Has Kel Tec stopped making the p40?

Yes, they have stopped making the P-40. Too much firepower in such a small package for the average limp wristing shooter.
 
Keltec had too many returns, many were shooter induced failures, but also material failure. I think the .40 proved to be just a bit more cartridge than a 15oz gun could handle. :)
 
Sheer speculation, John...

...and not at all accurate.

I'll not pretend that hot 180g loads thru a P-40 are pleasant, but they do work with someone who knows how to shoot a high-horsepower auto with a revolver-like trigger stroke.

I don't like the idea that a handgun design, especially one as innovative and successful as George Kelgren's locked-breech/lightweight effort, should be denigrated because certain individuals can't shoot it effectively.

If you like big-time effect in a really small and light package, consider the P-40...and snap up one of the very rare .357 SIG barrels that the factory produced for those who like real alternatives.
 
I don't believe he was denigrating the P-40. I spoke to Cliff at KT, he said too many were getting returned that had nothing wrong with them, user related problems. I think it was getting to be more trouble than it was worth & not cost efficent to KT to continue selling it.
 
"I don't believe he was denigrating the P-40."

Then what is your interpretation of the phrase "material failure"?
 
I don't mean to step into what sounds like the beginnings of an argument, BUT...

I know Kel-Tec has stated (even on their site) that "The P-40 is on the borderline of what a human can endure in sectional recoil and velocity." http://www.kel-tec.com/new_page_18.htm PURE BS!

My Kahr P40 weighs all of 2 oz more than the Kel-Tec, and the recoil is nowhere NEAR unreasonable, and reliability is 100%...

Don't get me wrong, I own a P32, and would own a P40 as well if I the trigger and I could have gotten along, but it just appears that the Kel-Tec pistol design and the .40 S&W cartridge didn't mix well, and only the more experienced shooters seem to have any luck with them. Just a quick glance over to www.ktog.org and you'll see the P40 section has a lot more "bad" than "good". Heck, do a search right here on TFL and you'll get more negative feedback on the P40 than the other Kel-Tecs...

Not bad materials, or bad design, or bad company, just a bad mix of the two...

Flame retardant suit on! :p
 
I'm not going to quibble about definitions but there were some problems with P-40s. For awhile KT was doing what they were calling a "rampectomy" on the feed ramps of some P-40s. Not sure what was involved with that but I read that from 2 people that went to the factory and had it done there. Apparently it was not an uncommon problem for awhile. That doesn't mean the gun was a poor design but just some problems that cropped up that needed fixing. I'm a KT fan (one P-11 & 2 P-32s) and I know Johnwill has some too.
 
I have two Kel-tec P32s and a P11 that work fine. I have a P40 that, in spite of trying a wide variety of ammo, replacing the slide and barrel with hard chromed ones, polishing the feed ramp, and always using a firm two-handed hold, has never been reliable. Maybe I'm limp wristing, but if they are this touchy, there's something wrong. I like Kel-tec, and Cliff, the gunsmith there, has offered to replace my frame with a new one (destroying my old one and putting my original serial number on the replacement) under warranty. I'm not sure if this will make a difference or not, but I hope so. I offered to just swap the .40 S&W barrel for a .357 Sig (which Cliff confirmed feeds more reliably in these pistols), but he said he can't do that. If the new frame doesn't help, I'll probably just buy a .357 Sig barrel and give it a try. I really like Kel-tec pistols, and the company, but I think there is more than "user error" involved in the decision to stop making the P40. If the same grip that works fine with every other handgun I own (and that's a fair number) won't work with the P40, I don't think it can really be called user error. By the way, I'm 6'2", 235lbs, not especially weak, and have been shooting handguns for almost 30 years. I don't find the recoil of the P40 particularly uncomfortable (compared to light .357s, etc.) - I just wish I could have confidence in it.

Doug
 
"...you'll see the P40 section has a lot more "bad" than "good"."

Well, people don't ask for help when their pistols are operating correctly and dependably. :cool:

I do agree with most of what you have to say...
 
My P40 has been totally reliable after 500 or so rounds. No failures to feed at all. I did do a complete polish fluff and buff, etc.
As far as recoil goes, it is not a problem at all using a hard hold and leaning in to the gun a little. It sure as heck isn't as bad as a Smith Airweight 38 with +Ps for example.
 
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