Would You Consider This Switch??

[Blaine]

I carry a couple different JFrames, a AirWeight, and a AirLite, and considering a KelTek .380. The pro is thinner and a little lighter than the .38....The con for me is not totally trusting a semi-auto over a revolver......The KelTec seems to be very well thought of....

[tattoo13]

If you decide to go with the KelTec disassemble and completely deburr all the metal.
The KelTec 380 is a great little piece, but their finishing is not always top notch. A little bit of smoothing goes a long way on them.
If you don't want to mess with it, spend a few more bucks and get the Ruger LCP, practically the same gun.

[Twodot]

for the (assumed) intended use, you MUST trust the firearm & cartridge.
I like resolvers, but that's just me.
..

[J Miller]

QUESTION: Would You Consider This Switch??

ANSWER: No. I've seen so many small autos jam, jam, jam, jam that I just cannot trust them. The only ones that seem to want to work right are the bigger calibers in the major designs and that defeats the purpose of this thread.
I'd stick with the proven revolvers.

Joe

[Streetstar]

I have a friend who carries one as a backup --- he likes it quite a bit --- we put 3 boxes through it during a torturous range session (torturous for the shooter) as he was trying to break it in

I paid a bit more and got the most basic Sig 238 they market because of the sights --- my impression of the Kel Tec sights were they were little more than a groove and a blade --- fine for solid hits on torso size targets at reasonable ranges, but knuckling down for head shots at 10 yards or more was not the easiest. The flip side to the nice, big sights on the SIg is it makes for a slightly bulkier pistol and possibly a little more snag prone

Both of us have put enough rounds through the little .380's without a stoppage that they are now travel companions.

I like the Kel-Tec because it just disappears in the pocket of some cargo shorts or pants if you just want to drop it in your pocket --- (note-- if i do this without a holster, i don't chamber the pistol --- so thats one more step i have to go through to bring it into battery compared to a compact revolver -- )

[Tycer]

I've got a little over 500 rounds through mine now. I've never had a failure to eject, a stovepipe or any other malfunction with that little gun. Lots of Win white box, some Cor-bon, Federal HS and a bunch of RN cast handloads. I purposely load dummy cast bullet rounds and add to my practice sessions for clearing drills. Clearing drills go well and mag changes are easy. I do have the Armalaser which I use mostly to learn trigger control and instinct shooting. I also added the pencil eraser as an overtravel stop ( http://goldenloki.com/gunsmith/keltec/trigger.htm ).

This pic was taken a long time ago. It's much more worn now.

[Pitchy]

I`d stick with what ever gun you could use efficiently if you were awaken in the middle of the night in the dark.

[2ndovc]

I have a friend who carries one as a backup --- he likes it quite a bit --- we put 3 boxes through it during a torturous range session (torturous for the shooter) as he was trying to break it in

I paid a bit more and got the most basic Sig 238 they market because of the sights --- my impression of the Kel Tec sights were they were little more than a groove and a blade --- fine for solid hits on torso size targets at reasonable ranges, but knuckling down for head shots at 10 yards or more was not the easiest. The flip side to the nice, big sights on the SIg is it makes for a slightly bulkier pistol and possibly a little more snag prone

Both of us have put enough rounds through the little .380's without a stoppage that they are now travel companions.

I like the Kel-Tec because it just disappears in the pocket of some cargo shorts or pants if you just want to drop it in your pocket --- (note-- if i do this without a holster, i don't chamber the pistol --- so thats one more step i have to go through to bring it into battery compared to a compact revolver -- )

I have the Sig as well. I've been really pleased with the accuracy relaibility of the little bugger. Was looking at the Ruger but I'm more of a 1911 / single action guy.
I've never carried a revolver for concealed carry.

jb

[edwardyoung]

I've had several of these. Never had any problems out of any of them. If you happen to get one that chokes, KelTec will do their 'Fluff and Buff' and it should then run fine. No charge. If you get one and don't like it, you should be able to sell it pretty quickly and only lose about $50 on it. Not too much to pay to get your answer. If you decide you like it, I would recommend buying the Crimson Trace laser grips for it. I think they make a lot of sense for a gun like this. My wife agrees. It's the only gun she's kept out of all the ones I've had her try out. The Ruger LCP is pretty-much the same gun. It just costs $50 more. Both come with only one magazine.

[Hobie]

I know many who love them. I prefer this...

[Blaine]

I know many who love them. I prefer this...

I have a stainless .357 Centennial, and it's too heavy for a vest pocket...but, it's a dandy when holstered up. If I holster up, tho, I tend to use the 1911.

[OD*]

I'd consider the switch if you were talking an all steel J frame and an LCP, not over Airweight though.

