I just bought a used .380 P3-AT and am very impressed.
100 rds of factory ball out of a dry gun with 0 failures.Wanted to see what I had.
Oiled her up.
50 rds of Gold Dot 90 grain. 0 FTE or FTF,got a winner.
Accuracy with the almost non-existent sights was much better than expected.
Head shots at 15 yards were easy enough.
Could shoot out eyes at 7 yards.
Faliure to stop drills at 7 yds were a snap.
Just came back from the check cashing store.
That little pea shooter resting in my weak hand vest pocket DID give me additional security.
.45 on my hip or not.
Nice to have your hand ON your gun in close quarters in a BAD area.
Light,cheap,thin,fits in a pocket.
What's not to like.
I've had a CWP for 19 years.
A glock 26 was my smallest gun.
This tool has it's place.
I just today put my clip on mine and really like it. Looks like I am carrying a knife and prints inside my jeans frount pocket about the same as a knife.
I initially rejected any consideration of a Kel-Tec P3AT because of its size and price, assuming it was a junk pistol. A friend gave me his to shoot. Wow, now the P3AT is my everywhere piece. It is on the bedside table while I sleep and in my pocket when I can't carry anything larger.
The beauty of this weapon is that it just disappears in pants pocket, or a jacket. I did invest in a simple pocket holster to keep the dust bunnies out.
I have had 100% reliability with cheap ball ammo and with top of the line defensive loads as well. Great product.
I have been searching for either a compact .45 or 10mm for a while. After getting my permit and actually carrying for a while now I'm finding there are times I can't carry my Bersa or Detective Special b/c of their weight. I know I wouldn't be able to carry a .45 or 10. I think a kel-tec may be what I get next b/c of its size and weight. I think I could even find a way to hide it at the gym.
I too wasn't really interested in them, mainly because I prefer to have a full grip on anything that goes bang. But after I found out that they have a magazine extension and rubber grips, I think I might look more close into them. That and the fact that they're cheap.
I found it took 250-500 rounds for my P3AT to be 100% reliable, but since then is the perfect invisible BUG. It is very accurate despite its quasi sights; meant for close quarters though. DeSantis Nemisis holster is the perfect compliment and inexpensive. 7 rounds (1 in the chamber) and the ability to replace magazines make it more functional than most 5 shot 38's, though not as comfortable in the hand.
Some people report sending them back to Keltec vs. just running more ammo through them while developing a proper semi-auto clearance drill and good muscle memory. I prefer to work through problems or return anything unreliable.
The little P~3AT only looks like a junk pistol. It sort of looks like a little plastic POS that leaves you wondering what the heck you just paid for when you first buy one. At least that is the initial impression that I got.
Mine did NOT work very well right out of the box.
I needed to do the "Fluff & Buff" treatment on mine & now it is 100% functionally operational.
On my particular pistol I believe it was the machine marks on the recoil spring guide that hung up the rear slide movement a bit. A very minor issue.
But, I went ahead and gave mine the full F&B treatment anyway AKA polishing the feed ramp and the slide rails and the hammer face and barrel exterior.
Now that I completely trust the pistol it is my Museum Pocket Pistol.
It's very handy to have around. Well worth the cost because it is so LIGHT & Thin/compact.
My one criticism is that the slide finish is not very durable at all and wears very quickly.
I think it's only cold blued or cold black oxide dipped.
Not something that I really care about but, it COULD be a problem for folks pocket carrying the pistol in hot humid areas.
A good slide to keep a coat of protective paste wax applied to it. :yup:
I might send my slide out to have a coat of Electroless Nickel applied to it as it sure is showing major finish wear already.
If I buy one I will probably get the blued version since it is the cheapest. I will then spray it with clear duracoat to prevent anything from happening to it.
Thanks for the range report. You've made an excellent acquisition.
I've had my first generation P3AT for 4 years, and it's been completely reliable from day 1, and it's accurate enough to do the job for which it's intended. My young bride's 2nd generation model has been equally reliable and accurate. I always have mine with me in a pocket holster, currently loaded with Gold Dots.
While I'd definitely prefer to have my 1911 in hand, the P3AT is truly a go-anywhere gun. It's also one of the best values available today, with current gun show prices from $225-$265.
I love my P3AT! I can wear cargo shorts and T-shirt and still carry. It's not as comforting as carring a .45 but I haven't met anyone yet that wants to get shot by it!:smile:
Glad your having good luck with yours, i bought one soon after they came onto the market and it was a jamomatic, i heard that there were some design flaws that were soon corrected, i quickly sol mine back to the deaker and took a snall loss
. I think mine was a extractor problem it would jam, a FTE about every threee rounds. But i loved the way it felt and shot, and concealed like it wasnt even there. May but another after the new year as a back up.
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