Kel Tec PF9
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Kel Tec PF9 Gun Review

I too own one of these gems. Hard Chrome (rust avoidance). I’ve had it for about ten months now. I’ve put about 400-500 rounds through my PF9. Here were my results.

Clean the PF9 thoroughly before you shoot it.

You have to make absolutely sure you lube the PF9 thoroughly after each cleaning. Glocks, Springfields, Smiths and other fine, higher end guns will shoot out of the box. Not this one. It would pay you to take a dremel and smooooooooth out the rails, ramp, and any burrs you may find along the way. Give yourself this edge as the manufacturer does not.

I didn’t clean my PF9 when new. I put four boxes through the gun and had to stop halfway through due to a 50 percent FTF/FTE rate. Rougher finish than what I had anticipated. However, at the range, I went to the counter, we pulled it apart, saw the excessive wear marks on the rails, lubed it, and voila, hardly an issue with the remaining 100 rounds or so.

Gun Review: Kel-Tec PF9

Fit and Finish, Grip

The PF9’s fit and finish could be a little better; I would cheerfully pay the 30 bucks more if Kel-Tec would just do it. On the plus side to the manufacturer, Kel-Tec’s service is known to be excellent and parts are cheap.

The grip is awfully sharp without a mod. I bought the Hogue Jr. Grip and mounted it upside down. It’s perfect. Downside? The palmswell makes the gun fatter than intended. The upside? Palmswell makes it easier to control. Like all small guns the PF9’s a non-stop compromise; what you give up in comfort, you make up in concealability.

The fit and finish on the Ruger LCP is far superior to the Kel-Tec 380. I’m sure it will be the same with the 9m LC9. But that doesn’t mean the Kel-Tec won’t/can’t do the same job.

Magazines

I always use the finger extension to position my hand away from the mag release. I had trouble hitting the PF9’s release when practicing. Due to the sizeable recoil, it caused me to eject mags before their time. Premature ejection, if you will . . .

Trigger

The PF9’s trigger is not great. It’s steady but the takeup is too long. If Kel-Tec made this simple improvement they’d make the PF9 a whole ‘nuther wonder. It’s a long, albeit not bad trigger pull. somewhere near eight pounds.

Gun Review: Kel-Tec PF9

Sights

Accurate enough. You can adjust windage and shim for elevation. Good enough.

Recoil

Recoil with standard pressure ammo is like the man said: similar to a .38 snubbie albeit slightly easier to control. I’m talking about shooting the PF9 with 9mm FMJ whitebox from Wally-Mart. It’s punishing with quick double-taps at five yards.

Gun Review: Kel-Tec PF9

Ammo

I would NOT suggest Plus P’s. Keep it to simple HP’s of the 115 to 124 gr and no more. That’s sufficient. The Plus P’s are not going to pick up that much. Hornady Critical Defense and other soft/quick opening slugs will do the job; you don’t need the excessive blast, recoil and flash that a Plus P creates for very, very negligible gain. The PF9 is by nature a double-tap gun. Two quick and fairly accurate 115 gr HP’s should cure most of what will ail you in public me thinks. ‘Nuff said.

Gun Review: Kel-Tec PF9

Concealment

That’s the whole reason I bought this rascal. I own a myriad of full-size 9′s, 40′s, and .45′s. Great guns from Springfield, Smith, Glock, and Ruger. But I don’t carry them; they’re all too fat and heavy. I guess I’m in search of the perfect concealed carry weapon. KAHR is probably the closest; it feels incredible in my hand. And yet I can’t make myself spend $600 for one. Instead I spend a few thousand on four or five others. Go figure.

The PF9 conceals quite well. I use Uncle Mikes ISP holster and their ISWB holster depending on the situation. Go with the Schwinn/Hogue setup over the Hogue Jr to keep that slim profile slim.

I now carry the PF9 over my Smith & Wesson 442. I like a 9mm over a .380 but, I want that .380ish footprint. This is a close as it gets—until the Ruger releases their next Kel-Tec knockoff: the 9mm LC9. I’ll have to get that too I guess. It’s very similar in size and footprint to the PF9.

Accuracy

Slow, long pull, do not lend well to double-taps (read: S&W Sigmas). Both the Kel-Tec PF9 and Sigmas are excellent value guns but they do have their limitations. I know how to improve the Sigmas trigger but, the Kel-Tec? Not sure you can. Anyway, slow, you should ne fine with deliberate firing on a sitting duck (i.e. any range target) out to about 15 yards. That’s a tad under 50 feet folks.

After that, you may have problems both legally and morally. The PF9’s a parking lot gun. I’ve read plenty of times that most altercations are at 21 feet or less (seven yards). That’s about the length of a pickup truck, give or take. This is the epitome of a self-defense weapon. No more, no less.

