Kel-Tec P-3AT .380 pistol: "Airweight Defender" by Nutnfancy
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2008
- Kel-Tec is rightly known for bringing high value, reliable auto pistols and the SU-16 series to the shooting public. They all have garnered a solid reputation for reliability and overall good accuracy. This is the table top review of the excellent P-3AT .380 pistol, previously shot at the Nutnfancy Tactical Clinic in the desert (see vid). This is an excellent backup handgun for police officers or even a primary gun for CCW holders and armed, responsible civilians. It did hiccupp once in the break in period, as predicted by the owners manual, but was completely reliable thereafter. Its high points are its decent DAO trigger, good accuracy, and most beneficial, its extreme lightweight and slim profile which make it very comfortable in carry. Its sights do indeed suck (low contrast and imprecise) and could use a lot of improvement but of course it will be a rarity for the gun to engage beyond 10 yds. Judging from my experience in the clinic and in years past, the P-3AT is a high value .380 option that could save your life. Nutnfancy highly recommends this little affordable auto. Nutnfancy Likeability Scale: 9 out of 10 (weight considered)
- Věda a technologie
Still a great video, watch it often. I've been carrying that exact same P3AT since I bought it around 2006. I have approximately 3,000 rounds or more through mine and it's still 100% reliable. Mine is a daily carry with 2 extra magazines and I feel very comfortable carrying it. I have found in my experience the hard chromed versions run flawlessly compared to the blued versions, I think it has to do with the plating process used to hard chrome the slide.
To put it in perspective, my P3AT is carrier 24/7 over my Glock 42 which has become a safe queen.
Again, thanks NF still a great 380 video worth watching periodically when I think it's time to shelve my P3AT in lieu of something else in my collection.
just got mine in excellent condition for 150 at my favorite pawn shop way better than a high point
The P32 and P3AT feel almost exacly the same. Yes, I have both. .380 ACP is more powerfull of course, but the P32 has a last shot hold open, so keep that in mind making your dection. either way you go, you will have a great pistol.
I have this gun and its never failed to function I love it cause of its size it goes in my pocket most of the time
One misfeed in the first 100 rounds. Additional 120 rounds since then with no problems.
This is my primary concealed carry gun. I love it.
I picked up a .380 3AT a week ago. It is used , black, & was a great price. The size & weight make me want to carry it more & more. Great videos helps make what I feel are better decisions. Thanks from NY.
Thanks for the review nutnfancy, my mom recently got robbed and got a concealed carry to protect herself. I recommended this gun to her after this review and this is the exact gun she got. I appreciate your reviews, thanks man.
Nutn, most ccw holders would use it for their backup or backup to the backup. Most civilians don't walk around with a long gun and a side arm. Great video like always and keep up the good work!
VERY informative, smart and entertaining review. Look forward to your other reviews, and keep up the good work!
Also, I just got the belt clip.. LOVE IT! takes some getting used to, but makes it even more concealable in pocket or waistband carry.
thank you sir. i just purchased mine today and can't wait to for range time tomorrow.
i dig the reviews. it is a great concealed carry peice. your reviews are informative and accurate and I appreiciate it. Thanks.
Good review. I got the Freedom model which includes Crimson Trace laser grips and I have had nothing but good times with it. It loves cheap ball ammo. HP ammo it gets picky, but I found Speer Gold Dots work fine so no problems now. I've got about 300 rounds through it. Tiny, great for pocket holster carry, and I know it will go bang and make a hole where it is pointed. Stupid people look at it and say "It has no safety?" My brain, the long trigger pull, and a $15 Amazon pocket holster that covers the trigger is the perfect safety for me.
Thanks dude and thanks for the report on the reliability. I think once broken it the sail along just fine.
I love the PF-9 and plan on a review of it.
