[HK23BEACH]

Really considering the .380 Kel-Tec.They have the .32 and 9mm.They have great feel and are very concealable.I have never shot one.They fit really well in the front pocket holsters. I have held one just haven't shot one.I would appreciate anyone having one or knows about them to let me know.Thanks for your help and time!
Hk23BEACH

[KBintheSLC]

Well, I don't have the 380, but I have shot one. I went with the 32 after trying it out. I can shoot much better with the 32. The 380 had the tendency jump out of my hands a bit and I had to re-grip the gun after every shot. The 32 can be unloaded in rapid fire without having to re-grip the gun. With the 10-round extended mag on it, it makes a decent little weapon. Both guns should be equally reliable. The 380 as a caliber is better than the 32, but it is not a miracle worker either... I felt that it was more important to be able to shoot the gun well than to have the marginally better ballistics of the 380. My P32 has about 500 rounds through it with no malfunctions.

For this reason, I would recommend the 32 over the 380.

[nelson133]

Mine shoots quite well at 21 feet considering it has no sights worth mentioning, try a search and you will find plenty opinions of the P3-AT.

[FranklyTodd]

A great site dedicated to Kel-Tec is http://ktog.org

You will learn a lot there. I opted for the Ruger LCP (just like a P3AT), but I think the Kel-Tec's are good guns, and I've heard their customer service is absolutely stellar!

[Drgong]

I personally don't care for them, though I think they are neat guns.

However the people i know that DO own them love them...

[springmom]

I had one, but traded it away. Too small a grip with too lively a recoil. My Bersa .380 is bigger, but much more comfortable to shoot. (And more accurate.)

Springmom

[SoonerPast]

It did require a trip back to the factory, but they fixed it and it has been reliable since. I also had a first generation and it had a problem too. Get one, knowing that it may require a warranty trip to Florida. KelTec does stand by the product and will make it right, if it isn't. For what they are, the KT's only real competion is the new Ruger.

[YZR]

Love mine!

[VARifleman]

Mine will hold about 6" at 25 yards two hand offhand slowfire.

[Hypnogator]

Another vote for the P-32. Especially if you're at all recoil shy.

I bought mine before there was such a thing as a P3AT, never felt the need to upgun, because mine is dead nutz reliable, and I'm willing to trade off a slightly more powerful round for the extra shot.

[gpr]

32 and 380 kel tec's are pocket guns ....pf9 needs cargo pants....p3at, nemisis, and corbon's is good combo that works 99%...when i can wear a jacket i bump up to the p11 or p40...gpr

[hoosier8]

I have a P-3AT and I only have it for concealability. It is the one pistol I can carry completely undetected. Couldn't say I love it.

[MICHAEL T]

One in my pocket every day did a 1 1/2" 3 shot group slow fire at 7 yds with mine Pie plate size rapid fire with Corbon ammo.

[LightningMan]

I really like my Kel-Tec .380, it's accurate, I can hit a 12" plate at 20 yards all day long. Easy to conseal in the front pocket as well as the back pocket. LM

[woad_yurt]

P3AT:
Mine shoots & feeds perfectly and conceals really well. The P32 is a hair smaller & lighter but it's only a .32.

[XDKingslayer]

Great little guns if you can stand the recoil. I got the chance to spend the day with one and come on, it's a .380, how bad can it be right?

I was suprised at the recoil. I let my wife shoot it, who's used to her Bersa .380. She shot one round, set the gun on the bench, said "No." and walked off the shooting line.

[peter_mn]

If you can, go to a store that will let you test fire or rent. The best description of the recoil for the P-3AT is that it is snappy. There a few different things to try if you buy one and decide that the recoil is too much. Some examples are putting on grip sleeves, adding magazine extensions, and smoothing the trigger guard area. Ammo selection can make a difference also. Light WWB practice ammo gives a different recoil experience when compared to Remington Golden Sabers. I don't think too many people would describe it as a pleasant gun to shoot, but it does a good job of meeting a set of requirements for the given task.
Try the P-3AT before ruling it out; if you cannot manage the recoil then consider the P-32. The P-32 recoil is so smooth that it's almost fun.


