[STORMET]

Is the metal guide rod that Keltec sells aftermarket a good idea?  I noticed when I took my P3AT apart the plastic one looks kinda flimsy.  Sorry if this has been covered before, I tried a search and didn't come up with anything.

 

[bro61]

Are you talking about a P-32? The P-3AT comes with a steel guide rod.

 

[STORMET]

Thanks, it looked plastic to me. It is a P3AT

 

[armyrat1968]

My P3at came with the metal guide rod, after about 100 rds the inner guide rod spring in hanging out the front of the slide.
Maybe kel tec should have used a plastic one on this one to!

 

[haugrdr]

My P3at came with the metal guide rod, after about 100 rds the inner guide rod spring in hanging out the front of the slide.
Maybe kel tec should have used a plastic one on this one to!

The problem you've had isn't related to the guide rod, it's actually the spring....causing what we called around here "peening" of the slide. A ring around the guide rod hole will start to appear, eventually the spring will pop out.

It's a known factory issue...for P3AT's serial numbered between HZXXX to JBXXX. If yours is in that range, the factory should replace the slide.

http://www.thektog.org/forum/f87/spring-came-out-front-peening-199228/

http://www.thektog.org/forum/f87/slide-peening-serial-number-range-199194/

 

[tigwelder]

Interesting about the metal vs plastic guide rods. The posts in the P-32 section discuss not using metal rods but the P-3AT's come with one. I've been playing with my
P-3AT a little the last week or so and looked on the Kel-Tec website but didn't see a plastic one listed for a P-3AT. Does anyone know if they make them? My gun is KWF++ so it is not in the range for the above problems but I don't want to have any other guide rod related problems.

 

[haugrdr]

I don't believe they make one for a P3AT...but I imagine the P32 guide rod would work. Personally, I'd leave it alone.

 

[tigwelder]

Rick,
I don't shoot the P-3AT enough to wear out the slide but thought it was interesting that they don't recomend using a metal one in the P-32 but it is stock in the P-3AT. I compared the one from my P-32 and my P-3AT today and they are different lengths, so there is not an option.
By the way, Thanks for all the help you have given the members of this site. I know that you have answered a lot of questions I have had in the past. I noticed the number of posts you have made and I don't think I'm going to live long enough to make that many. Course mine would be questions and not answers like yours.

 

[haugrdr]

Huh, you're correct...I never compared the 2 side by side before. The guide rod for the P32 is a little shorter. Good to know.

Believe me, the first couple thousand posts had a ton of questions mixed in. And I still ask questions. I can give some answers because I have a good memory, and I'm pretty good with Google.