KAK Industry K15 AR-15 Pistol Pros & Cons
Pros
- Concealable
- Accurate
- Lightweight
Cons
- Bad extractor
- Loud
The Bottom Line
After bypassing a faulty extractor in our test, this little AR pistol proved accurate and reliable.
KAK Industry K15 Pistol Specs & Features
Specs
Features
The AR pistol has been around a while now and most folks understand there is a trade-off between concealability and velocity. KAK Industry recently released a 4.75-inch barreled model that had me scratching my head.
I could see the attraction of an AR pistol you could tuck into a map pocket in your car, but it brought up more questions in my mind.
Would it be reliable? Would it be accurate? How much velocity would I lose in such a diminutive shooter? Absolutely needing to satisfy that curiosity, we got one in for testing.
We’ll share what we learned with you below, so read on to learn about the K15’s specs, features, and, most importantly, how it did at the range.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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How We Tested KAK Industry K15 Pistol
For this review, we tested the KAK Industry AR-15 Pistol with an AT3 Tactical Alpha Red Dot, shooting 3-round groups at 25 yards, 10-round groups at 7 yards, and a 10-round group at 100 yards.
We used 500 rounds of ammunition, both practice ammo in the form of AAC 55gr FMJ and Speer Gold Dot 55gr defensive.
At the helm was Sean Curtis, who has been shooting since childhood but really began to delve into guns more during his law enforcement career of over two decades. He received continued training for his roles in SWAT and was a POST-certified handgun instructor.
Background
AR pistols have been around for several years now in various configurations. Their lengths varied but generally ranged in the 9-12 inch barrel category.
This is largely because the effectiveness of the relatively small 5.56 round is powered by velocity. Some folks wanted more maneuverability and concealability, so they traded some velocity for a smaller package.
KAK recently stepped up and said, “Hold my beer,” before releasing their 4.75-inch barreled AR pistol.
Who Is It For?
An AR pistol of this size is potentially an upgrade in firepower over pistol calibers. Its smaller footprint makes it much easier to stash in a backpack, behind a car seat, or anywhere in your home.
It could be used for personal defense and defense of the home. It’s small size lends it to stashing in convenient places.
Ergonomics: Fit & Feel
The K15 has a standard AR finish, though it features a forged upper and billet lower with hard coat anodizing. The overall fitment is good, with nothing wiggling or rattling under a vigorous shake.
This pistol comes equipped with a standard A2-style grip and a removable trigger guard. KAK Industry saw fit to keep things tight with a 4.5-inch buffer tube sticking out the back.
There is no butt stock nor brace to consider on this pistol. Moving forward, you also don’t have much room on the forend. At roughly 4 inches long, there’s only room for two M-LOK slots.
While these are located at 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00, respectively, only the ones closest to the muzzle are useable. The set nearest the receiver is blocked by hardware for the barrel nut.
The real story here is that you would be hard-pressed to mount up any accessories and still get a grip on the rail. There just isn’t a lot of room.
With my large hands, I barely had enough space to get my whole hand on the forend. At one point, I even felt the dust cover pop open and hit my hand while the A2 birdcage roared away up front.
The upper Picatinny rail covers the top of the upper, but there are only 10 inches to work with. It’s ample for the application and allowed me to mount an AT3 Tactical Alpha Red Dot for the test.
I used a variety of magazines for the test, including Magpul, Colt, and KCI. All loaded securely, fed, locked back on the last round, and dropped when called upon to do so.
Controls
The controls are very familiar as standard AR-15. Fire control is left side only as is the bolt catch/release.
Magazine release is on the right side as you’d expect. Everything is pretty standard mil-spec though the charging handle features an enlarged left-side latch.
The trigger felt decidedly mil-spec, though perhaps lighter on the pull, averaging 3 lbs. 3.7 oz. on a Lyman Digital gauge. I noticed a tiny bit of creep before a solid break, though reset was immediate, very tactile, and very audible.
