Kel-Tec P 11

Kel-Tec P-11

I use mine as a carry gun quite a bit.
It is light, thin and has 11 rounds.

This is definitely a "Carry a lot, Shoot a little" pistol.

Recoil is stout and the grip is not a lot of help.
The trigger is stiff but not unbearable.

If you are looking for a range/play gun, I would keep looking.
If you want it for carry I think it's great.

Invest in the belt hook and the magazine finger ledge.
I works really well inside the pants.
I found it heavy for pocket carry though

As with all things....YMMV

We have 3 P-11s in the family. My wife uses hers for a car gun, my son carries his backpacking in southern Arizona. Our experience, they are decent guns for the money. Run a couple hundred rounds of hardball through it, then be sure it works with your chosen defensive loads. I agree with the belt hook for carry, although IWB needs a chrome slide or a daily oiling against sweat.

I have the P40 which physically identical and love it as far concealing it. My main dislike is the fact that I have large hands and sometimes eject the mag. Overall I have learned to like it.

I had one. I should have never sold it but wanted a range toy for my 10 year old daughter. It went nearly everywhere with me. After a while you don't notice the weight so much. It was fairly accurate with Federal 124 grain PD and reliable. I say go for it. You wont be disappointed...

My P11 was my first pistol. I like it, for what it is. Trigger pull is long and hard but it's accurate, for such a small gun. With brass or aluminum cased ammo it's reliable. It doesn't like cheap polymer coated stuff.
I recommend a Hogue Handall Jr grip and the trigger shoe and the pencil eraser trigger stop mod.

It has no firing pin block safety. I've read it can fire if dropped "right."
I've dropped mine but it didnt go off.

i got two and they are good guns. they are not range gun, but they make good carry gun for the price. the belt clip works well for summer carry.

I say it every P11 thread. It is one a very few modern autos that does not have a physical drop safety. You would be held liable for an accidental discharge.

Not worth the litigation nighmare (7 million dollars is the average negligent death suit award in America).

Here is proof that it will fire when dropped before someone comes in and says they dropped it this one time on concrete and nothing happened therefore it can't ever.

http://www.1bad69.com/keltec/droptestresults.htm

I bought one because I thought it would be an "improvement" over my Kahr PM9 (11 rounds vice 7).

I quickly noted the error of my ways. It went away, and four years later, my PM9 is stilll here. Yes, the PM9 is more expensive, but you can find a used one for ~$500, or a CM9 for ~$400.

The P11 is a great gun. I've dropped my P40 (same gun in .40 S&W) a few times and it has never went off. I've read that the gun will go off if dropped directly onto the muzzle from around three feet but is unlikely to go off when dropped at other angles.

If you get one make sure to pick up a pinky extension that attaches to the magazine base, it will make the gun much easier to use.

wild cat mccane said:

Here is proof that it will fire when dropped before someone comes in and says they dropped it this one time on concrete and nothing happened therefore it can't ever.

http://www.1bad69.com/keltec/droptestresults.htm

Click to expand...

Having a hard time following that link, was any alterations made to that P11 or is it all factory (springs, firing pin ect)?

edit to see that he says he shortened the firing pin spring on the tested gun. Are there any reports of firing when dropped on Factory P11s?

http://www.1bad69.com/keltec/droptest.htm

I've had mine for 5 or 6 years and it's held up ok. I don't shoot it alot but it does get shot. It has a looong trigger pull but that is the only safety on the gun. It's small and light enough that carrying it is never a bother.

It does rust quickly so be prepared.

Yeah I forgot to mention, 2500+ rounds through my P40 so they hold up fine.

I stopped estimating at 11K rounds in my P11 which I've been carrying since 1996. I don't shoot it as regularly at the range as I once did, makes counting rounds a little harder to do. I pocket carry and love the gun for that with its true DAO long trigger. I've dropped mine several times over the years and it never went bang. It is designed with a zero inertia hammer which eliminates the need for a drop safety. I just believe none of what I hear and half of what I see and nothing from the internet. I mean, I'll take suggestions, but some folks have agendas. If it were not drop safe, Kel Tec wouldn't be in business anymore for all the tort suits. I'll carry it, won't pocket carry a Glock 26, can tell ya that, when it comes to safety. I consider the gun MUCH safer than a Glock for pocket carry in a soft holster.

