Question on a Kel Tec P3AT

[Sandman]

Does anyone own one of these? I am thinking about purchasing one...please tell me the good and bad. How does it compare to the LCP? Thanks!

[Guest Bronker]

If your trigger finger is longer than 0.75 inch, it will chew it up after much range time.

Very susceptible to limp-wristing (nothing unusual for Rightwinger:slapfight:)

Mine has been mostly reliable with FMJ's.

Trigger travel of this tragic DAO trigger is ridiculously long.

It's good for what my wife and I call 'bad-breath distance' but I don't count on it for much farther than that.

But they are cheap, and easily concealable. Great as a BUG.

Just my opinion.

[Bman]

I have one . Only problem I have is the long trigger pull. It fits in the front pocket in a uncle mikes that breaks up the outline very well. It's not a target gun but I carry it for arms length defense. I have never had a failure to feed or jam to date and I have shot it on several different trips to the range.

[-boatman-]

I have had one for several years and it is like the others said. It is more accurate at a distance than what you would expect. It is NOT a range gun. You will not enjoy shooting it a lot. Shoot it enough to know it is reliable and then shoot a couple mags on occasion. Some people do have problems with limp wristing but my wife did not have any trouble with it, even with enough muzzle flip that the slide hit the web between her thumb and first finger. It is a great little gun for what it is intended.

[Tobashadow]

I have the P32 and P3AT and like others have said they are not fun guns or range guns they are deep cover save your ass guns.

Limp wristing failure to feed and extract is a issue with these and any of the small guns because of them making the slide as small and light as possible so it takes the entire recoil energy to extract the empty and load the next round fully and any muzzle flip is bleeding off that needed energy so my advice is to not only train with it to not limp wrist but to also train for failure and quick recovery if you do limp wrist it.

Get a set of snap caps for it and baby rack it so it can ftf or fte and learn to recover fast and you will be perfect.

They are also wet slide guns and i have found a bit of grease on the slide points and any wear marks made during break in makes the slide run much smoother and decreases greatly the limp wristing issues. So even if you do limp wrist it then the greased and smooth moving slide can make up for it.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Tobashadow

[daddyo]

I had one and sold it when I learned that .380 sucks as a defensive round. I also had a catastrophic failure when I was breaking it in at the range. Sent it back to the factory but could never trust it again after that.

Get a PF9 instead. Not much bigger and a much more effective weapon for about the same price.

Plus, women seem to have a harder time chambering a round with the P3AT. My wife never could do it.

Edited February 10, 2010 by DaddyO

[Guest CajunKen]

Before you buy the Kel-Tec, check out the Taurus 738 TCP, if you can find one. It is about the same size and weight, has a much easier trigger pull and the slide is considerably easier to rack.

[crnchy]

I bought one from MphsTiger1981 (thanks... great guy to deal with) and I love it as a BUG. I've run about 100 rounds through it with no problem. It fits perfectly in my back pocket and is just about the first gun I feel comfortable carrying at work in dress slacks, a shirt, and tie. The trigger pull is long but...

It serves a specific purpose for me and I'm very happy with it. Its primary function is a backup gun to my Sig p239 or my Walther PPS although the wife has sometimes carried it for grocery runs instead of her revolver due to the flatter profile.

I say you should go for it. I looked at the Taurus but there seems to be a 50/50 shot of getting a good one. They seem to be working out some bugs still. I also considered the DB380 but saved the $$$ and am happy my Keltec.

Edited February 11, 2010 by crnchy

[frankmako]

i got one and it works. small and easy to hide. long trigger pull, limp wrist will kill it, and you will need to find the ammo that will shoot in it. but all said i would do it all over again. and the price is right.

[rg65]

I did not like mine because the slide does not lock back on the last round. Seems silly to me!

[Guest AlzRuger]

If you are expecting a 9mm or 45 cal, then the P3AT is not the gun for you. If you are looking for a good bug that you can put in your pocket everyday, and it is always with you because it is light and easy to carry, then a 3AT may be for you. Mine is with me every time I walk out the door. My 3 45 cal's, 7 9mm, etc are great guns, but useless if I need one of them, and I remember that they are in my gun safe at home.

[Guest Bluemax]

I have the P3AT, it's not the most accurate handgun by any means but I have never had any FTF issues with either FMJ or hollowpoints. It's unbelievably easy to carry even if you were at the lake or beach. Hint.. look for one that came in the factory hard case these are the "3rd gen" models and seem to have the bugs worked out

[daddyo]

Sacrificing safety for convenience is never a good idea.

