[gazedrop]

Hello all, thought I'd finally make my first post and range report.

At the beginning of January, I picked-up my new P3-AT in hard chrome/navy blue. What a nice looking piece of shooting jewelry!

Before my first range session, I field stripped, cleaned, and lubed it (CLP oil and Jardine's Extreme Grease.)

On my first trip I fired 50 Winchester WB 95g FMJ, and 44 PMC Bronze 90g FMJ, without a single hiccup. On my second trip it was 50 rounds of Remington UMC 95g, and 36 WWB, also without a single failure.

Each session was a little under an hour, and I was pleasantly surprised to have no hand soreness of any kind!

Although I can't afford enough ammo for this question to even be an issue, I am curious as to what kind of lifespan to expect from this little gun? I know that Kel Tec states 6000 rounds on their website, but what are you guys seeing?

I have a couple more questions, but I should probably save them for separate threads.

Thanks!

 

[sr5mike]

welcome to the Forum. I call my P3 the Hidden Jewel. When it is in my pocket only I know it is there.

 

[BillK]

Welcome to KTOG!

Great range report, glad to read that your new P3AT is without issue. Don't think I've ever see a HC over blue grip P3AT, can you post a picture?

As to "life span" you mean statistical stuff like mean time to failure you'll need to try to get that info from Kel-Tec. If your question is really one about warranty then the answer is that it is a life time warranty. It breaks on the next round you shoot or 20,000 rounds later and Kel-Tec will fix it or ship you parts so you can fix it yourself.

Take care...

 

[haugrdr]

6000 round lifespan means that if you hit 6000 rounds and something on your pistol wears out or your accuracy goes to pot...send it back to Kel Tec and they'll make it better again.

 

[TxCajun]

Don't think I've ever see a HC over blue grip P3AT, can you post a picture?

Those were a special order item for one distributor in particular, Sports South. They made them for a couple years but I think they stopped a few months back.

Here's a pair of sisters...

 

[BillK]

[quote author=BillK link=1298946310/0#2 date=1298986165] Don't think I've ever see a HC over blue grip P3AT, can you post a picture?

Those were a special order item for one distributor in particular, Sports South.  They made them for a couple years but I think they stopped a few months back.

Here's a pair of sisters...

[/quote]

Nice looking pair of Kel-Tecs!

Back at you with my HC over Grey...

 

[inmate]

Bill I really like the HC over gray you have here. What grip wrap is on there, it seems to fit very nicely.

 

[OnTop]

Bill, is that a stainless magazine release in your picture? Is that factory or after market upgrade? If after market, where did you purchased from?

Thanks.

OT

 

[BillK]

Bill I really like the HC over gray you have here. What grip wrap is on there, it seems to fit very nicely.

Hi, welcome to KTOG! [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif]

I got them (have 2 P3ATs) from KTADDONS... http://www.ktaddons.com/. Also got the grip pads but used one order (4 pads) for both guns.

Take care...

 

[BillK]

Bill, is that a stainless magazine release in your picture? Is that factory or after market upgrade? If after market, where did you purchased from?  

Thanks.

OT

No, not stainless steel. Just polished steel done just like you'd do the fluff and buff for other parts. Bought the metal catch years ago from a member here @ KTOG but forget now who that was. I'd really like to have Kel-Tec make a metal catch; I figure it could be MIMed at a very reasonable cost.

Have you checked the Trading Post forum to see if anyone is selling them there?

BTW, I cut and sand my standard (not the 9 rounder) mag finger extensions so that there is just enough for a comfortable two finger grip.

Take care...

 

[OnTop]

Bill,

Thanks for the reply. The polished metal catch looks great. I do not have enough posts to visit the trading post yet. No, I am not new to firearms. I am just new to Kel-Tec.

OT

 

[inmate]

Bill, thanks for the link. I had a slip on grip I think Pachmyer made but I had to cut it to make it fit nice and then it wouldn't stay in place. The one you have shown seems much better.

 

[gazedrop]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

So Kel Tec will cover normal wear and tear, too? It's hard to fathom that a company would freshen-up some worn out parts. So I guess I shouldn't worry about if the time comes that this thing starts to shoot worse than me!

I -did- forget one thing about my p3... The magazine was hard to seat at first. All I had to do was sand-down the magazine baseplate before it would lock into place with only light finger pressure (empty; with a full mag, it locks positively into place...)

Thanks again!

 

[EnufIsTooMuch]

Interesting report, thank you.

I received my P-3AT in the past few weeks. Purchased used off GunBroker. It arrived so filthy internally that I did a very thorough scrubbing and lubrication on it before trying it. Yesterday I took it out for a test and had nothing but trouble. Lots of failures to fire and to eject with several ammo types and three different magazines. No "Limp Wristing" either, I'm an experienced pistol shooter and know the value of a firm hold.

So on the way home yesterday I picked up some polishing supplies for my Dremel tool. The polishing compound and felt pads that Dremel sells. Polished up the barrel on all external surfaces and the chamber as deep as I could reach. Soaked all parts in 97% isopropyl alcohol and scrubbed with an electric toothbrush. Then cleaned the bore with my Otis kit. Re-lubed and put it all back together.

One thing I noticed is the firing pin is magnetic. I have never seen that before, but it does adhere to the outside of the slide. Other metal objects do not adhere to the slide, so I am sure it is the firing pin that has become magnetized. I wonder if anyone else has ever seen this?

Put it all back together and exercised rounds thru the action. It fed and ejected them perfectly, without trying to fire them of course. But this is what I did when I first cleaned the gun, the only difference was now the barrel is shiny and looks great on the outside.

After doing all that I happened to find the "Fluff & Buff" instructions on KTOG. Looks like there is more work I could do on the slide and hammer face. Also the Trigger Block may be the old style. I will follow those instructions carefully before I actually shoot the gun again, likely this weekend. Will also get a better look to see which Trigger Block I have.

I really want this little gun to work out. I am delighted to see a relatively new MADE IN USA gun maker doing such innovative work. I am a little bothered that buyers must so often do a lot to get their guns humming along reliably. While I recognize it is the "Conventional Wisdom" that all guns need a break-in period I have never accepted that basic functionality should be a factor in that. The gun should always work out the box, and breaking it in should make it work better. Breaking it in to make it work at all, on the buyer's time and ammo budget, is just plain wrong.

I mean why should gun makers behave like a certain major computer software / operating system company?
:-?

 

[gazedrop]

A magnetized firing pin? You might try a screwdriver magnetizer/de-magnetizer on it. I'd hate to think of particles creating slurry in the firing pin channel over time.

Sorry to hear about your experience with your p3... I was worried about experiencing this myself before getting mine from all that I'd read about some of these being bad apples, but I figured from what I also read about Kel Tec's customer service that it was worth the risk. I hope it all works out!