Anyone have issues with a Kel Tec PF9?

[Dimis]

found one at my LGS and I think Im gonna pick it up but before i do I wanted to see if anyone had problems with them before I did

I have done my typical search on google and youtube for good/bad reviews and I have seen some good information and some that seams just a bit over opinionated in both directions so I came here for some honest opinions and some facts

I know of two issues brought up in the past
1. Extractors not pulling the rounds out and causing stove pipes
2. Slide jumping the frame and locking the gun up

I tried finding more on these but the little info I found came from either the same source or the individual was more ranting than explaining what happened which tends to make me think they either a. dont know what they are doing or b. did something they shouldnt have to the gun in the first place

thanks everyone

 

[TxBobS]

I love mine. It is one that has been flawless out of the box. It has eaten everything I fed it and is with me all of the time.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Mine can't eat WWB FMJ. It appears that the longer OAL causes FtExtract/FtFeed. Other ammo, no problems.

 

[Saddlebag Preacher]

95% of the time it's my ccw gun, especially this past hot summer. I have a S&W mini rail light on mine 'cause there aren't any street lights where I live.

 

[Deinhardt]

The one that I had, but gave to my father in law, would feed JHP like no tomorrow, but when you tried round nose, it would stove pipe everytime. I didn't know enough about guns way back then to think about fixing the problem. He still has it and apparently loves it.

 

[ZGunner]

I'm not a big fan of mine. I love the size but when I first got it I had alot of FTF. The primers on about 40 rounds were dimpled where the firing pin hit it but didn't fire. It may have been the ammo (Wolf) but my buddy with his M&P 9 had zero issues.

Since then I haven't really messed with it much. I've never carried it just beacuse I don't know if I can trust it.

However, for what it's worth, I know of 3 individuals that absolutely love theirs and carry them daily.

 

[Ehtereon11B]

Don't have any experience with the PF9 in particular but I am not a fan of Kel-Tecs. My wife had a P3-AT in .380 and it was a total (and dangerous) lemon. No matter what kind of ammo we fed through it, the thing would have horrible malfunctions. On two instances the bullet would fire as normal but the slide would push the brass down the barrel instead of loading a new cartridge.

 

[bikerdoc]

I never owned one but a close friend sent his back to kel tec and since then it is his EDC

 

[GBExpat]

Mine has spent hours in the back pocket of my 501s (in a Desantis Nemesis holster) every day since I acquired it in 2007. With the exception of the trigger shape, I find it to be comfortable, accurate and reliable.



With a dremel I carefully both removed the sharp "nose" from the mag extension and relieved the junction of the trigger guard and grip so that I can comfortably get all 3 fingers on the latter.

Keep in mind that the PF-9 is NOT a range gun.

 

[bigfatdave]

They're pretty decent little pocket rockets, and lousy range toys. (more on that at the end)

Some don't run reliably on the cheaper range fodder, because they're designed for defense loads, not powderpuff ball ammo with hard primers - almost any gun this compact will be ammo picky, the thing is bleeding-edge for 9x19mm at all, of course it doesn't feed every round of junk you get at WalMart or the bargain bin at the gunshow.

Recoil is sharp, the grip is rough, KT leaves it to the end user to do the last tweaks on their plastic sometimes.

Magazines aren't too bad, they're available and inexpensive, you can get them with a KT extension to hold extra rounds now, or get the flush-fit. There is a pinky finger only extension that I don't see the point of out there as well.

The trigger is not a precision target trigger, or the trigger of a range toy, it has a fairly stiff & long pull, once you get used to it the pf9 is actually fairly accurate and has surprisingly useful sights. My biggest complaint in this department is that I can't a gloved finger in there properly, even with a thin glove - but I have Sasquatch hands.

Now, to address the range toy aspect: There is a small company in Florida that I suspect is staffed by KT employees on their day off called "Twisted Industries". They make .22lr conversion kits for the pf9, allowing you to plink and practice with your gun's trigger and other controls. It is the correct size, so it will fit your holster. It has almost the exact same sights, and mine shoots to about the same POI as the 9x19 upper. The magazines are well designed and work. The kit functions flawlessly with CCI minimags, I do get the occasional cycling issue with cheap bulk ammo. The kit swaps out in seconds, I think it could be done in under 30sec if everything was on a table in front of me to start.
The .22lr kit from T.I. is entirely worth the money if you intend to use the pf9 as a range gun.

 

[elrowe]

Didn't see you mention if you'd shot one yet. I did put about twenty rounds through a buddy's a couple of years ago and found it to be a little "snappy" for range use. Other than that, I didn't really find anything to dislike, just didn't have a need for another pocket gun.

 

[pockets]

Haven't had any issues with mine.
.

 

[MedWheeler]

Mine is my EDC, and has never had a malfunction in the around 500 or so rounds I have run through it. I've had it since April of 2010, but it was not new when I got it, so I don't know if the previous owner(s) had any issues with it. I recently upgraded to the hard-chrome slide assembly to fight the Florida humidity's effects on it (rust.)

