Kel-Tec's, and that annoying 6K round thing...

[Steelharp]

I guess we all know about Kel-Tec's warning about their barrels being good for 6,000 rounds. I always wondered why.

 

I have a new acquaintance that worked in their R&D department, and I asked him about it. He said...

 

"Well, a little bird told me once that their barrels... were seamless steel tubes that were reamed to size and button-rifled."

 

So, they're NOT "real" barrels. Hmmmm.

[ProfEngr]

So, guess this goes for the mythical CMR-30 too?

[Oh Shoot]

Also, as of about a year ago,  they won't fix anything under warranty except for the original purchaser.

 

- OS

[TrickyNicky]

Also, as of about a year ago,  they won't fix anything under warranty except for the original purchaser.

 

- OS

 

 

Thats a bigger deal breaker IMO. That was one thin I always really respected about keltec, even though their products aren't the best, they stood by them. Oh well.

[Steelharp]

He also told me, "They've been buying more barrels and farming out more things in recent years, which leads to better quality. Most of the pistol slides have been forgings since I was there (MY IDEA). Demand is high enough that they can have other companies make barrels and not have it effect machine time, etc. uniform standard across multiple subcontractors requires more conventional manufacturing techniques, such as the use of barrel blanks."

 

So, perhaps it's getting better...

[gjohnsoniv]

Well it seems like they really went back to the board on the new Sub 2000 by improving production methods.  Hopefully good things are going to be coming.

[R_Bert]

Also, as of about a year ago, they won't fix anything under warranty except for the original purchaser.

- OS

Closer to five years. They did that before I got kicked out of KTOG, which was at least 4 years ago.

BTW, there is a very nice KTOG facebook forum full of the oldtimers. The admin is Dan Morrissette Jr. Edited March 12, 2015 by R_Bert

[Oh Shoot]

Closer to five years. They did that before I got kicked out of KTOG, which was at least 4 years ago.

BTW, there is a very nice KTOG facebook forum full of the oldtimers. The admin is Dan Morrissette Jr.

 

My, how time flies.

 

Looks like it was 8/4/11 to be precise, so about 3.6 years:

 

http://www.keltecweapons.com/news/warranty-update-second-owner-responsibilities/

 

- OS

[frankmako]

 i have gotten many kel tec pistols over the years.  only one i got new.  i love buying used guns for a cheap price.   never had a problem asking for repair parts,  call them, tell them the part number, and part is in the mail free.  when they changed to the the original purchaser i am still able to get free parts on a phone call.   when they started this original purchaser thing i had to send in a pf9 barrel and slide.  they replaced them and all i had to do was to pay shipping to them.  same thing when i had to send in a p3at frame/grip combo that the original purchaser jacked up the install of the belt clip.  i don;t know how many rounds a kel tec gun will last. but i have shot many in them. no they are not like shooting my  glocks, but still fun to shoot.  but for the money they are a good value.  

[JReedEsq]

They are arguably good for the money I guess.  The only thing is that if you look around you can often find the better, more improved, and works right out of the box, version of most of their pistols for only slightly more money.  If you have a keen eye, you can tell which ones these are...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

because they say "Ruger" on the slide. 

Edited March 12, 2015 by JReedEsq

[nightrunner]

I like Kel-TEC for their innovation but their quality is far from the best. I really like the idea behind the KSG and RFB but their quality leaves something to be desired.

[graycrait]

Out of the 7 or so Keltecs I have had over the years the only one I have hung on to is the P32.  I tried many mouse guns but have yet to find one as thin, light weight with reliability as the P32.  

[rocketman]

I too have a P32 that I hang on to for the same reason. It's a Gen1 that has always worked. Never a problem. Not one. That said my current pocket gun is a CW380 but not because of better reliability.

[R_Bert]

My, how time flies.

 

Looks like it was 8/4/11 to be precise, so about 3.6 years:

 

http://www.keltecweapons.com/news/warranty-update-second-owner-responsibilities/

 

- OS

yes, time funs when you're having flies.......

 

I have had a hell of a rough 5 years, and it all seems like yesterday.

[MphsTiger1981]

They are arguably good for the money I guess.  The only thing is that if you look around you can often find the better, more improved, and works right out of the box, version of most of their pistols for only slightly more money.  If you have a keen eye, you can tell which ones these are...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

because they say "Ruger" on the slide. 

