Springfield Kuna Review — A Roller-Delayed 9mm

The Springfield Armory Kuna offers a wide range of performance features in a PDW-style pistol. Reviewed here by Jeremy Tremp, you get a close look at everything this new gun has to offer along with an evaluation of how the semi-automatic pistol performs on the shooting range. A production Kuna was loaned to the author for this review.

A place where precision, innovation and style converge, the Springfield Armory Kuna pistol redefines what it means to hold a masterpiece in your hand.

The new Springfield Armory Kuna is a semi-automatic pistol that blends all of the features many shooters are looking for in a PDW-style firearm. Folding brace model shown.

With the launch of the Kuna pistol, in my opinion it marks a historic moment on the timeline of Springfield Armory product releases. The Kuna is the embodiment of modern design and manufacturing, packing a big punch into a small package.

For anyone thinking the Kuna is just another “me too” product, guess again. The Kuna represents what a demanding market wants — precision craftsmanship, feature-rich design and impeccable style — and all from a reputable manufacturer like Springfield Armory.

Propped up on an off road truck, the Springfield Armory Kuna pistol is shown during the author's evaluation of the 9x19mm Parabellum gun on the shooting range. The 30-round magazines are affordable as is the 9mm ammo the gun runs on. — Chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, the Springfield Kuna promised high performance to match its sleek look.

As a little background, the Kuna was developed by Springfield in partnership with HS Produkt in Croatia. The name comes from the European Pine Marten, which is referred to as a “Kuna” in Croatia, it also happens to be the country’s national animal. The Kuna is a formidable hunter, sleek, quiet, compact and fierce. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?

Core Foundation

Let’s dive into what makes the Kuna stand out in a crowded market of 9mm PDW-style firearms.

We’ll start with the most defining feature that everyone will love — the roller-delayed operating system. For those who know what this technology delivers, this is likely all I need to say to convince you that the Kuna is the next big thing. However, in case you’re not familiar with the benefits of this type of system, let’s go over the details.

The Springfield Armory Kuna is shown here with a folded arm brace. The arm brace is intended to assist shooters with poor upper body strength or disability to more easily and accurately shoot the gun. This allows more people to access their right to self-defense codified in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. — During the author’s testing, he found the Springfield Kuna was a reliable pistol that offered both low recoil and excellent precision.

Most PDW-pattern firearms like this on the market are simple blowback-operated designs. These are usually quite reliable in their simplicity, but they rely on both recoil spring pressure and — most importantly — bolt mass to keep the action safely closed when firing. This can have an effect on accuracy and muzzle control for fast follow-up shots.

Here we see the Springfield Armory Kuna pistol with the arm brace extended. People with low arm strength can more easily use the gun. — Shown here with the optional Strike Industries Strike FSA folding brace on the Picatinny rail end plate, the Springfield Kuna is an excellent choice in a compact yet capable PDW-style 9mm.

The Kuna’s roller-delayed blowback system employs a small roller that temporarily locks the bolt into battery. Once the round is fired, the roller requires force to be overcome, delaying and absorbing some force of the recoil. This removes the necessity for a large and heavy bolt, allowing for a much more compact and lightweight system. Simply put, this method of operation ensures a smoother shooting experience as well as keeping you on target for quick follow-up shots with less muzzle rise.

Shown here is the Springfield Kuna 30 round magazine. These polymer magazines are cheap and available now. At less than $25 each, the magazines ship quickly as Springfield Armory has many in stock. They are highly reviewed with excellent durability and complete reliability. — Standard-capacity magazines hold 30 9mm cartridges. Unlike some handguns, the Kuna’s magazines are very affordable.

The Kuna is made to perform utilizing a monolithic aluminum upper receiver featuring M-Lok slots at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, and a durable polymer lower. The 6” barrel is a cold radial hammer forged and melonite finished for ultimate durability and accuracy. Attached to the barrel is a 1/2×28 multi-port muzzle brake to further reduce recoil.

