Taurus TCP .380 range report - Page 4

jogle · November 2, 2010, 11:24 PM

Cleaned my tcp and shot 30 rds of Blazer brass fired every round no hicups. Shot a couple clips of Fiocchi fmj had to push the slide in by hand on 2 or 3 in each clip. Loaded 2 clips of Gold dot back to back fired perfectly. Maybe mine needs a 2 -300 round break in.
Will try again in the morning wish me luck,really like this gun when it functions.Hope it keeps feeding Gold Dots.

BrettinSanAntonio · December 4, 2010, 08:28 PM

I just purchased the TCP and experienced two FTF malfunctions within the first 50 rounds. I've just finished 200 rounds of Winchester white box ammo and haven't had any additional problems. It's accurate and the trigger is buttery smooth. I'm very pleased with my purchase and feel quite comfortable using this pocket rocket as my carry gun.

whitster · February 24, 2011, 10:58 AM

Just bought a TCP 380 three days ago and sent it back to Taurus with the following letter:

• 1. The main problem is that when trying to eject an unfired round from the chamber there isn’t enough clearance in the front of the slide cutout to allow the cartridge to pivot around and out, and becomes jammed…seriously jammed. (The fired casings eject fine.)

This happens every time with the two different Hornady JHP rounds I’m using (.966” to .977” OAL).

To clear the jam, I have to place the gun in a soft-jawed vise, pull the slide back with one hand and pop the cartridge out with a small screwdriver with the other hand. While prying outward on the bullet-end, the unfired cartridge comes out easily enough, but the extractor is hanging on tenaciously.
Obviously the gun is inoperative at this point and I may not have a vise with me all the time.

• 2. The gun shoots fine with good groups but shoots about 3” left at 10 feet; can you do anything about this?

• 3. The detents in the fired cartridge primers look a little light, had one misfire.

• 4. You can probably see where I smoothed some of the VERY sharp remaining machined surfaces/corners on mag well, slide cutout and lower rear of slide rails. Any proper smoothing you can do would be most appreciated.

They did arrange for a Fedex overnight pickup at their expense, kudos.

Whit

tristar viper · February 25, 2011, 09:39 AM

I just bought one of these guns as well, and I am blown away by the accuracy and smooth function of my particular gun. 100 rounds now, no problems, and the gun goes everywhere with me already. I like it, and 100% pleased with it so far.
And my gun is only days old, and the serial number ends in B. According to Taurus, B models are the lastest revision of the gun, NOT A models as someone suggested earlier. Apparently there were barrel and extractor production changes at some point.
My serial number is 43838B, and my gun was built in December of 2010.

whitster · February 25, 2011, 05:20 PM

Tristar -

Can you manually eject an unfired round from the chamber without hangup?

TIA

Whit

Opinated · February 25, 2011, 05:52 PM

Unfired cartridges are easily removed. First eject the magazine. Pull the slide back and the unfired cartridge will fall out the magazine cavity.

tristar viper · February 25, 2011, 06:49 PM

Sorry whitster, didn't get back to you in time.
But yea....what Opinated said

whitster · February 26, 2011, 02:14 PM

OK, thanks.

Yeah, I know how it's supposed to work. I have 3-1911 45's, a 92S, etc.

They wouldn't eject in mine. They'd get seriously stuck diagonally between the extractor and the forward cutout on the slide.
If the extractor would have come back another 1/8" it probably would have come out.

Whit

whitster · March 15, 2011, 05:19 PM

Well, got the TCP back, they fixed it, ejects live rounds fine now.
They had it about 20 days, Fedex overnight both ways, they paid...kewell.

Don't pay any attention to their Repair Status page. They did acknowledge receiving the gun, but the following progressions were never updated.

Their repair ticket just says Replaced, but it's the same gun.
They didn't smooth any of the sharp corners or edges like I asked them to.
It still shoots about 3" left at 10'.

I put about 20 rounds through it upon receiving. Had one fail-to-feed, but otherwise OK.

One tip: When reassembling the gun and the slide won't go all the way forward, remove the pin and make sure the barrel is nearly all the way forward before you put the pin back in. You can move the barrel back and forth and see the rounded cutout under the barrel lug pass by the hole. The pin has to go through this. It's in the manual, but easy to miss.