+1 for checking out http://ktog.org

[coyotehitman]

IMO the recoil is not bad, the gun runs well (after the fluff and buff), I wouldn't take a shot past 15 yards with it, and it carries extremely well.

Not my 1st choice for a primary, but a good BUG.

[Cougfan2]

The nicest .380 I ever owned was a Colt Govt. model .380. Very accurate. If you can find one used they are a great little gun. I can kick myself for selling mine, but I never could get comfortable carrying it cocked and locked which is the way a 1911 type gun should be carried because if was like a full size 1911 with one notable exception; no grip safety. It probably would have been no problem, but a couple of times when I took the gun out of the holster I found that the thumb safety had come off and it gave me the willies. :uhoh:

[jackstinson]

I had a P3AT for awhile. Great gun, flawless operation, no problems at all with the function.
I currently use a P32 however. The P3AT's snappy recoil tended to damage my shooting hand when I'd put more than a couple of magazines through it. Yep, after 12-18 rounds I'd end up with temporary tremors. The rubber grip trick didn't help. Sure, shooting gloves would have resolved this, but I like to practice with what I shoot with; bare hands. I could not practice as much as I wanted to due to this. I opted for the P32 which doesn't give me the same issue regardless of rounds fired. Ballistics aren't bad on .32's like Sellier & Bellot.
NOTE: This is just my experience with it. I can shoot my larger and heavier framed .380's, 9mm's, and such with no problem, the P3AT and my hand were simply not compatible for extended shooting sessions.
Both my P3AT and P32 have been 100% reliable.
Jack

[presspuller]

I have had zero problems with mine. It is a lot easier on the hands than I figured it would be when I first got it. I have pretty large hands but I have no trouble at all with it.
It disappears in a pocket.

[murph50]

I have 2 of them. I believe in having more than 1 gun for each caliber I shoot. The 2 is 1 and 1 is 0 thing. My P3AT has been in my pocket for about 3 years now. Even when I'm carrying something else --the P3AT is in my pocket. Very concealable. When I was looking for another gun to shoot .380--I couldn't really find anything as small as the KT so I bought another one.
Kind of a BUG for my BUG.
Every couple months I shoot a mag or 2 thru it just to be sure in functions ok and it always does. Is the gun fun to shoot? Well for a mag or 2 it's ok but it is a tad snappy and it's not meant to be a rangegun. The P3AT suits me fine for my purposes of self defense. I don't leave home w/o it---matter of fact it's in my pocket when I'm home too.
FWIW--my first P3AT was a new 2nd generation one and it did go back to KT for the infamous fluff and buff and it has been flawless since (3 years).
My second one is a newer parkerized one and has been flawless from day one.
For size,reliability and price it would be tough to find anything else that fits in the niche provided by the P3AT

[rondog]

No experience with the Kel-Tec, but my Bersa .380 is a great little pistol. Easy to shoot, easy to carry, and accurate. Never had a problem with it. Extra magazines cost too much though, IMO.

[rcmodel]

There is no other .380 even close to the size & weight.
(Except the Ruger copy of it!)

I have sometimes forget I had mine in my hip pocket behind my billfold and go off all over the house looking for it.
You will never, ever do that with a Bersa or Walther PPK!

Recoil is not bad at all, compared to the blow-back operated steel .380's, or any Airweight S&W .38/.357 with hot loads.

rcmodel

[glk23]

I have the 32 and my shooting buddy has the 3AT. Like others have mentioned, the 3AT is no fun to shoot more than a couple of mags through. I bought the 32 because the slide locked back, it had an extra round and has the option of a 10 rd. mag.

[R.W.Dale]

After much research I went with the P32 for a couple reasons

32 380 JHP's are abysmal penetrators, I won't carry them and FMJ performance between 32 and 380 are pretty much the same so I opted for the extra capacity and shootability of the 32.

I'm really impressed with the accuracy of the tiny p32 It shoots much better than you'd expect a pocket pistol to shoot. Conceialbility is outstanding, If you have a pocket you can hide one of these pistols

[Silverhair]

I have a Kel-Tec in .32 and the P3AT, and also have a Bersa in .380, and other handguns ranging in caliber from .45 to .22.