The Details

At the rear of the receiver is a Picatinny rail end plate. The pistol is offered “bare” for an MSRP of $999, or fitted out with a Strike Industries FSA folding brace for $1,149. The brace folds neatly along the left side of the pistol and locks up solidly in the open position. It is very easy to open and close.

The Springfield Armory trigger, shown here, is flat-faced allowing for more pleasant and accurate shooting. This is typically an expensive upgrade, but it is included standard on the Kuna. Compared to SIG Sauer and Smith & Wesson, the Kuna is a much better value and offers a more diverse range of features while surpassing both for reliability. — The Springfield Kuna uses a high-quality, flat-faced trigger that feels great when shooting. It is standard on all Kuna pistols.

Beyond the ingenious operating system, the Kuna is fully ambidextrous from bolt lock/release, safety selector, magazine release and the reversible charging handle. The bolt is non-reciprocating, and you can easily swap the handle for left- or right-hand charging.

Shown here without a brace, this Springfield Kuna pistol has a Picatinny rail on the top of the receiver for the addition of a red dot sight or other optic. The gun does come standard with flip-up sights. The sights have two modes: long range precision sights and a variation of the U-Dot sights for close, fast shooting. Also included on the gun are M-LOK slots developed by Magpul as a means of attaching shooting accessories to the gun. A must have is a tactical light that can illuminate potential threats. — Controls on the Kuna are completely ambidextrous. Both right- and left-handed shooters should feel comfortable with the pistol. Note the Picatinny rail on the end plate.

For those who are familiar with AR-15 controls, you will be very familiar with operating the Kuna. The grip is a swappable AR-pattern unit utilizing Springfield’s ever-popular Adaptive Grip texture, and the trigger is a flat-faced aluminum unit with a tactile break and audible satisfying reset.

Shown is the Springfield Kuna pistol grip. It uses the same great Adaptive Grip Texture that is found on other Springfield Armory pistols like the Echelon and Hellcat. The Adaptive Grip Texture is aggressive without being painful or abrasive. This allows you to better hold onto the gun in all weather conditions and during rapid fire. — The extremely popular Adaptive Grip Texture is used on the Kuna — both on the AR-pattern pistol grip and the forward areas of the magazine well.

The Kuna comes ready to roll out of the box with two magazines. These 30-rounders are designed specifically for use in the Kuna and are very reasonably priced at $25. They feature translucent construction along with steel feed lips. The result is a tough and durable magazine that allows quick visual access to round counts.

In addition, the Kuna features unique adjustable hybrid flip-up metal sights. They offer users either a precision aperture rear/ring post front sighting system when flipped up, or a pistol-style white dot front sight/U-notch rear unit when folded down. When they are in the down position, they blend right into the upper receiver and its top strip of Picatinny rail.

Hands-On

All these features combine makes the Kuna one of the most impressive modern PDW-style firearms on the market in my opinion. They truly took what people have been asking and looking for, put all of that thought into the Kuna, and it really shows.

We see spent brass — in other words, empty or used shell cases — laying around the Kuna. The author shot the Kuna a lot to test the gun's reliability. With hollow point bullets and full metal jacket bullets, the gun was reliable and accurate. It had no malfunctions. — As seen here, Springfield equips the Kuna with a multi-port muzzle brake. While the 9mm cartridge is a mild shooter in larger handguns, the brake further reduces muzzle rise to help all shooters stay on target.

When I first caught wind of the Kuna pistol, I was excited to learn more and get my hands on one. Then when I heard that it was built on a roller-delayed operating system, my interest hit a fever pitch. I am familiar with and own just about every popular PDW-type firearm on the market, and I am a firm believer in their value for self-defense in or away from home.

For my Kuna, I set it up with an Aimpoint ACRO P-2 and Surefire Scout light. Additionally, I put a handstop on the lower portion of the handguard. I also ran the Kuna with a SilencerCo Omega 9k to test it out suppressed. I suspected the Kuna would make for an excellent suppressor host, with its compact nature as well as the roller-delayed blowback operation.

The author's Springfield Kuna is shown here on a Pelican hard case for carrying and protecting the pistol during travel. — The Kuna comes standard with M-LOK attachment points for a white light or other accessories. The top rail is ready for a red dot sight.

