Thinking of selling Kel-Tec P3AT & S&W 638 to fund a G26 or XD-3"

[StrikeFire83]

Hello, all.

Okay, so I'm a 9mm guy. I love em, I shoot em well, and I'm pretty confident in the bullet's ability to stop/kill a human, so I don't really care to get into the caliber war debate.

However, I do own two guns that I NEVER shoot.

1) Kel-Tec P3AT: Hard chromed slide with OD green frame. I bought this gun 3 years ago intending to use it for pocket carry, and I put about 3 boxes of ammo through it. The gun functioned fine, but I didn't care for the recoil, trigger, anything really. Shortly afterward I bought a Kahr PM9 which I now shoot well. Ammo for the Kahr is cheaper, the Kahr has a better trigger, and 9mm is superior to .380. Also, I can pocket carry the Kahr in every pair of pants/shorts that I own, which kind of renders the Kel-Tec irrelevant.

Here's my latest range report with the Kahr PM9: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=575400&highlight=

2) S&W 638: I bought it several years ago because I felt I "needed" to own a j-frame. I've put about 1000 rounds through the gun, and I find it very hard to fire both quickly and accurately. Pretty solid accuracy in single action, "acceptable" in double action but not nearly as good as I am with my Kahr PM9. Again, the PM9 pocket carries better than the 638 and has better capacity and reload-ability. Also, .38 Special is expensive, and I'm not in a position to be able to reload anytime soon.

SO....finally, I'm thinking of selling both of these guns to fund a sub-compact, double stack 9mm like the Glock 26, XD-3" or S&W compact. I really feel like it would fill the void between my service sized 9s (Glock 17 & CZ-75b) and my pocket 9 (Kahr PM9). Anyhow, your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Frozen North]

Do it! I have a Glock 26 that I carry every day. With the 2+ mags, it is 12+1 rounds in a nice little package that is easily concealed. I have carried this gun for a year and still have no ambition to replace it with something else. I can say without a second thought that it is the perfect carry pistol for me.

 

[StrikeFire83]

^ Good, just the encouragement that I need!

The next question will be: Which sub-compact 9mm!!??

 

[Frozen North]

You can use your G17 mags in a G26.... If that type of thing matters to you.

 

[StrikeFire83]

^ Very true. I'll need to shoot both, as I sold off an XD-45 Tactical years ago and it's the only gun I've ever sold that I could shoot out the center ring at 25 yards! Loved that trigger.

 

[Geno]

When I bought my G26, I sold my P3AT. The G26 is a great ankle handgun. I carry either a G19C or a G17 as the primary, with G17 magazines for reload. Be sure to get the 2-round extender for the magazines.

Geno

 

[Dot_mdb]

I wouldn't sell the 638 to get the Glock. I like Glocks but the 638 will conceal better and it is really a classic kind of gun. I own a 640 that I carried every day for 5 years. I recently switched to something else but still carry the 640 a few times a month. The J frames are just great guns for people who carry concealed.

I liked my 640 from the minute I first owned it but I really liked it a lot more after I put a Tyler T grip on it. Maybe that would work for you also.

Bill

 

[StrikeFire83]

^ I agree that the 638 is an excellent gun, just not one that I shoot often or all that well. Shooting single action (thumbing the hammer back), I can get them on a paper plate at 7 yards...barely. Double action, firing quickly, shotgun pattern on a DPS target at the same range. Add in to that the cost of .38 ammo, which is prohibitive for people who don't/can't reload, and the reason for me to own one are minimal.

I know some of y'all have 50 handguns, and that's awesome, but I can only afford to have a few right now (poor law student) so there's no room for guns that don't get shot.

 

[JohnBiltz]

A G26 is sweet gun if you like Glocks. I had a G17 and needed a summer carry so I bought a G26. I shot it better than a G17. Its my favorite pistol. But I would take a look at the Ruger and S&W.

 

[ultradoc]

I like the looks of the green P3AT and am kind of in the market to get [another] one. Wish you were in my state [of confusion].

 

[MikePaiN]

Sounds like the G26 or one of the larger Kahrs() would be a good replacement for those safe queens of yours

 

[TX expat]

I love my CZ 75BD and as I said in another thread I'd take a serious look at the CZ 2075 RAMI BD if I were looking for a compact 9 for concealed carry. That said, I do carry an XD subcompact .40 and I've been very happy with it, so I'd recommend the 9mm version with no hesitation. I looked at the comparable Glock and the M&Pc when I bought my XD, and while they are all excellent weapons, the XD felt much better in my hands.

 

[iblong]

I sold my 638 as it was my least favorite j- frame Ive owned.It shot ok,but the the finish on it was the worst Ive had on a hand gun at 6mo old it looked like I had been carring it for a decade.
I would have happy to replace it with a 26,others not so much.

 

[group17]

two of my favorites