Three versions of the Taurus 738 TCP, or Taurus Compact Pistol, were introduced at the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando. The TCP, also known as the model 738, is a .380 ACP pistol clearly aimed at taking market share from the wildy popular Ruger LCP.
The TCPÂ is a very small, thin and lightweight polymer pocket gun. The sights are described by Taurus as “low-profile,” but I would more accurately describe them as almost non-existent. Â That’s too bad, because this would have been one way the gun could have differentiated itself from the Ruger.
The Taurus TCP has a slide lock, ambidextrous magazine release, and a loaded chamber indicator. Â A slide stop is not always found on pistols of this size, and an ambi mag release is almost never seen except on larger handguns. Â These could be important features for anyone looking to pick up a 738 TCP.
The pistol holds six rounds in the magazine, with an additional eight-round magazine available. Â The extended magazine adds a little length to the grip of the gun, which may make it harder to conceal, but easier to hold on to. Â The TCP has a 3.3″ barrel and an overall length of 5.19″. Â That’s pretty small stuff.
I hope you like double action only (DAO) pistols, because that is what you are getting with this handgun. The trigger pull was long and moderately heavy. I would have liked it a lot more with a shorter trigger pull with the same weight.  Others may disagree with this assessment since the Taurus 738 TCP is designed to be a pocket gun.
The TCP is the lightest gun that Taurus currently offers, weighing only 10.2 ounces with a blued or stainless steel slide, and a mere nine ounces (!) with a titanium slide. The titanium slide version is so light, you might actually forget you are carrying it.  Those weights are unloaded, by the way.
The Taurus TCP will be manufactured here in the United States. Taurus makes most of their guns in Brazil, but small guns like the 738 TCP can be difficult to import. Â In many ways, it makes sense for the company to invest in manufacturing here in the US. Â Not all parts have to be made in the USA, and many may be made in Brazil, with the serial numbered part being made in-country.
The Taurus rep on the show floor said pricing would be “around $300” with the titanium model “about $100 more.” Â Ultimately, street prices are almost always cheaper, and Taurus handguns tend to be very competitive on price. Â I would expect this to be a sub-$300 gun at the end of the day. Â Time will tell.
White TCP from 2014 SHOT Show
Taurus is now selling white versions of the TCP pistol. Â The new guns retain all of the standard features of the original TCP guns, but with a white frame and with either a stainless finished or white slide. Â Don’t drop it in the snow.
Taurus TCP (white) Specifications
| caliber | .380 ACP |
| magazine capacity | 6 |
| action | DAO |
| weight (unloaded) | 10.2 oz |
| barrel length | 2.84" |
| MSRP | not announced |
Taurus already make the TCP with a pink frame, so white makes a third frame color option in the line. Â Although an MSRP is not listed other models of TCP retail for $355.66. Â I would expect this gun to be the same. This new model was introduced at the 2014 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
Glad I did not get the LCP…looks like Taurus will fix the LCP design issues…
Have been looking at the RCP but if Taurus can deliver I will look even harder at the TCP. Have other Taurus compact auto that I love.
I have 3 Taurus weapons. 2 revolvers and the 1911. They are some of the best guns Iv’e taken to the range or carried on duty.
IMHO neither the Taurus nor the Ruger can touch the pistol both tried to copy – the Kel-Tec P3AT.
I got rid of the POS kel tec p3at for the Tuarus…the kel tec is not even close to the quality of the new TCP’s out there.
BTW…the Taurus is no where near a copy of the kel tec or ruger, they are not similar at all.
I have both, while i LOVE the P3AT, the Taurus does rock.
That looks like a viable first Taurus product for me. I tend to be a gun snob, Glock/SIG but for what that is built for it looks wonderful. Frankly I trust Taurus to build something more than Ruger or Kel-Tec. (JUst reputation no personal knowledge). But I hope there won’t be a huge wating list complete with scalping prices.
I love my P3AT enough to not spend more or wait in a line for the Ruger LCP-copy, which is harder to hold and has the useless slide-catch (to catch on things). HOWEVER, I look forward to testing the Taurus TCP (too bad Kahr’s are too expensive–though I have owned two and loved the P9).
Even though I swore I’d never buy another Taurus, I just might get one with the titanium slide – now that it is American made.
So is this thing going to hit the market in a few months or more likely late 2009 or 2010??
The rep I spoke to on day 2 said mid 09.
I love my 24/7 pro C this is going to be a perfect carry gun for the summer. Any one know when it’s coming to the market.
This looks like a great little hot weather gun. P3AT fit and finish looks like it was dragged behind a car so this is worth considering
Back up a bit. The LCP is a Kel-Tec P3AT copy. So who is grabbing market share from whom?
The Taurus 24/7 Pro C has been out for awhile. I’ve shot them at the firing range. Check the Taurus site and you will find it. There is also a titanium model.
I am waiting for the 709.
i just got the ruger lcp and think it`s a great pistol!no problems;it had the safety recall corrections done at the factory.this new taurus 738 tcp pistol looks like a well made pistol and with the taurus name i`m sure it`ll be reliable as well!hat`s off to taurus!hope the pistol and ammo will be available soon or we`ll all just end up with a bunch of useless,expensive hammer`s.
