I've heard good things about these,with exception of some extraction issues...
I'd probably go with a S&W snubby till the Keltec had a couple hundred rounds through it without a hiccup...
It's a great deep-concealment gun; BUG or just light carry as a primary gun if you're just in light clothing on a hot summer day, or to have with you jogging and whatnot.
It's not a gun I ever really expected to fire a lot or even at all, just got it for a backup, but you will want to break it in a bit with a couple hundred rounds or more. I've found (and others have said too) that it's a bit sluggish to rack at first, and same for the magazine release.
Like i said though, great gun, and very easy to conceal in your back pocket. Perfect for a "gimme your wallet!" scenario... you reach back to your pocket, but pull that out instead.. "ok, here's my wallet" hehe.
My take on it, as well. I've got a new P3AT that I'm breaking in, to evaluate as possible carry on a daily basis, as my go-everywhere BUG. Am also evaluating a Kahr PM9. The Kahr definitely is of a bit better quality, seems to cycle more reliably, handles heavier rounds much better (400 ft-lb +P 9mm rounds, vs 210 ft-lbs +P 380ACP rounds). I still have not yet put enough ammo through them to feel confident either is to be used for actual carry. But, so long as they hit 1000 or 1500 rounds and are solidly reliable, I'd consider either as a deep-concealment, go-everywhere BUG. The P3AT in particular is extremely small. Fits way down there. It's thinner than a wallet. With the right pocket holster, it shouldn't ever print. Serves its purpose well, so long as you break it in and are certain it will fire when you need it go.
It's been my primary for the last week or so as it goes. It's just been way too hot for me to try and carry either of my full sized ones.
Touch wood, mine is, and has been since I got it, faultless, out of the box. Everything I read suggested that the first generation of them had the extraction issues; reading the bits and pieces at http://www.ktog.org/ convinced me that the new extractor (noticably differerent if you look at the side by side pictures) did away with the issue.
I think I've got about five hundred rounds through mine now. At the ranges it'd be deployed, if it was needed, it's more than adequate.
As long as its a 2nd generation they seem to be fine little pistols , one lives in my pocket as a matter of fact . The first gen had some issues tho i would stay away from a first gen myself , fortunatly they are easy to tell apart . The second gen has a " frankenbolt " ( big ugly hex head bolt ) holding the extractor spring in place , the first gen has a different extractor with no bolt , and a seperate plate on the slide retaining the recoil spring assy .
Yea srfl many 1 gen are great once you adjust to the sights lol , but many more have real issues beyond even a " fluff and buff " and have to go back to fla for a vacation . 2nd gen as a rule run and run right right out of the box .
waaaaaaaaaay over priced hehe. as others have stated it around 250+/-, I got one brand new for 230, which included all the taxes and background check fees.
keep in mind, it's a very simple gun with very little features on it, it shouldn't really cost more than 250 or so anyhow.
That sounds dammed high lol , but then the little critters are almost impossible for shops to get ( supply and demand ) . Personaly i gave 190 for mine used , with a spare mag , and an iwb holster ( cheap leather ) It was originaly the shop owners fun ( he got it for his wife and she did not like it ) today i would say somewhere in the range of $250 to $300 for a new one would prob be the going rate , hit gunbroker or similar auction site and see what they are bringing tho .
That is way high for street price on a P3AT. Based on what I've seen locally and online, you should have no trouble at all getting one in the $225-$260 range, depending on the finish. Essentially, they're selling at or above suggested retail. You can do MUCH better.
They are typically great little guns. I've got a 1st gen and my young bride a 2nd gen. No problems at all with either, and pretty accurate under 10 yards, which is where you'd need it.
I did post a p3at field test on this board with target if anyone dobuts the accuracy or utility of them lol , search should find it if anyone is interested .
In a few days, I'll be picking up my P3AT. It will be backup, deep-cover, go-everywhere, assuming that the break-in period goes well and reliability stays very high. Extremely light, compact, concealable.
I've had/carried a P3AT for several years. Mine is 1st gen and started out horribly w/2 trips to Florida. I went with a J frame for a while which is absolutely reliable but there's nothing on the market right now (and I mean nothing) that compares with the P3AT when you look at the mix of caliber, dimensions, weight, etc. After I got mine back I began to test it and it has proven reliable now. Every couple of weeks I fire three to four mags, then clean and lube. In an RJ Hedley pocket holster, there just isn't a more convenient and concealable way to carry 15 rounds of .380. (I carry a spare mag and both mags have the mag extension from Keltec).
