jgradyc

Try polishing the feed ramp with a Dremel. While the slide is off, do the fluff and buff to get rid of any machining burrs on the slide. If that doesn't work, send it (and the mag) back to KelTec and let them fix it for you.

I've owned, let's see... 4 KelTecs. I've liked them all and regret selling my P11. As I said earlier, they are a bit of a tinkerer's gun. They are super easy to work on and parts are cheap. If the trigger is scratchy or stiff or too heavy, take it apart and fix it. If you look at the parts under a magnifying glass, you can see tiny machining marks where the parts rub together. You just lightly buff them out with a dremel or fine sandpaper following the DIY instructions on KTOG. I shortened the trigger pull in both directions on my P11, lightening the trigger pull, and then increased it a bit when it seemed too light. Then, I polished the trigger [word?] {I can't remember what this part is called] to make the pull smoother and then dremeled it off a bit to get it to release a little sooner. I bought a spare whatever this part was from KelTec for, I think, $15 or so, in case I messed it up, but it worked fine. These are really easy guns to work on. Most guys at the KTOG forum say they "fluff and buff" their KelTecs before even firing them once. Polishing the feed ramp helps prevent jamming. It's super easy to do with a Dremel tool. Please note that I'm not a gunsmith, so you should learn more about this stuff and then make your own decisions. Oh, one other thing, these little KelTecs will jam if you limp wrist them. You can't just hold the gun lightly in your hand and pull the trigger. It takes a firm grip and a locked wrist. If you don't understand this, look it up on the KTOG forum.

Good point. Thanks.

She was able to reach the trigger on my kahr pm9 and she was able to pull it, if I remember correctly. I didn't even consider the Kahr for her, since she couldn't handle the lightest load wadcutter I could find in 38 special. Is there a low-recoil 9mm load out there?

If it were only a matter of size, she would have a lot more options: P3-AT, LCP, etc, but I'm certain she couldn't handle the recoil of those little guns. I'm hoping that after she shoots the little Jennings J22 and the 25ACP Beretta Bobcat, she'll be able to move up to a same-sized, but heavier, 32 auto. I had thought the Bersa Thunder 380 would be perfect for her, but she couldn't get her finger on the trigger. That is, her hand was too small. I like the idea of the old 32 revolvers. I'll check out the Nashville gun show next week and see what's there. If the LGS nearest to her has a Sig P238, I'll definitely get her to try it out. It's expensive, but it's not like buying a car to trade every couple of years. Once she finds something, she'll probably keep it.

The is the OP. When she holds my Taurus 85 Ultralite in 38 Special, she can't reach the trigger with the back of the grip in the webbing of her hand between thumb and forefinger. She has to move it so it's on the first joint of the thumb. I wasn't at the range when she fired it in her HCP course, but I'm guessing this is what caused the bruising. She wound up qualifying with a 22LR target pistol. She could handle my P3-AT, but I think the recoil of the P3-AT is about the same as the 85 Ultralite, so I didn't even suggest that she try it. She was able to rack the slide of a Walther PK380 once I showed her proper technique, but that's a very easy gun to rack. She could not pull the trigger. I like the idea of a mini revolver. I had not considered the Sig P238. I'll have to check one out. Whether she could reach the trigger would be the main issue.

This is the OP. Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. My sister lived several hours away so I only see her once a year. She lives in a small town and the nearest decent LGS is over an hour away. I've tried to get her to drive to it herself, but everyone who has a sister knows they don't really listen to brothers. I think my best bet is to buy 3-4 of these small mouseguns and let her take her pick a couple... one to carry and one for car/bedside. You can never have too many firearms, in my opinion. I like the idea of the 22 mag mini revolver - safe to carry, easy to fire. I just bought her a Beretta Bobcat 25ACP today. If she can handle the Bobcat, I'll buy her a Tomcat 32ACP to carry and the Bobcat to practice with. They appear to be identical except for weight and caliber. I'd like to find one of those revolvers in 22LR or 22 mag that 1gewehr listed, but I haven't actually held any of them to see if the grip is small enough. I also liked the idea for the Phoenix HP22. I might buy one of those, too, but since I just bought a Jennings J-22 on Sunday, I'll wait to see how she likes the Jennings. I must have lucked out because it's a very reliable little gun so far and has the recoil of a BB gun. I also picked up a Beretta Bobcat yesterday. The trigger pull is a bit too hard for her on double action, but light enough with the hammer back. The safety was a little hard to release, but I imagine it will get a bit easier as it breaks in. I might look into the revolvers and the mini revolver in 22 mag, if I can find them. I also bought her an Uncle Mike's glove to help with practice grip and to get accustomed to the recoil. Hopefully, once she is not afraid of the recoil, I can move her up to .380.

