Author Topic: Kel-Tek (Read 724 times)

Star1pup · « **on:** January 27, 2006, 07:57:01 AM »

Anyone have any experience with these in .380? Been thinking about one just to conceal carry.

Ocsamschainsaw · « **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2006, 08:07:38 AM »

I currently own and carry a Kel-Tec p11 in 9mm.
It was cheap, and as it came from the factory, perfectly reliable with either ball ammunition or remington golden saber, which has a more gun friendly ogive than many rounds.
After polishing up the feed ramp with a dremel tool, it fed most other brands of hoolowpoints with flawless reliability, save for winchester silvertips, and I'm not too sure why just yet.
For its thinness, light weight (14 oz unloaded) and high capacity (12 round factory mags, now that the ban is over, that fit flush, and the ability to take S&W mags for even larger capacities for range use), it has no competitors. The Kahrs and Rorbaughs are thinner and lighter, but suffer at more than double the price and half the capacity.
Having handled the .380's and .32 kel tecs before, i can assure you that they are good guns-but they come a bit rough from the factory. If you're cool with just shooting ball ammo, or you don't mind spending a half an hour with a dremel tool and some polishing compound, it's a good, cheap gun that does what guns FAR higher in price do at a higher weight and thickness.
A WONDERFUL site to go to is www.ktog.org ; they will have any and all information you need to make your purchase with a clean conscience.
I hope that this helps, but be forewarned-when you bring your kel-tec to the range, you WILL be ridiculed by gun snobs who think that if it doesn't have glock on the side of the slide, it's a piece of junk.
My kel tec has been utterly reliable since polishing the feed ramp, and kel-tec's customer service has been nothing but wonderful to me; I had the firing pin break after 10k+ round through the gun plus way too much dry firing, and they shipped it right out at a ridiclously low cost very swiftly.

Savage · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2006, 12:13:46 PM »

I have two of the P-11s, two of the P-3ATs, and one P-32. I own dozens of other guns, all much more costly than the kel tecs, what do I carry everyday, everywhere without fail? Why the P-3AT, of course! Some require some tweaking to run right, but with a lifetime gurantee, and excellent customer service, can't go wrong! I have one with a left hand pocket clip, and the other I carry in a Desantis Nemesis pocket holster. It is my qualified backup to my duty guns. If it sounds like I like them,--------it's because I do!!
Savage

greenjeans · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2006, 04:06:45 PM »

Another vote for the P3AT. I have it and the P11 and both have been totally reliable.

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2006, 02:17:58 AM »

The Kel-Tecs are nothing to look at but neither are Glocks...I have been considering a P3AT for concealed carry during the summer when I spend most of my time in shorts and a t-shirt...I want a gun that I can put in a small pocket holster and not have to worry about bulk. Yup...It may look like a cap gun from when I was a little kid but what the heck...A little gun is better than no gun IMHO.

Ghostrider_23 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2006, 04:38:54 AM »

I too have a Kec-Tek 32 acp and I love it. I have been thinking about the P-11 with a clip too and I have been reading loads of info about them. I think I will be getting one soon. It was between the Kahr PM 9 andthe Kel-Tek P11.

Ocsamschainsaw · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2006, 09:39:26 AM »

The belt clip on the P11 works great for me.
I won't carry it with a round in the chamber while using it, but that's also because I have a very reduced trigger pull on mine, down to 5 pounds from the factory 8 they set it at now (the older p11's had a factory pull of 10-12 pounds, they changed this a few years ago).
It makes it VERY convenient, and conceals far better than using any holster on the waistband.
My only complaint about it is that the screws WILL work their way out unless a LOT of blue loc-tite is used to hold them in, and even then after about 250 rounds they'll work loose, but I don't ever anticipate firing 250 rounds during a CHL shootout...hehe...
I will say this, the screws are MUCH easier to disassemble the gun with than the factory supplied pins that hold the frame to the grip assembly-I would actually advocate getting the clip simply for the screws, even if you don't USE the clip.
Another accessory to look into is the magazine grip spacer-this makes ALL the difference, trust me, especially if used with a S&W 59 series magazine. I also have a flashlight magazine, I'm not sure if Kel-Tec manufactures them anymore, but mine works GREAT with my surefire light, and does excellent duty as a hotel nightstand gun when I don't feel like lugging my .357 around. I know they pop up on ebay every once in awhile, so that's a good place to look. Also, kel-tec's factory nightsights are GREAT-I replaced my front sight only, and just used orange fingernail polish on my rear dots, and it works wonders for the accuracy scores.

Star1pup · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2006, 08:04:26 AM »

Which Kel-Tec would you guys prefer, the 9mm or .380?

rybo · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2006, 09:48:23 AM »

I have put maybe 400-500 rounds thru my 3AT and have not had any problems. It is so easy to conceal its always with me.

Star1pup · « **Reply #9 on:** February 01, 2006, 03:45:02 AM »

I shot my friends 3AT yesterday and I plan to pick one up today. Sure is a neat little gun and so easy to conceal. I'll probably run some 95 gr. bullets through it to get my wife comfortable shooting it.

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #10 on:** February 01, 2006, 06:29:16 AM »

You made a good choice...Let us know how those 95 grainers work for you.