I have never particularly notice the recoil with any of them, nor have I had to readjust the grip after firing. My favotire, of the three, is easily the Bersa, but because of concealibilty I usually carry the P3AT.

The front trousers pocket offers some advantages. If a situation looks like it might get tense, you can put your hand in your pocket and have the gun in your hand, ready to draw, without it being obvious or threatening. You can't pull up your shirt and grab the butt of a belt carried gun like that without everybody seeing and getting freaked out. So you can't get a belt gun ready in advance, but you can do that with a pocket gun. Street-wise perps will usually know exactly what that means when you stick your hand in your pocket, but others won't.

To aid in concealment, I put something on top of the gun to break up the outline.

I haven't tried the sights on the Kel-Tecs as I consider them point-fire guns, and have practiced with them using that method. One hand draw and fire. Aim by the gun being an extension of my arm and pointing. Range for firing is only a few feet. They point very well, at least for me.

I bought and began to carry a Kel-Tec when I was working the midnight shift at a convenience store. The company policy was very strict - no guns at all. So if I carried, it had to be able to not be detected by people who would see me daily. It never was. (Two weeks after I quit, they were held up.)

I did not plan on shooting it out with any robbers. If I thought that all they wanted was the cash drawer, then they could have it. But sometimes they want to hurt the attendent and so I carried.

For ammo, I use hardball. It feeds better and due to the low power of the cartridge I am opting for greater penetration of hardball.

[hso]

Y'know, we've discussed these guns several times before and there are plenty of folks with good experience with the P3AT and some with bad.

I carry a P3AT when I can't carry my P11 when I can't carry something bigger.

My wife carries a P3AT.

All three of them go bang when we want them to.

They're not intended to be used except at close range and shouldn't be compared to guns outside their class.

[tblt]

Get yourself a LCP if shoots great and with the right bullet will perform good
These pic's are not mine they are from gatorhugger on the ruger forum.just wanted you to know the .380 mwill perform

[MCgunner]

If you can't handle the .380's recoil, even in a P3AT, you have issues. ROFLMAO! I'd wait on the LCP. They have reported issues. I'd wait until they catch up with demand and get the bugs worked out. I don't know that Ruger's customer service can match KT, rather doubt it since KT is about the best there is in the industry. I love my 7 Rugers, but I also love my P11. That P11 is as accurate as many full sized service guns, will hold 3.5" at 25 yards off a bench. Sounds like (though I've not shot one for accuracy) the P3AT is pretty decent, too, from what people say. If you can shoot, the gun will shoot. It's probably a lot like snubbies, though. The gun is much better than some of the owners are. If you have problems with the gun "jumping out of your grip", you're not gripping it right....as a for instance.

[Janos Dracwlya]

Can anyone tell me how the recoil of the P3AT compares to the recoil of the NAA Guardian .380? I've shot the latter - my wife has one and I can get through maybe half a box at the range before the recoil makes my hand too sore to shoot it any more. I'm now in the market for a pocket gun and was torn between getting the Guardian - expensive, but I know what I'm getting - versus the Kel-tec, which is less expensive.

[DKA]

Have a P3AT and love it. It is thin enough, that you do not get that bulge in pockets and light enough, you will not realize that you have it there. It is very concealable and very accurate up to about 20'. The recoil is not a problem with me but people differ. :banghead:

[rcmodel]

Blow-back action guns like the NAA Guardian will always kick harder / hurt worse then a locked-breach gun like the Kel-Tec.

The blow-back NAA and Walther PPK actually sting my hand with hot loads that are fairly comfortable in the P3AT, even though it weighs less then half as much as the PPK.

rcmodel

[Ala Dan]

I own and sell KEL-TEC's~! My P3AT .380 auto has performed flawlessly,
right from the GIT-GO. I sees a lot of use, as a rear pocket CCW piece;
often times serving as a BUG to one of my .45 ACP 1911's, or my SIG
P220A. I recommend them with the greatest of confidence. Oh~! did
I mention customer service? You probably will never need it; but if you
do, its one of the best in the business~! ;) :D

[LightningMan]

I would like to add that I was talking with a sales person for a police & security supply store, and he knows a PD officer whom qualified with his Kel-Tec .380. Police officers for this area have to qualify with all their duty firearms. I thought that was some fine shooting and was impressed. LM

[HK23BEACH]

Thanks for all the information on the Kel-tec.I am going for one!