[Punisher84]

I love mine. Carry it as my BUG frequently. Never had any issues with it.

[mousegunner]

I've been carrying mine for over five years....

Kel-Tec P-3AT, The Ideal Pocket Gun

[Guest mustangdave]

I can only echo what others have said here...I got one of these for my wife at Christmas and she loves it. That being said...it is what it is...its not a 10-20 yard shooter by any means...its for those UP CLOSE and PERSONAL moments we all try to avoid. Kel-Tec does not recommend that you run a lot of JHP ammo through it when you read the manual. We took it to the range and put 150 rounds of both FMJ and JHP thru it with no issues...yes the trigger pull is LOOOOONG, but it goes BOOM every time. Most important to me...SHE who must be obeyed likes it...LOL cause she carries it ALL THE TIME...and she's not afraid to use it.

[1gewehr]

I've been carrying mine for about 5 years. I fired about 100rds to break it in, and have put maybe 50rds/yr through it since. It likes hotter .380, and doesn't like the WW white box unless it has been freshly cleaned and lubed.

It's a great little carry piece that you can put in a pocket and nobody will notice.

I like the looks of the new Taurus .380, but I will a year or so and see what issues come up. I NEVER buy a firearm I will stake myr life upon in it's first year of manufacture! Every manufacturer has had some type of problem with a new model. It's impossible to test for every contingency before production.

[Guest dart67eb]

I did a fluff and buff on mine for the heck of it and never had a ftf or fte. You carry it when others are not practical.

[MphsTiger1981]

I bought one from MphsTiger1981 (thanks... great guy to deal with) and I love it as a BUG. I've run about 100 rounds through it with no problem. It fits perfectly in my back pocket and is just about the first gun I feel comfortable carrying at work in dress slacks, a shirt, and tie. The trigger pull is long but...

It serves a specific purpose for me and I'm very happy with it. Its primary function is a backup gun to my Sig p239 or my Walther PPS although the wife has sometimes carried it for grocery runs instead of her revolver due to the flatter profile.

I say you should go for it. I looked at the Taurus but there seems to be a 50/50 shot of getting a good one. They seem to be working out some bugs still. I also considered the DB380 but saved the $$$ and am happy my Keltec.

For what it's worth, I'd buy that same gun back from Crnchy right now, sight unseeen. I honestly can't say that about every gun I've ever owned, but I never had a moment's trouble from that P3AT. The long trigger is a safety factor, but I found it to be very accurate to 10 yards, even with the snappy recoil. YMMV

[tnsyty]

Glad to hear all the positives. I have been carrying one a few days now, but have not had a chance to shoot it yet. Planning to this weekend. I am thinking about the 32 version of it for my wife if this one works out well.

[fastbs]

got the wife one cause she liked it and after playin with it i got one. had to polish the feed ramp on mine to get it to cyle JHPs but after that they've both been great.

[hipower]

I'll pretty much echo the senitments of others here on the keltecs. I've had a P32 for about four years as bug and pocket carry It's light, snappy with the right ammo, pretty accurate for no sights. With practice, 6" patterns at 20/25 feet is doable consistantly. But, Practice with it! Stay used to the long trigger. Run a few round thru at each range session.

As for ammo, I practiced with fmj and winchester silvertips , using the latter for carry. Then found some prvi partisan fmj; liked it better than the winchester and kept it loaded withe the pp since. I would recommend the 32 over the 380 for all the usual reasons--caliber similarity, etc, and the ease of getting 32 ammo. Had a first gen PF9 and absolutely hated it--Long sloppy trigger, harsh recoil and fte's. Sold it as fast as possible. I do understand the newer version is better.

[tnsyty]

I shot mine a few times tonight. 380 is a pretty hot round for an 8oz gun. It is not so much the recoil, as the fact there is very little to hold on to. On the 3rd round on both clips, I had a fail to eject using some FMJ 95 grain. Cleared quick and next shots went fine. I plan to run a couple of boxes through it after a good cleaning and see how it does.

[Guest steve24]

My P3AT has been flawless...after having to send it back to the factory for a terrible FTE problem. They sent it back to me with a new slide and barrel.

I've probably put a few hundred rounds through it without a single problem since getting it back. I carry it more than my G26 because it just seems to disappear in my front pocket.

[lowbud]

I bought and sold both.. a couple of times.. lol..

I found them both to be reliable. The p3at is cheaper and feels/looks like it. The LCP is better quality in both look and feel and is a little higher in price.

really that's about it.