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View Full Version : $199 Taurus TCP at Gander Mtn...is it worth taking a chance on?


wnycollector
May 6, 2012, 07:50 PM
I just stopped by my local Gander Mountain and checked out a new Taurus 738 TCP they had on sale for $199. The trigger was decent (long but smooth) and the fit and finish looked very nice (actually better than my KT PF9). Since I don't own a micro .380, the TCP would fill a niche in my collection quite nicely.

I have never owned a Taurus product before so all I really know about them is what I read. As many of you know there seem to be lots of people who love them and an equal number that are devout Taurus haters. I had a bad experience with the aforementioned KT PF9 so I'm a little gun shy of mini polymer handguns...so any input from owners of TCP's would be greatly appreciated.

fast20
May 6, 2012, 08:37 PM
i have one... havent shot it very much... did have a few fte.. but i chalk that up to breakin... i still carry most often... in pocket holster or simple slide holster owb... i did add a small pachmayer slip on grip....

Vermonter
May 6, 2012, 08:42 PM
I do however own an LCP which you can get for $100 more. I would suggest saving until you can afford that or buy it if you can afford it now. The LCP is a reliable carry gun in that caliber that can be concealed with any outfit you could possibly wear.

I have carried this thing when circumstances allowed and It is reliable for a small pocket pistol. Frankly no small .380 is going to be as reliable as a .38 snub however there are some times a . 38 cant be concealed.

If the $100 is a huge difference for you I would look for a used LCP or something from a more reliable manufacture. I have read too much negative on Tarus to ever own one.

Regards. Vermonter

Rodger_p
May 6, 2012, 08:45 PM
I like mine. I've owned it for two years.

warningshot
May 6, 2012, 11:30 PM
Safety shoes, UV glass proper brake pads ect ect. I wouldn't buy it at 199, not 99, not 50 not 20. I pass on anything with QC reputations like theirs.

gyvel
May 6, 2012, 11:33 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^ What warningshot says.

Read the other threads about Taurus and their "QC" and customer service.

Yung.gunr
May 6, 2012, 11:59 PM
Glad to see the Taurus haters are chiming in...

Well anyway, I have had a TCP for about a year or so now. I love it. Like you said the trigger is pretty good when compared to the other pocket autos. I have had ZERO issues with mine. No matter who was shooting it.

I won't make any recommendations for you, but the only pocket auto I would trade my TCP for would be the SIG P238.

Even then, the TCP is MUCH more CCW friendly I feel.

icedog88
May 7, 2012, 10:13 AM
I like Taurus. We bought one for my GF. It functioned good but a few FTF. That was primarily due to the TULAMMo used. We loaded it with PMC and had much better results. Not perfect, but better. I thought the slide would loosen up a bit after a break in period but it didn't as she has extremely small hands and as such, not a lot of strength in her fingers.. Turned out that my P238 was what she ended up with and I bought her a Colt Pocketlite to get my Sig back. She has no trouble with the slides on either of those. She really liked the Taurus though. The only reason we got rid of it was because of the difficulty she had racking the slide. For $199, I would buy it.

seastrike
May 7, 2012, 10:30 AM
I've got about 500 rounds through my TCP. I have shot mostly S&B but also a few boxes of Gold Dot.
I had read the reviews on the Taurus board and sort of bought it for the challenge and for a gun that I could take apart and mess with and if I messed up I was only out $199...
I did a fluff and buff before taking it to the range. I also hand cycled the slide a lot (maybe 500 times).
The gun has not failed once. Rapid or slow fire and strong or weak hand.
I'm impressed.
The gun gave me a good excuse to buy a Dremmel tool!
I now carry it when I don't want to carry my much larger EDC.

C0untZer0
May 7, 2012, 10:37 AM
I've found their prices to be high, so if they're selling a gun for $199.00 - it's probably worth even less.

If a gun isn't banged up scratched up or rusted and it's worth less than 200 bucks - what does that tell you?

stantheman1976
May 7, 2012, 11:14 AM
They seem to be hit or miss. I've seen people say the TCP is a piece of junk and others who say it's fantastic. Taurus does seem to have some QC issues that can't be denied.

I do own a TCP and while I don't hate it I don't love it. Mine was used when I got it and out of my first 150 rounds I had 2 FTEs, both being Winchester white box. Shot another 100 rounds or so and had probably about 6 FTEs. I have only fired about a dozen rounds since then while at a "real" range and they cycled fine.