I had a Kel-tec p3at and it jammed constantly. I got rid of it and got a LCP. It never jammed however the magazine release button kept being depressed whenever I back pocket carried it which caused the magazine to release. Sold the LCP and got a Seecamp .380. Seecamps been flawless, its expensive to buy and shoot though. I look forward to checking out the Taurus TCP!
I bought a P3AT within a month of their intro a few years back. I’ve run literally hundreds of rounds through it with no problems and it is damn accurate for a pocket pistol with minimal sights. Best part is that it slips into an Uncle Mike’s scabbard in my front pocket so it’s always at hand. My wife keeps one in her purse too.
I hade a Kel-Tec it was a total POS with in the first 100 rounds the cam Spring Broke. Sent it back for repair got it back with in 130 more rounds the trigger return spring broke. Got it fixed agene and sold it. I would never trust a Kel-Tec for Personal protection. Now I carry a S/W Air light .38 It’s very reliable and with the crimson trace grips my favorite carry gun. But this Taurus looks Promising
I might have try it out. I have a Taurus PT 945 and it is a
Great gun no Problems what so ever in the 7 years I have hade it.
I have the taurus PT111 PRO and its been a great gun, but Florida in the summer its T-shirt and shorts, so this new TCP looks good for a summer ccw for me.
thats great and all but why not get the original right now? the p3at weights some 8 ounces, should set you back no more than $250 and has the fixed trigger blcok that ruger hasnt copied yet.
Thank God it has an ambi mag release. I have been fretting over that issue with all of the previous micro 380s.
Do you know how hard it is to find a left hand friendly micro pistol below 700 dollars?
After three Taurus pistols, starting with their very first 22,
I have a Millenium Pro P T 111 9 MM Titanium. Fantastic Gun.
In all those years,I never needed the ( lifetime Warranty, ) Not even for a phone call. So, when I want a 380,and I like what I see on the new T C P 738 T I, where else would I go ?
BUT, I want a thumb safety, and three dot sights.
Comon Taurus, I know you will build it right, and I hear You Will Build it right here, in America. Right On
several taurus pistols in the safe including a 111 mil pro and 1911 and couldnt be happier with them. been looking for a reliable .380 for light carry and i would say this is the one. i would like a thumb safety also but youll be hard pressed to find one on a sub compact .380. this looks like a well made piece and i’m looking forward to handling one. itll be nice to see .380 ammo on the shelves again soon also. been pretty dry and i’m running low.
I like my taurus mill pro.45, but am not sure I would spend an extra 100 bucks to get titanium slide just to match the weight of the LCP. I never would buy a kel-tec other than maybe a .223 foldable (they look pretty cool) and fun. But I bought an LCP for hot weather and casual carry. Love it! No malfuntions and built perfect as all rugers I own. Also the taurus looks alot like the pt-22 hmm not sure if thats good or bad. I’ll stick with my LCP thank ya!
Bought an LCP in Aug. wish i had a chance to feel the Taurus but was never able to locate one. The LCP has been flawless. 300 rds and not as much as a hiccup. now i have to get another one because my wife keeps it in her bag with a mag full of Cor-Bon. Or her Daisy Dukes! ( Hot girl, Hot shorts, packin heat? what a great country!! ) Thats one lightweight, slim gun!!
I just bought the taurus 738 tcp 380 and I fired 3 shots and the magazine release button broke in half and will not hold magazine in place. Love the size and weight was so hopeful. I was very disapointed
I own two of these lil Taurus’, one blued and one stainless. The blued one has been slick as can be and had zero problems so I gave it to a friend who was looking for something like this. The stainless one had been assembled wrong and has been a chore to break down ever since new. It also eventually broke the mag catch like yours after about 300 rounds. I sent it to Taurus and the took care of it and it’s been fine since. It is still a bear to pull the pin out of. I’ll buy another one soon if I can find the stainless slide witht the blued finish locally. I love these things. They’re good little shooters that I feel you can count on.
Bought the PT-738 today in stainless. Fired 50 rounds without any problems. First three shots hit bulls eye. It fired easily with a smooth trigger pull. Feels great in the hand, and it will be easy to conceal. I love the way this gun shoots. Worth the wait!
Choose it because Overall Construction was Good… Slide Locks Back on Last Round, lets me know I’m out or Nice when Inspecting …1) Easier Trigger Pull than other 2, probably the most important feature… 2)Stainless Upper is a Nice Feature….
Sights are very difficult to see, but at 10-12 feet I was getting decent placement…To Takedown it took me a few tries to get familiar with dissasembly, little pin can be difficult to reinsert but I’m sure it will be easier after the Steel Retainer that holds it in place breaks in.
First 100 rounds winchester fmj at range went perfect followed up with 4 shots of Speer Self Defense…No Problems at all….What a relief because I know it can be Hit or Miss with a New Handgun…Shooting it was Very Comfortable, Extractions did not hit me. I really Enjoyed the First Time around…I have shot the LCP and first impression was not good for me… It seemed like the trigger pull was longer and harder, but really it really isin’t fair since I only fired about 25 rounds through my friends gun… I also Shoot a Kahr MK9 2003 Elite… I Love the way it Shoots for a small gun… However I wanted something a little smaller for everyday carry in Florida… TCP will probable go in a Front Pocket Holster, Nice and Light… I’d Reccomend to any thinking about a small handgun…
PS.. The Purse or Bulldog Bag they Give You with it is Huge, and yet it does not carry the extra mag well…. You actually have to place it on top of the gun ( bad design)..Kind of Hard to believe that huge thing won’t even carry a extra mag well….only real knock…
A big thank you to all of you who are taking the time to post your experiences!
