[grizzly128]

New P3AT, cleaned, lubed, did the fluff & buff. Have put a little over 300 rounds through it. When releasing the slide to chamber the first round, slide sticks approx 1/2 way forward. Slight hand tap chambers the round and weapon fires faultless. Since the fluff & buff, after over 300 rounds, I've had one failure, the slide stuck the same as it does when chambering manually. This was early in it's use and I credited that to not being broke in.

I am pulling the slide back fully and letting it snap forward. Just won't chamber/close by it self. Called Kel-Tec, instructed to sand/smooth breech face. Did so with 800 grit wet/dry, no change. Also noted, if mag is loaded with five rounds, chamber will close about half the time, with 4 rouinds will close all the time. I have 3 magazines, all work the same. I have 2 P3AT's, so I interchanged recoil springs, no change...
Any suggestions???
By the way, was impressed with the attitude and service guy at Kel-Tec.

 

[TxCajun]

By Fluff & Buff I assume you have polished the slide rails and hammer interface. You can't hardly over-polish the feedramp.

http://www.goldenloki.com/guns/keltec/prep.htm

http://www.goldenloki.com/guns/keltec/prep2.htm

Grease on the slide rails, hammer interface, lugs and assembly pin?

http://www.goldenloki.com/guns/keltec/care2.htm

 

[The_Fall_Guy]

Are you using the Winchester White Box with the truncated cone?

 

[grizzly128]

Used 600 then 800 wet & dry for the fluff & buff. Have gone over slide rails and grooves twice. Finished hammer interface & feed ramp with dremel polishing after the sanding. Spent extra time on the leading and following edges of the hammer interface....puzzled.
Does not stick with empty mag here in my house, fully load mag and it sticks....
If you were to inspect the weapon I think you'd agree it's pretty well finished out.
If I leave my hand on the slide and follow thru with a slight effort the slide closes, left to "snap" shut by itself, no luck.
Shouldn't make any difference but as a matter of information, this is a hard chromed slide...my blued P3AT doesn't have any problem.

 

[grizzly128]

Used AE FMJ and Winchester FMJ with the blunt nose, both did the same, also had (not sure, threw the box away) Remington JHP. The majority were the FMJ with the regular bullet shaped nose (for lack of better description). Not a bit of difference.

Lubed with the MilTec red stuff I got with the weapon and white lithium grease on slide rails and hammer interface.

Cleaned and lubed 3 times now and touched up with wet & dry places that showed rub spots.

 

[Packer]

  I'm going to assume that you are lubing slide rails copiously, not sparingly as on a Glock.

  Check the hammer slide interface (Long straight surface at back of slide that hammer slides on.) and hammer face for roughness or peening. This is the most likely suspect for slide slowing under pressure of full mag.

  Also remove slide, take out recoil springs and reassemble with pin. Now check all areas of slide travel for any roughness or hesitation--Should be smooth as glass.

Packer.

 

[TxCajun]

 Check the hammer slide interface (Long straight surface at back of slide that hammer slides on.) and hammer face for roughness or peening. This is the most likely suspect for slide slowing under pressure of full mag.

+1

 

[z71bill]

I can completely clean my P-3AT - and then assemble it with NO OIL or lubrication at all - and the gun will still chamber a round when I rack the slide. I don't think your problem is lube related.

No doubt lubrication is important to the operation of a semi-auto pistol - but the gun should still be able to manually chamber a round - even with no lube.

I have never tried to shoot a gun without lubrication - just like I don't drive my car without oil in the engine - but think all of my guns would be able to shoot a mag or two without any lube.

 

[Dolomite]

I can completely clean my P-3AT - and then assemble it with NO OIL or lubrication at all - and the gun will still chamber a round when I rack the slide.

Same here.

I'm working through a case of the old Dynamit Nobel (the exposed lead on the JHP is heavily oxidized) and the gun will intermittently start failing to fully chamber rounds at about 75 rounds. As in the OP's case, a little thump on the back of the slide is all it takes to send the slide fully home.

But, at that point, when it's all dirty and choking up, I will switch to my preferred SD round, Federal 90gr Hydra-Shok (P380HS1G), and the gun will go and go and go without issue. It's always done this and it's nice to know that my P3 likes this ammo.

