Suppressors have certainly become more common in recent years. They’re now a popular add on for everything from handguns to hunting rifles. Integrally suppressed firearms are still relatively rare though, and have something of an exotic, spy craft allure. An integrally suppressed firearm that folds in half sounds like something that Q Branch would issue to a 00 agent. Yet that’s exactly what the KelTec SUB CQB is, and you don’t need to be a spy to get one.
The KelTec SUB CQB
I didn’t pick up a CQB myself, but a buddy of mine did, and I had a chance to work with it on a couple range sessions. He tracked one down on Gunbroker, and brought it in through our local SOT dealer, CDS Arms. The gun came in a nice hard case, and shipped with two, 15-round Magpul magazines.
KelTec’s CQB builds on the successful SUB-2000 platform. It’s chambered in 9mm and feeds from Glock 19 or larger magazines. Like the other SUB’s, it folds in half for compact storage. In fact, the rear half of the gun is pretty standard SUB-2000 Gen II fare. It’s the front half of the CQB where things get interesting.
It’s immediately obvious when you look at the CQB that this isn’t your regular SUB-2000. It looks like it has a fat, oversized handguard and lacks sights. In fact, the front half of the CQB is all integral suppressor. The rifled portion of the barrel is just 4.25 inches with the remainder of its 16 inches of length being ported to work in conjunction with the baffled suppressor that rides over the barrel.
Since the barrel is actually 16 inches, even though most of it is baffled, that keeps the CQB from being categorized as a Short Barrel Rifle (SBR). That means that you only need to worry about one tax stamp for the suppressor. Most other 9mm platforms this long are going to involve an SBR of some sort with a separate suppressor screwed on. That means that you need two tax stamps, one for the SBR and one for the suppressor, and are paying twice as much.
Aside from saving you on an extra stamp, using the whole 14 of the 16 inches of barrel as the core of the suppressor, you end up with a very efficient silencer. The whole unit is made in house at KelTec and is user serviceable.
Optics Mounting
By now most of you are probably familiar with the Gen 3 SUB-2000. It has the twist feature that allows you to rotate your optic out of the way when you fold the gun. That system actually showed up first in the CQB, and it works pretty much the same way. Pull down on the trigger guard to unlock the gun, and turn the foreend as you fold it to move the optic out of the way. Reverse the process when you open the gun up to the shooting configuration.
Operation
The CQB operates just like a regular SUB-2000. The charging handle is located at the bottom of the receiver tube, behind the pistol grip. Like other SUB-2000’s I’ve used, the spring is pretty stout since this is a blow-back system. A cross bolt safety is located above the grip and you push right to fire. It’s not as ergonomic as an AR-style rotating safety, but its simple and it works. The magazine release is located at the rear bae of the trigger guard, like most semi-automatic pistols these days. That’s pretty much it for the controls.
Length of pull can be adjusted by removing a pin in the butt of the rifle and sliding the butt plate to the rear to increase length of pull. It comes in the fully collapsed, shortest position.
SUB CQB Set Up
My buddy wanted an optic with a big sight window, and ended up getting a Holosun 510c. There were no issues with sight in, or when folding the weapon. The only thing we found was, that with an optic mounted, the CQB would no longer fit in the hard case that the gun shipped in. This is a shame, because it’s a nice case. My buddy ended up using a padded pilot’s helmet bag for his CQB, which worked out pretty well. It could carry the gun and some accessories, and made for a good range bag.
Range Time
We sighted in the CQB with Ammo Inc. 165-grain stelTH loads, which is what my buddy intended as using as his primary load. Rarely have a heard a suppressor that was really “movie quiet,” but the CQB with that load may in fact be that quiet. Its report is a dull “whoomp” that pleasantly surprised us. The CQB performed similarly with the Wilson 135-grain and 147-grain loads.
After sight in, we proceeded to accuracy test the CQB with a variety of sub and supersonic loads. We shot at 25 yards from the bench. Being that the barrel is only 4.25 inches, and that it’s billed as a CQB platform, we figured that was appropriate. We did shoot out to 50 yards later, however.
Reliability with the CQB was excellent regardless of bullet profile or weight. We had no issues over two range sessions and few hundred rounds fired. We used a mix of Glock factory, Magpul, and even Bosnian magazines.
Accuracy wise the CQB seemed to prefer heavier bullets; which is fine considering its dedicated, suppressed nature. As you’d expect, the slower, heavier bullets provided the quietest report. Supersonic 115- and 125-grain loads were still hearing safe, but had a sharper report than the heavy, slow loads. Regardless of loads, it was substantially quieter than my CZ Scorpion SBR with Huntertown Arms suppressor on it.
At 25 yards, the sound of the rounds hitting the backstop nearly overwhelmed the report of the weapon itself. We moved to 50 yards to see if opening up the distance helped. At 50 there was just enough of a delay between firing and impact to separate the two. The sound of the spring cycling in the receiver tube became obvious at this point.
Practical Usage
The CQB proved reliable, quiet, and decently accurate. Not being in the espionage field though, you may ask what it’s good for. Well, first off, it’s a lot of fun, and it turns some heads at the range. We met a guy in his early 20’s at the range and his cousin, who was visiting from Austria, and let them take some shots with the CQB. It was fun seeing the grins on their faces after shooting and realizing they could do it without earplugs. It’s a unique gun, and it’s not likely they’ll have a chance to shoot anything similar very often.
Aside from the novelty of the design, it would actually make a great house gun too, which KelTec talks about. It’s short and handy, and definitely was reliable and accurate enough for that task. The big Holosun makes it easy to get on target fast, and lets you navigate the house with both eyes open and alert for threats. A light can be mounted as well to finish off the kit. Pairing it up with extended mags from Glock or Magpul and you have a pretty serious package.
MSRP on the Keltec CQB is $950. Considering that you’re getting the base carbine platform and an extremely quiet suppressor, that’s a pretty reasonable price. That’s even without factoring in that it’s only a single tax stamp and not two as well. My buddy tracked his down, new in box off of Gunbroker, and even saved a fair bit over the MSRP, so they are out there.
If you want a super quiet, integrally suppressed 9mm carbine then the CQB is one of the few that fits that bill. It’s likely the most affordable of its type by a good margin too. Whether it’s for home defense, some range fun, or just to scratch that “I should have been a spy” itch, it’s worth giving the CQB a look.
For more info, visit keltecweapons.com.
SUB CQB Specifications:
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Weight: 5.15 pounds
- Capacity: Varies by magazine
- Overall Length: 30.5 inches
- Length Collapsed: 29.25 inches
- Length Folded: 16.25 inches
- Barrel Length: OAL 16.2 inches, Rifled 4.25 inches
- Twist: 1:10
- Trigger Pull: 9.5 pounds
- MSRP: $950
Accuracy Results:
- Ammo Inc. Stelth 9mm 165-grain FMJ: 3/4 inch
- Freedom Munitions 9mm 124-grain HP: 5/8 inch
- Freedom Munitions 9mm 115-grain RN: 1 3/8 inches
- Lehigh 9mm 115-grain XP: 2.5 inches
- Remington 9mm 115-grain FMJ: 1 ¾ inches
- Wilson 9mm 135-grain HBFN: 1 inch
- Wilson 9mm 125-grain HAP Signature Match: 1.5 inches
- Wilson 9mm 147-grain RN: 7/8 inch
- All groups shot at 25 yards from the bench. Best 5 round group of three groups fired.