Assembly and Cleaning

Fairly easy but reassembly is a bit quirky. You ave to press the slide and barrel assembly down as you enter the ramp to line up the PF9’s retaining hold/clip. It’s not that hard when you are used to it but the manual’s directions could be a tad clearer. It’s a laughably easy process once you know how, but you have to learn it first.

Summary

I am always on the hunt for powerful, slim, light handguns in 9mm or less. I know I will carry something like this. If you are looking for a good value in a CCW, the 280 bucks or so PF9 will fit the bill. Retail price is $250 at Brownells.

Click here to read Chris Dumm’s Take Two on the Kel-Tec PF9
Click here to read Don Gammill Jr.’s original review of the Kel-Tec PF9

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69 COMMENTS

  1. It doesn’t really sound like a gem, unless you’re comparing it to a cubic zirconia (fake diamond for anyone who may ask) then I guess it’s a faux gem lol.

  2. Any FT anything issues and it would be out for me as a carry weapon.

    An LCR is fool proof. Granted it’s a revolver. I would imagine the LC9 will fare better than this.

    • I fall in line with you here.
      The ONLY reason you should be carrying is to defend your life with lethal force. Another 100 rounds after some work and voila ALMOST no issues.
      I hope you have a very handy back-up.
      I carried a Colt 1911 in Viet Nam 1966 for only one reason. When my guaranteed to jam M16 did what it did I had something I was willing to trust with my life.

  3. Great review! I agree with your description of the PF9 as a ‘diamond in the rough.’ It’s definitely rough out of the box but after a gentle deburring, some breaking in, and sometimes a call to Kel-Tec for replacement parts, it’s a very reliable deep-concealment pistol. Because of those QC and break-in issues, it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea.

    It’s unfortunate that this must be so. Kel-Tec ought to spend a little more time on fit and finish before sending each gun out the door. It’s a good pistol for $270, but with a little more attention to detail it could be a *great* pistol for $325, and still well below the cost of any likely competition.

    • I have had mine for several years. The day I purchased it, I pulled it from the box, cycled it, looked it over a bit, and then proceeded to put 300 trouble free rounds through it. No stops of any kind (except to rest my hand a bit, yeh it bites a bit). It is now one of my EDC’s, I have 3, 442, LCP, and rhe PF9, and sleeps next to my head at night.
      As far as the trigger, after close to 1000 rounds, it’s about the same as my 442. That’s why I love it. To fix the grip I decided on couple of choices. Grin and Bear it, or a few swipes of 150 grit sand paper on the edges of the grip pattern, I did a lot of the first, and a little of the second. In short, I trust and love this little gun. It’s not a pretty piece but is steadfast and takes a lot of abuse without any complaints.

  4. I don’t know that I’d use a dremel–assuming this is a big brother to the P3AT, the parts you want to smooth are aluminum or plastic and rather soft. Easy enough to do by hand with a file, a stone or sandpaper, less likely to take away more material than you should.

    My first 3 outings with the P3AT wound up with a burr on the rails that I sanded off each time. After that it quit coming back.

    I had a Kahr–paying the bucks isn’t a guarantee of a good gun.

    • On a Kel-Tec you do NOT want to sand/polish the aluminum receiver rails! Do the sanding/smoothing/polishing on the steel slide rails that mate to the aluminum. The hard anodized surface on the aluminum is one of the key parts of the design to give it a long wear life, and if you sand through it you will decrease its life. Cleaning up the slide rails is pretty easy using a popsicle stick covered with varying grits of sandpaper.

      I was looking forward to the PF9 when it was announced, but after holding one I would rather have a minor increase in size and weight to carry my Kel-Tec P40 (no longer available since they had so many warranty claims due to limp wristing).

      • I would suggest you all back away from the sandpaper ideas and go purchase some lapping compound. Hell even the stuff at the auto parts store for lapping valves would serve you better. And for under $3

  5. On the one hand, many gunnies mock Ruger for ripping off Kel-Tec designs.

    On the other hand, they do seem to have refined the designs in replicating them. And the QC is more stringent.

    If Kel-Tec did a better job executing their designs, Ruger would be taking a lot more grief for copying them. As it stands, I think the shooting public trusts the Ruger versions more and is willing to pay a modest premium for them.

  6. Afterthoughts on the review I wrote above. This gun has……a place? It works well for what it is intended but, like all CCW, you have to make sure that it is overtly reliable first, everything else is second….

    To that end, it is IMPERATIVE that if you lean on this for self-defense, you need to do the following:

    1) Clean before you shoot it the first time! LUBE it thoroughly afterwords….I use a light grease on the rails, Rem Oil on springs and metal-to-metal contact points….less, is more….

