i have put 200 runds thru my p3at, and i hate it. seriously, this gun is worse to shoot then my 357magnum snub. i shoot 50 rounds and my hand is stinging. the recoil is horrible, i cant get a good grip on it because its so small. only thing i like is i can carry it in my pocket, but thats not a good enough reason to keep it is it?? i def wont be taking it to the range anymore. my p11 is fine, i'm assuming i need a bit bigger gun physical size wise. something to grip
thinking about selling
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Being able to pocket carry is also why I picked the AT for my EDC. As said, as long as you can control it, no problem.
To make mine easier to shoot at the range, I added a bike tube grip with mouse pad padding on the front and rear. The front padding is completely under the tube grip, I left the upper part of the rear padding long to protect the web of my hand. With a band aid on my trigger finger to pad it, I can shoot 100 rounds in a session with no discomfort at all. Pic:
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To make mine easier to shoot at the range, I added a bike tube grip with mouse pad padding on the front and rear. The front padding is completely under the tube grip, I left the upper part of the rear padding long to protect the web of my hand. With a band aid on my trigger finger to pad it, I can shoot 100 rounds in a session with no discomfort at all. Pic:
I'm ringing in with Rizo on this. Maybe change your grip. I kant my fingers up on the grip so that my two (middle and ring) fingers are angled up more towards my thumb than I do with other guns. It is one of my least favorite guns to shoot, but I always carry it. Always. That is what I like about it. I love to shoot my SW 29, but carring it is not always do-able in Georgia summers. But when I do carry my bigger guns, I've still got the p3 in my back pocket.rizo said:The problem is not the gun,it`s being used for range work and it`s not intended for that.This is a easy to carry self defense gun . Put a mag extension on it and keep practice to 4 mags but shoot frequently..MUSCLE UP BUD...It`s worth it
If you just can't get this gun to work, look into an NAA mini .22 mag. Less gun, less rounds, less money, easy to shoot.
The main reason to own one of these ultra small pistols is ease of carry. The only effective self defense weapon is the one you have, not the larger, better, more comfortable to shoot weapon that sits at home or in your safe. The P3AT is most definitely not a "range" gun and will certainly let you feel the recoil, but that is the trade off for such ease of carry with a reasonably effective caliber. That being said, some folks just have very large hands and cannot get a decent grip on the gun, and if this is the case, then it may not be the gun for you. My P3AT, while not the easiet shooting gun I own, works ok in my moderate sized hand, but I can see a larger hand having some difficulty. Still, with this gun there is no need for long, multi-hundred round range sessions. A box or two on reasonably frequent outings should be enough to keep in practice and keep wear and tear on the hand at an acceptable level for most. But if you cannot hold and hit with it effectively, then you may need to look elsewhere. Remember you aren't going to be shooting 20 or 30 rounds in a defensive situation, nor will you notice recoil, etc when under that kind of stress.
Jim R
Jim R
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Hi,
Sorry that the P3AT is not working out for you, sometimes a pistol and all of its attributes just combine to make it unpleasant to shoot. I don't see why one should have to suffer through that and possibly develop a flinch. You might want to look at a P-32 with a plus one magazine if you still have a need for this size of pistol since its recoil is mild compared to the P3AT. My son has large hand and had so-so accuracy, but the extension on the mag made a difference. Good luck with your search Snaz.
Best Wishes
Sorry that the P3AT is not working out for you, sometimes a pistol and all of its attributes just combine to make it unpleasant to shoot. I don't see why one should have to suffer through that and possibly develop a flinch. You might want to look at a P-32 with a plus one magazine if you still have a need for this size of pistol since its recoil is mild compared to the P3AT. My son has large hand and had so-so accuracy, but the extension on the mag made a difference. Good luck with your search Snaz.
Best Wishes
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I had a really hard time with the way the AT shot until I put a couple hundred rounds of some hot 40 cal (not overloaded or anything stupid, just at the upper range of safe operating pressures) through my P40. All of a sudden the AT didn't seem all that bad.
shooting a 3547mag, 44 mag or 45acp never hurt my hand like this gun has. which i find unbelievable. but i think most of it comes from my hand jsut not fitting it, its my trigger finger that really takes a beating. after every shot its like the recoil makes the gun hit it and it jsut goes numb almost. plus every few shots i have to stop and regrip it.
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If you have tried the remedies suggested here about the grip extension and padding and still hate it then by all means sell it. You could probably put it up here on the forum and someone will snatch it up. I am not a huge fan of the recoil either but I have gone with both the grip extension and homemade padding and it has made a diff. I love it for it's compactness and concealability but for a .380 range gun, I love my HiPoint.
