[Jackal]

The pic shows why I love my P3AT, in a Nemesis pocket holster. Gun is in my right side cargo pocket.

[Green Lantern]

Flat, LIGHT, and reasonably potent...

If you need an "always" gun it's hard to beat the P3AT.

A word from an owner, I haven't had any rust problems on my blued one yet, but if it's really going to be your always-gun, may I reccomend springing for hard chrome?

[ambulldog]

I was thinking about the P3AT for my wife. How is the recoil on it? I was thinking it must be pretty significant given how light it is.

[wdlsguy]

It's frisky, but it fires from a locked breech, which helps a lot.

[Green Lantern]

HmmmmmmmMMMMM....just depends I guess. You know it's there, but it could be a LOT worse.

If possible I'd suggest a test-firing, and more than a few rounds, to see if she can live with it.

I know I let an older female cousin shoot mine once...she fired one shot and gave it back and said "NOPE!" :eek:

[Jackal]

Women tend to like the P32 a lot more.

[scurtis_34471]

I shot around 10 magazines through one at the range and my hand was sore by the end of the session. They are amazingly easy to carry, reliable and fairly accurate, but they are no fun to shoot. That had a lot to do with why I opted for a Bersa Thunder .380 Concealed Carry instead. Its not as small, but its a lot more manageable at the range.

[Wesker]

Are those 5.11 tactical pants? If so, I wasn't aware they were so fashionable :)

[jonnyc]

Call me a woman, but I also prefer the P32. It's a bit smaller, a bit lighter, has another round, and is pleasant enough to shoot that I can actually practice with it.

[Jackal]

Wesker: Nope, just wrangler cargo pants.

Rest of you: The recoil of the P3AT is no problem for anyone that also owns a .44 mag. I can go outside, and fire off 100rds within about 20 min(including loading time) and my hand has no damage. I agree recoil is a lil brisk, but no more than a 9mm of larger size. After about 150rds, my hand does start to tremble a little bit, however, any handgun after 150rds makes my hand tremble.

[wuchak]

I shot around 10 magazines through one at the range and my hand was sore by the end of the session. They are amazingly easy to carry, reliable and fairly accurate, but they are no fun to shoot. That had a lot to do with why I opted for a Bersa Thunder .380 Concealed Carry instead. Its not as small, but its a lot more manageable at the range.

If we were talking revolvers this would be the equivilant of choosing a .357 N frame over a J frame for concealed carry because the J frame hurts a bit after 60 rounds.

I think having your hand be a bit sore after 10 mags with the P-3ATis not unreasonable considering the size and weight. It's not meant to be a gun you pop-off 100's of rounds with at each range session. That said I've put 100 rounds through at one outing and didn't experience any discomfort as a result. I don't think the recoil is that bad at all, certainly no worse than a 38 snubbie with +P. Actually I didn't notice that much difference between my 2nd gen P-3AT and my friend's P-32.

Other than the caliber there is really no comparison between the Bersa and the P-3AT. The P-3AT is a true pocket pistol where the Bersa is comparable in size to many 9mm's. The P-3AT weighs 8.3oz and is .77" wide vs. 23oz and 1.44" for the Bersa. I could carry two P-3AT's stacked side by side and they would only be .1" thicker than the Bersa and still weigh 27% less. Viewed another way the Bersa weighs almost as much and is almost as thick as my 4" 7 shot .357 which comes in at 24.3oz and 1.53".

I'm not knocking the Bersa, I really liked the way the one I held in the store felt in my hand, I'm just pointing out that when it comes to ease of carry it's not in the same league as the Kel-tec.

[pocketgun]

For those considering P-3ATs for their wives, make sure they are strong enough to rack the slide. Most won't like the recoil. The P-32 is a better choice for many, but the .32ACP is a step down IMO. Tradeoffs...

[jlh26oo]

Yeah, don't think anything even approaches the p3at in the "most pocketable" department. Especially for smaller guys and ladies. I guess if you're big enough (someone around here actually pockets a friggin 36), p3 compared to a j-frame or pm9 etc, to some that's like the difference between a cell phone and a set of keys- The latter has a weight/size advantage, but the significance of such is relative to size (and size of pants), and what else you carry in there.

Nice configuration; pistol, holster, pants/pockets.


any handgun after 150rds makes my hand tremble.
Are you eating before you shoot; hydrating? Seriously- I've experienced that before, but it was because I work nights, hit the range in the AM, and sometimes didn't get proper nourishment/hydration in my dash straight from work to the range. I think people sometimes underestimate the physical toll just "standing there", shooting, can take. Not even a matter of exertion per se; but the noise, mental concentration (psychosomatic imo), and isometric nature of shooting is legit. I now always eat well right b/f shooting, bring bottles of water, stay hydrated, etc- approach it as I would racquetball or lifting. Has never been a problem since. I've gone through half a case in one session ($tupid) and have not experienced it since. ymmv.

[Jackal]

Ya, some people are big/fat enough to carry a larger gun unnoticed. I, unlike my father, have no dunlop beer stomach gut roll to hide my gun under:evil: . I'm 21, 6' tall, 170lbs, my options are pretty limited as far as concealable handguns go and my P3AT fits the bill perfectly. It is a Gen 1, and i was a little bummed when I found that out. That said, I have only experienced one malfunction over 300 rds. 1 fail to extract on the 75th round since last cleaning.

[pocketgun]

"Bummed" about a First Gen? I know a lot of Kel-Tec enthusiasts who prefer the 15% lighter weight and sight configuration of the 1G, myself included.