Whit

ghalleen · March 16, 2011, 03:10 AM

I bought a TCP a couple weeks ago, and love it. I actually wasn't planning on buying one. I originally was planning on getting a SIG P238 if I could find one, and a Ruger LCP if I couldn't. The Taurus wasn't on my list...

However, once I saw it, and felt the trigger, I had to have it.

Perfect shooter so far. No malfunctions of any kind. No problems.

kylen · March 16, 2011, 07:49 AM

I went to two of my LGS and one guy had it for $300 and Mr. Brown at Shooters Emporium had one for $269. I almost got it. But I decided to wait.

whitster · March 17, 2011, 10:22 AM

Bud's gun shop has them for $249

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/i...Path/21_50_495

Whit

Eagle Eye · March 17, 2011, 10:32 PM

I got mine for 230 complete with the holster and two mags. It was a trade in, had a little grime in the corners, but no visible wear. I like the short front sight on a pocket gun because it is easier to retrieve. At short range, I just aim it like a shotgun.....close enough to do the job. I shot expert for several years straight in the Marines, but that was a 45....Only my Glock aims that accurately at 25 to 50 yards. The Taurus is strictly an up close protector but will do the job.

Ranch Dog · April 3, 2011, 10:12 AM

There is some really good feedback here on the TCP, covering good and not so good, and I appreciate it as I am considering this handgun over the 3AT and LCP. I would like to ask about the trigger, not the pull but the trap and reset. At full compression, it the trigger spongy or solid? With the trigger held fully aft, then as pressure is slowly relieved and released, is the a felt and slightly audible reset? This is an important point with a DA trigger. What does the TCP feel like?

On another subject, I just purchased the new Taurus 25PLY. This is their new polymer frame 25 BUG. I won't pick it up until Tuesday, it was the first I saw offered.

Taurus 25-PLY

tristar viper · April 3, 2011, 11:39 AM

I'll be honest in what I think, and that is the the LCP doesn't even compare to this Taurus. This Taurus has a smooth and consistent trigger, and I can put 100 rounds down range with this little gun and not even know it. I shoot 50 through an LCP and I wonder why anyone even buys that gun.
As far as the reset on the Taurus, there isn't any audible click or anything like that. You can "stage" this trigger though, and that is pull back and you'll feel a distinct "stop". It's kinda like putting the gun into single action is how I describe it. This is what I do with it a few times when I go to the range.
I've shot lots of little pocket guns. This trigger is the best I have ever felt, bar none. One of my shooting buddies shot mine the first time, and went to the counter when we were done and bought one. He loved it.
I've had this gun now for 2 months, it gets shot every weekend, and it's as reliable as any gun I currently have, which consists of Glocks and Sigs...
I smile when I shoot it, and it goes everywhere I go in the console of my car.
And again I will say it; just be sure the gun you by has a serial number ending in B and not A.

Eagle Eye · April 3, 2011, 12:37 PM

Mine is an "A" and operates fine. What is supposed to be wrong with it? Since I purchased it used, is it possible that whatever flaw it had has been repaired or perhaps fixed with use or break in?

tristar viper · April 3, 2011, 01:11 PM

I spoke directly to Taurus about this.
B guns have a different ejector, and different magazine follower design.
Also, some A guns that got sent in for repairs got a different barrel.
If your A gun works good, that's great. Noone said there's anything wrong with it since obviously yours works. But many A guns did NOT work, and Taurus updated some stuff to make them more reliable.

Davey · April 3, 2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Well, i just got a brand new TCP in a trade, it ends in B, it will not feed correctly, the slide needs to be physically pushed to slide closed.

im pretty upset.

everytime i eject a round, the round coming up does not feed in correctly.

I have a brand new TCP .380 and I have the same problem. Gun cycles fine when firing but when done by hand I have to smack the back of the slide. I'm guessing the force of the slide when being fired is like smacking it on the back by hand.

Called Taurus this past Monday and I've yet to get my FedEx shipping label emailed to me like they said they would. I'm already getting tired of this gun. Bought it as a gift for my fiancee so now I feel like an ass for getting her something that doesn't work.

