Taurus 738 TCP pistol
Taurus has unveiled their new Taurus TCP pistol. This is another additional the increasingly wide range of .380 ACP sub-compact pistols. The TCP stands for “Taurus Compact Pistol”.
The pistol is DOA (Double Action only) and has a 6+1 capacity with a standard magazine and a 8+1 capacity with an extended magazine.
Full sized photo can be seen at Guns Holsters and Gear
Three models will be available: an ultra light titanium side version weighting only 8.5 ounces, a blued steel slide model and a stainless model. Both steel models weigh 10.2 ounces.
The pistol features:
* Ambidextrous magazine release.
* Fish scale slide pattern.
* Large trigger guard.
* Low profile sights.
It is quite a sexy looking pistol. Most .380 ultra-compact carry pistol look “functional” at best … and I say this as a Glock fanboy!
GHG says it will retail for around $300 for the standard version and an extra $100 for the titanium slide.
Bought one yesterday picked it over kel-teck because it locks back after the last round, two mags and carry pack it was $10 more hopefully I made the right choice.
Took it out this morning and put 120 rounds down range with no problems used 50 win white box, 50 tul ammo and 20 pmc starfire jhp all hit the target so far so good!
My TCP is functioning great . I have put about 300 rounds through it both JHP and FMJ .The ejected shells are not hitting me anymore . A good solid grip on the gun probably prevents the barrel rise and the slide from tilting back which would throw the shell casing in your face rather than over your head . I just bought some PMC 380 FMJ ammo at Gander for $12.99 and it cycles great. I’m not worried about using FMJ because old Wild Bill and his Navy Colt 36 cal . made out with a 71 grain ball at 750 feet per second and my 95 grain at 850 is hotter than that .
Fall, and cooler temps, has come to the Lowcountry of SC. I took my TCP 738 out this past Saturday to run another 50 or so through it. I’m starting to love this little mouse gun. Mag after mag and it went “Bang” every time. The empties do have a good chance of hitting the top of your head so definitely shooting glasses are a must. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised about the accuracy since I have a 3″ XD Compac that’s a real tack driver but this little gun puts ‘em where I point ‘em.
Although our relationship had a very rocky start, I am now confident that I would recommend this pistol to anyone who is looking for a concealable 7 shot lightweight “constant companion”. I would normally drop it in outer pocket of my cargo shorts this past summer, and be on my way.
On the previous comment about “limp wristing”, I’m pretty confident that any “blowback” semi-auto pistol will FTE or FTF if you don’t hold a firm grip on it. That’s just common sense.
I did a test yesterday, long story short..Limp wristing’s this pistol will cause Failure to ejects issues. We did it with two TCPs and 300 rounds.
Bought the titanium TCP with crimson trace. One out of two clips were no good. would only load about three rounds then bind. Havent had the feeding problems like most people but had one exception. the hornady crtitical home defense rounds would not feed. I ordered 2 new factory clips but both would not seat in the mag well, Apparently there is a problem with the manufacturing of the clips. Factory clips that dont fit? The gunshop where I purchased the gun as well as the clips are doing some more research. So now I have a pretty decent shooter that I cant find clips for that work.
Note *** Next jam instead of trying to eject the bullet simply put your thumb on the chamber, the rectangular part of the barrel that the bullet is jammed in and press down .The ducking barrel will then drop to a better angle and the bullet will then load instantly . That beats dropping the clip and digging for the bullet .Could save your life .
I feel better about my purchase now . Hope to be satisfied at the range tommorow .
I think I have solved my problem with my jamming TCP . I had the same problems as most of you I read about with jams . It would half insert the round and jam mostly on the last 1 or 2 rounds, especially when hot . I found slow cycling the slide caused more jams. I observed that my extractor was always seeming to be the hanging point of the jam . I took a nail and slightly relieved the extractor pressure on the side of the bullet and the slide snapped closed . I then disassembled the gun and took a small smooth file and rounded a sharp point on the bottom of the extractor . If you look at the bottom of the slide you will see it . There will be a rough point that will dig into the bullet within the ejection groove .Be aware a little bit does it . I then sort of polished it to get rid of any roughness I may have created . My little TCP will now hand cycle without jams all the way to empty . It will even slow hand cycle Herters bullets and you know they are pretty rough and inconsistent .
Melinda,
Cgheck your mag spring I have hears of many compliant of that. Me personly have not had any problems.
