and zeroing the optic, we began engaging our targets from distances as close at 15 yards and as far away as 50 yards. (Our longer range wasn’t available that day unfortunately.)

The RFB proved easy to manipulate and shoot. Recoil was as expected for a .308 rifle but felt different from the typical AR style rifles we’d previously experienced. The weight and balance were definitely different but we adapted to that weight and the balance proved to make the weapon easier to manage in quick-fire shot groups.

For accuracy testing we used Federal 168g ammo and the three-shot groups are measured under ¾”. Sub-MOA accuracy in a semi-auto rifle with an 18.5” barrel is more than acceptable given the intended purpose of the weapon. For those of you who might be interested, the RFB is also available in a Hunter version (RFB Hunter) with a 24” barrel. The Hunter has an overall length of 32.5” making it comparable to a standard AR style rifle with a 16” barrel. Weighing in at just about nine pounds and using the same magazines as the RFB, the Hunter is an excellent choice for those who are purchasing a single rifle to use both for hunting game and neutralizing bad guys.

The overall length (RFB) with a standard butt pad is just over 28”. (NOTE: in some states the minimum acceptable rifle length is 29” overall, with exceptions made for law enforcement. This is primarily a concern for agencies that authorize personal patrol rifle programs allowing personal purchase. Know the laws of your state before you retain any weapon after your career or if the program is terminated.)

Our test rifle was provided with one magazine and we assume that’s standard. The FN/FAL pattern magazines are available in most gun shops and the cost isn’t prohibitive. The MSRP on this rifle is $1800 but you can find them for less than that and KelTec offers law enforcement pricing through their HALO (Honoring Armed forces, Law enforcement, and Other first responders) program. (For more information on the HALO program or to find a participating dealer/outlet near you, go to https://www.keltecweapons.com/halo/)

All in all the RFB proved a good performer and a good choice as a patrol rifle if you’re seeking a .308 caliber weapon. If you’re looking for something to chamber .223 instead, check out the KelTec Weapons SU16 or RDB (Rifle Downward-ejecting Bullpup). The RDB is available in four different configurations: The RDB17 (17” barrel), the RDB Defender (16” barrel), the RDB Hunter (20.5” barrel) and the RDB Survival (with a 16.1” barrel but different stock design features). If you haven’t experienced a bullpup rifle, we’d recommend you go give one a try. It’s a different shooting experience as compared to the standard AR-style or other contemporary semi-autos.