Richard
Picked up a TCP Stainless. Cleaned and lubed then shot near a box of old Greek ball, 12 WWB, 6 Silvertips, 6 Federal Hydrashock, 6 gold dots and 6 Powerball. Flawless performance. Nice tight grouping at 7 yards and recoil isn’t quite as snappy as the P3AT it is replacing. Extra couple ozs is just enough. Trigger is smooth and best guess at full pull is 6 lbs, down to about 3 at the reset.
My experience was very good so far. Unfortunately, as soon as my Range Safety Officer saw mine, he split right down to grab one for himself. Out of 18 rounds of mixed personal protection ammo, he had three stovepipes, the slide does not lock to the rear unless the empty mag is in it – manual lock fails, and worse – the mag kept popping out. If he applied a little pressure to the front of the magazine, it released without pushing the mag release. It’s on it’s way back to Taurus.
I’ll try to remember to post how well they service this and get it back to him.
Steve Aikens
http://www.nm-ccw.com
http://www.handgunlaw.us, Founder
Steve,
Thanks for stopping by and posting your experiences. Definitely drop back by and let us know how the service is on the other fellow’s pistol. I’ve heard Taurus is easy to deal with, but I don’t have personal experience in dealing with their warranty department.
Richard
I have a taurus raging bull .44 and had a problem with the rear sight and took it back to the dealer i bought it from and they sent it in and called me about 2 months later when they got it back from taurus…they fixed it and didnt ask a single question about how it broke and didnt even charge me for shipping. im thinking i might go pick up one of these .380s tomorrow. main reason im gunna get a taurus and not a kel tec is taurus’ warranty department. thanks for all the reviews about the ACP. hope my $.02 helped someone.
Shelby,
I’ve heard good things about the Taurus warranty department. I’m glad you posted your experience.
–Richard
Got a TCP 738 SS on Saturday at the Academy Sports in Trussville, AL. Based on what I read here, I loaded the magazines and left them loaded over the weekend.
Yesterday, I went to an indoor range (too cold down in Birmingham for outdoor stuff). Ran 100 Rds of Academy green box FMJ. Not a problem at all.
I found the gun surprisingly accurate to 15 yds or so (I just wanted to exercise the action). Very happy with it so far.
Went to the Gun Cellar and picked up some 380 CorBon. About the only place locally that had “self defense†grade ammo, and only one box of them.
Recommend the Taurus 738 as a good alternative to Kel Tec, and about $30 cheaper.
First review: http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-PT738.htm Looks interesting.
-Eduardo
LTC, USAR (Ret)
Eduardo,
Thanks for posting you experience with the TCP!
–Richard
Bought a Taurus 738 for my wife today. Is it me or does this pistol not have a safety? Headed for the range today…wish us luck!
Just bought a Taurus pt738 for my wife. Is it me, or does the pistol not have a safety? We’re headed to the range..wish us luck.
Bought a TCP from local Academy Sports on January 4, 2010. 50 rounds of FMJ PMC Bronze and 7 rounds of Federal Hydra-Shock. No problems. The gun shoots well but the sight are minimal at best. I guess if the bad guy is far enough away that I need to aim then I don’t need to shoot him… at least not with this gun. It fits IWB very well with an Uncle Mike size 10 holster. I am looking for an inside the pocket holster as well. I would recommend it for the price. With the DAO design you don’t need a safety. It shoots like a DA revolver only smoother.
I have ALOT of Taurus products. I’m a FFL dealer. My PT1911 AF is awesome. I bought a PT738 and on the 7th shot it quit firing. The hammer would reset but the trigger would no longer pull the hammer back. I called Taurus and the next day they had a FedEx man there to get the gun. 4 weeks later I got it back with an free 8 round magazine. Great work Taurus!!!!! I’ll be a customer for life.
I bought a Tarus Pt 738. I really like the fact that you can carry it concealed in a pouch that looks like a gadget bag and is really accessible. How ever I was disappointed that it had no safety. I am reading the comments on this site now and only one person mentioned this fact. Am I putting to much weight on the fact of no safety? I would like to hear pros and cons on this.
Regarding the no safety on the TCP, keep in mind it is a Double Action Pistol, meaning it won’t fire unless you pull the trigger (no exposed hammer). It’s just like a Revolver (no Safety). You pull the Revolver from the holster and pull the trigger to fire. All police offers who carry a double action pistol that has a safety selector switch, carry it with one in the chamber and the safety in the fire position while holstered. That way it is no different than a revolver, and just as safe, Pull and shoot on the first shot like a revolver. On a double action pistol there is no need for a safety selector switch..
Hi Ray,
Thanks for your feedback! An external safety on this type of firearm is largely a matter of personal choice. Regarding how all police officers carry a DA pistol, many do carry in a “fire” position, but not all. There are a few departments that require the gun to be “on safe”, while other officers chose to carry “on safe”. It isn’t a matter of the gun being unsafe, rather it is a response to gun grab attempts.
