Contributing Editor
You cannot be too thin or too rich. The pistol I will discuss in this feature is not only thin, it is as thin as possible for the caliber. When you consider the need to contain the pressure of a powerful handgun cartridge and the difficulty of creating a handgun that will not batter itself to death due to its own lightweight, the Kel Tec PF 9 is a remarkable handgun. (Kel Tec CNC Industries Inc., PO Box 236009, Dept. GWK, Cocoa, FL 32926; phone: 321-631-0068; online: kel-tec-cnc.com.)The PF 9 was conceived as a maximum concealment handgun. The PF 9 is the lightest practical 9mm caliber handgun we are likely to produce. My preconceived notions of the PF 9 were disavowed after actually handling the pistol. It is not an upsized .32 nor it is a warmed over P 11 9mm. The Kel Tec slim line 9mm is an original design with much to recommend.
In my experience Kel Tec pistols are inexpensive but they work well. Like many other quality pistols, Kel Tec pistols sometimes require a modest break-in period of 50 to 100 rounds.
Once they are broken in and properly lubricated they prove reliable. The Kel Tec pistols serve a real purpose in the scheme of things. Americans are free people with the right to carry concealed handguns, and the lighter the better it seems. I have been leery of some small handguns as they go too far in downsizing. Controls are difficult to manipulate, the slide is difficult to rack, and the sights are embryonic to non- existent. Even small guns that serve a purpose are not fun guns on the range. Like many shooters, I fire handguns often. I have carried serious iron concealed for most of my life. As I grow older I long for a light and handy handgun of reasonable effectiveness. I have seen the Kel Tec .32 compared to the Colt 1903 .32 in print. The writer will point out the Kel Tec weighs less than half what the hammerless Colt weighs. That is true as far as it goes. I have carried a Colt 1903 as a backup and even a primary on lazy days. The difference between the Colt 1903 Hammerless and other small automatics is this: the Colt will place five rounds of Winchester 71-grain FMJ into two to three inches at 25 yards from a solid rest.
This time Kel Tec has produced a combat pistol that will retire my old Colt and perhaps the snub .38 as well.
Sufficient T and E went into this pistol to produce a purpose-designed compact 9mm handgun that works well. This is a unique handgun, working on the design principles established by Kel Tec, but in a new platform. The PF 9 is a polymer frame pistol with the working action imbedded in the polymer. The trigger action is double-action-only (DAO). There is no restrike capability. Trigger action is set by slide action. This is fine with me. In my experience if a cartridge does not go off with the first strike, a second strike may not be effective either. The offending round needs to be cleared.
The DAO action of the PF 9 is smooth enough and controllable. Reset is rapid enough and overall this is a good example of DAO technology. I enjoy my single-action service pistols, but in a handgun that will be carried close to the body or in a pocket, cocked and locked carry is not ideal. DAO makes sense in the PF 9. Some shooters clutch a single-action trigger, anticipating recoil. A high-recoil lightweight probably needs a DAO trigger. The long rolling action makes for good control.One of the best points of the PF 9 is handle design. The handle curves at the right places for a good hand fit along its modest length. The engineer in charge knew exactly what he was doing. Since Kel Tec is located in Florida the answer to the handle’s gripping design may be found on an alligator’s back, but then the design makes firm geometric sense. It works well in keeping a grip on the pistol even with sweaty hands.
There are not many 9mm pistols that are too thin, far from it! I had concerns that this pistol might bite the hand that feeds it. The most sensitive part of the shooting hand is the knuckle of the thumb. If a pistol raps my unique hand size I simply cannot tolerate firing it for long. Some snub .38s and a number of full size automatic pistols just don’t fit my hand. The PF 9 looked like it had the potential to hammer the knuckle of my hand. While this knuckle is not well cushioned by flesh, conversely the web of my hand sometimes touches the slide of a pistol. I cannot tolerate the PPK although the Bersa is just fine. The PF 9 did not unpleasantly pound my hand.
The reason 9mm pistols have a reputation for light recoil is because service pistols go over 30 ounces and even the hideouts go over 20 ounces on average. The PF 9 weighs in at only 14.5 ounces.
The pretty flat 9 delivers on the thinness scale. The slide of the PF 9 is only .880 inch thick, slimmer than the 1911 or even the High Power and making the Glock and SIG look like overfed heifers. The slim line magazine is a good trade off in total concealment. The slide of the PF 9 is not simply a PT 11 slide. The PF 9 slide is subtly redesigned for maximum thinness.
