Taurus PT-738 Review

[Sharpshooter9x19]

Thanks to information from other forum members I have made my next purchase. I was in the market for a reliable, well made BUG (Back-up gun) in an adequate caliber. I went to Kinsey's looking for a Bersa Thunder .380 and a Taurus PT709. I've always been a fan of the PPK, and Bersa has always had a good reputation with owner's I've talked with at the range. I walked out with a Taurus TCP, and am (Mostly) pleased with my decision.



I originally had a 1st Gen Kel-Tec P32 with an Armalaser LAM that was relegated to BUG duty. Wanting a weapon that was a more solid build with more punch than .32ACP I sold it to a forum member and began using a S&W 642. During the summer months I began to miss my "Pocket Gun" and the ease in which I could carry it so I determined to replace it at the first opportunity.

I like the weight and heft of the Bersa, and LOVE the restrike capability of the PT709, but both were too big for what I needed in a BUG, and I'm not keen on a manual safety being on a weapon relegated to deep concealment(One more thing to go wrong at the worst possible moment).

I had a chance to handle a Micro-Eagle, and it was a great looking and feeling gun. Heavy yet small, but with a $500 price tag I decided it wasn't what I was looking for. After handling the TCP, P3AT and the LCP the decision was easy. I walked out with my wallet $320 lighter and the proud owner of a Taurus TCP(PT-738).

Having secured some .380 ammunition at this past weekend's gun show in Lebanon I was afforded the opportunity(finally) to put this gun through its paces. I was not astounded, but not disappointed either.



I used Speer Lawman 95gr FMJ and Speer Gold dot 90gr GDHP in my testing. I fired a total of 75 rounds, and overall I was pleased with the way the pistol felt WHEN it fired. The second magazine I experienced a failure to feed the last round. No big deal since the mag springs are tight. On my 4th mag I experienced the same thing so I eliminated that mag from my session. 6th mag I experienced the slide failing to go back into battery on the 4th shot. Try as I may it would not lock into battery with a round chambered. After multiple "tap-rack-bang" drills I emptied the mag and it went into battery. After some tinkering I determined through process of elimination it wasn't the ILS as I had suspected but the loaded chamber indicator/extractor that was causing the malfunction. As I had shot approx 40 or so rounds it was extremely dirty, so I cleaned the chamber thoroughly and experienced no more malfunctions with my remaining FMJ rounds.

I then loaded the GDHP's and fired two mags with no malfunctions whatsoever. My best grouping at 10 yards was approx 5 inches with one very low "flier" (on the bottom right edge of the pic) causing the large group. If I had done my part I feel the groups would be tighter.



Cleaning the weapon is as easy as disassembling a Kel-Tec. In fact it "takes down" the exact same way.



The fit and finish are miles ahead of Kel-Tec, and the internals are simple. The grip is excellent, and the rear cocking serrations allow positive control when racking the slide. It comes with two 6 round mags (one of which, it's true, did not function 100% but the other did). When the 8 round mags come out I plan on securing several, as I always hated my pinky hanging off the Kel-Tec P32 grip.


From a size comparison The TCP is well suited for Pocket carry.



TCP on top of my G19:


Overall I'm pleased with this weapon. The Taurus Security System (Their version of ILS) is something I wish had been omitted from it's design, but since my S&W 642 has an ILS and after almost 400 rounds has never given me any issues I can live with the ILS on the TCP (Wow, that's a lot of abbreviations!).
Time will tell if these problems persist. I plan on acquiring more .380 ammunition shortly, and will be running another 150 rounds through the gun before I sign off on this as a concealed carry weapon.

Caveat: Good luck finding holsters and accessories for this Pistol. As of this writing it's nigh impossible. LCP/Kel-TecP3AT holsters are hit & miss due to the enlarged trigger guard on the TCP. Currently I'm using an Uncle Mike's Pocket holster for a Sigma 380, and it's a tad bigger than I'd like. The TCP also fits my Desantis Apache ankle rig for S&W J-frames.

I did find one holster maker on ebay that has a pocket rig for the TCP
http://stores.ebay.com/D-M-Bullard-Gun-Leather

High Noon holsters also has a few PT-738 friendly holsters, though none are what I'm looking for.
http://www.highnoonholsters.com/index.html

I've put a call into Taurus regarding my magazine, and also to inquire about accessories and additional mags. As of this posting I'm still waiting to hear back from them.

My thanks go out to Keystoneman85 for his thread on the PT709 and all of the forum members who contributed. This greatly helped me make my decision.
http://forum.pafoa.org/pistols-41/67...al-review.html

I'm just sayin....

[buster2209]

I'm looking for a BUG and this gun caught my eye.

Any updates?

[Sharpshooter9x19]

Well I finally tracked down additional .380acp ammo and got a break from work, the wife and the kiddo and made it to the range. Since I utilized only Speer Lawman during the last review (Which was, consequently my first review of the TCP) I decided to procure two different types of ammunition because.....ok I'm not gonna lie, because I found it cheap and ACTUALLY found 380! Many thanks to the guys at TROP in Elizabethtown for setting back a box of UMC for me.