I have a P3AT that I carry as a backup weapon in a pocket holster. I have put over 1,000 rounds through it and it functions very well. I did experience a jam occasionally after firing 100 rounds or so. I used my dremmel to polish the feed ramp and this eliminated the problem. I added the finger grip / rest to the magazine and found the weapon much easier to fire and control. It's a very affordable secondary weapon and I carry it almost every day. Nice review Nutn, thanks.
Excellent Review As Always!!! I watch these reviews even if I don't care about the gun because you always teach us somthing new. Thanks, Looks like a great back up gun. *****
I'm always realy happy when i can Google video search a gun and TNP comes up :)
@nutnfancy who dosent have ADD these days. i do i love your long videos. i hate videos that just talk about the guns and dont offer any kind of advice or POU. thanks for your time and thanks for the great videos.
I purchased the 9rd extended mag only because I wanted my pinky and ring finger to better stabilize the gun when firing and I like have a few more rounds the mag does affect its awesome concealment to anybody debating on the mag extension
i love my kal-tec 380 great gun for the price. bought mine 2 days ago only 71 rounds so far. no problems !
Hi, I posted about 3 months ago on this board that I had jamming issues and site issues with the P-3AT. Since my original post I have POLISHED the receive ramp, the side of the barrel next to the receive ramp, the slide rails (burrs) and put on Nite-Siters on the sights. The gun will now feed all hollow points that I have tried (varioius brands) and FMJ (various brands) with NO JAMMING since polishing the gun parts I have mentioned, and the sites have improved 100 percent for me. GREAT CCW now.
Thank You Nutn
Just picked up my new P3 last night, and put 50 rounds through it. Only one failure to feed, but I was expecting that. It's shockingly accurate at 7 yards! Only thing, is they no longer come with two magazines from the factory, so I'll have to get some more. It's my first ultra-compact pistol, and will suit my CC plans perfectly. Thanks KEL-TEC & Nutnfancy!
My P-3AT was bought new in 2008 and I can't recall having even one jam while firing. Now I did have a jam if I didn't let the entire force of the return spring shove the round into the chamber and overcome the friction of the ramp while using JHPs but FMJ's never had a problem either way. I think I even cleaned and lubed it before I took it out the first time. This little sucker is pretty much always in the ol pocket in its holster. I have the one with the blued slide and gray grip/frame.
thnx for introducing me to my kel tec...just bot it...do not know a thing about it till now...
Will do!
just got mine in excellent condition for 150 at my favorite pawn shop
I carry a P3AT quite often. I've put several hundred rounds through it without any issues. It's kinda tough to hold onto since it's so small. Overall I really like it. Great review.
I've owned the Kel-tec .380 ever since they came out. Never had a jamb. I found it very accurate up to 12 yards once I learned the double action trigger pull. This is one of the safest guns to carry being it is double action only. This means that the firing pin is never proped back ready to hit the primer as a lot of automatics are. That long trigger pull pulls the firing pin back and ready to fire just like a double action revolver. Very safe gun. Is this my wallet, or my Kel-tec?
Nice review. I'll definitely check out your other vids later.
Put a thousand rounds or so through my Bersa 380 and I love it - great cheap PPK. Not quite the same build quality of course, less expensive materials, but very accurate and plenty reliable for the price. Doesn't jam anymore, but did a little during break-in.
SOLD! I'm on my way to grab one. Thank you for the comparison to the Walther, that was it's adversary. Now I even have some add-ons.
Well done.
My advice is to learn as much as you can. I know everyone is frantic about buying a gun as soon as possible but over all know what you are doing and how to be safe and responsible with the gun of your choice. Have fun and practice often!
I like long triggers because they are safe you will never coincidently discharge your gun which is basically what you said, I agree.
one round I love in smi autos is the corbon pow'rball, due to it polymer tip it feeds just like fmj while being a hollowpoint
Keep it up man!!
