ArizonaShooting.com

I give up. The gun has been back to the mothership twice. Problem is failure to extract -- almost every shot, at least every other shot. Empty case stays in the chamber, next round up out of the magazine crashes into it, instant Class Three malfunction, takes three hands to clear (because the slide doesn't lock back). Yes, extractor has been replaced and is tightened down, and springs have been replaced.

I know other people who have PF9s, and theirs work fine, so it's not like this is a gun that can't work. I just need a smart, talented gunsmith who can look at it and figure out why this particular one has a problem.

Glockmonger said he could get it running no problem, but he seems to be out of commission at the moment; his website says he is not taking new work. Do you know of anybody else who can work the wizardry?

I have one of those that did the same thing right out of the box brand new. Sent it back to Keltec and they replaced the barrel and polished the feed ramp. IT runs 100% now. The case was sticking in the chamber. IF you do a google search its a pretty common issue. I still won't rely on it for daily carry. You might want to try and see if they will go that route or just replace it. If it came from a Davidson's dealer make them refund your money and buy something else.

"Weenis" was kind enough to offer to inspect, test and diagnose at no charge. Darn nice of him. He suspected that it might be the feed ramp on the barrel. So, bought a new barrel. Started to test with the new barrel, but after only a few rounds, the assembly/takedown pin broke! So, ordered a new assembly/takedown pin and while I was at it, a new recoil spring assembly. Those arrived in the mail yesterday.

Today I went to SGC, with new barrel, new pin, new recoil spring. Started off promising, but pretty soon, the problem came back. Out of about 50 rounds, had two failures to feed. Tried with carry ammo (Hornady FTX) and got a malfunction on the first round, so didn't waste any more expensive ammo on that.

The failures to extract seem to have gone away -- very probably a rough chamber in the first barrel. However, the failures to feed (nosedive with the point of the bullet catching underneath the feed ramp) are still happening.

Roughly $120 later, I am back where I started. My cheap gun is no longer cheap. However, I am not going to sell an unreliable gun to another person who might rely on it to save his or her life. Nor am I going to cut it into scrap and throw it away. I will continue to throw good money after bad. I really want to find a gunsmith who can figure out the problem and fix it.

Any suggestions/volunteers for a gunsmith to take on this challenge?


PS -- Kel-Tec is through with me. They have already replaced the gun completely once. They don't believe I am getting the same problems with two different guns (and now three different barrels). They are convinced that I am limp-wristing (yeah, right), using bad ammo (yeah, right), etc.

For the nose dive issue; have you tried different magazines?
I had a similar issue with one magazine on mine but not the other. I adjusted the feed lips on the mag with problems and got reliability to about 98%. Still not enough for daily carry imo...

... dang, I have one and it runs everything I feed it. Guess I got lucky

Yes. The gun came with one mag, so I bought another to rule out bad magazine as a factor. (Again, this bargain gun keeps costing more and more.) Same issues regardless which magazine.

I have friends who have reliable PF9s, so I know it's possible, which is why I don't want to give up on mine. I know it can be made to work, if I can just find the gunsmith with the discerning eye who can say "Aha, I see the problem right there."

This is an odd one.

The round nose dives with such force, that on a few of the shots from milquetoast, the round was stuck vertically in the magazine pointing down.

Messed up.

I had three different PF9 pistols in the 2008-2010 time frame and didn't have issues with any of them. I would recommend looking up the "fluff and buff" procedure from the KTOG web site and clean up all the rough edges to start.

The other option is to replace it with a Kahr CM9 which is smaller and stainless steel.

Checked rough edges.

What kind of lube are you using? Is it possible that if it's too slick that the timing of the events is getting out of whack and causing the slide to come back too fast?
I'm not a smith, so I'm probably talking out of my azz, but I've heard this could be a problem on the KelTecs. I have a PF-9 myself and only mod made is changing out the trigger for an aftermarket, much smoother one.

hth.

Slide-Glide

Used to have a nightmare PF9 out of the box. Sent it to Galloway Precision for a full overhaul and it worked great when it came back. Decided to sell it to get money for other guns I liked better. But I'd recommend checking out what Galloway Precision can do. Worked for me.

http://gallowayprecision.com/kel-tec/pf9-and-p11/

I chose to have them do the work, less hassle and well worth it for me. Nice people too.

They sound like just the folks I am looking for.
Thanks!

Sent the pistol to Galloway just now. Their deal is $50/hour, for however many hours it takes, plus any parts, plus I pay for shipping both ways. I sent it Fed Ex Next Day, $56.20 one way, so with everything I have spent so far, I am going to spend more than the cost of a new gun to get this thing working, but now it's personal, dammit. This SOB will work.

I'll let you know the final outcome, for those who give a rat's Michelle.


PS -- Took it to a Fed Ex store (Shea and 92nd, approximately), and the hoplophobes hyperventilated, and may even have wet their pants, when I said the word "pistol." "It's prohibited!" Well, actually it's restricted; there's a difference. "You can't send a gun to an individual!" Understood; I am sending it to a Federal Firearms Licensee. "Yeah, but we can't pack it!" Fine; give me a box; I'll pack it. "The only way you can send it to an FFL is with a prepaid shipping label!" OK, you just made that up. You know what? Never mind. I'll just go to another Fed Ex location.

Which I did. F_____g idiots.