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Rate Your PMR-30's Reliability

22K views 63 replies 40 participants last post by  P mister 30 
#1 ·
PLEASE READ BEFORE VOTING...

If you do not own a PMR, please select the last option and you will be able to see the results of this poll.

If you do own a PMR, please vote only one time unless you have had a ruptured case.  If you experienced a ruptured case, vote for that selection, plus the option that describes the general performance of your PMR without regard to the case failure.

If you returned your PMR-30 for warranty service, select one of those options.  

A generalization about pistols and Kel-tecs specifically, is that they often perform better after a breakin period.  If your gun was a little rough during the first 100 - 200 rounds, but improved after breakin, please rate it's post breakin performance.  We also know that rimfire semi-autos in general, and the PMR specifically, are often ammo selective.  If you found the gun didn't like some particular ammo, and later found ammo that it does like, please rate your gun based upon ammo that you have determined to perform well in your gun.  I'd like to weed out these two easily overcome variables, and give the readers an idea of what they might expect from a PMR once it is in "regular rotation."  


A word about Polls:

Polling is a science and the tools we have to work with here at KTOG are not the best.  However, we should be able to get some useful information.  Don't get hung up on the names assigned to each category.  For example, perhaps you do not consider 97% to be excellent.  Those are just words - go with the percentages.  To get in a reasonable number of choices  without a rediculous number of voting options, I grouped them in intervals of 4 percentage points.  Keeping the intervals all the same (histogram) is the only way to get fair information.  However, with yabb polling capability, I cannot go all the way to zero reliability, which would be the only totally fair representation of the data.  Therefore, please undertand that the interval for "Poor" is comparitlively huge with an interval of 85.  Statistically, that giant interval size should automatically cause that option to be highly selected.  Keep in mind that you do not know if a vote there represents 85%, or 0%, or something in between.  Again, we do not have the tools here for absolute perfection and I think we can all agree that 15 failures per hundred is certainly not acceptable.  By iliminating the 2nd choice (after warranty service) under each rating , I could have included more intervals and therefore achieved more accurate data, but knowlege of whether factory service resulted in a particular rating is also desirable.  It is a compromise.  

Finally, a poll such as this cannot obtain nuances of data.  If you own a PMR and vote in this poll, please take the time to make a reply and to elaborate on your experiences with your gun.  



P.S.

I was pretty critical of a similar poll that has since been taken down.  As penance, I have assigned myself to contruct this poll.  With the tools available here, polling certain data (like this) is not easy to do well.  If you take exception with the perameters of this instrument and wish to complain, criticize or condemn, take your best shot.  I'm sure I have it coming.   :p  
 
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#29 ·
I've cycled over 1000 rounds of Colorado Buck, 40gr. SJHP through my PMR, without a single FTF! Also, I've fired 300 Armscore USA, without a FTF! I tried 30 rds of Hornady, 30gr, and had 5 FTF from that single mag! It's obvious to me that the higher grain bullet is what is needed, for this gun to work reliably. Although Armscore seems to have a bad rep for quality, they certainly have my vote, as the better ammo for this gun.
 
#32 ·
I've tried that. It doesn't seem to make a difference. I am serious about this test, as I bought a case of of Hornady 30 gr. Ahead of my PMR purchase. My concern is the Hornady casing being a bit thinner. I am not done experimenting with the Hornady, after all, I've got 1000 rounds to play with! Lol
 
#35 ·
PLEASE READ BEFORE VOTING...

If you do not own a PMR, please select the last option and you will be able to see the results of this poll.

If you do own a PMR, please vote only one time unless you have had a ruptured case. If you experienced a ruptured case, vote for that selection, plus the option that describes the general performance of your PMR without regard to the case failure.

If you returned your PMR-30 for warranty service, select one of those options.

A generalization about pistols and Kel-tecs specifically, is that they often perform better after a breakin period. If your gun was a little rough during the first 100 - 200 rounds, but improved after breakin, please rate it's post breakin performance. We also know that rimfire semi-autos in general, and the PMR specifically, are often ammo selective. If you found the gun didn't like some particular ammo, and later found ammo that it does like, please rate your gun based upon ammo that you have determined to perform well in your gun. I'd like to weed out these two easily overcome variables, and give the readers an idea of what they might expect from a PMR once it is in "regular rotation."


A word about Polls:

Polling is a science and the tools we have to work with here at KTOG are not the best. However, we should be able to get some useful information. Don't get hung up on the names assigned to each category. For example, perhaps you do not consider 97% to be excellent. Those are just words - go with the percentages. To get in a reasonable number of choices without a rediculous number of voting options, I grouped them in intervals of 4 percentage points. Keeping the intervals all the same (histogram) is the only way to get fair information. However, with yabb polling capability, I cannot go all the way to zero reliability, which would be the only totally fair representation of the data. Therefore, please undertand that the interval for "Poor" is comparitlively huge with an interval of 85. Statistically, that giant interval size should automatically cause that option to be highly selected. Keep in mind that you do not know if a vote there represents 85%, or 0%, or something in between. Again, we do not have the tools here for absolute perfection and I think we can all agree that 15 failures per hundred is certainly not acceptable. By iliminating the 2nd choice (after warranty service) under each rating , I could have included more intervals and therefore achieved more accurate data, but knowlege of whether factory service resulted in a particular rating is also desirable. It is a compromise.