Stay safe,
Richard
Picked up a new, stainless slide TCP today. $295 at Acme Sports in Seymour Indiana. Love it. Compared it to the Ruger LCP and Kel-Tec P3AT. It’s slightly larger than either of these two but had the best trigger of the lot. Slide locks open on empty, Nice. Accuracy was much better than I expected. Shot 50 rounds of hardball and 14 rounds of Hydra shok with no malfunctions. I was hitting a 6 inch geode at 30 feet easily. My buddy was hitting a pop can at the same distance 8 of 10 shots. I can buy 2 TCP’s for the price of one Kahr P380. The Kahr is a nice gun but is $150 too much.
I’ve been carrying a Kel-Tec for a couple years now with never a problem out of it. Every time I go to the range I fire at least a couple clips through it to keep the action working and make sure I’ve got a reason to clean and oil it. The only thing I don’t care for is losing the use of a pocket to carry it. Does anyone know where I can get one of the Taurus 738 TCP nylon cases?
Picked up a Taurus tcp in jan. 2010. Tried to shoot it at the range. The slide would not lock back and stay. Noticed the trigger pull was weak. Sent back to Taurus, Taurus adj. the slide sent back claiming they test fired it and the pull was fine. Trurus claims it has a 3 to 5 pound trigger pull from the factory. Anyone having problims?
Robert,
Any problems with it firing, or are you just concerned that there could be? Most Glock’s ship with a 5.5 lb trigger, IIRC. Something similar in the TCP wouldn’t cause me any concern. I am guessing the slide lock problem was fixed under warranty.
–Richard
Not sure what you mean by “weak” trigger Robert. The trigger is smooth and long on mine, the way a DAO pistol should be to keep it from going off in your pocket but still giving good accuracy. I’ve been carrying this gun every day now and hardly notice it’s there. Love it so far. Can’t imagine ever using that crappy belt bag thing though. Niether of my mags hold the slide open when pulling it back by hand but always do when actually firing the gun. Some of you guys are whineing about it being a P3AT copy, who cares? It has the features I wanted, came with 2 mags, the price was right and it works.
I just bought a 738 TCP and put 50 rounds thru it at the range (Blazer Brass FMJ..don’t know what grain). It failed to extract on every single round when there were still rounds in the magazine, and about half the time when the mag was empty. Has anyone had a problem with using Blazer in this gun?
I have always had very good experiences with Taurus and very much like the feel of this gun. So I was going to make a run to Cabela’s and pick up a variety of different ammos. Does anyone have suggestions on what works best? Please list brand AND grain, thanks.
I have fired a box of 50 CCI Lawman 95 grain FMJ and 14 Federal Hydra Shok 90 grainers through mine with no malfunctions at all. I’m waiting for the next gunshow to buy some different ammo to try. I’m not paying the rediculously high local prices right now.
I purchased my TCP a couple weeks ago and finally got the chance to shoot it. Sure enough, I started having issues with shells not ejecting properly, had a couple jams and a few times the magazine would fall out. After taking a closer look at the gun and the clip, I noticed that you can actually twist or move the clip and it would pop out/fall out of the gun. The clip has a lot of play while in the gun. I also noticed that when the clip was manufactured, the notches for the guns clip latch/catch appear to have been stamped out. The notches on the clip are actually pushed inward away from the guns clip latch/catch which makes it hard for the guns clip latch/catch to properly hold the clip. So, I used a small round tipped punch and inserted it through one of the notches on the clip to the opposite notch and used a hammer to tap and force the notch to stick out enough to still allow the clip to slide in and out of the gun without interference. This also allowed the guns clip latch/catch to grab and hold onto the clip. I have not had a chance to go out and range test the gun to see if it cured the ejection, jam or loss of clip issue but I am pretty sure it helped. After the adjustment, I again tried twisting the clip to see if it would pop out and it now stays in place. I will let you all know if it cured the problem when I am able to head to te range. Hope this helps out.
Just came back from the range (Winter Haven, Florida) WOW! I’m surprised about this Taurus TCP vs Ruger LCP big time guys. I bought the Taurus TCP for myself and the Ruger LCP for my wife we both went to the range and shot about 50 rounds on each gun the winner is the TCP! Now I have to get myself a new TCP cause my wife hates the Ruger! The grip on the Ruger is fairly uncomfortable and not stable when shooting also the trigger pull is much longer on the travel then the Taurus TCP. The Ruger’s slide would not stay open causing you to pull the trigger and noticing no shot after the pull also not knowing if that shot was because an empty magazine or bad ammo,this is not what I’m use to and neither is my wife. We carry a Glock 27 .40 cal and when it’s magazine is empty the slide stays back just like the TCP. The TCP is much better on the handling when shooting also giving you a better control of the grip support.
I did notice the TCP jammed 1 of the shells as it tried to eject after shooting but this just happened once and the other small problem my wife encountered was with her small hands she accidentally ejected the magazine on the TCP but her support hand caught it and now we have a Ruger LCP as a back-up pistol in the unlikely event. I have some news for Ruger…..go back to the drawing board guys cause we really like the Taurus TCP…we shot with 95 grns 1000 fpm and it’s whats recommended anyway….stay safe yall!
