Why did you sell your P3AT?

[down3green]

I thought I was going to get the Kel-Tec to carry in my pocket but after I started looking it seemed there were a lot of them for sale. It made me wonder why, since they aren't something I'd expect you to sell to "fund another project." So, are they unreliable? Too much recoil? Too big for the pocket? Why did you sell yours?? Should I be looking at the P32 instead?

 

[Archbishop]

I can't answer for the others, but I can say I have no plans to sell mine.
Yeah it's "snappy" at best. Hard to keep on target from longer distances, but it fills a specific niche. It drops in your pocket and disappears until needed. I did have to figure out what type of ammo it likes, and really practice shooting it at the range, but I can honestly say it's reliable and in a pinch I can keep it on target good enough to get the job done up to about 20-25 yards.
Hope this helps.

 

[Dyerbill]

I have one...it has worked flawlessly. I just bought the factory 9rd extended mags and they make a sd gun fun to shoot.My

 

[chachi73]

The only reason i sold my p3at was to put together money for another p3at - this time in navy blue grip w/ chrome slide! good looking gun, great pocket gun, reliable as hell. save your money and skip the Little Copied Pistol - get the original.

 

[HandK]

I carried my P3at for years, they are great little guns, I sold it to buy a Diamondback 380 I like the sights on it better, I also own a Ruger LCP the grip on the P3AT is better than the Ruger LCP but not quite as good as the Diamondback, so the Diamondback is what I carry now, and sometimes both, the fastest reload is another gun!

 

[tbhausen]

I traded a P32 to get a LCP, then I traded the LCP to get a P380. The Kahr has more of a "real gun" feel with its real sights and superb trigger. It also shoots way softer than those other "pocket pistols".

 

[SubicWarrior1988]

Perhaps I can contribute some info as I just traded mine in today on a Glock 21. I got back what I paid for the KelTec, so money wise, it was flawless.

There are unlimited pros to the P3AT, size being #1. This gun is easy to drop in a pocket and forget about, it also rides well in an ankle holster with only 8 oz of weight. The locked breech design is a great one, imo and serves this pistol well. Easy to break down and clean, maintenace is quite simple. There is an extensive Owners Group on KTOG which offers amazing support and info for any KelTec owner. Inexpensive, a new P3AT can be had for around 250 dollars+tax. These are popular carry guns, so if you buy one, it will be easy to re-sell, should you not want it or want to trade it in. There is a cult-like loyal following for these handguns and again, deservedly so.

Sounds like I should have kept it right? Not so much for me.

Here are the reasons I sold mine, again, only an opinion which will differ from other opinions, especially the thousands of KelTec owners who happily carry their KT's and love them.

Let's preface this by stating that this is a pocket gun with built in shortcomings, those shortcomings are to be expected and will not deter from the overall quality of the pistol, but it is why I sold mine.

1) .380 Round. No I don't want to be shot with one, but it's not the kind of ballistic capability that made me swoon with confidence. I made the mistake of reviewing multiple police shootouts and also did as much reading as I could on the subject. This is not a 9mm (short) vs. 45 debate, so Please, don't misunderstand. It's all up to the individual. For my personal preference, I'm going to dress accordingly and carry a full size pistol and my BUG will be a full size pistol. My Glock carries 13+1 45 caliber rounds and makes me feel better, Not invincible, just better. I also have a Ruger p95 that I dearly love and 9mm is the minimum I will carry from this day forward. Both the 45 and 9mm are underpowered for my taste, I want to squeeze the trigger once and have a BG disintegrate as if Star Trek just beamed them up, but that's just my unrealistic fantasy. If at all possible, I hope that I will never, ever, ever have to defend myself or my family

2) 6+1 shot capacity, I know it's a pocket pistol, BUT, personal preference. Not enough lead for me to send down range.

3) Accuracy. The sights on the KT are minimal at best. Yes you can shoot with them if you try really hard and Yes, it is a point and shoot/belly/ear/eye get off of me gun. And yet, the trigger pull is not to my liking. It is a gun that you have to really shoot a lot to get a feel for. The best results are to "stage" the trigger and then squeeeeeze. Recoil is not too bad, but also contributing to accuracy is the fact that I can get one finger around the grip and one on the trigger. That leaves ring and pinky finger, dangling in the wind. My paws don't fit this gun.

4) The slide is stiff and difficult to pull back and nearly impossible if you've put even the smallest amount of oil on the exterior. I have a pretty good grip and I had to try. Should I be injured, have perspiration on my hands or worse yet blood, creating a slick surface, I don't believe I would be able to chamber a round with the P3AT.

5) If you limpwrist this gun at all, it is prone to jam. Not a deal killer, but again, what if my strong hand is useless and I have to shoot it with my weak hand? I tried it at the range with less than stellar results. In a combat situation, I may not have the ability to properly grip this gun and fire it with perfect stance, etc. I may be on the ground, injured and laying in a mud puddle.

