Best value pocket pistol

P

Philo_Beddoe

Multiply registered, multiply banned troll.
Been thinking about picking up a pocket pistol in either 9mm or .380, or .38 special but I dont want to spend a ton of money in doing so.

I have been leaning towards the Ruger LCP and the Keltec 9mm and .380.

I just want something that will be reliable, durable and is a true pocket gun.

A good warranty is nice too.

Been meaning to get to the range and try out the Keltecs and ruger.

Any insights?
 
I can only speak for the Kel-Tec P3AT. After the fluff-n-buff and a good break in period this little guy has been nothing but reliable. Before the fnb and break in it only had 2 FTE's. You can't get anymore of a pocket gun than this TINY little guy.

I've heard good things about the LCP as well, but for the $$ difference, I'll take the time to break in my P3AT instead.
 
You can't hardly go wrong with the Ruger or the Keltec P3AT or PF9. The P3AT is a little uglier then the Ruger (IMO) but it is cheaper and both perform about the same. If you want to go for an inexpensive 9mm pocket gun you cant beat the PF9.
 
I picked up a nice 1964 vintage S&W M36 .38 for $225 last winter. Deals are out there if you keep lookin!

I have only picked up the keltec and ruger offerings in gun stores. I can say that my keltec sub2k has been flawless in ~1300 rounds of .40 rnl reloads. If their .380's and 9mms are as reliable they get my endorsment.
 
I'll add another vote for the P-3AT. It is darn near the perfect pocket pistol. It's light, flat, holds 7 rounds of a decent caliber. I carry Double-Tap's load which they chrono at 1000fps out of the P-3AT although I would also feel ok carrying any good FMJ.

Mine has never had a failure with FMJ ammo but it didn't like the Black Hills 90gr HP's which had a very sharp nose. I sent it back to KT at their expense and they had it back in less than 2 weeks. It looked like they had polished the feedramp and the chamber. It has been 100% since then with about 500 rounds of various .380 ammo including the Black Hills that originally choked it and the Double Taps.

Mine is a blued version and I treated it with Militec-1 (email them for a free sample bottle that is enough to do the KT for years) and have never had a problem with rust even though it spends most of it's life in a leather pocket holster. To treat with Militech-1 I coated the slide and barrel with Militech-1 and heated them in the toaster oven to 225 degrees and let it stay at that temp for 5 minutes, then let it cool back to room temperature. I recoated and repeated two more times.

I bought the +1 magazine extension and the mag catch wouldn't quite fully catch. I thought it was a problem with the mag catch. I called KT and they mailed me a new one for free. There was an excellent video on Youtube showing how to install it. I followed the video and it was a snap. Unfortunately that didn't solve the problem and after installation I was getting light strikes. It turned out I had overstretched the mainspring when removing it. I contacted KT and they mailed me a new spring already connected to a new striker assembly at no charge. I installed them being very careful not to stretch the spring beyond what was necessary to install it and it has been 100% since. It turned out that my problem with the extension was not unique and it was due to the new bottom plate sitting just a fraction of an inch higher than the original. Thanks to the guys at KTOG.org I found the fix. It took about 6 passes with 600 grit sandpaper on the bottom of the mag well to remove enough material to let the +1 mag fully seat. It made no difference with the regular magazines.

I got a good deal on a Armalaser and a pocket holster with an antiprint panel that is made for the P-3AT w/the Armalaser installed. It's leather and made by pockeholsters.com. In the pocket it give a completely rectangular outline that could be a wallet or an mp3/cellphone in a case. It also carries nicely in the inside pocket of a sport coat. It's flat enough not to show and light enough not to pull the jacket down.

It has shared carry duty for the last couple of years with my Ruger SP101 and now with my S&W M&P 340 CT. With a P-3AT there is never an excuse not to be armed if it's legal to be.
 
Ruger LCP - What the Kel-Tec P-3AT should have been.

My (post-recall) little bundle of joy:

mylcpin1.jpg
 
It aint cheap , but i run a Kahr pm9 as a pocket pistol . Horespower and value its top of the stack . for " cheap " i got a p3at that i also like .
 
I guess my Bulgarian Makarov 9x18 qualifies as a pocket pistol, plus it's an absolute tack driver and a lot of fun.
 
I went both directions as far as price goes.
My Rohrbaugh R9S cost over $1100, but I consider it to be well worth it compared to any of the other small pistols.

In the other direction, I compared the LCP to the P3at and felt that the LCP was definitely a better made pistol.
They cost about the same, so I went with the LCP.

For a "measly" $300, I'd suggest the LCP if you want to save some money.
If you want the best of the best, handle the Rohrbaugh and you'll find no comparison (not a bit of plastic on the Rohrbaugh, plus it's 9mm, and still weighs just 12oz.)

With that said, I do like the LCP in it's own right, and it will probably end up in my carry rotation just for fun.
 
I lov my Kel-Tec P11, carry it every day and have never had any problems
with it at all....good price, accurate and I almost forget I have it in my pocket.
 
My personal favorite to carry is a Bersa 380 Thunder..20 oz weight and deadly.
It holsters well and I carry it everywhere, even on the bike.
The safety mech decocks the chamber and firing pin..super safe.:D
 
For the money, Keltec. Mine has been good so far, finicky with some JHP, but otherwise very serviceable.
 
For the size ,for the price ,for the weight , it was kel-tec for me . Fits ...pants pocket ...jacket pocket...vest pocket :D
 
I really like....

my PA-63. I replaced all the springs with Wolff springs, put a nice set of Marshall grips on, and keep it loaded w/ Georgia Arms Gold Dots. Very effective piece, points naturally, VERY accurate, and light weight. I've got a DeSantis Nemesis for it right now, but I'm considering an IWB holster. Any suggestions?
 
Although I think it is a bit too big for convenient pocket carry, I'd still recommend what I carry anyway -- a Keltec PF-9. Mine never has had the F&B, and it only took 1 100 round range trip to break it in. It's been 100% since.
 
I guess my Bulgarian Makarov 9x18 qualifies as a pocket pistol, plus it's an absolute tack driver and a lot of fun.
Click to expand...

I have a Mak, I feel it is way to heavy and large for a true pocket pistol.

Concealed carry, yes, but a true pocket pistol it seems way to large and heavy imo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top