Share your pointers for those that are new to a Kel-Tec P-3AT or have never done a disassembly. Although very easy to do, the simple process can be hard the first time if certain processes are not followed.

My pointers.

1. When doing a disassembly, only remove the 2 top frame pins (202), not the hammer block axis (270) located in the grip area of the grip. If you remove the latter, the hammer block (272) and spring (273) will fall out and they are a booger to get back in place.

2. When doing a reassembly, when you begin putting the frame (210) back into the grip, before you seat the back end (hammer end), leave enough of a space that you can slide a very thin object (I use the wooden end of a Q-tip) to push the hammer block (272) in front of the hammer (271), when you do this the frame (210) will seat correctly. If this is not done correctly, you will not be able to put the slide (152) back in place and the trigger (252) will be locked.

3. When you remove the frame (210), you will most likely cause the trigger bar (260) to pop off. No big deal, just beware of this, to get it back in place, you have to wind the trigger spring (256) back over the top of the bar and let it rest just under the bottom of the bar. That holds it in place.

4. Just doing a simple field strip can cause an issue if you do not pay attention to the ejector (115). I usually just go ahead and remove it before handling the grip, as it will often fall out in your lap or floor and it can be hard to find at that point.

5. If you remove the firing pin (170), notice that when you are putting it back into place, there is a slot on it that must be positioned to allow the extractor botton head (183) to screw back in.

Attached Images

A cool interactive guide to how the Kel-Tecs work

Just click one of the guns below.

My theory: most Kel-Tec issues would disappear with.......

No doubt the Kel-Tecs are not the top of the line pistols, but they are certainly not the bottom of the line either, far from it in my opinion. I carry a Kel-Tec P-3AT daily and I completely trust it as I would any .380 (as I always have a big boy not far away in my truck (Glock 23)). 

I see forum posts regularly about issues with Kel-Tecs, but I also think a common thread here is that they are not cleaned and lubricated well before the first shoot and regularly after each following shoot. Kel-Tecs do not like to be dirty or dry, that does not mean it is an undependable gun. It is up to us to keep our weapons immaculate, whether it is a Kel-Tec or a Kimber. I surmise that very few of us would have any FTF or FTE issues if our guns stayed cleaned and well lubed. As many have said on this forum, a little grease instead of oil, is a good thing on the slide grooves of a Kel-Tec (the opposite would be true on a Glock, they run better drier).

Secondly, if one always uses reputable, new, clean, brass ammunition I expect the same would hold true, very few FTE and FTF. Now I know that a Glock can perform with most any thing you put in it, but the Kel-Tec is more selective. Those of us that love the Kel-tec for a variety of reasons should consider this too.

With this said, I also know that there are some manufacturing failures, weak pieces that break, stress fractures, etc., but what manufacturer does not have these. All I am saying is the common FTF and FTE issues that give pause to some folks about Kel-Tecs might be a false impression and can be rectified by doing something we should do with all our guns.

Just my $0.02.

Practice Weapons Malfunction Drills

Here is a good article from the Firearms Talk blog on "Practice Weapons Malfunction Drills".

"So you depend on your semi-automatic pistol to save your life if needed, right? You researched your firearm, searched for holsters and accessories, and shoot and train often for accuracy and weapon manipulation, so you got all the bases covered. Unless you also include some sort of weapons malfunction immediate action drills, you could be planning to fail. 

What do you do immediately if you have a weapon malfunction? "

Shine up that barrel.....

With a little effort, you can make your factory P-3AT barrel look a lot better. Take sandpaper in this order (320,400,600,800,1000,1500,2000) and sand for 2-4 minutes using a wetting agent (I used ballistol). Next use #0000 steel wool, again with the wetting agent (ballistol in my case) for a good 4  minute scrub. You will end up with a barrel that shines like a mirror.

The mag grip extension

I have heard several talk about the P-3AT mag extension, both pros and cons. I decided to give it a try and so far I like it. I am not sure it adds any functionality, but it does add some comfort and it looks classy.

The belt clip

Kel-Tec has a sweet little belt clip (or inside the boot clip) for the P-3AT which will also fit the Ruger LCP. Find it here.

Practice Weapons Malfunction Drills

Here is a good article from the Firearms Talk blog on "Practice Weapons Malfunction Drills".

"So you depend on your semi-automatic pistol to save your life if needed, right? You researched your firearm, searched for holsters and accessories, and shoot and train often for accuracy and weapon manipulation, so you got all the bases covered. Unless you also include some sort of weapons malfunction immediate action drills, you could be planning to fail. 

What do you do immediately if you have a weapon malfunction? "

5 Concealable .380 Pistols $200 or less

Yes, this is a Kel-Tec P-3AT blog, but this is an interesting article that includes the P-3AT.

http://www.guns.com/5-concealable-380-pistols-200-or-less.html

Cool looking lasers for the P-3AT

A couple of nice looking lasers for the smallest .380 from Laserlyte and Crimson Trace. Anyone tried these?

The SML Ruger/Kel-Tec .380 will fit the Ruger LCP or the Kel-Tec P-3AT.  Although a side mount, the reviews state that the P-3AT will still fit its holster.

A lot of good information here, including videos of how to install. Going price is $80-$95.

 http://www.laserlyte.com/products/ck-amf

Although the picture below is of a Ruger LCP, these two guns are practically identical twins, so it will look the same on a Kel-Tec P-3AT.

Crimson Trace also has a laser: http://www.crimsontrace.com/products/manufacturer/kel-tec-pistols

The LG-430 LASERGUARD® FOR KEL-TEC P3AT looks as cool as the Laserlyte, but is an under the gun model and costs over $200.