    2) Shoot this thing. 500-1000 rounds would be preferred. Hit it with double-taps, rapid succession…..dump clips as quickly as you can…..alternate rounds….HP with FMJ….in short, try to make it fail…..I’m 500 plus rounds into it and I believe it is ALMOST broken in…these things do get more reliable after break-in.

    3) Clean this thoroughly after each shooting (Common sense?) and lube appropriately

    4) Stay away from HP’s as there is little gain due to the short barrel, extended time to your second site picture and follow up shot, excessive recoil, blast, and flash, and potential jam or FTF/FTE issues due to a possible limp-wrist or forced limped wrist due to the recoil….you just don’t need them…..and while I realize everyone wants to shove Cor-Bons through ever gun they ever owned, don’t…..not on this one….for 10% more pickup the downside risks are too great.

    Stick to 115Gr or 124Gr STANDARD pressure ammo…..if you are STILL worried about cycling (and I don’t think you will be) use FMJ’s and be glad it’s still going to punch better than .32’s or .380’s…..

    And for everyone and everything that criticizes this regimen, I always offer my shooters back guarantee. If you get in front of this and I shoot you twice and it fails to cycle the rounds, the gun is free. Ironclad guarantee…..any takers?

    Nuff’ said…

    Again….this pistol has it’s…….place? I’m going to get the Ruger LCP, 9mm in about a year when they fix the invariable bugs that always haunt 1st generation guns…..no hurry…I’ve got plenty of hardware to keep me company….

    Best wishes to you if you get one. I don’t believe you will be dissappointed.

    • They are magazines, not clips. Your entire opinion has been nullified by your amateur lack of correct terminology usage. Fail.

      • Exactly…. and the fact that the LCP is only .380, the 9mm would be the LC9… and the fact that you think HP’s are useless… your lack of knowledge definitely nullifies everything you have said…

        • To call someone names over a common misnamed bullet holder tells me you didn’t really read or understand the post. Ease up a little.
          I took basic training in 1962, with the M1 it’s ammo was held in a CLIP. A few months later in Viet Nam I had a M14 , ammo in a MAGAZINE.
          In either case seems to me a little pompous to pick a word and discount everything else.

      • waa waa waa
        If you called for more ammo and said toss me a clip – you’d get it.
        Fortunately the internet is there for the waa-waa’s to make their case .end.less.ly
        BFD

  7. I’ve had a PF9 for a little over a year now. There has only been one malfunction and thay was when my father was shooting it and limp wristed it so it didn’t feed properly. I have never had a problem with it. I shoot standard 147 gr JHPs to practice with my carry ammo and the same weigh FMJ for general range work.

    I cleaned it right after I bought it as I do with every new firearm. My primary reason for getting this little pistol was as a backup should it be needed and as a super slim pistol to carry when dress requirements made carrying my .45 problematic.

    Overall it is a good pistol for what it is and I would not hesitate to buy a second.

  8. I’ve owned a PF-9 for over a year. I’ve never had a failure to feed, and I’ve shot well over 500 rounds through it. (I clean all my new firearms before taking them to the range, so I can’t comment about reliability right out of the box.)

    The only problem I’ve had with it was once while doing a little rapid firing I didn’t allow the trigger to come forward enough and it failed to reset. I simply pulled the trigger again and it went bang. The trigger pull is too long; if I could make one improvement it would be the trigger.

    I’ve read and heard that the feed ramps were too short and/ or steep and this caused some feeding problems with some ammo on early production models. However, the problem was corrected a few years ago, and my pistol has the longer feed ramp. I’ve fed it several brands and weights of HP’s, including + P, and lots of range ammo without a hic-up.

    This pistol is a great buy for the money if your intent is for CCW and you want a slim, light weapon that’s comfortable to carry all day, especially in hot, humid climates like Florida. However, it’s not pretty or tight. It’s not fun to shoot either. If you’re not careful, you’ll raise a blister on the top of your hand between your thumb and index finger. Essentially it’s the Bic lighter of CCW pistols – inexpensive, ugly, and reliable. If you’re looking for something more refined my suggestion is a Kahr or the Walther PPS.

  9. The PF9 trigger reset might be problematic for CCW. Folks with large hands or thick fingers can accidentally short-stroke the trigger which results in a ‘click’ instead of a ‘bang’. It’s happened to me at the range. A long thread on HighRoad from 2007 debates this exhaustively.

    My Glock shooting probably gave me a “training artifact” with respect to the PF9 trigger’s needs. When you feel a Glock’s trigger click about half way through its forward return it is ready to fire again.

