Kel Tec P11?

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Arbo

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Searched but didn't find much on this other than two people complaining about it...

Wondering general, honest opinions. I just traded in my first handgun, a POS Hi-Point C9... that and a little extra cash is getting me a P11. It's smaller, so it appears it might be good for CC. Actually holds more ammo than the C9. Smaller so the wife likes the feel of it a lot more.

I know the 'you have to spend 2K on a 1911 to have a gun worth having' folks will probably have nothing but negatives, but I'm looking for the everyday gun owners opinion. ;)
 
I just shot mine for the first time last Saturday. Save yer money. It's got a trigger pull heavier than Rosie O'Donnell coming out of an afternoon at the buffet.

It was actually -painful- to shoot. At 10 yards only half the shots made it to the 9" plate I use for targets.

But wait! There's more.

It's picky about ammo. It would not reliably cycle any of the HP ammo I tried. (Speer and Hornady Critical Defense)

I'm actually kinda bummed. With it's size and 10 round double stack I had high hopes.

Honestly I could likely get all the rounds into a respectable group with some practice. However the sore trigger finger and the issues with reliable feeding kinda nixed it for me.
 
Thanks for the input.

Was your's new or used? I've read the trigger get's better after a couple hundred rounds.

I shoot my mosin naguant quite a bit, so a 'hard' trigger isn't much concern for me. ;)

I'll have to try my HP when I get it, I have winchester +p HP... which I've read the gun can take, just not continual +p shooting. Other than testing at the range most of that would hopefully never be used. I'll avoid the one's you mentioned. Thanks.

It will probably be a week until I get it in my hands since CO's bg checks are still running that long due to all the purchases STILL going on...
 
I've had a P11 for many years, don't recall ever having problems with it, but I haven't fired it in at least 5 years or more. It was my carry gun for a long time.
I know I liked it more than the PF9 I bought later, that gun I did have issues with.
 
I had one for years, put *maybe* 100 rounds through it.

It was fairly small considering it's 10+1 capacity. The factory belt clip worked well.

Trigger was TERRIBLE. Long pull and reset all the way back out. It can be lightened by using a nail (look it up). Muzzle flip is legendary with SD ammo.

If KelTec had a trigger like my Kahr, I probably would have kept it.
 
P11

I've carried a P11 for quite a few years ,comfortable enough in the 1:00 to 2:30 position ,iwb.The trigger is heavy but that would be my only complaint.It's a S/D and should only be judged by that criteria. I even used it to take ground hogs if I had a good lean on something. New,it was only $220 back when I got it. It needs to be lubed and only likes certain hollow points just like most semi's. Lifetime factory free warranty on it also,it's a good deal and under appreciated by brand snobs.No flame intended !
 
I too have had mine a few years. I carry it almost everyday, and the days I can't, I carry a P3AT. Many folks swear at them,...some of us swear by them. Few give them the credit they are due. As stated above, it is a carry a lot and shoot seldom gun. It for sure is not a range gun. It does have a very long and very stiff trigger pull. That is actually one of the things I like most about it. Mine has functioned well with Federal Hydra-Shok and Hornady Critical Defense as well. No modifications, but it does like to be well lubed. I ran 500 rounds through mine before the first time I holstered it. It has never failed to go bang through any fault of the gun. YMMV...shoot the snot out of it. If you decide not to keep it,..you won't have a hard time selling it.
 
They are great carry pieces. Some folks can't get used to the long d/a pull, but I find it no problem. You have double strike cability too which you don't get on a glock plus it's got a lifetime warranty. Mine has been 100% since I bought it 10 years ago.
 
Very heavy trigger with a long reset. The cheap plastic sights have a tendency to come loose. You will lose some velocity since the barrel is just over 3" in length.

That's about all the bad I can think of. The trigger can be worked on or gotten used to and the sights can be epoxied in place or a setscrew can be installed.

I've owned this gun for five years, carry it frequently (right now, actually) and haven't had any problems with any ammo I've fed it. It's had Speer Gold Dot, CorBon DPX, Remington Golden Saber, Winchester PDX, Winchester Ranger, Hornady TAP, and C.O.P. (Barnes clone, check Midway) through it with no problems. Also my own LRN reloads and a bunch of WWB and Wolf steel cased stuff. Only problems I've found were magazines - weak springs in old 5906 used magazines. Replaced the springs and was good to go. Kel-tec mags have been great; I've got 2 10 rounders and one 12 round magazine. Round count is still fairly low (~3k) and I don't feed it much +P stuff, even though it's supposed to handle it.

The gun has been accurate enough to suit me. I can keep everything on a 9" paper plate at 25 yards once I figure out where POI has shifted with different loads. I can hit a steel ram at 200 yards about half the time on a good day once I've walked my shots on target.

I've never done the fluff n buff, nor have I had to replace the magazine catch. Those are common problems you'll hear about on various forums.

Maybe I got one of the good ones and everyone else got a lemon, dunno. I'd say I've gotten my $270 out of this gun.
 
The reason it has a heavy trigger pull is so you don't shoot yourself.:banghead:

I have never understood why people complain about it hurting their hands. It's not made to put 100 rds thru at the range. It's meant to save your life when you need it.

