Kel-Tec Pistols

[Mudinyeri]

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

Here we go with this again ....

Anyway, I own a Kel-Tec PF9 and it's a nice little pistol. Is it polished stainless steel with ivory grips? No. Could most modern, mass-produced guns benefit from a little fluff and buff? Yes. Now, if you want to spend several thousand dollars on a hand-built, fully custom rig and let someone else do the fluff and buff that's your call.

The Kel-Tec's are what they are ... inexpensive, reliable and concealable. The only hiccup I've seen out of mine is some light target loads I'm trying to dial in to make it a little easier for my wife to practice with it.

 

[BeJaRa]

I have a P3AT that runs great. my step-father has a PF-9 that had an ejection issue about 5% of the time, sent it to Keltec and they made it right. to me that is all you can expect from a company. they got the pistol back to him very quickly. I have complete faith in my keltec.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I got the LCP which is the Ruger "take-off" of the KelTec. I have put over 500 rounds through 'Elsie' without one hiccup, and this was about ten different kinds of ammo. I finally settled on loading my own using 92g Meister Solid Lead bullets that Elsie REALLY LIKES! I shot it into a board and after I retrieved the slug, it was about 1" wide at the widest point, looking kind of like it opened up into wings. I know if that were to have hit bone, then go further, it would do some serious devistation.

I've held the KelTec at a gun show last winter and when I saw a new KelTec compared to Elsie, I'm glad I spent the extra $$ to get the LCP.

It came with two magazines, made in Italy. I bought two more identical mag's and then bought the extended floor plates for the mags which allows me to grip with 2.5 fingers instead of 1.5 fingers! That extra finger makes a big difference! I'm not loading hot, so I could literally shoot it all day, if I wanted to.

I put the Crimson Trace on which fits PERFECTLY under the front and wraps around the trigger guard in two halves, with the switch in a perfect position for me, just below the trigger guard to hit with my middle finger. With very little practice, I can shoot with the laser on or off, it was so easy to get the 'feel' of the switch on the Crimson Trace.

I had considered the less expensive laser, but it was actually wider than the gun, which tapers narrower at the most forward 1" or so.

 

[CoRoMo]

My P11 has proven itself to be 100% reliable. Many hundreds of rounds through it without a single solitary blip of a hitch. I carry it everyday.

 

[Houser52]

stchman-

You must have had a bad Kel Tec experience sometime in the past. All three of your posts consisted of nothing but bad mouthing Kel Tec.
If you have owned them personally and have had some problems what were the problems? Did the factory not make them good?

I fondled both the LCP and the Kel Tec before I bought anything. I agree the LCP is prettier but better? I'm not so sure about that. I chose the Kel Tec because the LCP was slick, as in hard to hold onto during recoil.

I've yet to have anybody look at my rear end and say "is that an ugly Kel Tec
that you're carrying concealed in your back pocket in a wallet holster"?

 

[MICHAEL T]

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

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

Guess better look at the the Ruger LCP boards Lots of fluff and buff going on . When they stole KelTec design The used a 1st Gen and got all the 1st gen problem Fluff and Buff, similes ,etc. Every thing KelTec solved by Gen 2 . So guess don't want a Ruger either. I forgot Ruger prettier than KelTec. and has had several recalls also

I have 4 KelTec all have been reliable out of box no work needed

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I have a P3AT and have been happy with it. It goes everywhere I do and takes up only slightly more pocket space than a cell phone.
I had a FTFeed issue at first but quickly realized it was user error as I was riding the slide forward a little instead of pulling it fully back and releasing. No problems since correcting my technique.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Guess better look at the the Ruger LCP boards Lots of fluff and buff going on . When they stole KelTec design The used a 1st Gen and got all the 1st gen problem Fluff and Buff, similes ,etc. Every thing KelTec solved by Gen 2 . So guess don't want a Ruger either. I forgot Ruger prettier than KelTec. and has had several recalls also

I have 4 KelTec all have been reliable out of box no work needed

Yes, mine had been recalled before it was sold new to me. You know the LCP is "repaired" when there is a little diamond-shape stamp in the black resin - visible looking down - just behind the hammer.

Also, if you go to the Ruger site, you can put in your serial number and they will tell you if your LCP has been recalled, whether they repaired it and if they did, the date of recall repair. I checked my SN for giggles and everything was listed as it should be, that it was recalled and was repaired.

 

[MCgunner]

I bought my P11 in 1996 and have put thousands of trouble free rounds through it. The feed ramp has never seemed to be an issue. It always feeds and goes bang. It's quite accurate, too, considering its size. I can find no better handgun to suit me. I have total confidence in it. And, if it were to break, it's warrantied.

 

[MATTHEW QUIGLEY]

I have a PF-9 and it absolutely will not shoot 147 gr +P Golden Sabers. I think the OAL for them is to long. Everything else, which has been a mixed bag of 115 grainers, it has shot fine, except for one FTE, and it was PMC. I carry it, and feel confident.

 

[skoro]

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

The point of the fluff and buff I did on my KelTecs wasn't to deal with any feed ramp issue. The polymer section of a KelTec tends to have mold flash and rough edges. Those around the trigger guard are the most bothersome. These are easily smoothed out for a better handling firearm. It's quick, easy, and inexpensive.