  10. I bought my PF-9 a month or so ago and have between 250 and 300 rounds through it, including some reloads I made to burn up some leftover 95 and 100 grain FMJ bullets I used to load for a .380 I had. You can say what you want, but I love the little Kel-Tec. It is exactly what I wanted, concealable firepower in a service caliber. The only problem I’ve had is accidentally releasing the magazine when firing the pistol (I too, have a Hogue Hand-Al JR on my grip. I have one magazine with the finger extensions, I will buy two more to cover my other magazines. So far this gun, while no target piece, shoots very naturally — just what is needed in self defense point-and-shoot situations. Up until now I have carried .32s and .380s. It’s nice to know I have moved in the direction of “carrying enough gun.”

  11. Follow up…..trending report….

    Good suggestions by all and I forgot a few things that some of you mentioned. I did intend to tell you that a dremel should only be used on the slide as I do realize the frame is annodized aluminum….you might polish it but, the popsicle stick or small, small file set (buy them at Lowe’s, great little 5 file set for $15 I think) and have at it…take only what you need, shoot better with what you take…..lube appropriately…..another thing, that accidental mag release is real. It’s either my hands or 20% of the shooters out there…this is a common problem cured by tighter grip….

    All in all, it’s not a bad gun if you do your part. Taking care to clean this and lube it thoroughly it will provide you a small, very, very light 9mm handgun that will go bang when needed….another correction, I meant don’t shoot +p’s out of it. I know, I know there are lots who will disagree and more to them. For MOST people, standard pressure 115Gr or 124Gr HP’s are plenty….especially if they have a less pronounced opening (read: no flying ashtray type bullets). The throat can be buffed ever so slightly to promote smoooother feeding but, you are on your own with this one….it’s definitely a gun you need to practice with and it is unforgiving if you don’t clean and lube properly. A lot of folks take the firing pin out to clean the channel as they tend to get dirty and may result in soft primer strikes…..failure to ignite…..yikes!

    That’s where argument for higher-end guns comes in….i.e. the Glock. Seems like it is the AK-47 of the pistol world….little cleaning and it keeps going and going and going…….just like the energizer bunny.

    Bottom line, if you need a small, light truly concealable 9mm and are not afraid or lazy enough to take care of it, this gun will fit the bill. The Rugers are nice as well and there is no argument that their products are well made and only slightly more. In defense of Kel-Tec’s PF9, I think you buy it more for the weight than anything else. The difference in cost between the Ruger LC9 and the PF9 will not make you poor. Quite the contrary. There is about $50 difference. I would say the Kel-Tec is just a bit more compact and definitely lighter…just like I mentioned, non-stop compromise…what you give up in weight you pick up/feel in recoil. The choice is yours. For me, I’m greedy. I’m just waiting to have a few extra bucks for hte LC9….too….I like the feel, KAHR like in nature and seems to be balanced. Hopefully it’s going to be big hit.

    Either way you choose, you win. Both will do what they are intended to do. Save your life if ever called upon. Can’t ask for much more than that.

  12. I had the same problem with premature magazine ejection shooting the pf-9. I thought at first it was me. So I adjusted my grip and no fix. Upon further trial and error I found out something. The down and back pressure applied to the pinky extension when fired makes the may slip from the may catch!!! I just sent a message to Kel Tec asking what’s up. Very concerned I’m not the only one…

  13. A very good no frills pistol,accurate,reliable and very affordable.I hope Kel Tec does the same with a full size .It would be interesting to have a shoot off between kel tec and the high priced competition that has dominated the market for so many years!

  14. practice with WW ball ammo, why spend more money to poke holes in targets, or knock down steel plates, eh? 1-2″ difference in point of impact on the target, at 5 yds, means exactly nothing, since the chest is a 10″ circle and 5 yds is longer range than you will need, 95% of the time. Put 100 or so Cor Bon 100 gr powrballs thru it to test for reliability, and have 100 more for “duty” use and you are good to go.

  15. yes, a shootoff would be great, on an electronic timer, using the same shooter, holster,concealing garment, ammo, targets, and distances. In other words, the guns being the only variable being tested. No gun writers seem to be capable of such testing.

  16. I just recently fired a friend’s new Ruger LC9. If you think the Kel-Tec PF-9 trigger sucks because of a long pull and reset, then you’ll really hate the LC9 trigger. It seems longer and heavier than the Kel-Tec, if that’s possible. You have to literally pull the trigger completely back for it to fire.

    It’s obvious that Ruger copied the PF-9 structurally. While the fit, finish, and looks of the LC9 are better than the Kel-Tec PF-9, the trigger is worse. In my opinion, Ruger blew it; they would have a winner on their hands, but the awful trigger is a deal breaker, not to mention the stupid manual and magazine safeties. (They also want about $100 bucks more than a PF-9.)

