Ruger LCP VS Taurus TCP 380s

[1RugerFan_33]

Please discuss, provide feedback/impressions; good OR bad; (hoping from those having owned one or the other, specifically (not interested in bashing or brand loyalty; i know where i'm posting :wink: ) if you've used/carried either...

Background: I am a loyal Ruger fan/repeat customer, who has decided he needs a 380-sized carry option...these are my options available (from the place i intend to purchase, tho they can order anything). I've shot neither; handled both (even the laser equipped LCP); have never owned or shot a Taurus...would not even consider such, if it wasnt for the way it felt in my hand (including the trigger), compared to the LCP...also, tho the Taurus is less across the board than the Ruger, price is NOT a concern or issue for purchasing it over/under the Ruger, where i to do so.

As an aside, if you use/carry one of these, i'd be appreciative if mention to the load carried/used was mentioned.

This is the start of my info gathering for this near-future purchase, as I never have owned, or thought i would, a .380, ie, "pocket gun" (tho ive shot a .380)...

But life happens. StaySafe y'all & watch your Six; thanks for your time, and, hopefully, impartial input.

Als

 

[gasbag]

I have a Ruger LCP. I like it, sort of.
It is convenient when anything else is too big to carry. I used to just toss it into a pocket.
Shooting it, for me is difficult. My hands may be a bit too large or I am just not adaptable to it.
I put a CT laser on it and my accuracy became a bit better. It is dependable, I have never had an issue when shooting it.
All I have shot out of it was Winchester white box ammo. I can't imagine shooting a defensive load out of it.

My solution for me was the Sig P238. I know you didn't mention this but it is what found to work for me.
It fits my hands. It is easy to shoot for me and it conceals just as well as the LCP although a bit heavier. I use a Crossbreed holster.
It is also built like a brick. It is just an itty bitty 1911.
I can also shoot it better than I can the LCP and it's laser.

The above is just my opinion. I like the LCP but I carry the Sig everywhere now when I can't carry anything larger.

 

[AGE Ranger]

I carry an LCP daily in my right front pocket. Doesn't cause a problem and haven't notice it printing with most pants or shorts. My wife has one also. We try to go to the range once a week and try shoot two or three magazines each before shooting the toys. I've close to 700 maybe 800 rounds of factory and reloads. Any my wife about 3 maybe 400 rounds.

The LCP took a little getting used to with my big hands. The magazine comes with an extended floor plate. that helps.

I never had a jam that wasn't my fault. I did some reloads that weren't quite powerful enough to eject the spent case fully. Never had a miss fire or jams with any factory loads.

Very nice shooting, reliable and lite firearm.

The only other .380 I own is a Bersa 383DA, the grand-father of the Thunder.

Good Luck!

 

[Striker]

My LCP has been absconded with by my daughter, when she got her CWP she snatched the LCP and carries it in a small holster in her purse. Not a firearm to take to the range and put 100's of rounds down range in an afternoon.., couple mags of whatever your carry ammo is to make sure it functions, clean it up and carry. I can honestly say it has never failed to fire/function for me regardless of ammo type.

 

[Steve55]

http://www.firearmpatriot.com/?page_id=6

 

[Kevets]

I bought a TCP about a year ago. Felt right and liked it but it blew a hole in the side of the slide at round 14. Took Taurus seven weeks to decide they couldn't fix it and sent me a new one. I really was looking forward to carrying it. I'm guessing that doesn't happen often but it kinda put me off.

Just my experience.

 

[oldiron1]

I have an LCP that I carry and really like it for that purpose.

I also have a Sig P238 and a Colt Mustang that I like shooting a whole lot more, however the LCP is built well and very reliable which matters most concerning a CCW. It's a tool meant for one specific purpose....if you want something fun and comfortable to put a box of ammo through for fun at the range on a Saturday afternoon, I'd suggest the Sig or the Colt, but the LCP is a great little gun that is super reliable for the money.

I have no experience with the Taurus and don't plan to either.

 

[PAVTXER]

I don't have either of those, but do have another brand of .380 pocket gun that I carry daily. Back in the day I had/carried an AMT 380 BU, but that was stainless and much heavier than these lighter ones today. I now have a KelTec P3AT and have had no issues with it whatsoever. It came out well before the LCP, is always with me and fits into a nice wallet holster and into my back pocket like my wallet in the opposite pocket. The LCP is somewhat similar, yet has smoother edges I believe. The compactness of these .380s just make them so convenient to carry, as a back up, or even a primary when clothing or events prevent the carrying of some others. As far as brand....I have not heard much positive regarding Taurus semi's but lots for their revolvers. Ruger is Ruger, similar to and smoother than what I have, and if you are comfortable with it.... that is what really matters.... not what I say or recommend.