How Does the KAK Industry AR Pistol Shoot?
The manual of arms is different from the buffer tube only AR pistol and this leads to some loss of control on recoil. Even though the recoil is light, you just can’t snug it down like you can with the traditional four points of contact you enjoy with a rifle.
This creates a bit of a paradoxical wiggle when you shoot. The faster you shoot, the more pronounced. Follow up sight picture becomes the focus.
To test accuracy, we set up and zeroed with the Alpha Red Dot at 25 yards using a table and Ultimate Gun Vise from CTK Precision. I was encouraged by the averaged 1-inch groups we achieved using both Speer’s Gold Dot and AAC’s ammo.
Pushing out to 100 yards, I dialed down the brightness of the dot, centered it on the middle of the target, and sent ten downrange. Although some of my hits were off the printed target, I was surprised to see approximately 5-6 MOA from such a small barrel.
To further test normal pistol procedures, we lined up on the 7-yard line and fired 10 shots unsupported. Shooting at a medium pace, my shots were spread out around 3 inches.
While I was impressed with the accuracy, I realized the other part of the story would be the loss of velocity from the short barrel. We used a Garmin Xero C1 and shot several groups to average results.
In addition, we utilized a FoldAR rifle for a comparative base. Velocities for the 4.75-inch K15 averaged 1,700 FPS, while the FoldAR averaged 3,000 FPS.
Regarding reliability, it was a little dicey until we figured out what was going on. The pistol experienced a few failures to eject, which eventually led to a double feed.
After a few malfunctions, it became clear that the extractor on the bolt carrier group was bad, so we replaced it with another BCG. The pistol ran great after that.
Considering the short size of the barrel, buffer tube, and micro-length gas system, it’s pretty impressive that the KAK Industry AR Pistol runs so well.
Another noteworthy observation was the sound. The little gun is loud; anyone off to the side will feel the muzzle blast, thanks to the A2 birdcage. Additionally, you do get a tiny bit of gas to the face from the end of the buffer tube.
5.56 and .223 Ammo in Stock
Why is the KAK Industry K15 Unique?
There are not many manufacturers making AR pistols with barrels this small. This application is an upgrade from pistol calibers with a package that is still somewhat concealable.
Compared with the FoldAR, it does not have the same accuracy or velocity. However, it doesn’t require assembly and is much more affordable.
By the Numbers
Accuracy
4/5
There is a myth out there that short barrels aren’t accurate. This pistol makes me wonder what it could do with a magnified optic.
Reliability
2.5/5
To be fair, the KAK Industry ran great once we diagnosed the bad extractor, but we had several failures to eject before that.
Customization
4/5
You can definitely customize this AR pistol pretty easily, but the MLOK up front is probably window-dressing.
Ergonomics
3/5
These are pretty standard AR ergonomics though the forend is crowded for big hands.
Value
4/5
Current pricing sits at $673.95, and that’s a decent value for such a small AR pistol.
Overall
3.5/5
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Upgrades For KAK Industry 4.75" K15
Final Verdict
Considering this is a fairly specific use firearm, I was impressed with how it performed. Granted, there were issues at first, but once the bad extractor was diagnosed and replaced, it ran reliably.
The K15 is compact and accurate, doesn’t need to be assembled before use, and is comparatively affordable. If you want a very short AR pistol that is bang-ready in a bag, KAK Industry has a great option for you.
Just make sure your fingers are all the way on that rail!
Will you be picking up a KAK Industry K15 for your defensive needs? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to check out the Best AR-15 Pistols of 2024 [Complete & Build List] for even more options!
25 Leave a Reply
353 ft./lbs. at the muzzle is not very impressive.
Would like to see this compared head to head with the Kel-tec P50.
Print Shoot Repeat (PSR) has a really good short barrel AR video (used to be a heavy rep/sponsored by KAK)
While I have more than a couple AR's, I do not have one in a pistol configuration. I am thinking this might need a binary trigger to make it the complete package. Why not?