  17. I have a Keltec P32 and P11 which are both over 8 years old. I have run about 300 rounds through the P11 and maybe only 200 rounds through the P32 and never had a FTF or FTE! Ever! I use some HP’s on the 32 as well, mostly FMJ on both. I suppose the QC was better with Keltec back then, I’ve been very happy. Carried that P32 nearly continuously since new in ’03 I believe. I’m a little disappointed to hear Keltec’s QC is sliding a little. I really like the look of this single stack, but I’ve made to move to the S&W bodyguard in .380 recently and have to say I still love that P32 cause it’s so dang small!

  18. i just picked up my pf9 today 1-30-12 and shot it about 80 rounds,i have owned over 25 guns[handguns] now im down to mostly smith wheel guns and a glock 27, and a few more,any how i was in the market for a small compact carry no-nonsence gun and checked out many but i decided on the kel-tec for 305bucks out the door with tax and so far i love it no jams or missfires,and with remington high perf,ammo i shoot a 3inch group at 12 yards 5 rounds were touching making one big hloe,dont listen to the naysayers this is a great little 9mm carry gun,i for one am very happy and will carry it daily,and give my 700dollar mod 19 smith 357 snubby a home next to the bed,no sence in scatching a 39 year old mint cond, gun,

  19. Things have changed since my posting July lof last year concerning my PF9. I found the little pistol shooting increasingly to the left to the point I could not match point of aim with point of impact, even with the rear sight moved all the way to the right. I went to the range several times to make sure wasn’t just having a bad day. The results were consistant: my groups were 4-5 inches left a 7 yards. I didn’t measure the size of my groups, but they did ot inspired me that I could make a carefully placed shot in a hostage situation, were I to be faced with that. To make a long story short, the Kel Tec is back on the shelf of the store where I bought it. Maybe someone else will be able to do better with it than I. I replaced it with a Russian Makarov in mint condition with adjustable sights. When I fired it yesterday, it put the bullets exactly where they needed to be and did it consistantly. If I had to, I could put one right through the eyesocket of an assailant at the ranges I would expect to have to fire. When instantly incapacitating an armed assailant is necessary to save an innocent life, precision is a must.

    • “When instantly incapacitating an armed assailant is necessary to save an innocent life, precision is a must.”

      by incapacitate you mean kill right? not shooting in the arm, or legs, etc..right? because if you are thinking movie style “drop the gun or the girl gets it” type shit then you are sadly mistaken

  20. Robert :Try to use your finger tip to pull the trigger, instead of the crease of your knuckle, to squeese the trigger. This will help you to be more point of aim and point of impact closer to zero rather then to the left or to the right

  21. I bought a Kel-Tec PF9 and love it. It is my primary carry gun and I am very comfortable with having it on me. No regrets with this gun, good job Kel-Tec.

  22. I bought a Kel-Tec PF9 and love it. It is my primary carry gun and I am very comfortable with having it on me. No regrets with this gun.

  23. I’ve had my PF9 for over a year now. Started out with a few failure to extracts, no biggie. Now, after a few hundred rounds, I get multiple fail to extract, fail to eject, fail to feed…you get the idea. I’ve cleaned this weapon thoroughly after each practice and still the problems. I’ll call KelTec to see what they can do for me, but I’ve somewhat soured on this weapon. Is there an LC9 in my future?

  24. I have owned a PF-9 since 2008ish and have been carrying it daily for the past year or so. I love the size and weight of it! When I purchased new, it definitely seemed “rough,” and I didn’t clean it well before I shot it the first time. I had FTF and FTE issues that first time, but since I cleaned and lubed it NOT ONE PROBLEM (except for a batch of re-loaded ammunition, wasn’t the guns fault.)

    Now when I go to the range, I always give it a good “test” run by taking it how it is, no pre-lubing or cleaning, straight from my pocket and blast the entire mag into the target. It works every time. I clean and lube after the range and it’s been good like that every time.

    Just ordered Crimson Trace laser sights… Should be in this week !!

  25. I just got the PF-9, shot it for the first time today. It ate through an entire 50 cartridges of Remington UMC. Stuck several Fiocchi JHP’s and cycled them no problem. Then I tried shooting some Sellier & Bellot FMJ’s (which is great for break-in periods)… Goodness sakes, stay away from it. Every discharged round ended up in Failure to Extract… I did notice side by side that the S&B is a few mm taller than the other rounds I shot. I bitched to the range guy and he gave me several Federals, loaded… First shot, FTE/FTF, then the rest of the magazine cycled fine.

    I field stripped it when I got home, completely cleaned it and lubed it up. Found there was already wear on the slide grooves. Lubed that up… Hopefully this does the trick since the feed ramp is fine, extractor has no burs, and the ejector is very tight and can eject my snap caps fine.

