Sharp as a Marble - The most lethal firearm I own

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Guns. Lots of Guns.

Surprisingly, it's my new Kel-Tec P3AT. I got a chance to shoot it this weekend and all I can say is that if you force me to have to shoot you with this thing, it will piss me off so badly that I will beat you to death with my shoe.

Holy crap on a cracker, Batman. I literally had to put my left thumb in the trigger guard to try to keep it from leaping out of my hands. I'm not sure a follow up shot is going to be feasible unless I aim for your toes first, then maybe, the second shot will part your hair.

Of course, the only ammo I could find was my SD ammo, so each shot cost me $1.12. Hell, it's cheaper to shoot the 6.8SPC! And more comfortable to boot.

Sadly, I realize I shouldn't carry this firearm for self defense until I get a metric boatload more practice time. I don't have the faith that I can control it properly in a situation and ensure my rounds go where I want them. If anything, IPSC has taught me I can at least hit my target (the only misses I had were the targets I failed to engage). I'm not so sure with this thing.

posted @ 5/4/2009 9:13:06 AM

Comments

SayUncle says:

on 5/4/2009 9:30:46 AM

A rubber slip on grip helps. But you have to break out a razor/exacto knife and cut about a quarter inch off the bottom to get it to fit.

Trust me.

The Commander says:

on 5/4/2009 9:39:38 AM

The invisibility of the firearm makes it eminently practical as a defense weapon.

Grip is everything with a Kel-Tec.

So, the proper way to use it is to focus on the thumb/middle finger circle. This should be very firm and the thumb should touch the middle finger. Use the very tip of your trigger finger to pull straight back and you will overcome the difficulties of the double action trigger.

Keep your little finger under the base of the grip, with your middle finger and ring finger on the grip. Squeeze firmly.

Kel Tecs are short-range guns (nose guns). Place the sights directly on the desirted poiont of impact. Empty the gun - keep firing until no threatening movements are observed.

Use RBCD rounds.

You should do fine.

This approach will also serve you well with your 1911 or any other pistol with a human-sized grip. As to Glocks and Hulk-sized grips, well, I wouldn't know.

Hypnagogue says:

on 5/4/2009 9:40:43 AM

puttyworld.com

Squeeze this stuff 14-16 hours a day, or until your forearms look like a juiced Popeye. Then get some skateboard tape, and put that on you hands. Finally, snowboarding wrist guards.

Then, when you draw down on a bad guy, remember to shout, "Stop right there or I will blow my arms off with this little toy and you'll feel REALLY BAD about it."

Justin Buist says:

on 5/4/2009 9:50:55 AM

Getting the magazine extenders helps a fair bit with the grip. They add about another 3/8ths of an inch I'd say.

DJ says:

on 5/4/2009 10:20:05 AM

Sigh ...

I warned you. You have validated my warning:

"The bitterness of a wrong choice lasts longer than the pleasure of a low price."

I have two suggestions:

1) The Commander's advice is good. Grip it HARD. Put the pad of the index finger on the trigger and pull it straight back. Practice, practice, practice.

2) Be patient, save your money, and then swap the P3AT for an LCP, which now has a hooked magazine floor plate that makes a really BIG difference, and it's better quality to boot. I think it's fun to shoot, and I shot a 2.5" group at ten yards with mine.

Stacy says:

on 5/4/2009 10:30:05 AM

*stare*

tam says:

on 5/4/2009 10:37:01 AM

The biggest weakness of the P3AT is that if it squirms enough in your hand, you get a short-cycle...

Jay G. says:

on 5/4/2009 10:51:20 AM

Interesting.

Apparently I have the kung-fu death grip naturally, because my P3AT has not yet failed to cycle.

Granted, I have to push the slide into battery on loading, but once it's loaded it's been fine.

Accuracy, however, is less-than-optimal - this is a 10 ft. gun to be certain.

Give it some time and more practice.

And for the love of Gaia, strengthen up those girlie hands... ;)

ExurbanKevin says:

on 5/4/2009 12:16:36 PM

Your experience with the P3AT sounds similar to mine. The first 2-3 times I took it to the range, I could barely hit paper at 25 feet, much less center of mass. I added a grip sleeve and a +1 mag extension and lightened up the front sight with some of my wife's brightest nail polish. Just those little tweaks make a BIG difference in keeping the gun on target.

Wolfwood says:

on 5/4/2009 1:00:26 PM

+1 to the comments about a Hogue grip; that's helped a lot on mine. As for the pinkie extensions, it depends. For me, it actually made things worse. If you'd like to send me an email, I can send you the one I bought for you to try, as I went back to the original floorplate.

One other thing occurred to me, though: don't you normally shoot a 1911? If so, I'll bet that you're trying to shoot the P-3AT the same way: gripping mostly with the thumb, ring finger, and pinkie. The P-3AT should be held mostly with the middle finger and thumb, using the lower two fingers basically for balance, not grip.

