Hole in slide of new Kel-Tec P32, need help

[sonick808]

Greetings Ladies and Gents,

I just got back from the store with a new P32 to replace my old one (that I had tricked out but had to sell to afford a bad layoff situation)

back on my feet. Bought a new p32 today to trick out. As a bonus, I'm now in Arizona and my CCW card should be here any day. A pocket gun would be just the ticket for backup, right ?

After getting the P32 home, I take it apart to start cleaning it up, and here's what I find (see pics). This looks very ABNORMAL, even for Kel-Tec. I don't recall a gaping maw like this on my old slide. This is a defect, yes ?

I called the shop and they said "well per the 4473 you own it now, so you have to get it repaired". I told them I wanted them to buy it back and I will call the owner tomorrow. Kel-Tec is not even ACCEPTING guns for repair until January 4 at the earliest due to the holidays! They're shut DOWN from Dec 11 until Jan 4.

I'm pretty steamed. Take a look at the pics and tell me what you see...... I see a flaw during machining I believe. It caught on the aluminum rail and took a bite out of it also, so i'm positive this is abnormal.

I won't name the shop yet unless they screw me. Unless concesus is that shops DON'T usually have any option to help, then I will understand. Until I hear from my peers here, I'm reserving judgement based on your input. I need you guys to tell me what a reputable shop would do. I've never been in this position in 30 some purchases.

Here come pics. Sorry if they throw off formatting of the thread but I need detailed pics. Thanks for your help on this! Jayson

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[Scorch]

Yes, it's a flaw. No, it shouldn't interfere with proper operation of the pistol. It is where they machined the notch that holds the extractor in place.

And FWIW, even though they have no obligation to help you, their flippant attitude is a bit disconcerting. I would find a different gun store.

 

[sonick808]

Flippant. A better adjective does not exist to describe the tone when i called.

Thank you for your response and advice regarding the nature of the flaw.

This makes me wonder:
1) if I have to send it to kel-tec, will they say "oh, not a 'functional flaw', you have to pay 200$ for a new slide or deal with

or

will kel-tec say "wow, this is an egregious error in manufacturing, we'll gladly replace and re-tag the slide for you"

I guess you have no way of knowing what would happen, lol. I just hope they don't claim that since it's not a functional flaw, that it is inconsequential. That maw already bit a chunk of rail off. Not a lot, but it happened.

I'll report back on what the dealer says. I caught the flaw and called them within an hour. I would have went back if i could've made it in time. the owner will be in tomorrow, hopefully he will feel differently about making this right. Then again, i'm ONLY a kel-tec customer...

 

[Dustin0]

My guess would be that Kel-Tec should fix it. If bought it at the shop I work at the most we could have done was ship it back for you. I dont remember ever doing an exchange. You need to ask for a call tag from Kel-Tec so you dont get stuck with a bill for the shipping. Explain that it is a new gun and never fired. Just one thing you will catch more files with honey.

 

[sonick808]

Dustin: thanks for the info, I greatly appreciate it.

You are right indeed regarding courtesy. I am a hardcore practitioner of the golden rule and common courtesy. I was a bit steamed when I came in here, but I would never let that leak into my dealings with the retailer or kel-tec, no matter how angry I got. Sometimes I wonder if I bottle TOO much in , lol.

Anyway, I found something quite interesting. I posted the same thread at ktog.org (kel-tec owners group) forums, and apparently this is not all that uncommon! Most people (ALL from what i've seen so far!) just deburr and flatten the metal in the area so that there's a smooth surface, and never have a problem with it again!

There are quite a few p32 & p3at running around with the same overrun in the slide from the extractor area; and it seems to not be ccausing any problems at all.

I am still going to ask for a 1:1 exchange tomorrow. If that doesn't fly, I think i'm going to sand it flat and call it good. There are some VERY knowledgable people over there that say "deburr, fluff, buff and call it a day". From chrome slides to stainless to heat treated & blued, same exact shape and flaw.

I asked if the ktog folks have ever engaged kel-tec service dept. with this issue. Waiting to see waht the response is on that .

Very interesting.......

Thanks again for everyone's help.
gotta love gun folks

-Jayson

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

Made me take a look at my P32 slide as I couldn't remember what mine looked like... Thankfully it looks normal to me.

How'd it go at the shop?

 

[sonick808]

thanks so much whoknowswho.

I have learned much about the P32 in the last few hours!

I was going to go to the shop today, but after posting the pics on the ktog.org kel-tec owners forum, it turns out this is normal! Of course you have to deburr that area and flatten it like every other kel-tec orifice, but once you do, it turns into a perfect little semi-circle and the pistol runs perfectly.

I just did a full fluff and buff, all the while receiving replies that this was normal on the kel-tec forum.

After re-assembling the freshly buffed and lubed pistol, I get a reply from kel-tec themselves:

"On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 6:05 AM, Kel-Tec Customer Service <contact2@kel-tec-cnc.com> wrote:

it is not a flaw, it is on all of the pistol. it is where the endmill breaks thru when milling the pocket for the extractor. thanks
"

I'll be damned. Who would have ever thought that was normal. The macro made it look bigger than it was, but still, it was pretty ragged.

It's flush and looking just fine now though. Everything running great on the pistol manually.

Just need to break it in at the range and I'll be good.

Sorry to jump the gun and post that the gun was faulty when it wasn't; I apologize to the members for that.

My old p32 didn't have one, but it's extractor was far different. All the new kel-tecs have it; p3at also!

Learn something new every day.........

Thanks
Jayson