Anyway, if you've tried the F&B, various ammo, different magazines, the various "darling" lubes discussed on the internet, and even different recoil springs without correcting this problem, if it were me, I'd call KT to let them know that I'm sending them a gun to fix solely due to the fact that it fails to chamber the first round reliably. You've been more than patient with the gun.

 

[TxCajun]

When releasing the slide to chamber the first round, slide sticks approx 1/2 way forward. Slight hand tap chambers the round and weapon fires faultless.

No way I'd send the gun in for this? At least not yet. :-/

And while this gun is likely lubed correctly, the lack of proper lubrication in THESE light, little guns is far more critical than in most pistols and has often been found to be the cause of a problem. While some may work a while without lube, some won't and that is a fact that has been proven here many times over.

I would do some more polishing per the link given above and put more rounds through it. Having to bump the slide on the 1st round is not that critical and will probably go away. At 300 rounds, it is just broken in. I would call service and get some new recoil springs. Whlie they should be good for 1000 rounds, you'll need them eventually anyway.

 

[grizzly128]

OK, did more polishing on breech face, hammer interface and ramp. Removed the button head screw, extractor & spring....mistake...button head stripped threads on the end from the thread locker I suppose. I was able to rethread it, #6-32tpi and chased the threads in the slide, luckily, it went back together. It does seem as if the feeding problem has improved. If I really slam the slide back it chambers properly. I really like these little guns and the more I work on it the better I get to know it.
I have 2 other handguns, an older Colt 32 auto and a Glock 26. Never have spent a minute working on them other than cleaning and I haven't been to religious about that, but I paid a lot more money for them. Working on the P3AT is really kind of enjoyable and the information available, here and on the net, makes it pretty easy. Thanks to all for the help.

 

[adamsesq]

OK, did more polishing on breech face, hammer interface and ramp. Removed the button head screw, extractor & spring....mistake...button head stripped threads on the end from the thread locker I suppose. I was able to rethread it, #6-32tpi and chased the threads in the slide, luckily, it went back together. It does seem as if the feeding problem has improved. If I really slam the slide back it chambers properly. I really like these little guns and the more I work on it the better I get to know it.
I have 2 other handguns, an older Colt 32 auto and a Glock 26. Never have spent a minute working on them other than cleaning and I haven't been to religious about that, but I paid a lot more money for them.  Working on the P3AT is really kind of enjoyable and the information available, here and on the net, makes it pretty easy. Thanks to all for the help.

You now have been bitten by the bug! Welcome to the party - the koolaid is on the table to the right and the heated discussions out on the smoking porch.

-Scott

 

[Guest]

Working on the P3AT is really kind of enjoyable and the information available, here and on the net, makes it pretty easy. Thanks to all for the help.

Addictive ain't it

 

[TxCajun]

And who says the Fluff & Buff is dead?

I'm glad you got it going. These are easy to work on. Making an 8 oz pistol in 380 apc function perfectly is not as easy as it is with a bigger, heavier, steel gun. There is a lot of compromise and less room for error. I think you've got the hang of it... WITHOUT sending it in, I'm proud to say. 8)

For target shooting and plinking, shoot the Glock and the Colt. Put a few mags through the P3AT to function test and practice when you visit the range. Clean, lube, shoot, repeat... a little... carry a LOT. ;D

 

[RAT76]

I still have to tap the slide to get that first round chambered every once in a while.  Over 300 rounds thru it.

You guys that have a P3At that will feed dry are lucky but that is not the norm.  These little guys like lube.

 

[grizzly128]

I bought two of these, HC for wife and my blue one, thought I was buying hand guns, didn't realize I was acquiring a hobby....LOL

 

[SnapCap]

With your F&B, pay special attention to the grooves on the slide that ride on the frame tracks. Take a small piece of oiled 4oo grit emery paper folded over and work it along the full length inside the grooves on the slide until completely smooth. Then finish with the 6oo grit paper. Good bet that the hard crome finish inside the grooves has caused it to be a bit of a tight fit. keep working it until it rides nice and clean without any binding on the frame rails. Check for fit with gun oil on the the frame rails, (without the springs) frequently while you are sanding.

 

[TxCajun]

You guys that have a P3At that will feed dry are lucky but that is not the norm.  These little guys like lube.

+1

http://www.goldenloki.com/guns/keltec/care2.htm