Community for Kel-Tec Shooters banner

New P11 owner. What are the must do upgrades on the pistol

16K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  Teddy83  
#1 ·
I bought 3 of them

The long trigger pull seems to be a safety mechanism. This pistol will be used by my 3 children so am am not all that bummed about the never ending pull.

That being said:
What are the things that are big impact upgrades?
Trigger kit?
Spring?
rod?

The system I am using in my home is AR platform for battle rifle and I have 2 S&W M&P 9mm.

I also will add a few SU2000 for a PCC option. All this allows me to buy and own only 2 types of ammunition(the most common) and 2 types of magazines.

All the best and thanks for listening
 
#2 ·
I put the steel recoil rod in mine, no real difference that I can tell.
Many swear by the trigger shoe improving trigger feel and operation. Some just add shrink tubing on the trigger.
A lot like the stick on grip traction tape. Me, I've used a piece of bicycle tube for more grip but recently added a packmyer or houge over grip to it.
I did add the tritium front site for Michael.
I have the finger extension on all my magazines, adds a lot to comfort.
 
#3 ·
Shoot it and see what you think it needs. On one of mine I used a hairdryer to heat up and straighten the trigger a little bit...made it better. On another I replaced the factory trigger with a Northwoods trigger...made it better. I installed the "pencil eraser" trigger stop on one...made it better. Heated up the grip frame and inserted a spark plug socket to expand the mag well just a little bit, made the magazines fall free, that was better. A finger extension on the mags might help, some of my mags have them, some don't, depends on how you want to carry it. Shoot it and see what you really don't like about it, then search on this site for posts related to the "problem". Most likely someone has addressed it already and you can go from there. I have a couple of P-11's and like them but I have done some tinkering on all of them, nothing major, just tuned to my liking. Welcome to the Kel-Tec world.
 
#4 ·
I have had my P11 for about a year now and when I first started shooting it, it felt like it was going to jump out of my hands. Small frame with a 9mm...I should have expected it. I have only recently really started shooting it again. I like it, but I can tell you that I have the extenders on all my mags. The S&W 15 round mags are great for the range, but I like the mag that came with it along with the extender when I carry. I am really interested in tweaking the trigger pull/travel to make it a bit more responsive and shorter if possible. I found the sights to be bring while I am at the range, but are a little lacking in low light shooting at the farm. I think I am going to try to find a TFO option if one exists...anyone have a lead on replacing the back sites? I read the article about replacing the front site (and rear) with FOs, but it appears that the front part of the slide, while the rears look like they can be replaced with aftermarket parts. Also looking at possible grip treatments, but again @Remngton74 I just haven't shot it enough to know what I want to do just yet. I love this site, didn't know it existed. Looking forward to getting some more range time with my carry.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Sandsharky360,
The front sight is plastic and is held by it being pushed two little posts into to slide holes, then the posts are melted from underneath. Easily replaced. I put that tritium night site on there. Do a quick search here to find the seller. Does not sell tritium rear for the P11 but does for the PF9. The PF9 rear sights are screwed in place while the P11 rear sights are knocked into place with a drift pin, likely hard on the tritium vials. The seller has a utube video on sight replacement. And he sells them in multiple colors.

"Modification, New night sights installed" was my thread on the subject.
 
#9 ·
That being said:
What are the things that are big impact upgrades?
You trade them in towards a nice Walther PPS? :D

Trigger kit?
Spring?
rod?
Eh, the polymer rod in my 11 didn't break in 15 years and thousands of rounds. I buffed the feed ramp until it was smooth and shiny, got a few spare mags with the finger extension and called it good enough.
 
#10 ·
I would not do anything to it. IMO the P11 is nothing but a backup pistol. I do not take it to the range to practice with other than just making sure it fires. It is by far the most inaccurate pistol I have ever owned and functions as if a third grader manufactured it. It is a firearm that is use only in close quarter life or death use or shoot from a distance so you can run away. I would not use it for a gunfight.
 
#11 ·
I would not do anything to it. IMO the P11 is nothing but a backup pistol. I do not take it to the range to practice with other than just making sure it fires. It is by far the most inaccurate pistol I have ever owned and functions as if a third grader manufactured it. It is a firearm that is use only in close quarter life or death use or shoot from a distance so you can run away. I would not use it for a gunfight.
The P11 is in fact a very viable concealed carry pistol. It was WAY ahead of it's time and 22 years later, it is still smaller, lighter, and boasts a higher capacity than many "modern" handguns. Usually, the most limiting factor of P11 accuracy is the shooter. On another site, years ago, we used to hold postal matches. I have seen P11 shooters achieve amazing accuracy.

