Recently discovered my friend has one, went shooting, it was awesome. After looking around it seems like they're really hard to get a hand on one for a decent price. Anyone tell me why they're so hard to get ahold of? Also is there a "better" strategy then just jumping on waiting lists everywhere? Would it be easier to have my FFL friend just try and hunt one down for me? What's a fair price range to end up paying? Thanks
Hard to get a hold of isn't just this gun, it's any, and it's because of this ban being talked about. People are scared that they'll never be able to get a gun in the future, or that it'll cost so much more if the libs have their way, so the market is flooded with demand without the supply to equal it. Do both, get on lists and have your friend hunt one down then take what comes your way first. Price I can't tell you, I wouldn't buy a keltec because they cost pretty much the same as that which they copy without having the quality control of them. I'd get a Ruger, but that's just me.
Wouldn't know, like I said, I've never looked into keltec guns at all. I'm sure they're fine guns, but I stick with either what I know our what is really cheap, like sns. Guess I like to gamble but only when the price is right. Lol
that's generally how I feel about it as well man. Most expensive gun I own is that M&P .45, and before this I didn't know anything about the PMR or Kel Tec either. Went shooting with my buddy though yesterday and put like 60 rounds through his, though and seeing it was a Kel-Tec I thought it would be an easy grab. Boy was my face red when i started looking into it. The thing is, now that I shot it I don't want anything else
keltec has massive production issues. the pmr 30 also has a habit of coming apart when fired. they have ceased production and shipping at one point because of that. no clue if they ever fixed the issue and started up production again.
I have two Kel Tecs that function great but they don't come from the factory running good. Getting my P-3AT running right was a 5 month battle with Kel Tec. Kel Tec fixed my P-3AT in two weeks after my credit card company threatened to back charge Kel Tec. I bought my P-11 used. I had to sand all the contact points with emory cloth before the gun would function properly. If you want a half finished weapon buy a Kel Tec.
Kel Tec does manufacturing for other things too. One of my suppliers was supposedly told by the pres of Kel-Tec that all resources were now being directed to the aircraft field and production of the PMR-30 will resume once they are caught up (in other words, when the price goes up enough to warrant production.)
If you have a mindset on getting a 22 mag auto pistol there are two other choices. The AMT II, manufacturer has changed hands a few times and is now distributed by High Standard and is probably hard to get. A friend bought an older one that a dealer had at a gun show it was in excellent like new condition more than likely because the owner had problems with it, they are finicky as to the brand and type of bullet shape of the ammo. In looking the magazine I have seen an issue that the manufacturer seems to have overlooked, the back portion of the 22 mag cases slide side to side and that seems to cause some feed issues that I figure could have been alleviated by having narrow guide groves formed at the back of the magazine. With Winchester Western ammo they function with very little problems. Then there is the Excel Arms Accelerator, It's big and heavy, 8 1/2" bull barrel and weighs a bit over 3 1/3 pounds. My friend had bought one before considering it was too big to carry comfortably for him and that's when he started looking for an AMT. He had his name on a couple of PMR-30 waiting lists but realized that at his age he might die before one came available. His AMT II has the drill dimpled chamber and it is very ammo sensitive with Winchester Western functioning the best, no ammo can be used that has a step in the bullet because they jam on the chamber mouth. They are quality built otherwise and oddly the magazines look exactly like the ones used in the Accelerator which due to design of the feed ramp seem to be able to take a greater variety of 22 mag brands without feed problems. The biggest problem my friend has with his AMT is that the recoil spring makes the slide hard for his 80 year old hands to pull to load a round, they are STIFF. One thing is that both these other pistols magazines are only 9 round.
Might as well consider that hell will freeze over before a PMR-30 ever becomes available, too bad, because after all the production problems they had it's probably a good firearm.
I bought a Gen II about a year ago for $250 before the hoopla. I got it just for a Sunday plinker but soon realized this thing is a little bit on the naughty side (i.e. bump fire) but, what a waste of money to shoot up a $10 bill like that. Seems like this would be even better if it was a .22LR but then again...I went to Wally Mart and the .22MAG and my ol' .280 Remington ammo was still available on the shelf....not one .22LR was though. It's light fully loaded (13oz) and I think the draw is to people doing the prepping thing due to the packable weight of it. I dunno...the wait list here in my area is too far out to know and in fact some dealers here aren't taking anymore names. I don't think it's the $1200 pistol I see them going for on some of the auction sights IMHO.
and if anyone isnt sure what key-holing is, its when the bullet tumbles instead of going in a nice spiral spin. so, the real problem with the kel-tec pmr30 are barrel issues. kel-tec had to cease production of them for a while. so thats why you probably dont see very many of these.