I have the pf9 and I was pleasantly surprised at how reliable it was.... I am considering picking up the p3at just to play around with...
you sound like the penguin in batman
I own a P3At. I LOVE MINE!!!! I carry it 24/7. Mine is green green/black, looks very nice. I bought a "pocket clip" that fits on the side. You just pop out the back pin and this clip just screws to the side of the pistol. The pistol then is very easy to pull out of your pocket. It is very easy to carry concealed with the clip, it looks like a pocket knife clipped to your pocket. I also added a mag extension, this makes the pistol a little easier to shoot. I love mine...
i didnt think of that. Thank you.
After 200 rounds the slide stop broke on my Kel Tec P11. With a 60 second phone call Kel Tec shipped me a new slide stop at zero cost to me. Since then I have had no problems.
I have put about 300 rnds through the Kel Tec 380 and have now noticed some break in markings where the barrel sits. I will look into the fuff and buff (Thanks Lungemen). ALSO I have found that the SPEER Gold Dot JHP feeds pretty well into this gun. Still need to polish the receiver however. SIGHTS are terrible BUT found some on EBAY called Nite Siters also Day Siters. Shows a picture of them installed on the .32 and .380 Kel Tec ... I ordered a set today .. will post when they are installed.
I shot one and liked it at the range. But I think you sold me on the PF-9. I like the sights on the PF-9 way better than the P-3AT. But what is so great about the P-3AT is that its tiny!! Love how it fits in my pocket with that wallet holster that they sell for it. Great little pistol.
That sounds about right, I have a Ruger LCP with same FTF issues--first round must 'snap' into place don't slow down slide at all. 500 round break in is not too few. I sent LCP back for safety recall and they polished receiver as well, now feeds golden sabers/hydrashocks/corbon no problem. Big kick for little bullets. But I can carry daily compared to sig239 or 1911elite. Laser sight is next.
Quite possibly my favorite kel-tec ever. Forget 9mm, there's .380.
just picked one up today
great gun
Only one stove pipe so far, and I won't get rid of it because it does serve it's intended purpose, just be aware if you have large hands. I'm 6'5" in height with size 15 shoes and even XL gloves are a tight fit for me, so take that into consideration as well.
Keep up the reviews!
My girl carries a Kel-Tec 9mm but personally, I carry the Bersa Thunder 380. Slightly smaller cartridge, but highly concealable.
I love my P-3AT! If I have my britches on I have my Kel-Tec with me.
Yes they do!
@Thrashaero Either way, I've taken the LCP out shooting twice now, and absolutely love it. Works great, easy to shoot... just very happy I made the decision to get it :)
bought one, ran 120 rounds through it tonight and it's great. It's a brisk recoil but at 5 yards I put every shot in the 9 ring. At the same time I tacti-fired my g26 into the head.
P3AT 100% reliable (mag catch is touchy though) and G26 100% no hiccups. 60 rounds with 1 headshot flier at 7 meters and all CNS shots with the P3AT. One of these little guns will always be on my person.
I carry the P32 everyday all day, but I think I'm going to upgrade to the .380 just for the upgrade in round size/power. Good review.
Thanks for the nice review. It's either this or something like a CZ-83 (much bigger!) for CC that I'm looking at...
I just bought one of these for the GF because it is something that I don't have to worry about her leaving at home or in the car. I hope she likes it.
Here in Indianapolis, IN, the police chief decided that these Keltec P3AT pistols were not reliable enough. There is a flood of good used P3AT's here because the cops were forced to trade them in on other things, like the Ruger LCP.
Good gun just replaced my bodyguard 380 that kept breaking with this gun
Took to range blew off 100 rounds. PERFECT every time
Lo,, I was suprized at the kick when I first fired mine. I expected the .380 to have much less, but it was fine when I got used to it. I still have to break mine in though.
@nutnfancy I LIKE the longer reviews, so I hope they aren't shortened. It's very easy to find short, impersonal reviews out there, which is one of the reasons why Nutn's are special. Hell, half the entertainment is hearing Nutn meander a bit as he speaks, so, please, don't shorten the videos. If a change has to be made, perhaps annotations (or something similar, don't know if possible tech-wise) could be used to jump the impatient to the appropriate Talking Point? Anyway, keep up the GREAT work!