    Since theres already wear on the slide, I figure that is def. the issue. Not enough lube to help the slide function. Hopefully after 200 round break-in it works flawlessly. I can’t stand the idiots who complain after shooting a box and immediately send it into kel-tec. The employees there probably break it in for the idiots who don’t know about break-in periods. Kahr’s sub compact manual says in huge print something along the lines of wait after the break in period…

  26. i rate the pf9 a one star only and thats too many. i bought the keltec pf 9 due to the reviews i read online. do not get this gun…the reviews are not true. i bought the gun brand new at cheaper than dirt in mckinney tx. the price on the gun is great. i loved the weight, the slim build, the ease in which it can be broken down and cleaned, and the ease to conceal and carry. their customer service is grade A. But thats the only thing good about them. after about 100 to 150 rounds the magazine started falling out and causing the gun to jam. i emailed keltec and they responded quickly. i thought maybe the magazine was faulty. but they said i must have gotten an older model prior to the “upgrade”. so they sent me free of charge a mag release, release spring, ejector and ejector spring. i had the parts put on and the gun worked flawlessly for 50 rounds. i was so happy i bought a hogue grip, an extra magazine, and two 1+ mag extentions. i cleaned the gun after each use and oiled it regularly. i even tried several different types of ammo. i bought another box of shells a week later and the mag started falling out again, and jamming. omg i was pissed, emailed keltec again and havent heard back from them. dont take my word on this issue, simply look at youtube. so i went back to cheaper than dirt and bought a ruger LC9. i told the sales lady at the counter about my problems with the pf9, and she smiled and said that has been a problem with keltec, that they already knew that. i asked her why they didnt tell consumers before purchasing the gun, and she said they couldnt talk bad about any manufacturers. shame on you cheaper than dirt!! you should inform consumers of any potential problems with the guns you sell. i spent over $300 on this gun, could only get $175 for it. people trust cheaper than dirt to be truthful about products. i will write a review on the LC9 after i shoot another 100 rounds through it. thank you.

    • I actually feel the same way about the people who didn’t tell me about the potential problems where I bought my gun. I guess they know its going to be your problem with the manufacturer once the sell it. I wish the gun stores would administer the problems with the manufacturers and even have some kind of lemon rule. Then maybe they would be more honest about what they are selling. My pf9 works fine now, but I don’t necessarily think it was worth the effort I had to put into it.

  27. I’ve had my PF9 for 2 1/2 years now and it has been a great little gun. I did, however, take it apart and cleaned it , lubed it BEFORE shooting it. I even removed the firing pin and cleaned the gunk out of the firing pin channel. As a result, I have had only a few fte/ftf’s and even then I feel that a few were due to “limp-wristing” and the rest were unquestionably due to “bad” ammo: a cheap import from Hungary that also produced malfunctions in 2 other guns (Ruger P95 and Bersa 380). The recoil was tamed with a Hogue Hand-All Jr. and Pearce mag extensions modified from a Khar PM9. I didn’t mind a little “tinkering” to get the gun working to suit me, but I agree that won’t appeal to everyone…

  28. When I decided on the KelTec PF-9 for concealed carry, I knew I had to take it apart and buff the inside. Before doing so, I took it to the range a couple times and I got a few FTE…that all went away after I did the buffing. Not a single FTE since then. I absolutely love my PF-9. Sure, there are more expensive guns out there that are almost as small; or as small but not as potent. Think of it as a kit-gun, after a few hours of work you’ll be happy to own it. I carry it daily without any issue whatsoever…I use a Crossbreed Minituck, and I often forget I’m carrying. 🙂

    Don

  29. I’m not a big keltec fan, but I have to agree with the other commentors about ALWAYS cleaning and lubing a new gun out of the box no matter what the brand, and NEVER taking a dremel to the rails of a gun no matter what the brand.
    Being a big 1911 fan I like “tuner” guns and the pf9 reminds me of the 1911s many of us like to “tune” on.

  30. Wujiang pulled out a Qin Ming ebook to read. The Yamagami land free of charge? The human world Overseer make? I the wind after that goes Qin Ming e-book, mouth he recites Street. All of a abrupt, his response, however. Inspections under the three products, but the human earth, but no one to take care of for a long time, so tory burch flats mark also rose one, belonging to the third grade female officer, teenager body is 6 products, natural to call.

  31. I read this review with interest. Gun-Tests Magazine likes the Kel-Tec more than the Ruger LC9. But, I’d say I would pack a S&W 442 as it will fire. The idea of a persnickity self-defense gun…one that you’d stake your life on gives me pause. By the way, and I mean this with utmost respect, the pretty lady in the photos is the best part of the review. LOL

  32. I usually carry a SIG P238 which will handle any plusP ammo but being all steel, it does get heavy for that pocket space. I also wanted a 9mm which costs less to fire. yes, sig made the 938 9mm but wow, what a price tag if you can even get it!