 

[Ala Dan]

My KELTEC P3AT .380 also has been totally reliable since 'round #1. I carry
it daily; sometimes as a primary, but always as a BUG~!

 

[hardluk1]

kel tec has some of the best warranty work out there, and anyone that had a problem then sold there (junk ) gun lost out . The company will update or replace all parts needed to make there guns run right. They will also just send you the part if you know what your talk'n about when you talk thru the problem you might have.

 

[HighExpert]

I have a PF9 and it has been flawless. The recoil is a little sharp for some shooters but that is functon of weight. Accuracy is pretty good with 2" groups at 15yds.

 

[jake75]

I've been looking at getting a P-11 for a while now. Seems like some like them and some don't. I have handled a couple at gun shows and it would seem to be a good pocket gun. And, so what, if I have to tinker with it a little bit. I like that stuff anyways and if I get it with a guarantee like from Davidsons if it messes up i'll get another one.

 

[Luke15]

I own a green frame and blued slide P3AT with a pocket clip, CT laser, and finger extensions. The only hiccups I've had were with Blazer aluminum case ammo. Same batch made a Walther PPK and Bersa 380 Thunder fail to feed. The trigger pull and small frame take a few boxes of ammo to get use to. The P3AT is my everyday carry gun.

I was about to purchase a PF9 until I shot one. The recoil is very snappy and difficult to recover from. During the same shoot I shot a compact 3" Kimber 1911 in .45acp. The Kimber was a dream to shoot, compared to the PF9. The PF9 is too large to be considered a pocket gun, purse gun is more like it.

 

[MedWheeler]

The only hiccups I've had were with Blazer aluminum case ammo. Same batch made a Walther PPK and Bersa 380 Thunder fail to feed.

I have a Bersa Thunder, and I found some of that old ammo left over from when I had a PPK/S back around 1990. I remember that it didn't work well at all in either my Walther, which I sold in 1992, or in my Grendel P-10 (not much did in that gun 'til I did some work to it.) However, my Bersa ran it perfectly, though I only had about thirty rounds of it to try. I also had about ten of some obscure ammo from that same time period, and about ten Silvertips, also from back then. The Bersa ate them up, too. BTW, these old rounds were mixed up in the mags during the firing.
I love the Bersa, but this is a Kel-Tec thread, so I'll go on to say that the PF-9, while not nearly as pleasant to spend time with shooting, is indeed my EDC piece.

 

[dtsdave]

I had a PF-9. it is actually a little longer and did not pocket carry as well as my Kahr PM9. t was a good gun and only fte'd when I limp wristed. I also have an LCP and love it. I spent the big bucks on the Kahr and saw no reason to keep the Kel Tec.

 

[hardluk1]

dtsdave i tried to make mine mess up even held it with just to fingers around the grip ,loosely and still worked 100%
Luke15 I guess i am lucky, works good for me as a pocket gun and it is hard to hold on to but for a cc weapon nice and lite and gets the job done well.

 

[dtsdave]

Hardluk1, Mine really only screwed up when I tried like you. I was just always afraid that if I got in a real life or death situation I might be shaking in my boots and not really holding on tight and after shot #1 trigger pull #2 may not go bang.

 

[briang2ad]

I just looked at a PF9 the other day. After a few mag drops, the thing started to NOT drop them - the mag release would NOT work. The dealer then told me he wouldn't trust one with his life. I directed myself to a USED PM9 - $500 - that's about twice as much. Are PF9s as bad as the one I picked up?

If I send it BACK to Keltec, do I get to pay the $40 in shipping?

 

[Weevil]

I bought a P11 back in August of last year.

Since then I've put about 600 rounds through it. No problems of any sort, it works as advertised.

Nothing to write home about when it comes to looks or the finish and it is a brutal little beast to shoot, but function wise it does what it's supposed to.

 

[springfield30-06]

I just looked at a PF9 the other day. After a few mag drops, the thing started to NOT drop them - the mag release would NOT work. The dealer then told me he wouldn't trust one with his life. I directed myself to a USED PM9 - $500 - that's about twice as much. Are PF9s as bad as the one I picked up?

If I send it BACK to Keltec, do I get to pay the $40 in shipping?

There may a few issues with the gun...

First I would check the magazine follower and see if it is the old or new follower. If it's the old one the notch may be worn away. My father had this issue and the mag would not fall out of the gun, but it's easily fixed by contacting Kel-Tec and they will send you the new followers with the deeper correctly cut notch.

The other thing it might be is that the magazine release is a first generation plastic one and not the newer metal one. All of the issues will be corrected for free by Kel-Tec if you contact customer service. I'm not sure about your shipping cost question though.

I know this can be discouraging but don't write off Kel-Tec just yet... They have great customer service and the second generation PF-9's have the updated parts which fixed the original issues.

 

[gbelleh]

I'm not sure about Kel-Tec's policies, but a friend of mine had an issue with a P-3AT, and KT paid shipping both ways.

 

[Janos Dracwlya]

The dealer then told me he wouldn't trust one with his life

Just to present the other side, I know at least two gun store clerks who carry Kel-Tec P3ATs, and neither of these guys is a novice with guns (maybe not experts, but reasonably knowledgeable).

Just my two cents.