I've looked for something better to fill this niche with and nothing compares. An R9 has better fire power but ways a ton comparatively speakings. No matter what other gun I've considered, nothing comes even close except a KelTec P32. I've thought about buying a 2nd gen just to have two for spreading out the rounds. They are definitely NOT a range gun though. I used a dremel and a felt polishing pad to smooth the grip just a bit where it was too rough and I had my slide chromed by KelTec when they still did that for $20. So it's basically impervious to sweat, etc.
Mine is very accurate within 7 yards. Within 5 I can point shoot it real well. The only complaint I have left is that the slide doesn't lock back after the last round. I still don't like that because every auto I've ever owned or shot did lock back after the last round. Still, for summer dress carry when you can't/won't wear a cover garment, it's simply perfect for it's roll.
The other thing the 1st gen did was create "smilies". Not sure if the second gen's do this. Basically when you fire it, the next round in the mag is being hit in the nose by the sharp leading edge of the feed ramp and it indents it with a little "smile" looking half moon line through the nose of the bullet. It's not setting the bullet back in the casing but I don't like it. After the second trip to the factory they cut back the edge of the feedramp rather radically and that really improved it, but it's still there.
You either love'em or hate'em. I guess I'm forced to love mine as I can't find anything that quite compares.
I strictly use FMJ to get the best penetration.
I hope you get a great one and if you pay over $250 - $260 you're being taken.
It should be noted that I DO know how to shop for a firearm but, I did ultimately need to do a little bit of internal polishing on mine to get it to feed hollow points 100% - I was getting some hesitation on the feed & it took me about an hour to carefully polish a few internals & now it feeds everything just fine. It's a great little firearm.
I have two of them and a P32. They are great guns, but one of mine is not functional at the moment. I was able to get 600 rounds through it before the recoil springs went. These need to be changed once in a while, so I am waiting for another set to come in. But during the 600 rounds not a single FTF or FTE.
Check out the Fluff and Buff on the web site mentioned above. Do it ASAP and it make things a lot smoother.
The hard chrome dealers cost is approximately $20 more than a blue pistol. $259 to $279 would be a good price in SE Missouri for Hard Chrome. I have seen several (10) run with no problems. Several people on KTOG have problems with Winchester White Box ammo but the ones I have shot have eaten it like candy. Clean the P3AT every range visit and add a little Oil, and it should be fine. They are surprisingly accurate doing rapid fire when compared to a J-Frame S&W at 7 yards.
My daily carry is a Glock 26 in a pocket holster, but I've got some pants that the pockets are a little small for drawing the G26 out of. When I wear those pants, like today, I carry the 3AT. I've had it for about 6 months, never a problem on the range. I've thought about the Kahr CW9 over the 3AT just for the larger caliber, but its not that much smaller than the G26, and the 3AT is a LOT smaller than either. I highly recommend the 3AT for a BUG or really concealable pocket gun.
the kel-tec is a great BUG and it is a great gun for light carry as a primary gun. i have one and it is with me at all times on and off duty, weekends it is the primary gun. it took me some work to make it a 100% gun. my standards are high for any carry gun and i test them hard. all the problems that i had with the gun, kel-tec was there to mail me parts and/or help me correct/fix the problems. you can not go wrong with the gun. just shoot it hard and work out the problems before you carry it.
I have had my .380 for several years with no problems. It would be a great BUG, but I've never thought of it as a BUG.:gah:
It's either an Ultra .45, a 9000S 9mm, or a .380 because it is HOT and I'll only be in church...surrounded by other CCW'ers.:biggrin2:
Plan ahead!
I currently carry my KT P-32 because it's too hot (100+ temp in North Texas) for anything bigger. My 32 looks like the picture of the first gen. P3AT so I'm assuming that mine is a first gen also. I've shot hundreds of rounds through it without a problem so I guess I got a good one out of the box. I chose the 32 over the 380 because the 380 barrel was much thinner (my opinion) and I was concerned about barrel wear out. Recoil on a small firearm was another concern I had which led to my decision. But my brother bought the P3AT and loves it. At moderate ranges (up to 30 feet) I'm accurate. And eight accurate rounds of a 32 is better than a knife or baseball bat.....in my opinion.:image035:
I carry a 2G P3AT daily as a BUG to my Glock 19. I am an LEO/Detective and I wear plain clothes. The Kel-Tec fits easily in a pocket holster in my right pocket. This allowes me to access it with my off hand if needed. It also allows me to access it is I were fighting to keep my Glock in its concealment holster. I have close to 1000 rounds through mine and it has been 100% flawless.
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