I have had a KelTec P3AT as a backup and pocket gun since a few months after they came out, back in 2003... In fact, it was the second handgun I bought for myself when I came back from Ireland, at the very end of '03.
I've had a pocket clip, a CT laser (because the sights are more... notional than actual let's say) and a 9 round extended mag with grip extension, since all of those products came out as well... Along with a DeSantis nemesis pocket holster with the "wallet flap". In that holster it really does look like a largish wallet in your pocket.
After about 7 years of daily pocket carry, and range trips one to four times a month... between 1000 and 1500 rounds of +p carry ammo (two 9rd and one 6rd mag each range trip, for 7 years), and another 1500 or so rounds of practice ammo (I'd usually fire three full mags of practice ammo as well, plus the breakin and testing round count) it became my secondary pocket gun, as I had acquired and customized a Smith and Wesson 340pd (a titanium/scandium/aluminum ultralight .357 revolver, to which I added a full four finger grip sized CT laser grip, and an XS big dot front sight... both of which I strongly recommend).
As it happens, I got the 340pd while the P3AT was out to KelTec for warranty repair. Unfortunately, KelTec chooses not to use stainless steel springs (to be fair, it is an under $300 gun, and stainless is 3 times the price of mild steel) and with 7 years of daily carry, and all the heat and humidity and salt that entails, the hammer spring broke, having corroded enough to weaken itself.
From then on, I haven't shot the P3AT nearly as much... probably less than 500 additional rounds total (I shot 100 through it on return from repair just to make sure it was good to go, and only sporadically shot it after that).
Now... my remaining firearms spent two years in police storage in New Hampshire, and I only just got them back recently... And "somehow" in that two years, the two 9 round extended mags "disappeared", leaving just the 6rd standard mag... and "somehow", the hammer spring broke again. I got it back with the hammer spring broken clean through, and hanging out in space inside the grip frame.
Oh, and my other holster, a hand made leather wallet style holster (not an aow, just really nicely made) was also missing "somehow".
...Well I no longer have the 340pd, and I still have need of a pocket gun and backup gun...
..And I found out that someone makes a stainless hammer spring, stainless extra power recoil spring for +p ammo, and a stainless guide rod, to add some weight and rigidity at the front end.
...They're on order right now. Hopefully I'll get them next week.
I also managed to find exactly ONE single grip extension mag in stock, anywhere in the entire country. That should be here next week as well... Because never mind the extra capacity, the grip extension nearly doubles the useful grip length, and makes the gun more pleasant and more accurate to shoot... making it worth the SUBSTANTIAL markup from MSRP.
I've added a couple pictures, so you can see just how small the P3AT is... its actually just about smaller than the palm of my hand... and how little grip I can get on it without the mag and grip extension. I also added a pic of the extended mag with grip extension, so you can see just how much it improves my grip on the gun... and what the heck, might as well include a shot of the new stainless parts I ordered (hammer spring, recoil spring, guide rod, and some wrap around sticker grips).
Anyway...all of this means that, hopefully, my pocket and backup gun will be up and running next week... Which is a good thing.
