Know what has more stove pipes than New York in the late 1800's? My Kel Tec P3AT! Know what is about as reliable than a Washington politician? My Kel Tec P3AT! The only good thing about it, is that when it works, it as as accurate as a Democrat seeking your wallet.......but that is not enough to have me stake my life on it. I will stick to my 5 shot J frame for a pocket pistol
Sounds like your Kel-Tec is "Great" for practicing Failures... I will admit to "Once" having a Grendel P-10 the great grandfather to your Kel-Tec, Ruger LCPs etc. For the price of what people want for .380/9mm Kurtz ammo nowdays you can buy 44 Magnum.. Guess what's in my Pocket?? S&W J Frame Airweight Model 642/942.. It's always been 100% Smith & Wesson Models 940 & 642/942 Convertion 9mm
Sorry about your Keltec failing, mine has been flawless. That being said, there is no comparison between a Smith J-frame and a Keltec anything, IMHO!
I think it's just a matter of understanding what the KT is really meant for...a low use carry gun. The problem is, I want my carry gun to be durable and handle lots of practice, which should be a requirement for anyone relying on such guns. I never felt like the KT P3AT I had would last very long.
Well I should have known better. In the days of old when I started out as a rookie, a j frame Smith rode with me both off and on duty. That model 60 is in a place of honor in my safe. My 340Sc now rides in my pocket, no matter how I am dressed. It has proven to be accurate and reliable, and super light. If I went with another pocket sized.380 it would likely be a Kahr or the new Smith. It would never replace my J frame, but if it worked well may find use as a poolside companion during the reunion season.
642 owner here. Snappy recoil but I added CTC's#405 Lasergrips. In addition to the laser sight this unit adds an "air pocket" at the top of the backstrap that helps reduce felt recoil up to 30%.
I have a 642, and while I love the gun, I can shoot my G43 and P938 SO MUCH better. Still, I won't get rid of it, and it still gets occasional use. There are some here that have mad skills with the snubs though. My hat's off to them.
Took my LCP and my wife's P3AT to the range a week ago - her P3AT is still 100% after years of beating around in her pocket and never being cleaned. I've had 1 LCP and 2 Kel Tecs. I like the LCP better, but both Kel tecs were 100% with any ammunition.
the G42 is a POS for many folks too. I contact Glock and asked about all the "upgrades" from their non-recall.... I have a first run gun.... they said I could send it in for evaluation. of course I have to pay the freight. so basically I bought a kel-tec with Glock's name on it.
My P3AT has had no issues at all although it hasn't really been shot that much. Even so, if I was in a fight I would rather have my Ruger KLCR in my hand. Regards, Happyguy
I have a couple of 642's that I suspect are destined to stay in the collection forever. Revolvers have a special appeal for me. Not collectors, but carry pieces. My favorite though, is .357 Magnum.
I've shot a Diamondback, S&W Bodyguard, LCP and owned a Sig 238 and Taurus 738. All, at the very least, needed to be very clean and a little wet. Most were finicky about ammo. I decided I'm not a .380 guy. I pocket carry a S&W 638 when the need for something that small arises.
My 642 is my favorite CCW gun. I do carry pocket autos most of the time but still belt carry and pocket carry a J-frame. tom.
I gave up on the P3AT years ago! It was not very reliable, and between stovepipes, my finger hitting the mag release, and broken hammer springs, I got rid of it. Mind you, the P32 worked well. Their design just won't support .380 ammo.
I do not like pocket carry, it is not comfortable for me. that said my 642 has seen almost as much time in my pocket as my LWS.
Hard to beat a good J-frame, especially an Airweight. I realize this is a thread resurrected from 6 years ago, but this sub forum doesn't get an over abundance of traffic. As much as I prefer my several J's for their revolver triggers and added bit of bullet weight (over a .380), I often slip one of my LCP's into a pocket holster. They fit where my J's won't, and once I'd invested some range time to drills and some qual COF's, I found them about as easy to run as.my J's, with less punishment on my index finder's knuckle (rising trigger guard in light J's with +P and Magnum loads).
I can't say enough good about my 442. I had snubs off and on for years but there's a reason they sell so many of these. Wish I had gotten one 20 years ago.
Sorry about the Kel-Tec experience! I have one of their P32s and mine runs well (on the occasion that I shoot it- kinda like pissing into the wind) but I carry my 442 Airweight almost religiously.