As has been said, this is a light, diminutive gun in a hard-hitting caliber. That makes it less pleasant to shoot than a heavier, hand-filling gun will be. It also makes it easier to limp-wrist.
This is a double-action-only gun, but the hammer is partially set against the sear when in battery (it's placed there by the action of the slide.) With the hammer at rest, such as when dropped on an empty chamber, the gun cannot be fired without first racking the slide; hence, no "second-strike" capability. This does not bother me.

Mine is kept loaded with the affordable and readily-available Remington-UMC 115-grain JHP load.

Peruse the forum at www.thektog.org/forum for more PF9 (and other firearms) chat and information. You will find lots of people who have had and corrected issues with theirs, as well as many who have had none (This would happen on any forum dedicated to guns of any make.) These guns are not SIG firearms by any means, and that will be obvious to most. They are not made to compete with guns costing two or three times as much. What they are are decent, reasonably-priced guns that work, or can easily be made to work, in the roles for which they are intended (the role of the PF9 being personal defense.)

 

[hardluk1]

I cc'd a pf-9 for 2 1/2 years and shot 2000 rounds thru it trouble free but I don't shoot WWB ammo.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Mine has been 100% thus far and I carry it often. No reason not too...light, flat, and shoots anything I've fed it thus far from 115 grain to 147 grain...standard to +P...solids or JHP's.

It ain't a "range gun" as folks call'em but it seems to be a great easy to carry gun.



That rail on the front annoyed me for some reason so I removed it.

 

[Dimis]

thanks everyone I went ahead and put some money down so they will hold it till payday for me
I am not recoil sensitive in any form so "snappy" wont bother me im one of the few that doesnt worry about 357 airweights

my carry right now is an LCR but I want a semi auto for days I need something slimmer in profile

I dont plan on having another range toy but I do like that twisted industries conversion so thanks for pointing that out

Ill post pics once its home

 

[toivo]

Keep an eye on the front edge of the ejection port. There was a run of PF9s that were developing bad peening there. Mine was one of them. Kel-Tec replaced the slide under warranty in under two weeks.

You want to stay on top of it and get it replaced ASAP if you have one of the bad ones, because it will get so bad that the slide will lock up and you'll have to take a rubber mallet to it to get it off. It happened to me.

I only got a few dozen rounds in on the new slide before the whole pistol had to go back in for light strike misfires. I have an aftermarket trigger, and I suspect that's the problem. Kel-Tec is going to put an OE trigger back in. Also under warranty -- great customer service!

 

[coop2564]

Mine has worked great.

 

[zoom6zoom]

Work great. They do have a propensity to give you slide bite if you're not careful.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Mine has about 500 round thru it no been any problems . Real snappy with +P so I went back to regular 9mm hp

 

[RBid]

Failure to feed, all day. I got so sick of it, I traded out of it.

It was ammo sensitive, by which I mean that it wouldn't reliably cycle... Any... Ammunition.

 

[aubie515]

I haven't had any issues with my PF9, but I just sold it...I'm selling all of my KT. I just don't trust them.

 

[cheeze]

Funny I should see this post today. I just put the top part of my PF-9 in a shipping envelope back to kel-tec for a broken barrel. I put about 350 rounds through it with several failures to extract. Once it didn't extract, but it loaded another round into the back of the spent casing still in the chamber. It jammed there and I had to drop the mag to get the round out, then lock back the slide and shake out the spent casing (would have had to throw the gun at the bad guy and run with this kind of failure).

I bought the gun for EDC, so I was spending this time shooting it at the range to get an idea of the quirks, tendencies, and reliability of the gun and to break it in. That's the whole point, to find out problems beforehand... and I found a few problems. The last time I shot it, it shot fine, then I pulled the trigger and nothing happened except the hammer falling. I thought I had a misfire, so I tried to eject the round. The slide was locked up. I tried and couldn't open it, so I took it home to the workbench and finally got it open. The spent casing was still in the chamber and the barrel broke right where the takedown pin goes through the underside of the barrel. The front part of the hole broke off and was rubbed down a little like it had been broken and rubbing for a few shots before it locked it up. I talked to a guy at keltec and he said to send it in. From what I understand, their warranty is good.

I researched the PF-9 before buying one and I went in with the understanding that they are a bit rough on the fit and finish, but with some user-tweaking and help from their willing warranty dept, you can wind up with a reliable little lightweight, thin pocket rocket. I'm a slim guy who wears t-shirts and jeans and works at many different people's homes during the day, sweating, bending over, contorting myself and making it virtually impossible to carry anything but the lightest, smallest, thinnest pistol you can find, and this is it. (while still staying in the true full-featured service pistol category). I still have high hopes, I think I will wind up with a gun I can count on. I'll find out before long.

 

[kokapelli]

I had one until I shot a PM9. The PF9 was reliable, but it had the sloppiest slide I have ever seen and even after Kel Tec replaced the slide it still rattled when I would shake it.

The PM9 was so much nicer to shoot in every respect I just decided to sell the PF9 and go with the Kahr and couldn't be happier.

 

[srtolly]

Mine has been reliable since I got it earlier this year. I have 200 rounds through it but not sure now many before me. Most times I don't even know I have it. It is nice to have a 9mm that will fit in a pocket, IWB, small of the back or kidney carry.