Keltec P3AT fte

[billj888]

I've made up at least a half dozen loads for my Keltec .380 and have always had good results feeding and ejecting until yesterday. My load is 100 gr Berry's plated bullets with 2.9 gr Titegroup. This load is hot, maybe too hot. I had numerous fte's. Does this happen more often with hot loads? My thought was that weak loads would be more likely to not eject. Brought the gun home and cleaned it well, removing the extractor and touching up the claw with an emery board. Tried to bend extractor spring slightly to give it more tension. One more thought: my cases had been fired numerous times. Could the claw be gripping a place on the rim that was chewed up? Anyone have this problem with a small autoloader?

 

[Walt Sherrill]

If you think HOT LOADS are the problem it should be pretty easy to find out, by trying different ammo or loading up a small batch of less-hot rounds. (Terminology: sounds like an "extraction" issue, rather than an "ejection" problem...)

If you're not ready to do THAT, you need to give Kel-Tec a call... and see what they recommend.

I never had problems with a P3AT using standard factory ammo, including SELF DEFENSE ammo. Never had a problem with a P3AT, for that matter -- except the trigger guard played havoc with my trigger finger during recoil. (That was NOT an issue with the similar LCP.)

.

 

[kokapelli]

Maybe your recoil spring is getting weak and with the hotter loads needs replacing.

 

[greenlion]

A weak recoil spring will not cause a failure to eject. The slide is going to come back even faster/harder, ejecting the casing.

Hodgdon lists their top load at 3.0gr Titegroup, so you seem ok there.

You sure the extractor looks ok?

 

[redbone]

Suggest getting a box of factory rounds and see what happens.

 

[rhinoh]

Is it not extracting or not ejecting? May not be your problem but the little steel ejector piece that fits in the frame often falls out when the slide is removed. Many have lost this piece not being aware of it.....

 

[MICHAEL T]

Yes I have found mine more than once on table after cleaning

 

[kokapelli]

Anyone that has lost that part will tell you it had no effect at all on the pistol' functioning.