Captain Eddie
JUST GOT MY TAURUS TCP SO FAR SO GOOD LOVE THE SIZE
Got my TCP today… cleaned it and went to the range… MANY JAMS (FTE), using different ammo brands. Got home, cleaned again, will go back to the range on the weekend. If it FTEs again, I will send it to Taurus to fix it.
I purchased a tcp about two months ago and went to the range, jam after jam and fte! Cleaned and put another 100 rounds though it same thing. I sent it back and they said it needed a new slide and replaced it. after I got it back I shot 3 shots before a jam. It continued to fte and jam. sent it back again. I have tried 5 different kinds of ammo with no difference. I will most likly be getting rid of it as soon as i get it back. Verry disapointed!!!
I bought my taurus today. Put close to 50 flawless rounds through it. I am going to put another 50 through it in the morning(life is rough when you live in the country). I bought this gun over the others for a couple reasons. The main ones being the way it felt in my hand and the trigger pull. Considering the price, comfort and warranty I have no doubt that I made the right choise for me.
As of know I have absolutely no buyers remorse, If this changes with use of the gun I will post any issues I have.
I saw Jeff Quinns review of the TCP on GUNBLAST.COM-it kept hitting him in the forehead.Watch the video-ouch lol.I was scared of that so bought a Ruger LCP-perfect for me and accurate at 10 yards.I also bought a Taurus pt 709 I like a lot a week later.I like Rugers And Taurus.
So i have had the Kel tec 32 auto. it was ok. now i have the Ruger LCP. love the gun. i have had no problems with it. never jams up. accurate for a pocket gun. very well made. Im interested to see how the TCP holds up. looks alittle cheap like the kel tec. I will find out in a couple days. still cant get over the rep that the old taurus guns had
Just fired my new 738. Very nice trigger pull, few failures to eject with hungarian ammo, great with PMC 95s. Fun to shoot!
Would like a few more magazines but Taurus is on backorder. IDEAS?
Does anyone know if there is a .22cal conversion kit for the TCP? Shooting .22 is a lot cheeper that pluging .380 at paper. This would halp keep my shooting skills sharp and at low cost…
Trailer Park Bob
“Does anyone know if there is a .22cal conversion kit for the TCP? Shooting .22 is a lot cheeper that pluging .380 at paper.”
Your kidding right?
Trailer park Bob, Beretta 21 Bobcat is not a conversion but very cheap to shoot,(I practice with cheap stuff but with cci, I’ve never had a FTF as long as I clean the barrel every 40rds. By the way a 22 cci lr is very lethal ( I know I’ll get a hundred veto’s) Quick recovery, 1260ftp,36 grain. Stinger, even more deadly. Shoot a very thick “yellow pages” phone book and see what happens on the other end. 2.5 in thick, about 600 pages tightly packed. The back end was gone with the cheap stuff at about 15ft. Shot placement and rapid fire. I don’t know if that’s a fair analogy but if your assailant looks like a yellow page book, he’s dead. Multiple shots same devastation as a 12 ga 00 buck. Ya’ll laugh all you want, you won’t if you get shot with one and I’ve heard all the stories, pros and cons.
i bought the tcp over the ruger lcp and kel-tec because of the slide lock and trigger pull. no prob with cheap ammo or pd ammo. and was only 279 for the ss at williams gun sight her in mi. and buy the way i like ruger so dont say that they copied kel-tec because the made a deal with them and pay royalities to them because it is the EXACT SAME GUN!!!! no difference and any size piece of lead flying at 1200 fps into ur head or heart (.22) is going to kill you….. 🙂 so dont think a .22 like that bobcat is not a carry gun
i got one of these today… fired 3 mags through it so far… absolutely love it… fixed all the problems with the keltec and ruger
Go to http://www.taurusarmed.net if you want feedback from owners of the TCP 738.
I did a lot of reasearch before buying my TCP, I’ve had it for a couple of months now and have put about 400+ rounds thru it. I do like this gun fun to shoot and easy to hide. I have had a problem with Blaser alum case ammo but everything else works fine. Some times the slide does not stay back after last round but usually after shooting 50+ rounds.
Some time ago I bought the “Great” Taurus 45. Sent it to my gunsmith for going over and suggestions. After he told me the Rockwell test did not even get readings on a lot of parts. He replaced some items, said to fire it “wet”, till it broke – which would not be a long time.
This surprised me, as I own several Taurus wheelguns, and they have been great. I think I will steer clear of their autos at this time.
I do like the Ruger LCP… of course, there will always be features we want that weren’t included.
I just got my380 back from the repair station for the second time The first time they repaired it and sent it back and I carred it for several months before I atempted to fire it. Would not fire the first time. Would have been bad luck for me had I had a use for it for self protection. Sent it back a second time and the hammer and the excrator were replaced. Makes me wonder if Taurus has a qulity problem I have owned and carrried Taurus for years and had no ptroblem. It might be just my gun .
Hi Garrett,
Thanks for posting your experiences. I know that others really appreciate first hand reports like yours.
-Richard
At the risk of sounding like a know it all, I never carry a gun that has been unproven. That said, my 738 has worked perfectly. It is dead on accurate and it is comfortable to shoot. I would recomend one for anyone. Good luck with yours, I hope that you get fixed.
Thanks for posting you experience with the 738. And testing any gun you are going to carry is just good advice!
