Review: Kel-tec PF9 9mm CCW

Today’s review is the Kel-tec PF9 9mm concealed carry gun. The PF9 is a compact 9mm semi-auto double-action only weapon. Is this gun a great answer for concealed carry? Perhaps for you, definitely not for me.

Kel-tec PF9

Kel-tec PF9 Philosophy Of Use:

There’s only one reason to own a Kel-tec PF9 (or similar guns like a Ruger LC9 or LCP, and other guns of this ilk) and that’s concealed carry personal defense.

These are not range guns (even though, of course, if you own one you need to train often with it), they are small guns that can turn into your big can of whoop-ass at need.

The Kel-tec PF9 is one of the least expensive 9mm guns on the market (not including ring-of-fire Saturday-night-special manufacturers).

Kel-tec PF9 Design:

The Kel-tec PF9 is small and light, and is quite thin. It’s smaller than most CC firearms, and it has an adequate 7 round magazine which you can carry 7+1. The slide action is brisk but not overly slick, and unlike some of these small pistols the slide is easy to grip when charging the gun.It has a semi-external hammer, the hammer is recessed in the gun when the trigger is at rest.

As you pull the Kel-tec PF9’s trigger back, the hammer comes out a slot in the back of the frame and slide. Trigger pull is hard. The factory states the Kel-tec PF9 has a 5 pound pull, when tested my gun’s pull was 6 pounds 8 ounces and was quite stiff throughout.

The magazine release is very easy to engage (more on that later), and the polymer frame features a rail for mounting a light or lasers. The sights are fairly typical, with a post sight on the front and a v sigh on the back, both marked with white dots. The rear sight is adjustable for “windage”.

The trigger guard is quite small and oddly shaped, and it would be very difficult to use this gun with gloves on.

Kel-tec PF9 Tale Of The Tape:

Caliber: 9mm Luger
Weight unloaded: 12.7 oz. 360g
Loaded magazine: 2.8 oz. 81g
Length: 5.85″ 149mm
Height: 4.3″ 109mm
Width: 0.88″ 22mm
Barrel Length: 3.1″ 79mm
Capacity: 7 + 1
Trigger Pull: 5 lbs advertised, mine was 6 lbs 8 oz.

Shooting The Kel-tec PF9:

Lets face it, compact CC 9mm’s are not known to be “joys to shoot at the range” and the Kel-tec PF9 certainly isn’t. Being such a small gun, the felt recoil is quite harsh considering the power of the round, but the PF9 has two very annoying bad habits that made me hate the gun.

The first was trigger slap. I don’t know if it was just my gun, or if it’s a larger issue, but my Kel-tec PF9 had a severe problem with trigger slap, catching my trigger finger on the rebound and throwing it up against the front of the trigger guard. The first day I went out to shoot 100 rounds through my PF9 I came home from the range with my trigger finger bleeding after about 60 rounds. Guns should not cause the shooter to bleed.

The second shooting issue I have is one of the largest complaints against the gun, the placement of the magazine release. The release works VERY well… unfortunately, it works TOO well. My thumb naturally sits right on top of the magazine release, and I tended to drop the magazine with every shot if I didn’t alter my grip into something quite uncomfortable and unnatural.

Even altered, my thumb STILL hit the release button. The only way I could find to reliably not hit the button was to shoot left handed. Many other Kel-tec PF9 shooters have had this same problem, so if you are considering a PF9, I encourage you to range shoot it before buying.

On the reliability front, I have only good things to say about the gun. When you pull the trigger, it goes bang, every time. If you can keep from dropping the magazine, then mag dumps are flawless.

Accuracy

Accuracy is as good as any gun of it’s type. No problems with that. The Kel-tec PF9’s trigger pull is double action, and mine was pretty stout, significantly harder than what the manufacturer advertises. Shooting a double action gun of that compact size with a 6 1/2 pound trigger pull takes a bit of practice, but once you figure out the break over spot, it’s not bad.

Ergonomics & field stripping

Ergonomics, other than the magazine release and trigger issue, are OK. It has a very thin grip, and you trade comfort for concealment. In a carry gun, I would rather have a slightly uncomfortable grip and a thinner gun, because most of the time I am more concerned about the weapon being comfortable when I carry and easy to conceal than I am about shooting comfort.

Dis-assembly for maintenance is very similar to that of a Glock, in fact the interior of the gun is quite Glock-ish. No worries on this.I don’t really care for how the pin to open the gun works, but that’s not a big deal, it’s quite easy.

Verdict

If the gun fits your hand, and if the gun’s trigger slap doesn’t bother you (or you get one that doesn’t do that), and if your finger doesn’t squeeze the dumb magazine release every shot, then this gun might be a reasonable option for you for a CC firearm. It is accurate, and it goes bang when you pull the trigger, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

I traded mine away. I can live with the trigger slap, but the possibility of recoil causing my thumb to turn my gun into a single shot? No.

The Phoenix Arms website is HERE (CLICKY)