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The right side of the P3At today, more than three years after I started carrying the gun.
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Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=p3at
Read more at Kel-Tec: https://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/rifle/p-3at
Visit Recluse Holsters here: https://www.recluseholster.com/
Most of the reviews we write are short-term studies. We get guns in for a limited time, are free to shoot them as much as we’d like, but we end up sending them back to the manufacturers. While we can tell a great deal about a gun from how it handles the first 500 or 1,000 rounds, we have a harder time hypothesizing on how they’ll stand the test of time. But not with the P3AT.
I picked up this gun more than three years ago for my own use, and have been carrying it off-and-on since. This is my go-to warm weather pocket carry gun. In the winter, it often rides in the inside pocket of my coat. In three years, I could count the number of days on two hands that it saw the inside of the actual safe (and those were time when I was traveling somewhere that prohibited carry). Otherwise it is in my pocket, or in a fast-access safe close at hand.
So how has the P3AT stood up to 3 years of constant carry? Read on….
Polished steel from good honest carry. This is the side of the gun that’s most exposed to the inside of my pocket.
But first, some specs
- Calibers: .380 AUTO
- Weight unloaded: 8.3 oz.
- Loaded magazine: 2.8 oz.
- Length: 5.2″
- Height: 3.5″
- Width: .77″
- Barrel Length: 2.7″
- Sight radius: 3.8″
- Muzzle Energy Max: 250ft-lbs
- Capacity: 6 + 1 rounds
- Trigger Pull: 5 lbs
Round Count
When I first picked up this gun, I ran more than 500 rounds through it in about a month or two. After I’d developed some confidence in the pistol and found the right holster, I slowed down. Since then, I’ve shot at least a box of .380 through the gun each month. That’s an average.
If I’d thought through this review ahead of time–three years ago–I would have counted. But I didn’t. Those extra rounds were for practice. As this gun became one of the go-to guns for me, I began testing different loads. When I’m looking at other .380s, or testing ammunition, I use this gun as a control. I’ve yet to find a round it won’t cycle. Flat nosed bullets chamber fine. Even plastic cased ammo extracts with no issues.
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Lots of rounds through this one.
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Uneven wear on the hammer. Hardly ideal, but (in this case) it isn’t an issue.
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If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say I’ve got at least 2,500 rounds through the gun. That’s based on the fuzzy algebra of 36 (or more) months at 50 rounds each, plus at least 1,000 +/- from the holster tests, mag tests, ammo tests. And I know there were other times that I ran the gun heavy (and times when I loaned the gun out for others to test). So that 2,500 is likely low.
Making hits with the P3AT is easy from reasonable distances. This is from 15 feet.
But still. We’re talking about a polymer framed mouse gun. 2,500 rounds is way more than most of these guns will ever see.
And the gun still shoots just as gracefully as it did when I bought it. The trigger pull is a touch over five pounds. The pull is moderate, but smooth. The sights are actually usable. I can make reliable hits with this gun out to 25 yards on a 8″ target all day, every day. At closer distances, the gun allows for solid shot placement. But the P3AT really excels in defensive shooting drills.
Problems?
There was only one problem with the gun. When it first arrived, I had a hard time making it through a magazine without the extractor snapping off. This was pretty serious. With no means of extractions, the P3AT grinds to a messy halt.
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The extractor–the one that finally worked right.
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I will say that Kel-Tec was great to work with. I called, and they sent out a new extractor. When the problem happened again, I called again. This time they sent a small envelope of extractors. I broke a couple more and sent the gun back. When the gun came back two weeks later, it was well behaved. I still keep an extra extractor or two on hand, but haven’t had the need to replace one again.
Wear and tear?
I’m going to fess up and say that it has been at least 18 months since I cleaned this gun. I’m reasonably good at procrastination. And it hasn’t given me any issues. But when I took it apart for this photo shoot, I felt a bit foolish. There are some things that are simply worth doing.
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Some slight rust on the top of the slide.
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Barrel, fouled up good, but no rust.
