I REALLY wanted to love my P-3AT....

[BigPoppa]

super light, concealable, in a DeSantis Nemesis, it disappears in my front pocket - looks like a wallet or a BlackBerry, and a decent self defense caliber.

But after about 100 rounds, I'm still getting NUMEROUS fail to fires (from light primer strikes) - various brands and types of ammo. Not cool for a last resort gun that HAS to go bang each time I ask it to.

I found this post from Marswolf from last summer :

Kel-Tecs are either reliable or not after about 50 rounds. If they are not...you send them back to Kel-Tec at their expense and get back one that is nicely tuned and very reliable

........and mine is not.

Would a fluff & buff help this at all ? Or do I just need to go on and get it on the way to Florida ?

If I send it back, I gotta wait until my Taurus 850 CIA arrives, so I'm not caught unprepared.

Anyone else had this light strike problem ? Advice ? Comments ?

Edited February 14, 2008 by BigPoppa

[Guest ScottD]

If you do send it back, expect to wait 6-8 weeks. Apparently they are backed up from all the problems they had with the PF9's. My P3AT lives in Fl at the current moment.

[molonlabetn]

Light-strikes will not be affected by a fluff & buff... call up KT and get a shipping label.

[towerclimber37]

arg!!! I've heard so many good things about the p3at.

Thats a shame to hear that they're having to go back..and that they're backed up...

[Guest canynracer]

Nevermind..re-read the OP you tried several types of ammo...my bad

[Guest jackdog]

Fluff and buff won't help that situation, get her back to Kel -Tec.

[et45]

This is why I am waiting to see how well the new Ruger works.

[mousegunner]

My very first p3at had some problems, and so I shipped it back, and got practically a whole new gun from KT, another 1st gen. That was three years ago, and it has been 100% since then. It is worth taking the trouble to get it going right.

http://www.mouseguns.com/ideal2.htm

[Guest knightslayer57]

If it is too much of a headache and you do not want to deal with the headache or wait time from Kel tec then just PM me and we can work out a price and place to meet FTF.

[Magiccarpetrides]

haha thats great. What about a PM9 Kahr? Those are quite small but still pack a punch...or the good ol Bersa Thunder Compact if your married to a .380 I hear nothing but good things about them.

[shaftbass]

Well, it is a Kel Tec. No way I'd trust a cheap flimsy semi-auto over a J-frame revolver.

[Guest kdgreen23]

Loved my P32 Keltec also. Now it is also living at Keltec for the

past 3 weeks. FINALLY got to talk to a human there yesterday

and she said probably another month. I am not impressed. But

My G27 is enjoying my company.

[Guest Boomhower]

Still loving my P3AT. I'm sorry your's hasn't turned out to be all it can be. Mine was pretty well spot on from shot #1. Yours may take a little more than 100 rds. to get broken in a little, but look on the bright side, at least your only out a couple hundred. Could be like this and be out several hundred more. However, I will have to say that things have improved with a little time and a little more money.

Edited February 15, 2008 by Boomhower

[Guest m4coyote]

I purchased a new KT P3AT last year, and have already sold it to a friend. The little P3AT never failed to function, but I just could not live with its lack of accuracy. I know some folks claim that their sample of the KT P3AT is accurate, but that was not the case with mine.

My P3AT would do well to be able to keep one or two shots from a full magazine on an 8.5" X 11" target at 15 feet. This was just not acceptable for me, and I started researching other options. I found what I was looking for in the Kahr PM9.

My PM9 has the black diamond like slide, and night sights. I could not be happier with the little gun. Hand held, I can place several full magazines of 9mm into a 2" circle at 10 yards. It will keep all shots within the "kill" zone at 25 yards. This is all I can ask from a tiny defensive type 9mm handgun.

Out of 800 rounds fired so far, the PM9 has had only one malfunction during the Kahr factory recommended break in period of 200 rounds. The malfunction was a failure to completely return to battery at around round 175. A light tap with the heel of my left hand did the trick, and the round went bang.

The PM9 is bigger than the P3AT, but not by much, and right now, it is the only truly high quality pocket pistol manufactured a major caliber (other than Rohrbaugh). I looked at a Rohrbaugh, but the factory recommends changing the recoil spring every one hundred rounds, and I liked the fact that the PM9 has a slide release.

I purchased my PM9 from Sportsman's Warehouse, but if you look around, you might find a better deal on one somewhere else.

[mousegunner]

My P3AT would do well to be able to keep one or two shots from a full magazine on an 8.5" X 11" target at 15 feet. This was just not acceptable for me, and I started researching other options. I found what I was looking for in the Kahr PM9. My PM9 has the black diamond like slide, and night sights. I could not be happier with the little gun. Hand held, I can place several full magazines of 9mm into a 2" circle at 10 yards. It will keep all shots within the "kill" zone at 25 yards. This is all I can ask from a tiny defensive type 9mm handgun.

Most "civilian" self-defense shooting will be at close range; and the p3at should be fine for that. However, as the recent school shootings illustrate, you may indeed find it necessary to engage a bad guy at 25 yards. When we ccw, we should carry the largest most accurate gun possible. Sometimes, depending on how deep your ccw needs to be, that will be a p3at. Other times, a larger more accurate firearm will be a better choice, if you can pull it off. The PM9 sounds like a great pistol, and I'd like to have one myself.

[r1mattrr]

Still loving my P3AT. Had about 100 rds through it so far. I wouldn't keep it by the bed, but when you have to go small or nothing at all; it helps.

[DMark]

Always give any new Keltec product about year before buying and then only purchase the latest made.

IMHO, Keltec lets the public do their Beta Testing for them. So long as you understand that they can be a good honest firearm.

BTW - a late production P3AT is my BUG.

[white Oak]

Willl kel-tec ship the gun direcly back to you? or do you need to go back through an FFL?

[DMark]

Willl kel-tec ship the gun direcly back to you? or do you need to go back through an FFL?

They will ship directly back to you. I think its requires a signature.

[mousegunner]

Yup, straight to your door, but as indicated above, you need to be there to sign for it.

[DMark]

.... as indicated above, you need to be there to sign for it.

If you are not there they (UPS or FedEx) will leave a call tag and you can go and pick it up at their location. That is often easier than trying to hang around and meet them at your address.

[Guest YANKEE2500]

The new Ruger LCP is due out in March MSRP is $330. John

[Guest Boomhower]

The new Ruger LCP is due out in March MSRP is $330. John

Thanks for the info. I did not know about this little rocket.

[white Oak]

I have a Kel-tec with about 200 rounds through it so I guess I have a "good one"

[Guest woodsltc]

You should check out this site: http://www.ktog.org/

This is the site for any Kel-Tec related problems or questions!!

After a thorough "Fluff & Buff" of my P-3AT, I've no FTF or ejection problems.

Don

Edited February 17, 2008 by woodsltc