6) Very ammo selective. There is a library online about the Famous KelTec "fluff and buff" It's a somewhat simple procedure and well laid out with pictures, tutorials and guidance on KTOG. By smoothing the feed ramp and slide surfaces, the overall action of the KT is enhanced. With the right ammo and some break in, these are reliable guns, no doubt about it. Some fire amazingly out of the box and many owners have 1000's of rounds down range that are flawless, on target and trouble free. I'm happy for them, seriously, there's no better feeling than to be at one with your pistol. How many misfires would it take for someone to be less than comfortable with their firearm? Yes, automatics all jam at some point, but, I have a Ruger with around 1000 rounds down range without so much as a hiccup. I didn't even clean it before I shot it the first time and it hummed like a sewing machine. Full size, yes, but still, that made me confident in it.

7) I've often heard that the KelTec is a carry often and shoot little gun. For me, again my opinion, If I don't shoot something on a regular basis, I'm not comfortable with it. I need to put rounds down range and "mate" with my firearm so that it's an extension of me. The P3AT is not a comforatble shooting gun and doesn't like to shoot when it's dirty. 50 rounds or so would be the max I would shoot this gun in any one given session. I am meticulous about maintenance and love to clean guns, the KelTec was good for requiring I clean it. You must keep the P3AT immaculate and lubed for reliability, I can't say that strongly enough. Yes that's required of most any pocket pistol.

8) .380 ammo is expensive, more than my 45 ammo.

9) While production has come back around, about 18 months ago .380 ammo was more precious than gold and difficult to find. I doubt that will happen again, but, there has been a precedent.

10) The KelTec is ugly. ( just kidding, I needed a 10th reason)


That's the basic gist of it, please read this and take it with a grain of salt. This is just an opinion and there are far more happy owners than unhappy ones. If you should want one, I say buy it, shoot it and draw your own conclusions, they are nifty little guns. If you don't like it, it will be easy to sell. If you do like it, put it in your swimming trunks and forget about it. It's the most comfortable gun I've ever carried, it just wasn't comforting.

 

[Fenway]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. +rep

 

[indyjoe]

When I get some other guns squared away, I'll be purchasing a second one. Also don't plan on selling mine.

 

[paddling_man]

Still have mine. It's a pocket gun that is full of compromises... But, it is a pocket gun. Mine has been reliable and it gets carried *often.* Until I can get a Microtech ArchAngel, I think it will remain around.

Microtech Archangel

 

[CandRFan]

Lots of good info in this thread! I'm another P3AT owner who won't be selling it anytime soon. There are boatloads of new .380 pocket pistols out there now, and some of them look really good, but my P3AT is good enough for me that I don't feel the need to buy any of them.

It is a handful to shoot a lot. BUT, since I carry it I always shoot it everytime I go to the range, and I usually shoot it last. I believe that shooting it has made me a better shot in general because I really concentrate on getting a nice solid grip on it, I concentrate on my breathing, I concentrate on trying to get a good sight picture (even with the little nubby front sight,) and I concentrate on squeezing the trigger. It all comes together even when try to rapid fire it and when I'm shooting the other handguns that I choose to take with me.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Sold mine for redundancy. When I got the small carry pistol I wanted (a 2 1/4" barrel SP101 for me) I sold every other pistol that was also a small carry pistol. I wasn't going to be carrying them once I found what I wanted.

 

[Clay]

I never had a P3at, but I had a LCP. Sold it to get a Sig P238.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I've got the P3AT and the P32. Carry them both, but mostly the P3AT. And mostly only because the slide has a lot of it's bluing worn away, and a few scratches on the frame, so I'm not going to hurt it should I forget and drop my car keys into the pocket with it. I do have a couple of pocket holsters, but carry mostly without. Right now I'd say the only reason I'd sell it is if I found a REALLY good deal on one of the Sig P238s. What can I say? I'm a sig nut.
I do prefer the P32 for practice, due to it being a little less snappy. And, as mentioned above, ammo for both is dear.
Long story short, I really like mine, and haven't found a better drop in the pocket and fageddaboudit gun.

 

[colt45er]

I thought I was going to get the Kel-Tec to carry in my pocket but after I started looking it seemed there were a lot of them for sale. It made me wonder why, since they aren't something I'd expect you to sell to "fund another project." So, are they unreliable? Too much recoil? Too big for the pocket? Why did you sell yours?? Should I be looking at the P32 instead?

I sold mine because I wanted a .40 for a BUG and not a .380. I really enjoyed my p3AT but I wanted all .40

 

[Goodcat]

traded off mine after I bought an LCP, the LCP just felt better in the hand

 

[cedartop]

Like one or two others have said. I sold mine because I decided not to carry a .380 any more. There was nothing wrong with the gun, I just didn't want to tempt myself with the ease of throwing it in my pocket, so I sold it. Now it is two G19's.

 

[LPMan59]

my p3at was a jam-o-matic

 

[sxshep]

I had a P3AT, but needed money and sold it to my brother-in-law... I have a Kahr PM9, but eventually I woulnd't mind buying the Keltec back from him. I never had any problems with mine, and it went everywhere I did.

 

[fastwally]

Mine runs flawless and I will never sell it. I think most people sell them because they have the wants, not because there is a problem with the gun.