The serial number ends in B.

tristar viper · April 4, 2011, 08:23 AM

I hate to hear that you guys are having trouble. My gun, and my friends gun, have been problem free and a joy to shoot. I just don't get it.
B guns are the latest, that's all I was saying. I wasn't proclaiming they are perfect, obviously some of them aren't.
As far as having to "smack" the slide to get the first round chambered, my gun chambers the first one kinda hard too. I don't worry about it, that's just how it is and has been. You ever shoot a Beretta Cheetah?? It is the same way, first round chambers very hard. It's just how some guns are, and doesn't indicate a problem in my opinion. And as long as the gun cycles properly otherwise it's fine with me.

Davey · April 4, 2011, 10:54 PM

Quote:

As far as having to "smack" the slide to get the first round chambered, my gun chambers the first one kinda hard too. I don't worry about it, that's just how it is and has been. You ever shoot a Beretta Cheetah?? It is the same way, first round chambers very hard. It's just how some guns are, and doesn't indicate a problem in my opinion. And as long as the gun cycles properly otherwise it's fine with me.

For me it's not just the first round. I load a magazine and insert it. I pull the slide back to load one into the chamber. Slide gets stuck. I smack it to close it and put one in the chamber. I slide it back, eject the round, let go, again, the slide gets stuck. The slide gets stuck every time.

whitster · April 5, 2011, 09:58 AM

My Glock 30 does that when I have the magazine stuffed to full capacity for the first round. I think it's the pressure of the top bullet against the bottom of the slide along with the maximum magazine spring pressure resisting the feed.

After the top round is stripped off it works OK.

Whit

tristar viper · April 6, 2011, 08:09 AM

So why are you manually cycling the gun all those times anyway? You've established that the first round goes in hard, as it does in my gun. But you also say the gun cycles fine when firing.....so I don't get what you're doing all that manual cycling for. Do you like to watch it get stuck or what? Get one in the chamber and shoot the gun.

Davey · April 6, 2011, 06:01 PM

Quote:

So why are you manually cycling the gun all those times anyway? You've established that the first round goes in hard, as it does in my gun. But you also say the gun cycles fine when firing.....so I don't get what you're doing all that manual cycling for. Do you like to watch it get stuck or what? Get one in the chamber and shoot the gun.

While it doesn't make sense to sit here and cycle the gun just for the hell of I don't like the idea of the gun not working correctly. Why do I want something that isn't working right?

If the slide getting stuck on a manual cycle were a design feature I wouldn't care because I probably wouldn't have bought the gun in the first place.

fender1974 · April 6, 2011, 07:46 PM

I have a Ruger LCP that does the same thing. When chambering the first round I have to gently "nudge" the slide forward, but once the first round is chambered and I'm firing the gun, it opperates just fine.

Motormech · April 10, 2011, 12:58 AM

New TCP owner as well as first time poster. Got mine on Monday 4/4 and cleaned and oiled it on Tuesday. I did notice that it had a hard time ejecting a live round as it would jam into the front of the ejection port. What I did learn though was that if I pulled back hard it would eject just fine. I also noticed that when loading the first round it had trouble if I was gentle letting the slide go forward. If you released the slide lock or just let it slam forward it works just fine. I have concluded that even though it looks small and frail it much prefers to be treated like the red headed step child of myth.

Anyway off to the range I go with 100 rounds of Blazer Brass and 20 rounds of Speer Gold Dot. Having read about how this gun is either a Dr.Jeckel or Mr. Hyde I was curious which one I had. Well sure enough round 25, 26, 51 and 70 something failed to fire. The striker hit right at the edge of the primer on three of them and failed to mark on one. However that was my only problem with the first hundred rounds and all of them being Blazer. The next twenty rounds were the Speer and it gobbled them up no problem at all. Since the gun was new I chalked up the misfires to break-in and went home and re-cleaned and liberally oiled anything that might even think about moving.

Well back to the range again today with another hundred rounds of Blazer and six rounds of Remington Golden Saber. All 106 rounds down range without so much as a sneeze or a sniffle from the little .380.

