P-3AT or PF-9?

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wanderinwalker

wanderinwalker

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Okay, I know, we all love to hate these "one or the other" threads. That out of the way...

Am considering getting a small CCW pistol. I have had a NH permit since I was 21, but rarely carry as the most suitable pistol I have is a Glock 17. Previously I had a Glock 26, but got rid of that for a .44 Magnum about the time I got my CCW permit. It's true, you definitely have to be young and DUMB to get to old and wise! :rolleyes:

So now I'm looking to get something to carry regularly. The Kel-Tecs look like the best bang-for-the-buck, and they are readily available locally.

What I've managed to come up with so far is this:

PF-9 -- gives 9mm power in fairly small package, has better trigger than P-11, maybe not the best choice for pocket carry except with large pockets

P-3AT -- smaller size makes it a better pocket carry "always" gun (how much better?), gives up power and 1 round of capacity

So really, what I'm asking, is for those who have one or the other or both, how do the pistols carry daily? How well do they hide? Where do they hide? Can a PF-9 hide in a pocket? How does the 3AT ride in say an ankle holster or on the belt? Compared to a Glock 26?

And for those who would tell me to get another Glock 26, while I haven't completely ruled it out, it IS too thick for me to pocket carry without cargo pants, period. If I thought it would go on a belt all the time, I'd have one wihtout asking this question.

Thanks all.
 
I had to make the same hard decision. I went with the P3AT due to concealment. I feel I made the right decision for my situation.
 
okay i got a kel tec p3at and i will say this i have forgotten that its in my pocket or inside the gym shorts when i go to the gym. it dissapears when it goes in nobody will see it but if its a ccw you need at least 300 they say 200 but 300 breaks it in much better then clean the s*it out of it. carry with hydroshoks in it its got some real pop to it but never sarry it chambered id hate to shoot a golf ball or something else.
 
I have a P3AT and love it because it disappears in my pocket easily. I too looked at the PF9 but the size difference for pocket carry made it easy.
 
I wear cargo pants, so I have roomy pockets. I went from a P3AT (I used to wear mostly jeans) to a PF-9. Both are great pistols, so I would say that if you wear closer-fitting pants, go with the .380, but if you have the room, get the 9mm.
 
I shot both last week (bought the p3at on friday). The PF9 is too big for my pockets, but carries really nicely IWB. Very comfortable. The p3at is great for an ankle holster, or pocket carry. When I carry it IWB, I almost forget it is there.
 
I went with the P-3AT and found that it can go with me everywhere. Often forget it's there. Will also fit in a shirt pocket. If I need bigger, I need a lot bigger. Then my Sig P-229 goes along.
 
KelTec

P3AT=Pocket carry.......if I can wear a holster, I'll carry something that I can hit with better than the KelTec 9. Usually a BHP or CCO 1911.

But the P3AT is THE POCKET GUN;)
 
I have a p3at , i do not have a p9f , however i have a kahr pm9 . I will carry the kahr as an only gun without reservation the p3at is normally a bug , but may be carried with some fitted formal clothes as a primary tho i am not comfortable with it . More due to the accuracy limits the sights and size put on me rather than the caliber .
 
The P3AT is about half the size of the G26, which would make it a great pocket carried BUG. Unless you're wearing really loose pants, the G26 is too big to pocket carry.
 
I was finally able to hold a PF-9 at a local shop. It was much bigger than the P3AT, but the grip was still small and uncomfortable. It also felt cheap, but that's probably because it is.

My opinion is that they both feel cheap and are uncomfortable to hold, and probably uncomfortable to shoot, but the PF-9 is much less concealable.

If you want a true pocket gun that's easy to conceal in any clothing, go with the P3AT. If you want a slightly larger gun with a more powerful cartrige, get a Kahr PM-9. They're about the same size, but the Kahr is much, much nicer.

After trying the PF9, the P3AT, and the Kahr PM9, I decided that I would never own a PF9, but I'm strongly considering a Kahr PM9 at some point in the future. I typically carry a 1911.

