Kel-Tec Quality Control Check

[pockets]

No problems at all on my four:
PF9
P3AT (2nd gen)
P32 (1st gen)
P32 (2nd gen)
None have had a fluff'n'buff, all were 100% out of the box. All have had many many rounds through them without an issue.
.

 

[PAPACHUCK]

I bought a P11 4 yrs ago and it misfed on the first mag. I did a quick F&B and it's been 100% ever since, through at least 1K rds. I trust the little gun now and have learned to shoot it well. Early this year, I bought a P32 and I can't get it to malfunction. That tiny gun seems to always be with me, even when I'm carrying a real gun.

 

[Jbabbler]

Zombie thread... where are we now.

Who still owns the gun mentioned in thier original post? Who needs or wants to change their answer?

I for one ended up acquiring another PF9 in a trade deal about a year after this poll was made. The slide looked like it was 100 years old with all of the pitting and bluig wear but it did shoot well.

 

[robinkevin]

I have a P3AT and the bluing on it wore off it where I hold the slide to rack it. I plan to send it back to get it reblue once I have another handgun to take its place while I send it on a few week vacation. Other than that the pistol is flawless.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I was one of the 27 with a gun returned to KT for repair. I still carry it daily. I recently noticed two spots on the slide have started to rust. Otherwise, it looks and shoots good.


Dave

 

[JustinJ]

No offense tothers but i think it crazy to rely on a product with such frequent quality issues to save your life. I don't care how many rounds your specific keltek has fired without a problem. Knowing a product is made with such low quality standards would make me to worried it would finally break at the wrong time.

The PF9 I bought for pocket carry was a frequent jammer with all ammo until after about 200 rounds and a feed ramp polish. After that it was just ammo sensitive. Sold it (discolsing my experience with it) and never looked back. The Ruger LC9 trigger sucks but at least I can feel confident the gun will work if ever needed.

 

[robinkevin]

No offense tothers but i think it crazy to rely on a product with such frequent quality issues to save your life. I don't care how many rounds your specific keltek has fired without a problem. Knowing a product is made with such low quality standards would make me to worried it would finally break at the wrong time.

The PF9 I bought for pocket carry was a frequent jammer with all ammo until after about 200 rounds and a feed ramp polish. After that it was just ammo sensitive. Sold it (discolsing my experience with it) and never looked back. The Ruger LC9 trigger sucks but at least I can feel confident the gun will work if ever needed.

Whatever makes you sleep better. Truth is you can get a lemon from any of the gun makers, I have seen Rugers as well. Their LCP had nothing but problems when it first came out which stopped a lot of people from buying them and opt for Kel-Tec instead. Fact of matter is, if a firearm is going to fail it will usually show it in the first 100 rounds or so. Therefore I trust my Kel-Tec to be there when needed.

 

[JustinJ]

Whatever makes you sleep better. Truth is you can get a lemon from any of the gun makers,

Yeah, but few others produce lemons at what appears to be 33% of the time.

I have seen Rugers as well. Their LCP had nothing but problems when it first came out which stopped a lot of people from buying them and opt for Kel-Tec instead.

You're exagerating but it was as you said, when they first came out. Funny, many Keltek models have been out a loooong time yet still seem to have awfully high rates of problems.

Fact of matter is, if a firearm is going to fail it will usually show it in the first 100 rounds or so. Therefore I trust my Kel-Tec to be there when needed.

Certain types of problems tend to show up early. Others happen at random intervals due to low quality. Hey, if you want to rely on a gun manufacturer that uses the customers for QC knock yourself out.

 

[Jbabbler]

I have a P3AT and the bluing on it wore off it where I hold the slide to rack it. I plan to send it back to get it reblue once I have another handgun to take its place while I send it on a few week vacation. Other than that the pistol is flawless.

The bluing will wear again. I would send it off and have it Parkerized or Ni plated.

 

[robinkevin]

The bluing will wear again. I would send it off and have it Parkerized or Ni plated.

Thought about having it nickel plated as that would be better for carry imho, but then again that would cost extra and really don't know if I want to put extra cash into the pistol. I got it in a trade turn out to be a great little cheap pistol and kinda like it that way (cheap), but then again I can get it nickel plated for around $40 bucks so who knows.

 

[pockets]

No issues at all with five Kel-Tecs:
P32 (1st gen, 3rd month of production)
P32 (2nd Gen)
P3AT (2nd Gen)
P3AT (2nd Gen ... Yes, I liked it so much I bought another.)
PF-9

On the other hand, I have had a number of issues with Ruger guns.......Go figure. They may be prettier, but I won't buy another Ruger.

.