Finally, a poll such as this cannot obtain nuances of data. If you own a PMR and vote in this poll, please take the time to make a reply and to elaborate on your experiences with your gun.



P.S.

I was pretty critical of a similar poll that has since been taken down. As penance, I have assigned myself to contruct this poll. With the tools available here, polling certain data (like this) is not easy to do well. If you take exception with the perameters of this instrument and wish to complain, criticize or condemn, take your best shot. I'm sure I have it coming. :p
 
#38 ·
I have around 800 rounds through my PMR30. I was too anxious to heed my gun store guru's advice to take it apart and clean and lube it first. I got halfway though the first mag and put it back in the case. After I did a clean and lube, mags included, it worked like a champ. KelTec's more than any other brand I can think of seem to all benefit from an initial cleaning and a lot of break-in. Every one I've had performed better after that regimen.
 
#42 · (Edited)
Have shot it only at one range trip, yesterday, but at this point, it makes my old AMT Govt. model look like an Ed Brown. Mostly FTFs (FTRTB), but never going more than two rounds straight. Disappointing, since this is my 4th KT, and all the others have been flawless.

Edit: After a second trip to the range, where I had taken the gun apart and totally cleaned and lubed it the day before, the gun functioned flawlessly with Winchester Super X 40 gr HPs. A full box was run through with one malfunction, which wasn't the gun, but a squib load. The *snap* which was less than that of a LR, and the subsequent toss of the case into my face immediately spelled STOP, so I inspected. Case had obviously been pulled, but slide didn't retract properly, as chamber & barrel were empty. Racked slide, and continued with no more issues. Next time, I'll go back to the original 40 gr CCI Maxi-mags and see if it will run as well, or go back to the first trip's RTB problems or any other type of FTF. If issues start again, guess I'll stick with these Winchesters for a while. At least they're a bit cheaper.
 
#44 ·
I purchased my Titanium Edition PMR-30 over 2 years ago when there was some serious "Availability Issues" concerning ammo and there was one thing I didn't know and one thing I did know...what I did know was that the Hornady 30gr Vmax rounds are capable of defeating LII Vests...what I didn't know was the recoil pulse was too short and light to reliably cycle what was a brand new and tight PMR-30 and this was the result of that...



a week later?...I took a trip too the mother ship up in Cocoa, FL (which is only about 80 miles north of me) and purchased the 505 5" Barrel upgrade and hit the range on my way home to conduct that same test with the same 30gr Vmax ammo and this was the result of that....



and here I am 2 years later still loving the 30gr Vmax ammo so much that I rarely shoot it so I can conserve it but have accumulated a sound supply of 40gr CCI for plinking with but the 505 5" Barrel upgrade has made my PMR-30 as reliable as any rim-fire ammo is that I choose to feed it no matter what the bullet weight.
 
#45 ·
<snip>
a week later?...I took a trip too the mother ship up in Cocoa, FL (which is only about 80 miles north of me) and purchased the 505 5" Barrel upgrade and hit the range on my way home to conduct that same test with the same 30gr Vmax ammo and this was the result of that....
<snip>
and here I am 2 years later still loving the 30gr Vmax ammo so much that I rarely shoot it so I can conserve it but have accumulated a sound supply of 40gr CCI for plinking with but the 505 5" Barrel upgrade has made my PMR-30 as reliable as any rim-fire ammo is that I choose to feed it no matter what the bullet weight.
I didn't see anything on the KT website about this upgrade. What's the deal?
 
#51 ·
Even without the flash hider thingy?...moving up too a 5" barrel from the stock 4.3" barrel represents almost a 20% increase in barrel length so it in no way should be prefixed with "It's just..." because it's a win, win all the way around including....Increased Reliability...Increased Velocity which in turn Increases KE and ultimately?....

Increases Effective Range and Lethality

But the one thing it ain't is..."just"
 
#54 ·
Thanks for all the responses. My PMR30 still FTF 2 or 3 times per magazine, even when loading at less than capacity. I have about 300 rds through it so far including 40 gr & limited lighter rounds. I have cleaned and lubed it...Long time Keltec owner (P11 1Gen (fluffed and buffed), P32) and really want this to work out so I can justify the CMR30 companion. Just ordered 505 barrel and thread protector so we'll see what happens. Yes, watched all the YT vids re: how to load the mags...trying to be very careful to do it correctly. Love it when it functions and found it acceptably accurate at 15yds which is a range I need accuracy at.
 
#62 ·
I did go ahead and buy the barrel for when I do get the PMR30 running well. It's sitting in original package waiting waiting waiting. Tried eliminating the gap at the bottom of the magazine well by pushing up while firing but still had FTF. After 500 CCI MaxiMags, cleaning, scrupulous magazine loading...sent RMA request today via Customer Service on website. My P32 had to return to factory for fixing when it was new too but runs great now. And my P11 (purchased used) ran great after a fluff and buff. I like Keltec products, QA first time out the door...not so much. :D
 
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