I plan to sell mine next week after I buy a SR9c. I don't trust the TCP 100% so I don't plan to carry it. Personally if I could go back a few months to when I was looking for a pocket .380 I would have spent the extra money and gotten a LCP.

rodfac
May 7, 2012, 07:19 PM
There are good Taurii (that is the plural isn't it?), and there are bad...but there is always Taurus Customer Service...good luck, Rod

Joe_Pike
May 7, 2012, 07:25 PM
I have one and $199 for a new one is a great deal. I think the TCPs are made in the States, so, I think the QC is a bit better.

Funny, the LCP is always brought up as a wonderful little gun, and I'm sure it is, but didn't Ruger recall tens of thousands of these?

Kreyzhorse
May 7, 2012, 07:51 PM
I have owned one Taurus, a NIB M85. The revolver froze up solid at 250 rounds. Taurus and their customer service was a nightmare and that was my first and last Taurus.

In my opinion, while $199 sounds like a great deal, I'd wouldn't be tempted based on past experience.

Funny, the LCP is always brought up as a wonderful little gun, and I'm sure it is, but didn't Ruger recall tens of thousands of these

As mentioned above, for less than $100 more, you can buy a Ruger LCP. Yes, they had a vountary recall after the the first release, but they upgraded the gun, paid for shipping during the recall and have some of the best customer service in the industry. It seems not only do they stand behind their guns if you have a problem but they stand behind them even if you dont have any problems.
Taurus? Not so much.

Skip the TCP. It's only a deal if it functions. If it doesn't you'll spend the money you saved trying to get the darn thing working.

gyvel
May 9, 2012, 09:09 AM
There are good Taurui (that is the plural isn't it?), and there are bad...but there is always Taurus Customer Service...good luck, Rod

LOL!! Actually, the correct plural is "Taurii." And, the only good Taurus is the one you DON'T buy.:D

bamiller
May 9, 2012, 10:41 AM
Had an LCP didn't like it so sold it. Bought a Taurus TCP next and can't say anything was wrong with it but it didn't give me that warm fuzzy feeling so I sold it. Then purchased a Kahr P380 and really like it. That being said for the money I see no problem with the TCP.

daferg2
May 9, 2012, 02:10 PM
I used to own both an LCP and a TCP. I shot them both quite a lot. Sold the LCP and kept the TCP, and then bought another one for my wife to carry.

While I agree that with certain models, Taurus can be a bit hit or miss according to the forums anyway, both of my TCP's (and the 709 and 740) have been perfect and I like the trigger on the TCP much better than the LCP. It was also more accurate for me as well (probably because of the better trigger). This was a surprise for me since I am a Ruger fan and own several of their pistols.

Just like everyone else on here, my opinion is only that. Most of the haters have never even shot what they hate, much less owned a copy.

YMMV.

ShipWreck
May 9, 2012, 02:29 PM
Another Taurus tidbit:

http://www.mhhlaw.net/gun-accidents-liability-lawyers.php

Super Sneaky Steve
May 9, 2012, 03:29 PM
Don't waste $200 on a crappy gun. And yes I am a real Taurus owner. Wish I wasn't.

Magnum Wheel Man
May 9, 2012, 03:42 PM
bought mine about a year ago ( dry fired like 8 different compact 380's ) & it was the hands down winner over everything I tried ( including the S&W Bodyguard ) as far as trigger pull / break... haven't had any troubles with mine, & as already mentioned, that one is made in the USA...

BTW... the $199.00 price is about $60.00 cheaper than the one I bought... think that is a smoken deal...

BTW #2... I won't recommend any gun to any shooter, we all have different preferences, shooting aptitude, & guns are all different... I requalifyed for my CCW last year... at least 3 people during range qualification had stovepipes during their shooting, using compact autos... most were likely limp wristing... I was actually able to qualify faster using an antique top break single action snubbie... those compact autos are harder to shoot well than the revolvers... but anyway... I like my TCP ;)

JerryM
May 9, 2012, 03:54 PM
Based upon my experience with Taurus, it is not a good buy at any price.
Jerry

Mark In Texas
May 9, 2012, 08:36 PM
I bought one for the same price. They have a number of price points, depending on what's in the box. My $199 deal was the box, the gun, the keys, the manual and one magazine.

Seems to be a lot of people who don't like them, but then again, the Interwebs are full of people who do.

Once I put about 200 rounds through it, it will become a carry gun, which is the reason I bought it. I have an XDM in .40, a CZ PCR in 9MM and a .380 Bersa, but even the Bersa can be large to carry in the heat of Texas summer. So something that will fit in my back pocket like the Taurus means that I will be more likely to carry more often.

warbirdlover
May 9, 2012, 10:06 PM
You could always buy a Hi-Point 45ACP for $200. :D

gyvel
May 10, 2012, 08:26 AM
BTW: What does "TCP" stand for? Totally Crappy Pistol?:D

Also, there is no such thing as a Taurus hater. Just people who know better.