Sound protection, even for the little guy.....

The P-3AT may be small, but it still is too loud to do much shooting without some ear protection. The most economical protection I have found are Howard Leight QB2HYG Quiet Bands Hygienic Banded Earplugs. I found some on Amazon for under $5, but you can buy a pack of 10 for $36. They work really well and are very comfortable. You can use them over and over and over again.

From Amazon: Howard Leight QB2HYG Quiet Bands

The actual Howard Leight site: http://www.howardleight.com/

Best 380 ammo prices

These are the best prices I can find for 380 ammo. Has anyone had experience with either of these?

380 Auto 100 gr FMJ New Ammunition from USAAmmo.

• 50 rounds @ $10.95
• 250 rounds @ $54.75
• 500 rounds @ $109.50 
• 1000 rounds @ $219.00

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.380 Auto 100 Grain FMJ New Brass Ammo (50 Rounds) for $10.45 @ Reliant Ammo.

.380 Auto 90 Grain JHP XTP New Brass Ammo (50 Rounds) for $13.45 @ Reliant Ammo.

Pachmayr Tactical Grip Gloves

Just got a rubber handgun grip today from Pachmayr for the P-3AT (same one fits the Ruger LCP and Taurus 738 TCP). Very easy to slide on the grip of the gun with a snug fit. Wow, I cannot wait to shoot with this on the grip. Amazing the difference it seems to make, very comfortable, good grip feel, and somewhat cushioned. I expect it will even absorb some recoil.

Pachmayr Tactical Grip Gloves: http://www.pachmayr.com/home/

I bought mine for $9.95 from Midwest Tactical Supply: http://www.midwest-tactical.com

Exploded schematic for the P-3AT

If you are new to the Kel-Tec P-3AT, here is the schematic of this little pistol. About as many pieces as my Glock. The pictures below are from the Kel-Tec P-3AT users manual which can be found here:p3atv2manual.pdf.

Hammer Spring Replacement for P3AT/P32

Here are some handy instructions if you ever need to replace the P-3AT hammer spring. These instructions come via Kel-Tec themselves. Thanks Kel-Tec.


The hammer spring can be purchased for $4 here: http://www.keltecweapons.com/store/p-3at-parts/

Hammer Spring Replacement for P3AT/P32

1.       Disassemble the pistol per cleaning instructions, making sure there’s not a round in the chamber. That is, remove the slide, barrel and recoil rod and springs.

2.       Carefully grab the hammer spring by inserting a narrow, pointed L-shaped tool, like a scribe, between the hammer spring and hammer spring catch pin.

3.       Carefully pull down on the hammer spring, while turning it 90 degrees and slowly relieve the tension by letting the hammer spring retract into the mag well.

4.       Drive out both polymer frame pins (not the steel pin).

5.       Remove the inner frame from the grip.

6.       Remove the hammer axis.

7.       Remove the hammer and hammer spring from the aluminum frame.

8.       Do in reverse order to reinstall new hammer spring.

Note: When reinstalling the aluminum frame into the grip, make certain the hammer block is pushed forward of the hammer just before the frame is flush in the grip.

Online Kel-Tec resources

Below are some Kel-Tec resources that have been helpful to me. Please add your own using the comment  section below. Thanks.
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The Kel-Tec Forum: http://www.ktrange.com/

Kel-Tec Owners Group: http://www.thektog.org/forum/index.php

The grip, aka, the receiver without the action.

Kel-Tec sells replacement grips for the P-3AT for $34 (P-3AT grips) in black, green or gray. But with an affordable little pistol like this, why not have some fun. Order a grip and then paint it yourself. I am going to try this and see how well it works. Caution: use an appropriate paint! From all I have read, for the paint to last and not rub off, you need a duracoat paint. There are gunsmiths out there that will do this for you, but I found this dealer, Lauer Weaponry, that sells a turn-key system called Durocoat Shake 'N Spray for $29. Let me know if you have any experience with this product and I will make a post once I try it.

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Lauer Weaponry's example video of how Shake 'N Spray works: example video

Gunsmith professional example of durocoat examples: Golden Loki

Field strip and clean

By simply removing one pin, you can do a field strip of the P-3AT. Once the pin is removed, the slide easily comes off.

The pictures below are from the Kel-Tec P-3AT users manual which can be found here:p3atv2manual.pdf.

This little pistol seems to perform at its best when clean, so I recommend cleaning it regularly. It takes very little time to do this and will help keep your gun dependable and in good working order.

This is a good time to mention the best cleaning product I have know of, ballistol. Ballistol came recommended to me from an old-timer that had used it for decades. It is a cleaner, lube and preservative, all in one. There are others out there, but ballistol is my pick. You can find it at http://www.ballistol.com/. You can read the complete ballistol story here, beginning in Germany in 1904, the ballistol story.

A good little pocket pistol

I recently bought my first KelTec pistol. Although somewhat skeptical about KelTecs, from things I had read on the Internet, I decided to try the P-3AT. The things I considered were the price ($239), size (8.3 oz - lightest in its class), width (.77"), easy field stripping, easy full disassembly, parts available direct from KelTec (http://www.keltecweapons.com/store/p-3at-parts/), easily concealed, and good customer service.

As mentioned by others, the P-3AT polymer frame is "rough" from the molding process in areas around the trigger guard, which can actually cut your finger during firing. This can be easily fixed however, with a dremel tool or some very fine sandpaper. I used my dremel and within minutes had this area completely smooth and looking good.

My first impression after a box of bullets... a great little gun, it is a keeper! The recoil was less than what I have experienced on a comparable Ruger LCP and S&W BG 380.

Next time I will post something about the cleaning process.