    I had a Diamondback Arms DB9 and a Keltec PF9 with a frae laser that came with it.
    After researching the diamondbacks, I soon realized that it will take some time for these brand new pistols to get proven and if they do. I have owned many different Keltecs and not many complaints whether it was a rifle or handgun.
    I finalized my decision with a carry gun for that one moment where if it goes bang or click will decide your life. I am very happy with my decision also. I would not normally fire Plus P 9m ammo thru it but in that one moment, yes…….it will deliver it and with a good base knowledge of guns, I know it will save my life in that time.
    I love the frame laser.
    The DB9 needs more field time, a couple of years is way too short.

  33. Love mine, Did some action smoothing with “Cratex” polishing wheels. (There soft abrasive wheels)
    Not something I want to use for range shooting, But when I go I always pop off a few rounds to make sure the action is working OK. We have S&W compacts right out of the box that needed the same treatment.
    Mostly the ramp, I have had to smooth ramps to prevent jams many times on guns right out of the box. Yea even Glocks! I agree about the +p ammo, Tried it! Whew!!!! Had mine for 6 years and fire it regulary.
    Not 1 problem.
    Wanted a Kahr Pm9 at first but it is double the price and do you know who owns that company? There not German!!! There also moving from NYS to PA because of the GL. Google it.

  34. I’ve had one for several years. No complaints. I’ve done nothing to it besides shoot it and clean it. I don’t recall if there were any malfunctions during break in as I always assume a new gun needs to be broken in and a minor malfunction during break in wouldn’t log in my memory as notable. I’ve carried it a lot, daily, using their clip. I consider it reliable, and great for what it is, a defensive handgun that powerful enough to do the job, reliable, accurate for it’s purpose and cheap enough to be considered a car gun that you won’t cry too hard over if it’s stolen. I had started carrying an XDs more recently just because it’s a .45 but I just discovered the recall. I’ll go back to my PF9 for now.

    PS: I did take a sharp pocket knife and scrape the sharp edges off of the plastic where needed.

  35. Is there any information you can give me about a trigger job on the sigma I asked a couple gun shops they said there wasn’t really anything out there

  36. I’ve had mine for 4 months , cleaned it ,not a problem ever .i clean and lube it after every use,great carry gun. i carry mine in my front pocket and forget its there.love mine!!

  37. Bought on Friday, Fired today 110 rounds. First let me say that you have to fire 500 rounds through this pistol before you can send it in if you have a problem. THATin itself is a big problem. Every 2 rounds this pf-9 jammed up. I had to force the clip out to extract spent shell. Four people fired this gun, two store employees, and Myself and my Friend. Jammed every time. Store owner reversed the spring and 5 rounds went through it with no problem. You have to keep the gun well oiled on the slide. I will be Firing another 100 rounds through this tomorrow. For now it is a append weight. 200$ worth of ammo before I send it back is un-heard of. What I was told was what did I expect for under 300$. THATwas an insult. My response was why are you selling junk. I did not want it but would lose 140$ if I turned it in! My pmr 30 is awesome. This one for now is crap, I am sorry I bought it…..screws up tomorrow and I’ll geta Ruger and take a big loss. Better then having to use it and dying for the effort.

    • It is magazine not a goddamned clip. Get your head out of ass. Educate yourself and quit buying junk guns.

  38. There were a couple mentions about using a dremmel,etc to smooth out gun. If you do you void the warranty. Best just to get the 500 rounds through it (pf-9) if there is still a problem you can send it back. Be assured that Kel-Tek backs their firearms.
    Good advice is as read in these blogs. Keep the gun slide oiled. Clean this gun as you would any gun after firing. My hopes are that tomorrow I will have no problems because I really like the feel of this gun. I tried out the Ruger and really thought it was special, but this pf9 ..Don’t know…I just like it better and when it did fire I was closer to the target with a tighter group. I know I mentioned my Pmr-30. It is the reason I bought another Kel-Tek. This pmr30 is just incredible! I cannot say enough about it and have already bought several toys that go with it. Loud buttkicker, very accurate 22 mag, very rapid fire.

  39. I picked up a PF9 a few weeks ago. Polished the feed ramp, cleaned and lubed it up. I took it to the range for the first time yesterday to put at least 100 rounds thru it. Third round FTE. I will tell you it was because I limp-wristed that shot. Corrected my issue and it ate up the other 97 rounds with no problems. I was using 115gr Herters and Remingtons (50 rounds each). Good accuracy. I like the feel of the pistol. I find it well-balanced and despite what others have said, I didn’t find the recoil unmanageable. Inexpensive, slim, lots of farkles you can purchase. However,a few things that bear mention: the recoil spring guide is plastic (I ordered a metal guide). I’m unsure about the durability of the plastic guide. Reassembly of the weapon after field stripping is a bit tricky. You have to push down on the barrel when moving the slide to the rear or the takedown pin will not seat. Other than these two points, I’m very pleased with the PF9s performance so far.

