Interesting breakage

[Onward Allusion]

I've been shooting for a little over 30 years and never before have I broke a barrel. The pic is from a Kel Tec PF-9 that has around 600 rounds through it. Mostly shot range ammo. Maybe 100 or so rounds of JHP. Never +P.

I just went out and picked up a Beretta Pico to replace the P3AT or P32 that I carry in my back pocket.

[JohnKSa]

If a barrel were going to break, that's about where I would expect it to let go. That's where the stress of unlocking is focused.

That said, 600 rounds seems a bit on the low side for the barrel lug to break.

I'd be inclined to take some closeups of the actual fracture area and send them to Kel Tec. Maybe they will do something for you, maybe they won't, but that kind of failure is probably something they would like to know about.

[blchandl2]

Keltec has a lifetime warranty.

[HisSoldier]

that kind of failure is probably something they would like to know about.

+1, but I'd bet $50 they already do by now.

[krunchnik]

I have seen a couple of Springfield XD's barrel broken in that same spot-it happens.

[totaldla]

KelTec will send you another barrel. I'm curious though - how old is the pistol?

I ask because I seem to remember a rash of lug breakages about a decade ago.

[Onward Allusion]

Did a little bit of research and found an old post from Guns.com.

https://www.guns.com/news/2012/12/27...he-pf-9-8-pics

It would appear to be a known issue. Grrr...

Gonna have to ship the barrel & slide back to them.

[AgedWarrior]

Being a known issue, it seems KelTec was content to manage the defect through attrition rather than recall and fix them all. That does not reflect a deep concern over quality.

[IdaD]

My dad has a PF9 that I'm sure has no more than maybe 100 rounds through it and it hasn't been problematic, but it sure feels like a junky little pistol.

[totaldla]

Originally Posted by AgedWarrior

Being a known issue, it seems KelTec was content to manage the defect through attrition rather than recall and fix them all. That does not reflect a deep concern over quality.

Pretty much what Sig did with the P365 - let the customer discover that the firing pins would break.

KelTec had no way to know which barrels went into which pistol - they're not serial numbered.

I'm not defending KelTec, but 600 rounds is a lot for this type of weapon, so I can see why a pistol built in 2012 runs fine until 2019. I don't know how KelTec manages their heat treatment, but I don't hear of lugs breaking anymore.

[Bill DeShivs]

"Junky" = lightweight.
"Quality" = heavy. Buy a Hi Point.

[wild cat mccane]

I'll come to attack Kel Tec just fine.

PF-9 has 3 (I think) known major changes.
-One distinction in first gen (plastic mag release causing earlier failure to hold mag) vs beginning gen2 metal mag release.
After that Kel Tec updated the extractor screw was changed and feed ramp updates.

While cosmetics changed too, the extractor screw and feed ramp changes were fixes. No generation distinction.

Now my Ruger LCP gen1 and LCP gen2 which copied the P3AT? I know by the by dash in the gen1 vs no dash in gen2. And I'm not a huge fan of Ruger for this same lack of generation distinction. Who does identify major changes is Walther and Glock (ie M1, M2, Gen4, Gen5) right there for anyone to see.

Easy.

[Onward Allusion]

600 rounds is a lot for this type of weapon

Er...600 rounds is like 2 trips with my regular guns. It takes at least a couple of hundred rounds to test a gun to the point where I'm trusting my life to it.

[Dufus]

No way would I even think of using something like that pistol for reliable defense.

[totaldla]

Originally Posted by Onward Allusion

Er...600 rounds is like 2 trips with my regular guns. It takes at least a couple of hundred rounds to test a gun to the point where I'm trusting my life to it.

Do you have much range time with an 12oz empty(18oz fully loaded) 9mm pistol?

I've been shooting handguns for 40+ years. I own and shoot an S&W329pd 44mag. The KelTec PF-9 isn't something I shoot a box of ammo through every range trip - not a comfortable shooter IMO. But it is a comforting weapon as it is easy to have with you always. Shoot a little, carry a lot.

[Onward Allusion]

No, I would never shoot 300 rounds per trip with a PF9. Like I'd said, it takes a couple/few hundred rounds to trust bottom feeders, even Glocks. Another 300 on top of a gun that I've owned for 4 years is a drop in the bucket.

I used to be a die hard Kel Tec guy. I'd carried a P11 with a P32. These days I still carry a P3AT or P32 as backup to my Glock. However, the KT's will be replaced with the PICO as soon as I pick it up from my FFL.

I still own 3 P11's, 2 P32's, a P3AT, and this busted PF9. I've always believed that these guns were meant to be carried a lot and shot a little, but damn ~600 rounds??? Even 1,000 rounds is less than "shot a little", IMO. Dunno, maybe I do shoot a lot.

[totaldla]

Curious, you've owned it for 4 years (circa 2015). Did you buy it new?

[Onward Allusion]

Yup. Purchased new. Never really carried it. So, it became a quasi range toy, though not pleasant to shoot.

Never ran right with target ammo due to OAL of rounds. Ran fine with JHP or truncated cone.

[briandg]

Isn't anyone else looking at that and seeing what is probably a cast steel barrel? some other form of metal that isn't machined from a billet? That has no machine marks and it has a strange mottling.

There is something wrong with that. seriously wrong.

[Nanuk]

No way would I even think of using something like that pistol for reliable defense.

Show me a brand of handgun that has never suffered from a catastrophic failure.

[Bill DeShivs]

Send the barrel to Keltec, and they'll probably send you a new one. Call them-it's under warranty.

There is no way to look at finished metal and tell if it is cast. Nor are Keltec barrels made of cast steel. I'm always amazed at people with X ray vision. Of course the barrels are machined. The finish appears to be a tumbled finish, and there are a few machining marks left-but the barrel finish is actually very good.

[SIGSHR]

The barrel may have been machined, but could the blank have been cast ?

[totaldla]

Originally Posted by Onward Allusion

Yup. Purchased new. Never really carried it. So, it became a quasi range toy, though not pleasant to shoot.

Never ran right with target ammo due to OAL of rounds. Ran fine with JHP or truncated cone.

Do you remember the brand of ammo? I'd like to try it.

I like to discover the limits of my weapons. I know that I can make the PF9 hang by loading to a longer-than-usual COL. But I've never found a factory round it wouldn't digest.

I still have a Glock that will eat anything the KelTec won't.

To me the PF9 is anything but a range toy - I only bought it to carry it. I've shot it enough to become proficient and I put a mag through it maybe once a month just to be sure. But I carry it a lot - like always

[laytonj1]

Originally Posted by Nanuk

Show me a brand of handgun that has never suffered from a catastrophic failure.

Freedom Arms.

Jim

[Ricklin]

I have not seen a barrel made of cast steel.

One issue with castings is air can be incorporated in a casting. A void in a barrel casting....
I work with X-ray equipment, and castings are routinely imaged in three dimensions for porosity. I sell that technology in another profession. The manufacturer makes more machines for inspection than they do for dental, same tech tho. Just lots more KV for inspection.
For critical strength parts like aircraft they image and inspect 100%.