-Richard
I have been looking into the .380 line up for sometime now. I checked out all 3 guns, Kel-Tec, Ruger, and the Taurus, and I must say I like the Taurus most of all. I have read all the good and bad about each gun now and have decided to give my 2 cents. The reason I went with the taurus was the fact that it had 2 mags, also the slide lock,but last it had the best trigger pull of them all. Now people complained about the taurus jamming and I must say I never had a problem wth it, How every when I bought the gun I took it home and cleaned it all up and re-oiled it completely. I have ran about 400+ rounds throught it with no problem. Its light weight, easy to hide and also doesnt look half bad. I would rec. this gun to anyone that was thinking about getting a .380
Come on guys. Are you really getting 1200fps out of your 2.4 inch barrel bobcats? Really?
My husband bought me the .380 TCP in December ’09. The magazine release button broke on mine (a month later) DURING the 3rd time of use at the range. It was cleaned after the first time we went to the range and then the second time at the range, the magazine release button snapped in half and cut my friend’s thumb (pretty good cut, too). I have been after the replacement part for a couple of months now! I was told the part is on back order from BRAZIL.
Anyone have any information or guidance they can offer, please email me at jillianhaitinc@gmail.com I have contacted Taurus 3 times already. I am mailing them a formal letter today (March 15, 2010).
THIS PISTOL LOOKS LIKE A WINNER IN THE COMPACT PISTOL MARKET.HOWEVER IT NEEDS A DECENT FRONT AND REAR SIGHT >> AND GET RID OF THE LAWYER TRIGGER. I WOULD SAY THAT YOU NEED A TRIGGER WITH AT LEAST A 3 TO 6 TRIGGER PULL
What ammo is everyone using? I just got a used TCP and took it to the range last night. I put about 80 rounds of Winchester white box (all I can find in stores in Cincinnati, when I’m lucky) through it and had at least 1, sometimes 2 FTE’s in every Mag. Is this just part of the break-in? Does the pistol not like this ammo? Or do I have a problem? I’m trying to decide if I need to send it back to Taurus. Also, what defense ammo has anyone had luck with? Any ideas on where to get .380 rounds?
Brad,
I know .380 ammo is hard to come by in many areas, but I would suggest a few hundred rounds before thinking about sending it back to Taurus. Many smaller guns are finicky, so I would say try different brands of ammo, make sure you are providing a firm grip, and several hundred rounds of use will give you a better idea of what does/doesn’t work. WWB works well in some of my guns, but not in others. I’ve had good luck with the inexpensive Remington stuff.
If you need ammo, one of our sponsors, LuckyGunner.com, has some in stock. I know…shameless plug.
–Richard
Brad,
By FTE do you mean failure to “Eject” or “Extract”? Two different problems. Extraction failures are much more of a problem in a self defense situation. Since your gun is used, make sure it is clean. Especially clean in the chamber and around the extractor. Look at the ejector and make sure it’s square faced and not broken or chipped. Try some full power ammo like corbon or hydra shoks. My TCP has not failed with everything from hydra shoks to cheap reloads but I keep my gun CLEAN between sessions. Good luck and post what you find.
Well, I bought the TCP after reviewing it for awhile. I have shot the kel-tec and the LCP and have to say I like the TCP the best. As for the sights that everyone is complaining about (not neccesarily here) we have to remember that this gun was designed to be used for close range personal defence. I don’t think anyone would honestly expect to snipe somebody with this little pistol a hundred yards away. (I did shoot a gopher at 75 yards the other day, very pleased.) The case that comes with the pistol is lacking. I would never carry it. I would suggest buying an inside the belt hoslter. Uncle Mikes makes one for around 10 dollars. After several hundred rounds with my pistol I had no pistol induced problems. I had one miss feed that I was forcing to happen by limp wristing it. I will say that it took alot of work to make it happen. After I broke it in and have carried it for several weeks I became aware of a problem. There is a pin in the top of the trigger that came loose and worked its way partially out. Because of its location and designe it rendered the pistol useless. I would pull the triger and it would stop just shy of tripping the hammer. This is a serious problem and I would expect a fix. It is like haveing a saftey that you can’t take off without taking the gun entirely apart. (I dropped the gun on a fairly hard surface and I believe that is why the pin was nocked partially out) Other than that on my pistol the retaining spring that holds the pin into place for the gun assembly is a little tighter than I would like. Other than these problems, that I think are fixable, I have no complaints with it. I would recomend it to any one. If you are having problems with the slide not staying open on the last shot, look at the magazine. There is a red feeder and part of it should expose a black piece of metal, if it doesn’t then that is your problem. take a knife and cut it out to match the working magazine. Hope you find this usefull.
Ruger bested by Taurus,extra magazine,slide lock’s to the rear on last shot ,better sights,and built in saftey lock,at least $30.00 to $40.00 cheaper.Good quality fire arm.The choice is yours’
i had a ruger lcp it was a very good gun just traded it for a tarus tcp because it had a stainless slide and better triger pull and stays open after the mag is empty. if you like the kel tec you havent had a good gun or dont want to spend the money.
I bought a SS TCP and I have fired Fed HP and PMC with no
malfunctions other than one clip never holds the slide back on
the last round, the other clip works fine.
The barrel in mine is very rough with chatter marks and metal
torn in the grooves, I am surprised no one at Taurus happened
to look down the bore before shipping it. I have looked at others
and some look smooth and a few look like mine.