In the end I bought a P3AT, and it probably came in today, so I'll be picking it up as soon as I quit wasting time on the internet. :)
 
PF-9, P3AT, P-32.
The PF-9 is about the same size as my Glock27 but much thinner. Which hides better. I can actually pocket carry the PF-9.

guns113.jpg
guns111.jpg
 
Love my Kel Tecs

I own both. I also own an M&P, PX4, Springer 1911, STI 2011 and a Taurus PT-140...just to let you know I like my firearms. With the exception of the STI I've carried them all. I choose to carry the PF-9 most often. I keep the P3AT in the car and if I'm not carrying I slip it in my pocket, with a pocket holster, and forget its there. Personally I love the PF9...its just so concealable and carries so easily. It shoots very well, recoil is not bad, is relaiable and is, IMHO, the very best value in a concealed carry weapon. If I didn't care about weight and concealability I'd carry something full size but its so uncomfortable I ended up not carrying as often as I like to...the PF9 has changed that. I modified a Desantis rig and it carries really, really well. Here's a pic:

PF-9holster010.jpg
 
Well, I borrowed a P-11 yesterday and ran 50 rounds through it. After the first 20-30, I couldn't hold steady anymore and had to run a bunch of rounds through my 17 and 22/45 to continue firing. I fired a Kahr MK-9 once without this problem, but ran maybe 2 mags through it. But IIRC, I had this issue with my G-26 too if I tried to shoot it too much in one sitting.

So I am considering a hard-chrome PF-9 at the local shop ($319). If I keep the round count low at first, I should be fine. But I may get a Glock 26 and carry it on/in the waistband.

Decisions! :banghead:
 
I've owned the P3AT for a couple years now. Since I got the PF9 several months ago, I haven't taken the 380 out of the safe. The advantage the 9mm has over the .380 is just too much for me to ignore. It feels good to know that under any circumstances, I have the added power of the 9mm.
 
I had a p11 and sold it because of the loooong trigger pull. I've been carrying a P3AT for a couple of years now and like it alot. It's my "Get Off Me Gun". But today I picked up a used S&W 669 to start carrying. Not a bad trigger and holds 12+1rds. I'll still have the P3AT as I like the ease of carry with it and if you practice enough you'll be able to hit at more than 10' from you.
 
The PF-9 is a little too big for discrete pocket carry, in my opinion.

However, it's great IWB. The P3AT is perfect for a front pocket.

I own and carry both regularly...also in Cold, NH.
 
Well, I borrowed a P-11 yesterday and ran 50 rounds through it. After the first 20-30, I couldn't hold steady anymore and had to run a bunch of rounds through my 17 and 22/45 to continue firing. I fired a Kahr MK-9 once without this problem, but ran maybe 2 mags through it. But IIRC, I had this issue with my G-26 too if I tried to shoot it too much in one sitting.
So I am considering a hard-chrome PF-9 at the local shop ($319). If I keep the round count low at first, I should be fine. But I may get a Glock 26 and carry it on/in the waistband.
Click to expand...

I understand your decision. I owned a G27 and sold it for a S&W 642. Recently I purchased a M&P .40 Compact and love it. I still carry my 642 in ankle, belt, or waist, and wear the M&P on a belt holster. I have been looking at the P3AT and the PF9. I may in the future go for the PF9 just because of 9mm, thin, and would work in the belt, waist, and ankle. The
P3AT is just too small for me.
 
I also have one of each and carry them both regularly depending on where I'm going, how I'll be dressed, etc. However, if I had to choose one I would probably go with the P3AT only because it is easier to carry everywhere than any other gun I know of and the first rule of gunfighting is to have one. A little .380 in your pocket will beat a .500 in the safe every time.
 
P3AT in a DeSantis holster in my front pocket, and it goes everywhere I go. Light, comfortable, and very unassuming - looks like a wallet or a PDA.
 
Kel Tec reliability

I'm thinking about getting either a P3AT or a P32 for my wife. She was carrying a Walther PPK/S but it has been jamming so our confidence in it isn't great. How reliable are the Kel Tecs? I was told that Gun Tests gave the P3AT an 'F'.
thanks
 
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