I have more than 1k rds(I stopped counting after 1k) through my 1st Gen P3AT. After performing the feed ramp mod I've had no trouble with HP rounds. I have several pistols including a KT P-11, but I keep the P3AT with me due to its size and weight. One thing to mention for your "Firepower" talking point is that there are +1 base plates available for around 12 USD as well as a 9 round factory mag with a contoured spacer. At the time this video was filmed, promag had 10 and 15rd(range) mags avail
Hey nutin' i bought this gun brand new today based on ur review. It only came with 1 mag. I feal cheated. Still, i own a pf9 and love it. I will make a video of my break in of this gun.
EDC CCW gun :) Love it!
371 rounds through my P3AT. I spilled a bag of concrete mix all over myself and into the pocket i was carrying the gun in. It got all inside everything. Cleaned it up, took it to the range and ran 25 rounds of Hornaday Critical Defense with 0 failures.
Thank you elitenoob1147, I could not have said it better myself.
some quick pointers for you kel-tec owners... i made some simple modifications using my girlfriend's manicure kit, yes manicure kit. check it out... she had some BRIGHT orange nail polish that i used to paint over and highlight the sights, worked awesome. next, since i pocket carry mine, i used an emmory board to gently file down the mag release. just enough so that the mag doesn't disengage while in my pocket. hope this helps. stay safe everyone!!
holding it is like a derringer, but the slide sittin on top of the trigger pull makes it to be a miniature. the sights make the weapon feel like im holding a miniature dbl action shotgun and i mean miniature.
I have only experience firing one of these owned by a friend at a range. Not for me. I shot good groups with it, but I experienced really bad trigger slap that left my trigger finger pretty sore. The trick for me with shooting this accurately is to stage the trigger. The sights are also not the fastest to acquire and compared to other .380 offerings just priced a little above this you can get a better stock trigger and sights from other manufacturers.
man i'll def check out that one next time i'm at the shop. tell ally the mtn dawg i said waasuuuup!
Hi please review the keltec pf-9 thanks alot for all you video's very well done
i put on nitesiters on this gun to make the sigts stand out ... made a huge difference for me ... so far they have stayed on ... time will tell
Good luck with your bersa. I had one break its disconnector spring after about 900 rounds. Nice as a range gun, but I wouldn't trust my life with it. IMHO, the disconnector spring needs to be 4 times thicker on the bersa thunder 380.
i have a ketec p11 9mm and it is noe my favorite gun very light nice fit in my hand and i shot it many and many of times and bought it new never jammed never had a problem at all very nice and pretty cheap 250 i paid for it
kel tec has fixed most of the problems on all their guns. If you have an older version of this gun, you should look up to see if they have an upgraded version, and then send it in to kel tec and they will likely upgrade it for you free of charge.
+nutnfancy you mentioned that is the largest ankle option for you. what are your other ankle carry options you would consider?
I am currently looking for a lightweight pistol of this size. I've looked at and shot several. Comments. At many gun shops in my area the staff carried the Kel Tec on their person. Because of the very small grip, it would be wise to get the mag extensions from KT. The most reported stopages from KT are chamber drag (mis-feed) on the round and extraction. Some owners send it in for factory refinish, some fix it themselves. Prices range from $239 to $279. For most people a good choice.
I carry a p3at and its a convenient carry gun but the sights suck. However, the p3at is meant for short distance, which you would encounter in a self defense situation.
I wish Kel Tec would work on their quality control. I purchased this weapon (factory new) based largely on this video and other recommendations. First shot went off great, after that the weapon would not extract spent round, the slide would then jam the next round up against the one still stuck in the chamber. A weapon that is to be used in self defense should be 100% reliable. Such a weapon should not require a break-in period. Sent the gun back, they said that I may get it back in 2 months.
