Latest smiley philosophy......

[oldgranpa]

Posted smiley data on my new P3AT on KTOG just before I got activated here. Might have to scroll down the url to see my post with the smiley pic. Note my conclusion, the P3AT is great! (It was really great, even though I was using Flyers favorite ammo! )

[deleted url since the post has been deleted. I will post the thread with setback data later. Edited Nov.29th noon.]

Anyway, what is your latest thinking about smileys? Is there no concern since Marty posted his setback data awhile back?
Should I go ahead and do the mod to my feed ramp?
Thought KT had done all that on the new H serial numbers.

Wondering?
og

[Flyer]

oldgranpa,
It seems as if concerns over pressure problems have pretty much dried up...
I'm still concerned about possible accuracy loss from a smiley, especially a JHP round that's been deformed.
This weekend I'm going to deliberately put smilies in several types of ammo, and compare their groups to those fired with unharmed rounds. I'll use a rest, so it should be fairly consistent...
Flyer

[Gnemesis]

I was thinking the setback was a non-issue until I saw the pix of Harley's P-3AT which did a nice Kb! on him. COULD have been overpressure, though I have not seen a pic of the cartridge that was in the gun at the time, so it is hard to say.

I still do not want the smiley effect, as it was crushing INWARD the petals on the Golden Sabers I shoot, potentially effecting expansion. I did a preliminary rampectomy on mine, which removed smilies from all but the longest cartridges I shoot, so Friday I'll remove another .5 mm and polish her up... should be perfect after that!

=jeff

[oldgranpa]

Hello again, KTRangers,
Well, after reading all old posts on the subject of smileys I could find I decided I just didn't like this smiley thing. So after all the Thanksgiving eating and a good nap today, I did the ramp job that Flyer showed us in his old post:

[Edited today, Nov 29, to remove the url. To see Flyer's pics and instructions, go to the new Articles section and also his thread labeled P3AT Feed Ramp, etc. on this forum]

Do I recommend it?? Let me put it this way, if an old metallurgist can't do it, then nobody can do it. However, if you decide to do the mod, like Flyer said, you are on your own, it is completely your decision.

If you decide to, then my advise is to follow Flyer's picture exactly, and use needle files the way he says to. Ordinary big file is too much. Fortunately I have a bunch of needle files and making the cut wasn't too hard. First I marked a little curve on the bottom and top with a black marker. Be sure to not cut off the two ears, one on each side and shown in his photo.
I'm still pretty good with a dremel tool so I used that to finish the curve and blend it into the ramp. And then I used the felt tip with polish compound to put a mirror finish on the job, including the whole ramp while I was at it.

If you have some experience with working with metal or any fine hobby work you can probably handle this mod. If you have no such experience and don't have needle files or are not real good with a dremel tool, then don't do it yourself. The barrel steel is heat treated and is hard, which is good, but filing it is slow. Lot of patience and bright light needed. Also need to clamp the barrel in a bench vise using thin flat wood strips on each side to protect it.

I don't know if Flyer even wants to talk about this anymore. Some jerk troll at the other site gave him a real bad time about it, and the moderators just ignored the jerk. (Flyer, remember that?) But those who have done it already say it works. I feel confident it will in mine also. Doing the little check after the mod shows the ramp should not hit the round under the top one anymore. And even if it does it will be just a tiny smiley, not the big dent. The mod does not affect alignment of the top round being loaded either.

Just one more note. Two little pieces fell out of my pistol while disassembled, the recoil spring retainer up front, and the little ejector insert on the frame. If they fall out for you, just pick them up and clean them off and replace. But be aware that they can fall out and possibly get lost.

Let you know later how my pistol does.
og

[Flyer]

oldgranpa,
Glad you like the mod!

I don't know if Flyer even wants to talk about this anymore. Some jerk troll at the other site gave him a real bad time about it, and the moderators just ignored the jerk. (Flyer, remember that?) But those who have done it already say it works.

Hey, that's ancient history. Let the the trolls enjoy each other's company and ruin the other place if they want to; the ones who want real, useful info and facts now come HERE!
Thanks for bringing this up; I should write the mod up in another, better article for here. Lemme get busy....
Flyer

[oldgranpa]

Great stuff, Flyer,
With your pictures and instructions anyone with good hands and right tools can do it. Also do your flyer wire mod with pics for the P32. (Still working on your book??)

That what's so much fun about the Kel Tec P-pistols, we can work on them ourselves making the little mods to improve an already great product. And for around $250 and a few little tweeks we get a pistol that fits in our pocket that beats the $400 and $600 bunch anyday.

Cheers again,
og

[yzguy]

hey flyer if you get somthing written up, I'll make another page...

I've been meaning to, but have not gotten the time (I aslso wanted to add a bunch of smiley pics, and pics of how it happens, with the slide off) Kinda of a complete page. This is how it happnes, this is how you can see it, and this is how to fix it...

[UnSafe]

I saw Flyer's post about his feedramp mod, blew up the images and printed a copy, then went at my own barrel with my trusty Dremel. Much faster than filing, but risky (Slow the speed down for better control). I had no problems at all, smoothing the ramp with a drill bit shank wrapped with emory cloth, then #600 paper. Once smoothed out, I polished it with the Dremel felt wheels and bullet. Works fine, no smiles on my newer magazine followers. No FTF's related to the ramp.
Go for it. The worse thing that could happen is that you could totally ruin your barrel and have to buy a new one..

[oldgranpa]

Unsafe,
good going!! I haven't fired mine with the mod yet, range closed, Thanksgiving and all that. Our outdoor range is closed for duck season, it's on a wildlife refuge and surrounded by water. The ducks congregate there where they are safe and they don't like the noise at the range, so they close it.
Hope to check the ramp mod out next week, I'll have to go to the indoor range in Huntsville.


Cheers,
og

[Blackhawk]

hey flyer if you get somthing written up, I'll make another page...

I've been meaning to, but have not gotten the time (I aslso wanted to add a bunch of smiley pics, and pics of how it happens, with the slide off) Kinda of a complete page. This is how it happnes, this is how you can see it, and this is how to fix it...

My vote is "Do it!"