kel tec 380

[poesraven]

Just purchased the Kel Tec 380 today/ test w/ AGUILA 95 GRN FMJ- "out of 50 rnds seemed liked every round to 3 jammed, "not a happy camper / ran 5 winchester 95 grn SXT not a single malf.???? Can anyone tell me whats going on, especially after reading all the RAVE REVIEWS, I'm a bit disappointed , thought I'd finally found a ccw that would be small enough for the pocket. Going back to the shop in AM thinking of getting the SEE something "although its $150 more, but others have said worth it. Or just stick w/ the KIMBER ULTRA CDP, though its a bit more difficult to conceal in the warm weather! Any thoughts on the matter/

 

[45crittergitter]

uhm, stick with the SXT's?

 

[PCRCCW]

Hell Id stick with the Kimber anyway. You can conceal the little 45 in any weather.

The Keltec may take a dead chicken, sacrificial alter and knife and 2 dozen naked people dancing under a full moon to run correctly...

Or you can just get the instructions for a fluff n buff else where online.

IMO, they should just charge another 50-75$ and sell the gun that runs correctly from the factory..........

Try a great IWB holster and belt for warmer weather and your Kimber should do just fine.

Shoot well

 

[poesraven]

kel tec380

Ty you both for quick replies, I just hate spending money and having malfs, although the KIMBER CDP has performed well -it did break an ejector on about the 200th round, and its much larger then the kel tec ,, I just wanted to know if I got a lemon , since if I needed it for my life I don't look like the pulp after the last empty case hits the ground and I didn't realize it wasn't mine!

 

[alamo]

Give it a chance to get broken in, these little pistols need a little smoothing out first as it doesn't take much friction to cause a problem particularly with a brand new pistol or one that hasn't been properly lubed. Give it a good cleaning and proper lubrication and hold it firmly. A lightweight pistol like that is very susceptible to limpwristing. Use a light coat of grease on the slide rails and hammer/slide interface.

 

[gau5]

The KT is a goods concept poorly executed. Mine has had chronic problems.
Regretfully, I am selling this gun off and getting a NAA black widow.
This is the third time I have had problems with this 3at, including a trip back to KT,and the 3rd gun out of 3 from KT I have had problems with. I really wanted to keep it but I can't live with an unreliable CCW gun.
I love KT service, but I would be willing to pay extra for quality from the start.

 

[DDGator]

The KT quality discussions have been beat to death...

Check out the discussions on the Kel-Tec Owners Group -- www.ktog.org.

My P-3AT has been 100% reliable. So has my P-32 and P-40. Many, many people have reported the same experience. You tend to hear mostly from the people who have problems -- not the ones who don't. If yours doesnt work right, send it back and it will come back right. Somtimes they even do extra work or send back accessories for your trouble.

I don't see any possible comparision between a P3-AT and and Kimber Ultra CDP. Seems like two different guns for different purposes to me. The P-3AT is a great deep concealment gun, perfect for pocket carry. If you can carry a .45, obviously that is a better choice.

Don't give up on a special purpose $250 gun because you like a different purpose $800 gun better. Keep both and use them as appropriate.

By the way, my P-3AT likes Win White Box or UMC for practice, and Hydrashocks for the real stuff.

 

[poesraven]

1st, I thank you all for such quick replies, its my first teime to ask a question on the board and I am very appreciative of the responses.

I will reclean the little bugger, and using mil tec oil, which someone told me is very adequate , 2nd I'm going to try a few more diff types of ammo before actually relying on the 380 as a ccw, and if that doesn't work I will send it to the factory for a check up. and just a note I have 3 KIMBERS and had to send 2 of them back for malfs / and broken ejector so I guess it shows even if you spend more you can still have a some troubles, since being back they run very well.... again THANK YOU

 

[saddlebum]

i bought a p3at a week ago and after i put the mag release spring where it belongs it has work perfectly. saddlebum

 

[AUTIGER04]

Your giving up after only 50 rounds of cheap Mexican ammo? Man! If I had given up that easily I wouldnt have any guns period. (KIMBER, Springfield, Colt) yep I had problems with each one of these pistols. But I didnt go out and trade them off because of a few problems. GEEZ!!! Have you ever heard of "Breaking IN" your KT and other guns? I did this with all of the guns mentioned above. I manually cycled the slide about 100-200 times. (Unloaded) just to loosen things up a bit. Clean and lube your guns. MILI- TEC worked wonders for me and my P32.