I am having a major fte issue with mine. extractor looks fine, cycles by hand with no issues but failed to eject almost every time at the ra
I carry a P3AT when attire or situation do not allow me to carry my primary. The best upgrade that I did to the gun was purchasing the factory 9rd magazine (which gives another 1.5 inches to the grip). I practice with the pistol regularly, and find it to be a solid little EDC gun. Can you spend more money and get something better? Sure. But for the money, it's a good concealer.
I would NOT suggest it for a lady shooter though. At least with the stock grip. My wife has shot quite a bit, and the first round she fired with the gun it nearly back flipped out of her hands (she couldn't get a good purchase on the stock grip).
I carry it either in my pocket holster, or ITWB. I have never tried ankle holsters
That was an accident. I pressed the wrong tiny button. Sorry. I like your comment.
you are so right!!!
love your vids, you should be a standard for every one else that make a GUN vid to be judged by
No problem with the glock trigger. Just telling what they changed on the Ruger LCP. I think it was a good change. I am not sure how needed it was, but I didn't have one go off either.
Good vid. I have a P3at. I have no trouble accidently hitting the mag release because I'm left handed. The mag release button fits neatly between my trigger & middle finger. (finally being lefty is a good thing LOL). For carry ammo & reliability, I use Speer Gold dots. Very smooth shape for good feeding. Anyone having FTE, check the allen screw on slide (rear on side). It holds a flat spring that holds the extractor. it can loosen about 3/4 turn ( It won't be obvious) Use Loctite
@sportsman48 and btw- of those 120 rounds no failures of any kind. I have above average experience and I never landed outside the body out to 15y yards. I would feel confident buying any 2nd gen P3AT or any glock.
Think I'll stick with my Ruger LCP. No troubles, good accuracy. About same price, too.
Just wondering if you had experience with the Sig 232. Saw this review on the keltec .380 and totally agree with this gun. I head tons of positives on the 232 and I figure if anyone would have some insight you would. keep up the good work!
I have considered this gun, but am opting for the Ruger LCP for just a little more money. I have owned and do own Rugers and like them. They are known to put a little extra where it counts in their guns. I also believe I'll get better service from them if I should happen to need it. Call me a Ruger Homer!
i have put over 150 rounds through mine, with no jams. it's a good little gun.
i have a P-3AT as well and it hasnt jammed yet i have only put about 60 rounds thrpugh it but overall i do suggest it for conceal carry just keep it clean
Also I am a big country boy and wear Bib overalls a lot so my keltec 32 or the Pf9 fit in my top pocket..My question to you is what is your experience level? Unless you plan on practicing often (at least once a month) I would suggest you consider a air weight revolver
UPDATE -- Went to the range this morning and checked out two things on the 380. FIRST - the sights made a 100 percent improvement in the ability to aim. SECOND - I looked at the barrel BEFORE going and found a horizontal machine mark and notch in the side of the receiver that jammed the cartridge at times when seating into the reciever! I used 1000 grit sand paper and polished the receiver and NO JAMS at the range even in rapid fire. This is a neat little gun now!!!!
380 just bought one used. cost around 280. have not gotten to shoot it yet. but what kind of range does it have
Yes the original release are on recall. The new ones (and your old one if you send it to them) now have a trigger suspiciously like the Glock safety trigger. I'm still a Ruger Homer.
i fucking love these sights aside from the snapy trigger pull its great for accurate short firing
The Kel-tecs are not bad little guns. I got a P32 for my wife. Amoung the 380s this was not my favorite. I opted for the PPK clone Bersa 380 which has features which I really liked. It can be fired both single and double action and has a decocker/safety but it is heavier then the Kel-tec.
Hey guys which would be the better gun for home protection. The .22 mag or 380? which would you choose.
Nutnfancy: Any plans in the pipeline to do a table top of the Kahr P380 or the new Taurus 738TCP? I am looking forward to hearing more about those 2.