The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Kel-Tec prices: Are these normal or am I right to suspect something?

magnut · November 14, 2018, 06:28 PM

one thing people tend to overlook on Keltecs is the quality of the steel compared to other brands. Kelted uses very good steel and its pretty rare to see slides fail on keltecs. Two exceptions are the PF9 and old P40. Those pistols are pretty fragile compared to the P11, P32, and P3at.

Keltecs aluminum recievers tend to hold up a lot better than all the other Keltec clones out there. As do the polymer grips on the keltecs.

Another huge benefit of Keltecs is parts support from the factory. Easy to order and inexpensive. Also Keltec does not tend to discontinue pistols unlike most manufacturers these days.

P32.... Just a great little 32 that stands alone in its class. Nothing really comes close in terms of pocket gun.

P3at.... one of the best pocket 380s. Rough on the outside but they hold up better than any of the others due to quality of raw materials used. Outside the beretta pico I dont think any of the P3at clones out do the P3at. Yes I am talking about even ruger LCP which crack slides, split frames, crack crips. I typically recomend the Pico for a pocket 380 because they are head and shoulders than even a keltec but other than the Beretta I put P3ats at the top of the heap reguardless of the rougher external appearance.

P11... is a legend of a pistol IMO. Very small, very light, lots of firepower, very durable, very reliable, Double strike capability, 10-12 rds with option of 15 rd backup mags, Lots of aftermarket etc. etc. I am amazed how much attention the sig is getting when the P11 still beats it on versatility. I get the marketing aspect and how new is better etc. etc. but P11s have a proven track record. As for all the P11 clones... its not even close.

Biggest gripe people seem to have on the p11 is the trigger. It has more to do with overtravel than anything. Once you fix that they are accurate.

PF9s are a whole nother story. They are not like p11s. Its not uncommon for them to have major component failures after low round count. Why they didnt stick with the P11 slide is beyong me. I suspect when they sacrificed the p11 hammer design it caused more beating on the slides and shortening the life of the pistol. It would be a solid pistol in 380acp but its not strong enough for 9mm IMO. They could beef up the slide a bit, maybe go with a steel frame (ala the old grendels), and possibly work out a better recoil spring system to rectify this but Keltec seems to have accepted the failures of the PF9.

November 14, 2018, 06:28 PM	#45
magnut Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 112	one thing people tend to overlook on Keltecs is the quality of the steel compared to other brands. Kelted uses very good steel and its pretty rare to see slides fail on keltecs. Two exceptions are the PF9 and old P40. Those pistols are pretty fragile compared to the P11, P32, and P3at. Keltecs aluminum recievers tend to hold up a lot better than all the other Keltec clones out there. As do the polymer grips on the keltecs. Another huge benefit of Keltecs is parts support from the factory. Easy to order and inexpensive. Also Keltec does not tend to discontinue pistols unlike most manufacturers these days. P32.... Just a great little 32 that stands alone in its class. Nothing really comes close in terms of pocket gun. P3at.... one of the best pocket 380s. Rough on the outside but they hold up better than any of the others due to quality of raw materials used. Outside the beretta pico I dont think any of the P3at clones out do the P3at. Yes I am talking about even ruger LCP which crack slides, split frames, crack crips. I typically recomend the Pico for a pocket 380 because they are head and shoulders than even a keltec but other than the Beretta I put P3ats at the top of the heap reguardless of the rougher external appearance. P11... is a legend of a pistol IMO. Very small, very light, lots of firepower, very durable, very reliable, Double strike capability, 10-12 rds with option of 15 rd backup mags, Lots of aftermarket etc. etc. I am amazed how much attention the sig is getting when the P11 still beats it on versatility. I get the marketing aspect and how new is better etc. etc. but P11s have a proven track record. As for all the P11 clones... its not even close. Biggest gripe people seem to have on the p11 is the trigger. It has more to do with overtravel than anything. Once you fix that they are accurate. PF9s are a whole nother story. They are not like p11s. Its not uncommon for them to have major component failures after low round count. Why they didnt stick with the P11 slide is beyong me. I suspect when they sacrificed the p11 hammer design it caused more beating on the slides and shortening the life of the pistol. It would be a solid pistol in 380acp but its not strong enough for 9mm IMO. They could beef up the slide a bit, maybe go with a steel frame (ala the old grendels), and possibly work out a better recoil spring system to rectify this but Keltec seems to have accepted the failures of the PF9.