OT--Kel Tec guns--reliable?

[getitdone1]

Are the Kel Tec guns reliable? I've never had one but they have a few guns that interest me.

The one that interests me the most is their new semi-auto handgun that's chambered for the 22 rim-fire mag ctg and the magazine holds 30 cartridges. Anyone here have this one? The big grip looks inviting but I'd have to hold it to be sure.

Don

[Hobie]

The is a huge demand for the PMR 30 and none who have one complain about function. We've sold a couple and seen several sell for 2X the MSRP. Having held one I'm not in the least interested in owning one but I'd shoot yours. Of course Jeff Quinn did a review. It is what it is. If one must have a gun with a FN 5.7x28 performance, this is the cheapest way to go.

Keltec products generally work as advertised. They aren't necessarily the most refined but they seem to be well engineered and they work.

[piller]

I have a P3AT and it has never had a single problem. Kel Tec are, in my opinion, very reliable.

[Blaine]

I've really been asking around about them, and it seems that most are good and stay that way...a bad one won't work, and can be sent back.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I think this PMR-30 was based originally on the Grendel pistol that looked pretty similar. I'm not sure if I spelled that correctly but I'm pulling for my less than stellar memory. I think Kel-Tec basically fixed some of the Grendel flaws and changed up some materials and brought the gun to market. I've not handled one myself but would like to own one if it works better than the Grendel did.

[madman4570]

Have a P32 and a P40 and they have been extremely reliable.
Have a Sub 2000 ordered in .40S&W also!

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I think this PMR-30 was based originally on the Grendel pistol that looked pretty similar. I'm not sure if I spelled that correctly but I'm pulling for my less than stellar memory. I think Kel-Tec basically fixed some of the Grendel flaws and changed up some materials and brought the gun to market. I've not handled one myself but would like to own one if it works better than the Grendel did.

The Keltc designer is George Kellgren owner and Chief Engineer. He also designed the Grendels. IIRC it was the late 90's when they came out with the P-11. I back ordered 8 of them for various folks. When they came in we took them all to the range. Using everything including lead reloads they all functioned just fine. Except for one. It happened to be the only brushed chrome upper that I had ordered for myself. Come to find out the breech face with it's rough texture wasn't allowing the cart base to slid esily up and into the chamber. Once it waqs polished it new faultered again.
Since that time I have had several of their pistols and rifles. For the money there is nothing that compares.

[tman]

Have the PF-9 and the .32. No malfuctions so far, using ball and hollowpoint. Will the plastic frame hold up as long as a steel one? I'm impressed with them so far, but probablly don't shoot enough to give you an answer

[jdad]

I had a P3AT, for 2 weeks. It had a lot of FTF and FTE using premium ammo even after 200 break-in rounds. My thumb would also hit the mag release every time I drew it out of my pocket.

I recently bought a Diamond Back 380 and it has been 100% reliable no matter what I feed it.

[draperjojo]

Love my PF9 !!

[Pete44ru]

The only one I have experience with is the P-32, which I've owned/shot for almost 8 years/1,000 rounds w/o any issues.

.

[Blaine]

I do remember a .380 that belonged to my buddy Jim...it stung the heck out of my hand when I shot it...it was pop can accurate at several yards....torso accurate fer sure.

[Gabby]

I have a PF9. I had a P32 and a Sub2000 as well. All were good to go.

[olyinaz]

I have several. They work.

Oly

[damienph]

My daughter in law has a P3AT for her CCW. She is actually a pretty good shot with it. She usually has it loaded with Hornady 90gr XTPs. No reliability issues that I am aware of. I am thinking about getting a P32.

[Dawg]

They fill a niche, that much is certain. They have some very interesting designs. I have a Sub2000 in 9mm, and from my experience, the gun has not had a single failure to feed, fire or extract rounds.

There are shortcomings in the design though. The front sight is horrendous, and they have a habit of breaking sight posts, and sometimes the whole assembly will come loose and rotate on the barrel. They use red locktite to secure the sight assembly to the barrel, and if you shoot enough rounds, and fast enough to really heat up the barrel.....well, you get the picture.

Then there is the other end of the barrel. They use the same red locktite to secure the barrel into the folding block at the back. Same problem if shooting is done too many, too fast, only when the red locktite fails back there, the whole barrel can then turn in the hinge block.

They should have engineered a metal sight for the front that is either pinned or soldered to the barrel, and the same for the other end. They should have pinned the barrel to the hinge block.

I don t have much confidence in their use of locktite in these applications. They need to come up with a permanant fix, rather than having folks shipping their guns back and forth to Florida to get them repaired with the very same processes that failed in the first place.

[rond]

I have a PMR-30 and it has 300 rounds through it with only one fail to feed from the first magazine. I can tell that it getting broken in the more rounds that I shoot. I got mine for 300, the next shipment the price was 400. They are in short supply now, if you can wait till a lot more of them show up you will get a better deal.