Enrolled to Keltec

[TacoBubba]

Picked up a little pocket 9 today. Stopped by my lgs looking for a summer carry pistol. Found this little PF-9. Not my first polymer pistol, but it is my smallest.

I came home and grabbed a bite to eat and field stripped it and loved it up with some ballistol. Grabbed a box of 50 and went to the range a few miles up the road.

I hate going to public ranges, to my surprise, not a soul in sight! Jackpot! So, I grabbed my box of ammo and went to shootin. Found some unused targets which was nice.

Initial impressions: the little gun ran like a champ. Granted, more shooting will be needed before shorts season fully arrives. Another thing that I noticed is that the slide lock is STIFF and I do mean stiff. It's slowly starting to loosen up. But, I can live with that. One last thing, make sure to move your fingers away from the magazine well. Magazines hurt when they pinch the skin. That's some free advice [emoji6]

[Spiffy]

I have one for when I can't carry a "real gun". Usually use it for ankle carry or in a Uncle Mike belt slide. It's pretty good little gun.

[felinesNfreedom]

I used to have one till it was stolen out of my truck. Great little pocket pistol, nice that it's in 9mm too.

[mikegideon]

The gun that killed Trayvon

[MphsTiger1981]

Congrats on the new purchase! I've owned numerous Kel-Tec products over the years and found them to be a good bargain. They may require a little more loving out of the box than say a Glock or a Smith and Wesson, but they are produced and sold at a different price point. If you like to tinker a little and fluff and buff them, they will serve you well. Enjoy!

Edited April 28, 2015 by MphsTiger1981

[Randall53]

The gun that killed Trayvon

Hmmm...I thought it was a black, mexican white man that killed Trayvon. Well, at least that's what I read in the news.

[TNWNGR]

I owned one some years back and it was both accurate and reliable, it also beat my trigger finger and knuckle bloody due to its terribly small trigger guard. I traded it for an LC9 which was slightly nicer in finish and had a larger trigger guard but I didn't keep it either. The bottom line is the gun has to fit your hand and suit your needs. If it does then you will be happy with the acquisition, I hope that this is exactly the case with you and your PF9.

[mikegideon]

Hmmm...I thought it was a black, mexican white man that killed Trayvon. Well, at least that's what I read in the news.

 

Whatever HE was, a PF-9 is what actually punched the hole.

[tartanphantom]

Congrats. I've got one as well, with the frame-mounted Laserlyte. It's been an extremely reliable pistol for me, and I carry it quite a bit in the summer when clothes are lighter, as it's pretty easy to conceal due to the thin profile.

 

There were reports of the older ones having feed issues, needing fluff & buff on the feed ramp, etc... but never had that problem with mine, as it was made about 3 years into production. I've fed it all kinds of ammo, even the Tula you've got pictured-- with nary a problem. Never did like the grip checking though, I put a Pachmayr sleeve on mine and it's good to go-- super comfortable now. Never had a problem with the mag bottom biting me either, and I use both the standard and the +1 mags.

 

The slide lock IS stiff initally, but will loosen up some with use. Just don't use it as a slide release, as there are many instances of the lip of the lock notch on the slide wearing down from people doing that. Remember, its a slide LOCK, not a slide release. Just pull back on the slide slightly, then depress the slide lock before releasing. Sure, it's not as cool as letting the slide spring forward with just the press of a button, but it'll last much longer if you do it the "granny" way. :up:

Edited April 29, 2015 by tartanphantom

[TacoBubba]

Any opposition to carry 147 grains in these? I don't see why it couldn't handle the load. But for those who have owned and carried them, what are your thoughts?


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[FreedomGunCo]

I have found that sanding or scraping down casting flash on trigger and trigger guard makes these a lot more comfortable to shoot.

