Keltec in .380

G

Gandalf61

Inactive
My brother has the Keltec .32. He loves it. I've read and talked to many who like it's portability. Me, I'd like something a little larger, like a .380, just for a little more ooomph. Has anyone heard whether Keltec is due for thier little pocket wonder in that Caliber (.380) in the near term?

If that is not so, how much bigger is the P-11 - does it sacrifice relative to the P-32 on portability.

I'd be interested in owners takes on both, as well as the potential for the new caliber in the near future, as I need something that I can take anywhere..

Thanks..

JBB
 
I own a P-32 and it is the perfect gun for when you can't carry anything else due to size, weight etc. I also have a P-40 Keltec which is about the same as the P-11 and it is much larger but is stiil small enough to fit into the front pants pocket of a loose fitting pair of pants. The P-40 is a 10 shot, hard chrome with night sights and is a real pocket rocket...7th
 
Well, if anyone knows in the rumour mill, of a Keltec in .380, that'd be nice. Otherwise, it's a P32. It'll the the second to my Kimber Pro Carry HD, which is my "full frame".

NOW, any recommendations on a concealable in between the Kimber and Keltec? I've considered the G27, which my Bro' also has (hey, we are twins, conservative, NRA, work in the IT industry, and live very parallel lives...) also, and seems me .40 S&W would be good. As well, I'd love the Kimber Ultra Ten II (IF it ever hits the streets!!), then I could stay with .45 ACP.

Thoughts, experience?

JBB
 
I contacted Kel-Tec about the possibility of a .380 a couple of months ago. Their response was that they have nothing in the works and no plans for the future development.

I used to have a P-11 but ended up selling it. IMO, it's OK for close-up work with non +P ammo; I found recoil with Cor-Bon 115 gr. +Ps to be brutal especially when attempting two or three sets of double-taps. The trigger pull is very long and fairly heavy making precision shooting beyond 10 yards difficult (for me). OTOH, it is very size efficient.
 
There is, indeed, a P-380...but it's sold out of the states, mainly in Europe.

It's the standard P-11 with a 9mmKurz barrel...IOW, a weaker P-11, and who the heck wants one of those?

There will be no P-380 in a package the size of the P-32, which is a true locked-breech design. Most pistols chambered in .380 [9mmK] are blow-back designs and legendary for their recoil.

Physics and shooter-safety say it isn't possible to produce a reliable semi-auto in such a small frame as that of the P-32, and I'm inclined to agree.

If you need further convincing, call George Kelgren himself at Kel-Tec. :cool:
 
Zander has it right on all counts. That's why the Guardian .380 is bigger than the Guardian .32. The Seecamp .380 has yet to be produced for sale despite all the articles in the gun magazines nearly 2 years ago.
 
looking for a small 380 check out the feg smc380
at your next san antonio gun show, 150-$165.
Small, quality,excellent accuracy. Looks like
a Walther.
 
I thought this thread was going to be about the proto-Kel-Tec Grendel .380s that Kelgren made in the late '80s. I really tried to get one of them to work for me, but (tho the dealer gave me three, one after another) never found one that was anything near reliable.

My recollection is that the Grendels were a teensy bit smaller than the modern Kel-Tecs (though I could be wrong).

But, that's not what anyone's talking about, so . . .
 
LOoking at my P-11 and my Grendel side by side right now and the grendel might be 1/4'' shorter overall and they weigh about the same. Hardly worth the stepdown in caliber if you ask me. For what its worth, I own 2 grendels, the P-12 and the P-10 and both of them have been very reliable, but I have some of the strangest dumb luck.
 
Bersa as an alternative

I very much like the Bersa Thunder .380 but compared to the Keltec, it's huge. The keltec is a true, in-your-pocket pistol which comes in a variety of colors, btw.

I, too, was unimpressed with the trigger and dao. But, if you can't carry a .380 in your waistband of a suit, the Keltec is perfect as it can simply clip into your pocket. Having something is better than having nothing imho. Carrying a larger caliber is easy with sweatshirts in the Fall and Winter, but in a suit, where does one put a larger pistol? The Keltec allows for an easy carry in those circumstances. Why not have both? One for "casual" carry and one for "formal" carry?

Rome
 
I have a P32 as a second carry gun, and like it very much.

I don't think I'd buy a .380 version even if it was possible to build one.

From what I've read it is more difficult to build a reliable .380 than a .32 (even in a gun the size of a PPK).

I'd rather have a .32 that goes bang every time I pull the trigger (like my P32 does) than a more powerful gun that is more likely to fail.

But, that's just me ...
 
Chutethmallgawdsortamount:

I think Zander was referring to putting a .380 in a P-32 size frame,
don't think that would work. You're right about the P-32 though, I've got 2 that are very reliable!
Where'd your user name come from?
 
I'll have to disagree about the difficulty of building a reliable .380 pistol. I've had my Colt Mustang Pocketlite for years, and it just keeps ticking and ticking. I trust it over most the other guns in the safe...
 
johnwill -

I totally agree with you. I have a Colt Pony Pocketlite; it has never failed me and its accuracy is superb. As a matter of fact, I can regularly hit bowling pins at 25 yards (don't always knock them over).

As far as the NAA Guardian in .380 goes, I wouldn't advise buying one yet. I think it has great potential but it hasn't been fully debugged, yet. Go to the NAA website, www.naa-minis.com, I think, and enter the bulletin board and you'll see what I mean. Many of the .380's have to be returned to NAA two or three times due to reliability problems. Check it out for yourself. :)
 
I give a big second to the FEG SMC-380. Mine is VERY well built (better than ANY American made walther), and has functioned flawlessly. They're a fantastic value. Got mine on sale for $129!!:D
 
Nice catch, alamo...

...I was, indeed referring to the 9mmShort in a P-32 size frame.

P-32s are very reliable and amazing little feats of engineering. Kelgren is a genius. :cool:
 
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