Kel-Tec PF9 9mm

In the December 2nd edition of Gun Digest, The Magazine, I reviewed the Kel-Tec PMR 30 and found it to be a great pistol.  It handled well, was accurate and it was a ton of fun to shoot.  I found the quality of the pistol to be greatly improved over the PF9 and P 3AT that I owned in the middle of the last decade.  Because of this I was interested to find out if the fit, finish and accuracy of the PF 9 had also improved.

I spied this light blueish-gray framed specimen at Arnzen ARMS for a scant $259.00 and this price-point is the hallmark of Kel-Tec which has always been to provide reliable protection at a value price.  

So here's what you get for your $259.00:

• A five pound trigger pull
• Easy to reach and flat controls

• 12.7 ounces in weight
• 5.85 inches in length with a 3.1 inch barrel
• 4.3 inches in height
• A width of 0.88 inches
• A capacity of 7 + 1 pounds
• A large white dot on the front sight

• Two smaller white dots on the rear sight which is adjustable for windage.  The elevation is adjustable by purchasing a set of 4 shims which are available on the Kel-Tec website for $13.00.

All in all this is a light weight, small pistol that is easy to carry and rides well in most pant pockets.

So here's the verdict:

It is much improved from the version I owned years ago but not quite up to the level fit and finish of the PMR 30.  However, you can pick up a PF 9 for a whole lot lot less than you'll pay for a PMR 30.

As a reminder, the  PF 9 is a hammer fired pistol and is not striker fired as you might normally expect of a small polymer framed pistol.  The five pound trigger pull is very smooth with no stacking.  The reset is not as clean as I would have hoped.  Upon releasing the trigger less than a quarter inch you will hear a slight "click", however the trigger is not reset.  You have to let it out almost all the way until you will hear and feel a louder, more positive "click" and know that it is ready to be pulled again.

Other than that there are no surprises with the PF 9. For my taste the .88 inches in width is a little thin.  I remedied this with a rubber grip sleeve which gave me a little extra width and a little more to hang onto during recoil.

Time to see the targets and review the accuracy.

The target above was shot during the "getting to know you" period and shows 21 rounds at 15 feet.

At 28 feet the 31 rounds opened up just a little bit, but not much.

The 25 rounds fired at 40 feet opened up further but they still would all have been solid center mass hits.

The Kel-Tec PF 9 manual states that the pistol is rated for +P ammunition, just not a continuous diet of the hotter stuff.  All in all this pistol provides reliability, accuracy, good handling and ease of concealment for a value price.  These are all good qualities to have in a pistols that means business.