Sure Ron,
I was slow to take up the AR pistol but grew to enjoy it with time. If you didn't stop at "why not?" with a 4.75" barrel, you might as well add a binary trigger.
These look like fun and I do like KAK. I just bought two of their 17-5.56's and it looks like my buddies will buy a few more. KAK makes quality arms, that work reliably. As to the debate on why not 9mm or others; why not all of them.? I have two SLR .308 pistols (5" I think), a pair of .556 pistols in ODG, a pair of 9mm and another 10.5" KAK .308 waiting for Cerakote. I'll get a pair of the KAK 4.75" barrels to replace the current 5.56's pistol barrels for KAK's reliability. And try their 17-5.56; at 4400 fps it is dead accurate, relatively quiet and has a tame recoil.
Mike I'm trying to imagine what a 5" .308 sounds like, bet it's spicy! Yeah I really feel like the extractor issue was probably a fluke. The gun ran great after we got past that.
Well, I intentionally put an inexpensive Muzzle Brake on all the pistols, which redirects the un-burned powder blast to the sides. All my fellow shooters report that the .308 short barrel is Hot and Loud. I got them after a discussion about the Obrez (?); a Ngant 7.62x54 with the barrel cut off at 5" or so. And seriously, I use more and more KAK parts simply because they work.
I like my AR Pistol- lot of fun to expirement with. I have a Dark Storm Industries fixed mag DS15 pistol, love it. Why fixed mag? Because New Jersey. I have several Wylde pistol uppers, BRN180, FM, SLR, and the Dead Foot Arms short buffer set up. I do not use a brace.
In order of reliability and utility and with Winchester White Box 223 WWB as the standard for reliable ammo and at least 200 rounds down range- not examining accuracy results as follows
OEM DSI setup is 100% with Bear Flag loader using any ammo including steel case and other similar cheap junk- also 100% top load
DSI Upper & Lower with DFA shorty short buffer almost 100% with variety of ammo, 100% with WWB or equal or better using BF Loader loads 10 rounds. Ditto top load.
Fox Trot Mike Pistol bufferless Upper, loads 8 rounds with BFL, 100% with WWB, top loads 10 rounds and 100% with WWB or better
BRN180 pistol bufferless upper, BFL nfg, topload is PITA, shoots anything 100% loading sucks though also longest barrel pistol upper
SLR Upper and OEM DSI buffer, BFL loads 8 rounds, 100% reliable with WWB or better, top loads 10 rounds & 100% with WWB
SLR Upper and DFA buffer using BFL 100% loading 8 rounds WWB or better, cannot top load.
Just ordered up the KAK pistol upper- will try with OEM DSI buffer and also DFA shorty buffer Future plans for shortest PSA pistol upper when on screaming deal sale with both buffers.
Also want to try out compmag fixed mag because New Jersey.
No brace- just buffer or nothing.....
Eventualy i will check out accuracy
Quick story- was testing out the SLR upper and OEM DSI buffer set up- by myself five port indoor range. Taking my time. Was probably clearing a steel case double feed. Anyhow-
Throuple comes in w/ ears on top of head etc - they ask me if i can please hold up while they get situated. I say no problem.
They get set up two ports over - nice looking AR10. I clear my problem and load up 8 rounds WWB... the leader of the throuple sends 10 rounds down range - then i send one down with the SLR which has a linear comp. Probably twice as loud as the AR10 and sends out a pressure wave to boot.
Anyhow all three if them were like WTF what kind of bazooka is that thing.....
I told them AR pistol- DSI fixed mag lower- SLR upper- DFA buffer- they were like WTF ur nuts.
No one wanted to try it..
I think the AR pistols are lots of fun.
I will keep messing with them.
John, thanks for sharing, that's a great story! I'm really intrigued with this size of build and its potential. Some of the results from this test surprised us. With any luck, we'll delve into terminal velocity testing to answer the questions about a 55gr pill moving at 1,700 FPS.