[Wingshooter]

Any opposition to carry 147 grains in these? I don't see why it couldn't handle the load. But for those who have owned and carried them, what are your thoughts?
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I've had mine for about 4 years and carry 147g JHP. I've shot more 115 than 147, but it has always handled 147 with no problem. Very accurate too. I did have a problem recently with the mag dropping just enough to cause a jam after each shot. I called Keltec, and they sent me a new mag release (no charge). That solved the issue, and it's flawless again.

[Smith]

Any opposition to carry 147 grains in these? I don't see why it couldn't handle the load. But for those who have owned and carried them, what are your thoughts?


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Might as well carry a .380 with less recoil and size. 9mm needs velocity to work and 147g are generally only good for subsonic, SMG, and very hot loads. Combine that with a short barrel and you lose most of the benefits of the 9mm over the .380 while adding all the negatives (size, weight, recoil, etc.). The gun can handle it, but there is no reason for it and zero benefit. 

In a 9mm you want a balance of weight with speed. I generally like a 124g +p or standard load in a premium defensive round. The .45 mentality, where heavier is better, applies because it is not velocity dependant.

[Jonnin]

Any opposition to carry 147 grains in these? I don't see why it couldn't handle the load. But for those who have owned and carried them, what are your thoughts?


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Handle the load?  The pressure of all 9mm are within a safe threshold, and again the +P threshold is higher but all +P ammo falls within that range as well.  Note the kel tec advises not shooting a lot of +P in their guns.   Bullet mass does not increase or decrease pressure.  Instead, velocity (powder charge) is adjusted to keep pressure about the same.

 

The problems with heavy bullets include feeding problems in some models (nothing to do with kel tec, many guns can have the issue) more than anything else.  As someone said, velocity suffers but a +P 147 is still on par with a standard pressure 115 grain -- its not going to be reduced to a 380 but it may not be what you wanted in terms of performance.   

[seez52]

I'm a big keltec fan. Pf9 is a great carry gun, not so much a range gun though. It does a mite of kicking

[JAB]

I've had mine for about 4 years and carry 147g JHP. I've shot more 115 than 147, but it has always handled 147 with no problem. Very accurate too. I did have a problem recently with the mag dropping just enough to cause a jam after each shot. I called Keltec, and they sent me a new mag release (no charge). That solved the issue, and it's flawless again.

 

One thing I try to always do when changing mags in my P3AT (which has a plastic mag catch just like I believe the PF-9 has) is that I press the mag release button in until the mag is fully inserted then release it and bump the bottom of the mag to make sure it is seated.  Of course I wouldn't do that in a 'real life' situation or if practicing quick mag changes but for target practice/range work it saves a lot of wear and tear on the mag release.  I didn't come up with this idea.  It seems to be fairly common practice among the members of the Kel Tec forum and that is where I first got the idea.

[Wingshooter]

One thing I try to always do when changing mags in my P3AT (which has a plastic mag catch just like I believe the PF-9 has) is that I press the mag release button in until the mag is fully inserted then release it and bump the bottom of the mag to make sure it is seated.  Of course I wouldn't do that in a 'real life' situation or if practicing quick mag changes but for target practice/range work it saves a lot of wear and tear on the mag release.  I didn't come up with this idea.  It seems to be fairly common practice among the members of the Kel Tec forum and that is where I first got the idea.

That's what the Keltec rep told me on the phone also. I do the same with my P3AT too.

The new mag catch that he sent me was metal :up:

[TacoBubba]

Well after a week and a day of ownership of my little pf9 it's going back to keltec. I am having extraction issues, ftf, fte, stovpiping a jams. I would guess that around 75% of the brass came back toward my face or arms. I even have hot brass down the a@@ which was not very pleasant! As soon as the shipping label is emailed to me off it will go.
I will say this; so far customer service has been quick. I have never had to deal with a fun return, so this is all new to me


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[TNWNGR]

Actually it might not be the guns fault. Thing's I noticed with the PF-9 I once owned were if I inadvertently applied pressure to the magazine baseplate it could adversely affect feed. The magazine release button was also easy to bump which would unseat the magazine enough to affect feed.

