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I've owned a Kel-Tec P3AT for many years, purchased soon after they came out. It's been a great gun for me, but I've been intrigued by the evolution of the micro-gun platform. With the release of the Ruger LCP II I decided the upgrades might finally be worth it, should a deal come along. Earlier this week I saw Cabela's was selling them for $269.99. When I heard yesterday that the $20 off $150 coupon would work, and considering I still hadn't spent my gift cards from last Christmas, I had to go for it.
For those of you who don't read your receipts, Cabela's offers a $20 off $150 coupon for filling out a survey after you make a purchase. Not having a receipt, I went in first to buy something cheap ($7 rifle case, another good deal), took the survey in the truck, then went back in for the gun purchase. It ought to be a $50 off coupon for the circus act they put you through when buying a gun (first time there)!
I also picked up a few boxes of Sig Elite V-Crown hollowpoint ammo for break-in and feed testing, since it was on sale for $12/box.
To be completely honest, I think my three main reasons for replacing the P3AT with the LCP are mostly irrelevant for a gun filling the ultra concealed carry niche. I do think they'll make the LCP slightly more enjoyable to practice with.
1) Sights - The P3AT doesn't have any, just little nubs on the top of the slide. The LCP has taller sights which are actually functional, though they're difficult to see since they're all black.
2) Trigger - The trigger on the P3AT is one of the longest, heaviest triggers I've ever felt. While the LCP trigger isn't what I'd consider good, I'm quite surprised by how much better it is.
3) Slide Stop - The P3AT doesn't have one, the LCP II does. Helpful for reloading and identifying an empty gun.
While I'd like to think I'd calmly align my sights and squeeze the trigger in a defensive situation, I know this won't be true. I'll likely focus on the front sight and pull the trigger as quickly as possible. I figure if I'm reloading I'm in big trouble, which I've hopefully anticipated and I'm already running away from. These are assumptions of course, but I think they're somewhat realistic.
I'll be sure to update this thread once I get some trigger time
For those of you who don't read your receipts, Cabela's offers a $20 off $150 coupon for filling out a survey after you make a purchase. Not having a receipt, I went in first to buy something cheap ($7 rifle case, another good deal), took the survey in the truck, then went back in for the gun purchase. It ought to be a $50 off coupon for the circus act they put you through when buying a gun (first time there)!
I also picked up a few boxes of Sig Elite V-Crown hollowpoint ammo for break-in and feed testing, since it was on sale for $12/box.
To be completely honest, I think my three main reasons for replacing the P3AT with the LCP are mostly irrelevant for a gun filling the ultra concealed carry niche. I do think they'll make the LCP slightly more enjoyable to practice with.
1) Sights - The P3AT doesn't have any, just little nubs on the top of the slide. The LCP has taller sights which are actually functional, though they're difficult to see since they're all black.
2) Trigger - The trigger on the P3AT is one of the longest, heaviest triggers I've ever felt. While the LCP trigger isn't what I'd consider good, I'm quite surprised by how much better it is.
3) Slide Stop - The P3AT doesn't have one, the LCP II does. Helpful for reloading and identifying an empty gun.
While I'd like to think I'd calmly align my sights and squeeze the trigger in a defensive situation, I know this won't be true. I'll likely focus on the front sight and pull the trigger as quickly as possible. I figure if I'm reloading I'm in big trouble, which I've hopefully anticipated and I'm already running away from. These are assumptions of course, but I think they're somewhat realistic.
I'll be sure to update this thread once I get some trigger time