 

 I seem to recall when the LCP first came out the Kel-Tec folks made the obvious reference to them as the "Little Copied Pistol". I've probably owned no less than ten Kel-Tecs over the years. Some I bought new and some I bought used. Seldom had any problems with them. They do require good form when shooting them otherwise they tend to have failures to feed or eject due to the limp wristing. Urban legend has it the only reason they discontinued the P40 pistol was people kept sending them in for repairs when the gun was fine, the public at large just could not handle the .40 round in a small light package like that. I've personally had good luck with all of mine. I had one that had to be sent back to the mothership and it was only there for a week for a broken ejector. I had the same experience with a high dollar Sig so in the end I think they all have problems sooner or later. 

Edited March 12, 2015 by MphsTiger1981

[Dolomite_supafly]

BTW, most barrels are nothing special. They are rarely, I mean really rarely, hardened in any way. Most are very, very mild steel. The only barrel I have personally come across that was hardened was an original, Israeli made, UZI barrel. It was a pain to thread compared to most barrels. Most barrels though are super soft to make manufacturing easier.

[Jonnin]

Thats a bigger deal breaker IMO. That was one thin I always really respected about keltec, even though their products aren't the best, they stood by them. Oh well.

 

Well, there comes a point...   they been around a *while* now.  There are KT guns that are 15 years old or more .... worn out, changed hands 10 times or more, shot to death,  bubba'ed, and even models no longer made.   Does colt still repair 1911s from pre WW1 for free?   Will browning repair your 75 year old A-5 for free?  You probably not the original owner of those, given the ages of them, are you?   No, no one else does this either.   I don't see how its a deal breaker to do the exact same thing every other gun company does.    They still fix the gun for free if you bought it new  -- which is exactly what everyone else in the industry does.    It is not economically viable to do repairs on every item ever made once your company reaches a certain age...

[peejman]

BTW, most barrels are nothing special. They are rarely, I mean really rarely, hardened in any way. Most are very, very mild steel. The only barrel I have personally come across that was hardened was an original, Israeli made, UZI barrel. It was a pain to thread compared to most barrels. Most barrels though are super soft to make manufacturing easier.

 

 

Right.  People get all would up about barrels... cold hammer forged, chrome vanadium, ...   Is a hunk of chrome vanadium steel that gets cold hammer forged into a barrel really significantly better than a hunk of chrome vanadium steel that gets extruded into seamless tubing?  Functionally, probably not.  They both go through similar initial cold forming processes to turn that big hunk of metal into something resembling a barrel and then similar final processes to ream the barrel and cut the rifling.  One gets the bore rough drilled while the other has it extruded.  The directional properties of the steel do end up a little different.  Does that matter with regard to surface wear?  Maybe a little.  Something that a national match or F-class shooter might care about, but completely meaningless to the average shooter. 

[Capbyrd]

Well, there comes a point...   they been around a *while* now.  There are KT guns that are 15 years old or more .... worn out, changed hands 10 times or more, shot to death,  bubba'ed, and even models no longer made.   Does colt still repair 1911s from pre WW1 for free?   Will browning repair your 75 year old A-5 for free?  You probably not the original owner of those, given the ages of them, are you?   No, no one else does this either.   I don't see how its a deal breaker to do the exact same thing every other gun company does.    They still fix the gun for free if you bought it new  -- which is exactly what everyone else in the industry does.    It is not economically viable to do repairs on every item ever made once your company reaches a certain age...

 

 

Ruger does.  And they are a lot older than 15 years old.

[Will Carry]

If you fire 6000 rounds out of a Kel-Tec then you got your money's worth.  They would probably send you a new barrel.

[musicman]

Ruger does. And they are a lot older than 15 years old.

I traded two crummmy pistols for a pre-lock Smith 629 with hammer mounted firing pin at a gun show around 2006. The firing pin broke while I was at the range one day... probably 2011 or 2012. I called Smith and received a call tag. The gun was back in my hands in about 2 weeks, without any cost on my part.

Happy fella here. Edited March 18, 2015 by musicman

[TNWNGR]

_{My thoughts on Kel-Tec products are they are a multitude of steps better the inexpensive pot metal .22 rim fire and .25 ACP pistols of the Sixties and Seventies which flooded the marketplace. KTA is all about extrusion plastic molding and CNC machinery which when done in volume results in a lower product price. Their .22 RFM pistol and carbine interests me and I'm on the fence regarding the Sub 2k...if the HPA carbine used the same mag set up as the Sub 2k that company would have to expand a lot.}

[espacef1fan]

I loved my P11 except I didn't love the trigger. If they fix the trigger I might buy another