Kel-Tec P-11

[RottenApple]

I'm looking for a decent carry piece for my wife. She's a home care nurse and doesn't carry a purse when working. She does wear scrubs so that pretty much eliminates a belt. So I was looking at some smaller, lighter pistols for her and ran across the Kel-Tec P-11 for a good price. Anyone know anything about it?

[Middle Age Russ]

The example my father had for a short time (stolen from his vehicle) was reliable with everything he put through it. It also had a trigger that I did not like at all -- length of takeup, weight, and also the trigger shape itself which had a too-aggressive curve for my finger/taste. I never shot it -- only dry fired -- but given its light weight, aggressive poly checkering on the grip and the poor, uncomfortable trigger I doubt that I would have enjoyed it. YMMV, of course.

If possible, I would want to try it before buying.

I have heard that the single stack PF-9 which is nearly identical in size has a much improved trigger as well as less aggressive checkering on the grip. I think I would enjoy it more than the P-11 for these reasons, but I am not in the market for a small/mid-size 9mm presently.

[Divided Attention]

Your wife and I share vocation - Love wearing PJ's to work daily as my kids like to say, but not the most convenient for carrying.

I have a P238 that I wear in an elastic belly band. I will recommend that she wear some sort of underarmour type undershirt between the elastic band and her skin. It helps with the itchiness of the band, and the 2 I have had seemed to have sharp corners on the edges of the velcro. I am hoping to get with my mother in law this summer to try to designe a cooler elastic belly band.

I tried my 380 in a pocket holster in the cargo pocket - however the drawstring/elastic combo of most of my bottoms eventually loosened and they sag after just a short time. YMMV, but so far the belly band has been the best option under scrubs.

I know some folks have used thunderwear and fanny packs with success.

I just realized I answered an unasked question..... sorry, but I hope the info is helpful after all.

[shootthesheet]

The trigger is heavy and my wife doesn't like any Kel Tec she has fired. I was looking at getting her a Taurus 709 Slim http://www.taurususa.com/product-detail ... ory=Pistol" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . It is 19 oz. and the trigger pull is better from what I have read. My wife is in the same situation with scrubs. I might suggest a belly band http://bellybandccw.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or maybe an ankle rig. Belly Band is the option where gun selection isn't as large an issue.

Whatever gun she gets the best advice I can give is to let her shoot it before buying it. Less expensive isn't the most important issue if she will not carry it or cannot shoot it effectively.

[A-R]

Have you considered an aluminum or polymer framed .38 snub nose revolver? Very light, very reliable, and with +P ammo decent stopping power.

[stroo]

The Kel Tec is small, light and a 9mm. It also has an awful trigger, is not intended to be shot a lot and becuase it is a light 9mm you can feel the recoil. I like my KT P11 but my wife doesn't. The trigger is really the worst point about the gun. It is truly awful.

[AdioSS]

I have my P-11 on my hip right now I will agree with everybody else, in unmodified form, the trigger is terrible. I have lightened mine to where it breaks at 6 & 5/8 pounds (which is nearly 2 pounds lighter than stock.) I might have to recommend the KelTec PF-9 since it is a good bit thinner & has a lighter trigger than even my P-11. The biggest downside is that it only holds 7+1 rounds (but that is the same as a 1911.) The P-11 can hold 12+1, but the original magazine only holds 10.

[CEOofEVIL]

Rotten,

I own a P-11, and it's been my daily carry for about two years now (when I don't carry my glock 17). The P-11 has a perfect size and weight for me for carry, and it edges out similar offerings in the realm of magazine capacity. The stock magazines are 10 rounds, however 12 round double stacks that flush fit to the grip are also available. Most S&W 5900 9mm mags will fit and work with it as well. Typically the mags cost between 20-26 dollars a piece, so that isn't too bad.

I probably have somewhere in the range of 1000 rounds through it at tie point, and have only encountered one problem. A few months back the portion fYeah, yf the slide stop that is actuated by the mag follower broke off. The result was that an empty mag would no longer lock the slide back. The gun otherwise still functioned fine. I called up Kel-tec and explained to them what happened and they mailed me a replacement slide stop the same day and I preceived it within 3 days. Installation was pretty simple, as the gun isn't really complicated. Once I got it back together it ran 100% again. I'm not sure what caused this part to break... I haven't really fed it a large amount of high powered carry ammo, just enough to make sure it functions fine with it every now and then. Seems like it might just a be problem they have, as I ran accross a few other accounts of the same thing happening to other P-11 owners.

Overall, it really is a no frills carry gun... it has basic plastic three dot sights, and as far as I know there aren't any replacement night sights or the like. Ergonomically, the gun isn't really optimized, so it just depends on how it feels in your hand. I have medium-ish hands and it fits me pretty well with only my pinky hanging off. The trigger really isn't that great at all... its pretty long and heavy. At first it threw me for a loop, but its really just a training issue. Once I hit about 200 rounds through the gun I was able to shoot almost as accuratly as I can with my G17. You certainly can't rip rounds off quickly and expect to keep a tight grouping though, in my experience.