I feel fairly confident that after another 100 rounds or so I will have no trouble using this in place of my XD40 SC when size and concealment are an issue. I am not sure about the serial number thing though as mine is 30XXXB and the one that went on the shelf to replace mine at the store was 04XXXA.

I do have one complaint though and that is with the trigger guard. No matter how I position my trigger finger the guard is rubbing the skin off the side of my knuckle. If anybody could help with that I would be thankful.

December 4, 2010, 08:28 PM	#77
BrettinSanAntonio Junior Member Join Date: December 4, 2010 Posts: 1	No problems with my TCP I just purchased the TCP and experienced two FTF malfunctions within the first 50 rounds. I've just finished 200 rounds of Winchester white box ammo and haven't had any additional problems. It's accurate and the trigger is buttery smooth. I'm very pleased with my purchase and feel quite comfortable using this pocket rocket as my carry gun.

February 24, 2011, 10:58 AM	#78
whitster Junior Member Join Date: February 21, 2011 Posts: 7	TCP sent back to Taurus Just bought a TCP 380 three days ago and sent it back to Taurus with the following letter: • 1. The main problem is that when trying to eject an unfired round from the chamber there isn’t enough clearance in the front of the slide cutout to allow the cartridge to pivot around and out, and becomes jammed…seriously jammed. (The fired casings eject fine.) This happens every time with the two different Hornady JHP rounds I’m using (.966” to .977” OAL). To clear the jam, I have to place the gun in a soft-jawed vise, pull the slide back with one hand and pop the cartridge out with a small screwdriver with the other hand. While prying outward on the bullet-end, the unfired cartridge comes out easily enough, but the extractor is hanging on tenaciously. Obviously the gun is inoperative at this point and I may not have a vise with me all the time. • 2. The gun shoots fine with good groups but shoots about 3” left at 10 feet; can you do anything about this? • 3. The detents in the fired cartridge primers look a little light, had one misfire. • 4. You can probably see where I smoothed some of the VERY sharp remaining machined surfaces/corners on mag well, slide cutout and lower rear of slide rails. Any proper smoothing you can do would be most appreciated. They did arrange for a Fedex overnight pickup at their expense, kudos. Whit

February 25, 2011, 09:39 AM	#79
tristar viper Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 889	I just bought one of these guns as well, and I am blown away by the accuracy and smooth function of my particular gun. 100 rounds now, no problems, and the gun goes everywhere with me already. I like it, and 100% pleased with it so far. And my gun is only days old, and the serial number ends in B. According to Taurus, B models are the lastest revision of the gun, NOT A models as someone suggested earlier. Apparently there were barrel and extractor production changes at some point. My serial number is 43838B, and my gun was built in December of 2010. Last edited by tristar viper; February 25, 2011 at 10:02 AM.

March 16, 2011, 03:10 AM	#85
ghalleen Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 466	I bought a TCP a couple weeks ago, and love it. I actually wasn't planning on buying one. I originally was planning on getting a SIG P238 if I could find one, and a Ruger LCP if I couldn't. The Taurus wasn't on my list... However, once I saw it, and felt the trigger, I had to have it. Perfect shooter so far. No malfunctions of any kind. No problems. __________________ Proud U.S. Army Veteran NRA Life Member

March 16, 2011, 07:49 AM	#86
kylen Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2010 Location: North Florida Posts: 253	Saw two yesterday ... I went to two of my LGS and one guy had it for $300 and Mr. Brown at Shooters Emporium had one for $269. I almost got it. But I decided to wait.

November 2, 2010, 11:24 PM	#76
jogle Junior Member Join Date: October 30, 2010 Location: Lynchburg Va Posts: 7	Cleaned my tcp and shot 30 rds of Blazer brass fired every round no hicups. Shot a couple clips of Fiocchi fmj had to push the slide in by hand on 2 or 3 in each clip. Loaded 2 clips of Gold dot back to back fired perfectly. Maybe mine needs a 2 -300 round break in. Will try again in the morning wish me luck,really like this gun when it functions.Hope it keeps feeding Gold Dots.

