Another boring range report

[muggsy]

Yesterday I went to the range and ran another 100 rounds of Federal ammo through my P380. The gun functioned flawlessly and all but 5 of the 100 rounds stayed within the 3" black at 21 feet. I attribute the five fliers to shooter fatigue. I ain't as young as I used to be. The only modification to the gun is a Hogue slip-on grip. This little gun has quickly become one of my favorites. I originally purchased it as a back-up to my CM9 which is my primary carry pistol, but I don't feel under gunned when the P380 is all that I can carry.

[Yogi 117]

Pretty good shootin' at 7 yards IMHO. I often only carry a .380 (Ruger LCP) and don't feel too under-gunned. More & more though, the LCP is a bug to my G26.

[JFootin]

Nice report, Muggsy. That P380 is the Cadillac of 380s and it sounds like you have a good one.

For me, the P380 was out of my price range. So I have been looking at the alternatives for a long time. The common choices are the P3AT and the LCP. These guns don't have slide hold open on last round, which is, to me, an important feature. I have also seen enough reports about how unpleasant they are to shoot that I believe it. So I started looking at the Taurus TCP. It has a slide lever and stays open on last round. The reputation is good. It has a lifetime warranty. In pictures it looks angular and wierd like a stealth fighter, but in person it looks good. Just not a photogenic gun. Very thin, including the slide lock that doesn't stick out much at all. What finally sold me was the opinion of a former member and friend (Thunder71) who owns one. So, I bought the Plain Jane version from Bud's for $191, got 2 inexpensive spare mags and paid my gunsmith $30 to fluff&buff, polish the feed ramp, clean, lube and test fire it. He commented on what a nice trigger it has; smooth and lighter than my CM9. The gun points and shoots very well, which is good because the tiny black sights are useless. But, hey, this is a belly gun and accuracy is fine within SD distance. I am very pleased with the gun and the modest investment I made in it!

Edit: Don't ask me why, but this gun is not as brutal to shoot as the P3AT and the LCP. That was what I learned from Thunder71, who had owned an LCP. That really sold me. I don't know how it compares to the P380, but I find it acceptable as an occasionally fired BUG, not a range gun.

[muggsy]

I had a KelTec P3AT, but wasn't happy with it. While it functioned reliable it really wasn't very pleasant to shoot. I considered it at best a last ditch gun. I think that you made a very good choice in getting the Taurus considering the price.

[muggsy]

Pretty good shootin' at 7 yards IMHO. I often only carry a .380 (Ruger LCP) and don't feel too under-gunned. More & more though, the LCP is a bug to my G26.

My father was a gunsmith and introduced me to the shooting sports at the age of eight. I've had 58 years of practice. I'm not as good as I once was, but at 66 I can still hold my own. All that it takes is a good eye and a steady hand.

[Markis82]

Nice report, Muggsy. That P380 is the Cadillac of 380s and it sounds like you have a good one.

For me, the P380 was out of my price range. So I have been looking at the alternatives for a long time. The common choices are the P3AT and the LCP. These guns don't have slide hold open levers, which is, to me, an important feature. I have also seen enough reports about how unpleasant they are to shoot that I believe it. So I started looking at the Taurus TCP. It has a slide lever and stays open on last round. The reputation is good. It has a lifetime warranty. In pictures it looks angular and wierd like a stealth fighter, but in person it looks good. Just not a photogenic gun. Very thin, including the slide lock that doesn't stick out much at all. What finally sold me was the opinion of a former member and friend (Thunder71) who owns one. So, I bought the Plain Jane version from Bud's for $191, got 2 inexpensive spare mags and paid my gunsmith $30 to fluff&buff, polish the feed ramp, clean, lube and test fire it. He commented on what a nice trigger it has; smooth and lighter than my CM9. The gun points and shoots very well, which is good because the tiny black sights are useless. But, hey, this is a belly gun and accuracy is fine within SD distance. I am very pleased with the gun and the modest investment I made in it!

Edit: Don't ask me why, but this gun is not as brutal to shoot as the P3AT and the LCP. That was what I learned from Thunder71, who had owned an LCP. That really sold me. I don't know how it compares to the P380, but I find it acceptable as an occasionally fired BUG, not a range gun.