Bought two Ruger LCP and after a year of shooting them and fixing numerous problems. Me and my husband have decided that they are pieces of junk. So we traded them both for a Taurus 380 TCP. First 50 rounds the gun shot great until last bullet and gun failed to feed. Cleaned it and checked mag springs, etc. Gun still failing to feed on last bullet. Has anyone had any similar problems? Suggestions to fix? For me personally I have decided to stay with my Glock 30 for concealment and my husband is going back to his Taurus 357 revolver.
Polymer right and how is the extended clips either 8 round or just the pinky finger rest. And what was your biggest difference with polymet.
Get a Pachmyr grip for the tcp. it helps.
I shot my Tcp today 150+ rounds I took it slow at first two seconds or so between shit after about 30 ot so I sped it up and thru 150 rounds not one single jam. I am imptessed. When I was looking to buy I couldn’t deside between the ryger or Tcp I took Tcp, because of price its not much but it saved me money. I am very happy with my Tcp sediment gun to carry I got the Sig saur hybrib holster I cam go either on out side of your belt or on inside of your hip I’ve done both carried and it very comfortable forget its there.
I am looking for some detailed schematics for the 738, someone took it completly apart and I am trying to put it back together correctly. I am a glock armorer and this is more difficult. I am sure about everything except the correct placement of the sear and sear spring and how it lines up . I have it oriented like the picture in the Taurus diagram but dont know where to put the straight portion of the Sear spring.
The guy uses the gun as a Police backup and upon reading some of the posts about how unreliable the gun is I may tell him to go with something else.
I have used a .380 Walther PPKS and it was finicky about ammo. I had a .380 bersa that was better than the Walther but still had its issues. I currently use a SW .38 cal for a pocket pistol and a Kel Tec P11 9mm for my backup on duty. I have never had a single fail to fire fail to feed or fail to eject in either gun (yeah the revoler cant fail)
Took the TPC out again for the “post warranty repair” test fire… no problems, at all, period. Ran 6, 6 round mags through it with nary a hiccup. This thing really is accurate, believe it or not. At 12yrds I put everything in an 8″ bull, except for a couple of flyers that were my fault. Very impressive. All the empties flew up and over my right shoulder. I found all of them except two. No jams, stovepipes, or FTF. It was close to 100 degrees here in the Lowcountry of SC on Saturday so I didn’t want to take anymore time outside than was absolutely necessary, otherwise I would have ran more through it. Next time, when it cools down a little. Anyway, pretty happy about how this has all ended up. Will consider this my backup CCW, with the SLIM .40 getting the nod as my primary. Ran a couple of mags through that again too. Flawless.
Well Just bought the taurus at Academy and it will not even fire going to send it to the dealer asking for my money for the the junk I don’t want something just been inspected that tell me about the manufacture and their product
Oh… one more thing. When I sent the pistol back for repair I used the original box, and put the pistol inside the pouch as directed. It also said to include a magazine… which I did. One magazine in the gun. Upon arrival back from the factory repair, I was pleasantly surprised that, included in the pouch, was an additional magazine. Bonus! So now I have 3 of the 6 rounders. Although I believe I somewhat deserve it, since I only got off two shots before it broke. I will update when I get a chance to take it out for some range time.
DE4NRA –
At least the timing worked out. When I have family in town I like to have as much firepower within easy reach as I can get…
Well, I called Taurus customer service shortly after 8AM CST on 7/18 and told the guy about the problem I was having… two shots out of the box and done. He was very attentive to my story and quickly told me that he would schedule FedEx to pickup the broken pistol the next day, prepaid. I had it ready to go and it left on the 19th. I got confirmation that it had been received on the 20th, I called again for a status and another rep told me that repairs were going faster than advertised and that I may have my pistol repaired and returned by the 22nd. I was skeptical but told him I appreciated his help. I got an email on the 21st that it was repaired and shipped with a tracking number. It arrived on the morning of the 22nd… just as I had been told, and seems to function correctly. Due to family in town this weekend I did’nt have a chance to test it out. When I do, I’ll get back to you with the results. Right now, I’m not so hip on the TCP 738 but, I’m pretty impressed with the warranty and service department. Hopefully it will win back my trust, time and rounds downrange will tell…
Dick. I have experienced the same problem you described. I carry a round in the chamber (my preference…to each their own). When I go to practice I clear out my Gold Dot HP round so I can shoot the cheap stuff. I have found that the only way to avoid a jam is to rack the slide like a mad man. I yank the slide back until the slide pulls itself out of my fingers. The round goes flying but no jamming that requires pulling and prying. Hope that works for you too.
Dick -
I carry my TCP with relatively expensive premium self-defense ammunition with a round in the chamber . When I unload it for cleaning or to switch to a FMJ load for practice, I first eject the magazine, then pull the slide back to unchamber the round and let it fall out. I’ve never had one hang up even when I turn the pistol upside down to unload the chambered round.