[lloveless]

Enjoy. I have an p32-bought before the 380 existed. My son bought the 380, which I have now used. I put one Mag through it- set it down and won't shoot another. These arthritic hands won't take the abuse. I shoot .44 magnums, the really hot stuff I don't tolerate well either anymore.
ll

[tblt]

You will be happier with a LCP

[R.W.Dale]

You will be happier with a LCP


WHY?

I've handled both guns side by side, they're the EXACT same.

Only with the lcp for the next year or so YOU get to help the factory work the kinks out of a new product and you don't have nearly the aftermarket support you get with the kel-tec.....well......Other than the kel-tec accessories that'll work on the Ruger:rolleyes: because for all intensive purposes it's the same gun

[KBintheSLC]

If you can't handle the .380's recoil, even in a P3AT, you have issues. - MCgunner

Easy there big tough guy. I don't recall anyone saying that they "can't handle" the recoil from the 380... just that the recoil of the 32 is far less annoying.

[Tirod]

I'm sure anyone who has handled the KT P3AT and Ruger LCP would note the remarkable similarities. There's nothing wrong with brand loyalty, but choosing something that works better for you is more important. I've handled the KT: like many of you, I'd like to handle a LCP - some day maybe I will.

There are differences that some may want to know about. The Ruger extractor, grip checkering, finish, etc all pose choices a potential buyer may want to research in depth. Clouding the issue with comments on being "identical" is an emotional response not aligned with the facts.

Complaints about Ruger fielding a beta design for customer improvement glosses over Keltec's identical and well documented performance. It's good now, but there were some customers unhappy about the 1 Gen model. Ruger has been making changes on the fly as reported in this forum, and seems equally responsive to customer service and product improvement.

Some people find small frame auto's a bit snappy. I thought the Detonics Pocket Pal in 9mm was, and not so concealable either. It just depends on your hand size, how you shoot, and your experience level. They are not range guns, and trade off recoil management and fast target acquisition for extreme concealability. Compared to others in their class, the Keltec and Ruger seem to lead in performance and affordable price.

Try to shoot both, and pick the one that works for you.

[elsullo]

DO find one to handle, and better yet shoot. I have one; never failed; and I don't even remember any problem with recoil--it does not shift in the hand when firing! It is all beautifully milled stainless steel, and that weight absorbs the blowback recoil. It is actually smaller than the Kel-Tec or the Ruger, and feels good in the hand. I forget that it is in my pocket at all times..........................elsullo

[Mountie855]

Wife & I have P3AT's for last 3 yrs or so, no problems with them. We had the P32's first, and they worked well also, EXCEPT twice during qualifications I experienced the 32 ACP rimlock- shuts you down, and takes a bit of time to clear.

There is a fix for the rimlock problem, minor alteration to the magazine.

Rimlock seems more prevalent with certain rounds, from what I've read. Mine happened when I was using ball ammo. Never felt comfortable with the 32 after that experience.

[markboss]

I own two P3AT's and a Keltec PF9...
I have about 400 rounds thru each of them, and am very pleased....

The P3AT's disappear into my pocket, and I always am glad that I have it...
The PF9 is a little larger, but can be IWB carried, or front pocket carried, without much effort....for the price, all of them are hard to beat..

I only live about 45 minutes from their birthplace....easy to visit, if you have any problems..
They have mailed me a few parts free of charge!!!

[hoosier8]

Quote:
You will be happier with a LCP

WHY?

Because he owns one.

My KT P3AT is so small in my hand that I have one finger on the trigger and only one finger around the grip. I don't find shooting it difficult at all. It seems to be very accurate. I have not shot any of my DPX through it yet, which seems to be hotter.