Chance for a kel-tec p-40was wondering

[wingprayer75]

I was wanting to get a smaller carry pistol and have got a line on a keltec .40 cal., but have heard the stories of jamming and reliabilty prob., also was concerned about what recoil would be like in such a light weapon.Has anyone shot one of these and what is your impression,thanks for any feedback. It can be had for $205 plus shipping is that resonable,said had about 100 rds. put through it. Thaks

 

[sigma 40ve]

I like mine. I know there have been some reported problems with them, but mine has been ok. I have a Hogue grip on mine. Recoil is not that bad IMO, my wife shoots mine also, and has no problem with the recoil.

 

[Josey]

I have had ONLY negative experience with Kel-Tec. I strongly suspect that someone bought it, fired it and decided the recoil WAS too much. The other possibility is that it broke down. The pistol has been factory rehabed and the owner is dumping it. They have a bad reputation around here. I wasn't the only one standing in line to send a Kel-Tec back to the factory for repairs. I cannot suggest that anyone bet their life on a Kel-Tec.

 

[Devonai]

The first and last time I fired a P-40 I had a Glock 27 there to compare it to. That was fortunate, because I would have second guessed myself as to the recoil of the Glock. As it was, my dad and I were able to confirm that the Kel-Tec has a LOT more felt recoil than the Glock 27.

 

[mini14jac]

KelTec guns in general are not bad, and they have excellent customer service on guns that do have problems.

But....
The reason that the P40 was discontinued was that so many people had problems with the recoil.
With a really firm grip, the gun will function fine.
If you don't have that, it will jam.

It's a shame you can't shoot it first.

That would be the safest thing to do.

 

[SapperLeader]

Not all the p40 problems were due to limp wristing. Some of them out just didnt work. I had a p40, was the second owner of it, the first owner was a friend, and niether he, myself, or a third friend whos a sicko that likes titanium .357 magnums could get the gun to work. I sent it back to the factory twice, and then ended up having it rechambered in 9mm. Gun still didnt work, so keltec replaced it. The new 9mm works fine, but I still cant grow to like the trigger so now Im trying to sell it.

 

[wingprayer75]

Thanks guys for all the input,very helpful.Sounds like Kel-Tec would work on the gun even if I was a second owner,the seller has informed me that the gun stovepipes occasionally,he blames on limpwristed holds,and claims its normal for this gun(for me normal should be 99% fuction,knowing nothing is 100%). Thanks for all the input,its nice to have a place to feild questions in a freindly enviroment,just registered yesterday.

 

[DDGator]

I had a P-40 and liked it. Sold it in a moment of weakness for a good price. Mine was bought used and functioned 100%. Recoil was stiff and the checkered texture of the grips would tear up my palms a bit -- but not unbearable to anything. Made you feel like you had a lot of power in that little package.

My niche for a small .40 is now being held by my new CZ RAMI in .40. Haven't shot it yet, but is is heavier, has nice rubber grips, and definitely a better trigger.

Duane
[email protected]
www.KDHolsters.com

 

[Hypnogator]

Add my vote to shying away from the P-40. I picked up a conversion kit at the factory, which they tested and installed. I couldn't even get it to properly chamber a round. After several returns to the factory, it would still jam once or twice per magazine. :banghead:

The recoil was on the viscious side of harsh! More felt recoil than my Redhawk firing full-power 240-gr loads

Frankly, 'though I liked having the power in the size and weight of the P-40 conversion, the recovery time was excessive for combat use, IMHO. I eventually replaced it with a Taurus PT-145 Millennium Pro, which is much more controllable, accurate, and has an orders-of-magnitude better trigger.

 

[azrael]

I own 3 "carry" kel-tecs...

The p-40 is not one of them...I bought one when it came out and had problems with it from the get go...sent it back to kel-tec for service and still didnt work...had gunsmith friend try and fix it and he couldnt get it going...Had it redone in 9mm and sold it..

Mine was an early one...The above mentioned gunsmith uses his p-40 as his ccw everyday and shoots it at least once a week with no stopages..

I prolly wouldnt buy another one if given the chance...however I LOVE the p-11 and the P3AT's as well as the P-32

 

[roo_ster]

I own a P40 & carry it regularly. It works for me & I'm confident in it.

$205 is a good deal, IMO.

I bought it nearly new. I think the previous owner had fired a mag of .40S&W, said, "Whoa, nelly" & sold it.

It started off a drama queen, stovepiping a lot. Sent it back to the factory & they polished up the feed ramp. Fo rnothing. Even paid shipping. Now it has been 100% reliable with Federal 165gr Hydra Shoks & a few others. It seems to LOVE Wolf trash. It must be a freak. Some bullet shape don't work well in my P40.

Recoil...yes. A buddy of mine uses his S&W 640 w/ 125gr .357 mags as his "average" recoil gun. He says my P40 is "above average in recoil." A 14oz gun shooting .40S&W is an object lesson in Newton's Third Law.

Areas to watch:
FEED RAMP. If you can trust youself with a Dremel, polish it up. Be careful & search the net for some hints (www.ktog.org is a good place to start).

MAGAZINES. Some of the lots of mags were not quite right. I think the were intended for the P11 9mm. A quick bend on the feed lips does the trick, or send 'em to Kel-Tec. Replace mag springs with Wolff +10% springs at any hint of mag probs to nip it in the bud.

The P40, like sushi, is not to everyone's taste. If you are not recoil-sensitive it may be just the ticket (no offense meant here...folks just don't shoot guns that are above a cetrain recoil threshold very well...that threshold is different in all of us...I won't be buying any S&W Scandium .357 snubbies anytime soon.).

Oh, I forgot to mention that I've shot IDPA with it. I wasn't gonna break any records, but the felt recoil was not noticable in the middle of competition.

 

[arinvolvo]

I have never owned a keltec, so take my opinions with a grain. In my observations here, and on other forums, it seems that Keltecs work 100%, about 80% of the time. Or until they break down. I think that purchasing a keltec is a bit of a gamble...a gamble that it will function if and when you need to defend yourself with one.

keltec is at the leading edge of miniturization of "full" caliber firearms. However, being at the edge also means that longevity of the firearm is at the edge IMHO.

To put it honestly, if I KNEW i were to be mugged today, i would reach for something other than a keltec to put in my pocket. But sometimes that isnt practical...therefor, explaining keltec's niche in the market.

Some gun is better than no gun.

 

[Joe Demko]

My brother has a kel-tec p40. We have never had it out to the range that it didn't choke at least once. Always failure to feed. Ammo type doesn't matter, and we have taken great care to not limpwrist. I've told him to send it back to the factory, but it isn't his carry gun so he doesn't want to be bothered.

 

[wingman]

I like small auto's however at some point they become too small to be worth
owning especially in 40cal.!! A Keltec in 40 would be like carrying a grenade
with the pin out, if you have one please use safety glasses when shooting.