One item of concern I’ve not seen mentioned here is with ejection of an unfired round. Spent casing eject fine but if you try to unload the pistol with a live round, the port is not quite big enough to allow that to happen smoothly. When dealing with a jam, tap/rack will likely not work. You’ll probably need to go to step two and remove the magazine. Just wondering if others have noticed this also.
Colin, you don’t need a dealer to send a weapon back to the manufacturer, or a gunsmith for a repair. If your dealer is saying it will cost $50, he is either an a-hole that is ripping you off… or he knows absolutely NOTHING about the firearms industry and regulations. In either case I would not do business with him again.
Before sending the weapon “to the back of my gun safe” why don’t you just call Taurus? They will send Fed Ex out the next day to pick up the gun. That is what they did with mine. The only issue that I had was that they ended up replacing the weapon, and that required an FFL. When I told them that I bought the weapon from an out of town dealer at a gun show, they arranged for a local dealer to do the exchange at no cost.
Colin -
As others on this thread point out, Taurus has a lifetime warranty. Just call them and they’ll give you the info to ship it back on their nickel. They’ll repair it and send it back, or send you a new one.
Give it a try, at least try to get a functioning weapon you can sell to recover some of your expense and give you at least a modicum of satisfaction.
Just more thing – there is no such thing as an extended magazine for the TCP!!! I have no idea where people got that……but I called Taurus and the factory rep told me “THERE IS NO SUCH THING”!! I also researched to try and find an extended floor plate for the mags (like the Ruger LCP has – to give you a better grip). Nobody makes them. There is no such thing!!! So don’t be fooled!!! The Ruger LCP is a “MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH” better buy for your money!!!!!!!!
When I bought the Taurus, I looked at the TCP and the Ruger LCP. The only reason I bought the stupid TCP, is because I liked the fact that the slide stays back on last shot. The FIRST time out, the slide only stayed back SOME of the time. I called the dealer I bought it from, the next day. They gave me a bunch reasons why it must be my fault. So I tried several differant things (they suggested) and broke it in with a couple hundred rounds of ammo (what a sucker huh?). I probably spent almost as much in ammo, breaking it in, as the gun cost…LOL. Then it started jambing regularly. I called my dealer and they told me it would cost me 50 bucks for them to send it back for me. From there, it went to the back of my gun safe and it’s still there. I guess I figured it was time to cut my losses….LOL. Anyway, like Andrew said, trade-in value means a big loss for me. So, thats 150 bucks of my hard earned money right down the crapper!!! (If I get that much for it). All I can say is “buyer beware”!!! Don’t buy a Taurus!!!!
Sorry you’re having problems. I have over 1500 rounds through my TCP since March 2010 with one failure, the slide did not stay back after last round, and that was with the first box.
It shoots low for me, a 61-year-old with astigmatism, with the fixed sights, so I finally added a Crimson Trace and can now just point and shoot with confidence.
A friend who owns a Ruger LCP prefers my Taurus. He’s started having the problem I did with the LCP with the magazine disengaging every two or three shots, resulting in an empty chamber and the need to rack the slide.
Amen brother! (I love all these comments that if you will just hold the TCP firmly, it will solve all the function problems.) Holding it firmly won’t prevent pieces falling out of it, which is what happened to mine, and that was after Taurus supposedly “fixed” it. I traded it in on a Ruger LCP (got only half what I paid for the Taurus on the trade-in). The Ruger works great, and adding a rubber slip-on grip filler makes it point as well as the Taurus. Andrew
I own a tcp 738. It is a piece of junk. I don’t recomend anybody to by one of these guns. There is a really good chance it will be nothig but problems. Once you buy it, your stuck with it!! Read this blog real good. It is waste of 300 bucks. I will never buy aother Taurus product again. Almost all of the TCP’s have problems right out of the box and Taurus knows it!!! Mine jambs, among other things. I later bought a Ruger LCP. The Ruger works great. So far, I have had no malfuctions. If your going to by a 380, buy the Ruger LCP!!!!!! The bad guy is not going to wait for you to un-jamb your gun!!!