 

[MrWesson]

I have a sub 2000 that couldn't be more reliable.

I have a Pf9 that is currently at Keltec with FTE problems from purchase.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Got FIVE of 'em and despite them looking like someone dropped 'em out of a truck and got run over by the car behind, they work. To this day, I ask - what the hell are they thinking making a gun with a worst finish than a Hi-Point. But they work.....

What I've found is that like most semi-autos, if you get malfunctions, odds are that they are dirty or mags are bad.

 

[Lateck]

Another happy Kel-Tec owner here

I have one pistol and two carbines with NO problems...


Lateck,

 

[teppo-shu]

P32 purchased NIB in 2002: ZERO issues of any kind. Not shot a lot but carried often.

 

[TennJed]

No issues on 3 models
PF9
P11 (my favorite)
P3AT

 

[stumpers]

PF9 turned out to be the worst gun I ever owned. Right when it should have been getting broke in, it stopped extracting and also numerous failures to fire. I brought it back to the shop I got it at and the owner traded me even for this Model 422...

 

[Manta77]

Not pretty to look at, but they do everything the brochure says they'll do. I own a P32 as well, and it has been flawless from day one. Lightest production .32, .380, and 9mm....They are marching to their own beat.

 

[DukeNukem]

I'm not answering the poll yet because I just picked up my P11 on Wednesday. I hope to get a chance to shoot it tomorrow. Seems okay so far. I got it with the tan Cerakote finish, and that actually looks pretty decent. The trigger pull on it is a thing unto itself, but I knew that going in.

 

[bill97222]

I like my P-11. It currently resides in my computer bag and goes just about everywhere with me as a deep backup. With spare mag it's 24+1 of Winchester PDX1 +p.

It was my first carry weapon... I never really had any problems out of the box, it was crude, but effective... so I got on the Kel Tec site and started reading and working.

Mines got the magazine extensions, a Hogue slip=on grip, a belt clip, 2 factory 12 round mags, the trigger shoe (JB welded on), the rubber overtravel stop and has been fluffed and buffed and fluffed and buffed some more... then it's had the corners of the slide filed and/or sanded off, then it's been cold blued.

About time for another blueing.

The original trigger was brutal... now its silky smooth and I shoot the gun real well considering it's an overgrown mouse gun.

If you want a Sig... buy a Sig... if you are on a budget and can afford the time to put in some sweat equity... the Kel Tec pistol kit is a fantastic bargain from which to make yourself a solid carry gun.

I totally understand the mentality of someone who say's, "I'd never trust my life to a gun like that"... but I did my research, then I bought the best carry weapon I could afford and I took the time to refine it... I know that weapon frontwords, backwards, inside and out... I know it's reliable.

Mines now a good carry pistol.

 

[Shadow 7D]

I took mine out this week and shot it
it's been riding in my pocket for 2?? years, I haven't done a deep lube and clean for at least a year and a half, mostly just blown out the lint, I hadn't shot it either...

I know it goes 'click' on snap caps, because I practice at home with it dry firing, but it's nice to know that I don't have to be OCD about it, and it'll still dump two mags no problem.

 

[thefamcnaj]

I've had 2 pf9's (still own one of them). I put 600 rounds through my first one with no malfunctions of any kind. I have 750 rounds through my current one with zero malfunctions. It feeds my SD ammo of choice(Hornady Critical Defense) with no problems. I've been well pleased with my KT products. I have the tan on tan finish on mine and its held up nice.

 

[Browns Fan]

I bought a p32 about a year after they came out, and did a fluff-n-buff on it before actually shooting it. Never had a problem. My wife claims it as her own now.

More recently, I got a pf9. I just took it out and shot it with a variety of ammo types. I wanted to see if it would run without a FnB. Runs great! Never needed to do anything but shoot it. I shoot it occasionally in a BUG match and do very well with it. I carry it more often than my glock 19.

Neither one of these guns are pretty, but I would sure trust my life with either one.

 

[Jbabbler]

"fluff and buff" = finished the gun for them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

 

[MCgunner]

Zombie thread... where are we now.

Who still owns the gun mentioned in thier original post? Who needs or wants to change their answer?

15 years and still 100 percent reliable and 3.5" at 25 yards accurate.

Polished this guy off in the trap today, shot to the head. I was carrying my P11 CCW and hunting with my CVA Wolf loaded with 777 and a 385 grain .50 cal minie. Didn't really wanna clean the rifle after shooting (777 is corrosive, a BP substitute) so I just popped him with my carry.

BTW, I didn't know fluff and buff in 1996 when I bought my P11, but it's never had a jam except the time I tried to feed it .380 ammo by mistake at the range. That was embarrassing.