KelTecs are best as a tinkerer's gun. If you go to KTOG forum, you'll find tons of advice on how to polish the feed ramp, improve the trigger pull, and fix other minor flaws. You'll also learn about the most likely problems and how to fix them or prevent them from occuring. If you wife likes it and it works fine when you get it back, keep it. The only think I didn't like about mine was the heavy, long trigger pull, but that was pretty easy to fix with the instructions from KTOG. It's not a Kahr or a XD9, but you already know that. The KelTec P11 is lightweight, easy to work on, and parts are cheap... usually free. The biggest worry with the P11 and the other KelTecs is limp-wristing (holding the gun too loosely in the hands when firing) that results in jamming. You can learn the proper form for holding a KelTec at KTOG... Kel Tec Owners Group. This is really important with KelTecs.... really important.

I posted this on the women's discussion area, but it's worth an opinion from guys, so here is my question. My 61-year-old sister wants to carry. She is a minister's wife and often most go to and from her car in seedy areas of town. She is only 4 foot 10 inches tall, so she would be an easy mark for any bad guy. She has her HCP, but finding a suitable weapon has proven to be very difficult. She has VERY, VERY small hands and she is very weak. The Bersa Thunder 380 and Walther PK380 were too big for her hand. She has SMALL hands. My Taurus 85 38 special was so big that she could barely hold it. It took all her strength to pull the trigger and it bruised her hand, leaving it purple the next day. She won't carry it or shoot it again. I thought about buying her a small 22 revolver, but everything I read says the trigger pull is hard on these little revolvers. Forget the LCP and KelTecs, by the way. I have one. She tried it and it was too big and too hard to pull the trigger. Plus, those little guns kick, especially for a senior citizen with arthritis. I'm willing to pay for gunsmithing if that's what it takes to find something for her. By the way, I just bought her a Jennings J22 and a Beretta Bobcat 25ACP that I intend to field test soon for reliability, but I'd prefer something with more rounds and/or more firepower. They aren't much gun, but right now she has no gun. In my thinking, a 4 foot 10 inch, 90 pound woman is better off with a 22LR/25ACP gun instead of NO gun. Okay, so what are her options? Also, while we are at it, what about a home defense weapon? I'm thinking maybe a Youth model 410 shotgun?

First, I'm a guy who is trying to help my 60-year-old sister find a suitable carry weapon. She's a minister's wife and often at the church at late hours. Over the years, crime has gotten worse in the vicinity. After a cousin was murdered a few miles away a couple years ago, she got her HCP. We grew up with guns, so she can handle a gun, but here are the problems. She is really tiny and her hands are about the size of a 10-year-old girl's hand. The Bersa Thunder and Walther PK380 are too big for her. She has arthritis so her hands are weak and she cannot pull the trigger on most double action revolvers or semiautomatics. I've tried a small-handled Taurus 85 in 38 special, but it bruised her hand so badly it was purple the next day. It was too big for her hand so it was hard to grip. Plus, she had to put both her left and right forefinger on the trigger to pull it. My KelTec P3-AT was too big and too hard for her to pull the trigger. Plus, the little KelTec kicks too hard, which is why I thought she'd like Bersa or the Walther, but they were too big. I've bought a Jennings J-22 and a Beretta Bobcat in 25ACP for her to try on my next visit this summer. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I would not invest in coins or gold/silver for this situation. PM, gems, and rare coins are best considered as ways to transport wealth from one unstable country to another. That's okay for Europe where you can walk to the next country in a few days, but it doesn't work in the United States. In a true crisis, coins/PM would have some barter value, but the return on investment would be really low. Coins in bulk are also pretty heavy. Better barter items in weight to value would be ibuprofen and aspirin. Next would be bleach (for water purification), rubbing alcohol, and insect repellant. Next, ammo. Next, non perishable foods.