I had one problem not long ago, finally broke a part, the extractor. I got one from Kel Tec in the mail free of charge and installed it myself. The gun is accurate and reliable. Mine hasn't rusted despite the sweaty summer pockets, but the bluing doesn't look real nice anymore. So long as the bullet goes where I place it, I really don't care about a bit of pocket wear in a carry gun.

IMHO, the Ruger LC9 is worth the extra $100. I had a P11 and traded it off because the recoil aggravated my arthritis. The LC9 is a joy to shoot; both the recoil and accuracy are better in my experience. Good luck!

Unlike the other Kel Tec guns, the P11 is a true double action that does not to be reset by cycling the slide after each shot.

That is why it doesn't have drop safety by design-from what I've read at KTOG. Not that it doesn't need it.

A guy had one drop bang while sitting in a booth at a Chilies or something like that here in Utah. Google using KSL.com as part of the search. Picture clearly shows a P11.

You can't say "i dropped it a couple of times and it didn't fire" and say that conclusively proves it is drop safe. At 4 feet in the link above they clearly are striking hard enough.

All internet hearsay and I consider the gun, with zero inertia hammer, plenty safe and safer than "safe action" guns to carry by virtue of its true DAO trigger. If you're that paranoid of guns, don't carry one. They can be dangerous.

If P11s are that unsafe, why is KT still making them and how is it that KT is still in business, not besieged with lawsuits?

I understand what you are saying. and you have admitted to bringing this up everytime the P11 is mentioned.

But it looks like the only examples are a guy in utah and someone else that modified the firing pin screen.

I am not sure that is nearly enough evidence to make me feel that the gun is unsafe. One guy in utah vs a lot of owners who have dropped their guns with no issues.

No offense, but curious as to why you feel strongly enough about this to bring up on every thread.

With the legal system the way it is, i would be suprised any company would knowingly sell a gun that was not drop safe. Obviuosly there is not nearly enough evidence for kel tec to see an issue.

I have two of the P11s also. They are very reliable, and a preferred carry gun for me. I keep one in my truck, and holster the other. They aren't gorgeous, but I prefer that for a frequently handled gun...not worried about scratching it up. It is, however, 100% functional, and the 11 rounds is a big plus. I paid $175 for one, and $225 for the other...both used. Highly recommend the pistol...but, it may not be for everybody.

As far as the Ruger vs Kel-Tec... Why buy the knockoff when you can buy the original cheaper?

I've had a P-11 for about 8 years now, and it's been dropped more times than I care to admit, with no accidental firings. Not that it won't happen, it could, but it can with ANY gun. At least you can't accidentally pull the trigger like you can on guns with the "safe action" trigger system.

And I think Wild Cat McCane is a trolling gun snob who dislikes and find fault with any gun that costs under $400, except his.

I've run 4000+ through mine.
The only issues were when my quality reloads were not.
Not a tack driver but I would trust my life with it.

Buddy likes his, says no issues reliability wise but admits trigger needs work.

The trigger needs no work, not for pocket carry. If it were a target gun, the trigger would need work, but that's not what it is. It is for serious social work and carried discretely. It has the perfect trigger for pocket carry in a soft holster IMHO. I can shoot 3.5" groups to POA with mine off bags at 25 yards and mow down 6 for 6 8" plates off hand at that range, but I wouldn't enter a bullseye shoot with it.

The fella that did the drop test (you did see there are ones without the firing pin being played with?) is/was pretty big at KTOG.

I bring it up because your chance of having to use a gun is frankly zero. The chance that you drop your gun while changing it off you ever single day...around loved ones or other people...?

The guy in Utah is a great example. Seated, from 2 feet it drop fired. No one in here has admitted their gun landed on the muzzle...