Magnum Wheel Man
May 10, 2012, 08:45 AM
I have 3... two of which have been made into custom guns ( & not because they didn't function properly in the 1st place :p ) 3 is a very small percentage of my total guns, but I haven't had any issues with my 3...

1st was a stainless Raging Hornet 8 shot 22 Hornet... converted to Dan Wesson style switch barrel, with a 6" - 1 in 9" twist barrel... the gun was fine as far as function in it's original form, except I didn't like the full underlug 10" barrel, which made it very muzzle heavy...

2nd was a stainless 8 shot 22 Mag Tracker, which I used for years & worked just fine, before converting it to centerfire for my custom 22 mag centerfire cartridge

3rd was my 380 TCP ( Taurus Compact Pistol ;) ) which I bought as a cheap throw away type gun, to wear when rollerblading, or other strenious activities... I wanted something corrosion proof, light weight, & of little value, in case I fell on it & broke it... the TCP works perfectly in this nitch...

BTW... I'm not a Taurus lover... they are a cheaper gun, plain & simple... often times without the refinements of the S&W's & Rugers, & what ever, but I did compare the TCP before buying, to all the other compact 380's, & the function was every bit as good as any other... S&W revolvers may have a nicer feel in the hand, than the Tauri, if you get a good one ( my last new S&W revolver had to go back to S&W 3 times, before it was even safe to shoot... I had to get ahold of the area sales rep, before sending it back the 3rd time, before they would fix it correctly... once fixed, it was a very sweet shooter, but I haven't had to send one of my Tauri back because they sent out unsafe guns either )

but with these "inexpensive" compact autos, the TCP actually felt nicer in the hand, than the Ruger or the S&W, & it is made in the USA...

While I'm not a Taurus lover... I'm really getting sick of the bashers... it's really getting old guys

BGutzman
May 10, 2012, 09:14 AM
I have owned 3 Taurus pistols, one was a problem right out the box, one failed to fire during practice for CCW carry (instantly sentencing the pistol to being unsafe for CCW carry) it was not a problem with the round it was a pistol problem...

The 1911 would not fire certain types of very common ammunition...

Lesson learned, they have some neat looking weapons but the quality control is so hit and miss its a crap shoot and you never know for sure that when and if you have to pull the trigger that its going to go bang.

XD, Sig, S&W and others are better choices... In pistols like most everything else you generally get what you pay for.

PT-92
May 10, 2012, 01:36 PM
Have several Taurus products including the .380 and say go for it!:)

-Cheers

LockedBreech
May 10, 2012, 03:33 PM
My vote is no, whatever it's worth. Actual Taurus experience speaking.

I'm not sure who I'm stealing this quote from, but, "The pain of low quality persists long after the sting of high price has faded."

Skadoosh
May 10, 2012, 04:14 PM
...is it worth taking a chance on?

Are you willing to give away $199?

sho'nuff
May 13, 2012, 05:13 PM
I had one with a few issues. I called taurus, they sent a fed ex guy to pick mine up and it was back to me in 2 weeks no questions asked. Since I've had it back its been perfect. I would rate they customer service as excellent.

RickE
May 13, 2012, 05:30 PM
I have TCP, and had a couple FTF issues. I found the shape of some of the hollow point rounds are a problem (wide mouth). The Critical Defense style bullets seem to fix the problem.

Mark In Texas
May 13, 2012, 09:53 PM
As a follow up: While recallingthis post, since the gun was essentially still in the box, I decided to cycle some ammo through it.

So I put three rounds of JHP (not sure the brand, there were loose rounds in the bottom of my range bag) in the magazine, inserted the magazine and cycled the slide. Uh oh. Failure to feed. Cleared the weapon, repeated, same result.

Opened a box of Federal Hydro-Shok .380 and loaded those. Cycled without a problem. Opened a box of Hornaday Critical Defense, cycled without a problem. Same with WWB.

The only visible difference between the first round and the Federal Hydro-Shok is that the opening for the hollow point on the first round was noticably larger.

Next up is a trip to the range.

Frasier
May 13, 2012, 11:42 PM
I had a brand new TCP for 3 days. Mine was built broken by the homeless crazy people that Taurus shanghais off the streets and pay them in cheap booze. The magazines would not stay in and would fall out on every shot. Then something in the trigger snapped and broke.
I took it back and traded it for a Ruger LCR and couldn't be happier. The sad part is that I really liked the ergonomics on the gun, it looked great and handled well, and it was dead on accurate (when it did fire) but I can't trust a gun like that.