Kel Tec P3AT 380 versus Ruger LCP380

[mikegideon]

P238 Upgrade

This is the first thing I found when I googled to find out what a p238 was. It is a great example of why I don't like safeties.

It's a baby 1911, so you gots to have a safety. I like the looks of the P238, but a cocked and locked pocket pistol makes me a little nervous. If I could move my pockets away from the family jewels a little, it wouldn't bug me so much.

[Capbyrd]

I travel in Memphis alot..... I am not sure that 7 rounds is enough. I have an extended mag to increase this, but I always carry an extra mag.

Maybe I am just paranoid

Exactly how many times have you had to use your weapon that would make you think 7 rounds isn't enough? And if 7 rounds isn't enough, why are you carrying a .380 anyways? If you are that paranoid, why aren't you carrying a Desert Eagle 50?

[Desert Rat]

He could always carry a 556p with a 30 round mag or a PS90 with 50 rounds. They both fit in a large back pack at 24 and 26 inches respectively. I think I have seen chest packs that might handle one.

Remember: If everyone "is" out to get you it is not paranoia!

[kb4ns]

I sold my P3AT a few years back. Had a few failures to feed in about 150 rounds. Kel-tec has great customer service, but so does Ruger. The finish on the Ruger won me over and I picked one up about 6 months ago. So far, no failures of any sort.

Ruger doesn't have a written warranty, but they're famous for standing behind their products. That would be the least of my concerns.

Exactly. Ruger has never let me down.

Exactly how many times have you had to use your weapon that would make you think 7 rounds isn't enough? And if 7 rounds isn't enough, why are you carrying a .380 anyways? If you are that paranoid, why aren't you carrying a Desert Eagle 50?

I carry my 6.8 AR in a OWB holster when I leave the house here in Memphis. Don't you?

[chadbuddy]

Exactly how many times have you had to use your weapon that would make you think 7 rounds isn't enough? And if 7 rounds isn't enough, why are you carrying a .380 anyways? If you are that paranoid, why aren't you carrying a Desert Eagle 50?

I carry a .380 for deep concealment. I also carry a spare mag because I worry that if more than two people attacked me, I may not have enough bullets to stop them all. A gun without bullets is about as good as a rock, and if it's an LCP then throwing the gun at them wouldn't even hurt that much when it bounces off their head. Secondly magazines can cause failures and it's an easy fix to swap out the mags. Thirdly if I have to defend myself in a rough part of town, I like the idea of being able to top back off until the police arrive to file reports.

BACK ON TOPIC:

I picked the LCP because of the finish of the gun was better than the Kel-Tecs. If I had the money I would have looked at the sigs. Or maybe a Kahr pm40

[hipower]

I bought a keltec 32 when they first came out and have had no issues with it. Found it to have a few ftfs in the first few mags but after that it settled down. Although not a target pistol I found it to be pretty good to about 20/25 feet and could hold head shots consistantly with it. Loved the little gun. Unfortunately, I was in my Blazer when the May flooding occurred, and I forgot about it being there for about a week. Yes I know that's strange but I had other things to worry over. Anyway, when I cleaned out the truck, I found this slimey, grimey, pitted and rusty blob of metal and plastic. It barely functions after cleaning and is rather uglier than before. So since I don't really trust it now, I'm thinking of sending it to keltec and see their reaction.

But to the point of this, I found a good price on a CTC laserLCP package and bought it. No range time on it yet, so I can't comment on that.

But as others have said, the finish is a little better and the hold is slightly better. I just really miss the 10 round mags for the keltec. Come on Ruger, get with it. Lets have a bigger mag for this little pocket piece.

[Patton]

^I will not buy a LCP until they offer the 10rd mags.

[M1_Garand]

I bought an LCP last month and have been pretty happy with it. I put 100 rounds through it with no issues. I looked at (and shot) a P3AT, but the Ruger won out mostly due to the fact that it fit my hand better, and seems to have a better fit and finish than the Kel Tec.

[chadbuddy]

I should add, that I did experience several FTF the first time I shot my LCP. But they went away after I added the magazine extension that let me get an extra hald a finger on the gun. My total round count so far is 354, only time will tell how long these little guys last.

[Guest Supergo]

Just bought my LCP and took it to the range. I never have had a compact pistol and was suprised by the kick of the thing. I also shot several inches low, not sure if its the way I was pulling the trigger or something but after 20 rounds and aiming high I was able to get some good groupings....at five yards!