Honestly, its certainly no Kahr, Ruger, Sig or Glock. I think I paid about 250 for mine new, so it being a little rough around the edges certainly makes sense. I really do love it, but wouldn't hesitate to upgrade to a G26 or similar if offered the chance. I really feel my affinity for it has just formed from using it and carrying it so often.

As always, see if you can find a local shop that will you/her at least dry fire it to get a feel for the trigger. Recoil on it isn't terrible with normal range ammo, but putting 124gr JHP's through it will make your hand numb after a few shots!

I hope this helps! If you have any specific questions, let me know and i'll see if I can't help you guys out.

[Dirty Bob]

I consider the P-11 and other subcompact 9mm pistols to be best for experienced shooters. I love my P-11: it's light, small, accurate (with a lot of practice!) and shoots a serious caliber.

It is not "fun" to shoot for many people, especially novices. I can say the same for lightweight .38 revolvers. They're great for experienced shooters who will devote the time needed to master them, but they are not very pleasant with defensive loads, nor are they easy to shoot accurately, at least at first.

You may want to take a look at Kathy Jackson's site (http://www.corneredcat.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Her website is a great intro, especially for female shooters. Her recommendations in handguns:

A Glock 19 or an XD-9 for semi-auto fans, or a S&W Model 65 for revolver aficionados.

I would also suggest looking at a Glock 26. I think they're much easier to shoot well than a P-11.

Above all, please let her shoot as many different handguns as possible.

All my best,
Dirty Bob

[Rex B]

A P11 was my first carry gun, I've had 3, though I don't carry one now, just because I've downscaled to .380 pocket carry.
Ergonomics on the P11 are easily improved: Add the trigger shoe, add the pinky rest to the mags, and sand off the sharp points on the molded checkering.
As for recoil, the double-stack grip spreads it out on your hand a bit, so I don't find it that uncomfortable. My wife's .38 snubbie hurts my hand every shot though.
So have your wife shoot a P11 before she buys one. Plenty of them around, including mine, to borrow for a range day.

That said, you definitely should look at the PF9 because it's slimmer.
As for Glocks, I found the G26 grip too fat for the size of the gun, significantly thicker than the Keltec. I kept mine about a week.
You ought to look at a Glock 19 though. It's as slim as a P11, and almost as small in length and height. Under scrubs I'd think it would be about as easy to carry and conceal.I think it's about the perfect compromise gun.

[kjolly]

I love my P-11 but it is not a fun gun to shoot. Takes some practice and when I'm at the range I wear a glove. 13 rounds of 9mm gives a huge advantage when the other guy only has seven rounds. It's small, light and easy to carry. I have medium hands and it fits my hands perfectly, has a great feel to it. Took several hundred rounds down range before I felt as competent with it as my larger weapon. I usually pocket carry in a Desantis or shoulder carry during cooler months if Texas ever has cooler weather ever again.
Recommend she tries shooting one also. The smaller the gun is it is easier to conceal but a smaller weapon has more felt recoil.
I'm doubtful about the PF-9 as I have heard from several people of having problems with them. The P-11 is rock solid and has never had a FTE or FTF. Another advantage of the gun is the striker hammer so if it is a bad round you can second strike it without going into clearing actions.

[Rex B]

I have medium hands and it fits my hands perfectly, has a great feel to it.

Forgot to mention, that P11 fits my hands better than most any other modern gun in my collection. Kind of surprising.
It's also been 100% from day 1. That's a big reason why I still have one.

[Medic624]

Dont personally know much about the KT P11

BUT....I do know that...The KT PF9 with an IWB with a belt clip that can go over the waist band of the scrubs can be completely concealed and not uncomfortable at all. And the fact that it is very light doesnt pull them down if the drawstring is tight. Heck, Ive carried my XD .40 in scrubs to and from with no issues with a Galco IWB at 1:00 but the KT PF9 feels much better in the scrubs...

My 0.02

[2farnorth]

I currently carry a KT PF9. It quickly replaced all others as my favorite carry weapon. I chose the PF9 over the P11 (which was cheaper) because of the more favorable trigger and it is thinner, lighter, and easier to carry. I carry in jeans front pocket most of the time, but have carried it IWB also.
Though accurate and reliable the PF9 is not my favorite range weapon. Because of the low weight and small grips both weapons are very susceptable to "limp wristing" . I recommend you try to find both at a range and try before you buy. P11s seem to be fairly plentiful right now, but the PF9 has a waiting list at many dealers.
I also recommend that if possible get one with a hard chrome or parkerized slide. They are much easier to maintain and less susceptable to rust then the blued ones. After you buy a NEW one you need to CLEAN it, then run about 250-300 FMJ rounds through it to get it broken in and confirm it's reliability. The manufacturer recommends using only brass cased ammo. Aluminum and steel cases CAN cause malfunctions.
Something you need to know> The owners manual says Do Not Dry Fire these guns. Doing so can damage the firing pin and/or the bolt that retains it. Snap caps are recommended. You can find much info on them in the KTOG forum.

[Commander Cody]

What is the company’s policy on gun carry?