Kel-Tec P-3AT Reviews

by **USNCHIEF** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:11 pm

I have had my P3AT more than a year. I carry in my front pocket with a DeSantis and/or Mikes#! depending on the situation. I have about 500 rds through it and except for startup problems it is 100% reliable. Great gun for the money......see KTOG.org for owner opinions...

by **LiveFreeOrDie** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:54 pm

I bought the P-3AT after giving it very careful consideration. The purchase price of $249 made the decision easier.

I shot about 40 rounds right after purchasing it and it mis-fired once for every full magazine. The dealer told me to shoot some more rounds through it and if I still had a problem, send it back to Kel-Tec, that they are very good about making things right.

I brought it home, cleaned it and oiled the slide then took it back to the firing range and shot about 70 rounds through it without a mis-fire but with one jam.

I like this little gun. The trigger pull on it is smooth and I can shoot accurately with it. Most importantly, I can put it in my front pocket and no one would know its there. Heck, I almost forgot it was there once.

by **embvmb** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:31 am

I purchased this little gun 6 months ago, & I am very pleased. For the money (250) it is well worth it. Very accurate at close range, 7 or 8 yards give you fist size groups. I carry it everywhere, legally, & nobody ever sees it.

by **Tillind** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:42 pm

Funny what people will expect from a pistol that is as small as a pack of cigarettes! It is the greatest gun ever invented for its intended purpose. If you put the pocket clip on it, it looks just like a folding knif in your pocket. After I took it to the range the first time, I soon found out it is not a range plinker gun, it is not intended to be. I carry mine like my American Express Card and load it with 94 grain Hydro-shocks. I have yet to have a malfunction. Make sure you get the 2nd Generation because the problems you read about are from the 1st. By the way, does the Lifetime Guarantee mean anything to you? Kel-tech will fix it forever if you have problems. Accept it for what it is, a personal protevtion device.

by **steamer** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 9:32 pm

I own a sub-2000 and love it, a P-32 and love it, but had a frustrating beginning with the P-3AT. Magazines would pop out upon firing each shot. Thought I might be hitting the magazine release so I had a buddy shoot it and same thing happened. I sent it to the facotry with detailed letter, and it came back with the same problem, so I sent it back a 2d time and talked to Customer Service and the gunsmith. They got it right, it appears, the 2d time around. I do like the customer service at Kel-tec. I also have had problems with a Kahr PM9 ( going back to factory twice for an unfixed problem, and Kel-Tec service is 2-3 times faster (1 WEEK VS. 1 MONTH for Kahr). I really like these mouse guns, and I carry them nearly full-time but find the quality control at Kel-Tec is lacking. I have had such serious malfunctions on my 1 month old P-11 I returned it to the dealer. Just couldnt trust it. I just wish the sights were a bit better on the P-32 and the P-3AT for my older eyes.

by **wolf1969** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:06 pm

this gun does what it is ment to do it is easy to conceal is very potent in its caliber .308and when needed it is accurate

only thing i dont like is you realy should not carry a round in the chamber till you are ready to fire decause it is doubel action only

by **cometkid** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:21 am

by **aaronrkelly** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:19 am

I have a second gen P3AT. I have about 300 rounds thru it with 2 failures to extract - not bad for such a small gun.

Problem was about round 300ish the grip cracked at the rear frame pin - its currently back at KelTec for warranty repair. Their customer service this far has been top notch. They sent the UPS lady after the gun on their dime.

by **RAFA45** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:22 pm

I PICKED UP A 2G P3AT FOR $239 AT A GUN SHOW IN MIAMI ALONG WITH AN ANDERSON POCKET HOLSTER. I FIND THIS COMBINATION VERY HARD TO BEAT IN TERMS OF COMFORT AND CONCEALABILITY EVEN WHILE WEARING DRESS PANTS. IVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH FTF/FTE WITH HARDBALL, CORBONS, REMMINGTON HP AND HP RELOADS. ACCURACY HAS BEEN MORE THAN ACCEPTABLE FOR UP CLOSE AND DIRTY WORK. RECOIL IS SUPRISINGLY MILD WHEN COMPARING IT TO MY BUDDIES 380 SEECAMP. THOUGH THE SEECAMP IS APPRECIABLY HEAVIER IN WEIGHT ITS BLOWBACK DESIGN GENERATES HEAVIER RECOIL THAN THE BREACH LOCKING P3AT. I OWN SEVERAL OTHER POCKET GUNS ie; MUSTANG POCKET LITE, BERETTA BOBCAT AND TOMCAT AND A J FRAME 340 SC 357, I CARRY THAT LIL KELTEC MOST OF THE TIME. THE ONLY CURRENT PRODUCTION GUNS THAT COME CLOSE TO IT ARE THE ROHRBAUGH 9MM AND THE KELTEC PF9. THE ROHRBAUGH IS PRICEY AND GRIP SEEMS PRONE TO PINCHING THE WEB OF YOUR HAND LIKE THE PPK AND THE PF9 IS ONLY SLOWLY BEING RELEASED AND APPEARS TO BE HAVING GROWING PAINS. WHEN YOU HAVE A P3AT THAT IS CARRY RELIABLE ITS DEMENSIONS EXTREMELY LIGHT WEIGHT AND MANAGEABLE RECOIL AND DECENT STOPPING POWER WITH HIGH END HP AMMO MAKE IT A POCKET GUN SECOND TO NONE. IT IS THE IDEAL GUN TO CARRY WHEN YOU CANT CARRY A GUN.

by **HollywoodJose** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:44 pm

I bought this gun for $249 brand new and I love it! I basically bought it so I can conceal it when I wear a suit just in case I have to take off my jacket or if I am wearing light clothing. I bought the kel tec extension and It helps a bit with the grip since the gun is so small it might feel like it will fly off your hand. I shoot this at 7 yards I get a very decent grouping for a gun this small. If that was somebodys head all the shots would hit it. The best 250 bucks I have ever spent on a gun. Also, I messed up the bluing on two little parts of it, because I was experimenting with something. I asked Kel-Tec how much the parts would cost and they said they woudl send them to me for free! A week later I got them. Excellent gun, excellent customer service and it has lifetime warranty! You cannot beat this deal. I carry this gun the most even though I have 3 other guns (Steyr M40-a1, Mahurhin PPK/s and Taurus 425) because its really comfortable to carry. Since it is DAO, I carry it loaded all the time. Awesome gun.