I arrived to the range on a very rainy Monday. From my time in THE USMC (Semper Fi!). I still do not believe in my comfort, so the rain and blowing "effin" wind was only a concern for my accuracy, not my disposition.

I used UMC 95gr FMJ (foreground) and Independence 95gr FMJ (stamped Blazer brass in background).

Also in the foreground is a barely metallic, tacticool looking......staple.....moving on...

I loaded one magazine with UMC and the second with Independence and went to work. My best group from 10 yards, while may be laughable to some, made me feel comfortable that the TCP can get the job done. This was with the UMC ammo. I'd like to blame it on the wind/rain BUT it was my inability to keep a firm "purchase" i.e. grip on the TCP during fairly rapid fire, a condition I feel will be remedied by either an 8 round magazine or a pinky rest.


I fired a total of 100 rounds through the TCP and had ZERO FTF/FTE/Stovepipes/Issues/hurt feelings/etc! I was as shocked as the rest of you probably are, especially since Google reviews invariably link to more negative reviews than positive regarding the TCP's reliability. Given the previous review I posted I fully expected issues. The ONLY issue I had was of my own doing. I was riding the trigger travel between shots too much and kept the striker from fully resetting, which resulted in a "half click......then silence." approx. 30 or so rounds had me on my way to mastering the trigger reset during live fire.

One thing I did notice early on was that the UMC casings showed a very noticeable "bulge" as I policed up my brass. My only guess is that they're loaded a little hotter than the Independence rounds. Maybe some of the Ammo Guru's on the forum can shed some light on this:


After about 45 minutes I was left with a sore hand, a very dirty gun, and a smile on my face....and 13 rounds of Speer Gold dot JHP's (Not shooting anymore until I actually FIND some decent .380acp JHP).


I have now officially, unofficially and definitively adopted my Taurus TCP (i.e. PT 738 a.k.a. Hella f**kin balls-to-the-wall awesome) pistol as my daily carry weapon.

[keystoneman 85]

Glad this gun is working out for you bud!

[Sharpshooter9x19]

Glad this gun is working out for you bud!

Appreciate the help from your PT 709 thread!

FYI for TCP owners now or in the future: This may be a deal breaker, but I just spoke with Leo from Taurus International and he stated that it's a THREE month wait on additional magazines! Good God! Gun springs manufacturers need to get on replacement mag springs most Ricky-Tick!

[Malinki]

After about 45 minutes I was left with a sore hand, a very dirty gun, and a smile on my face.....

Enough already about your personal life.

Get back to the shooting.

[FLICK]

Sharpshooter9x19,
What do you think of the trigger feel on the TCP? I haven't been able to fondle one yet and am trying to decide between a LCP and TCP for summer pocket duty. I guess I'm wondering if it's miles of mush then bang or what? I wasn't too fond of my last Taurus' trigger.

Also, you may have to change your name to Sharpshootet380. Just sayin'.

[Sharpshooter9x19]

Sharpshooter9x19,
What do you think of the trigger feel on the TCP? I haven't been able to fondle one yet and am trying to decide between a LCP and TCP for summer pocket duty. I guess I'm wondering if it's miles of mush then bang or what? I wasn't too fond of my last Taurus' trigger.

Also, you may have to change your name to Sharpshootet380. Just sayin'.

I love the trigger. It's very smooth and breaks crisply. Much shorter & lighter pull than the trigger on my Kel-tec P32.

[PAfarmboy]

Saw one of these guns in the display case at Stubbys today. I swear the price tag said $239. Maybe I am dyslexic today, and it was $329?

Question: Where did you find the Gold Dots for 380? And secondly, who is selling GDs in boxes of 50? I have never seen that before. It is usually 25 per box. They are 90 grains correct? I am shooting 95 grains PMC starfires right now, and I am running out. I am thinking of going with 102 grain Remington Golden Sabres, but finding any 380 is still tough.

Glad the gun is running good for you.

EDIT: looking at the pics again, maybe that is a box of 25 for the GDs. The last pic shows a 50 rd tray, but in the first pic, the box does look like a 25 round box. Is it?

[Sharpshooter9x19]

Saw one of these guns in the display case at Stubbys today. I swear the price tag said $239. Maybe I am dyslexic today, and it was $329?

Question: Where did you find the Gold Dots for 380? And secondly, who is selling GDs in boxes of 50? I have never seen that before. It is usually 25 per box. They are 90 grains correct? I am shooting 95 grains PMC starfires right now, and I am running out. I am thinking of going with 102 grain Remington Golden Sabres, but finding any 380 is still tough.

Glad the gun is running good for you.

EDIT: looking at the pics again, maybe that is a box of 25 for the GDs. The last pic shows a 50 rd tray, but in the first pic, the box does look like a 25 round box. Is it?

25RD GDHP's sitting in a 50RD plastic insert. Had to empty my Defensive ammo out of my Mags to fill them w/ my test ammo. THe GDHP's function 100% in my TCP.
I picked up the GDHP's at the Lebanon Gun show months ago for $25 a box.
FYI: Every once in a while Trop will get an almost decent amount (5-6 boxes) of Pow'r'ball .380. If you call them they may set ammo back for you for 24 hours. They will for me