Proofnpood

I just ordered a Kel Tec 3AT to fill the not-so-easily-concealed niche of my wardrobe choices. I've been reading a lot of reviews and have read everything from "junk" to "outstanding" with the overall majority seeming to be leaning toward the "outstanding" viewpoint. Seems like the biggest "problem" I see recurring is that it needs a hundred or so break in rounds before it's dependable and some suggest polishing the feed ramp and barrel. I'm wondering if some of the newer 2nd generation 3ATs are getting those bugs worked out at the factory. Any opinions from those of you who own one of these (especially if you have a newer model)?

thatguybme

I dont own one - I have a Sig p230 that I love - BUT the KelTecs get tons of positive reviews on ar15.com I have a friend that has a keltec in .32 and loves it..

Many ppl tell you that a .380 isnt enough gun BUT I feel anything is better than nothing.. I know I dont want to be shot with a .380 so I would assume most other ppl wouldnt either..

The biggest drawback to the PPK/Sig p230/Keltec are that .380 ammo so hard to find and ~50% more expensive than 9mm..

I got lucky and was able to scrounge up about 400 rds over the past year from walmarts/dicks.. that has been the only .380 i have really seen in the stores..

brian

Proofnpood

I agree with you on that so far; I have been trying to locate some ammo since I ordered the Kel Tec and I'm not having much luck. I did find a box of Gold Dot for carry rounds and I asked the dealer I am buying through to try and locate me a few boxes of practice rounds when he gets the gun in. The only bright side is once I break it in and try some of my carry rounds in it to make sure they cycle, I plan on just carrying it and not firing too many rounds other than enough to keep fresh ammo and stay familiar and since the P3AT is so simple, it won't take much to keep familiar with it. I will use my 9mm and .22 pistols for most of my plinking and practice time.

HighDesertWolf

id say a .380 is just as deadly as anything else. A friend of mines brother was killed during a robbery at his work. he took a single .380 slug to the head and was dead before he hit the floor.

Proofnpood

I agree that the .380 would be deadly and so would a .22 for that matter. Hopefully I will never be in a stiuation like the one your friend's brother found himself in, but that is precisely why I ordered the P3AT, because at least if I have it on me and am faced with a situation like that, I have a chance to affect the outcome in my favor and put the bad guy on the other end. My 9mm or even more powerful rounds might be better as a "stopper" round, but I have an aquaintenance-friend who is a cop and had to shoot a guy who tried to cut his throat with a knife (actually did cut it, and just missed the carotid artery by a fraction of an inch). "Bill" was able to draw his service weapon (.40) and shot the guy right through the heart but the bad guy was hopped up on drugs and still ran back to his vehicle and tried to remove a weapon he had in the floorboard before he fell over dead. I don't think any caliber is guaranteed to stop someone in their tracks but being unarmed certainly won't help you win the battle. The best scenario is never ending up in a situation where you need to use force to protect yourself and the second best is to be armed, skilled, and prepared to execute if you do end up in such a place. The biggest question for me is the last one (prepared to execute). I think I would be able to respond with deadly force if it was necessary but I guess that's something we will never really know unless we are faced with that situation. What worries me a little is "would I hesitate too long"??? I hope not, but I certainly wouldn't take someone's life either unless I felt it was absolutely the only choice. Anyone else ever thought of those same things? Lot of responsiblity comes with carrying a weapon....

Dan480Man

Chalk me up as a P-3AT fan. Mine is scuffed up, and finish worn...and I love it that way.
Why? because it means Ive been CARRING IT!! They are a tough gun to beat when it comes to actual ease of carry, and fire-power.

I have no idea if the company "upgraded" any care in manufacturing. They would have been the one to ask on that.

Ammo has been tough to find, and probably will continue to be so.
For that reason, I'd suggest "breaking it in" by field stripping and soft-sanding the action.

Also, maybe buy some snap caps, or practice with a dead round(mark it!!) to get the feel for the
trigger, instead of burning ammo.

Luckily, once you get the feel for it, you shouldn't be shooting it toooo much, so
the ammo 'thing' shouldn't be that big of a deal. It's not a target gun after all.

When I bought mine several years ago, I picked up a Walmart white value box of 100.
I think I have 30 or so rounds left, and I don't feel "under-ammo'd" at all for its
purpose.

Proofnpood

I switced my order today from the Kel Tec P3AT to a Ruger LPC .380 mainly because I got to look at the two side by side and just liked the fit & feel of the Ruger a little more than the Kel Tec. From what I read on most posts, they both are good at what they are made for but it seems like many feel the Ruger is a little more reliable (especially before it is broken in or without polishing the feed ramp and/or barrel). I don't know if that is true but I did like the slide lock (manual) and the recessed magazine release button on the Ruger. Everything else appeared to be almost identical. I did pay a little more for the Ruger but it was not much. Now if I can just find some ammo....

Dan480Man

I'm very happy with my Keltec, but I'm sure I would've bought the Ruger too, if it had been available at the time.
Just because I like Ruger products, not for the slide stop.
I never really understood why so many people needed a slide stop
for a belly gun like these.
Seems like I paid $230 for my P3AT. Whats the list price for a LCP?

Ron Duval

removed by RD

Proofnpood

The slide stop is only going to be useful when holding it open at the range or for something similar because it doesn't lock open on an empty magazine. I think the recessed magazine release is probably a more beneficial feature to help you keep from accidently dropping a mag when in your pocket or when firing in a tense situation. I'm not sure what retail is but I was going to pay $284 for my P3ATand the LCP is going to cost me $325 so about $40 more at the place I'm buying.