Some of us use a wooden dowel to do the same thing you did.  It will get easier as the gun breaks in.  I don't need any assistance anymore.  Just firm pressure on the back of the bolt with the spring and buffer.  I would recommend if you are going to do this as a regular thing you should get a 3/8 or 1/2" wooden dowel cut to the needed length.  Less chance of nicking up the hammer.  I believe this is recommended in the manual, but I could be wrong.  It's been awhile since I read it.
 
 

Quote from Whodat on 11/19/08 at 20:56:38:

 
This was my first thought.  The rifle must be cocked prior to disassembly.

Actually if you drop the hammer accidentally while the bolt is out it will fall all the way forward, entailing dis-assembly to reset.  Hence Kel-tec's warning in the manual that the hammer should be charged and the safety engaged.  The hammer will still protrude slightly up into the bolt tube at full charge, but you can push the bolt up and over it when reassembling.
 
 

They are all the same.  The hammer has to drop so far to catch the sear, and once the sear is engaged it rises up into the bolt channel slightly.  You would have the same problem with an AR if you could put the bolt in it with the lower attached.  It becomes a non-issue once you get used to it.
 
 

Have you ever wished you had read something first?

Quote from cfr on 03/09/09 at 21:04:44:

 
No.  You are doing it fine.  There will be no damage by reassembling without tools.  Just some, especially of the newer ones need to be pushed in harder than others.
 
 

I almost gave up the first time, but I gave it "one last try" and it slid home.
 
However --- This is the second time I've stripped my sub-2000, and I can NOT get the bolt back in.
 
I followed the advice I read somewhere (probably in this forum) to use a shotgun swab to clean it, and I wonder if I could have somehow knocked the hammer forward?  The safety is still on, so I don't believe I pulled the trigger.
 
I can reach in from the breach end and push the hammer down a bit, but not enough for the bolt to clear it.
Does that mean that I need to go find my strap wrench and disassemble it?
 
--
update: I decided to do some testing.  I put a dowel in the breach, released the safety and pulled the trigger, and the hammer did go forward, showing that it hadn't been all the way forward when I was fighting it.
 
I was able to re-c0ck it, but still can't get the bolt past the hammer.
 
Thanks