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I’m not talking about the rust. That happens to a gun that is exposed to humidity, sweat, and air. When I do lock this sucker up, it is in a small safe I keep beside the bed, and I don’t make any pretense about humidity control. The is the gun I keep closest to my skin. The Recluse holster is open on the backside, which means there’s only a thin layer of cotton from my pocket separating the steel from my skin.
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Watch out for areas that collect dirt, lint, and pocket garbage. This one is in need of a serious cleaning.
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Keep the gunk out of this part of the slide, too, as the barrel needs clearance to travel freely.
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Instead, I’m talking about the pocket lint. Look at these nasty pictures and you’ll see what I mean. If there’s any risk that this gun will fail, it comes from the outside possibility of lint clogging up the space needed for the movement of the hammer, or the travel of the slide.
That said, this is a locked breech, double-action-only, hammer-fired gun. There’s something to be said for that hammer. As much as I like my GLOCK, I still like the confidence that comes from pulling the trigger and watching a hefty hammer travel backwards.
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Again, you’ll find areas that need cleaning regularly.
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Carrying?
I’ve already hinted at it, but I’ve got no complaints. I keep it in my pocket, my coat pocket, and sometimes (since I added the Techna Clip) in my boot. I’ve logged thousands of hours with this thing in my pocket, and that’s where I’m most comfortable working with it.
Visit Recluse Holsters here: https://www.recluseholster.com/
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Two types of holsters for pocket carry. The Recluse on the right, and the DeSantis on the left.
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Very little wear on this mag.
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The gun is super thin and light. With two mags, it weighs in under a pound. While I’d much rather have a larger gun at hand, concealment is an issue. This is the easiest gun to carry. It takes no time to set it up. The gun is easy to move or store in a pinch. The recluse holster has a trigger block that holds the trigger secure, which means I have no hesitation with carrying a loaded gun with no safety inside my pocket.
My favorite part is that I can stage the gun very easily. I can pull this gun from concealment and slip it into a coat pocket without anyone noticing. I can tuck it in a shoe, or up a sleeve, or in my waistband…. I can’t say that for any of the bigger guns I carry.
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I’m a big proponent of staging for self defense. If you are walking back to your car in a dark garage, why keep your gun holstered? Get it where you can use it.
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The gun is very small. There is enough to hold onto, but barely.
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Conclusions after three years?
I was shocked at how dirty this gun is. I really should be more compulsive about cleaning. It doesn’t look neglected from the outside, but I see it everyday, so I may not notice the slow decline. I hadn’t even noticed the rust. That’s how much a-part-of-me this gun has become. It is like looking at photos of your kids. You don’t notice them change until you see how much they’ve changed.
But the old P3AT is still kicking ass. I can’t think of a more easily concealed gun. And as summer rolls up on me, it will get even more sweat and grime. And more range time.
And the price? They’re selling on GunsAmerica for the low $200s.
Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=p3at
Read more at Kel-Tec: https://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/rifle/p-3at
Read more about Techna Clips: https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/techna-clip-deep-concealmeant/
Visit them here: https://technaclip.com/
Visit Recluse Holsters here: https://www.recluseholster.com/
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A nasty feed-ramp in need of a good cleaning.
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The flip side.
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The take-down pin.
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Extended mags are available, and work fine, but (for what I want to use it for) they make the P3AT harder to conceal.
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The Recluse has a solid trigger block. Even with the clip, the trigger is still held secure.
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You can see here where the clip rubs inside. No problems holstering the gun with the Techna Clip, if the holster can flex slightly.
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The P3AT with the Techna-Clip.
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Installation took about a minute, and that was on a cold day.
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The doubled spring.
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There’s a bit of wear inside the slide, but no rust.
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Rear sights in all their humble glory.
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The front sight.
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The whole upper.
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A bit of wear on top of the barrel.
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Finish wear on the edge of the rear sight.
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Not too much wear on the backside, either. This is the part that touches skin the most, as I put my hand into my pocket.
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