Only serious drinkers are going to be trading for alcohol so you'd best stick with something most serious drinkers like. This is Tennessee, so that's whiskey... Jack Daniels would be my choice to stock. All non-liquor drinkers, which is a LOT of people, would be more interested in trading for rubbing alcohol. It's far more cost effective as a barter item. As you stock up on liquids, add a few bottles of unscented Clorox. It's a great water purifier and if public water is off, it would be in far higher demand than whiskey or rubbing alcohol.

This is a great conversation. Thanks for starting it. In my opinion, there are some issues you might want to reconsider. In the spirit of helping out, here is my take. I understand that you are limited by budget, but you aren't limited to an arbitrary number of four weapons per person or the identical weapons per person. Your budget could be better spent matching the weapons to each person's abilities. While there is an advantage to identical calibers and magazines, there is no need for 5 identical arsenals. If a gun breaks, you don't have spare parts, so there's no advantage there. Everyone will be practicing with their own gun, so there's really no advantage there either. Just label the bags for each person and match the firearms to the capability of each person. They should use the same ammo and, as much as possible, the same magazines. There's no need for you, as group leader and most experienced, to skimp on your firearms just to ensure that your wife or pre-15-year-olds have an identical weapon. I personally would never consider arming my wife or a 15-year-old with the same weapons I would use. It's also not necessary for each teenager or the wife to have four weapons, especially two handguns. Kids would be safer with a carbine. Once you step outside the door, every advantage of a handgun goes away except for concealment and the ability to carry comfortably 100% of the time. But if you're already carrying a carbine on a shoulder strap, that last advantage goes away, too, so why would kids need two handguns? That said, your choices are excellent: 357 wheel gun, 10/22, .243, and Ruger (9mm?). A 357 can be loaded with 38 for lighter shooters and it's a heck of a lot safer for youngsters than a Glock... less chance of an AD. I'd probably go with a .223 instead of .243 because the cost of practice ammo is so much cheaper for .223. A scope for both rifles is a good idea. One point that has not been stressed enough on this thread is that you also need a quiet weapon, especially for hunting. There are lots of reasons why you would not want to announce your presence to anyone with the sound of gunfire. If no one knows you're there, no one is going to bother you. For this reason, I'd replace the 9mm Ruger with a .117 pellet rifle for the teenagers and probably carry a scoped pellet pistol myself on the weak side for small game when I left the compound. If I left for the specific purpose of hunting small game, I'd take one of the kid's pellet rifles and carry a folding carbine in a backpack. There are no bear where I live, so I'd leave the 357 out of my bag and replace it with a pellet pistol. I can't see any purpose for it that couldn't be better served by the combination of a hi-cap 9mm and a pellet pistol. Come to think of it, I'd probably carry a small, easily concealed 9mm also. So here is my modification of your armory. Kids 357 wheel gun .223 Kel Tec Sub 9, 2000, or 16 or Ruger Mini 14 .177 pellet gun 2 moderately priced scopes Spouse 357 wheel gun $250 one of the above 223s ~400-$600 Other person Armed based on ability Myself Kel Tec Sub 9 or 2000 (scoped) $400 9mm or 40 cal handgun in matching mags to the Kel Tec $500 Small deep concealment 9mm or .380 (Ruger LCP, Kel Tec P3-AT, Kahr PM9) $250-$550 Pellet pistol (scoped) $150 The kids' weapons cost about $900; the spouse's, about $600; and you're in for just under $1,600, so that's less than five grand for the five packages.

I've heard second-hand that the noise is uncomfortably loud with your face so close to the cylinder. I came close to buying one, but bought a 20 ga pump youth model instead... a Winchester Model 120, I think.