Mail ordered a PT 740 and a 380 tcp, and picked them both up yesterday 07/09. Took them to a friends house to try them out. Started with the 380… two shots and it wouldn’t cock the hammer… racked the slide, same thing, racked the slide again… same thing. Pissed me off. Tried the 740, flawless no problems at all. Brought the tcp home and disassembled it. Looks like the hammer cocks but moves just a fraction of an inch forward enough so that the (not sure of the terminology) trigger mechanism dosen’t “catch” the hammer to fully cock and release when the slide moves to the rear. I can hear a “click” as if it’s just missing the hammer, although it does move a slightly before it “slips” back. If I take a small flathead screw driver, and poke it in the slot in the rear of the slide, and depress the hammer just a tad, while pulling the trigger, it will catch and function normally. This would be a lot to do in an emergency situation. So, I’m calling Taurus tomorrow and getting an RMA to return it for repair. According to these other posts, it sounds like they will have FedEx pick it up (hopefully at their cost) and ship it back to FL. Hope I don’t have to wait too long for them to fix the problem. Really was looking forward to that little gun this summer. Will post results when they become available.
I purchased the tcp 380 yesterday and cleaned it last night. Glad I did this before test firing, as the gun was filthy with grease. Took me awhile to clean it up. Before cleaning, I attempted to eject live rounds. It would not eject anything. After cleaning, it would eject everything ok. I wouldn’t advise firing this weapon, if purchased new, before cleaning it up.
Update on my previous update: I got a package from Taurus. It was the two replacement magazines for the ones that wouldn’t stay in the weapon…. Now I have a functioning pistol with 4 good mags, so I now have a backup weapon for the zombie apocalypse!
I have purchased the taurus pt 738 have had several jams embarassed at ctc class had to use my brothers 40 cal sent back to be repaired the slide pin does not stay in the groove have not even shot 100 rds the sn# ends in a B hope they can fix enjoy the size and concealment.
Before you post advice such as, Hold if tight and you won’t miss a beat” and you can’t brlieve everything you read” read the rest of the posts kindly. Just because your gun ran fine for 250 rounds, should not make you an expert on every other TCP out there. Glad yours is working though. I love the concept of mine, looks, feel, and features. As you read my very first posts, my gun too was flawless in the beginning. No such luck now. Not trying to sound like a jerk, so don’t take this wrong, but post facts here people. It’s the best way to help others make responsible and informative descicions.
I intended to purchase a Ruger LCP, but at the gun shop, I looked at a Taurus TCP. The Ruger didn’t have a last-shot lock back slide, the sights were weak, and it just didn’t feel right. The salesman mentioned the lifetime warranty, so I bought the TCP. I own several other Rugers that I like, so this was an impulse purchase. Got home and ran thru 50 target rounds, no problem. I did clean the barrel first. Got to looking on the internet, and noticed all the bad reviews, and made me wonder if I had made a mistake. I usually research all purchases. Field stripped the gun and cleaned it: didn’t need much, looked good. Next day ran through another 100 rounds: perfect. Next day, another 100: perfect. Just shows you can’t believe everything you read. I love this little gun. Easy to break down. Putting back together, start the pin before you move slide back and it slips right in after you push slide back. Just remember, it is a small 380, and you have to hold it tight. If you do, it won’t miss a beat.
All are talking about the TCP–How is the new 738 TI (titianium) doing? Any proablems?
For the most part, if you clean your Taurus, especially the feed ramp, and use good ammo and not the cheap kind, use at least a 95 grain .380 cartridge, that should alleviate the majority of the jamming issues, minus the mechanical and self inflicted problems.
I just purchased the Taurus TCP , I was looking at the Ruger and the Kel Tec ,But happened upon the TCP at a local gun show. I liked the trigger pull and the extra magazine with it , that sold me on the gun. I did some research online after buying it , and became nervous when I heard the problems others were having , but was hopeful that I wouldnt see those probs, and I didnt. But I did happen to see the firing pin shoot out the back side of the gun while shooting it as it hit me in the chest. This is a problem I hadnt seen online but thats my usual luck. The problem occured after about 20 to 25 rounds. I called the dealer who sold me the weapon, Needless to say , he doesnt want to do anything for now and rightfully so. So I then contacted Taurus directly and they were very willing to repair the gun. What occured was the retaining pin in the slide that secures the firing pin and spring. It pushed up and has absolutely no fit to stay in place. Aside from the pin coming out the gun, It shot very well and Im hoping that the pin problem will be corrected on the first try. I will update upon its return . Brad Jones
UPDATE: I bought my TCP back in May 2010, and it failed right out of the box. Sent it back to Taurus, they replaced it. New pistol fired well, but wouldn’t hold magazines! Sent it back again, came back with new mags, everything works (I still have two spare mags I am waiting for replacement).
I just fitted the pistol with a Crimson Trace LaserGuard. Took it out last weekend and put 150 rounds through it. The first 50 were CCI Blazer Brass. Pistol jammed 4 times and accuracy sucked. The next 50 rounds were Sellier and Bellot FMJ, all 50 rounds went through without a hitch, accuracy was also improved. The last 50 rounds were Hornady XTP hollow points. Once again all 50 rounds went through without so much as a hiccup!
