Posted: 4/16/2011 3:06:12 PM EDT
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I've been considering a Kel Tec P3AT .380 for a every day piece.
My son in law gives it a rave review...perfect function for the 200 or so rounds he's fired...but I've heard more than a few complaints about the .380 and 9mm models(usually fixed bt Kel Tec). Anyone in the HTF use a Kel Tec .380? |
| One of the most miserable little guns you will ever shoot, but it is so compact it has become as natural to have in a pocket as my keys. It has never malfunctioned with the aprox. 200 rounds through it. My wife has one that goes every where with her. One of my brothers has a ruger LCP that he really likes. Same size and I think a blatant copy of the Kel Tec. PC has one and he is the one that sold me on the P3AT. Accuracy is fair. Five inch groups at 10 yards are doable but after a few magazines full I'm tired of shooting it. It just doesn't fit my hand. All of ours, mine, wife, brother, all have crimson trace lasers on them. I like the Kel Tec over the Ruger because of the complete checkering on the grips. That is where my index finger and thumb grab the thing to get it out of pocket. The Ruger is smooth in those areas. The Ruger has a little bit better appearance. I would sure buy one if I had it to do over. A .380 is just a little better than a rock but some times it's hard to find a rock. I've seen people with several 9mm holes in them and survive. One guy we picked up had nine holes in him and he lived. The survival rate from a .45 is way less, so I should carry a .45 and some days I do, but is is so heavy and LARGE it gets left at home. Even when the .45 is on board the Kel Tec is still in the pocket. |
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I own a couple .25 autos..and a Taurus PT-22...and you know...a .25 got more beans than it's reputation suggests....but a handgun is a handgun...and nothing impresses me until you get up to like .357 mag/.44 mag size/power. Not even the mighty .45 auto...unless you got something full-size with +P hollowpoints in .45 auto.
Little short barrels just seem short on 'zip'. My wife has a Ruger SP101 in .357 mag..and I can tell the difference in the way hollowpoints mushroom between it and a 4" S&W 686..the bigger S&W will tear up a hollowpoint..the little Ruger not so much. 
I'm just looking for a 'hole poker'..that's small...but bigger than a .25 auto...and the Kel Tec in either .32 auto..or .380 auto seems to fit the bill...but I don't want a POS..and am sort of picky about my carry-gun reliability. |
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I own a couple .25 autos..and a Taurus PT-22...and you know...a .25 got more beans than it's reputation suggests....but a handgun is a handgun...and nothing impresses me until you get up to like .357 mag/.44 mag size/power. Not even the mighty .45 auto...unless you got something full-size with +P hollowpoints in .45 auto. Little short barrels just seem short on 'zip'. My wife has a Ruger SP101 in .357 mag..and I can tell the difference in the way hollowpoints mushroom between it and a 4" S&W 686..the bigger S&W will tear up a hollowpoint..the little Ruger not so much.
I'm just looking for a 'hole poker'..that's small...but bigger than a .25 auto...and the Kel Tec in either .32 auto..or .380 auto seems to fit the bill...but I don't want a POS..and am sort of picky about my carry-gun reliability. I used to work with a dude that got car jacked and got shot in the head right above the ear with a strait on hit from a 25 auto, knocked him out cold, he told us that when he came to he was in the hospital and the doc told him the curb his head bounced off of when he dropped did more damage than the bullet bouncing off the side of his head did 
I'd say the dude was lucky, but he got all four of his fingers cut off in a press brake too. not to say the 25 auto is nothing to laugh at though, several years back up in either new york or new jersey an off duty leo got ambushed and he fought it out with his 25, don't remember if he was killed, but I remember media reporting he taken a lot of hits. as for the keltec, I debated buying one for several weeks before deciding on a khar 9 (I shot each at h&h a couple of different times), the day I bought I had one of each nib sitting on counter so I could dry fire them, the deciding point was the trigger pull, the keltec trigger was like pulling a boat anchor, sure it could probably be tuned up, but the khar had a better trigger out of the box as I felt it should since it cost approx $100 more, and it's smoothed out more as I've shot it; down side of the khar is that the striker don't hit hard enough on wolf pistol primers; I loaded up 500 rounds and it's rare to make it through a mag without having a light strike; don't have the issue with winchester or cci primers though. |
| Last time I shot a Kel-Tec 9mm that little bastard hurt my hand as for that Bersa .380 I have will too just not as bad and my son complains about it too , Wolf at Walmart are hot and you know it to, he rather shoot the Loricn its heaver, I have been looking at Walther P.380 a lot bigger just have not shot one yet but as for these little Guns they are up close and real personal like 2in from the head or center mass, in the eye ( for the lady's shootem in the balls) its just not a stand off weapon and I have herd that .25 apc do bounce off a big head, a .22 lr will do a better job in CCI Stinger or Mini Mags. |
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I carried a Kel-Tec P3AT every day for the past 4 years. I fired about 350 flawless rounds through it. I feel it fit the bill for something to have on me all of the time regardless of how I dressed or what the weather was like. I recently sold it and plan to get one of the new S&W Bodyguard 380's to replace it. If you find a good deal on P3AT I think you should give it a try. Make sure it's a newer style with the updated extractor. Pictures on the internet will show you the difference between the old style and the new style.
