Kel-Tec P32 vs. P3AT what to do.....

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I like my parkerized P3AT. I've had it for about 3 or 4 years and it only jammed once the first time I took it to the range. It has fed 100s of rounds of ammo since then with no problems except one squib load which obviously isn't the gun's fault.

Recoil is a bit stiff. No one but me likes to shoot it.
 
I looked at a Ruger LCP yesterday. You definitely should take a look at one prior to buying. Heck I'm a revolver guy and I may buy one.
 
tblt said:
Ruger LCP maybe 20 bucks more but a lot better gun.
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Based on what? It's only been on the streets for a couple of weeks, so that's far from a conclusive break in period. I'm not trying to start a KelTec vs. Ruger war, but the jury hasn't even left the courtroom yet and people are ready to render a verdict. Why not wait and see how the deliberations go first?

It may well turn out that Ruger has a winner...but I think it's a little too early to declare victory.

Jim
 
I've had one P32 and two P3ATs (one 1st Gen and one 2nd Gen).

I have nothing good to say about P3ATs. The 1st gen is, at long last, almost reliable enough to carry, and will likely be sold soon. The 2nd Gen is gone, sold with full disclosure. :(

The P32 was far more reliable, with it's only fault being a reluctance to lock open on the last round. We got that working about 95% before I gave it away to a friend, again with full disclosure.

As far as I'm concerned, KTs are a fantastic concept executed poorly. I am 0-for-4 so far (yeah, I also tried a P-11, with similar unsatisfactory results).

There will not be a fifth. ;)
 
I haven't heard of the LCP until now, but that looks very much like the P3AT....is that a rebadged P3AT or is it something totally different??
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Well that seems to be the debate in any of the 10+ LCP threads

Long story short, Ruger unveils the LCP at the Shot show this month 2 kel-tec execs get super pissed. Now a bunch of Kel-tec guys are screaming foul and everybody is tired of hearing about it.

P3AT is a good gun and we dont have any trouble finding them around here.
 
What is this crap about KT plants?

Guy asks a legitimate question and gets legitimate answers and all of the sudden a bunch of Ruger advocates start crying KC plants?

I will say this about the two. I've had two warranty claims with Ruger. Both were flatly denied and the only remedy offered was to sell me a new gun at "factory cost."

I've bought and sold a dozen KTs and had two issues. Both times parts were sent for free, arrived within five days of making the call and I was never even asked to send anything back to KT.

I will not own a Ruger. If someone gave me one I'd trade it off ASAP. The company screwed me on two guns that were under warranty.

I carry a KT all day, every day. It is usually my backup, but it is always there.

And, yeah, it's a .32 that I stake my life on every single day of the week.

KT plant indeed! If I was a plant of anyone it would be Kimber or SIG. KT can't afford my ***.
 
kt info

not to start a hammering of kel-tec's but if you want to hear some horror stories of my 3 kt's that i owned. PM me and I will fill you in. to do it on the forum probably is just not the proper thing to do. Saying all of that. I will take the ruger lcp any day of the week, whether the jury is still out or not on it.
 
"Ruger advocates start crying KC plants"

Not only that, but I got a chuckle out of the comment calling the KT the lookalike, even though it's been around forever compared to the Ruger.

I pocket carried a P-32 for years with no problems to report, but now use a Rohrbaugh, so I'll leave the debate to those who are really interested.

I do agree that only time will tell.

John
 
I think the newer 2nd gen, Keltec P3AT is better than most internet reports.

A lot of the negative info is based on the first gen...
 
He owns a shooting range and as of today he has 1600 flawless rounds through his lcp, yup, probably no one I know of shoots as much as he does, and he is also God honest to when he tells me he has 1600 flawless rounds through his lcp. he has had his over 3 weeks by the way..
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Ask him if the frame is peening. The frame on my LCP is, I posted pics here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=345059&page=2
 
yup

yup it is doing the same thing in the same place. that little lug area really should not even be there. All my kt's did that and kt told me it was a maching operation that serves no purpose. It will soon stop completly. There is nothing wrong with your handgun either. It will not effect operation one bit, smooth it down and just shoot it like u stole it. Personally I think Ruger should have eliminated it in their maching process but evidently they did not.. The brass casing is what is hitting it..
 
P3-AT's and P32's hard to find? Really? I went to our monthly gun show here in West Palm last weekend, and there must have been a dozen dealer tables with P32's, P-3AT's, P-11's and even PF-9's. The prices ranged from $199 to $299. Just my 2 cents. :)
 
trekgod3

our local gander mt always has them, most of the small dealers around my area won't handle any kt handguns, due to having to send them back to many times. They will special order it for you and tell you right up front that once you buy it, you send it back yourself. the Indy 1500 gun show is going on this weekend and I can assure you will find hundreds of kt's at the show. Ruger lcp will be very scarce, as my dealers around here tell me they are lucky to get one or two and back orders are growing. I still have not got my two that I ordered way back when. I ordered mine from my good trusty dealer and I don't want to go to Indy to find one at any price, so I will wait. He quoted me $250 and that is a darn good price and mayvbe worth the wait to.
 
I bought a 2nd gen hard chromed P3AT recently. Took it straight to the range from the store, pulled it out of the box, checked the bore and put 50 rounds downrange with no issues.

After that I came home, read on the forums about what a piece of crap that I had just wasted my money on, took the useless thing back to the range and put 100 rounds through it again without a problem.

