Kel-Tec Pistols

[giggitygiggity]

I've been checking out the Kel-Tec P3AT, P11, and PF-9 for concealed carry. They are quite small which is good. However, how is the reliability of these pistols? They are priced cheaply which makes me think that they may be junk. Any experience? Thanks.

 

[JShirley]

I've owned a P-11, a P-40 "upper", a P3AT, a Sub-9, and two P-32s. Yeah, total junk.


In all seriousness, back years ago, many Kel-Tecs benefitted from a "fluff and buff"- a relatively easy polishing of the feed ramp and internals. I don't know if that's still the case, but I regret selling my P-11 when I enlisted in 2001.

John

PS- most indicators are the the KT RFB is the rifle I've been looking for, for the last 17 years or so.

 

[Handgunner]

They are priced cheaply which makes me think that they may be junk.

If they doubled the price, would that make you feel better?

 

[kokapelli]

Sometimes they are good right out of the box and sometimes they need a little work.

I have a P-3AT that has been completely reliable from it's first round.

 

[Just One Shot]

I've been considering a PF-9 and have been looking at some of the posts on this particular gun. I have read everything from they are total junk to they run flawlessly and will shoot anything.

I figure it must be like some of the other cheaper brands where you pay your money and you take your chances. It doesn't matter what the brand there will be naysayers no matter how much they cost (cough Kimber cough) .

The nice thing is that they are cheap enough to buy if you want to give one a chance. The only thing I will do if I get one is run a few hundred rounds through it before I CC it just to make sure it will go bang when I need it to.

 

[JShirley]

I will say, the P-32 was, out of the box, MUCH more reliable than the considerably more expensive North American Arms .32. I don't think I did any work at all on my 32s, other than cleaning and lube.

 

[hardluk1]

I have pf-9 that has been in my front pocket for the last year .. Great carry pistol and atleast for me it has been able to digest all 124&115gr ammo with no hicups at all. I have tried to get a miss fire or hangup and can't get it to do it. All i did when new was scrap off the casting line on the plastic body and with any and all magazine guns i pull the mag apart ,debur, smooth follower edges, clean and reassemble. I have around 750 pratice rounds threw it including blazer aluminum and 200 rounds of Hornady CD carry ammo. For me it fits better in my pocket ,fills it instead of being burried down in it the way some smaller guns tend to do. The pf-9 makes for a easy to draw gun. I payed 289 out the door.

 

[badbadtz560]

I don't own any of'em but I too did my research while I was still buying/selling/trading firearms a bit. From what I read a few months back, I got the idea that they used to be junk but have fixed up all the problems. The problem w/ certain companies is that they use the customers to help them find quality control issues. As a result, they eventually fixed all their problems but all the earlier ones were plagued by reliability issues. The site helps you identify the revisions of each pistol and I'm fairly convinced that all the newer reviews have been favorable in terms of reliability. I also read that their slide release may need some polishing so that it doesn't rub or cut your hand.

On the other hand, I was only researching the pf-9.. so this may not apply to any of their other firearms.

 

[FatPants]

I'd been intrigued bu the kel-tec's also, so I picked up a PF9 a week, maybe 2 weeks ago. I cleaned up the grip a little bit with a pocket knife, lubed it and went to the range. 200rds without a hiccup. I've been carrying it, and it seems like a decent deal for the price.

 

[springfield30-06]

I also read that their slide release may need some polishing so that it doesn't rub or cut your hand.

I haven't heard that and it doesn't bother my hand. However, on the PF-9 this is not designed or meant to be a slide release, they state that it is a slide lock only and you should rack/'sling-shot' the slide in order to reload/close it. Plus, it's pretty hard to press down while it's holding the slide open (probably because it's not designed to be a release) which makes it quicker to sling-shot the slide anyways.

 

[Houser52]

I bought a P32 about a month ago. Since then I've put about 300 rounds through it and has been 100% reliable from the beginning without doing anything but clean and lubricate. I now carry it with me everyday, all day.

I liked the little P32 so well I bought a P3AT last week and have fired about 100 rounds through it so far. It has also been 100% reliable.

 

[gbelleh]

I love Kel-Tecs. I've owned and carried a very early P-32, a P-11, P-3AT and a PF-9. All have been solid and reliable without any special fluff and buff beyond an initial routine cleaning.