Give the guys over on ktog.org try. Flyer is the man when it comes to the KT. Also look up evilloki the KT gunsmith.

ps.
Opps, There I go again and not reading all of the replies.

 

[poesraven]

Flyer, no limp wristing here, especially since I mainly shoot the 45c's, it seems the shells aren't being ejected out i need to pry them out ,also had to pull the slide back and tugg on the magazine to get that out also. *NOTE had 5 rnds of winch SXT and not a single jam, maybe it was the ammo but I'm also interested in what was said about the mag release spring, and where to get more info, I don't want to start tinkering w/ it until I know if its something the factory can take care of-and that raises the cost of the kp3at to send back. THANK YOU AGAIN

 

[gconan]

Out of any new gun I shoot a couple hundred or even 5 hundred full metal jacket's threw it to break it in. Then start trying hollowpoints after the breakin period.

 

[JohnKSa]

So far all you know is that:

1. Your gun functions with high quality ammo.
2. Your gun malfunctions with low quality ammo.

If it were my gun, I'd buy a box of every decent kind of ammo I would consider staking my life on and take them to the range with the pistol.

Then I'd run ammo through the gun until I found a load that was accurate and 100% reliable.

Then I'd buy two more boxes of that kind of ammo, shoot one for a double check and use the other to load for carry.

If I couldn't find a load that was 100% reliable I'd contact Kel-Tec. Their customer service and warranty is outstanding.

A couple more things.

1. The Kel-Tec P32 pistols are known for being somewhat picky about ammo. I suppose that it's reasonable to assume that the P3AT might inherit some of that (although the .380 isn't semi-rimmed like the .32)

2. Kel-Tec recommends a 200 round break-in on their P32 pistols. I don't know about the P3AT, but it makes sense to me that it would be a good idea for it too.

 

[saddlebum]

the problem i had was the mag wouldn't latch in & would pop out during firing. took it apart and one side of the mag release spring was sticking out in the mag well.( its a flat wire in a sort of ^ shape) i took a screw driver and pushed it in the slot it goes in and it has worked fine since. saddlebum

 

[alamo]

I would definitely switch ammo, lubricate well and polish the chamber - see the instructions:

http://www.goldenloki.com/guns/keltec/prep.htm

Be sure to use a light coat of grease on the slide rails and hammer/slide interface, lasts longer than oil:

http://www.goldenloki.com/guns/keltec/care2.htm

 

[firestar]

poesraven,
Are you sure you are not limp wristing it? Also, did you do the fluff and buff? Did you clean and lube it properly? You need several different types of grease and oils applied to several different areas in just the right amounts in order to expect reliability.

In a gun like the Kel-Tec, you may have to do some tinkering and maybe send it off to the factory a few times before you can expect 100% reliability but in the end it will all be worth it.

You need to put about 200 rounds through it to break it in and if you are still having problems, just send it back to Kel-Tec. After you get it back, you will need to put another 200 rounds through it to make sure it is working. If you are still having problems, you just need to be patient and keep sending it back to the factory and keep putting 200 rounds through it each time. Eventually, it will work unless a part breaks. The trigger axis is a known problem that the P-32 has and maybe the P3-AT also.

I broke a trigger axis on my P-32 when the gun was sitting in my pocket. These guns are very delicate and if you don't know what you are doing, parts can break for what may seem like no reason. I just wasn't talented enough to get my Kel-Tec to work. I didn't put in enough hours of research into what type of grease and oil should go where and what parts to fluff and what parts to buff.

I had to get rid of it because I didn't have the training or education to make it function. I just sold it and got a Beretta 21A that works 100% of the time whether I lube it or not and whether I clean it or not. It is a gun for us stupid people that expect a gun to work under normal conditions. I guess I am lazy and I don't deserve a Kel-Tec.

 

[JohnKSa]

Are you sure you are not limp wristing it? Also, did you do the fluff and buff? Did you clean and lube it properly? You need several different types of grease and oils applied to several different areas in just the right amounts in order to expect reliability...These guns are very delicate and if you don't know what you are doing, parts can break for what may seem like no reason. I just wasn't talented enough to get my Kel-Tec to work. I didn't put in enough hours of research into what type of grease and oil should go where and what parts to fluff and what parts to buff.

Mine has worked perfectly.