[jlh26oo]

I, unlike my father, have no dunlop beer stomach gut roll to hide my gun under . I'm 21, 6' tall, 170lbs

You and your father should look into working out. ~30 minutes of cardio a night can do wonders for obesity (I recommend racquetball). "6ft" is plenty tall. Incorporating resistance training, along with a solid diet might help with your build (and more importantly, help with the ability to shoot more than a few boxes at a time without getting the shakes, as already advised).

Many think of skinny and obese as the only two body types. I wouldn't expect 6'02" 225 to really tell you much about me, because body composition is key. IE, variances in body fat %, muscle mass, frame size/skeletal structure could vary wildly between someone with a "dunlop" (? brand of beer or referencing tire) gut, and someone who can dunk a basketball, bench >300, and run a 50min 10k (runners are laughing at that one)- who might both have the same height and weight; ymmv.

[Clipper]

My P3AT is my always gun, and my wife likes hers, too. Both are G1s...

[priv8ter]

I know my wife flat out DOES NOT like hte recoil on my P-3AT. Which is why it appears I lost my Taurus 731ul(.32 H&R Mag) to her. It actually has the better trigger and less recoil than my P-3AT, and if you believe in energy, should be the more potent round...

Ah, the sacrifices we make in the name of love.

For myself, I have found the P-3AT to be no fun, but not unpleasently so. except...well, the first time I used it I bought a box of Cor-bon's 90gr load...THAT was unpleasent...much stouter than Hydra-shok's. Not something I would choose to shoot in my P-3AT again.

greg

[Jackal]

jlh2600: Just to clarify my build, I am not a skinny sissy. I am in fact quite muscular with 14" biceps(ya, i know, not huge) and have a very physical profession that basically forces me to work out about 4 hours per day, both cardio and lifting(professional firewood business). I am about as physically fit as you get. That said, my father(age 50) is still very strong and can pack/use a Stihl 66 chainsaw far longer than I can use a Stihl 44. However, he cannot load firewood blocks for half as long as I can. My point? Everything is relative to each persons personal abilities and aptitudes.

[Lonestar]

I have a P3at and I love it too. It has some pop, and reminds me of my .38 snubbies recoil. My good friend owns a P32 and he is a big boy, so I will not call it a woman's gun to his face. It has a lot less recoil.

[Wesker]

At jlh26oo, the dunlop is a refference for someone whose 'gut dunloped over their belt'.

You should get out more :D

[scurtis_34471]

Other than the caliber there is really no comparison between the Bersa and the P-3AT. The P-3AT is a true pocket pistol where the Bersa is comparable in size to many 9mm's. The P-3AT weighs 8.3oz and is .77" wide vs. 23oz and 1.44" for the Bersa. I could carry two P-3AT's stacked side by side and they would only be .1" thicker than the Bersa and still weigh 27% less. Viewed another way the Bersa weighs almost as much and is almost as thick as my 4" 7 shot .357 which comes in at 24.3oz and 1.53".


That is true of the regular Thunder .380, but the Concealed Carry version is both thinner and 5oz lighter. It is still not as concealable as the P-3AT, but its a whole lot more pleasant to shoot.

[jlh26oo]

At jlh26oo, the dunlop is a refference for someone whose 'gut dunloped over their belt'.Thanks. Actually never heard it before. Guess I don't really know anyone who's gut would qualify as "lopped", in said fashion lol. I DO need to get out more.



Just to clarify my build, I am not a skinny sissy.
Yeah cutting firewood is hard work, no doubt. Must be more of a nutrition/hydration issue (or maybe too much caffeine? do you drink coffee?), regarding: any handgun after 150rds makes my hand tremble.

[MachIVshooter]

(or maybe too much caffeine? do you drink coffee?),

That is a bad one, and a habit I can't seem to break.

Sunday morning, get up. Brew pot of coffee and roll a cigarrette. Grab a Little Debbie nutty bar. Eat it. Get another cup of coffee. Another smoke. Kill the pot (12 cup pot). Grab my gear and a Doctor Pepper. Head to range. Can't shoot for beans. Wonder why...............

[bouis]

I really like my P3AT...

http://thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=45763&stc=1&d=1159855965

In that picture the mag is loaded but there's not one in the chamber (hence the extra round on top). BTW it has an "armalaser" on it as well...

[wuchak]

That is true of the regular Thunder .380, but the Concealed Carry version is both thinner and 5oz lighter. It is still not as concealable as the P-3AT, but its a whole lot more pleasant to shoot.

According to the Bersa site,http://www.bersafirearmsusa.com/main_specs.php, the Concealed Carry version is the same width as the rest of the regular Thunder line but it weighs 17.7 oz. The weight is still more than double that of the P-3AT.

The P-3AT is really in a class by itself.

[brett30030]

This thread was about the P3-AT, not about you personal physical fitness, diet, or exercise regimen. If you want to discuss that, how about starting your own post:cuss:

I looked this weekend for a better CCW gun at a pretty large gun show, and could find nothing to compare with the P3, now that the 2nd gen. guns have proved reliable, i believe that this is the best .380 ACP available for CCW. I have never thought that the recoil was that bad, but then i am more used to rifle shooting than pistols.:)

[Jackal]

brett: i assume your comment was aimed at me. THIS IS MY POST!

[pocketgun]

Doh! :D

[jlh26oo]

lol I too have to take my share of the blame for the OTness. Aplologies.

That scale, holster, w/loaded mag at well under a pound is indeed a strong argument for the p3at.

[pocketgun]

jlh2600, have you started carrying your PM9 yet? If so, has it (or something else) been with you every time you go somewhere? If not, it might be time to scrounge up the money for that P-3AT.

[jlh26oo]

Just posted range report.

edit- got it.

[pocketgun]

Posted in the other thread with my opinion. Don't get the KT yet, work with the Kahr first IMO.