Thoughts on Kel Tec PF9

[402carry]

anyone have expereince with this firearm?  Look for an inexpensive backup, seeing what people know

[Adrenolin]

I test fired one and didn't like the trigger. It's too far forward and has a very long reset. I found when I placed my finger on the trigger I almost always bumped the front of the trigger guard. It's that far forward. After squeezing off a round you were almost had to think of touching the guard again before it reset. I also found it it almost to light to handle the 9mm recoil. Tried various hand holds however still found it jumped in my grip which I didn't like and made double tap shooting unreliable. Single shot firing was accurate however I had to focus more getting back on target for the second shot. I did find it reliable with 100 rounds of FMJ 115gr feeding without issues. Didn't use any defensive rounds.

Overall I found it accurate but the bad trigger position and long reset didn't work for me. Add the recoil flip and I didn't give it another thought. It's all personal however and I know there are a lot of people carrying them.

I'll recommend a Walther PPS 9mm or the smaller Ruger LCP .380 for smaller pocket carry.

[402carry]

thanks for the review

[Newlife503]

I test fired one and didn't like the trigger. It's too far forward and has a very long reset. I found when I placed my finger on the trigger I almost always bumped the front of the trigger guard. It's that far forward. After squeezing off a round you were almost had to think of touching the guard again before it reset. I also found it it almost to light to handle the 9mm recoil. Tried various hand holds however still found it jumped in my grip which I didn't like and made double tap shooting unreliable. Single shot firing was accurate however I had to focus more getting back on target for the second shot. I did find it reliable with 100 rounds of FMJ 115gr feeding without issues. Didn't use any defensive rounds.

Overall I found it accurate but the bad trigger position and long reset didn't work for me. Add the recoil flip and I didn't give it another thought. It's all personal however and I know there are a lot of people carrying them.

I'll recommend a Walther PPS 9mm or the smaller Ruger LCP .380 for smaller pocket carry.

I'll second this review as well as his 2 recommendations.

[Bmel17]

I had one and love its size, hated the trigger.  I sold it and bought a Ruger LC9 instead.  Ruger felt much better.  Trigger was better, and overall quality of the LC9 just felt better. 

[402carry]

nice.  thanks for the reviews guys.  i have some pretty big mitts so iam sure the trigger would bother me as well.  i will still check it out for curiosities sake but probably go a different direction 

[Adrian]

I would pay a little more and get a Ruger or the S&W Shield.

[trevor]

While not my favorite gun, the PF9 is thin, lightweight, and accurate. These three things help to make it an excellent carry piece in the summer and a good back up anytime. And of course it is a Kel-Tec, so the reliability speaks for itself. (See some of my other posts here today.)

Ahhh, but yes, then there is that crappy trigger. I knew this going in when I bought mine. The first thing I did, even before breaking it in, was to buy the aftermarket all steel Norwood trigger and took them both to my gunsmith. He then installed the trigger, polished the trigger, feed ramp, and the rails. Notice that the steel tiger is more downward and set slightly back to the rear? You can see a comparison of the triggers here, with a finger in the guard. (NOT selling, just sharing!) http://www.northwoodcomp.com/

Total agreement.

The recoil is the recoil. That is going to happen in such a small and light weapon with a 9 MM cartridge. You can always go to a lighter load. Is it my favorite gun? A resounding NO. Does it work for a good reliable back up that you WILL carry, yes. Is the price right, you bet your bippy.

Full agreement.