I bought two boxes of Blazer Brass a couple of months ago. I fired the first box through my Makarov and had two jams, one failure to fire (primer unseated) and one squib load. That was the first time I EVER had a jam with the Makarov. I can safely blame the four jams on the ammo, not the weapon.
Verdict: The new TCP is reliable. I’ll continue practice with Blazer Brass to give myself realistic practice in clearing jams!
Just purchased my TCP and took it out to test fire Straight out of the box. I am extremely pleased with my purchase. Absolutely no problems, even during rapid fire. Even though all my friends said get the S&W because it comes with a built in laser. It would have been nice but Oh well can’t have everything LOL!
I have had my TCP for 4 months and have put over 500 rounds through it. Some of the “cheap” ammunition does not work in it nor does it work in most other pistols. I have polished the entry ramp and have no FTF nor FTE probems. I had a lock open problem with one magazine but I slightly squeezed the front flange of the magazine closed and it has performed flawlessly since. My TCP does have an A at the end of the serial #. I love my TCP and it is my constant carry and fully trust it to do its job. I fire it at least once a month (at least 10 magazines) and stick to a single supplier for the JHP that performs everytime. I don’t go for the “bullet of the month” approach. I stick with what works in it and love it!
I finally got to the range to zero the Crimson Trace laser on my TCP. I misinterpreted the CT directions –which way to turn the stinking screws in moving point of aim vs. moving the point of impact — I zeroed it at 25 feet and shot single-handed with each hand without aiming and am quite pleased. I turn 61 in a few months, have worn glasses since I was five because of severe astigmatism, and simply could not use the TCP sights, shooting a bit low, although dead center by pointing. Now I can put the bullet where the red dot appears without using the sights at all.
In over 1000 rounds — JHP & FMJ — since the February 2010 purchase, I’ve had only one “failure” and that was of the slide to stay back after the last round.
All I have to do is purchase another Recluse holster that’s made for the CT so I can carry the TCP with the spare magazine. I am a quite satisfied Taurus customer.
BTW, I have a CT on my S&W .38 Spl snubby and am equally pleased because those sights are even worse than the TCP’s. I did add the LaserLyte Taurus laser to my Public Defender — those sights are actually better than that of my previous 3” cylinder / 3” barrel Judge — and am also quite thrilled with the results.
In a way it’s silly to spend so much money on something that you hope never to use, but in that sense it’s just like life insurance.
Wow…I guess good help is hard to find… I have heard other stories about bad service from Taurus, but I have also heard the opposite. I also wonder if maybe my 738 is a recently manufactured one, and may have had improvements made so avoid the issues that it has had. So far, I couldnt be happier. I have owned the Keltec, and I like the 738 WAY better. The Ruger LCP felt bad in my hand, and I didnt like the sights on it. I went with the 738 cuz it felt good, looked good, and the price was right. OF course, I had not read any reviews on it until after I bought it. But I had done alot of shooting by that point, so when I saw all the negative reviews, I got a little worried. But so far, so good.
Don, there actually is an issue with early TCPs. I bought one at a gun show and stopped by a range on the way home. From the second magazine on it would have catastrophic failures to feed. There would be a partially extracted round in the chamber, and another round being stripped of the magazine. The slide and magazine release would be completely jammed. To clear the jam, I would have to reach in through the ejection port to push the round back into the magazine so I could drop the magazine and clear the fired case.
After this happened a few times I realized that the takedown pin was working its way out, causing the jams. It would fire with no problems if I kept my thumb on the takedown pin while I fired.
I sent the weapon back to Taurus. After 8 weeks and a lot of calls I was told they were replacing the weapon and I would have to find an FFL to transfer it. This was an issue here in Washington because many FFLs stopped doing transfers due to changes in the tax laws (they have to charge sales tax on ALL transfers). Fortunately Taurus got a dealer to accept the transfer at no cost to me.
I immediately took the new weapon to the range and tested it out. It fired flawlessly, however there was a new problem. The magazines would fall out if they were wiggled. This is not a good thing if you are carrying it concealed (which is the ONLY reason you would by a TCP),,, I sent the new weapon back to Taurus AGAIN. One week later I had the weapon back with two new magazines. These fit snugly and did not fall out.
I still had two additional spares that would not stay in the weapon. I called Taurus AGAIN, and they told me to send the magazine back. After several MONTHS of being told they were back ordered, a customer service rep said he would send two re-manufactured magazines… These magazines would not stay in the weapon either, so I called Taurus AGAIN.
