[ch00sen1]

Hi guys I'm new also.

I've done the fluff & buff thing but with a full mag the slide will not return fully. When the count gets down to 3 it works great. It's a J1Dxx series. I've fought with it and put 200 rounds through it. A slight bump on the slide moves it back in place. I was going to send it back to KT but I can't find my receipt.
Is there a way to fix it myself or will they fix it if I can't prove I'm the original owner?

 

[TxCajun]

Does it do this when shooting or only when hand cylcing.  It is not uncommon or problematic to have to bump the slide when intially loading the gun.  That will usually improve after more rounds and/or proper lubrication.

 

[roach711]

My P3 did this when the magazine latch had worn a bit letting the magazine drop 1/32" or so. A new latch *mostly* fixed the problem.

 

[ch00sen1]

Does it do this when shooting or only when hand cylcing.  It is not uncommon or problematic to have to bump the slide when intially loading the gun.  That will usually improve after more rounds and/or proper lubrication.

It does it both shooting and hand cycling. I "think" it is lubed properly. Like my other guns I clean them then wipe on a thin coat of militec1 then a dry rag to wipe the excess. It just doesn't seem to be improving.

 

[ch00sen1]

My P3 did this when the magazine latch had worn a bit letting the magazine drop 1/32" or so. A new latch *mostly* fixed the problem.

How many rounds? I've shoot about 300-350 total through it. The mag doesn't seem to drop but it does wiggle a little.

 

[Guest]

Lube the snot outta that sucker. Grease on the rails and under the slide where it slips over the hammer.

Do a search for proper lube.

 

[Rounder1106]

I have the same problem with my new P3AT. It seems like bullet 1 and 2 get jammed in the slide and bullets 3,4,5,6 load just fine. I think it is a problem with the spring or something in the magazine not putting enough pressure on the bullets or too much pressure where they will not slide out in the given amount of time. When I load 6 bullets in the magazine the last 2 I load in I can hear the spring make a squeaky noise. Has anyone experienced this before?

Also, by hand cycling the ammo through the P3AT, can that be considered the same as breaking it in? I just do not have the money to go fire 300-400 rounds through it to break it in as I have been told by many people to do.

 

[rcmodel]

Bullet = The projectile that shoots out of the barrel.
Round, loaded round, cartridge = A loaded round of ammo.

This whole thread sounds like improper lubrication.

P3AT's need a lot of lube, especially when new, to work properly.

MiliTec wiped off is as bad as no lubrication at all.
MiliTec left on isn't much better.
http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/Y...action=display&num=1119987390&start=0

You need to use a good high film-strength grease such as Gun-Slick, LubriPlate, Auto Wheel Bearing grease, etc. on:
The slide rails.
Hammer face where the slide runs over it.
Barrel cam slot.
Outside of the barrel where it runs through the hole in the slide.
Takedown pin.
Barrel locking surface where the front edge of the chamber locks it into the slide.
Recoil springs & guide rod.

Put the grease on, and leave the grease on.
Don't wipe it back off.

The object is to provide plenty of lube to all moving surfaces.
After the gun is well broken in they will run with less lube, but brand new ones often won't.

Heres more:
http://goldenloki.com/gunsmith/keltec/lube.htm

rc

 

[TxCajun]

Also, by hand cycling the ammo through the P3AT, can that be considered the same as breaking it in?  I just do not have the money to go fire 300-400 rounds through it to break it in as I have been told by many people to do.

No!  Hand cyling ammo does not break the gun in - certainly not at the same rate as actual firing.  The forces simply are not equivilent.  Also, constantly hand-cyling ammo is not a particularly safe practice.  Among other things, repeatedly cycling the same rounds can concievably cause bullet set-back possibly leading to an over-pressured round that could blow up your gun.  And essentially, at some point, you are playing with a loaded gun. If you want to cycle the gun to wear mating surfaces, cyling an empty gun will do about as much good as a loaded one.

100 rounds is usually enough for breakin.  Anyway, you should not rely on an unproven gun/ammo for SD and these are not necessarily easy guns to shoot well.  You must practice some - more is better, especially at first.

 

[Rounder1106]

Agreed that you should not rely on an unproven gun for SD, that is why I carry my G23 on me until I know for sure that the P3AT is reliable on every aspect.

Thanks for the info on hand cycling.  I guess I will just have to pony up and spend the cash on running some rounds through this thing until all the bugs are out of it.  

Question:  At how many rounds through it, and it is still jamming, should I send it back to Keltec to look at?  I just don't want to get up to firing over 300 rounds through it and still jamming when I should have sent it back after the first 150 rounds.