Another good thing about KT is their CS will take care of you if you do have a problem.

 

[Nasty]

Long time owner here...my P32 (gen1) needed a bit of smoothing, perfect since (a few thousand rounds) while my PF9 has yet to fail after over 2500 rds of Speer 124gr Gold Dot.

Could not be more satisfied, no other weapons fill my bill as well as these for my purposes (CCW).

I have firearms for competition...they are built for high round counts.

 

[skoro]

However, how is the reliability of these pistols?

In my experience, very good.

I have two, a P3AT and a PF-9. Both got a clean, lube, and basic fluff and buff before I fired them for the first time. Both have been flawless ever since.

My daughter has a P32; same story.

 

[BamAlmighty]

How is the trigger on the Pf9? Weight? Length? Reset?

I have been considering a PF9 for summer carry, but I haven't had a chance to shot one. I already have a Kahr CW9, but I am always looking for a perfect carry and I absolutley hate the trigger on the CW9.

 

[MedWheeler]

I like my PF-9, though I've only had it since April. Have fired about 300 rounds through it, most of which were my "duty" ammo (Federal 115gr JHP.) I cannot get the gun to malfunction. The gun now rides on my hip, between belt and pants ("ITB" carry) in an IWB holster.
The trigger pull is a little heavy, though you stop noticing this after several rounds, and would never notice it in a fight. It does require a full reset after each shot, meaning the trigger must be allowed to return fully forward. I thought this might be a problem on the range, but it hasn't been.
Some of the older PF-9s have a barrel feed ramp that has a greater incline then do the newer barrels, and this results in frequent jams when using longer rounds, such as 142gr JHPs.
The grip on the PF-9 is markedly thin, so much so that when the gun is lying on a table, it almost looks like a "real" gun that got run over by a steam roller. This thinness, combined with the light lower weight (the gun is "top-heavy"), makes the gun want to move in your hands when firing the first few times. However, the second time I took it to the range, I didn't even notice this anymore, so it must be something that is easy to get past.
For the money, it is going to be very hard to find a piece in this caliber that is as easily carried, shot, and concealed.

 

[plateshooter]

I have a P3AT and had a P11. Sold the P11 to a good friend. He is very happy with it. I carry my P3AT every day and have had no problems with it.

 

[stchman]

If you are going to get a P3AT, get the LCP. It is a better pistol.

I had a P11 and it was not at all a nice shooter. It had FTFs too often for me. Sold it.

Fit and finish on Kel-Tecs are not too good, but that's why they are cheap.

 

[Onward Allusion]

The ones you mentioned are not range guns. You can practice weekly with them and throw a box or two downrange but they are SD/CC weapons. Kind of in the same vein as the Ruger LCP & LCR. They are reliable & inexpensive for the most part.

giggitygiggity



Kel-Tec Pistols
I've been checking out the Kel-Tec P3AT, P11, and PF-9 for concealed carry. They are quite small which is good. However, how is the reliability of these pistols? They are priced cheaply which makes me think that they may be junk. Any experience? Thanks.

 

[okc-zee]

I own a new PF 9 now for about a month...I did the fluff n buff,ran approx 500 rounds thru it,and now it's my summer carry...So far it's been flawless...

 

[stchman]

Why would anyone buy a pistol that you have to "fluff and buff"? Isn't Kel Tec aware of this feed ramp issue?

 

[kokapelli]

Why would anyone buy a pistol that you have to "fluff and buff"? Isn't Kel Tec aware of this feed ramp issue?

Most of them don't need it, people just do it because they read about it.

 

[stchman]

My take is if a new pistol needs to be "fixed", don't buy it.

 

[Nasty]

Fit and finish is comparable to other molded handguns being made today. They all suck next to old Smiths and Colts, eh?

 

[springfield30-06]

Why would anyone buy a pistol that you have to "fluff and buff"? Isn't Kel Tec aware of this feed ramp issue?

Most of them don't need it, people just do it because they read about it.

They have changed the feed ramp and the newer ones run fine. If you happen to buy an older used one Kel-Tec Customer Service will most likely send you a new barrel with the updated feed ramp right away.