And finally we have a good set of sights on a compact pistol. They are steel not plastic and are firmly attached. The rear sight is drift adjustable and stabilized by a set screw. The pistol is accurate enough that you may wish to adjust the sights—that is not a brag but a fact. The slide is quite thin and the slim line frame practically equals this thinness. Interestingly, the frame features a rail for a combat light. I am not enthusiastic concerning turning my handgun into a flashlight but I think that the light rail is a good idea just in case. The slide is slightly tapered toward the front. This will make for easier insertion in a tightly molded holster when the custom makers get on line with this one.A final word on capacity—as a person who has gone in harm’s way and found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time more than once I do not have a ballistic inferiority complex when comparing my eight shot 9mm to the six shot .38.
Examination is one thing but range work was a revelation. The slide is a bit stout to rack as should be expected from a recoil spring that must keep the slide and barrel locked together for sufficient duration and to dissipate the recoil of a powerful cartridge in a relatively short stroke. I don’t think anyone will have a problem with the slide as long as they follow proper procedure. Keep the firing hand and the bones of the arm properly aligned and rack the slide straight back. It was pleasant to note that the slide lock and magazine relapse are flattened, keeping the low profile of this pistol.
I have tried the Mini Glock and found that my thumb often bumps the slide lock when I fire this pistol. The slide lock is less important on a compact pistol. The hands are more likely to run all over a compact pistol and in doing so may activate controls that do not need to be touched during a firing string. The PF 9 gets an A+ in this regard.
Firing the piece came next. I set up a Shoot-N-C at 10 yards and decided to work my way into the pistol gradually. My first rounds were dead in the center. The sights are well regulated. I found the trigger smooth enough for good results. The proper cadence with this pistol is much like that of a double-action revolver. The length of the press and reset should be the same. Press, reset, press, reset. Develop this cadence and your marksmanship will prosper.
My results in static fire were very good. I ran across a snag in the combat firing after several range sessions that had been more casual. In working up speed drills I inexplicably found the pistol failing to cycle. The spent case was in the chamber and the pistol had not ejected it. The ugly culprit was shooter error. I had allowed the web of my firing hand to work its way into the slide. I decided that perhaps the PF 9 was not for me and laid the pistols aside for a few weeks. At a later date I found myself in the middle of a sultry southern Summer with an average temperature of 103. It was a T-shirt and blue jean day and the old Colt Model M was slipped into my waistband. I remembered I had a high tech 9mm on hand that was both more powerful and lighter than the Colt. I reasoned I should give the PF 9 another workout.
I took four boxes of Winchester ammunition to the range, including 115- grain USA, 124-grain NATO, 115-grain JHP personal defense and a box of 115- grain Silvertip. This time I elected to subject the pistol and the shooter to a combat evaluation. Most importantly I was dedicated to maintaining the proper hand position and controlling the pistol.
When working up a sweat on the range the scalloped grip frame aided control a great deal.
I fired offhand and from the barricade position. From a solid barricade I was surprised. I was controlling the pistol, it ran perfectly, and I was pumping lead into a man-sized silhouette at 20 yards. Steel gongs were addressed during tactical movement with equally good results.
I fired as quickly as I could keep a modest supply of magazines loaded, beginning from ready position and keeping the cadence up. Move, fire, move and fire! The magazine release proved unobtrusive but handily activated. When racking the slide I did not use the slide lock but the proven method of grasping the rear of the slide and handily releasing the slide to let it run forward and I was running again.
As I fired I noted several interesting things. First, the trigger works better the more I used it—acclimation is best accomplished in fast paced action shooting. The ejection port is plenty large for both administrative handling and ejection of spent cases. The sights are good enough for accuracy well past conversational range. After 200 rounds my hand was firmly embossed with the outline of the “alligator grip.” Plus, something happened that had not occurred in some time. My hand trembled from the effort of clutching the pistol tightly through 200 rounds of full power ammunition. The pistol performed beyond expectation. Not a hitch in firing and excellent results. I cleaned and lubricated the pistol and I am now carrying it as often as fashion dictates.
As for cleaning, the pistol field strips easily. The takedown lever is not captive, however, so care must be taken in disassembly or you may lose the lever. To take the PF 9 down clear the chamber and magazine, lock the slide to the rear and remove the takedown lever that is in front of the slide lock. Release the slide lock and the slide runs forward. The recoil spring is lifted from the barrel and the barrel is easily removed out the bottom of the slide. Assembly is in the reverse.
The PF 9 has many good traits. It is reliable, accurate enough for the task at hand, and affordable. Suggested retail prices for the three different finished in which the PF 9 is offered are: $333 for the blued model; $377 for the Parkerized finish, and $390 for the Hard Chrome finish. I predict good things for the PF 9.