Keltec P3AT trigger problem

[analog_kidd]

Last weekend I went to the range and had an issues with my P3AT. I had about three rounds that would not fire. I looked at the primer and saw that there was no dimple. I reloaded the rounds adn tried again, of the three, two fired the second time, but not the third. Took the third and loaded it again and it fired.

Kind of chalked it up to some cheap ammo I bought for it, but what kept concerning me is no dimple on the primer.

I took the gun home, unloaded it and started dry firing it and here's what I noticed. The design of this gun is that the gun has to be cocked for the hammer to fall. If uncocked, pulling the trigger has no resistance and the hammer does not get pulled back. However, I noticed that, with the gun cocked, if I don't pull the trigger exactly straight back, the hammer falls halfway (which is why the primer did not get hit). Immediately pulling the trigger again, there is resistance, and makes the hammer go back and release again.

If I pull the trigger exactly straight back, it fires every time. If i give a little sideways pull of the trigger, or in other words pull it back and to the right, if fails almost every time. If I ever have to use this gun, I want it to go off every time, I don't want to have to think "Oh yeah, this gun needs this special action to fire".

Anybody ever have something similar happen? Was thinking about sending it back to KelTec to have them look at it. How is their service?

[Jonnin]

their service is very good.

Its a DAO gun. Pulling the trigger should lift the hammer back then release it to fire. Anything else is a malfunction, the gun has no safety features apart from the long heavy trigger pull. There is no "cocking" of the hammer, apart from it being lifted by the trigger (it does not stay there if you release the trigger nor does racking the slide affect the hammer).

Its possible it needs service, but you want to check it out yourself if you can. Review any related issues and fixes on the KTOG website first. It costs too much to ship an inexpensive gun unless it really needs it.

[analog_kidd]

It is a DAO gun, but mine has always funtioned like this: Unload gun of all ammo, rack slide and pull trigger. Long hard trigger pull and hammer falls. Since no round was fired, if you pull trigger again without racking slide, there is relatively no resistance in trigger, and the hammer does not move. Trigger does not do anything until the slide is racked.

I always thought it would pull the hammer back no matter what, until a friend was describing his Ruger LCP, which acts exactly as mine does as described above. I experimented with mine and discovered I was mistaken. In other words, the slide HAS to be racked for the trigger to release the hammer. Whether the slide is racked by me or a bullet, it has to be done every time.

Good idea about KTOG, I'll look around on there. Funny thing, I just posted this this morning, a google search of "Keltec p3at trigger problem" brought me to my post as the first link.

[Jonnin]

From the manual:

Functioning

When the P-3AT's trigger is pulled, the trigger axis is rotated forward together with the

trigger bar which engages the hammer and then the hammer block. After about 85

degrees rotation, the trigger bar disengages, holding the hammer block forward of the

hammer, which then rotates forward to strike the firing pin.

Anything other than that is just not right. If the LCP is doing the same thing, I dont get it, but it is an exact copy of kel tec so they should behave the same way. You should not have to mess with the slide or hammer to operate the gun.

[Guest KCSTEVE]

On a "striker type hammer" like the P3AT, the slide does not have to come all the way back to reset the striker.

Not that it makes much difference. You can do a "is there one in the chamber" and it will reset.