[Guest Hillbilly Dan]

:)I agree with the guys on the P238. I started with the Kel Tec, traded it for the LCP. They both did well, the LCP shooting better and felt the better of the two. I saw my first P238 and had to have it due to just what it was and how it looked. It shot and felt better that either of the other two. Spend a little more and get a P238. I have now ran about 500 down the tube of the P238 and it just gets better. No more trading. Way to go Sig

[JAB]

...I'm thinking of sending it to keltec and see their reaction.

You should call them (Kel Tec and email response/customer service apparently do not go well together) and see what they have to say. Never can tell but I wouldn't be at all surprised if their reaction were to have you send them the basket case and then send you a new P32.

Kel Tec:

(321) 631-0068

[gregintenn]

Update:

I fired both of these today; side by side. Here are my thoughts on them. I found both of them to be amazingly accurate for their size. At 15 yards, all shots are easily kept on a sheet of printer paper, with most in a four inch group near the middle. This isn't competition accuracy, and I an't that great with a pistol, but for their intended purpose this is more than acceptable. I found the KelTec noticably thinner than the Ruger. I didn't weigh them, as both of them are very light and I can't feel a difference in weight. I had the finger extension on the Ruger mag, and the KelTec didn't have one, so the Ruger was a bit easier to hold. I couldn't tell any difference in recoil between them, and frankly it wasn't that bad on either. Both fired and ejected everything we shot in them with no problems at all. I found the trigger on the Keltec to be smoother than the Ruger, but the pull was shorter on the Ruger. The magazine slid in the Keltec smoother than the Ruger. The Ruger ejected shells just over my head, while the Keltec shot them into another zip code All in all, I like them both for the purpose they were designed to serve. If I were buying one, I'd go with whichever I could get the best price on.

[gregintenn]

A few more thoughts:

My wife is set on her J frame Smith and Wesson revolver. She hated these 380s. As for me, I don't care for the feel of moving parts when I'm firing a gun. I also don't like the fact that if , heaven forbid you had to use one for it's intended purpose, The semi auto leaves your spent casings at the scene. I've yet to have a revolver to fail. I can't say that about a semi auto. On the other hand, The LCP and P3AT are thinner, more comfortable to carry, and easier to conceal than the revolver, along with the fact they hold two more rounds of ammo than a J frame. In the end, it seems you give up something either way.

[gregintenn]

The cool thing is that they both fit the same holster!

[lowbud]

I have had both of these numerious times. I really couldn't tell much difference. The LCP is a little more expensive but looks/feels better in the hand. Performance and/or recoil were about the same to me. I still have a p3at but don't carry it anymore since I got the Kahr P380. I never leave home without a Kahr..

[Guest The Highlander]

My Kel-tec has been very indifferent as far as function and accuracy. For the first box of 50 it was essentially a single-shot. Now I can get it to go through a full mag without failures. I still don't trust it very much though. Accuracy is not what some of you have reported (probably my fault), but I'd feel very lucky to hit a five-gallon bucket at 15 yards with mine. Fifteen feet, maybe. It is never my only carry gun, with its current level of performance, it never will be. I'll probably dump it and pick up an LCP soon. I prefer semi-auto's, but for a pocket pistol that I trust to go bang, give the nod to a S&W Centennial every time.

No experience with an LCP yet, but I'll probably have one shortly.

[Guest Matt-X]

I had the Kel-tec a few years ago and hated it. It was so small that I litterally could not shoot it without the slide chewing up my hand. I have the LCP now and love it(for what it is).

[gregintenn]

I had the Kel-tec a few years ago and hated it. It was so small that I litterally could not shoot it without the slide chewing up my hand. I have the LCP now and love it(for what it is).

??? They are carbon copies of one another. The LCP may be just a smidgen thicker than the Keltec, but I can't unerstand how one chews up your hand and the other one doesn't.

[Guest Matt-X]

??? They are carbon copies of one another. The LCP may be just a smidgen thicker than the Keltec, but I can't unerstand how one chews up your hand and the other one doesn't.

I was baffled myself. Even the Kel-tec belt clip fits on my LCP but it still hasn't chewed my hand once? Go figure.

[gregintenn]

I will have to say that I shot the Keltec first; about a year before getting the LCP. I did NOT like anything about it. A year goes by and I wind up with an LCP. I shoot it and really like it. This gets me thinking. I shoot the Keltec again, and find very little difference in them. Perhaps tastes just change. I'd be happy with either now.

[Guest trigem]

YouTube - Kel-Tec PF-9: "Daily Carry Handgun" Pt 1 by Nutnfancy