[gak]

I've got the Airweight .32 Mag 431PD--with 6 100gr JHP. I've considered bob'ing the hammer. Hobie, do you think it'd be worth the fuss? I know your Smith is full hammerless, and in mycase there's the hammerless 432PD to go to--but the hassle of selling and finding another to consider too. Still, I like mine. Great cargo pants/shorts BUG and otherwise go-everywhere-with-me revolver. As the name suggests, weight just disappears.

[grouse]

I would switch a snubby .38 for a small 9mm.....maybe.
But not for a .380.
But always carry what gives you the most confidence.

[Pisgah]

I would use the KT, or the near-identical Ruger, as a supplement for my J-frames, but not as a substitute, except in those rare instances when concealment made it necessary to pack something smaller.

[Chris83716]

I've got the 380's little brother in 32 acp and it goes bang every time. Nice and small and never gets left home because of what I'm wearing.

Chris

[soon 2 retire]

You might consider the Ruger LC9. Seven more ounces and 8 shots of 9mm. Better sights.


Bob in NE Indiana

[O.S.O.K.]

I carry the KT PF9 and a Kahr9 -both fit in the same Cross Breed holster.

But the bottom line is that you must trust your carry piece.

And also notice that I'm picking 9mm - I think its a good defensive round - about equal to 38 Spcl +P.

[AJMD429]

I'm with Joe on this one . . . and Tycer . . .

Once you've put 500 to 1,000 rounds of mixed ammo through a gun without a single mishap, you begin to trust it - after all, even a revolver CAN jam if a primer backs out or whatever.

OTOH, as Joe said, the larger-bore 1911's and Glocks really seem to be the most reliable.

Currently I'm trying to tote along and plink with my Ruger SR-9C a bunch to see if it will be an acceptable candidate for when the Bulldog has too much girth for the fashion of the day. So far it has fed everything, and I have LOTS of odds and ends and old 9mm ammo and reloads. Still I like 1911's and revolvers best.

[jdad]

Blaine,
I had a Kel-Tec, for 2 weeks. thing....you get what you pay for. FTF, FTE, and every time I drew from the pocket my thumb would hit the mag release. 1 shot off, then a big problem. Buy a Sig and you pay for quality.

I also carry a 642 AW, but I also just bought a Diamondback 380. It's like a mini Glock and I have had zero problems.

[Jeff H]

I had a Kel-Tec P11, 9mm.

I probably only put a total of 1000 rounds through it - most of which was from a big bag of mix-n-match leftovers from partial boxes which I was given by a fella who cleaned up at a range. I started sorting initially and shot small lots of this and that to see what worked best. In short order I began loading the mags by reaching in the mixed bag and hauling out a handful of whatever and loading like that.

Some ball, some HP and weights from just over 100 grains to 147 grains all mixed in the mag and I never had a failure. That's pretty impressinve for a $200 gun that was simply deburred and had the feed ramp polished.

I am not saying whether I would or wouldn't trust my life to it and am not suggesting anyone else make that decision based on my limited experience with a Kel-Tec, but I just thought it was pretty amazing that I cuold load mag after mag of mixed ammo and never have a hitch or glitch.

[Rusty]

I learned with revolvers, I lived with revolvers, and I play with revolvers. I think those slab sided, ugly looking self loaders are just a passing fad.

[RustyJr]

I carry a Glock 23 IWB 90% of the time. However, I also carry a NAA derringer in 22mag and I personally would trust that cartridge over a 380 any day. It may be a smaller caliber but it penetrates better. Paco also seems to speak rather highly of the 22mag for a pocket gun. I'd say stick with the 38spl or go to 9mm but I'd stay away from the 380.


RustyJr

[Paladin]

Yes.
I carry a Glock 23 IWB 90% of the time with a KKM barrel in .357 Sig that I got when I was the chief of police of a small town for a while. At work for 25 years .380 was the smallest caliber we were allowed to carry. The only exception was the .22 Mags they issued in BCI. The .380 will do the job if you put it where it needs to go with today’s HPs. After checking murders with the weapon a .25 ACP I know it will work, you just might have to wait while it does its job.

[66GTO]

I carried a Kel-Tec .380 for years. It is the most unobtrusive and most concealable handgun out there, short of a derringer or NAA revolver. I probably put 300 rounds or so through it at the range. It took about 50 rounds to get broken in and after that it cycled hard ball and hollow point rounds just fine.

However, earlier this year I noticed that the polymer grip frame (as Kel-Tec calls it) was cracked. This happened from just carrying the gun, not from shooting because I had not put 20 rounds through it during the past two years. Kel-Tec sent me a new grip frame at my request because I did not want to send the pistol back to them. I installed the new polymer and carried the pistol for a month before going to the range.
When I finally got to the range it seemed to work just fine until the second magazine when I started getting light primer strikes and FTF's. Had to make another call to Kel-Tec for a new firing pin & spring. After replacing the firing pin/spring it again works fine.

Needless to say, I can no longer trust the gun and have replaced it with a S&W Model 642. If I were to to buy another .380 pocket pistol I would get the Ruger.