I guess I've been reading too many of Dan's posts because lately I've gone back to carrying a S&W J-frame in the form of a S&W Bodyguard .38. 
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I carried a Kel-Tec P3AT every day for the past 4 years. I fired about 350 flawless rounds through it. I feel it fit the bill for something to have on me all of the time regardless of how I dressed or what the weather was like. I recently sold it and plan to get one of the new S&W Bodyguard 380's to replace it. If you find a good deal on P3AT I think you should give it a try. Make sure it's a newer style with the updated extractor. Pictures on the internet will show you the difference between the old style and the new style. I guess I've been reading too many of Dan's posts because lately I've gone back to carrying a S&W J-frame in the form of a S&W Bodyguard .38. My son in law's P3AT has the newer style screwed on type extractor. |
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Last time I shot a Kel-Tec 9mm that little bastard hurt my hand as for that Bersa .380 I have will too just not as bad and my son complains about it too , Wolf at Walmart are hot and you know it to, he rather shoot the Loricn its heaver, I have been looking at Walther P.380 a lot bigger just have not shot one yet but as for these little Guns they are up close and real personal like 2in from the head or center mass, in the eye ( for the lady's shootem in the balls) its just not a stand off weapon and I have herd that .25 apc do bounce off a big head, a .22 lr will do a better job in CCI Stinger or Mini Mags. You just mentioned Loricin and Bersa in a thread about carry guns!!!!!!   
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I carried one daily for 4 years. Carried a lot, shot very little (200 or so flawless rounds). It is not a fun gun to shoot! I have since upgraded to a Sig p238 as my daily carry piece. It isn't as light, but it is accurate and actually a pleasure to shoot. Anybody with any class carries a J frame S&W in his pocket. 
You need some class but it's hard to do with you hanging out at the truck stops all the time.
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Last time I shot a Kel-Tec 9mm that little bastard hurt my hand as for that Bersa .380 I have will too just not as bad and my son complains about it too , Wolf at Walmart are hot and you know it to, he rather shoot the Loricn its heaver, I have been looking at Walther P.380 a lot bigger just have not shot one yet but as for these little Guns they are up close and real personal like 2in from the head or center mass, in the eye ( for the lady's shootem in the balls) its just not a stand off weapon and I have herd that .25 apc do bounce off a big head, a .22 lr will do a better job in CCI Stinger or Mini Mags. You just mentioned Loricin and Bersa in a thread about carry guns!!!!!!
Going to up grade to a Walters for him Ha HA HA , now that Bersa always went pop  and those are not my carry gun
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I carried one daily for 4 years. Carried a lot, shot very little (200 or so flawless rounds). It is not a fun gun to shoot! I have since upgraded to a Sig p238 as my daily carry piece. It isn't as light, but it is accurate and actually a pleasure to shoot. Anybody with any class carries a J frame S&W in his pocket.
You need some class but it's hard to do with you hanging out at the truck stops all the time.
Only S&W snubbie I own is a 3" 625 .45acp...sort of looks small...until you compare it to a 5" 1911. ...Then the truth reveals itself. The reality is that it's just as big or bigger than a 1911.
I got lots of handguns...but aside from my .25 autos..non really compact enough for me to feel comfortable all the time carrying. This be why I'm interested in the P3AT(I see what theey did with that name there! ).
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Anybody with any class carries a J frame S&W in his pocket.
You need some class but it's hard to do with you hanging out at the truck stops all the time.
Of course, I know nothing about class, but I know that a J-frame has been getting the job done for a long time now. I never felt under armed with my old Mod. 36 Chief's Special...even if it was nickel finish, I couldn't beat the dirt cheap price I got it for. I traded it for a Glock 19 years ago. Like I said, I know nothing about class.
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