Kel-Tec P11
Encyclopedia
The Kel-Tec P-11 is a compact, semi-automatic
Semi-automatic self-loading pistol
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of handgun which uses a single chamber and barrel, with a mechanism powered by the previous shot to load a fresh cartridge into the chamber...

, short-recoil operated
Recoil operation
Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used in locked-breech, autoloading firearms. As the name implies, these actions use the force of recoil to provide energy to cycle the action...

 pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

 chambered in 9 mm Luger
9 mm Luger Parabellum
The 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge was designed by Georg Luger and introduced in 1902 by the German weapons manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken for their Luger semi-automatic pistol...

. It has been manufactured by Kel-Tec
Kel-Tec
Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc. is a United States manufacturer of firearms. Founded in 1991 and based in Cocoa, Florida, the company has manufactured firearms since 1995, starting with small, affordable semi-automatic pistols and expanding to rifles. Kel-Tec is a privately-owned Florida corporation....

 CNC Industries of Cocoa, FL since 1995.

Design & Specifications

The P-11 was designed by Swedish-born
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 George Kellgren
George Kellgren
George Kellgren is a Swedish-born firearms designer and founder of the gun manufacturer Kel-Tec. He is well known for numerous products including the Intratec Tec-9, Kel-Tec P-11 and Grendel .380 ACP pocket pistol. He holds patent 7469496....

, the designer of many earlier Husqvarna
Husqvarna
Husqvarna , originally a military arsenal founded in 1689 to produce muskets for the Swedish Army.The company Husqvarna has since grown, and its production has changed from weapons, sewing machines, kitchen equipment, bicycles and motorcycles to lawn mowers, chainsaws and construction products. The...

 (Sweden), Intratec
Intratec
Intratec was a firearm company based in Miami, Florida. The company's most famous product was the TEC-9.- History :Intratec began as Interdynamic USA, an offshoot of Swedish firearms manufacturer Interdynamic AB. Due to the lack of firearm market in Sweden, Interdynamic AB set up a subsidiary in...

, and Grendel
Grendel (disambiguation)
Grendel or Grendal may refer to:In literature:* Grendel, the antagonist in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf* Grendel's mother, mother of the above Grendel...

 brand firearms. The P-11 uses an aluminum receiver inside a polymer grip housing held on with polymer pins. The slide, barrel, and magazine are steel. The standard magazine holds ten rounds, or twelve rounds in free states. Both fit flush to the bottom of the pistol. At 14 oz (396.9 g) unloaded, the handgun itself is comparatively light. The P-11 lacks an external manual safety relying instead on a long and heavy double action only (DAO) trigger pull, which requires nine pounds of pressure, to prevent accidental discharge. A firing pin spring and low-mass hammer prevent discharge if the gun is dropped. The P-11 will also accept some Smith and Wesson 59 series. An available adapter wraps around the base of 15-round Smith & Wesson model 59 style magazines. Smith & Wesson series 69 compact 12 round magazines will also work, with a matching short adapter sleeve as well. Accessories such as trigger shoes, finger-rests, belt clips, steel guide rods to replace the factory installed polymer guide rod, gray and OD green colored polymer grip housings, night sights and other accessories are also available from the manufacturer.

For a short period, the P-11 was offered in .40 S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...

 and .357 Sig
.357 SIG
The .357 SIG pistol cartridge is the product of Swiss-German firearms manufacturer SIG-Sauer, in cooperation with the American ammunition manufacturer Federal Cartridge. While it is based on a .40 S&W case necked down to accept bullets, the .357 SIG brass is slightly longer...

 with reduced magazine capacity. These weapons were designated P-40 and P-357. These models mated a P-11's frame to a larger slide width and barrel. Kel-Tec has suspended production of these pistols and conversion kits. In 2006, Kel-Tec introduced a single-stack pistol based on the P-11 with engineering improvements borrowed from the P-3AT. The resulting PF-9 pistol
Kel-Tec PF-9
The Kel-Tec PF-9 is a 9 mm caliber, recoil operated, locked breech, double action only, semi-automatic pistol based on Kel-Tec’s earlier P11 and P3AT models. Kel-Tec claims the PF-9 is the flattest and lightest 9 mm pistol ever mass-produced. It was designed as a concealment and backup weapon for...

 weighs about the same loaded as the P-11 empty and is somewhat slimmer.

Marketing

The P-11 is designed for concealed carry by members of the general public and law enforcement officers. It is only slightly wider than the staggered-column magazine it uses. It is particularly attractive to users who want a concealable firearm but also desire a "full-power" defensive cartridge, as pistols of this size generally fire reduced-power rounds like .32 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 ACP , also known as the .32 Automatic is a pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol...

 or .380 ACP
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP pistol cartridge is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt, and has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since...

 The barrel is near the minimum length possible with a Browning
John Browning
John Moses Browning , born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world...

 tilting-barrel system of operation. The gun easily fits into a pocket, small holster, or inside a handbag. All edges are rounded and smoothed allowing comfort while carrying concealed. There are few protrusions on the pistol to catch on a pocket holster, a deep concealment or inside of waistband holster
Holster
A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use.-Function:...

.

External links

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