[bigsid]

Been reading this forum for awhile and its one of the best, no doubt, but I wonder if you guys 'really' have second thoughts about your P3AT in a defensive situation.  It seems that you should shoot it a little when new just to make sure you don't have a bad one then don't shoot it anymore.  That way it probably won't fail you when you really need it.  I only have about 50 rds thru mine with no problems at all and I feel confident it wont let me down, but I get the idea the more I shoot it that reliability goes out the window.  If you get lucky and get a good one out-of-the-box, great, if you don't maybe you should think twice about trusting it, this make any sense?   Trusting your carry weapon is a big deal to me.

 

[paulpetricas]

just get 2 one for range and one for ccw. The one for range you just send back every time there is a problem without to much stress on your ccw piece  

 

[Guest]

What I do....with emphasis on the I part...

After fluff and buff and proper break in....

I shoot about 2 x month, and usually run 2 mags each time I shoot it. That is just a bit more than 300 rounds/year.

I clean and lube after every range trip and also each weekend I do not shoot.

Upon clean and lube I run 2 mags of snap caps (YES- I do dry fire) to check for function.

I stopped counting how many times the gun has run the 2 mags without a hiccup.

What more will I ever ask it to do except run the 2 mags?

 

[JFB]

+1 on N_A_S reply.

I do 5 rounds a month, then clean, lube, and put back in pocket

 

[mkusanagi]

I've had my "JKXXX"  serial-numbered P3AT for all of 22 days now, and I've put more than 600 rounds through it without a single failure.

I have no qualms about this little gun being my safety net in a cruel world: I am very confident in this weapon, and my control of it, and knowing that I can place all seven rounds in the winner's circle in less than 3 seconds at 21 feet - statistically, the most likely handgunning urban-combat distance.

Amazing weapon!

 

[98_1LE]

I trust mine. I am pretty sure every time my P3AT's have tried to empty the first mag at the range, which is usually the carry ammo that has been in it, it has successfully popped off all 7. It is when it got hot and dirty, or the extractor screw backed out, that it would malfunction. My current navy/HC 3AT has had one failure-to-eject in 298 rounds, and ate a couple boxes of DoubleTaps without hiccup (wish my hand could say the same).

So yeah, I am confident that if my 3AT is called upon it will do its job. If I am in enough crap that I need to shoot the 3AT 100 times consecutively in self-defense, and I happen to have that much ammo by some bizarre twist of fate, I should probably just use it to end myself anyway....

 

[JFB]

... If I am in enough crap that I need to shoot the 3AT 100 times consecutively in self-defense, and I happen to have that much ammo by some bizarre twist of fate, I should probably just use it to end myself anyway....

;D

 

[spence13e]

i wholly trust mine without a doubt. the extractor broke in the first 30 rounds or so and when i got the new parts installed i needed to "get it reliable" right now because i was leaving town for a few days. put 171 rounds through it in probably half an hour with no problems other than i did limp wrist one round (hand was getting tired and gun was extremely dirty by that point). all i did in that range session was wipe a bit of the gunk out of it and get new grease in it after 75 rounds. got so hot i could hardly touch the darn thing.
spence

 

[virtual-rj]

why carry it if you do not trust it?

 

[TxCajun]

I only have about 50 rds thru mine with no problems at all and I feel confident it wont let me down...

I wouldn't trust it yet.  It's not even broken in.  You need 200 rounds just to do that.  After a couple of hundred trouble free rounds of range ammo, I would want to see 50 - 100 rounds of carry ammo work well.  After that, when you go to the range to shoot your other guns, just test the mag of ammo you've been carrying and maybe one or two more.

...but I get the idea the more I shoot it that reliability goes out the window.

Again, IMO, there is no real reason to shoot 1000+ rounds per year through a P3.  Heck, I don't really much like to shoot mine.  I have a gun or two that is more fun to shoot.  The P3 is not a range gun or a target pistol.  IMO, it has only one purpose for most civilians... to be easily carried in the unlikely event that you need a gun for self defense.  It is a tool, like a hammer.  You might not like using a hammer much.  But when you need a hammer...  you need a hammer.    

