In December 2020, an image of a magazine cover showcasing the P50 was leaked on KTOG, an online forum dedicated to Kel-Tec.

"[1] The image subsequently spread to the rest of the Internet, which coincided with a trademark of the name P50, registered by Kel-Tec in February 2020.

The bolt is longer than that of an average handgun, which helps reduce recoil, making the P50 "significantly more accurate than 9mm machine pistols or their semiauto lookalikes".

[14] In 2023, Kel-Tec designed a rifle variant named the R50, with an added stock and longer barrel, making for a total length of 30.5 inches (770 mm).

[11] The National Interest praised the low recoil, customisation options from the various rails, and the "one of a kind" top-break access, describing it as "unique, buzzworthy, and the all-around coolest new gun of 2021.