Taurus TCP or Taurus 85 revolver ?

"+P" out of a 2" revolver is a joke. They don't expand, they kick hard, cost more.
The TCP is much smaller than the 85. It's also lighter and much easier to carry.
 
It will do the job. I bet my life on it daily.

Taurus_zps2304a6b3.jpg
 
"+P" out of a 2" revolver is a joke. They don't expand, they kick hard, cost more.
Click to expand...

+P has nothing to do with expansion.

When a short barerl is already imiting velocity, I'll take the extra couple hundred fps for teh same bullet weight of +p
 
Cartridge wise, the 38 SP shades the .380 by a noticeable margin. My Son's first CCW pistol was a TCP(380). I was visiting (packing a 3" .38SP) while he was shooting water filled milk jugs. As a comparison, I fired one shot at the last intact jug. The results were far more dramatic than the .380 and caused Son to rethink his carry option.
Carry wise, the TCP is smaller overall, thinner, and quite possibly lighter than many 38 revolvers. The belt holster that comes with the TCP works very well in my opinion. I would prefer that over IWB in most cases.
The difference in capacity and reload speed is a personal choice. I prefer the 38 revolver over the small semi-auto in shootability terms but have to point out that neither is easy to shoot accurately.
 
the other issue is ammo, 380 is $23 a box, i reload 38, so i'd also have to get reloading dies if i want to shoot 380 more than a few times a year.
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I shoot my 38 special less because the cheapest ammo I can find is $22.97 per box. I bought a box of Perfecta 380 yesterday for $14.97 and a box of PPU for $15.97. The Winchester was $38.97 for a box of 100. It's hard beat the cost of 9mm which I have found as low as $11.99 per box for Perfecta which shoots really well for practice.
 
I actually got over to my local store where they had a bunch of model 85's for low $200's, but no ultra lights, basspro had them for high $200's. regular M85's too high a grip, so it's not a pocket carry.

I did however see a couple of used kel tec p3at's for $219. and also new kahr cm9's for $329. technically the kahr is out of my price range, but the difference could go on my credit card till bonus day in 5 weeks :-)

the TCP vs a kahr cm9 ? think kahr wins. plus they are doing a free mag until september.
 
For those who have been having feeding problems with your TCP you might want to check out this Youtube video Taurus TCP .380 Feeding Issue:
It can be the slide release tap on the inside that is catching the bullet and may need too be filed down a bit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxCZxEyvvlo
if this doesn´t work you´ll have to do the Youtube search.
 
Taurus 85?

G-C-W
I've had a model 85 SS for 20+ yrs. now. I bobbed the hammer, removed the single-action notch for DAO, and installed a pair of finger-groove grips (could be PACHMAYERS, been so long I don't remember). Anyway; It fits in any ankle rig or pocket of any pants I wear, and handles the 158gr SWC-LHP +P very well. Just my preferences, but it's still one helluva pocket pistol/B-U to either the G-27 or 35 I carry.

WILL
 
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The real question may be is the 380 enough???

I carried my TCP for over 2 years... it was just the perfect carry gun... always went bang when I pulled the trigger ( mine had the stainless slide )... I did have some issues with the mag release button & spring, with corrosion as I wear it all the time, but it shot a lot of raccoons... over the years...

however I recently had to put down my lil house doggie ( a Bichon ) that was 16 years old... I laid him down, & put a FMJ bullet between his shoulder blades, angling towards his chest from 3-4 inches away... the bullet killed him instantly ( because I severed his spine ) but there was no exit wound & very little blood from the entry wound ( I know, because I placed him on his little bed in a plastic box we had gotten for this purpose ) while this may be a bit morbid for some... I chose the FMJ, over the Speer Gold Dots, because I didn't want to have to deal with blowing his head off, but I expected an exit wound with the FMJ, since he was a little dog, & there was no sign of the bullet, even though it was fired from 3-4 inches away... I often had to use 2 of the Speer Gold Dot bullets on the raccoons in the past, so my experience with the dog, has moved me away from carrying the TCP, as I no longer feel the 380 is an acceptable self defense cartridge...

so... I'm back to a J Frame... I have more confidence in the 38 Spcial, or as you mentioned, a compact 9mm... I no longer have confidence in the 380 for self defense...
 
If your going to carry in your pants pocket, you want a around 15oz. I carry a 442 or LCR357 in my pockets. I think Taurus calls theirs the 85 ultra light. I only carry Snub Revolvers. I don't trust small autos. Especially 380s.
 
i have the tcp and I really like it a lot. but I also have the taurus model 905 revolver which holds 5 rounds of 9mm and i love it as well. so you might check it out also.
 
I used to loathe the .380 for SD. love the guns, but hate cartridge, totally understand why people carry it though, no hate. but now seeing Lehigh Defense extreme penetrator in .380, I am very tempted to downsize. I would probably choose the TCP, I hear many stories of their reliability and having a better trigger than the competition, plus I have several taurus' and all run great with no factory visits. check out the extreme penetrator round, very interesting, cross between FMJ and hollow-point, with about half the attributed of both. I love that's it's a no failure bullet type, if you know what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LczfeWK9lHw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDQcE-1T40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlY...zfeWK9lHw&annotation_id=annotation_3627155255
theres only about a thousand vids about it btw

not that a couple good videos are going to make me trust a .380 for my next carry gun, but I am at least tempted to play with one now and make up my own mind. but even so, I am sure itstill stand that the 9mm Lehigh XP round would do better......maybe. if the .380 is already slightly overpenetrating, than bigger may not be better in this special case.
 
i got the pistol because it can go in my pocket or conceal easy for summer etc when my sig is too big. 380 with XTP bullets of any manufacture seems to work well.
 
the ultimate and often asked question is revolver or semiauto for ccw. im the former and so my first handgun was, and remains with me, a steel model 85, a great piece only improved with pachmayr grips. i dont know about newer or ultralight model 85s, but i endorse mine for ccw and it is comfortable enough as a shooter for vital practice to be pleasant.
 
Given the choice between a Taurus semi auto and revolver i personally would save a little more money and buy a quality firearm.
 
I had a Taurus M85SS for about a year and then traded it off. Up to 10 yds it grouped nicely but it was always about 2 1/2" to the left no matter what I did. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the gun but the ergonomics just didn't work with me for some reason, this is the only gun I've ever had this issue with. The other deciding factor in trading it off was how rough the bore was, from the factory it actually looked pitted. The day I bought it I had forgotten my bore light at home, but since it was a brand new gun I didn't think it would be a problem. I would never have bought it if I'd seen the bore, it was that bad.
 
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