The poster here acquired 3 P11s and asked a legitimate question about what upgrades members might suggest, something commonly done to almost any firearm. I see no reason for you to post an off-road, disparaging set of remarks. In the future, if you have nothing to offer a poster regarding their questions, feel free not to post at all. :(
 
#12 ·
In my post I did say "IMO" if you think that the P11 and accuracy belongs in the same sentence then that's your opinion. I am not just posting disparaging remarks but absolute truth in my reply. Just because you think the P11 is more than what it really is doesn't make it so. I have been in pistol matches for the past 30 years and never seen anyone bring a P11 to the table in the open matches. "I have seen P11 shooters achieve amazing accuracy." I'm curious what your definition of "amazing accuracy" is with a P11.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I bought 3 of them

The long trigger pull seems to be a safety mechanism. This pistol will be used by my 3 children so am am not all that bummed about the never ending pull.
Well, you may be disappointed if you expect children to be able to shoot a P-11. I personally know people who do not possess the strength to shoot a P-11. Even I struggle with accuracy.
Also if you shoot double action pistols= helps with learning the long heavy trigger.
 
#15 ·
I qualified for my Texas license to carry with mine. Then traded it in towards a nice Walther PPS.
Hi kar, What is the qualification requirement for Texas ccw license? why did you trade it off?

Maybe I bought a lemon, when I squeeze the trigger on my P11 the front of the slide will rise about 1/16" I didn't notice this until I replaced the hammer spring with KT replacement spring.
 
#16 ·
Tape, here are the requirements for the proficiency test in Texas:

Image


And here's what my target looked like:

Image


Bearing in mind that was after I sort of had taken a "got married, wife was uncomfortable around guns" break from shooting of several years. I've been shooting the P11 a LOT before that. But my Walther P.38 was a whole lot more accurate and a breeze to shoot after practicing with the Kel-Tec P11, so when I saw a Walther PPS for sale at my range I just about pounced on it and pretty much took it from the shelf to the firing line (Texas LTC lets you skip the NICS):

Image


Trigger pull is 6 lbs, as opposed to 9.5, gun doesn't feel like it wants to jump and twist out of your hands, and while you lose two rounds in comparison to the P11, you're much more likely to get the 8+1 where they belong in a hurry ;)

I didn't notice the front of the Kel-Tec's slide rising when squeezing the trigger, but that might be because I'm not in the habit of looking at the muzzle of a gun while squeezing its trigger/
 
#17 ·
In my post I did say "IMO" if you think that the P11 and accuracy belongs in the same sentence then that's your opinion. I am not just posting disparaging remarks but absolute truth in my reply. Just because you think the P11 is more than what it really is doesn't make it so. I have been in pistol matches for the past 30 years and never seen anyone bring a P11 to the table in the open matches. "I have seen P11 shooters achieve amazing accuracy." I'm curious what your definition of "amazing accuracy" is with a P11.
No one suggested that a P11 had any place at a "Pistol Match.". These matches were run by the old Kel-tec Range website and were for specific models of KT pistols, including the P11. "Amazing accuracy" with a P11 is 5 rounds in a golf ball sized circle from 10 yards, and no that was not my target. I think I placed 2nd one year in the P32 competition.

Certainly, the P11 is designed with a single purpose... Ease of carry... very concealable size, extraordinarily light weight, good capacity and significant caliber, suitable for up close and personal social encounters. In 1995, it had zero competition. It's a piece of freaking history. KT entirely invented this ultra-light, cc genre starting with the P11 and they were ≤ $200. Today it still beats the hell out of most 9/40s in terms of carriability. They are absolutely not target pistols - minute of paper place accuracy out a ways but you can hit a shirt pocket up close. Got no love? At least have some respect!
 
  • Like
Reactions: b-mann1
#23 ·
In 1995, it had zero competition. It's a piece of freaking history. KT entirely invented this ultra-light, cc genre starting with the P11 and they were ≤ $200. Today it still beats the hell out of most 9/40s in terms of carriability. They are absolutely not target pistols - minute of paper place accuracy out a ways but you can hit a shirt pocket up close. Got no love? At least have some respect!
I'm carrying a Grendel .380 in my pocket right now... P10, fixed mag, 10 round. How's THAT for a piece of history! :p
 
#18 · (Edited)
My P11 is the most concealable pistol for its size, and caliber, that I own when carried in an OWB Fobus holster. You cant tell I am wearing it. At 7 yds I get them all on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper with a 3 inch red circle in the middle, and I do get a few in the dot. My M&P 9c is more accurate at that distance, but I cant conceal it very well. I have to wear 2 t shirts because it digs into my love handle.
 
