Kel-Tec P-3AT
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 70 mm
- Weight, empty
- 240 g
- Introduced
- 2003
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Kel-Tec P-3AT is an ultra-compact, semi-automatic double-action-only pocket pistol chambered in .380 ACP. Introduced in 2003 and designed by George Kellgren, it uses a locked-breech, short-recoil action with a polymer frame over an aluminum insert and a steel slide and barrel. Weighing only about 240 grams empty, it was marketed as one of the lightest production .380 ACP pistols in the world, feeding from a 6-round detachable magazine and intended for deep-concealment carry by civilians and off-duty law enforcement.
Kel-Tec built the P-3AT by scaling its tiny .32 ACP P-32 up to .380 ACP without enlarging the frame, producing what it advertised as the world's lightest production .380 pistol and helping ignite the modern pocket-.380 craze that competitors like the Ruger LCP directly copied.
The P-3AT is a scaled-up .380 ACP development of the earlier .32 ACP Kel-Tec P-32, sharing the same frame footprint. It has no manual safety, relying on a long double-action-only trigger pull.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kel-Tec CNC Industries
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 2003 to 2022
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 70 mm
- Overall length
- 130 mm
- Height
- 89 mm
- Width
- 20 mm
- Weight, empty
- 240 g
- Weight, loaded
- 310 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Double action
- Trigger pull
- 22.0 N
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 7 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Polymer frame with aluminum insert
Locked breech
Double action only
No manual safety
Fixed sights
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 70 .380 ACP pistols | 240 g | 539 g | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 70 .380 ACP pistols | 130 mm | 160 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 70 .380 ACP pistols | 70 mm | 87 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 71 .380 ACP pistols | 6 | 7 | Holds fewer rounds than about 80% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Kel-Tec P-3AT
How much does the Kel-Tec P-3AT weigh?
The Kel-Tec P-3AT weighs 240 g (8.5 oz) empty and 310 g (10.9 oz) loaded. It is the 1st lightest of 70 .380 ACP pistols in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Kel-Tec P-3AT?
The Kel-Tec P-3AT is chambered in .380 ACP.
How many rounds does the Kel-Tec P-3AT hold?
The Kel-Tec P-3AT holds 6 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Kel-Tec P-3AT?
The Kel-Tec P-3AT is 130 mm (5.12 in) long overall, with a 70 mm (2.76 in) barrel.
Who makes the Kel-Tec P-3AT?
The Kel-Tec P-3AT is made by Kel-Tec CNC Industries (United States). It was designed by George Kellgren.
When was the Kel-Tec P-3AT introduced?
The Kel-Tec P-3AT was introduced in 2003 and discontinued in 2022.
How does the Kel-Tec P-3AT operate?
The Kel-Tec P-3AT uses a short recoil action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- United States civilian concealed carry market
- 2003
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/kel-tec-p3at' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "kel-tec-p3at", "name": "Kel-Tec P-3AT", "manufacturer": { "id": "kel-tec", "name": "Kel-Tec CNC Industries", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1991, "website": "https://www.keltecweapons.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "510f94db90ac830742510a5176f9b1dc25a2e3bbf433e5f56f499b8b623d8511" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2003, "barrel_length_mm": 70, "weight_empty_g": 240, "action_type": "short_recoil"}