Dave
Dave
Snaz,
Before you sell it, let me tell you about my P3AT. I took it (and my P-11) and carved ALL molding flash out of the trigger guard and off the trigger - this virtually eliminated the trigger finger biting. I also cut the flash off the grip so that I didn't get bit whenever I shot it. I don't even worry about magazine finger extensions on these guns. I shoot with my pinky under the P-11's grip and with my pinky and ring finger under the P3AT's grip. After these modifications to the gun and my grip, the P3AT became fairly pleasurable to shoot. Before that, it was very punishing to the palm of my hand and my trigger finger. Whatever you decide, good luck and have fun.
Before you sell it, let me tell you about my P3AT. I took it (and my P-11) and carved ALL molding flash out of the trigger guard and off the trigger - this virtually eliminated the trigger finger biting. I also cut the flash off the grip so that I didn't get bit whenever I shot it. I don't even worry about magazine finger extensions on these guns. I shoot with my pinky under the P-11's grip and with my pinky and ring finger under the P3AT's grip. After these modifications to the gun and my grip, the P3AT became fairly pleasurable to shoot. Before that, it was very punishing to the palm of my hand and my trigger finger. Whatever you decide, good luck and have fun.
in that case, i will be getting rid of this gun, because my accuracy jsut plain sucks with it. my p11 is much more accurate for me.[/quote]Snaz said:
What distance are you shooting at? Remember, this is not a target pistol, but a last ditch self defense weapon. It is intended for and would likely only be used at 3-7 yards, or closer. My P3AT will put a full mag into 2 inches or less at 7 yards, and that is more than sufficient for its intended use and within the effective range of the .380 cartridge.
Jim R
I like the sharp kick, lets me know it's working. Hey it's tiny and deadly and I hardly notice it in my pocket. I used to have to strap a glock on my ankle and with shorts, that looked really dum. D U M dum. My girl does not like the recoil , but I do. I wish I could stuff a 40 cal in there or a 45.
It's always interesting to read everyone's comments on their personal experience. I count myself lucky. I have large hands and don't have a problem with my P3AT. The first time I took it to the range I put 200 rounds through it without a single problem. My hand starts to get sore if I shoot, reload, shoot, repeat, too quickly but in a SD situation that's not going to be a problem.
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I have medium size hands. The day I broke mine in I put 400 rounds through it without a glitch. The only thing that ever got sore was my trigger finger. A couple layers of shrink tubing on the trigger solved that. Of course, I also shoot a PF-9 and a PPS in 40S&W so recoil isn't an issue for me.
My wife hates my P3AT and my PF-9 though. Funny thing though, she also shoots and daily carries a PPS in 40S&W. The 40 doesn't bother her but the P3AT does.
The thing is, in a SD situation, you're not going to feel the recoil. Adrenaline and nerves will take care of that. Keep it and carry it if you can. Mine is my EDC BUG and the only gun I have on me 7 days a week because it conceals so beautifully.
My wife hates my P3AT and my PF-9 though. Funny thing though, she also shoots and daily carries a PPS in 40S&W. The 40 doesn't bother her but the P3AT does.
The thing is, in a SD situation, you're not going to feel the recoil. Adrenaline and nerves will take care of that. Keep it and carry it if you can. Mine is my EDC BUG and the only gun I have on me 7 days a week because it conceals so beautifully.
in that case, i will be getting rid of this gun, because my accuracy jsut plain sucks with it. my p11 is much more accurate for me.[/quote]PgunneR said:
What distance are you shooting at? Remember, this is not a target pistol, but a last ditch self defense weapon. It is intended for and would likely only be used at 3-7 yards, or closer. My P3AT will put a full mag into 2 inches or less at 7 yards, and that is more than sufficient for its intended use and within the effective range of the .380 cartridge.
Jim R[/quote]
at 7 yards i dont think i had 1 round go in the center LOL it mostly seemed low and to the left a bit
billjohnso20 said:
see, i can relate to that. my bigger guns dont hurt at all, in fact i really like shooting them, buit this thing.. 50 rounds and i cant even feel my trigger finger. while hte bigger guns may have more kick, they dont cause my hand to hurt
Like most things in life, guns are not a "one size fits all" product. While I (and many others) have no problems in shooting a reasonable number of rounds in the P3AT, one of my daughters says it it very uncomfortable for her to shoot. On the other hand, she is very comfortable shooting her Ruger LCP. Slight differences in the grip size and shape work for her. There are a great many ultra small .380 pocket pistols on the market today, so if a pocket pistol is your need or want, you should certainly be able to find one you can shoot well. The Ruger LCP is in the same class/price range, the Kahr380 is also small and light, although a lot more expensive. Then the new Taurus offers something a bit different, and there are many others. Try to use some of these at a shop/range to find one that works for you.Snaz said:
Jim R
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