#19 ·
mag catch wear is pretty common and leads to a lot of issues for a ccw pistol. Not fun when your carrying and a worn mag catch lets go of a full magazine in the midst of the public let alone if you had it fail in a self defense scenario.

either get a bunch of factory spares or buy a steel one.

other than that i would say make sure your sights are dialed in to where your rounds are hitting. I have never shot a p11 from the factory that had been sighted in.

keep a few ejectors and slide releases on hand as they typically wear out or break if you shoot a lot.
 
#20 ·
The only update I made was buying the grip extensions for the magazines. I can now grip it with all 4 fingers....
 
#21 ·
I have had my P11 for over a year now and have put over 1200 rounds thru it...ejector went after 600 rounds or so...cheap fix...didn't even know it broke till I got it home to clean...other than that it has been 100% reliable. I purchased a few extra slide stops and mag catches but haven't needed it yet...it has been reliable, is easily concealed and its weight to capacity ratio is still one of the best out there...and it's cheap!
 
#22 ·
I have had my P11 for over a year now and have put over 1200 rounds thru it...ejector went after 600 rounds or so...cheap fix...didn't even know it broke till I got it home to clean...other than that it has been 100% reliable. I purchased a few extra slide stops and mag catches but haven't needed it yet...it has been reliable, is easily concealed and its weight to capacity ratio is still one of the best out there...and it's cheap!
absolutely one of the best out there. Lots of firepower in a very compact, reliable, and well built package. get yourself the metal mag catch when you get around to it. its a weak point in all the keltec pistols that use plastic. hammer fired with double strike capability..... parts availability.....durable (the p40 uses most of the same parts).......thin and streamlined......lots of versatility.....small enough for almost any type of carry yet large enough to handle comfortably....solid self defense cartridge.......keltec pistol ever made without question IMO.

I honestly dont know why people choose the PF9 over the p11. The p11 is time tested and better built. Kelgren basically took the grendel and eliminated all its faults and chambered it in a locked breach 9mm slightly bigger than a walther PPK with a lot more firepower. PPK kills it on the accuracy though.

I also dont understand how they are not more popular. Out of all the clone the p11 is still the best (even though some are pretty decent). Out of almost all the subcompact 9mms the p11 is much more inexpensive and built better in most cases.

I have a few complaints about the p11 but they are fairly minor. I have always thought they should release a gen 2 with very subtle changes IE metal mag catch, different shaped trigger with an over-travel stop, dovetail sight cut compatible with a more typical and available platform (glock, sig, whatever), slightly different cut frame to work with wider shouldered magazines. it would not take much work and it would make these guns more marketable.

As it stands its one of the most copied designs of the last 20 years. The list is long. many manufacturers have borrowed from kelgren.

P11 is one of those best kept secret guns that flies under the radar while we are bombarded with a lot of fads and crap designs that get thrown around the market, last a couple years, fail in the market, and dumped into pistol purgatory. another long list right there!
 
#25 ·
Best update is a free one IMHO. Buff and Polish your feed ramp and casing housing portion of the barrel. I have both of mine at a mirror finish right now and it only took about 15 minutes total until it was ready to load and fire. I use a Dremel with buffing bits and either Flitz or the Dremel Polishing Compound #421. I had a couple FTE FTF in the first magazine when I bought the gun used so I cleaned it up good and now it shoots excellent without any FTE FTF with 150+ rounds through it. Man this thing is fun to shoot! I even took the magazine apart and cleaned that out. Be careful though. I got to experience the famous magazine plate flying past my head to the other side of the room when disassembling it.

Oh yah, I also own a Walther PPS 9mm M1 and that is absolutely my favorite gun to shoot.
 
#27 ·
I bought 3 of them

The long trigger pull seems to be a safety mechanism. This pistol will be used by my 3 children so am am not all that bummed about the never ending pull.

That being said:
What are the things that are big impact upgrades?
Trigger kit?
Spring?
rod?

The system I am using in my home is AR platform for battle rifle and I have 2 S&W M&P 9mm.

I also will add a few SU2000 for a PCC option. All this allows me to buy and own only 2 types of ammunition(the most common) and 2 types of magazines.

All the best and thanks for listening
I have had my P-11 for over a year, take it to the range at least a couple times a month and have put a decent amount of rounds through it. I agree with other replies, get the magazine extension so you can get a better grip, you will need it for this bruiser. A speed loader is a must as well, the double stack mag is very stiff at first. That is all I have done, you get used to the trigger pull. Buying extra parts is a must, I have had two ejectors and the slide-stop break. Enjoy your P-11!