February 25, 2011, 05:20 PM	#80
whitster Junior Member Join Date: February 21, 2011 Posts: 7	Tristar - Can you manually eject an unfired round from the chamber without hangup? TIA Whit

February 25, 2011, 05:52 PM	#81
Opinated Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2006 Posts: 354	Unfired cartridges are easily removed. First eject the magazine. Pull the slide back and the unfired cartridge will fall out the magazine cavity.

February 25, 2011, 06:49 PM	#82
tristar viper Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 889	Sorry whitster, didn't get back to you in time. But yea....what Opinated said

February 26, 2011, 02:14 PM	#83
whitster Junior Member Join Date: February 21, 2011 Posts: 7	OK, thanks. Yeah, I know how it's supposed to work. I have 3-1911 45's, a 92S, etc. They wouldn't eject in mine. They'd get seriously stuck diagonally between the extractor and the forward cutout on the slide. If the extractor would have come back another 1/8" it probably would have come out. Whit

March 15, 2011, 05:19 PM	#84
whitster Junior Member Join Date: February 21, 2011 Posts: 7	Well, got the TCP back, they fixed it, ejects live rounds fine now. They had it about 20 days, Fedex overnight both ways, they paid...kewell. Don't pay any attention to their Repair Status page. They did acknowledge receiving the gun, but the following progressions were never updated. Their repair ticket just says Replaced, but it's the same gun. They didn't smooth any of the sharp corners or edges like I asked them to. It still shoots about 3" left at 10'. I put about 20 rounds through it upon receiving. Had one fail-to-feed, but otherwise OK. One tip: When reassembling the gun and the slide won't go all the way forward, remove the pin and make sure the barrel is nearly all the way forward before you put the pin back in. You can move the barrel back and forth and see the rounded cutout under the barrel lug pass by the hole. The pin has to go through this. It's in the manual, but easy to miss. Whit

March 17, 2011, 10:22 AM	#87
whitster Junior Member Join Date: February 21, 2011 Posts: 7	Bud's gun shop has them for $249 http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/i...Path/21_50_495 Whit

March 17, 2011, 10:32 PM	#88
Eagle Eye Senior Member Join Date: March 10, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 178	I got mine for 230 complete with the holster and two mags. It was a trade in, had a little grime in the corners, but no visible wear. I like the short front sight on a pocket gun because it is easier to retrieve. At short range, I just aim it like a shotgun.....close enough to do the job. I shot expert for several years straight in the Marines, but that was a 45....Only my Glock aims that accurately at 25 to 50 yards. The Taurus is strictly an up close protector but will do the job.

April 3, 2011, 10:12 AM	#89
Ranch Dog Junior Member Join Date: March 9, 2011 Location: Cuero, TX Posts: 2	There is some really good feedback here on the TCP, covering good and not so good, and I appreciate it as I am considering this handgun over the 3AT and LCP. I would like to ask about the trigger, not the pull but the trap and reset. At full compression, it the trigger spongy or solid? With the trigger held fully aft, then as pressure is slowly relieved and released, is the a felt and slightly audible reset? This is an important point with a DA trigger. What does the TCP feel like? On another subject, I just purchased the new Taurus 25PLY. This is their new polymer frame 25 BUG. I won't pick it up until Tuesday, it was the first I saw offered. Taurus 25-PLY Last edited by Ranch Dog; April 4, 2011 at 06:42 AM. Reason: Image changed to link per FL © policy...

April 3, 2011, 11:39 AM	#90
tristar viper Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 889	I'll be honest in what I think, and that is the the LCP doesn't even compare to this Taurus. This Taurus has a smooth and consistent trigger, and I can put 100 rounds down range with this little gun and not even know it. I shoot 50 through an LCP and I wonder why anyone even buys that gun. As far as the reset on the Taurus, there isn't any audible click or anything like that. You can "stage" this trigger though, and that is pull back and you'll feel a distinct "stop". It's kinda like putting the gun into single action is how I describe it. This is what I do with it a few times when I go to the range. I've shot lots of little pocket guns. This trigger is the best I have ever felt, bar none. One of my shooting buddies shot mine the first time, and went to the counter when we were done and bought one. He loved it. I've had this gun now for 2 months, it gets shot every weekend, and it's as reliable as any gun I currently have, which consists of Glocks and Sigs... I smile when I shoot it, and it goes everywhere I go in the console of my car. And again I will say it; just be sure the gun you by has a serial number ending in B and not A.