Here's a bit of thinking outside the box? Why not buy two guns?... one for recreational shooting and another for carry. For carry, you want a gun that will reliably go bang every time... no jams. That's the knock on all 22's, they can be finicky on the type of ammo so you want to be sure that you practice with your carry ammo. Once you can be sure that it will fire every time, the little 22 is a heck of a lot better than no gun at all. If I carried a 22, I'd also carry a spare mag. Like another poster said, you can empty a mag in 2 seconds and several shots with a 22 would probably stop the fight or slow someone down enough to give you time to seek cover and reload. The cost of the gun itself is minimal. Most guns will be worth close to what you paid for it several years later, so owning two guns is not a big cost factor over the long run. Most of us on the forum own... well... let's just say more than one handgun. I just saying that if you have $300 in savings that you aren't using, you could put it into a good handgun priced right from the classifieds, keep it for a couple of years, and then sell it for what you paid for it... or close to it. Plus, you've had the extra protection and enjoyment of owning the firearm. I am considering this exact gun (the Taurus PT22) for my sister, who has incredibly small hands. For ease of concealment, you might consider the Taurus LCP or Kel Tec P3-AT. Both are about the same size at the PT22. A little larger and you have a lot more choices... Kahr PM9, Kel Tec PF9, Kel Tec P11. A tiny bit larger is my personal carry, the 9mm Taurus 709 slim.

My sister is similar age and similar health situation. She cannot pull the trigger on a double action revolver and can't handle the recoil on the Taurus 85Ti I gave her, even loaded with the lightest round I could find... wadcutters. Her hand was literally black and blue the next day. I'm going to test her on the Walther PK380 and Bersa Thunder 380 next. The Walther is the easiest auto to rack I've ever held, so hopefully she can handle it.

I didn't run in this race or volunteer as a course monitor, so I don't know the particulars, but I can expand on the answers given so far. In order to leave one lane open, cones would have been necessary for the entire stretch of road. That's prohibitively expensive for the organizer and an extra level of liability should someone be injured. Far more important, some drivers would have ignored the warnings to slow down and would blasted through the open lane at 60mph. I've been in 196-mile-long race from Chattanooga to Nashville where stopping the traffic simply wasn't possible and there's always some crazy gay/gal who comes blasting through at dangerous speeds even when course monitors try to get them to slow down. I had a car come by me at 60mph so close I could have touched the mirror... scared the heck out of me. It's just safer to stop the traffic. There are other reasons to stop the traffic. Some drivers would want to make a right turn along the stretch and would do so in front of runners. It's impossible to station a monitor at every driveway along the course. Runners aren't expecting cars on the course and can make a sudden move to the side outside the cones. I have done this myself in a race and seen it done. Sorry you were inconvenienced. My training partner probably won the women's 50-54 age group. A decade ago, the delay would have only been 5 minutes because everyone in the race were runners. Today, the majority of "running" events are actually walkers, so the roads have to be closed much longer after the runners go by to allow the walkers to get by. The money typically goes to a good cause, so at least there is that as consolation.

I read the first five pages of this thread before I finally thought, "Good grief!!!" and gave up reading the rest. Here is the fix. Open a checking or savings account at a local credit union. You should be able to get a safety deposit box big enough for a handgun for $25 a year... maybe $35. Once you have the box, return with the unloaded gun without ammo in something nondescript... backpack, paper bag, whatever. Once in the private room, place gun in box and return it to vault. The issue is resolved. End of thread.

I enjoy haggling just for the fun of it. Maybe that's because of how I was raised. I don't haggle unless I'm a serious buyer, though. Times are tough. The markup on some stuff is so low that it's not realistic expect much price drop. On the other hand, I've seen some stuff that was way overpriced. When I'm at Academy Sports and see something I want, I typically use an Amazon app to photograph the bar code and I get an instant online price quote. I was in gun store recently and saw a Mosin Nagant for $250. I bought mine from... ah, let me look up his business card... he deserves a plug... Phillip at Goodlettsville Gun Shop for less than half that when he had them on sale.