I am about to go to the range right now. I will give a report on how it did later tonight.

Thanks again.

 

[TxCajun]

Hmm...  I pulled up the only other post I could find on your gun.

I had 1 failure to eject out of 50.  The other 49 shot like normal.  This was a brand new P3AT I was shooting so this was during the "break in" period.

Here is the thing though....I just cycled some Federal Hydra Shok through the P3AT and out of 20 rounds, I had 12 fail to load and jam.  I noticed that the tip of the hollow point on the Aguila is more rounded where the Hydra Shok is pretty flat.  I am hoping after running another 50-100 rounds of the Hydras through there it will clear itself up with the feed, but it just goes to show that just because it costs more does not mean it will work better.  As of now, I would have to say I would rather have the Aguilas on me than the Hydra Shoks.  I am sure that will change after I get this damn pistol broken in which really pisses me off with all these adjustments needing to be made to this gun to make it work proficiently.  Why the hell doesn't Kel Tec get this crap straight in the factory before sending them out?  I am keeping the faith though and I guess I just had higher expectations on the "reliability factor".  After carrying a Glock for over 10 years that I know will go bang when I pull the trigger I just want that same confidence with the P3AT.

One failure out of 50 for a NIB gun is pretty darned good.  I honestly don't know what to make of this:  "after I get this damn pistol broken in which really pisses me off with all these adjustments needing to be made to this gun to make it work proficiently."

Clean, lube, shoot, repeat.  There are no adjustments to me made.  I would not even try JHP in the first 100 or so rounds, and as I told you earlier, I would not be at all concerned with how rounds hand cylce through the gun.  In fact, I would not be hand cylcing live rounds through the gun at all.  And, no, the P3AT is not a Glock.  Thank heaven for that.  Otherwise it would not cost $260, weight 8 ounces and fit in your shirt pocket.  

 

[Rounder1106]

I went to the range today and fired another 50 rounds throught the P3AT.....FLAWLESS!!!! Both Brazer Independent FMJ and then some Federal HS. I think it is pretty much past its breakin point now and I do feel pretty confident on carrying this for SD. I should have given the gun a fair shake at first instead of critisizing it from the get go. I stand corrected.

I guess I was just comparing this to my Glock that fired from the word GO and hasn't stopped yet with even a hiccup. You are right though, they are two different types of guns and I see where you are coming from TxCajun. Again, I stand corrected.

 

[TxCajun]

They are very different guns for sure. You can't fault Glock. Generally speaking, they are boringly reliable. However, just about anyone can make a 2 pound pistol that works well. Making a pint-sized half pounder is a whole other thing though. Anyway, I'm glad you are good to go. There's nothing like a reliable gun that is as easily always carried as a P3AT. It beats the Glock in the safe any day. Have fun with it. Now all you really need to do is proove your carry rounds - then shoot a mag or 2 for reliablility check when you are out shooting the big boys. Clean, lube, shoot, repeat.

 

[ch00sen1]

Thanks for all the info on lube.

Who would've guessed the lube I've used for years was so bad. I used the militec1 grease and the lube for years now and they aren't cheap... So much for getting what you paid for. :-?

I've got some mobile1 grease and some rem oil. If that doesn't make a difference I'll order something else you've recommended.

 

[TxCajun]

Periodically, I heat treat my handgun parts with militec.  One benefit I've noticd with militec is that treated parts seem to clean up very easily.  I also use their grease after each cleaning but mostly because I have some.  I have also used garden variety automotive wheel bearing grease and it has worked fine.  Of course I have never torture tested these guns.  Between heat treatments I use rem oil for routine maintenence, which stays in my range box.  I've never had an issue with lube failure or rust.  The bottom line is to keep these light weight pistols clean and properly lubed with grease in the right places, and to do this after shooting every time.

 

[bro61]

Periodically, I heat treat my handgun parts with militec.  One benefit I've noticd with militec is that treated parts seem to clean up very easily.  I also use their grease after each cleaning but mostly because I have some.  I have also used garden variety automotive wheel bearing grease and it has worked fine.  Of course I have never torture tested these guns.  Between heat  treatments I use rem oil for routine maintenence, which stays in my range box.  I've never had an issue with lube failure or rust.  The bottom line is to keep these light weight pistols clean and properly lubed with grease in the right places, and to do this after shooting every time.

I agree. I have had very good results with Militec-1 Oil. If you bake on the first couple applications on all metal parts the lubrication qualities will be enhanced and it will clean up much easier after shooting. You will not have any issues with corrosion either.