Macchina
Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 998
My tax returns were deposited this week so after putting a few grand towards some lingering debt, my wife and I decided to share the remaining $400 for purchases. I choose to get a Ruger LCP with my half, but when I showed up at my FFL he didn't have any LCP's. Instead had a nice stainless slide Taurus TCP for $5 less! I'd looked at this gun when I was trying to pick out a pocket gun and liked everything but the brand. Come to find out, Taurus is now making some of their guns completely in the USA, so I gave them a try. I walked out with the little .380, 2 mags, a nifty belt case, and 2 boxes of Prvi Partizan ammo (the guy at the shop said it was decent stuff made by Winchester in Europe).
I went to the range today to shoot the TCP for the first time. The tempature was around 25 degrees Farenheit with low wind. I shot 50 rounds at the 7 yard range. 1 magazine from a rest, and the rest free hand.
My expectations were of many misfires and misses as many have reported from these new .380 minis when they are new. To my dismay, the first shot resulted in a failure to feed! I was very bummed and as I began to rack the slide, I noticed a large amount of blood running down my thumb
. Turns out when I tried to take my first shot from a rest, I placed my left thumb over my right thumb and it was severely cut by the slide. I obviously normally don't hold a pistol this way, but because it was so small I accidentally placed my thumb in a completely wrong spot. After correcting my grip, it was smooth sailing (except for a failure to feed when I limp wristed, but the shot surprised me and I blame myself).
I am used to shooting SA/DA pistols, so the trigger pull was very long for me, but it was quite smooth and perfectly light (I'd guess 5 lbs.) for my taste. I greatly prefer this trigger to the Ruger LCP or any DA revolver I have shot. With the practice ammo I was using (Prvi Partizan 94 grain FMJ) I was able to hold 3-4" groups which may not sound like much to most of you, but is quite impressive for me using a new super-compact pistol. I thought the gun was shooting 6" low for the first few mags, but 6 shots from a rest showed a nice 2" (with one flyer) group right on center at 7 yards. I know that long trigger is causing me to drop the muzzle, something practice will correct.
Final observations:
I really like this gun and think it personifies what I was looking for in a pocket pistol. I like love the size, and it is not at all painful to shoot. Accuracy (and my ability to shoot the tiny gun) was much better than I had hoped. It did not show any of the trigger slap/pinching that the P3at has. Everything that should be polished inside is, fit and finish are great. One design flaw I found is the slide has a lot of sharp corners on it and does not carry well without a pocket sheath (of which you should have anyway). The Ruger has a much more "melted" slide with no sharp corners anywhere. The sights were actually quite usable and machined accurately to allow center shooting when aiming right on at 7 yards. The grip allows for two fingers, but I felt very secure shooting the gun and wouldn't want it any longer. This gun is meant to be carried a lot and hopefully never used, so size is its number one trait. Reliability was excellent for the first trip to the range, and as long as you keep your fingers clear and your wrist clear, it seems to be an excellent shooter. A plus on the TCP over the LCP is on the last shot the slide locks back. The slide lock is small, and is pretty sticky right now but was a very welcome addition at the range. The slide serrations are very grippy and do their job well. The mag release button is made of steel (not polymer like I believe the prototypes were) and is out of the way while shooting, yet easy to active when you want to. The mags are under spring tension, and fall out with nice speed. The follower in the mags are plastic, but they have a steel insert which activates the slide hold-open. I think this gun is worth every penny of the $295 I paid for it, and it will be replacing my P239 as my carry gun when I find a good SD load and get a few more boxes through it.
My first shot injury:
Notice the "residue" on the slide serrations (before cleaning):
I went to the range today to shoot the TCP for the first time. The tempature was around 25 degrees Farenheit with low wind. I shot 50 rounds at the 7 yard range. 1 magazine from a rest, and the rest free hand.
My expectations were of many misfires and misses as many have reported from these new .380 minis when they are new. To my dismay, the first shot resulted in a failure to feed! I was very bummed and as I began to rack the slide, I noticed a large amount of blood running down my thumb
. Turns out when I tried to take my first shot from a rest, I placed my left thumb over my right thumb and it was severely cut by the slide. I obviously normally don't hold a pistol this way, but because it was so small I accidentally placed my thumb in a completely wrong spot. After correcting my grip, it was smooth sailing (except for a failure to feed when I limp wristed, but the shot surprised me and I blame myself).I am used to shooting SA/DA pistols, so the trigger pull was very long for me, but it was quite smooth and perfectly light (I'd guess 5 lbs.) for my taste. I greatly prefer this trigger to the Ruger LCP or any DA revolver I have shot. With the practice ammo I was using (Prvi Partizan 94 grain FMJ) I was able to hold 3-4" groups which may not sound like much to most of you, but is quite impressive for me using a new super-compact pistol. I thought the gun was shooting 6" low for the first few mags, but 6 shots from a rest showed a nice 2" (with one flyer) group right on center at 7 yards. I know that long trigger is causing me to drop the muzzle, something practice will correct.
Final observations:
I really like this gun and think it personifies what I was looking for in a pocket pistol. I like love the size, and it is not at all painful to shoot. Accuracy (and my ability to shoot the tiny gun) was much better than I had hoped. It did not show any of the trigger slap/pinching that the P3at has. Everything that should be polished inside is, fit and finish are great. One design flaw I found is the slide has a lot of sharp corners on it and does not carry well without a pocket sheath (of which you should have anyway). The Ruger has a much more "melted" slide with no sharp corners anywhere. The sights were actually quite usable and machined accurately to allow center shooting when aiming right on at 7 yards. The grip allows for two fingers, but I felt very secure shooting the gun and wouldn't want it any longer. This gun is meant to be carried a lot and hopefully never used, so size is its number one trait. Reliability was excellent for the first trip to the range, and as long as you keep your fingers clear and your wrist clear, it seems to be an excellent shooter. A plus on the TCP over the LCP is on the last shot the slide locks back. The slide lock is small, and is pretty sticky right now but was a very welcome addition at the range. The slide serrations are very grippy and do their job well. The mag release button is made of steel (not polymer like I believe the prototypes were) and is out of the way while shooting, yet easy to active when you want to. The mags are under spring tension, and fall out with nice speed. The follower in the mags are plastic, but they have a steel insert which activates the slide hold-open. I think this gun is worth every penny of the $295 I paid for it, and it will be replacing my P239 as my carry gun when I find a good SD load and get a few more boxes through it.
My first shot injury:
Notice the "residue" on the slide serrations (before cleaning):