As to P-3AT vs. LCP...we're talking about essentially the same gun. I can't see a good reason to spend another $100 for that.

TexasFred says:

on 5/4/2009 2:12:32 PM

Personally, I would sell it and get something I was very comfortable with, 100% comfortable and 100% certain that ALL shots were where I wanted them to be...

TheGunGeek says:

on 5/4/2009 2:16:37 PM

I've never had a problem with accuracy with mine. The magazine extension can make a huge difference on instinct pointing the thing. I found that if I closed my eyes and pointed the gun at something I was invariably aiming way too low. Just taping some cardboard to make the grip longer moved my point of aim to right where I expected it to be.

That said, I carry mine without an extension. I also use a shooting glove (okay, it's just a fingertipless hunting glove I got on clearance at the end of the season) for practice if I'm going to be shooting it a lot.

Great gun. The company also provides some excellent service. Just remember that they take forever to reply to emails, but take phone calls right away.

Robb Allen says:

on 5/4/2009 2:20:20 PM

Fred, part of that is simply learning the firearm. I wasn't 100% comfortable with my Glock when I first bought it. Took me a few trips to the range to become proficient in its use.

Like everything in life, this firearm has tradeoffs. The light weight and size means I can easily conceal it in a pocket, making it more likely that I will always be armed. The light weight also makes it harder to control during firing.

Getting a heavier firearm means less chance of tossing it in a pocket. Heck, I have the Glock, why weight down my pants when I can just strap on a 10mm?

So, learning how to control this pistol is worthwhile. As long as the pistol goes bang with every (long) pull of the trigger, the onus is on me to learn to control it.

Jake says:

on 5/4/2009 6:20:42 PM

I didn't have any problems with losing control of mine, though I think anything more than 3 rapid shots would require readjusting my grip. I thought my groups were quite good for me for a new gun's first time at the range.

I did start having ejection issues after the third magazine, but for right now I'm putting that down to the gun having a low tolerance for dirty ammo. I had one FTE in Mag 4, two in Mag 5, and one in Mag 6. But ZERO in Mags 1-3.

I do find this acceptable for carry. If I ever feel the need to leave the house carrying 3 extra magazines for the Kel-Tec, either I'm just not going to leave the house, or I'm going to take the .45 with it's spare magazine instead (and only if not leaving is NOT an option).

The Commander says:

on 5/4/2009 7:25:47 PM

If yu are shooting a Kel-Tecx much farther than 3-5 meters, you are wasting time. Remember - every tool has a design use.

The Kel-Tecs are nose guns.

That means, in extremis, you shove it up someones nose and empty the mag.

Need longer range? Use your 1911.

Don't have a 1911? Get one - you will need it soon.

McThag says:

on 5/4/2009 10:50:47 PM

This is why I recommended finding an old Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless in .380. ;)

Mine disappears in my pocket too, but it does drag the pants down being a lot heavier.

Snark aside, both my buddies with the Kel Tecs insist there's a learning curve and once you top it, all is well.

The Commander says:

on 5/5/2009 9:08:42 AM

Teh Kel-tec is a superb pistol - when used within its design parameters. It is a lightweight, last resort concealable pistol. It is not designed for heavy use, extensive target practice, or long range. in short, it is not a service pistol.

You will be able to conceal it in your speedo at the beach if encessary - so you will carry it in situation where you otherwise might be tempted to go unarmed, which, as we all know is a bad idea nowadays.

Stay within its design parameters. Let them get close. Then use it up close and personal with the RBCD rounds. You will be fine.

The RBCD in 32 ACP leaves a wound channel in gelatin that looks like a 308 - but will not overpenetrate. Exccellent.

Caleb says:

on 5/5/2009 12:03:45 PM

Or you could buy an officer's sized 1911.

N.U.G.U.N. says:

on 5/5/2009 2:30:01 PM

Get the finger grip extension magazine. I got these for our Ruger LCP and it made a dramatic difference.

Also practice shooting it very slowly, very slow trigger pulls.

I am not sure how the Keltec is, but I've managed to put 6 rounds in a 2.5" group from 25ft.

The Commander says:

on 5/5/2009 2:37:54 PM

Caleb makes a very good suggestion. The difference between a P3 and a 1911 of any variety is this: The 1911 is thicker, heavier, and stronger. It is a service pistol. A Kel-Tec is a backup - a hideout - a last resort. Don't try to make it anything else.

It is what you carry when you aren't or can't carry.

DJ says:

on 5/5/2009 7:14:43 PM

Perhaps you could try one of these:

http://www.hellinahandbasket.net/2007/01/float-like-a-hummingbird-sting.htm

Comments have been closed on this topic.