Kel-Tec P32 Blue-for-Chrome Slide Upgrade?

D

DougB

New member
I've read that Kel-Tec has a program by which you can send in a new P32 slide and $20 (I think) and upgrade to the hard chrome version of the slide. Can anyone here confirm this? Has anyone done it? Are there any legal issues with a non FFL shipping the slide? Do you wind up with the same thing as if you'd originally purchased a hard chrome version?

Finally, a local store has the standard P32s on sale for $239.95. That's about $30 off their regular price. Is this a good deal? I know an FFL who will order for me for $30 over cost, but he's had trouble finding P32s. Thanks.

Doug
 
I just bought one at $269...the $30 difference won't kill me. I REALLY like the pistol so far, but I've only fired 3 rounds...many more to come this weekend! If you go to WWW.ktog.org You'll find a guy named Jack Fusilier or something close to that...he's nickel plate your slide for about the same price...I think that nickel would be better. I did a "fluff and buff" last night, and it made the action noticably smoother. Mailing a slide is not a problem. The only problem comes in if you ship a frame (even stripped down). The grips are interchangeanle on the P-32 as well (everything you see on the lower half of the gun is "replaceable grip" that covers the frame that you can't see. They have several different colors. I'm thinking about getting the OD green grip, and keeping the black slide. You can also get a lanyard, pocket clip, finger extensions, and several other accessories if you desire. Oh, and yes, you'll end up with the same as the hard chrome version.
 
Doug,
First of all, the price is great. Jump on it!
When I got my P-32, I e-mailed Kel-Tec to ask about the hard chrome upgrade. For $20.00 they upgraded my slide, barrel, slide stop, and take down pin to the hard chrome versions. The new chrome parts fit perfectly. The gun functions flawlessly with every brand of hollow point that I've tried. The hard chrome is not shiny, it's a matte silver color. It looks like brushed stainless steel. I'm sure you'll be happy with it. (Unless you were expecting a mirror finish.) The sights will be red instead of white. For me, it's easier to see the sights. Everything was easy to send.
I just sent my blue slide, barrel, stop, and pin via priority mail. The chrome parts came the following week.
The man at Kel-Tec who I talked to said that he had put hard chrome, blue, and parkerized slides in a bucket of water for a week. When he took them out, the blue and the parkerized slides were badly rusted. However, the hard chrome was OK. That sounded good to me. I feel like a pocket pistol needs all the rust protection it can get.
Please post your impressions of the P-32. I like mine more every time I go to the range.
Hope this helps!

Will

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Mendacity is the system we live in.

[This message has been edited by WLM (edited April 13, 2000).]
 
Definitely jump on the deal. Not only is the price good, but I'm having problems even finding one in Indy. The largest gun shop in town has 20+ people on the waiting list :(

Jason

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www.1911forum.com
 
Thanks for the info guys. Your comments were enough to push me over the edge and buy a P32. I told a friend about it and he picked one up too. They were still on sale for $239.95 as of Saturday, although I believe they only had one left.

The only problem is, I've purchased two other handguns within the last few weeks. One was only 10 days ago (a slightly used SW99 9mm), so I have to wait about 20 days before I can even officially "buy" the P32. Then I have to wait another 10 days before I can pick it up. Sometimes living in California is a real pain.

By the way, the other handgun was a like-new Hungarian FEG PA-63 9x18 I got for $120 (including 4 magazines) from a private individual (no 30-day rule with private party transfers). I didn't expect too much, but I'm very happy with it.

I pick up the SW99 tomorrow. This has been quite the binge - I hadn't bought a new handgun since the 1970's, and now I get three within a month. I think you guys are a bad influence - the more I read, the more I want. My wife's going to put software on our computer to filter out gun-related sites if I don't slow down!

Doug
 
I just e-mailed Kel-Tec on the hard chrome slide upgrade. Their timely e-mail response said to send $20 and the blue slide - FIRED or UNFIRED. Works for me. John
 
I sent my slide into Jack Fuselier for the fob and bob and nickel plateing. He did a great job and the nickel has that "dull" silver finish. Very nice.

FWIW,

Olazul
 
I also received an e-mail from Kel-tec saying they would do it for $20. Does anyone know if they send you a new chromed slide (replacement), or chrome and return the one you send them? I was under the impression that they would send me a new chromed slide as a replacement for my new blued slide, but if they will take used ones, then maybe they are just chroming what we send them. If so, I might go with Jack Fuselier. I had assumed it might be a little better to get one that was originally chromed rather than re-done, but everyone seems happy with Jacks work.

Doug
 
Doug,
Kel-Tec sent me a new, hard chromed slide, slide stop, barrel, and take down pin. They did not chrome my original parts. It only took a little over a week, but I paid extra for express shiping. (I just couldn't stand sitting around and staring at the reciever of my P-32 without the slide.)

Will

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Mendacity is the system we live in.
 
WLM,
I should have re-read you posts before I went to the gun shop today (I've still got a few weeks before I can bring the pistol home). I picked up the slide, barrel, and takedown pin, but I didn't get the slide stop. I didn't notice that there were any other readily removable parts, but then again, I was on my lunch break and didn't look that carefully. I guess I'll have to make another trip to the shop to get the slidestop. I was just looking at an exploded diagram, and it made me wonder if other small parts (pins, etc.) are available chromed as well. I want all the corrosion resistance I can get. Thanks again.

Doug
 
Doug,
Be careful when you go to get the slide stop. They fall out of the front of the slide very easily and are a b**** to find when they are in the carpet.

Will



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Mendacity is the system we live in.
 
Will,

A buddy just called me from the gun shop. He went in to pick up the parts to his P32 to get them chromed, and he was going to pick up my slide stop/ejector while he was there. But the guy in the store talked us out of it. It looks like this will require COMPLETE disassembly of the pistol. Also, you mentioned that this drops out the front of the slide - that doesn't sound like the slide stop (which appears to be built into the frame). Could you mean the extractor rather than the ejector, or maybe some other part? www.kel-tec.com has an exploded diagram with numbered parts. Could you check it (or your manual) and let us know the part number you mean? My buddy and I would really appreciate it. We're not brave enough to reduce our new guns to just a bag of parts until we are SURE we need to. Thanks.

Doug
 
Doug,
I just got to TFL and saw your post.
I went to the diagram and the part I'm talking about is #194..it's listed as the "recoil spring-catch".
Sorry about the confusion. However, now I am confused. I didn't have to take the slide apart before sending it to Kel-Tec. I just sent them the old barrel, blue slide, blue take-down pin, and the blue "recoil spring-catch and they sent me the hard chrome versions. Took about a week to get the new parts. I felt that this was the best way to go for rust protection.
Hope I helped.

Will
 
Will,

Thanks. That clears it up. I hadn't even noticed that the recoil spring catch was a separate part from the slide. Looks like we've got everything we need to send. Thanks again.

Doug
 
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