Kel Tec P-40 valuations went up quite a bit...how reliable this pistol is?

[saturno_v]

Out of curiosity I recently paid attention to used P-40 (discontinued by KT not long ago) prices at gun shops and internet sites.


They went up quite a bit...

Where you can still buy a P-11 for well under $300 brand new, I saw prices for used P-40s as high as $500+

The cheapest I saw was a beat up one (admitted even by the seller) listed for $375 on gunsamerica.com

Evidently the combination of the 40 S&W chambering and the high capacity magazine (10+1) in a pocket format is appealing and valuations are going up....

How reliable are they compared to the P-11?? Once I asked the KT customer service why they discontinued and they said for "lack of demand....."

I would not mind trading one in good shape for my P-11 at reasonable price....but only if they are as reliable as the P-11.

The reason is to get rid of the 9mm and "rationalize" my ammo purchase (40 S&W is the chambering of my main full size piece) in these days of high ammunition price...

 

[NG VI]

I'm guessing recoil did a number on shooters, I don't think they discontinued them over durability, just not enough masochists out there buying them.

 

[saturno_v]

I'm guessing recoil did a number on shooters, I don't think they discontinued them over durability, just not enough masochists out there buying them.

Kahr still sell the PM40 and PM45

 

[M2 Carbine]

Kel Tec P-40 valuations went up quite a bit...how reliable this pistol is?

I bought the 40 S&W conversion for my P-11 years ago.

Some bullet shapes would hit the slide catch causing the slide to lock back.
When trying to bend the slide catch, slightly, it broke. Still manually locks the slide back.

I called Kel Tec. I told them the problem and told them I broke the catch. I said I'l like to buy a new one. They said, No problem. We'll send you a new one (free) and they also sent a couple extra spare parts for free.

I did not replace the slide catch because I'd rather be sure of reliable feeding than the slide locking back on the last round.

My gun, with the 40 conversion and 9mm magazines, is reliable but I seldom use it. It does kick bad, so I don't practice as much as I feel is necessary.

Another problem is the 40 S&W is very hard in the P-11 frame. It quickly shows a lot of beating of the frame.
So much so that I called KT and asked them what a replacement frame would cost me when I thought the frame was no longer safe to shoot.
They said, rebuilding the gun, including a new frame would cost me nothing but shipping the gun to them.

Since then I have sent in a P3AT to be rebuilt. They replaced everything but the barrel and plastic grip, including the frame, and my cost was Zero.

 

[Ben86]

I think you really aught to try and shoot one before trading your p-11 for it. There is a reason for the lack of demand.

Kel-Tec CS is awesome, even if their quality control is, well a little less than stellar.

 

[Shadow 7D]

It hurts, literally, not nice on the hands, and I have a hard time shooting a 3 shot rapid fire, darn limpwristing gives it a case of the jams.

Oh, did I mention it hurts?

 

[stinger 327]

It hurts, literally, not nice on the hands, and I have a hard time shooting a 3 shot rapid fire, darn limpwristing gives it a case of the jams.

Oh, did I mention it hurts?

Is it worse than a Walther PPK recoil and sting?

 

[COgunner]

I will second that it is painful. Also, for me, after about 20 rounds, I will have lost all the skin off my thumb knuckle! I think the gun is reliable enough, but like Shadow said, it's hard to get a firm enough hold not to limpwrist it. Limpwristing, it will jam. Mine's mostly a safe queen now.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Well, you hand will feel like you wrapped an aluminum baseball bat around a steel pipe when your done with afew mags, But a number of people said concentrate on form and technique and you'll never notice it when you actually need the gun, so much adrenalin.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

But a number of people said concentrate on form and technique and you'll never notice it when you actually need the gun, so much adrenalin.

I've never bought this idea. First, if the gun is excessively unpleasant to shoot, you're not going to practice with it. Second, if you're afraid of the gun on the range, you will be afraid of it in a shooting.

As for the gun in question, everything I've read (FWIW) suggests they discontinued it due to excessive reliability problems and customer returns.

 

[stinger 327]

It hurts, literally, not nice on the hands, and I have a hard time shooting a 3 shot rapid fire, darn limpwristing gives it a case of the jams.

Oh, did I mention it hurts?

Does it hurt like when shooting a Baretta Tomcat .32ACP? That one takes the skin off of my thumb and stings when I shoot it.
The worse as I remember was the Walter PPK that really hurt to shoot and the gun was tight.

 

[cobrasatellite]

It hurts, like a tomcat, only worse, much much worse. I sanded the left side grip completly smooth on my P11. the grip palm side keeps it planted in my hand but no more blisters after 50rnds.

 

[saturno_v]

Does it hurt like when shooting a Baretta Tomcat .32ACP? That one takes the skin off of my thumb and stings when I shoot it.
The worse as I remember was the Walter PPK that really hurt to shoot and the gun was tight.

Everything it's possible but I doubt that the Walther PPK or Beretta Tomcat can be even remotely as bad as the P-40..

The PPK weight 21 oz and the Tomcat 15.8 oz vs. 14 oz for the P-40 and they fire much more sedate and lighter bullet cartridges...

 

[stinger 327]

Everything it's possible but I doubt that the Walther PPK or Beretta Tomcat can be even remotely as bad as the P-40..

The PPK weight 21 oz and the Tomcat 15.8 oz vs. 14 oz for the P-40 and they fire much more sedate and lighter bullet cartridges...

The Kel-Tec you are referring to shoots .380 caliber and its worse than the two above guns-OUCH!

 

[outerlimit]

The Kel-Tec P-40 was only discontinued recently? I thought they had discontinued it many years ago.

 

[Shadow 7D]

My understanding is that it was discontined because so few can shoot it, I know my problem is my problem and not the guns, but that didn't stop lots of people from sending theirs back.

 

[jonboynumba1]

I had one....traded it for a new P32 as it was used and a she-dog to shoot....painfully innaccurate to! I'd rather have a P11....if y9u want more wallup just carry 124+p Gold Dots if they feed in yours....it'll stop anything you put em in. I HATED that P40 after I shot it...had originally been hunting a 9mm and found it cheap...the dealer had some cop buds wanting a couple as cheap .40 backups to their G22's so he traded me a NEW P32...which was actually a pretty cool lil mouse gun!

I should add if you want to upgrade get a PF9....nicer trigger....thinner gun...only a few rounds less capacity really. It'll FEEL like a .40! -LOL My wife just claimed the PF9 I brought home last week last night and is carrying it this morning happy as a clam...I guess I'll be ordering another one!

FWIW it was already a discontinued model when I bought that P40 probably 8-9 years ago at least...it seems a LOT of people had issues with limp-wristing it and it induced failures...I think it was the only gun I EVER saw do that with me shooting it with some hot winchester ranger .40 HP's in it! It was also my first .40 pistol I ever owned...imagine how surprised I was when I bought a G23 and 22 later and found it barely hotter than +p 9mm's in recoil! -LOL
I'd probably have put up with the recoil if I could have just hit anything with it!

On the upside if you push real hard on the rear sight with your thumb on a P11 or P40 you can pop the rear sight right out of the slide and use it for a doorstop...very few pistols share that feature! Thank God they added a screw on the PF9!

 

[swampboy]

I have owned and shot my P11 for ten years. Even the P11 is not a lot of fun to shoot, so I would not even consider a P40. I think Kel Tec discontinued it for a reason.