Taurus TCP featured in two Magazines this Month

The Taurus TCP is featured in two magazines this month Combat Hanguns (My Favorite hand gun magazine ) magazine and Gun World magazine. The review of the Taurus TCP in Gun World is done by Dr. Topper and he does a good job of doing a very detailed review of the Taurus TCP. 


The review in Combat Handguns of the Taurus TCP is by Sean Utley and while not as detailed as Dr. Topper's review it is still a very nice read if you are considering getting the Taurus TCP.

Both magazines are on sale now.

Taurus TCP Rubber Grip - reduces felt recoil

Got My new Rubber Grip today for My Taurus TCP. I'm very happy with this thing can't wait to go to the range and put some rounds through My Taurus TCP to see how much it reduces the felt recoil. It fits the gun very well and does not affect the ability to operate the magazine release. Now the Taurus TCP feels so much better in My hand. I did some dry firing today with the new grip and I can already tell it will improve My accuracy with Taurus TCP because of the slightly thicker grip and feel. The grip has a nice texture to it which helps retain the Taurus TCP in your hands even when wet as I tested today. Even with leather gloves on the tiny gun still felt secure in My hands. Soon as I shoot the Taurus TCP with the new rubber grip I will do another post.

Taurus TCP Review

I own a few pistols but no pocket ones. I wanted one for the days when I need to travel light.

I looked at a several pocket pistols before My Purchase of the Taurus TCP. The Taurus TCP had the best features and had a more natural point of aim in My hand.

Soon as I took it home I field stripped it to take a look at the internals and more than anything else the craftmanship.

I owned a Taurus 24/7 prior to this and the finish was not the best. The Taurus TCP however is made in the USA and this is proudly displayed on the polymer frame so I figured it would be better. I was right. The Taurus TCP is very well made.

Take down is very easy too, as you can see from the pictures below all you have to do is lock the slide and remove the take down pin with a flat tool. 

The Taurus TCP breaks down in to five main parts which are the Slide, Recoil assembly, Barrel, Take Down Pin and Polymer frame.

The Feed Ramp on the Taurus TCP:

The first thing I noticed was the polished feed ramp on the barrel. This I 'm familiar  with from the Taurus 24/7 I had and it fed all types of rounds so I was very pleased to see the feed ramp on Taurus TCP was also polished. 

Recoil Assembly

Most pistols now come with two recoil springs and the Taurus TCP is no different. This aids with recoil so that is always good especially on a light weight pistol like the Taurus TCP. My version, the SS (stainless steel) weighs only 10.2 ounces so recoil can be really snappy especially when using heavier grain loads and it would be a lot worse if it only had one recoil spring.

Another plus for the Taurus TCP is that it also comes with a steel guide rod. In an age where all the polymer pistols seem to come with polymer guide rods this is indeed a welcomed change. I am not a big fan of polymer guide rods because I had one that broke on me before in a Beretta.

The Recoil Assemble is composed of two springs and a steel guide rod. I like the fact that they are separate components as the picture below shows.

Polymer Frame

The polymer frame on the Taurus TCP is also very well made. It has long metal rails for the slide that aids with the accuracy and a really big trigger guard for gloved hands; perfect for use in the cold season or law enforcement personnel. The trigger guard also has a nice cleft on the end that connects to the front strap of the grip that makes for a better hold on the pistol.

Judging from the pictures on the Taurus Site, the Taurus TCP shares the same grip texture as the new Taurus 24/7 G2 (generation  2) pistols. I am not really fond of the grip textures. 

The magazine release is real low profile but not so much  that you have to adjust your grip to release an empty magazine. It is also very smooth with no ruff edges and has the same texture on top as the grip.

The hole that bears the take down pin has a wire spring inside that holds the take down pin in place. Care must be taken on re-assemble not to damage it by trying to force the pin in strait. You must angle the pin up and then press down on the spring to insert it fully. Also making sure that the barrel is out of the way.

The Barrel

The barrel on the Taurus TCP is simply amazing for the money. Very nice rifling, all in one unit and most notable is the raised end of the barrel that aids in keeping the slide and barrel in close quarters while cycling hence increasing the accuracy on the pistol.

The Slide

The Slide bares most of the weight of the pistol on the Taurus TCP. It has a set of seven serrations on both sides of  the rear all of which are beveled at the start and end of each serration. The edges are all smooth with nice contoured lines and no bumps for a smooth draw. The lines on the slide remind me of the Beretta 90two pistol. The slide is made from Stainless Steel hence the SS denotation of My model Taurus TCP and it has a very nice matte finish. 


The slide also has the usual Taurus markings like the logo, model and caliber. However on this gun they left off the cheesy gold looking color they had in the engravings of My Taurus 24/7 slide.


Loaded Chamber Indicator

 The Loaded Chamber Indicator on the Taurus TCP is located next to ejection port on the right and is incorporated into the extractor so when a round is in the chamber it sticks out. It has some red paint on it so you can " see " it. My advice would be to physically check it by running your finger along the slide to feel if it is pushing out. I don't like the LCI on this gun or on any other Taurus semi I own. I prefer the Loaded Chamber Indicator on My Glocks a lot better than this one. But hey, no gun is perfect right ?






The Specs


Here are the specifications for the TCP from the Taurus Site:

Model: 738SS		Finish: Stainless Steel		Status: Available
Caliber: .380 ACP		Grips: Checkered Polymer		UPC: 7-25327-60697-0
Capacity: 6 +1		Weight: 10.2 oz		Barrel Length: 2.84"
Construction: Steel		Frame: Compact		Action: DAO
Front Sight: Fixed		Length: 5-1/4"		Trigger Type: Smooth
Order #: 1-738039		MSRP: $352.00

Trigger Pull


The trigger is double action only so it has a long pull but it's very smooth and breaks with about a little over five pounds of pressure. Again another big improvement over the " spongy " trigger I have on My Taurus 24/7. For concealment purposes the hammer is recessed and out of your way.

Sights

The sights are fixed, low profile and built into the slide. Translation, they suck when compared to standard hitters like Novaks but they are adequate enough to produce 2" groups out to 15 yards. Get a nice pocket carry flashlight to use with the sights at night and you should be fine.

Final Thoughts

Overall I'm very happy with the Taurus TCP and I will post more I as learn more about this fantastic pocket pistol.

Taurus TCP Video Review by 2brothersadventures

I really like 2brothersadventures they always have some really cool gun reviews and I also subscribe to their channel on Youtube.

This a really short review showing a nice wallet type holster for the Taurus TCP with some shooting. See the video below:

August 4th 2010: I picked up My Taurus TCP

Today I picked up My Taurus TCP from Pembroke Gun & Range. I bought it online for $231 + $20 for shipping and a $35 transfer fee. Which brings the total to $286 take home price.

First impressions are very good. the Taurus TCP  is a very well made .380 pocket pistol. It has very smooth lines for optimal conceal carry to reduce snag.

My Taurus TCP  came with two magazines a manual, a Bull Dog cell phone like carry pouch and two keys to lock the action of the Taurus TCP .

This gun is really tiny and I love it. More to come stay tuned.