This time I was connected to a nasty and argumentative bimbo who said I had to send the ENTIRE WEAPON back AGAIN. I told her that the weapon was not the problem, but she refused to cooperate. I hung up, quite disgusted. I called Taurus AGAIN, and left a message. Several WEEKS later they returned my call and said they would send new mags… That was a couple of weeks ago.
Its funny that you bring up NRA instructors…I let a friend of mine who is an instructor shoot my 738, and on the 2nd clip, it had a misfeed. I told him to stop “limp wristing” it, and he didnt have any trouble after that. I peice of paper stating you are an instructor doesnt mean you are flawless and have perfect shooting form. I am a former US Marine with PLENTY of weapons training, and I still learn things all the time. Maybe there ARE alot of these guns that are defective. Im just saying that MINE is not, and if anyone is having feed problems, check your grip and make sure it is firm, or you will have feed problems. Thats just the way it is with these little pistols. They are so light that if you dont hold them solidly, there will be issues. I would think that if Taurus gets a gun back from a customer, they are going to fire it several times to ensure it works properly. Ive noticed thru reading posts, that alot of people start having problems after shooting several clips…just about the time your hands are getting fatigued…hence, the limp wristing starts becoming a factor….
My second and follow up post. I bought mine quite a while ago at Academy, when they first came out. I bought it primarily as a easy carry piece for Personal Protection. I also purchased a Hunter pocket holster from Midway USA which fits in either rear or side pocket without any printing. I have never had a malfunction with this pistol. I carried it daily for almost two months without firing or cleaning it, then had an opportunity to fire it out in the country with a box of FMJ and a partial box of Hornacy JHP. It fired every round flawlessly. I only got hit in the forehead once by an ejected shell casing (I am 6′ 3″ with long arms) no damage, just minor annoyance. This continues to be my main carry piece due to its small size, light weight, easy concealablilty and reliabilty. I do not shoot thousands of rounds through it. I just shoot a box or so every now and then to stay proficient and familiar with its use. It took me a little while to get used to the long pull of the trigger, but if you are within 20 yards of me, all rounds would be centermass, so it is accurate enough for what it is designed for. I carry it in case of car jacking, robery and so on. Thank God Texas allows us CC permits.
Sorry to hear so many others are having problems with theirs. I have a couple of friends than have the similar Ruger and they like theirs the same as I do my Taurus.
I’ve had probems with my TCP since the first time I fired it. I’m getting ready to send it back to Taurus. I will let you all know if they fix it right. I have tried everything but I keep having a failure to eject problem. If I clean and oil it real good, the first mag will fire with no problems. But after that, it jams on almost every mag. And the slide intermitently does not stay back on the last round. I am very disappointed with this gun. I’m pretty convinced it is just crap. But Taurus will get their chance to fix it. After that I will probably trade it in. I’m thinking hard about buying a Ruger LCP, but I’m now kind of gun shy (please excuse the pun) of these little pocket pistols. What good is a defense pistol like my TCP? It has to go boom every time I pull the trigger.
I completely agree with Jason. I was having major problems with my first TCP right out of the box. Went back to the dealer and he told me I must be limp wristing. Bought an LCP right there on the spot and commenced to rip off rounds left and right with no problems whatsoever. Taurus ended up replacing the gun. So much for expert opinion.
I second the guy that shoots back at the ill-informed ignorant moron stating we are all limp wristing and calling Taurus’ poor release of this weapon…. Operator Error! Now we are jelouse of the fact that your piece performs better than ours, but that does not make you a product expert nor give you the empowerment to assume all serial numbers were created equal! Thanks for the laugh though.
Jeff
PSL, Florida
I had a a couple of malfunctions, not to say that it won’t happen to any other gun, it’s no Glock, but it does the job. And I am a Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor.
I love how someone just comes on here & starts spouting off about operator error. For those of us who actually think our s**t DOES stink every now & then may have actually had 2 certified NRA instructors including one which is a 2 class Master rated IDPA shooter and a 2 time Carolina Cup champion shoot the gun to see if it was indeed myself or the gun. The same thing happened to BOTH of them that happened to me. Operator error? I don’t think so.
I have owned my TCP for almost a year. I have shot several hundred rounds through it probably around a thousand. I was sceptical before I bought it an now I love it. Out of all of my shot rounds I have had a few ejection problems and some stovepiping. My armor has shot it quite a bit as well and said that I was limp wristing it, probably because my hands are too big for the gun. I switched from two hands to one and haven’t had a problem since. I would say that most of the ejection problems that are complained about on here are opperator error, be honest with yourself. 9 times out of 10 it’s not the guns fault. Most likely more.
