That being said, there are other .380s that would be better still, and still about the same price as the TCP.
Bersa Thunder 380 for one. Bigger/heavier. Steel frame. Nice grip.
That being said, there are other .380s that would be better still, and still about the same price as the TCP.
Bersa Thunder 380 for one. Bigger/heavier. Steel frame. Nice grip.
It will be interesting to find out which has less recoil, especially with non +p .38 rounds. Regarding the Taurus Polymer 38, I actually ordered one from Kygunco last week that was on sale for a great price. I pick it up tomorrow. Quite often, I see a TCP for sale in the $169-$189 range online, but I have not pulled the trigger yet. I have never shot one of those tiny .380s before (or any 380 for that matter) and want to see what one is like before making a purchase.
At those prices and with the quality reviews, it is almost worth it to take the risk of buying it without having shot it before.
I've shot small lightweight 38 specials and I have a TCP 738.
The 738 has much less felt recoil.
The one my wife has is 100% reliable so far with ball ammo and jhp. The only thing I did to it when we got it was to take it apart and thoroughly clean it. I also lubed it with TW25B grease.Same for me.
However, my TCP was unreliable, even after 2 trips back to Taurus, so I traded it and got an LCP. The LCP has been flawless.
Also, a friend failed to heed my warning and bought a TCP. On the second shot, it jammed so badly that a gunsmith had to take it apart before he could send it back.
The one my wife has is 100% reliable so far with ball ammo and jhp. The only thing I did to it when we got it was to take it apart and thoroughly clean it. I also lubed it with TW25B grease.
My wife's Taurus TCP 738 is the stainless steel version. I don't know if that would make a difference. She went from a S&W model 60 to the Taurus. She's probably never going to give up the TCP. I was never a Taurus fan, but I'm a believer in this pistol. Besides being reliable, the trigger pull is smooth and light; has a slide lock and the pistol is very compact and light weight. I carry a Kahr CM9 now (I used to carry a S&W 642) and am pleased with it. If I ever decide to go the .380 route, the Taurus TCP 738s will be tops on my list.Happy for you. It's a nice gun if it works. If you have a good one, don't get rid of it - don't bet on getting lucky with the next one. Trust me - mine was thoroughly cleaned and lubed - it just plain didn't work consistently.