Kel-tec, no longer a joke....

J

JERRYS.

New member
yeah, I was one of those guys that use to laugh about KT stuff being cheap crapola…… well, I've come to realize, they make a nifty .32acp, .380acp, a so so but very serviceable compact 9mm, a .223/5.56 handgun/rifle, a 9/40 folding carbine, a couple of different .22 cal guns, a compact super capacity 12ga. shotgun... they are innovative and while not Glocks or S&W et al., they are a no longer a joke in my opinion, not anymore.

just a random thought. what do you think about them?
 
Last edited:
They were never a joke, no matter how much gun snobs tried to make them out to be one. They were always an industry leading firearms manufacturer known for producing innovative firearms, they merely had spotty quality control. You know, like Remington, only less expensive and with less apologists.

Besides, most of the folks who put down Kel-Tec are the sort who would unironically talk about what a junky, poorly designed firearm their P3AT was and how their LCP on the other hand is such a brilliant design.
 
Last edited:
Kel-Tec, as many lower cost guns not on the gun snob approval list, have never been a "joke". A bigger joke may well be the prices paid for some of the "status symbol" guns that are on the approval list.:eek:
 
I don't own a Kel-Tec, but I've never heard they were a joke. In fact, people that I know that own them swear by them and I'm not aware of any problems they've had with them.
 
joke as in they were laughed at, not taken as serious firearms, not believed to be in the market for the long haul..... many many people thought that about kel-tec, mainly because they felt like "toys", felt "cheap".... maybe you didn't think that, but a whole lotta folks did. they have since been shown to be reliable products when used in their intended roles....
 
I've had a P3AT for many years. It has never failed to work and is accurate enough for what it is meant for. But I don't expect this to be the type gun that will hold up for 300,000 rounds like many Glocks have proven they will do. It gets carried a lot and shot a little just to stay in practice. Works for me.
 
The only issue I have with Kel Tec's pistols is their triggers and the .32 and .380's nearly non-existent sights. I would buy a P32... if it was an LCP II. I have thought about the PF9, but the LC9s is better.

The nice thing that Kel Tec is doing tho is they are making really good rimfire pistols with the features I want; better triggers, better sights, mags way over 10 rounds, etc. This is what companies like Ruger and S&W need to start doing to keep people interested in .22 handguns, otherwise they're going to buy the 20 round capacity 9mm's and shoot cheap steel case ammo instead.
 
I really don't have a dog in this here fight,,,
But as soon as they start shipping,,,
I'm buying one of their P-17's.

It will be my first Kel Tec purchase ever,,,
I'm hoping to not be disappointed.

Aarond

.
 
My P32 was a neat, reliable little shooter. I regret trading it off.
My P3AT, not so much.
KT is a lot more innovative than Remington or Kahr, both of which I like and have bought several pistols each.
 
just a random thought. what do you think about them?
Click to expand...

I bought a Keltec bullpup, essentially to see if I like the format. I am not a gun snob. I have real enthusiasm for several Ruger designs.

Keltec takes the Hyundai approach to consumer confidence that was shaken after some market failures in the 1990s. They sold their cars with 10 year warranties back when no one did that. So you might buy a Hyundai that wasn't great, but the price was great, and you could make a warranty claim if it had problems. (I bought a Hyundai 18 years ago, and suffered only a disconnected power steering hose over the course of 60,000 miles).

When I bought an RDB, I joined a Keltec owners forum. I have concluded that Keltec has QC problems, but reportedly has responsive customer service.

Their engineering philosophy makes their product seem disposable. I don't mind polymer parts. I do mind that the RDB stock isn't friction welded like every other company's polymer stock, but is two halves screwed together. Rivets are used internally rather than pins. The hammer is driven by tension springs. I don't expect AR like durability.

That's not a condemnation.
 
I think I need to get one as I like to buy guns bashed by gun snobs. I bought a Hi-Point to see if they were as bad as the gun snobs said and found they were very wrong and it was a good gun. I then traded it for a Taurus to see if they were as bad as claimed. I found them wrong also and have bought 5 new ones since then. I found the same thing when I bought a Phoenix HP-22A, a RIA 1911, a Rossi rifle and most recently a SCCY CPX-2 9mm handgun. I haven't had a bad gun yet to go along with my S&W, Ruger and Mossbergs.
 
I like my P32. I consider it modern best of breed in 32 acp pocket guns because it is light, small, locked breech, easy to shoot, good capacity, locks on empty, inexpensive and... it works.

Under 10 ounces fully loaded. The ammo it carries is half the weight of the empty pistol, that's cool.


Good pocket guns.
 
Bought a gently used P-11 -- ran about 100 rounds through it --- no problems --

Did a fluff & buff -- polished everything inside - shortened the trigger pull - lightened the trigger ( now 4 lbs. ) - mcarbo spring kit - steel guide pin - cleaned up the plastic - buffed out all the slide scratches & Duracoated - replaced two loose pins with the belt clip fasteners - stuck on grippy stuff - super smooth and more reliable - :D

6-Sept-6_zpsl9kgbnzm.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'm now the owner of a P32, again. I've replaced the recoil spring guide rod with the steel one, I've removed the laserlyte and buggered up one of the plastic frame pins so more have been ordered. might just go with the belt clip for anything beyond pocket carry.
 
TruthTellers said:
The only issue I have with Kel Tec's pistols is their triggers and the .32 and .380's nearly non-existent sights.
Click to expand...

I've shot a few hundred rounds through my P32 and can honestly say I've never once thought about the sights. Why would you need sights on a bad-breath-distance pocket gun?
 
The only Kel Tec I own is a 1st gen Sub 2000. This is a great gun and will empty a Glock 32 round mag as fast as you can pull the trigger.
 
they are innovative and while not Glocks or S&W et al., they are a no longer a joke in my opinion
Click to expand...
Yes, they are innovative. But so are first graders.
No, they are not Glocks, S&W, etc. Even S&W would be ashamed to sell the kind of stuff KelTec sells.
They are a lot more interesting than they used to be. But still a joke. Plastic guns with plastic slides and plastic triggers that won't last 100 rounds. Customers bring them to me all the time, tell me it's their favorite gun. I feel bad for them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top