April 3, 2011, 12:37 PM	#91
Eagle Eye Senior Member Join Date: March 10, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 178	Mine is an "A" and operates fine. What is supposed to be wrong with it? Since I purchased it used, is it possible that whatever flaw it had has been repaired or perhaps fixed with use or break in?

April 3, 2011, 01:11 PM	#92
tristar viper Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 889	I spoke directly to Taurus about this. B guns have a different ejector, and different magazine follower design. Also, some A guns that got sent in for repairs got a different barrel. If your A gun works good, that's great. Noone said there's anything wrong with it since obviously yours works. But many A guns did NOT work, and Taurus updated some stuff to make them more reliable.

April 4, 2011, 08:23 AM	#94
tristar viper Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 889	I hate to hear that you guys are having trouble. My gun, and my friends gun, have been problem free and a joy to shoot. I just don't get it. B guns are the latest, that's all I was saying. I wasn't proclaiming they are perfect, obviously some of them aren't. As far as having to "smack" the slide to get the first round chambered, my gun chambers the first one kinda hard too. I don't worry about it, that's just how it is and has been. You ever shoot a Beretta Cheetah?? It is the same way, first round chambers very hard. It's just how some guns are, and doesn't indicate a problem in my opinion. And as long as the gun cycles properly otherwise it's fine with me.

April 5, 2011, 09:58 AM	#96
whitster Junior Member Join Date: February 21, 2011 Posts: 7	My Glock 30 does that when I have the magazine stuffed to full capacity for the first round. I think it's the pressure of the top bullet against the bottom of the slide along with the maximum magazine spring pressure resisting the feed. After the top round is stripped off it works OK. Whit

April 6, 2011, 08:09 AM	#97
tristar viper Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 889	So why are you manually cycling the gun all those times anyway? You've established that the first round goes in hard, as it does in my gun. But you also say the gun cycles fine when firing.....so I don't get what you're doing all that manual cycling for. Do you like to watch it get stuck or what? Get one in the chamber and shoot the gun.

April 6, 2011, 07:46 PM	#99
fender1974 Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2009 Posts: 134	I have a Ruger LCP that does the same thing. When chambering the first round I have to gently "nudge" the slide forward, but once the first round is chambered and I'm firing the gun, it opperates just fine.

April 10, 2011, 12:58 AM	#100
Motormech Junior Member Join Date: April 10, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 1	New TCP owner as well as first time poster. Got mine on Monday 4/4 and cleaned and oiled it on Tuesday. I did notice that it had a hard time ejecting a live round as it would jam into the front of the ejection port. What I did learn though was that if I pulled back hard it would eject just fine. I also noticed that when loading the first round it had trouble if I was gentle letting the slide go forward. If you released the slide lock or just let it slam forward it works just fine. I have concluded that even though it looks small and frail it much prefers to be treated like the red headed step child of myth. Anyway off to the range I go with 100 rounds of Blazer Brass and 20 rounds of Speer Gold Dot. Having read about how this gun is either a Dr.Jeckel or Mr. Hyde I was curious which one I had. Well sure enough round 25, 26, 51 and 70 something failed to fire. The striker hit right at the edge of the primer on three of them and failed to mark on one. However that was my only problem with the first hundred rounds and all of them being Blazer. The next twenty rounds were the Speer and it gobbled them up no problem at all. Since the gun was new I chalked up the misfires to break-in and went home and re-cleaned and liberally oiled anything that might even think about moving. Well back to the range again today with another hundred rounds of Blazer and six rounds of Remington Golden Saber. All 106 rounds down range without so much as a sneeze or a sniffle from the little .380. I feel fairly confident that after another 100 rounds or so I will have no trouble using this in place of my XD40 SC when size and concealment are an issue. I am not sure about the serial number thing though as mine is 30XXXB and the one that went on the shelf to replace mine at the store was 04XXXA. I do have one complaint though and that is with the trigger guard. No matter how I position my trigger finger the guard is rubbing the skin off the side of my knuckle. If anybody could help with that I would be thankful.