I screwed up a little while back and took the sear pin out while cleaning it. I didn’t want to ruin the gun as I carry it on duty. I called Taurus and was pleased to find that they would pay for round trip shipping and have the gun fixed without any cost to me. I was blown away by their service. I was pleased with the gun before now I love this company. If I wasn’t a Sig nut I would definitely buy more from Taurus, and probably will anyway.
The TCP is great, it is a third the money that the Sig 238 costs and shoots almost as well. (what do you expect) The TCP is extremely accurate and is perfect for its purpose. I have been shooting 5 inch groups at 25 yards center mass with cheap winchester ammo. I definetly trust this weapon.
I ordered and promptly recieved from BigSupplyShop the Crimson Trace laser for my TCP but have not zeroed it in yet; there price of $136 is the lowest I’ve seen anywhere, and I’ve been looking for about six months. I also got a 20-round box of Federal Premium 380 90Gr. JHP for $14.37, a good $6 off the best price I’ve seen elsewhere. It’s a great carry round, but I’ll only fire off six to check how they feed.
The CT is straightforward to install and seems close at 20 feet, but I will report back after my trip to the range.
The bad news is that the TCP won’t fit the Recluse pocket holster with the CT, so I’ll have to get another because it’s simply an outstanding way to carry a mouse gun with the spare mag.
I just returned from the range after shooting my new 738 for the first time.
I ran a box of White Winchester ammunition and a half dozen Hornady Critical Defense rounds through it in both clips, and I am happy to report that the pistol functioned flawlessly.
The long trigger pull takes a little getting used to, but it is the first time I have shot a DAO pistol, so I’m not surprised.
Bottom line is I am very pleased with the pistol.
My husband purchased the Taurus 738 for me as my first gun and for saftey while he is on deployment. Excuse the fact that I do not know the proper gun terms, but you get the idea. We decided to buy this one because of the small size. First of all, one of the magazines only held 4 rounds instead of 6. The first 50 rounds I fired seemed to be fine. After that the gun began to jam and misfire. There was no evidence of the pin even hitting. It gradually jammed and misfired more and more to where it would sucessfully fire one or two times in one magazine of 6. We took it apart and cleaned the gun and the problem continued. We contacted Taurus and sent the gun back for repair. I recieved the gun back with one new clip which held 6, and a paper that said “replaced misfire”… okay… Just went to the range to test it and the first oh 24 rounds fired without incodent, but then started to misfire again. It misfired 6 times out of about 60. I was frustrated to say the least and did not even finish the box of 100. I have put over 300 rounds through this gun and have had nothing but issues even after “repair.” I will be contacting the company AGAIN tomorrow and I’m not sure if I even want this gun anymore because based on the reviews I have read on this site its obviously, for lack of a better word, a pos! Some may say I am an “inexperienced” gun owner this being my first gun, but my father and husband are definatly not inexperienced. My husband is in the military and father is a registered gun dealer and they were both present and fired the gun while it was being “broken in.” It would be safe to say I know exactly how to properly and safely use this gun… so thats not an excuse!!
I put another 50 rounds through my year-old TCP with no failures. That makes about 1,000 rounds with the one failure of the slide to stay back after the last round was fired, and that happened on the first box of 50. That trigger is about the best I’ve ever found, but I’m getting older and have trouble seeing the sights, so I really need to get the Crimson Trace.
My main purpose in going to the range was to zero the lasers on my S&W model 638 (.38 Spl 5-hot snubby with Crimson Trace) and new Taurus Public Defender with LaserLyte (from OpticsPlanet). The CT was off a bit, so I corrected that; the sights on this wheel-gun are so recessed that a laser for folks with eyes like mine is essential. The LaserLyte was new — I’d prealigned it with a Bushnell / Center Point boresighter and just had to make a tiny tweak. The sights on the PD are significantly more prominent than on my old Judge (3” barrel and 3” cylinder), and the durn thing is surprisingly accurate with the 2” barrel. The LaserLyte is well worth the $115 and lets me keep the wonderful Taurus grips.
My TCP is about a week old, I tested it out twice at the range with a total of 200 rounds throught it. Right off the store shelf, I fired 50 rounds through it and it jammed once with a failure to feed. I took it back to the range after a thorough cleaning and fired another 150 rounds and it had a failure to feed twice and a failure to fire twice. I can see this as a possible dangerous event in a real life situation if you are not proficient at engaging in Immediate Action Steps(Tap the magazine, Rack the Slide, and Squeeze the trigger). To be fair, both of the failure to feed and failure to fire situations occured while rapid firing, but with a subcompact, a rapid fire situation will be the most likely scenerio during a concealed carry close-up confrontation.
