I finally got to try out my new P-3AT last night. I went through 100 S&B FMJ and 20 90 grain Hydrashoks. For comparative purposes I took my P32 along with some Corbon and some Winchester white box 71 grain FMJ.
I shot the P32 first and noted the long sparks flying out of the muzzle on each shot with the Winchesters, then it was the .380’s turn. Brace, brace, brace, squeeeeeeeeze, bang – not BANG, just bang. I could immediately tell that the P-3AT’s recoil was barely any different than the P32, and this was a big surprise.
Today, even after over 120 rounds, the web of my hand has no tenderness whatsoever, this is not always the case for me. I’ll confess that I did switch to an Uncle Mikes shooting glove after 50 rounds or so, but this was more from habit than anything else, it actually made the gun more difficult to hold effectively and I had to re-adjust my grip after every 2 rounds because the gun shifted slightly under recoil which was annoying. The tip of the trigger also managed to rub a small blister on my trigger finger, something I experienced with my P32 when it was new, it’s very sharp and will receive some attention from my wifes nail board when she isn’t looking, she still wonders where the black plastic marks appeared from after my “fix†on the P32.
I just want to emphasize that the recoil on this gun is absolutely nothing to get excited about, it is little different than the P32. I even shot one and then other and then switched back again from shot to shot, the trigger, recoil, and report were extremely similar, the way the powder burned in the ammo was not however. The S&B is great stuff, no flash, mild recoil, and fed very well. The Hydrashoks were noticeably hotter which surprised me considerably, I would like to have chronied these loads. In addition to a little more kick, the Hydras provided me with an illuminated donut of muzzle flash for each shot, quite impressive, but not desirable. If S&B can suppress the flash, so can Federal, I am confident however that the Federal load will give you everything that you could reasonably expect from a .380 ACP round.
I tried the gun at 5 yards, 8 yards, and 15 yards. It is necessary to sit that tiny front sight up on top of the back one otherwise you will shoot several inches low (depending on range), my P32 is just the same. I would not consider myself better than an average shot, and I only missed the silhouette target once, and that was rapid firing (and I mean rapid) at the 8 yard marker. When slow firing I was astonished to shoot a cloverleaf at 15 yards, it was dead center but 5 inches low, the rest of that 7 shot group was maybe 5 inches and all were in the “ouch, that hurts†zone.
I had 3 stoppages, which I am happy with for a first time out (or even a second or third with such a small gun). Two were FTFs, one was a notable stoppage on the first round in the mag with the hollow points, the other was a FTE where the extractor had slipped off the case mid extraction and the slide then rammed a fresh round into it. I will try to get some cheap HPs and test those extensively as this was the only failure that caused me any real concern.
Guns like these will never gain the interest of the .45ACP crowd, other than perhaps as backups, but personally, I want my concealed carry weapon to be easily and quickly concealed, very user friendly, very comfortable to carry, and sufficiently powerful. The Kel-Tec gives you almost everything a SiG P232 or a Walther PPK gives you, but it does so in an ingeniously designed small package.
Reliability tested, cleaned, lubed, slotted in a nice pocket holster and loaded with 7 Hydrashoks, this gun makes a superbly practical CCW piece, and yes, as a primary CCW not just a backup.
I have been waiting a long time for the P-3AT and I have not been disappointed.
I shot the P32 first and noted the long sparks flying out of the muzzle on each shot with the Winchesters, then it was the .380’s turn. Brace, brace, brace, squeeeeeeeeze, bang – not BANG, just bang. I could immediately tell that the P-3AT’s recoil was barely any different than the P32, and this was a big surprise.
Today, even after over 120 rounds, the web of my hand has no tenderness whatsoever, this is not always the case for me. I’ll confess that I did switch to an Uncle Mikes shooting glove after 50 rounds or so, but this was more from habit than anything else, it actually made the gun more difficult to hold effectively and I had to re-adjust my grip after every 2 rounds because the gun shifted slightly under recoil which was annoying. The tip of the trigger also managed to rub a small blister on my trigger finger, something I experienced with my P32 when it was new, it’s very sharp and will receive some attention from my wifes nail board when she isn’t looking, she still wonders where the black plastic marks appeared from after my “fix†on the P32.
I just want to emphasize that the recoil on this gun is absolutely nothing to get excited about, it is little different than the P32. I even shot one and then other and then switched back again from shot to shot, the trigger, recoil, and report were extremely similar, the way the powder burned in the ammo was not however. The S&B is great stuff, no flash, mild recoil, and fed very well. The Hydrashoks were noticeably hotter which surprised me considerably, I would like to have chronied these loads. In addition to a little more kick, the Hydras provided me with an illuminated donut of muzzle flash for each shot, quite impressive, but not desirable. If S&B can suppress the flash, so can Federal, I am confident however that the Federal load will give you everything that you could reasonably expect from a .380 ACP round.
I tried the gun at 5 yards, 8 yards, and 15 yards. It is necessary to sit that tiny front sight up on top of the back one otherwise you will shoot several inches low (depending on range), my P32 is just the same. I would not consider myself better than an average shot, and I only missed the silhouette target once, and that was rapid firing (and I mean rapid) at the 8 yard marker. When slow firing I was astonished to shoot a cloverleaf at 15 yards, it was dead center but 5 inches low, the rest of that 7 shot group was maybe 5 inches and all were in the “ouch, that hurts†zone.
I had 3 stoppages, which I am happy with for a first time out (or even a second or third with such a small gun). Two were FTFs, one was a notable stoppage on the first round in the mag with the hollow points, the other was a FTE where the extractor had slipped off the case mid extraction and the slide then rammed a fresh round into it. I will try to get some cheap HPs and test those extensively as this was the only failure that caused me any real concern.
Guns like these will never gain the interest of the .45ACP crowd, other than perhaps as backups, but personally, I want my concealed carry weapon to be easily and quickly concealed, very user friendly, very comfortable to carry, and sufficiently powerful. The Kel-Tec gives you almost everything a SiG P232 or a Walther PPK gives you, but it does so in an ingeniously designed small package.
Reliability tested, cleaned, lubed, slotted in a nice pocket holster and loaded with 7 Hydrashoks, this gun makes a superbly practical CCW piece, and yes, as a primary CCW not just a backup.
I have been waiting a long time for the P-3AT and I have not been disappointed.
NOW I AM NOT IMPLING THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH gau5gunner's P3AT in any way, but my suggestion would be to send it back and ask for the gunsmith repairing it to call me to discuss the issues and then for him/her to give a test firng report. 