The LCP DOES have a slide lock back lever. However, it does not lock back on last round.

[Bill K]

A .380 is capable of putting a major hurting (or worse) on an assailant. Great choice when something bigger can't be carried. Sounds like you'd have no problem placing the rounds where they need to go.

[JFootin]

The LCP DOES have a slide lock back lever. However, it does not lock back on last round.

OK. Well, it's the locking on last round that I want because with my clumsy crippled hands I cannot rack the slide all the way back, keep it there and reach a thumb over to push the lever up. I keep one mag empty so that I can insert it when I want the slide locked open. Simple solution for me.

[muggsy]

A .380 is capable of putting a major hurting (or worse) on an assailant. Great choice when something bigger can't be carried. Sounds like you'd have no problem placing the rounds where they need to go.

Target shooting is one thing, but one thing to remember is that targets don't shoot back. I hope that I can do at least half that good when the SHTF.

[muggsy]

OK. Well, it's the locking on last round that I want because with my clumsy crippled hands I cannot rack the slide all the way back, keep it there and reach a thumb over to push the lever up. I keep one mag empty so that I can insert it when I want the slide locked open. Simple solution for me.

There are alternatives to racking the slide by hand. I've seen guys do some pretty impressive things with handguns who only had one arm. Where there's a will there's a way.

[jocko]

unless

OK. Well, it's the locking on last round that I want because with my clumsy crippled hands I cannot rack the slide all the way back, keep it there and reach a thumb over to push the lever up. I keep one mag empty so that I can insert it when I want the slide locked open. Simple solution for me.

u pack a spare mag on ur person, the locking thing is kinda of a mute point, nice to have work but not necessary. Had my PM9 never had this feature, I would never have given it a second thought, sometimes just another thing to go wrong when needed. Not alibing for a gun tha thas it and it doesn't work right either, just saying for me. it doesn'tmatter. I never carry a spare mag. If I cant do it in 7,,,, I am probalby done anyways.

[JFootin]

There are alternatives to racking the slide by hand. I've seen guys do some pretty impressive things with handguns who only had one arm. Where there's a will there's a way.

Well, I can rack the TCP pretty easily, and in a pinch I can rack my CM9. The trouble is that my fingers don't move sideways and manipulate stuff well, so I cannot hit the slide stop lever while holding the slide back. The empty mag in there does it for me.

u pack a spare mag on ur person, the locking thing is kinda of a mute point, nice to have work but not necessary. Had my PM9 never had this feature, I would never have given it a second thought, sometimes just another thing to go wrong when needed. Not alibing for a gun tha thas it and it doesn't work right either, just saying for me. it doesn'tmatter. I never carry a spare mag. If I cant do it in 7,,,, I am probalby done anyways.

I know what you are saying, Jocko. I usually don't carry an extra mag, either. But at home or the range, when I need to lock the slide back for whatever reason I use an empty mag. For instance, if I have the gun unloaded and have been dry firing it, then I want to load it again, I will use an empty mag to lock the slide when I rack it, insert a full mag, load a round in the chamber and put another round in the mag.

The convenience of the slide lock back feature with an empty mag is something I wouldn't want to be without. So, the fact that the TCP will do that and the P3AT and LCP don't makes those guns unsuitable for me. Of course, the much more expensive P380 will do it, but the slide lock lever is huge by comparison to the TCP, IMO.

[Jason40]

OK. Well, it's the locking on last round that I want because with my clumsy crippled hands I cannot rack the slide all the way back, keep it there and reach a thumb over to push the lever up. I keep one mag empty so that I can insert it when I want the slide locked open. Simple solution for me.

It's unfortunate to have this problem! I may be young, but I've had my left arm rebuilt and plenty of problems with my shoulder, leaving me with the same difficulty.. Do you find that your Taurus is easier to operate in this instance?! It would only make sense to me that it would be..

I've been looking at Taurus as another option as well, but I couldn't ever get over Kahr. Maybe I'll get this "for my wife" as her carry. She's excited to have one now too!

[Jason40]

As I read a similar response just above my question!!!