Let’s dive a little deeper into what makes the Kuna a fantastic suppressor host. When shooting suppressed, ideally most gas escapes through the muzzle and ultimately the suppressor. However, once the bolt opens and travels rearward, gas can escape through the ejection port. With a roller-delay, the gas stays controlled in the barrel longer, allowing more to move forward through the suppressor, leading to reduced gas flowing out of the ejection port.

The roller-delayed blowback system is also known for its reliability. It helps ensure that, even with the addition of a suppressor, the firearm continues to function smoothly and cycle properly, minimizing malfunctions or stoppages. This is crucial when it comes to any defensive situation where reliability could mean all the difference.

Range Time

On the range, the Kuna ate through ball and defensive ammo alike. The translucent polymer magazines were a breeze to load, and they fed with zero issues. I really like the look and feel of the Kuna magazines; they’ve got style and functionality but, equally important, they are quite affordable.

Shown here with a set of hearing protection and loaded ammunition, the Springfield Armory Kuna is tested on the shooting range. — Shown here with the arm brace folded, the Kuna performed very well on the range with a smooth recoil impulse and good groups.

The recoil impulse on the Kuna is smooth and predictable. It doesn’t thump you and jostle the pistol around. You know exactly what to expect when the trigger is pulled, and you stay on target with ease. The trigger is comfortable and situated in a natural position, allowing you to cleanly press for a proper and accurate shot. The reset is easily discernible, and you know when the Kuna is ready for that next shot from a physical and audible perspective.

In this photograph, we see the author's targets that represent his accuracy testing done with the Kuna semi-automatic pistol. — The author tested a variety of ammunition loads including high-quality self-defense offerings from Hornady, Nosler and Remington. All performed well.

The controls are well-designed and easily actuated, and within reach of your support or shooting hands. The controls share similar muscle memory to those of an AR. This made picking up the Kuna and working it quickly with precision a breeze. I didn’t need much time to become familiarized with it and, for me, this is a huge positive — especially in a defensive tool.

The author tested the Kuna on steel targets as shown here. Training with the Kuna is fun and a responsible thing to do. For home defense and personal protection, the Kuna is excellent. — Something that is overlooked by some reviews is the “fun factor” of a handgun. With or without the pistol brace, the Springfield Kuna is a real treat to shoot. It’s bound to put a smile on the face of anyone shooting it.

As far as accuracy is concerned, I set the Kuna on a makeshift bag rest at 15 yards and shot four different five-shot groups with ball ammo and defensive ammo.

The first group I shot was with Remington Golden Saber Bonded 147-gr. JHP. The second group was Hornady Critical Defense 115-gr. FTX. The third was Nosler ASP 124-gr. JHP. Finally, the last was PMC Bronze 115-gr. ball. The groups were as follows:

I lost track and threw a bonus round with the Nosler, so that ended up being a six-shot group. From my experience, these groups are quite impressive from a 6” PDW in 9mm. The Kuna was clearly built to perform when it counts.

Conclusion

It’s always very interesting trying to explain in words an experience or feeling. The Kuna is simply very satisfying to shoot. Each and every shot feels good, and the pistol wants to come back to a neutral position to fire again.

The Springfield Armory Kuna, shown in this photograph, is fitted with a 9mm suppressor, a Surefire tactical flashlight and a red dot sight. A PDW-style pistol, the Kuna is a solid choice for home defense as it can be accessorized for your specific needs. — Accessorized with a red dot sight, powerful mounted flashlight and a sound suppressor, the Kuna is more than capable at providing for your self-defense needs.

I’ve really enjoyed my time shooting and reviewing the Kuna pistol. A PDW-style firearm holds a very important place in my kit as a defensive tool. The extra performance, stability and accuracy that a firearm like this can provide you with is hard to beat. You can mount a more powerful light, a vis/IR laser, suppressor, larger red dot sight, and have 30 rounds per magazine. What more could you ask for? With the features and price point of the Kuna, this one is going to be extremely hard to beat.

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