Maybe if you weren't such a sissy, it wouldn't bother you. Give it to your wife and let her shoot it while you hold her purse.:evil:
 
I was looking into getting one before the wife went on a 'manual safety' kick. Handled and dry fired one at a LGS. I liked the grip, how it felt and the high capacity to size ratio. Yes it's a long stiff (ish) trigger but this is appropriate in a SD pocket gun. The lifetime warrantee and supposedly good custimer service was also a big plus. To each their own, good luck and hope to hear back from ya about it.
 
If the trigger pull is meant to save my life, maybe they could have included a drop safety to...also save my life.
 
Wild Cat Mccane: Unless you have a habit of dropping your P11 barrel down from 3-4 feet, you don't have a lot to worry about.
 
If you find that you have problems with the trigger hurting your finger, Kel-Tec offers a trigger shoe for the P11. A buddy of mine put one on his and it made a big difference. IIRC, it sells for ~$10.
 
Take a peek at the PF9 also. Holds a couple fewer rounds, but has a much nicer trigger, and is easier to carry concealed (if that's your intent.) The tradeoff for the better trigger is that, because the hammer is kept partially-set against the sear, there is no "re-strike" capability. To most people, that's not important to them; just ask the tens-of-thousands of Glock owners.

Because of that partially-blocked (by the sear) hammer, the PF9 is considered "drop-safe", and makes the cut in those few jurisdictions that require pistols sold within be so rated. The P11, while nearly impossible to make go off without puling the trigger, is not regarded as truly drop-safe (though that would never bother me.)

A PF9 has been my EDC for almost three years now.

Oh, and Rock Island Armory makes several versions of solidly-built 1911-type pistols, all of which run well south of one grand.

Remember, with any make/model, for each one negative post regarding it, there are likely 50 or more positive posts that just didn't get made. People come to the boards to complain or seek advice on problems far more often than to simply say they're happy with something.
 
Get a trigger shoe. The trigger is very long and heavy.

Unrefined - I traded mine for a Kahr. It is a light, reliable (at least mine was), sub compact. I carried mine for close to ten years. I did send it back for work once, and it functioned fine afterwords.

If you are on a budget and are willing to practice, it will work for you just fine.
 
Arbo
Kel Tec P11?
Searched but didn't find much on this other than two people complaining about it...
Click to expand...

I have 2 and carry them on occasion. They're not range toys. Recoil is a little snappy but nothing major. Trigger is heavy as a revolver. It's one of the few true DAO's where every pull of the trigger cycles the hammer from beginning to ignition without a partial reset. It's also a safety feature. If one cannot shoot a revolver in DA, then I would strongly advise against getting one.

Capacity, weight, & size are its advantages. 12 rounds flush with OEM Kel-Tec or S&W 6906 mags with +10% springs. The pistol also takes S&W 59 Series mags at 15, 17, even 20 rounds - just gotta make sure the spring is stronger than factory weight (to be on the safe side). Of the 2 I have, one eats anything, while the other one only eats HP's (probably due to the OAL).

If you get one, put it through its paces with different ammo then stick a brand that works for it. Then lots of practice...to strengthen your trigger finger! :D
 
I'll be picking mine up in a few days after the wait period is over. I like that the trigger pull is long, but not as long as the Rugers I've tried.
After I get it broken in, I'll only use it for training and carry. I don't see it as a range gun.
 
Lot's of good replies. Thanks. When I get it, I'll definitely take it out to the range and run a good bit of ammo through it to get a feel for it. Will report back my thoughts. Though my handgun experience is limited to the Navy Baretta, the POS hi-point, ruger mkII and my .40 Glock (shot a lot of others but not enough to really 'know' them well).
 
If you like DA revolvers you will like a p-11 better. I have shot one and do not see a reason to get one because my G19 is just a bit bigger and works for me. If I could find a Keltec sub2000 in 9mm with S&W mags, that and a p-11 would be a fun "run and gun" set for 3 gun.
 
I had one and wish I'd never sold it. They have a kinda heavy DAO trigger pull, but it's not that bad. Lots of folks carry the DAO S&W 642 / 442 and similar revolvers, and don't have a problem.

Mine was totally reliable with everything I fed it. The P11 is smaller than a Glock 26, and Kel-Tec offers a 12 round flush fit magazine for it. They also have mag sleeves to the fill the gap between frame and floor plate when using the 12 round S&W 69 series or 15 round S&W 59 series mags the pistol will accept.

If I ran into a used one at a reasonable price I'm sure I'd be tempted to grab it.
 
A friend of mine owns one. It has the worst trigger I have ever encountered. It is so long, heavy and gritty that it is virtually unshootable. Neither of us can hit squat with it. It jams on SD ammo. It is more painful to shoot than an Airlite in 357. Plus it is a double stack, making it harder to conceal. Run, don't walk away from it.
 
I had one for 4years traded to my brother for a uberti 45lc, always regretted that that little gun never failed me, about 5 or 6 hundred rounds fired in those 4years, and the trigger does get a little better with time but will always be much longer pull then most guns, but I came to like it, I don't want a gun with a hair trigger in my pocket.
 
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