After about 500 rounds my 738 started having problems with extracting a spent casing and FTL. It was so bad I could not get through a magazine. I called Taurus and was given the option of them sending me a box and return label or emailing a overnight FEDEX shipping label. I printed out the label and my gun was on it’s way that day. I received emails stating the gun had been received and a phone call in five days saying the gun was repaired and ready to ship back. The shipping lable and comments were a bit sparse. Upon receipt of my 738 I took it to the range and put 100 rounds of re-loaded ammo through it. I have three magazines and I had no failures of any kind.
I have followed many of the blogs but in my case I was treated very professionally by Taurus. The repairs were done quickly. Taurus paid the postage both ways and the problems appear to be fixed.
I have a 738 I bought 3 months ago. I broke it in (300 rnds) with PMC and Monarch. I had a few probs with the Monarch while breaking in none with the PMC. I’ve fired 300 more rounds since break in and no probs at all. I have used different FMJ and HP all worked. The only difference was how dirty it shot and accuracy. I just came back form firing 25 rnds of Buffalo Bore JHP and while it really kicks it is the cleanest and the most powerful I ‘ve fired so far. I think it is great SD ammo. My 738 is a pink frame model and you could not even tell it had been fired. Usually after shooting 25 rnds the frame is pretty sooty looking. The only drawback to BB is the price $17.86 for a box of 20 at Midway. So I plan on using something else for practice and use BB for CC ammo.
I had the TCP and sold it to a friend and he loves it and still going strong after 1400+ rounds and a short vacation to Miami after 1200 rounds. I sold it to buy a Kahr p380 that has been trouble after only 600 rounds and is currently on its way to be repaired. I paid a lot more for the Kahr but have not been as satisfied with it as I was the TCP. Just goes to show all guns can have problems no matter the price.
The TCP that I have is the worst firearm I have ever owned. I have just boxed it up to send back to Taurus for the 3rd time. The gun has about 300rds through it, and has had failure to feed problems since day one. Most of the problems were from defective magazines. I am now on my 3rd set. The barrel has been changed twice, due to bulging cases. The trigger actuation point has been inconsistent from day one. The Taurus repair staff has made it worse and even dangerous. It now fires often times as soon as you start to pull the trigger. I also have a problem with the hammer rubbing up against the frame and slide. Taurus asks that you write them a letter outlining the problem areas, which I have done. It would appear however that they don’t actually read the letters. The gun comes back with the same problems I sent it in with. I have asked them to refund my money or swap the gun out with a different model. Taurus has a life time warrantee, but unfortunately I feel like I’ve been recruited into their reasearch and development team. Buyer beware!
Ok..Got my TCP back from Taurus. Two things I saw different. They sent me two new mags and the ramp seemed a lot more buffed out. I went to the range and put 200 rounds with no probs. I put an old mag that I kept in and it jammed. So my thought is it’s the magazines. I owed a LCP but it was to small for my hands. The TCP is a bit thicker.
Dont let the hollow point cycle thing throw you…Mine did that also when I first got it and loaded it, and cycled it just to do it. But when I actually shot the hollow points, it functioned without a single issue.
A guy I know just picked up the tcp 738 and was having feed problems with hp bullets when he was cycling the rounds at his house before he ever went to shoot. he went and picked up some fmj’s and he said those worked fine.
I have the Rugger LCP and have yet to get a jam or have a problem with it. Seen someone write that the clips fall out of the smaller guns when shooting but yet to see that happen.
hopefully taurus can fix these issues because the gun looks and feels nice in hand. he thinks the hp’s are getting snagged on the ramp which makes me wonder if its not a magazine angle or ramp angle feed problem. perhaps the feed angle is to shallow? im not a taurus basher i would love to have there 44 mag. revolver and this is the only rugger I own out of 10 guns so this is a strictly non biased observation. to be fare I have probably only ran 50 rounds through the rugger so the fact that it hasnt jammed yet is some what irrelevent.
Now I can say that my sig P245 has had some where of around 500 rounds put through it with out a flaw. ( only sig I own ).
Bought the Taurus 738TCP and 100 rounds of American Eagle FMJ’s. Straight out of the box, put 100 rounds down range, no jams, no misfires. First round, I hit the aluminum can I was aiming at from about 21 ft. I like this little pistol.
Found this blog through a link posted at The Survivalist Blog http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/ glad I did as ther is a lot of good information posted here.