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P15 alloy frame version finally in stock - handled one at my LGS today

391 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  terry_tr6, 
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The P15MBLK (alloy frame P15) has finally shipped, and there are a handful of websites showing it in stock, priced around $600 (and up). My LGS had one when I dropped by for a range session today (also priced at $600), so I took the opportunity to handle it...

Nice gun, especially for a KT. I'm not a huge KT fan, although I've owned more than my share over the years, and still own a few (RDB and P3AT), but the fit and finish of the alloy-frame P15 is good, and it seems likely that sooner or later, one will end up in my vault. For a metal gun, it's light, so I'd expect recoil to be stout, although being 9mm, I'd also expect it to be entirely managable.

Trigger pull is long, smooth, with a very crisp break. Mcarbo and/or other aftermarket manufacturers will undoubtedly offer an upgrade trigger with adjustable take-up and overtravel, so I'm not too worried about the length of travel in the stock unit. It is clean, and nowhere near as gritty as the trigger on the SW MP9 2.0 I recenty picked up.

Sights are good, and of course it's optics-read out of the box, which is a big plus for me.

I'm ambivelant about the grip safety, but it's unobtrusive, and engagement is natural -- no worries there, either.

I like the really tidy, nearly square magazine -- very size-efficient, and 15 rounds in a pistol this size is plenty.

The wood grip panels are nicely checkered, with excellent ballence between form and function. If/when I pick one up, I don't think I'll change them out -- fairly unique these days to come across genuine wood on a pistol, much less on a KT, and they look, well, elegant (!).

My only hesitation is having to pony up $600 for a KT pistol. That's a lot of cheddar, and will nearly buy me an HK, will definitely get me a P320 (with a vastly superior trigger), but I do expect the cost to eventually come down, and in a year from now, it ought to be closer to $450 or so... or at least I can hope!
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darkwriter77
I wonder if the safety pops out of place if you press on it without a mag in place, like with the polymer-framed version...? For $600, I should hope not.
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darkwriter77 said:
I wonder if the safety pops out of place if you press on it without a mag in place, like with the polymer-framed version...? For $600, I should hope not.
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I went back to the range today, and took a second look (and feel) of the P15. Nope, the grip safety didn't pop out when pressed w/o a mag inserted.

Also, my memory of the long trigger pull wasn't quite as long, this second visit. It's still somewhat long, but light, with that crispy break, and not nearly as long as any typical DA/SA hammer-fired pistol in DA mode.

What stood out most this time was how diminutive the P15 is... I used to have a PF9, and for a time it was my EDC -- a place it earned due to its low weight and slim chassis.

By comparison, the P15 is a bit longer (due to the slide length), and a bit taller (but wouldn't be if it had a flush-fit magazine), but what's most remarkable is how the P15 grip is the same width, but has a shallower depth (front of grip to rear), yet carries at least 5 more rounds -- while weighing only a couple ounces more.

The P15 really is a modern marvel of size-efficient engineering, but it's still not worth paying $600 to me. I'd already own it, if the price were $450, even knowing there may be a few Gen 1 kinks to get yet worked out. But for now, I can wait. A bit.
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darkwriter77
Cool. Mag release might just be a bug they need to work out with the poly frame version. One of the downfalls of buying into the beta version of a newly-released firearm. Because, let's face it, everyone seems to treat firearms releases now the same way as a friggin' Microsoft program release: push out a beta product, let the consumers do the debugging, find fixes, and THEN push out the refined product.

I feel like I'm barfing a disclaimer with every post I put out here, but SERIOUSLY, I am NOT hating on the P15 as a firearm. I am NOT saying it's a bad gun. I'm just saying ... those were the experiences I had with it, 100% accurate, would testify to it in court, go on a polygraph, all that jazz. Again, not being brand loyal or brand-hating, just reporting facts as they were observed. If they cause minor or major anal discomfort because of others' emotional and/or financial investments, well ... sorry, not my problem. :p
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silverback
What's a comparison on the thickness of the grip panels. Glock like?
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silverback said:
What's a comparison on the thickness of the grip panels. Glock like?
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Hmm, I'm not sure what you're asking, since Glocks don't have deachable grip panels. But if you're wondering about the overall circumference compared to, say, a G19SF, the P15 is less.

I'm thinking way less, but I'd have to get out the measuring tape to verify. But it felt really skinny, especially in the fore-to-aft dimension of the grip.

I really liked it, and I've got to say, I keep eyeing it every time I go in, since its display case is right next to the range entrance.
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silverback
That's exactly what I was referring too.
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terry_tr6
silverback said:
That's exactly what I was referring too.
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I think, just for giggles, i'll try removing the wood grips and see how it feels to hold. then see whauthentic cost us for another set of grip panels and have at them. think the edges around the checkering could be lowered a bit and make the grip feel a bit rounder(yes I HAVEto mess with my guns) and maybe do it to give very slight finger grooves as well as lowering the checkering a bit where my thumb rides.
Now my thumb can properly work the mag release(picture). I'll shave it down to find the best/lowest height then see about buying the part so I can make a proper mod to it.
By the way, it points really well for me. Close my eyes, pick up the p15 and bring it up to shooting position and open my eyes. sights are right there. Enough for center of mass.

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