Okay, for anyone new to the board or to KelTec, in general, let me begin by saying that I do believe KT to be a good company. Further, based on what I have read from owners on this board, I believe that the P3AT has improved over the years. That said, there is something I have to get off of my chest, so...
[rant] I've told part of this story and voiced my frustration about this particular pistol on here, before. Some of this will recap and the rest is an update.
I purchased my 1st gen P3AT NIB a little over five years ago. As it was purchased as a carry piece and I kept putting off getting my permit until about a year and a half ago, I never fired it much for the first few years I had it.
Upon getting my permit, I started firing it a lot more. It jammed a lot. Mostly failures to feed - live (feeding) round would stovepipe. Would do this two or three times per magazine with every type of ammo I tried (curiously, the WWB FMJ with the flat nose worked best but still not well.) Found KTOG, did a fluff and buff and that helped with the stovepiping but then it started failing to chamber rounds - they seemed to be hanging up on the feed ramp and I was getting major 'smilies'. Did a light version of the 'rampectomy' and really polished the ramp. Tested it out and no more feeding problems. Worked okay for a couple of months (putting only a mag or two through it each month) then started failing to fully extract. Noticed that the barrel hood was leaving pretty noticeable marks on the spent brass. Did a very, very light version of the barrel hood mod. Seemed to fix the problem and it worked okay for about one range session then started failing to extract, at all. Ordered new extractor assembly from KT but modified old extractor while waiting for new one to arrive. Modified extractor worked and I was back in business - for about two more range sessions then it started, again. Installed new extractor that had come from KT and didn't seem to make a difference when I tested it out.
Yesterday evening, I decided I wanted to try it one more time before sending it back to KT. The only ammo I had tried it with after installing the new extractor was WWB flat-nosed FMJ. I noticed that the extractor was gouging the rim pretty deep so thought that it might be a case of soft brass. Took the P3AT, that box of WWB and a box of Remington UMC JHPs (pretty limited on ammo selection, right now) out to my shooting spot in the woods. First up was the Remington stuff - the very ammo that was failing to extract before I changed out the extractor. Same box, in fact. Two magfuls + one in the chamber to start off, smooth as butter, no problems. Hmmm...maybe I was on to something. Tried two magfuls +1 of the WWB - failed to extract eight times out of thirteen shots fired. Yep, I figured I had the culprit - as unlikely as it seemed, I had just so happened to get a batch of ammo with weak brass - the first time that has happened to me - to test right after replacing the extractor. Loaded up two magfuls + 1 of the Remington, again. Once, again, working perfectly - until about halfway through the second mag when I pulled the trigger and...nothing. The hammer was coming back but not falling. Yep, you gessed it - THE @&%!* HAMMER SPRING BROKE!!!
This thing has had maybe 400-450 rounds through it and already the extractor and the hammer spring have crapped out. Further, it has actually been what I would consider reliable for a total of maybe six months (not six consecutive months, mind you) in the five years that I have owned it. I'm done with this pistol. Last night, I was about to throw it in our pond. In fact, if not for KT's excellent warranty, it would be sleeping with the fishes as I am not fooling with it anymore and wouldn't feel right about selling or trading it off to pass my troubles on to someone else.
Basically, either this thing is simply old enough to be one of the P3ATs that got an early reputation for unreliability or it is simply a lemon. Either way, I should have sent it back to KT a long time ago but until I found this site I didn't know much about the company or how great they are about honoring the warranty and had no experience with sending firearms back to any company. Recently, I haven't wanted to send it back because I like the looks of the first gen better than the second gen and figured I might end up with a second gen replacement so I just kept trying to fix things, myself. Now, however, the broken hammer spring seals the deal. It's going back and I never want to see it, again - unless KT would be so kind as to send me a video of the blasted thing being shredded, I would like to see that. I hope they send me a second-gen replacement and if they do I will certainly give it a chance. If this one is repaired and returned, however, it's going to the LGS to trade for something else as quickly as I can get it there. [/rant]
[rant] I've told part of this story and voiced my frustration about this particular pistol on here, before. Some of this will recap and the rest is an update.
I purchased my 1st gen P3AT NIB a little over five years ago. As it was purchased as a carry piece and I kept putting off getting my permit until about a year and a half ago, I never fired it much for the first few years I had it.
Upon getting my permit, I started firing it a lot more. It jammed a lot. Mostly failures to feed - live (feeding) round would stovepipe. Would do this two or three times per magazine with every type of ammo I tried (curiously, the WWB FMJ with the flat nose worked best but still not well.) Found KTOG, did a fluff and buff and that helped with the stovepiping but then it started failing to chamber rounds - they seemed to be hanging up on the feed ramp and I was getting major 'smilies'. Did a light version of the 'rampectomy' and really polished the ramp. Tested it out and no more feeding problems. Worked okay for a couple of months (putting only a mag or two through it each month) then started failing to fully extract. Noticed that the barrel hood was leaving pretty noticeable marks on the spent brass. Did a very, very light version of the barrel hood mod. Seemed to fix the problem and it worked okay for about one range session then started failing to extract, at all. Ordered new extractor assembly from KT but modified old extractor while waiting for new one to arrive. Modified extractor worked and I was back in business - for about two more range sessions then it started, again. Installed new extractor that had come from KT and didn't seem to make a difference when I tested it out.
Yesterday evening, I decided I wanted to try it one more time before sending it back to KT. The only ammo I had tried it with after installing the new extractor was WWB flat-nosed FMJ. I noticed that the extractor was gouging the rim pretty deep so thought that it might be a case of soft brass. Took the P3AT, that box of WWB and a box of Remington UMC JHPs (pretty limited on ammo selection, right now) out to my shooting spot in the woods. First up was the Remington stuff - the very ammo that was failing to extract before I changed out the extractor. Same box, in fact. Two magfuls + one in the chamber to start off, smooth as butter, no problems. Hmmm...maybe I was on to something. Tried two magfuls +1 of the WWB - failed to extract eight times out of thirteen shots fired. Yep, I figured I had the culprit - as unlikely as it seemed, I had just so happened to get a batch of ammo with weak brass - the first time that has happened to me - to test right after replacing the extractor. Loaded up two magfuls + 1 of the Remington, again. Once, again, working perfectly - until about halfway through the second mag when I pulled the trigger and...nothing. The hammer was coming back but not falling. Yep, you gessed it - THE @&%!* HAMMER SPRING BROKE!!!
This thing has had maybe 400-450 rounds through it and already the extractor and the hammer spring have crapped out. Further, it has actually been what I would consider reliable for a total of maybe six months (not six consecutive months, mind you) in the five years that I have owned it. I'm done with this pistol. Last night, I was about to throw it in our pond. In fact, if not for KT's excellent warranty, it would be sleeping with the fishes as I am not fooling with it anymore and wouldn't feel right about selling or trading it off to pass my troubles on to someone else.
Basically, either this thing is simply old enough to be one of the P3ATs that got an early reputation for unreliability or it is simply a lemon. Either way, I should have sent it back to KT a long time ago but until I found this site I didn't know much about the company or how great they are about honoring the warranty and had no experience with sending firearms back to any company. Recently, I haven't wanted to send it back because I like the looks of the first gen better than the second gen and figured I might end up with a second gen replacement so I just kept trying to fix things, myself. Now, however, the broken hammer spring seals the deal. It's going back and I never want to see it, again - unless KT would be so kind as to send me a video of the blasted thing being shredded, I would like to see that. I hope they send me a second-gen replacement and if they do I will certainly give it a chance. If this one is repaired and returned, however, it's going to the LGS to trade for something else as quickly as I can get it there. [/rant]