Kel-Tec P-3AT Reviews

by **sawman** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 9:48 pm

I bought this little gun 6 months ago...I have shot it several times at range,I am very pleased with it, I carry it all the time,,,,great gun to carry concealed

by **cph8635** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:19 pm

This is a terrific firearm for what it was designed. I just purchased the Kel-Tec P3AT 2 weeks ago and took it to the range this past weekend. I love the weight, the feel, the reliability and especially the concealability. I put 150+ rounds through it with only one jam. I still prefer my Glock 26 or my Ruger SP101 when its a bit cooler out, but in the hot, humid climate here in Ohio, the Kel-Tec is perfect. Could someone please tell me though the safety factor when carrying this gun concealed? I just purchased a Galco pocket holster and my only concern is the safety of keeping this particular pistol chambered while in my pocket. If anyone has any info on this please let me know. Thanks!

by **ANTI-XD** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:21 am

The safety feature on these Guns SCREAM keep your fingure off the trigger the only saftey I believe is a long trigger pull, just like a revoler, so keeping it in a holster or type of pants with a inside pocket is one of the few ways to carry this little thing conceal safely, o yea just a hint you know that little case the gun comes in, well you can put it in that keep on side unzipped and it doesn't even look like a gun in your pocket just somethiong to think about when your trying to break up the outline in your pocket

by **URay** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:54 am

I purchased one of these P-3AT's and didn't consider the 2nd generations, now you have me thinking.....can anyone tell me how to tell if mine is is first or second? thanks.

by **Idahoser** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:05 pm

The slide was formed from cylindrical bar stock n the 1st gen, and the top of the slide still hold the rounded shape (so I've been told the reason, but it works anyway). Also the extractor is steady 'height' the entire length of it, and you can't see what holds it in (no screw). On a second gen, the top of the slide is hexagonally shaped as the stock they were buying was cheaper (or the old round stock wasn't available any longer) and the extractor gets 'higher' the farther back from the ejection port you go, and the rear end of it is held in place by a visible hex screw.

You really oe it to yourself to check out KTOG.org and KTRange.com to really learn about these great little guns, this forum is for reviews.

by **URay** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:24 pm

Thanks for the info - looks like I got the 2nd Gen. witch is ok by me...it fits your prifile perfectly. I have gotten 2 new guns and haven't fired either yet...can't wait - they are putting a new roof on our local shooting range so I have to be patient until they get done.I really like Kel-Tec and also have the PF-9 ..great carry for the hiking trails...thanks again and I'll check out those sites for sure....

by **tazz500** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:54 pm

This is not a range gun, it is not fun to shoot, and it is not meant to be used out beyond 7-15 yards at the most. That said, it does drop into a good pocket holster and disappear. One could pretty much carry this thing anywhere, anytime, and under any circumstances. While the recoil is punishing to the web of your hand, that would be the last thing you would be thinking about if you needed to use a gun as a defensive tool. I carry mine in a high noon holster "pocket reload" and never feel like I am going to get made, so the unstable grip and rather sharp recoil are well made up for by the fact that I often forget it is in my pocket due to the fact that it weighs less than the spare change you have been dragging around for a week. If this was my only carry gun, I would do everything possible to avoid a conflict, but as ccw goes, if all other options have been expended, this would get the job done. Just get a good holster, as a ccw without a round in the chamber is also known as a rock, and there is no safty at all, other than making sure the trigger is covered. For this reason, but the gun and holster as a package, and get some good ammo and make sure it feeds well. Also the most important thing is to clean up the inside of the gun and polish the feedramp before use. The factory does not get the filings and solvents out of the gun before they ship it. This takes less than an hour and will make a much more reliable gun.

by **god.loves.ugly** » Thu May 03, 2007 7:02 am

I have owned this gun for a few months now, I bought it for a light weight carry weapon, mostly for the summer, it's very reliable and compact I can't say a bad thing about it.

by **rlevine** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:18 am

by **k9sarge** » Tue May 08, 2007 5:02 pm

Whats up Doc?! should have read my review on this wonder. (A wonder because I wonder how they can sell the thing with all of it's issues with a clear conscious) I wanted one as a back-up gun while on duty. I had to send mine back TWICE because of breakage issues. I told them to keep it the 2nd time and got a refund. I went back to a titanium .38 for back up purposes (about 500 rounds downrange and nary a problem)

As I said in my previous post, I wanted to like the Keltec, what a neat idea. It just is not ready for prime time yet. It has some signifcant bugs, and I am not sure that Keltec is addressing them.