The Keltec P3AT feels like a plastic cap gun….The Taurus I handled at Bass pro shops felt solid..
Bought one of these baby’s and love-it..ran 100 rds right though it and not one problem,great carry gun you can put it anywhere,got it for 270 at a local gun show,and now my friends want one…
HEY GUYS THERE ARE SOME GOOD POINTS AND SOME BAD POINTS TO THE TAURUS 728 TCP.IT’S SMALL AND CONCEALABLE,LOCKS BACK ON AN EMPTY MAGAZINE,COMES WITH TWO MAGAZINES,HAS A LOADED CHAMBER INDICATOR,BUILD IN INTERNAL SAFETY.
BAD SIDE.ON MY 728 I FIRE FIFTY ROUNDS AND GET AT LEAST ONE FAIL TO FEED,NOT REALLY A PROBLEM,POLISH THE RAMP.PROBLEM ALSO GET AT LEAST ONE FAIL TO EXTRACT NOT GOOD.I WILL SEE IF PROBLEMS WORK THEMSELVES OUT.I DO NOT FAULT TAURUS,I GUESS THESE THINGS DO HAPPEN WHEN PRODUCTION TAKES OFF AND YOU ARE PUMPING OUT TCP’S.
The Taurus TCP is the worst gun I have ever owned the only thing its reliable for is jamming if I can get two shots in a row its a wonder.It Jams its misfired its had ejection problem and if I had to throw it at someone it wouldnt even hurt them.I have a 5 other Taurus guns and they are all very well made but this one is a dog.
Robert,
Did you give Taurus a call about the problem? I know they have a lifetime warranty, and if there is a problem I would imagine they would like to fix it and make it right. If you get it worked on, let us know how it turns out.
Richard
great lil gun pocket sized , will be handy if someone decides to hold me up .
The only problem,if you call it a problem with the Taurus 738 TCP is that the brass sometimes comes back and pops me in the forehead… . Has any one else had this problem? Other than that its a good little gun..
I have had my tcp for about two weeks and I love it and I had checked out all of my options It seems all the same problems plague all 3 of the leading 380s but taurus did good here and although I like ruger and kel tec they feel more like airsoft guns the taurus feels more solid
Bought one new in box at a gun show. I like the size, feel, slide lock,and loaded chamber indicator. But its advertised as having an ambidextrous mag release, being left handed this would be a big plus. Mine doesn’t have one, nor is there any info on their web site or in the owners manual on making it so. First range trip really sucked.. Fired 50 FSM fmj, had 1 ftf. Next 50 were S&B fmj. Had may jams, fte & ftf, 10 light firing pin strikes, many NO firing pin strikes. Gave all my failed ammo to my friend with me and we fired all that ammo from his Diamond Back 380 with no problems. All this is unacceptable, very disappointing, and dangerous for a ccw. I have NO USE for an ammo picky firearm. This pistol must fire and cycle any factory ammo I feed it.. Now its back at Taurus cust. service. They said they would repair and test fire it throughly and to accept a 4 week turnaround. We’ll see.. I’ll give a report when I get it back, good or bad.
Received my 738 back from Taurus on 9-10-10. Only a 3 week turn around. Plus they sent an extra mag and another set of keys for the security lock. Well all my problems seemed to be fixed. Fired 50 FSM 95 gr fmj & 50 S&B 92 gr fmj all mixed up in the 3 mags. Also fired 20 Fedral hydra shock 90 gr jhp, my carry round. Glad to say I didn’t have any problems at all. All fed,fired and cycled without a hitch. Now I ordered 500 Prvi Partizan 94 gr fmj from Palmetto St Armory. Hope this ammo workes just as good. Can’t say enough how pleased I am with Taurus cust. service. They were very nice and understanding and gave a quicker turn around than expected.
Ok guys heres my take on the Taurus PT 738 TCP. When I bought mine in June of 2010,It came from the factory with one defective magazine.After waiting about a month or two Taurus sent a replacement.
Problem#2 Gun failed to lock back on last shot,slide lock replaced,now gun comes back from factory; marked slide lock replaced gun adjusted.
Problem#3 gun failed to extract,also fail’s to feed ammo. ammuo used UMC, CCI, Blazer Brass case, Mag tec fmj ect.Sent back to factory
Problem#4 Now gun comes back from the factory left side of gun is bulgeing out on left side.I would not fire gun sent back to factory.Gun comes back from factory it is finaly fixed.No problems with ammo ;Tulammo Russian stuff one step above wolf,but it still functioned with out any problems.Go figure
Problem#5 After firing about 50 plus rounds thru the gun took it down to clean it;upon cleaning it I found that the aluminium frame rail on the left side was cracked and seperated from the frame, this was a big surprise considering that I have never, and would never fire anything but standard ammo thru this pistol ;no plus P plus of any kind.
Problem#6 gun sent back to factory.awaiting review board decision on whether to replace this pistol with a new one or repair this one.
