Wrong conclusion!!
Those of us here that have been working on Kel Tecs a long time are not looking for problems with these fine pistols. Far from it. And that is the wrong conclusion if anyone thinks we just stand around at a range firing over and over until we find a problem to complain about.
The smiley problem was discovered a long long time ago on another forum, completely by accident by one of the early owners. Many who looked at it were concerned with setback and increased pressure, in addition to what it did to accuracy. A lot of tests were done, including velocity tests, and it was pretty much decided at that time... that pressure didn't increase enough to be a concern.
However, several owners, here and elsewhere recently have had unusual damage to their P3AT's and traced it to overpressure banging the mechanisms, due to setbacks caused by smileys. This was never proved in a test lab but no one disputed the conclusion. When those same owners got their repaired pistols back and did the modification recommended originally by Flyer (again, a long long time ago) no damage reocurred.
Then we all got concerned about smiley damage to JHP hollowpoints and several owners posted excellent pictures of the damage to the cavity, tending to close it.
As more evidence surfaced those of us with "guts" began to do more modifications in order to eliminate or reduce the smiley effect.
Now, Kimdo has produced more evidence, excellent evidence, of the damage the smiley problem can do to the mag release. He wasn't looking for a problem to criticze the pistol, he found it by common sense reasoning. Not by dumb luck, it takes an intelligent, responsible person to figure out what he did. In addition, look at the fine piece of work by tblshoot in fabricating a neat fix for the mag release. No complianer there, just another smart owner.
I doubt any of this can be called looking for and finding problems by shooting and shooting and shooting.
I in fact have shot less than 200 rounds in my P3AT to test out modifications I've made. I'll shoot more rounds when the weather warms up to evaluate JHP hollowpoint expansion of various brands as well. Extensive tests like that were done on the P32, again, a long time ago with excellent, helpful conclusions. And another "invention" came out of it known as the "Flyer Wire". Top that if you can.
But I'm not, and no one else is, looking for "problems" to complain about this fine super concealable pistol.
So what we're after here are owners willing to post ideas and results with their pistols in our efforts to make the P3AT even better than it is. Where else can you buy a pistol for this price that you can work on yourself??????
If anyone is on this forum to criticize those of us trying to improve things, so be it. I've been criticized before and so have a lot of the others.
There is another forum for Kel Tec pistols where trouble maker critics should go. Otherwise your positive, constructive ideas are very welcome.
Oh, and BTW, I'm sure that most of us have "heavy frame" pistols that we do a lot of target shooting with. And we agree the P3AT, P32 are self defense handguns and not target competition pistols. Already knew that, "been there done that". Tell us something new.
And here ends my thesis on a little of the history. Always study the history of a subject before posting bull.
Thanks for reading this far.
og
