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kel tec p3at- 380

bearpugh

bearpugh

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The Hen that laid the Golden Legos
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got a chance to really spend some time with it today. mine was made 4/09. od green/ blue slide. i've owned several kt's in the past with good results. i usually carry the p32, but this is my 1st 380. it fed everything perfectly. 1st a 100 rnds of wwb fmj. then a mix of hp's including some extreme shock(given to me), hydrashocks, and hornady xtp's. all functioned well and were reasonably accurate. was able to keep all shots within the size of a softball at 7 yds offhand. recoil is snappy but not at all bad. so if your looking for a pocket or backup gun, i highly recommend the p3at. accurate, reliable, very concealable, at a bargain price.
 
bearpugh said:
got a chance to really spend some time with it today. mine was made 4/09. od green/ blue slide. i've owned several kt's in the past with good results. i usually carry the p32, but this is my 1st 380. it fed everything perfectly. 1st a 100 rnds of wwb fmj. then a mix of hp's including some extreme shock(given to me), hydrashocks, and hornady xtp's. all functioned well and were reasonably accurate. was able to keep all shots within the size of a softball at 7 yds offhand. recoil is snappy but not at all bad. so if your looking for a pocket or backup gun, i highly recommend the p3at. accurate, reliable, very concealable, at a bargain price.
Click to expand...

I second this........great little guns!
 
I've been carrying one for a while now. My experience has been very positive too. I have several friends and coworkers that carry them now as well. They are the best fitting, best performing true pocket sized pistol that I've tried.
 
I have been carrying the kel tec p3at- 380 with Crimson Trace laser sights in an Uncle Mike in the pocket holster for about 2 yrs. You forget it is even in your pocket. I have been known to CC my Para Ordinance 45 cal LDA and realize later that I also put the keltec in my pocket out of habit!

I have found it to be very reliable and a hoot to shoot. I have pushed some of every type of ammo down it without any issues.

Since it is a "belly gun", the laser sight helps with "dry fire" practice. Personally, if I were a perp, I would have second thoughts if I saw a red dot dancing on my chest. I would be more concerned about the red dot on my chest than what caliber gun is the guy pointing toward me. YMMV.
 
Got to shoot mine today. It's the second P3AT I've owned and, frankly after the first it's only by chance I got this one. This one makes up for it though. The other one jammed every shot. I finally ended up sending it back to KelTec and waiting 6-8 weeks to get it back. When it came back I took the slide off and was looking it over and a small scallop shaped piece fell off the frame. I put it back together and sold it. Swore I'd never buy another. So when I traded into this one it surprised me. Sure glad I did. This thing shoots just fine. Oh, it slaps the hand that feeds it fo sho. But then what pocket rocket is completely tame? I had one misfire. It was what looked like a light strike on a Hornady Crit Defense. Other than that, zero failures. Aldo not the most accurate gun in the stable. But again, what pocket rocket is? Did just fine to 10 yards aimed and maybe 5 yards in double taps and rapid aquisition.

Overall, damn happy with the little gun.
 
How did I miss this thread?
I bought a Kel-Tec P3AT, used at a local gun & pawn shop, for $200 and it came with a red laser sight that clamps around the trigger guard.
(This does reduce the size of the opening for your finger to fit in, but I can still use it pretty easily).
I owned a P32 for ten years before upsizing to the .380 version. Yes, the bigger-caliber gun holds one less round (6 in the magazine, not 7,), but you can buy a higher capacity mag (10?) that extends below the gun's grip frame and has a frame extension built-in to the mag. But I really like the increase in stopping power over the .32 acp. I like how the 9mm Browning Short / .380 ACP makes visibly larger holes in the target at the range.

The DA only trigger pull is long, but not too heavy. A bit lighter than most S&W J-frame revolvers I've owned over the years.

Mine's been totally reliable, but I only tested a couple dozen hollowpoints in it. I chose to go with a 100-grain FMJ bullet for everything-- practicing at the range AND carrying for defense. I know it's not the best choice on paper, but I like the freedom to pop off a magazine on a whim and not worry about paying $1.70 per round for that, or having to wait for months to get more .380 defensive ammo (seems to be out of stock everywhere).

I've seen some gouges in my bullet noses when I unload the gun for cleaning and inspection after that round has been chambered. I don't know what causes this. Hitting the bottom of the feed ramp? Getting hit by an ejecting empty case from the shot that came before? But, whatever it is, it has not caused a malfunction.

My Kel-Tec .380 doesn't seem to be very accurate. Even when I use the laser and rest both my arms on my range bag for a super-steady hold, the kind of hold that lets me shoot 2" groups at 25 yards with a High Standard target pistol, with this micro-sized Kel-Tec P3AT my 25-yard SLOW FIRE groups are the size of a man's torso. I can't do any better than to hit "the body" of a human silhouette target, and those hits will be spread widely from the throat to the crotch, armpit on one side to the kidney on the other. Again, that's with the laser. The gun's iron "sights" are a joke, barely there. If you don't have a laser, I suggest you don't even try to "aim" the gun in a hurry. Just point it. Practice point-shooting (like Mr. Seecamp of the Seecamp pistol company always recommended. His guns didn't come with any sights, just a smooth rounded top of the slide.)

This is the gun I carry the most. Not because it's the deadliest, but because it's the smallest and lightest, and FLATTEST handgun I own that holds more than 2 shots.
 
P.S. My brother liked my gun, but it looked and felt cheap to him.
He bought a Kahr CW380. And then he added real tritium glowing night sights.
His gun is somewhat better. Nicer trigger, and MUCH better open sights.
Better practical accuracy.
But he's got something like $600 invested in his gun and sights. I spent $200.
I think my Kel-Tec's the better bang for the buck.
 
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