No modifications. No special lubrication procedures or unusual maintenance. No repairs necessary. No breakages. No special talents required to fire or maintain.

And NO malfunctions of any kind--not even during the break-in period.

I broke a trigger axis on my P-32 when the gun was sitting in my pocket.

Why would you carry a gun that never worked?

 

[denfoote]

AGUILA 95 GRN FMJ

Sounds like a ammo problem to me!!
I put Aguila ammo in the same lot as Wolf!!

There are sooooooo many good brands of 9mm kurz ammo that you should not have any problem finding some that is way better than that cheap Mexican stuff!! I'd suggest Remington or Winchester!!
Also, every gun needs to be broken in. Some guns do not "like" certain brands of ammo.
You just found one that your Kel-Tec doesn't like!!
I bet it will work with decent ammo!!

 

[AUTIGER04]

Firestar, Im not dissing you or anything. But Ive had to break in (Kimbers,Springfields,Colts)1911 pistols. But I got over it and I now love my guns. Like one other poster said Guns are Tools or Machines, they need breaking in and sooner or later all machines break. I own a KelTec p32 and I find it to be very reliable. No F&B. All guns should be Cleaned and Lubed.

I hate Bersa handguns. But I try not to nag about them.

ps
Dont be taking parts out that belong there. I saw two instances where you want to take something off of your Star handguns. If they didnt belong there Im sure the people of Star wouldnt have put them there. I find that alot of problems come straight from the OWNERS tinkering not the Gun Makers. Later Dude!!

 

[coldshot03/04]

LMAO!! @ What Flyer Said! Hey Flyer This Goon has bought himself a Makarov and a Star BM. Hes already trying to screw his Star up taking parts off of it. Now we know the real story about our buddy "Firestar".

FireStar, File it down till the parts fall off. Then Blame it on the Gun maker and their POS QC. If you screw the Star up your **** out of luck no parts available that I know of.

 

[denfoote]

This Goon has bought himself a Makarov

Now, you have got MY dander up!!!

I don't diss your Kel-Teks, don't you diss my Pistolet Makarova!!

Pistolet Makarova happens to be one of the best pistols that ever came out of the Eastern Bloc!! It's the AK-47 of handguns!!
I'm not biased. I just own seven of them!!!

I have not had any of them fail me yet!!
Pistolet Makarova saved my family once by discouraging a home invasion!!
I have a soft spot for the little beast!!

 

[pistolwhipped]

These KT threads are worth reading because you can always count on getting a hardy laugh when Firestar,Flyer and Coldshot go at it. And they go at it in every KT thread. I love you guys. LOL

To the thread starter : I hope it's the ammo. It's a shame to have to F&B or return to KT this new weapon. I'll say this , I've owned a P40 for several years and never had a problem with it. I trust it and carry it at times.
Good luck and please let us know what happens next.

 

[mini14jac]

I took my P3AT straight from the dealer to the range.
No cleaning, no "fluff 'n buff, no lube, nothing.

So far, I've shot 2 kinds of fmj, and 3 kinds of jhp with no problems.
(300 rounds)
I did buy 1000 rounds of Dynamit Nobel ammo from SOG that would not feed in that gun.
Did I write the gun off as junk?
Hardly.
The SOG ammo looked like a jhp that had the front shaved off.
As soon as I took one round out of the box, I figured it wouldn't feed.
I was right.

Go to Walmart and get some Winchester .380 ammo.
You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[coldshot03/04]

denfoote,
You misunderstood me. Im a Big Makarov fan. I was referring to "FireStar" buying himself a Mak. He will most definately find something wrong with them.
Long Live The Makarov!! Peace!

 

[Newton]

My P-3AT will jam on the first round with pretty much any ammo.

The nose of the round sticks on the feed ramp, and a whack on the rear of the slide is required. Successive rounds are usually ok unless they are Federal Hydrashoks, in which case reliability only occurs after 2 more rounds have been removed from the magazine.

I have performed a light polishing on the feed ramp using a Dremel but the problem persists. The slide just doesn't seem to hit the round with enough force to strip it from the magazine, the extra resistance of the feed ramp is all it takes to bring things to a halt.

I will persevere with this gun until it works properly, but the cost of sending a gun back to Kel-Tec means that I'll either fix it myself or get a competent smith to make the thing work right.

Can't help but wonder if a little more spring power isn't required.

Newton