[HardShell]

... but "old" to Kel-Tecs in general. :wink:

I posted at the "old" board from time to time, but this is my first post here. Those of you who spend time at Arfcom probably already know me (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I won't venture a guess).

I have several Kel-Tecs & have been generally happy with all of them. I just got a P3AT for the first time last week. I had to take a S&W by my gunsmith's shop & picked up a new one from him. A P32 has been my dedicated "pocket-gun" ever since they first came out, serving as back-up to my G19 most of the time & doing primary duty when weather/clothes prohibit anything larger. But since the baby came & my wife switched to a smaller purse (apparently she can carry 100 pounds of "baby stuff" everywhere she goes but her Galco gun-purse & the S&W in it are suddenly "too heavy"), she has taken over my P32 & forced me back to one of my old Berettas for pocket carry. (Don't get me wrong - I'm glad I am blessed to have a wife who is an avid shooter, I just wish she'd stop taking over my favorite firearms after I've broken them in well & gotten used to them...) I plan for the P3AT to replace my, er, that is, HER P32 as soon as I have a chance to break it in & test it properly. I put several magazines of .380 ball through it yesterday & my initial impression is very good. No hiccups of any kind & I like the way it shoots. I'll be interested to see how it feels/functions with my carry loads.

Okay, that was sort a long-winded introduction, but I just wanted to say "Hi!"

 

[Midiman]

The first thing you want to do is fire a round of ball from the gun, then eject the next round from the chamber and examine the nose for a dent, fondly referred to here as... a smiley. From there, we can get into other areas.

 

[HardShell]

I hadn't heard about the "smiley" problem. I'll look for that the next time I shoot it.

The only warning I had received from other P3AT owners was that it sometimes ejects right in your face. I didn't experience that with the ball ammo, but I haven't tried it with carry loads yet.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[flyandscuba]

Brass in the face usually isn't a gun problem -- but a shooting technique problem. "Limp wristing" is the usual culprit. My brass clears over my head on every shot -- no matter what the load.

Enjoy that P-3AT and welcome to the 'Range...

 

[WIL in Ok.]

WELCOME !!

Hiya HardShell,,and welcome to the Range ! I guess Slapout Al. is about like Slapout Oklahoma,,we're -slap out- of everything (lol). A properly running P-3 is a wonderful,comforting,confidence inspiring pistol to have in ones pocket ! Much good info and advice here on this board,and the Kel-Tec warranty is great. Enjoy ! \\\\\\ Wil ///

 

[HardShell]

Re: WELCOME !!

...I guess Slapout Al. is about like Slapout Oklahoma,,we're -slap out- of everything (lol)...

That's the "legend" around here - the owner/operator of the one little general store in town had a habit of saying they were "slap out" of items. It became such a common local joke that he started saying it about everything, whether he had it or not - sometimes even as he was reaching for it on the shelf. Over time, the little rural community became known as Slapout. Such is the stuff of ******* mythology...

I don't know if the story is even true, but I've heard it ever since I moved here.

 

[cloak]

Hey welcome to the board. You should find that the p3at does have a slight kick to it. It kicks as hard as my 45 does. Ok maybe not that hard, but you know are shooting it though

 

[HardShell]

update...

Okay, I finally got chance to shoot it some more. I was tied up with family & church most of the weekend, but yesterday (Monday) was a holiday for us (what, you don't get Confederate Memorial Day off as a holiday? Sometimes it's nice working for the State of Alabama...) and after an early rain it cleared up for a nice afternoon. I got together with my neighbor & best shooting buddy for a brief trip to the "range" - our private range we are building on his property where it meets up with mine, convenient to both our homes. It isn't finished yet, but the backstop has been built up & reinforced (multiple layers of stacked tires & dirt), so it was fine for the informal shooting we were doing.

After trying out his Garand to see if I really want to get one through CMP (I've decided I most certainly DO) and putting some rounds through his Hi-Power and a WWII Luger my father recently bought, I finally got around to the P3AT (the only one I wanted to shoot at length yesterday).

First item of business - does it "smile" or not? As directed here, I fired one round of ball then manually ejected the chambered round - it definitely had a "smiley." Then I tried the same procedure with hollow-points (Georgia Arms ammo loaded with Gold-Dot HPs) - there was a very slight "scuff-mark" at the very edge of the cavity, but no deformation. I read elsewhere on this board that this was supposed to have been corrected on more recent pistols, but I believe mine is of very recent manufacture - serial # H4Wxx.

Regardless, alternating between two magazines I proceeded to fire 100+ FMJs followed by 100+ HPs - not a single FTF, FTE, or hiccup of any kind. I was quite pleased.

My only concern was encountered in the second magazine of FMJs. I noticed after emptying the magazine that the take-down pin ws protuding slightly from the frame. I pulled the slide back enough to push it all the way in & never had another similar problem in all of the shooting I did. I didn't have my wife's P32 with me to directly compare, but I didn't perceive the recoil as being that much harsher than with the .32.

All things considered, I was very pleased with the P3AT's first real "wringing out." After I have a chance to do some more formal draw-and-fire with targets & my carry loads, assuming I don't run into any problems, I'll feel perfectly comfortable dropping this into my pocket to serve in a defensive capacity.

 

[diamondmike]

Back Stop

HardShell,

I have made my range in my backyard out of railroad ties, they have held up for the past 9 years.

$800 Box