It is evident that Taurus has little or no quality control.The customer service people know nothing about the products that they represent.I know that Taurus must be pumping out these inovative little pocket guns at a fantastic rate.I would even go so far as to say that this is there # 1 seller,seconded only by the new Judge 45/410 revolver.When I first saw this gun it was love at first sight,it had so many inovations that the others did’nt have;a slide lock, extra magazine,loaded chamber indicator,built in safety device,the real selling point.The only thing that the gun lacked was a good inspection before it went out the door.If this keeps up Taurus’s wont be able to give these guns away,despite the great return policies.I hope they realize that word of mouth sells a lot of products and it can also impare a product’s reputation,as well.
This handgun is the worst product I have ever owned. It is defective. I fired ball and hollow-point through it and it misfed at least 40% of the time and misfired about 8-10% of the time. This is the same ammo which I fire through my PPK. I have returned it once but I cannot trust it and will replace it. I have no idea whether Cabela’s will trade but it is going back to them. I recommend you not buy it but if you want one, contact me and I’ll make you a really good deal!
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!
Purchased in Nov 2010. First box of ammo (50 rounds) resulted in slide behaving irregularly…sometimes locked open when last shot fired/mag empty (normal), sometimes locked open with still one round left in mag, and sometimes didn’t stay open at all with mag empty. Took back to dealer two weeks after purchase…and dealer sent back to Taurus. Received about three weeks later. Have fired another 150 rounds…not a single issue. Slide is functioning perfectly. No FTE, no stovepipes, no FTF. BTW…amazingly accurate for such a short barrel. Gun is great for intended purpose…very satisfied.
A 380 Auto on-your-person when needed on foot will outperform a 45 Auto under the seat of the truck EVERY time.
i dont see alot of people having these issues with the Ruger lcp ??? Humm kinda makes me wonder if it may be the better gun..
I’m glad to find a website with current opinions. I have been doing research like a lot of people comparing the Kel-tec, Ruger, and Taurus pocket guns before buying. As much as I like the whole Taurus offering, it seems like an awful lot of unhappy owners out there. The local big box gun store in Phoenix did a hard sell with me on the TCP and it is a solid $100 less than the LCP. But…? All that talk about Taurus having “improved”. Like a lot of us, I don’t get to the range very often, so the last thing I need is frustration with a new gun. I’m thinking I am going to sit on my $$ for a while and keep reading.
yeah so many ppl sayin the tcp is good, i dont see many on here sayin that, i also dont see anyone havin these issues with the Ruger.. think id buy the ruger with its lifetime warr..and great service….
Hmmm wonder if your a proud LCP owner?…BTW I’ll remind you that the TCP has the same life time warranty and service.
Stay away from the A series,serial numbers ending in A.The B series pistol Taurus sent me to replace the A series I sent back, about (5) times,this is one where the aluminum frame rail cracked>>> ;seems to be working a whole heck of a lot better then the A series.Maybe they did iron out the bugs, with the B series; but be cautious.Its a great little pocket pistol ahead of its’ time .It’s great when it performs.
I have been having the same issues. I experienced Stove pipes and failures to eject the spent casing causing a jam. I took the pistol back to the dealer and he said that it was the clip over feeding the pistol. I called Taurus and told them what me dealer had told me. They sentme out two new clips. I was able to test fire with both of the clips today and found that I am experiencing the same problems with the one clip but didn’t have anyissue with the other clip. I only ran 12 rounds through each clip but the one that kept jamming, was causing a failure to extract the casing from the barrel. I was able to only get three shots off before it did this. Could this be a clip issue?? Any advice would be appreciated.
well i read every post here, and after 2 year of post on here it seems the Taurus tcp has alot of issues,and after 2 yrs Taurus still hasnt fixed this gun to fire more than a few clips or rounds….and after all of YOU have sent the guns back (some as many as 6 times) you would think taurus would have fixed or remade the gun by now…i wouldnt want one if it was free after reading all of this, Im gonna look at the Ruger lcp reviews and figure out what thats all about..i will keep ya posted
We purchased 2 Tarus PT 738 TCP’s . New , $199 ea. w/ life time W. , size and price ( $100 less than the Ruger ) , and reliability . Great value , very pleased !!!!!!
$199 ea. sounds like a great price! Let us know how they shoot.
I have a Taurus Tcp 738 .380. I am overall happy with the gun. It’s Pink and SS. I have some miss feed issues when firing several rounds and when loading it the first time after unloading and/or cleaning, it will jam up a bit, and I often find I have to slap the magazine to get it to seat properly and load. I haven’t had any issues with the trigger pull or actually firing the gun as if I would be in a situation where it would be needed. Both myself and my boyfriend served in the Marines. We train just like we would perform. It is my daily carry piece and fits a slender female without bulk at the hip.
My wife wanted the Taurus LCP .380 in pink as her first gun, she had shot my guns enough and wanted a gun of her own. We had shot .380s before and she loved the look of the gun and it fit in her hands. The gun was small for me, my pinky couldn’t even wrap around the grip of the gun.
I shot the gun initially, and after the second round I put the gun down on the bench and gave her a disappointing look and as I left the bench I said, “Your probably not going to like that at all.” and as sure as the day is long, after she shot one round, she put the gun on the bench and stepped away.
The recoil was so intense, it made my 357 magnum’s recoil feel like nothing. It jammed more times than it fired a round. I am not one to waste money, and I wasn’t going to toss the remaining rounds of ammo in the trash, so reluctantly I shot the remaining rounds through the gun.
We cleaned the gun, sold it at a gun show the next week, and never looked back.