I just purchased a Bersa Thunder 380 used and I really like the feel of the gun. The trigger pull is good, but I can feel some very slight scratching just before release. With my Kel Tecs, it was simple to disassemble the gun and then polish the parts with a Dremel, but I can't find any information on how to disassemble this gun that far. I'm afraid there is something I should know first before I attempt this. In the Kel Tecs, for example, there is a spring pin that you have to hold carefully. Otherwise it will go flying across the room. Parts sometimes need to be held in a particular position. I can't find any similar instructions for the Bersa. Anyone have any advice on how to proceed? I'd guess that less than 200 rounds have been down the pipe. I do have 380 snap caps. I would enjoy doing this myself, but I don't know how.

About 55 seconds into the ad, he states "but if you are a non-Christian Arab or Muslim, I will not teach you the class." This action would be a violation of Federal Law, specifically the Federal Civil Rights Act, which guarantees all people the right to "full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin." I'm less certain whether he can say this without violating the law, but should either named party show up for one of his classes and be denied service, it would be a violation of federal law.

I have an XD-40 and a Taurus 709 Slim, which is somewhat similar to the the SR9c. I'm a small, skinny guy and the XD-40 gets heavy carrying all day, whereas the lighter (19 oz) and thinner 709 is more comfortable to carry. From what I've read, the SR9c is about the same weight as the XD, so that shouldn't be a deciding factor for you. Then, there are guys that carry a full-sized service 45 without complaints, so weight is pretty subjective as a criteria. That said, you're going to notice a big difference in carry between either gun and your LCP. I have the Kel Tec P3AT 380 with a thin pocket holster. It's a grab-as-you-go-out-the-door gun. As a small, skinny guy, the XD40 and the 709 require dressing with carry in mind unless its winter. I'd agree that if you can find an XD40 used, it might be a better value than the XDm. The biggest differences are the grip and larger magazines on the XDm. If the XD grip fits your hand, then you don't need the XDm grip. The larger magazine is a personal preference, but there are people who would argue that all day. Getting a gun that fits you is important. For example, I find the extended magazine on the XD40 to be very awkward to grip, whereas the standard magazine fits naturally in my hand. People with large hands would probably have just the opposite opinion.

I have a Hi Point 995 with the ATI stock. The original stock is just about the ugliest stock on the planet, in my opinion. The trigger pull was always hard and it eventually broke. I called Hi Point, sent it in, and they replaced it free. I also complained that the trigger pull was too heavy and they fixed that at the same time. I was not the original owner and they didn't even ask. I didn't send the barrel or the stock, just the lower assembly. A toothpick used to apply a dot of fluorescent orange paint to the front sight helps a lot, although I also have the ATI laser. Most guys ask what it is and are surprised to learn that it is a hi point.

Militec

I'm a bit late coming to this discussion, but as a writer and researcher myself, I'd point out a couple of ideas. First, correlation does not imply causation. Unfortunately, the reverse is often used (correlation PROVES causation) to make a biased point. When the search for correlations expand beyond the initial viewpoint, it can often lead to some interesting changes in perspective. Please note: I'm not accusing Brian of bias. I'm merely pointing out that correlation is often used incorrectly to support an agenda on way or the other. I decided to check for other possible correlations. It took me about 20 minutes to find a website listing types of crimes by state (Table 69 - Crime in the United States 2009) and download the data as a spreadsheet and search for a high-crime correlation other than firearms. My initial premise was the same as an earlier post on this thread -- the cause of increased firearm crimes was increased illegal drug activity. To test that hypothesis, I then searched the referenced states (DC, TN, IL, MD, SC) and and found a high correlation for drug abuse arrests. Only GA was an outlier and it was more average than low. To test this correlation further, it would require looking at more states... LA, MS, FL, and KY would also have to have above average firearm crimes per capita for this hypothesis to have possible merit. Conversely, VT, WA, OH, SD, MT, MA, and IA would have to fewer firearm crimes per capita. I don't have the database used by Brian, so I can't quickly compare these states, but illegal drug activity would seem to be a more valid correlation to violent crime than firearm ownership, especially considering that IL and DC seem to invalidate the firearm ownership/violent crime correlation. One has to be careful in drawing conclusions from correlations, especially on a state-wide basis. Certain areas are hotspots for crime and those data can skew the correlations. Brian, if you like, I can email you the spreadsheet I created.