    • I purchased a pf9. Right off it would not feed. I cycled many rounds before I gave up. I sent it to Kel-Tek and got it back 2 weeks later. Now fixed this is a good pistol. It has now given me no trouble. Good service from kel-Tek. To bad the gun wasn’t quality checked before it was put in the store.

  40. Love my PF9. Carry it everywhere even though I’ve got other (glock) choices.

    Not a range gun, but a good reliable carry piece.

  41. I purchased my keltec pf9 pistol three months ago and i thought i was going to have all these problems i have been reading on utube but i gad no ftf or fte i have been going to range for three cocsecutive months i carry this gun daily and i don’t even feel the weight i sometimes have to feel to see if my weapon is still there i will tell any one you must keep your weapon cleaned and iuled at all times i learned this from being in the military and training everyday on a weapon this weapon is reliable and you can trust your life on it if you do your part thats with any weapon i also like to add this gun is made in america support American made as much as you can if you don’t they will take there business to another country think about it don’t say bad things

  42. I’m a little late seeing this thread but a good one

    There are 2 versions of the PF-9….Plastic mag release….metal mag release. The later is the one I have. Having heard of some of the issues with the former, the metal button is the one I looked for and bought. I took mine out of the box, racked the slide a few times, inserted and ejected the mag a few times, checked the barrel, filled a mag and proceeded to shoot nearly 400 rounds. And YES I was a bit sore afterward. I have had this gun for over 5 years, and shot a few thousand rounds through it, treat it like I hate it sometimes but it goes everywhere with me. NO FTF/FTE doesn’t matter what I feed it….pull the trigger it goes BANG…YES I trust it to protect me and my family at all times….Have a GREAT Day!!

  43. I had the P-11 first. A tack driver but the trigger and re-assembly were like a long WWE wrestling match. I then bought the PF-9. Jazzed it up with the northwoods trigger, Galloway guide rod and sights from twisted industries. Took it to the range and it failed more than it fired. No more Kel-Tecs for me.

  44. I did plenty of research before purchasing the PF9. Buyers remorse x10. I’ll never buy anything from the company again (except parts to repair my PF9). It stopped shooting after 400 rounds. I sent it in (paid shipping plus 25 bucks to a dealer to ship it) It came back and shot 30 rounds before it stopped again. They said they’d replaced the barrel, polished the feed ramp and replaced the “hammer block”. I got the run around from customer service the 2nd time around. So I went to their parts page and did some looking. Ends up the “hammer block” is a heavy piece of steel and strong. I called customer service again and they said the pin is spinning in the grip. SO.. for 35 bucks I got a new grip delivered to my home with the block already installed. I did the switch and the gun fires fine. Looking at the old grip, they have simply shot some glue into the pin/grip hole to lock the pin down. They lied to me on several levels. DON’T BUY FROM KELTEC

    • I have had mine about 8 years…I bought it….took it out of the box…and put 250-300 rounds of Blazer Brass through it…fast…..no issues…session #2….still hadn’t cleaned it…and put another 300 plus rounds through it…not 1 single issue….the PF-9 goes where I do. It has had about 2000 rounds through it….still NO ISSUES!!

  45. I have a VP9, PPQ, and FNS9c, but the Kel-Tec PF9 is my daily CCW. It is light and thin. Paired with a Boraii pocket holster, it is easy to always have on me. I shoot only Hornady Critical Defense or Sig Elite and have no malfs.

    However, I do thoroughly clean it. And the first cleaning (and every year or two), it gets a full disassembly. Pull the extractor and firing pin. Pull the fire control group. Clean and then lube with Sentry Solutions Tuf-Glide dry lubricant.

    I don’t fondle it like I do my other pistols, but with rare exception (grizzly or ghetto country) it is the one that goes out the door with me.

    Review of PF9 and the others at http://www.ambgun.com

  46. Lol, and sure you can buy and New Sig 365 and have a host of problems. And spend almost three times as much. One of the reason to carry the Keltec is the fact at it weighs much less than a 365 or other guns and ounces DO matter. No the gun is not Pretty, but it can fight. And Parts are easy to replace and the gun is very reliable. And guess what. Many folks not only want a DAO, but prefer one to a Light Striker fired, small carry gun. And some can shoot them exceedingly well.
    I like of gun snobs on the internet that really just do not even shoot many guns. A lot of opinions that are just parroted form others that also do not know about them, or even shot one.
    The PF 9 is a tool and it does it’s job very well. 5 or 6 ounces may not sound like much, but when you carry all day every day, it really is significant. The gun has been around going on a decade and more than proven itself.

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