 

Mine had a distinct break in period where after running about 150 rounds through it things smoothed out but I still had to consciously focus on hand and grip placement. If you visit one of the K-T Forums you'll read about "fluff & buff's" but your pistol being newer shouldn't really need that. 

 

One thing I learned with the K-T PF-9 was the Pierce base plate adapters and my hands weren't a good thing. Learning your gun is very important. Recognizing when there's a particular gun you can't make work for you is equally important. Its all about experience and experimentation. Best of luck to you.

[Dolomite_supafly]

If you hand load Vihtavouri has a recipe for 147 grain bullets at 1,200 fps. It is not +P and it chronographed where it should out of a 4" barrel. It won't be as fast out of he barrel of the PF-9 but will still do well.

The powder is either 3N38 or 3N37.

You can definitely tell a difference between a full magazine and empty when shooting it. The last round stings like a 357 magnum.

[jgradyc]

I'd suggest that the OP... and everyone that owns a Kel-Tec...  visit www.thektog.org forum on the PF9. It's an outstanding website about all Kel-Tecs. If there's a common problem, they probably have a fix for it.  I don't own a PF9 and no plans to own one, but I've used their fluff and buff suggestions on my P32, P3AT, and P11.  You can even buy aftermarket triggers to make these little guns even nicer. 

 

By the way, when I had problems with my Taurus and Glock, I got better feedback on solutions from TheKTOG than from the Taurus and Glock forums.

Edited May 6, 2015 by jgradyc

[TacoBubba]

I ran the gun pretty hard yesterday of various different types of ammo. Ran around 300 rounds. The gun hates jhp rounds. Will not feed them at all. When it did, instant stovepipe! I've been shooting guns for a long time, I've shot other keltecs before with no issues. I can handle a gun no issues. I did notice that my finger touched my mag release. I adjusted for that. But, I will not carry a gun that I don't trust! And now I've lost my trust in that gun. Hopefully, keltec can get it right. I hear good things about them and customer service. Maybe the little gun can earn my trust once it's all fixed.


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[peejman]

Make sure the "frankenbolt" is tight.  It's the bolt that holds the extractor.  If it's loose, put a drop of blue loctite on it and snug it up.  That bolt being slightly loose can cause extraction problems.  You can also look at the rim on the spent brass.  If there are heavy scratches or gouge marks, that probably means the extractor is slipping off the rim as it's removing the brass from the chamber, hence the stovepipe. 

 

Keltec sells most any part for their guns online, and they're cheap... the "extractor kit" is $6.

http://www.keltecweapons.com/pf-9/pf-9-parts/

 

But either way, they'll fix it. 

[TacoBubba]

Make sure the "frankenbolt" is tight. It's the bolt that holds the extractor. If it's loose, put a drop of blue loctite on it and snug it up. That bolt being slightly loose can cause extraction problems. You can also look at the rim on the spent brass. If there are heavy scratches or gouge marks, that probably means the extractor is slipping off the rim as it's removing the brass from the chamber, hence the stovepipe.

Keltec sells most any part for their guns online, and they're cheap... the "extractor kit" is $6.
http://www.keltecweapons.com/pf-9/pf-9-parts/

But either way, they'll fix it.

The good thing about it. Keltec just sent me a shipping label that I'm fixing to print off. So, I'm going to let them have a look at it on their dime.
Looking at it and looking at that frankenbolt it looks and feels in good shape.
Something is making it kick straight back. Like I mentioned in a previous post above. Hot brass down the a@@! Woo-hoo that was a thrill lol. .

[graycrait]

I've had two of the PF9s.  ONe when they first came and then got rid of it within a month.  A couple of years later I thought, maybe I didn't give the Lil' Dragon a fair shake so got another.  Got rid of that one in 2 weeks. Too hard to get "accurate" fast follow up shots one-handed weak hand.