A slimmed down version of the company’s standard RDB, the new Survival variant recently started shipping and was a sought-after item at SHOT Show last week.

With an emphasis on it being a “backpack gun,” the RDB-S has been in the prototype phase for a while but Kel-Tec reps advise the gun is headed to distributors and the company had it both on the range and in their booth in Las Vegas.

Featuring a 16.1-inch barrel, the rifle goes just past the 26-inch minimum length to keep it out of NFA territory but includes a user-adjustable stock for length of pull. Tipping the scales at five-pounds, the 5.56mm carbine is very compact and the iron sights– both front and rear– fold to bring the height of the gun down for stowage.

Using a long stroke gas piston, the rifle ejects downward like its larger RDB brother but is a couple of pounds lighter and with a more streamlined profile.

The gun will ship with a 10-round Magpul PMAG but will accept any AR15 compatible magazine.

MSRP is $1,275 which is the same price point for both the larger (30.4-inch) RDB-C and the standard pistol-gripped equipped RDB, though prices at the store– provided they are in stock– will likely be lower.