 

[98_1LE]

Somehow I ended up withjust over 960 rounds of .380acp on the shelf. That is more than I ever plan to put through my P3AT. +1 on not enjoying shooting it, even though I shoot them relatively well. I hold it tight to make sure I don't limp wrist it, but end up with a blister from doing so.

BTW, after using my dads pneumatic nailguns, hammers suck!

 

[c0wboi38]

+1 to pretty much everyone else's comments.

My 3AT is with me 99 percent of the time. Sometimes as a primary, usually as a BUG, and sometimes as a tertiary BUG.

I trust it.

 

[Logan]

I have no problem trusting the P3. I have only put 100 rounds through it with only about 4 FTF. That was with the first 50. The second 50 was 100%. I then did and F&B and carrying one in the pipe, I will have nothing to worry about.

 

[BillK]

It took some effort to get it working reliably but I do now trust my P3AT. A brief two day flirt with maybe getting a PF9 but now back to waiting on getting a 2nd P3AT in HC. New gun intended for carry and current gun for most of my P3 practice.

I actually enjoy shooting my P3. The grip sleeve with the pads underneath and the Bersa probably help a lot (and so does the fact that my brother does reloads  )


Take care ...

 

[Bobo]

My P-3AT is my ONLY carry gun. I carry it 24/7/365. I shoot 50 to 100 rounds through it about twice a month. It now has over 2000 malfunctionless rounds through it.

Ask me if I trust it!

Bobo

 

[Dydla]

My P-3AT is with me nearly all day long - I trust in it without a doubt. I did about 500 rds in two last years and now only two mags a month and I had not any problem by that time. D.

 

[wheelguy]

I guess I'm a little different than some on this topic. I have 3 carry choices. The P3AT is the "always" carry - because it is so darn easy. At work, the gym, shopping, when I take out the garbage at night in my underwear (yep - its light enough to stay put on a clip in boxers). Under more iffy circumstances, however, it'll be backing up my S&W 357 AirLite. Almost as small and light as the P3AT, but considerably more powerful, and totally 100% reliable - no ifs ands or buts from any knowledgeable person you might ask. Under even more iffy circumstances, those two will be partnered with my Kahr 40 - each in different carry locations for use with either hand. So - what amount of risk are you trying to balance? Carry accordingly  

 

[pstan13]

...Under even more iffy circumstances, those two will be partnered with my Kahr 40 - each in different carry locations for use with either hand. So - what amount of risk are you trying to balance? Carry accordingly  

I think I would stay out of those "iffy circumstances."  

 

[c0wboi38]

I think I would stay out of those "iffy circumstances."

Like these?:

shopping, when I take out the garbage at night in my underwear

 

[Guest]

I guess I'm a little different than some on this topic. I have 3 carry choices. The P3AT is the "always" carry - because it is so darn easy. At work, the gym, shopping, when I take out the garbage at night in my underwear (yep - its light enough to stay put on a clip in boxers). Under more iffy circumstances, however, it'll be backing up my S&W 357 AirLite. Almost as small and light as the P3AT, but considerably more powerful, and totally 100% reliable - no ifs ands or buts from any knowledgeable person you might ask. Under even more iffy circumstances, those two will be partnered with my Kahr 40 - each in different carry locations for use with either hand. So - what amount of risk are you trying to balance? Carry accordingly  

I never try to assume what kind of risk I am going to encounter. That is pure guess work at best..99.995% of the time nothing is going to happen anyway. I try to carry 24/7 the handgun that gives me the most bump for its size and reliability, be it a Revolver, semi or mini semi's. I only have one really ccw handgun that goes with me 24/7 and right now that is my kahr pm9, I never reach for anohter gun, although have many J framed smiths that would fill the boat, but I just don't shoot any of my J frames like I do my semi's. FWIW IMO