Taurus TCP .380 range report

B

boykinhntr

New member
I thought I would probably like this gun. I had no idea just how impressed i would be with the TCP. It exceeded all of my expectations and impressed me more than any gun I have owned through the years! For such a small gun, the accuracy is simple amazing. The trigger is good with a very even easy pull. Some may say that the pull is a touch long but it was good to me. The only negative was that I found the front sight hard to see. This is not a range gun so I am not concerned about that. It does what it was designed to do.

I thought I would have a larger selection of ammo but the UPS didn't arrive today so I shot 200 rounds of American Eagle 95gr FMJ. I personally shot 120 rounds and my friend shot 80. The gun had ZERO issues and was very smooth. Like any small .380, it was a touch snappy but was the best of any .380 pocket gun I have ever shot. It was even much more manageable than my Sig P230 which is a much more substantial gun. I was able to empty the mags and keep the gun on target with ease. For a pocket gun, the TCP's accuracy is simply fantastic. I was able to shoot it more accurately than my PT145 and just as well as my friends Glock 17 out to 15yds.

This is my first group at 7yds
507a5d52.jpg


These next 2 groups are at 15yds!!
ac44eaec.jpg


5501a7ed.jpg


And for fun 20yds...This is good shooting for me especially with a pocket gun

53083c02.jpg



IMO, Taurus hit a grand slam with this gun. Not everyone is interested in pocket .380s but if you are, this is a MUST have. Looks good but performs GREAT!! I am ready to get my shipment of ammo in so I can try some hot Buffalo Bore self defense rounds. :D
 
I should have added in my review that my shooting buddy couldn't hit crap with this gun. He is a pretty decent shot but couldn't get used to the trigger. He is used to 1911s so I think he was just flinching.
 
Ha Ha, trust me I am not that great of a shot. I was very surprised at how well this gun shot. I couldn't group like that with any of the other guns I was shooting except my S&W 622(.22LR)

I was shocked at the groups. However, my buddy(who is probably a better shot) could barely hit paper at 20yds with this gun. Also the shootnsee's were about the size of a lare plate. I don't know the exact size of them. But yes it was good shooting:)
 
MY TCP

I've had my TCP for a few weeks and cycled 100 rds through it. Here's my experience. Excellent fit and finish. Great sights, trigger, weight, etc... . Problems: 1. Take down pin retention spring is straight making getting the pin back in very difficult and only giving one point of contact to keep it in (it begins to move outward during operation). 2. The magazine and the magazine release are disasters. Any pressure on the release ejects the mag, as well as, tapping the bottom of the mag and, on occassion, firing the weapon. This makes most carry solutions (pants pocket, tight holster, etc..) problematic. Be prepared to go through a tap-rack-bang drill. I plan on sending mine back for the refit.
 
I liked the way it felt in my hand

I own a LCP and love it but the other day I held a TCP, was not able to shoot it though. Anyway, it felt better in my hand than my LCP and I favored the TCP's trigger. Another thing i liked was, the TCP had slightly more noticible sights. I know there is not really a need for sights on a pocket pistol but I do appreciate better sights. I wish these manufacturers would put better sights on them. I put some nitesiters on my LCP and I think it was worth it.
 
New Member With TCP Problems

Just purchased the Taurus TCP and my gun shop sold me the Winchester white box ammo. I went to the range today with my son who has the LCP and right off the TCP failed to feed and eject and the first round. After wrestling the slide back and hold it there while pushing the mag released I was able to pull the mag out and clear the gun. This happened just about every time I tried to shoot the TCP. By the way, his LCP was dropping the mag after almost every shot making sure it wasn't him pushing the mag release. Needless to say the .380s didn't shine today. I never expected the TCP to give me so much hell that made me want to throw it in the trash. Has anyone had the same experience that I have. I tried to make sure my grip was right, tried to make sure everything was right but to no avail. I had my XDM 40 with me, shot 200 rounds, not one hiccup period. I must say when I did get the TCP to shoot it was pretty accurate at around 25 ft. If anyone could share some light on this please do. I plan to take the gun back to the dealer so he can try the Winchester ammo and see if he has the same problems I encountered. I think I love this gun if I could get it past one shot and then jamming. I suppose it could be the Winchester ammo which I don't like anyway. Thanks everyone.
 
Josephus,

Did you disassemble the gun and clean it really well before shooting it? Taurus is known to ship with an incredible amount of packing grease and this will cause your problems everytime. Hopefully this is the situation. If not, I really dont know. The TCPs have been very dependable by most accounts. Also some guns just don't like certain ammo.

Keep us posted.
 
I just picked up a TCP on Friday, and the first thing I did was strip it down and clean all of the packing oil off of everything. It was everywhere. Inside the slide, barrel, and frame, and all over the mags.
 
I did not clean it and should have. My theory was the Winchester ammo might be the problem. I have heard others say leave it alone. I will take your suggestions and give it a good cleaning and lube. I really like this gun and hopefully I can get it to perform so I can feel comfortable carrying it when I get my CHL here in Texas. Thanks.
 
I can almost guarantee the cleaning will solve your problems. Everything you discribed is to be expected without breaking it down and cleaning it. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
 
My TCP had an issue as well right off the bat. It would lock the slide back with one round still in the mag. I stopped shooting and went back home.
I took the slide off of the frame and inserted a mag loaded with one round. When I held the gun like I do when shooting it, I found that my pinky was pressing up on the mag.
This, in combination with the slide stop tab being angled slightly down, was causing the follower to contact the slide stop tab with one round still in the mag.
I completely disassembled the pistol and removed the aluminum chassis from the polymer frame. I adjusted the slide stop tab at a very slight upward angle.
I then reassembled the pistol and headed back out. I fired the rest of my .380 ammo and the pistol was 100% reliable.
 
Felt Better A Little Better Today Re: TCP

Took the TCP back to the dealer this morning and they test fired the gun and had the same eject & feed problems as I had. Found there was a burr on the feedramp and they removed that and polished the feedramp. Turns out the gun wasn't that dirty or gummed up, etc. They did take back the Winchester ammo, since they found out too that the gun didn't like it much, and gave me some new Remington. If I still have problems I am will be sending her back to Taurus. My son contacted Ruger about the mags falling out of his LCP after each shot and they are going to put a new metal mag release button which should eliminate his problem and they said they shoot a minimum of 8 magazines to test his gun. They promised 2 days air to get there and 2 days air return, I wish Taurus would provide service like that. From what I hear the wait is a little longer. I am thinking now the gun just needs more rounds through it and hopefully I will have it where it shoots as expected and can count on it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top