Taurus PT738

greener · Post by **greener** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:56 pm

Made my usual pilgrimage to the Showmasters (Richmond) gun show today. For that show the number of vendors, selection and prices were pretty good. One of the vendors had side-by-side a pretty good selection of pocket .380's. Ended up deciding I just needed a .380 and the Taurus was the one I needed. It was priced between the black Ruger LCP ($280) and the raspberry Ruger LCP ($245). Comes with two mags. The pistol has last round hold open and I can get two fingers on the grip with the mag in.

It also comes with a really neat purse, although I saw a little orange and white number that I really preferred.

Field stripping was fairly simple although you need a flat-bladed tool to pry the retaining pin out. The recoil spring has a smaller spring in the front, which will fall and could get easily lost.

Trigger feels ok for one of these pistols. Range time tomorrow. I hope we can hit a small barn door at 7 yards. PS. .380 ammo was available and wasn't more than one arm and one leg.

bgreenea3 · Post by **bgreenea3** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:53 pm

Looks kinda like a LCP/P3AT is the basic operation the same?

greener · Post by **greener** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 12:01 am

bgreenea3 wrote:Looks kinda like a LCP/P3AT is the basic operation the same?

It's Taurus' entry into that market.

greener · Post by **greener** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:31 pm

Fired 49 rounds at the range today. the trigger was good and the pistol fired accurately at 7 yards.

I had about 15 rounds that didn't fire and had a good dent on the primer. When recycled through the pistol, they fired. About 12 rounds failed to load. I was firing 95gr FMJ purchased reloads. Don't think that had anything to do with the problem Need to find out if it is a break in, ammo or pistol problem. Until solved it isn't ready for prime time.

perazzi · Post by **perazzi** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:36 pm

Damn site better than what I get with my LCP!!

I have to tell the BG to move left a foot or so.....

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:47 pm

Sounds like a problem with the reloads. Use a gauge to check them if you have one. Not fire on the 1st hit and going bang on the second indicate the primer were not fully seated.

greener · Post by **greener** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 10:33 pm

I suspected the reloads, but the guy has a pretty good rep for reloads. Will mic a few rounds. And I'll buy some commercial.

Thanks for the compliment, perazzi, but there was a bumble bee buzzing around the target where I was shooting. He was perfectly safe.

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:34 pm

It also comes with a really neat purse, although I saw a little orange and white number that I really preferred.

Nice looking gun, I have been pleased with my taurus, as many others have been too.
380 ammo is almost equal with gold, hard to find.
Nice purse as well

Haka

bgreenea3 · Post by **bgreenea3** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:37 pm

nice shooting pops, looks like you got a winner if you can get ammo for it.... what was the orange and white number?

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 9:38 am

Hey Bob, a friend of mine just got one and he likes it. Looked like a pretty good gun to me. If I did not have my P3AT, I would buy one for sure. Have never shot any hand loads in mine, just factory ammo. Did have some original feed problems, but that was a gun problem that I solved and not ammo related.

greener · Post by **greener** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:39 pm

bgreenea3 wrote:nice shooting pops, looks like you got a winner if you can get ammo for it.... what was the orange and white number?

Black is so outre and passe. I saw some nice concealment purses. The orange and white check looked good.

PS. Showed it to your maw. Handed it to her with the slide locked back. Figured it would be nice for her to carry. She was not excited by the loose barrel and plastic frame. She thought it would blow up on the first round. I guess the light gun for her is the S&W M65.

bgreenea3 · Post by **bgreenea3** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:12 pm

greener wrote:
bgreenea3 wrote:nice shooting pops, looks like you got a winner if you can get ammo for it.... what was the orange and white number?
Black is so outre and passe. I saw some nice concealment purses. The orange and white check looked good.

PS. Showed it to your maw. Handed it to her with the slide locked back. Figured it would be nice for her to carry. She was not excited by the loose barrel and plastic frame. She thought it would blow up on the first round. I guess the light gun for her is the S&W M65.

Maw would like a PPK

greener · Post by **greener** » Sat May 01, 2010 9:27 pm

Lawman 95gr FMJ fired without a failure, so the FTF was the reloaded ammo. Slide held open before the last round was loaded. Will have the thing apart in a bit. Maybe last round hold open means the slide locks back before the last round is loaded.

Shoots well.

I thought I'd just buy ammo and not reload. With all the trouble with finding any ammo, looks like Lee will be selling some .380 dies and stuff.

Post by **Bullseye** » Sun May 02, 2010 8:27 am

Be sure to inspect your empty .380 Auto cases carefully if you plan on reloading. Some .380's are Berdan primed instead of Boxer. That means you could snap or bend your decapping post if you attempt to remove the wrong kind of primer.

source:www.gswagner.com

R,
Bullseye

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Sun May 02, 2010 9:30 am

I think who ever reloaded the 380 ammo that gave you problems did not fully seat the primers, which caused the problem. I've reloaded 380 and it's a tough round to reload due to it small charge. Just takes a little more time.

If you sort head stamps you will cull those beirden primers out, mainly Blazer Al.