Then, I carried it around in my pocket for a couple of weeks. While I was doing that I read that carrying a P3AT in your pocket will suck all lubricant out of the gun in a matter of days drying the gun out and causing it to chronically malfunction (because it is a piece of crap). So armed with that knowledge, I took it to the range and fired another 50 flawless rounds through it without a hitch.

I guess I'll have to keep sticking the sorry thing in my pocket and looking foolish. After all, the whole internet world knows that the P3AT is a piece of crap. ;)
 
I have the P3At 380. Runs well if I do my part by not limp wristing.
This piece requires practice to shoot well.
All the press on the 380 of late have caused several ammo mfrs
to come out with some very effective loads in .380 as far as expansion add-or penetration are concerned (Buffalo Bore):)
 
Personally, I would do the Kel-Tec P32

Preface:
I have not shot either of the small Kel-Tecs in either .32 or .380.
I have a lot of trigger time with the P-11 and I carry one often.

My reasons are mine and for the P 32 are:

-I like the .32 caliber - period.
-In a smaller gun I like the recoil curve of the .32 .
-I like the slide locking back feature.
-Folks have been trading in the P32 to get P3ATs and this allows one a good -buy on good used P32.
-Folks will be trading in P32s for the Ruger LCP for the same reason, and again a good used one can be had for a good price.

It is just a plastic double action only revolver that takes a magazine. *yep*

Have a gun, shot placement, and Fiocchi FMJ are proven. *yep*

Just me, I wish I still had a Beretta Jetfire in 25 ACP, or Beretta 21A in both .22 lr and 25 ACP.

Still, I have and would again carry a Jetfire. I really really like the trigger and the reliability, and how easy this gun is to conceal.
I go way way back with these small Beretta guns in small calibers.
I want a Beretta Minx too...it shoots .22 shorts.

Just me, I would not worry about a new gun, new offering, or what everyone else carries.
I would concern myself on getting a quality gun for the monies spent, that I can shoot well and will carry.

I'm a over [strike] 40 [/strike] 50 victim of fate... - Buffett
 
I bought a new P3AT a month or so ago. Misfires baybe 10, FTF's maybe 15. FTE's maybe 40 to 50. Downright jambed the slide 2 times and had to field strip the pistol to get the shells out. Total of 150 rounds shot thru it. :fire::cuss:

I sent it back to KT for the 6 to 8 week turn around. I got to tell you that I really wanted this pistol. I even bought a laser and an extra mag for it. I really wanted the .380 caliber. I'm seriously thinking of trading it in for something more reliable.

I'm on the fence about what to get. :confused:
 
I've always felt, that in this size of pistol, a .38 snub was a better choice.

I'd recommend, that before you buy a pocket pistol, you make sure than you can grip and rack the slide.

considering that 32's and 380's seem more prone to misfeeds (low strength of recoil to cycle the round?) it's important that you feel confident in your ability to rack the slide (and hold it open) to clear a jamb.
 
I have a P32 that has been 100% reliable through several hundred rounds. It is lighter, slimmer, and easier to carry and shoot than any snubnose revolver. I haven't even been tempted to carry my snubnoses since I bought it. Sold both of them actually. For me the KT P32/P3AT are just about the perfect pocket guns. I think the choice boils down to this.
P32 + less recoil, 1 more round in the mag, accurate, slide locks back on last shot, and reliable
- rimlock is an issue. I carry Fiocchi JHP or corbon jhp for the first round and Fiocchi ball for the rest for the mag.
P3AT + more powerful round with better available ammo choices and modern hollowpoints, no rimlock issues, usually more accurate
- slightly larger, recoil can be an issue, not as easy to shoot quickly as the P32, slide does not lock back on last shot.

The only way I can see to really resolve which is better for you would be for you to shoot both and compare.

Also, the 32/380 have plenty of power to cycle the slide. Reliability with the rounds in question normally has to do with the quality of the weapons sold for those calibers. Just look at the Beretta 380s or the Sig P232. The are usually stone reliable. They are also mush larger and the round has to cycle a much larger slide that the P3AT. The P32/P3ATs are also locked breech weapons and don't have nearly as strong springs as the blowback weapons. Holding the slide back isn't really as much of an issue. Besides you normally would cycle the slide to clear a malfunction not hold it back. The P32 is very easy to pull the slide back.
 
Thanks fellas for comments and advices

After some thinking and some thinking and some more....I settled on P3AT. I thought of LCP, but I'm not a big Ruger fan, and if I get lucky, new generation P3AT's seem to work just fine, I'll see...

So for the next question.....

Which ammo for CCW?? I keep hearing FMJ's for small calibers for penetration, but does this appy to 380 ACP as well? If you recommend specific brands/loads, I'd like to know, thanks.
 
ivcat

corbon dpx, IMO the only round to shoot out of ur kt. Corbon used only two guns to develop the 380 dpx and both were kt 380, so it will function the way it is supposed to do. Not a cheap round but neither is life..
 
LCP vs P3AT

Wait and get the LCP..I purchased both in past 60 days and the Ruger LCP is far superior in accuracy, felt recoil, and 100% reliable out of the box.
The P3AT failed twice on first mag of ammo and had 10% failure rate or 13 failures out of 120-130 rounds out of the box. The manufacturer said all handguns needed a "break in" period ?!?!
The P3AT is probably now "obsolete" thanks to the LCP ! Good job Ruger and thank you...if you want a detailed review let me know
 
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