General

[Drum]

That anti-kel tec talk about sounds like typical internet based sour grapes nonsense. Let us just imagine that it were true what "the guy at the range" told you;

Exactly how many times do you imagine that you will be getting into a gun battle with your "belly gun" that will require (or allow you to reload) an entire box of ammo though the gun?

Most people, other than Repo Gene, are unlikely to be "mugged" once, much less multiple times or by multiple assailants such that you have to carry a reload.
If the ninjas start jumping out of helicopters all around you and they are coming to kill you, then you are dead. Even your trusty _____ super gun will barely dull the pain.

I have shot every pistol in the Kel-tec line and never once had any of them go wrong. Currently own several P-32's and a P-11. I sold the P-3AT I had because I did not like the way it moved in my hand when I shot it more than once. I am willing to stake my life on the belief that any of these guns will go bang until the magazine is empty. (civilians who carry spare magazines are too paranoid, imho)

I had one friend tell me that his Kel-Tec jammed every couple of dozen shots after he had rollled about 1000 rounds down the pipe. I told him send it to KT or just buy another $150 gun.

He sent it back to KT and they replaced everything aside from the frame and the little gun went back to popping away, dirty or not.


So... what is not to like? Believe me, your perp is not going to be less intimidated by the handgun you are pointing at him/her, just because it has a bright blue plastic frame. If the perp is in doubt, toss a warning shot into the pelvis and it will take the doubt right out of their mind.

Good luck,
D

[Critical]

Originally Posted by Drum

If the perp is in doubt, toss a warning shot into the pelvis and it will take the doubt right out of their mind.

You have a creative interpretation of "warning shot", I like it.

[Lohman446]

Drum, I actually have a failed Kel-tec sitting in my safe. That being said Kel-tec would fix it if I bothered to send it back.

As Drum has eluded to.... sometimes people get too "excited" about there primary carry gun. I have a Kimber Pro Carry (IIRC) sitting in the safe. Great gun, will do everything a Kimber is supposed to. That being said I one time "wiped" off the safety while carrying, and have not carried it yet.

If you are firing in a self defense situation past 7 yards its going to be highly questioned if it was a true self defense situation. As Drum has pointed out there are a lot of guns that are plenty of gun for this situation, and will serve you well.

380, 9mm, 45, 357, 38, 40, 10MM MAYBE the 32 if you want to stretch it are all underpowered but "good enough" for what you are going to be doing. It is unlikely that any of them are going to instantly stopped a determined and chemically enhanced attacker. Find a gun you are comfortable with, that rides comfortably when you carry it and you have confidence in. Then use your mind to stay out of bad situations. The fact of the matter is if you have to draw your weapon as a civilian you have already failed at the first line of defense, and several others.

[bryceeden]

I usually carry a Sig 230(by far my favorite gun I have ever owned it just feels perfect in my hand). Once in a while I'll go down to my LCP(I really hate my LCP), and if I have a coat on I may go with my Berretta 92FS or Sig 250.

[Clearush]

The LPC wasn't available when I started carrying. Nobody could touch the Kel-Tec for weight, for comfortable pocket carry, there wasn't any other way I would carry if it wasn't easy and light.

[sewiv]

Originally Posted by Mann

for pocket carry it is too large. I use the same holster with my p3at

Are you a very small person, or do you only wear skinny jeans? It's the classic pocket pistol. I can carry in my front or rear pockets completely comfortably in jeans, and it disappears in slacks.

There are probably hundreds of thousands of these out there in the front left pocket of cops the country over. If a cop comes up to your window with his hand in his pocket, he's holding onto a J frame, more than likely.

[sewiv]

Originally Posted by Drum

I have shot every pistol in the Kel-tec line and never once had any of them go wrong.

I shot a friends PF-9, and though it felt good and shot well, it failed to fire multiple times, and failed to extract multiple times as well. He has since done a "fluff and buff" on it, and says it's running much better, but considers that action a necessity on a Keltec due to rough machining from the factory.

That said, he did nearly the same thing on his Glock 21SF, and it did help that gun a lot as well (search for ".25 glock trigger job").

(civilians who carry spare magazines are too paranoid, imho)

The quickest way to clear many semi malfunctions (if a tap-rack-bang doesn't do it) is to dump the mag and reload. With a semi, I don't carry a spare mag for extra shots, I carry it for a replacement in the event of malfunction. If you're paranoid (understanding of reality) enough to carry, you should be well-acquainted with Mr. Murphy as well. A single mag doesn't take enough space to matter, and it just might help.

[Lohman446]

I like my airweight, in fact in a time when I am consolodating guns the airweight stays (over a Glock 26 and Beretta Tomcat). Making the cut at this point are the

Glock 19C (girlfriends)
Ruger SP101 with hammer 3" barrel - this is my heavy clothing concealed gun. I load it with 180 grain buffalo bore when I'm hiking and figure it gives me a snowballs chance if something four legged decides I look like dinner.

Sig Sauer P232 - I actually just purchased this. Still looking for the right holster for it but its going to be an IWB "mid" size carry option.

S+W airweight - I am thinking of having a gunsmith drill this out to 9MM . Not sure though. If the Glock 26 had every reason to keep but I did not this one is just the opposite. It has everything going against it (the 38 is inferior to the 380, the sights suck, and 5 shots is not a lot, the revolver profile is not handy compared to the flat 380, the sights are less than great, etc) but still falls on the keep side.

Browning Buckmark (by far used more than any other gun I have). This is to me the ultimate range gun. A Ruger might go alongside it but I bought this to be different and loved the wrap around style grips. Its fun to run the target out on the indoor range and ten ring with it when the guy next to me blasting some "large bore" can't hit at 7 yards.

Keltec P3AT (needs fixed) - despite its failure nothing fits the pocket like this does. An arma-laser on the front breaks the profile and overcomes the first big issue with this - a lack of effective sights. Carried in modfied Desantis this gun is one you could always carry.

If I add one more it will be a Glock G23 or the slimline 45... ehh, maybe

Not making the cut or already having not made the cut:
Beretta Tomcat (this one pains me a bit, but its a bit wide and heavy for in the pocket carry)
Kimber Pro Carry II
Smith and Wesson Sigma
Glock 20 - the grips on the 20 were just too wide
Glock 26 - for all that this gun is its just not "right". By the time I added grip extenders to it it might as well have been a compact. Even then it did not feel right.
Taurus 357 snubbie - Titanium model - not making the cut due to unintended discharge

As much as I like my airweight I just don't truly see it as a "pocketable" gun, at least not in every day clothing. The sights are poor, but I guess thats a trade off on a lot of subcompacts. That being said, for all its shortcomings it makes it on the right side of the "keeper" list.

[Schmitti]

I carried a Kel-tec 9mm for a year and liked it and it shot well. I had no problem with it and should have kept it but I sold it to a friend so I could get something else.

E

[Clearush]

I also used a cheap knockoff version ($10 at a gun show) of a holster like this

http://www.hedleyholsters.com


makes it look like a square wallet/pda in your front pocket, which makes for super easy concealed carry.