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Newbie…Kel Tec PF-9 Purchase

1K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  Ronin5555 
#1 ·
I'm new here and also kinda new to owning a handgun. I haven't owned one in nearly 15 years. I went out yesterday and purchased a Kel Tec PF-9 for home protection and conceal carry as well. I picked the gun because of it being slim and I loved the fit/feel in my hand. When I got home, I searched the internet for info on this particular gun. I know…I should have done it BEFORE purchase. Anyway, it seems that people either love of hate this gun. After reading all the negative stuff, i'm wondering if I should return the gun. Before firing the gun, should I return it for another model or brand? Any help will be greatly appreciated! By the way, the serial number is SQSxx. How can I find out if this is indeed a 2014? Thanks for any assistance!
 
#2 ·
First off, hello and welcome to the forum.

Yes, you should have researched it before you decided to buy. Although I am not familiar with the gun you bought, I always do my homework before I buy a firearm.

In regards to returning the gun, good luck with that. Typically, once you pay for any firearm, it's yours and it cannot be returned simply because you no longer like it. There are exceptions of course, like recalls, manufacturing defects, etc., but nothing that would cover a situation because you did some checking and didn't like the reviews.

If some shop did allow you to return it, chances are, they are going to charge you some serious $$'s for the hassle.

Give it some serious thought before you decide to try and return it.
 
#3 ·
I have owned the PF-9. I had 2 failures to eject in the first magazine. Completely reliable after that. Not a bad little gun although the trigger leaves something to be desired. A company called Galloway (I believe) can sell you a much improved trigger. Not a range gun but good for self defense.
 
#4 ·
You don't need to return it.
You need only learn to shoot it.

Kel-Tec makes good, inexpensive pistols and long-arms.
We have one (but not a PF-9), know how to use it, and find ours to be reliable and well worth the money it cost.

However, a small-size pistol like yours is not easy to shoot effectively and well.
Many of the complaints you've read come from people who do not really understand the difficulties of shooting a smaller gun.
They experience malfunctions that are the result of their own bad shooting technique, and then they blame it on the gun.

Semi-auto pistols like yours rely upon recoil forces to make them operate properly.
If your hands and arms flex, absorbing some recoil force, your gun will malfunction. This is called "limp-wristing."
Hold on tightly, keep your wrist and arm joints stiff, and everything will be OK. (A tight grip will also lessen perceived recoil.)

Your Kel-Tec pistol is more accurate than you are.
If your shots are all over the target, the problem is your sighting and trigger-control techniques.
The remedy is slow, smooth, thoughtful practice.
 
#5 ·
You don't need to return it.
You need only learn to shoot it.

Kel-Tec makes good, inexpensive pistols and long-arms.
We have one (but not a PF-9), know how to use it, and find ours to be reliable and well worth the money it cost.

However, a small-size pistol like yours is not easy to shoot effectively and well.
Many of the complaints you've read come from people who do not really understand the difficulties of shooting a smaller gun.
They experience malfunctions that are the result of their own bad shooting technique, and then they blame it on the gun.

Semi-auto pistols like yours rely upon recoil forces to make them operate properly.
If your hands and arms flex, absorbing some recoil force, your gun will malfunction. This is called "limp-wristing."
Hold on tightly, keep your wrist and arm joints stiff, and everything will be OK. (A tight grip will also lessen perceived recoil.)

Your Kel-Tec pistol is more accurate than you are.
If your shots are all over the target, the problem is your sighting and trigger-control techniques.
The remedy is slow, smooth, thoughtful practice.
Some good advice!
 
#7 ·
You don't need to return it.
You need only learn to shoot it.

Kel-Tec makes good, inexpensive pistols and long-arms.
We have one (but not a PF-9), know how to use it, and find ours to be reliable and well worth the money it cost.

However, a small-size pistol like yours is not easy to shoot effectively and well.
Many of the complaints you've read come from people who do not really understand the difficulties of shooting a smaller gun.
They experience malfunctions that are the result of their own bad shooting technique, and then they blame it on the gun.

Semi-auto pistols like yours rely upon recoil forces to make them operate properly.
If your hands and arms flex, absorbing some recoil force, your gun will malfunction. This is called "limp-wristing."
Hold on tightly, keep your wrist and arm joints stiff, and everything will be OK. (A tight grip will also lessen perceived recoil.)

Your Kel-Tec pistol is more accurate than you are.
If your shots are all over the target, the problem is your sighting and trigger-control techniques.
The remedy is slow, smooth, thoughtful practice.
Precisely! Keltec is a pretty good gun for the money. Follow this advice and you have yourself a pretty nice little defense pistol. If you want a better quality pistol, spend the money. Glock and S&W make really nice pistols. Top shelf stuff for little more than what you paid for your Keltec, but the Keltec will do the job.
 
#8 ·
I have a PF-9 and have not had any problems with it. The quality is very good considering the low price. Just make sure the extractor screw is tight, keep it clean and polish the feed ramp. Also, remember that these light, small poly-pistols are designed for concealed carry and not range guns. You need to run a few hundred rounds through it to break it in and then get something a bit stouter for intensive range time. Don't try to set records on number of rounds fired to see how many you can shoot before something breaks, cause it will.
 
#9 ·
I am also new to this forum and welcome you. I am not new to shooting, reloading, 40 years + but wanted to weigh in and tell you a story. When it looked like IL was finally going to get CCW I started to do my research. After doing this I decided that the Berreta Nano would be perfect for me. Lots of great reasons that I wont get into but a fine weapon. Ok Gatz guns finally get a couple in, my friend and I run down there and could'nt wait to hold one. Well my friend and I instantly did not like they way it felt in our hands. So after all that research I ended up with an LC9. I agree with guys above that you need to do your research but holding and feeling the weapon is so very important, and that is what you based your buy on. As far as the other stuff, the factory will stand behind it and a good gunsmith can take care of minor issues. In my opinion a weapon that feels good in your hand will automatically shoot better because, one, you like to shoot it! Follow the recomendations from the manufacture and enjoy your new Kel-Tec.
 
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