Y’all should post more info like what the velocity was and how it performed at the peak of its effective range.
Thanks John,
Velocities are in the video at the top of the page. The article supports the video and vice versa. We strive to make sure we provide as much info as possible between the two.
I question choosing this over one in 9mm….
Or even a 300blk. 4 more inches for max velocity out of 300blk. Or, like you said, just stick with 9mm or even 45.
Sure Lance,
I get it. Even at 1,700-1,800 FPS the 55gr 5.56 is moving quite a bit faster than a 9mm pistol. Terminal performance would be the question.
Not for me. Based on the velocity, the muzzle energy is comparable to a standard 9mm load, but would make a much smaller hole, and likely cause significantly less damage.
I’ll save my 223/5.56 ammo for it’s most effective weapons.
I have 30 rd mags for my Sig and my Glock, both of which are smaller packages.
I love short AR’s. I have a 7.5” that BA sent me several years ago to test for accuracy and reliability. At 100m I’m hitting about moa, and with 77gr bthp I’ll occasionally dip below that 1 moa space. Using an old fashioned three prong, I have heavily mitigated flash…but obviously still loud. Simply because of the mechanism of recoil and bolt cycling, this weapon needs to be shoulder fired. I use an a5 buffer setup which helps slightly mitigating recoil, and provides for a more steady impulse. For over a decade I was convinced 10.3 is the absolute shortest length for an AR, but BA convinced me otherwise. I can easily make hits on full size targets at 300m, while I don’t think the effective range is beyond 120-150 due to velocity loss, this fills a similar utility as an mp5 style weapon, but with higher accuracy and better penetration. With those aac 77gr, I am seeing full expansion at 100m in ballistic gel, with wide wound channels and 8-10” of penetration. With old fashioned m885 I see steel plate penetration at 100m as well as cinder block decimation similar to what would be seen from an AK(m). Mk262 performs flawlessly as well as mk318, which is my preferred round for this short platform. I use a BA bcg, with a upgraded sprinco springs and have never had an extraction or failure to fire after 3 years and 8,000 rounds. I’ve never shot steel case through this, only high quality non-reloaded brass.
Christopher that is some impressive performance. Thanks for sharing. I wasn't sure what to expect as far as accuracy when we set out to test this 4.75" barrel. 5-6 MOA with a red dot really made me wonder what it might do if I put a magnified optic on it--one short enough to not get out in front of the muzzle of course!
Excellent and thorough review from a true professional. There is potential for this type/style of firearm as a close-quarters, defensive weapon. Shooting indoors would be a blast!!!
Hey thanks Mike, truly appreciate that. We're always torn between providing enough information and not making the video too long. I'm glad that even though we went long in this one, the juice was worth the squeeze.
Why this over a pcc? I'm... Not sure I'm convinced about it's it's usefulness when you're losing nearly half your velocity over a typical setup.
I agree. In South Africa “kak” means “sh*t”, unfortunate name !
Thanks as always for a good and honest review.
Wow that is unfortunate! Thanks, Hulme, we appreciate your feedback.
It's a great question that without terminal ballistic data, I can't answer. You can weigh the 1,700 FPS of a 55gr against the (roughly) 1,100-1,300 FPS of a 115gr 9mm and see which you prefer. The 9mm doesn't seem to gain a great deal of velocity with longer barrels.
Appreciate the reply!
Definitely true about 9mm not getting a ton of speed. I figure a significantly smaller powder charge between the two. There's a 50ish ft. lbs difference between the energy delivered, but with the .223/5.56 going so much slower, I wonder if the smaller round would have the energy to do what it's supposed to. I'd be worried about it just zipping though the target
As you kinda said, in ballistics numbers are just numbers. It doesn't necessarily indicate the performance of the weapon. I'd love to see a followup for something like that. I'd love to do the test myself, but man... Guns are expensive!