 

[Conn AK]

Shot the TCP twice (2 mags) while the TCP owner shot my LCP twice at my range. Both seem to have long trigger pulls and snappy recoil. I prefer the LCP because I get a better grip (believe it or not) and neither pistol has any real sights. What sucks about the TCP is the trigger reset. What you think is the trigger reset "click" is not. The trigger has to be fully engaged forward for the hammer to be fully cocked. Not a good thing, but I guess you can get used to it. It is less expensive than the LCP, but the only real competition for the LCP is by S&W and Kel-Tec in that compact a size. By the way, the guy who shot my LCP liked the feel of the LCP better than the TCP. I owned a used Kel-Tec 3AT and loved it. The LCP is far more reliable with hollow points so I sold the KT. Hats off to Kel-Tec though.....it is the father of the affordable and sub-compact .380

 

[wlhawk]

After looking at the LCP for several years and purchasing larger pistols, I finally decided to get one for carry when the larger pistols were not practical.
All of my other ruger products have been reliable.

 

[GeorgeP]

I've had an LCP and two TCPs. Although I'm normally a Ruger fan I was never comfortable with the LCP. It was reliable but didn't fit my hand right, actually hurt my hand, and I couldn't shoot it accurately...not even good point and shoot. The first TCP, an early production run, was a bugger and made a couple of trips back to Miami and I had to make a couple of other adjustments myself. It finally started shooting reliably and I liked the feel and accuracy. It got traded for an LC9, which I still have. The second TCP was a current production with a black stainless slide. It ran flawlessly and like the first one fit my hand and was accurate. It also has a last round lock back...which the LCP does not have. HOWEVER a few months ago I got rid of all my 380s...LCP, TCP & Bodyguard. I now carry (about 90% of the time) a Kel Tec P32. Shoots way nicer than any 380 and is just as lethal with the right ammo. The rest of the time I carry the LC9 (once I got it working to suit me).

Both the LCP and TCP have the break down pin in a flimsy polymer spot so be very careful that you don't push/pull the grip out too far, you WILL loose the latch spring and it's a bear to get back in place.

 

[vito]

I have an LCP that I am happy with, once I accepted the snappy nature of this little gun and the lack of sights. I have owned a Taurus in the past and while it was OK, I don't think it matched the quality of manufacture that I have experienced with Ruger or S&W on which the Taurus models were based.

 

[crewdog05]

I have and carry the taurus tcp 738, federal hydra shock 90 grain hp. not fun to shoot, get the Pearce grip extension. I carry in a Recluse pocket holster with a spare mag holder in kydex. usually in my rt rear pocket, it looks like a wallet. So far very reliable, have put about 75 rds thru it,no fails. first few time I had to assist the slide fwd when chambering the first rd, but no issues when I pull the trigger, functions just fine. Cost was the deciding factor.

 

[welldoya]

A couple of years ago I was trying to decide between the LCP and the TCP. The TCP did feel better in my hand but after some research (and reading a lot of bad things about the TCP) I went with the LCP and I'm glad I did.
At the time, the LCP and TCP were the same price, right around $300. Don't know about now, but at one time the TCP price dropped tremendously. That tells me something.

 

[eagleguy]

I just took my recently purchased LCP to the range today and ran 100 rounds though it. At seven yards the gun was as accurate as one could expect with hardly any sights to speak of. Initially I was concerned about the accuracy of the gun but after playing around a bit it became more comfortable to shoot. By that I mean once I gave up trying to aim using the sight and went to more of a point and shoot mode I started to get acceptable groupings. If the sights were more pronounced the gun wouldn't fit so well in my front pocket. That said, my Beretta 25 is a more accurate pistol in my medium to large hands but I would rather be carrying the Ruger if the - - - - hit the fan!
I looked at the Taurus as well and just thought the Ruger was better made.

 

[dlay]

I have had a lcp for couple of years or more, and it is the only pistol that I will carry, because of size and weight. It is so comfortable that you forget that you have it on you. If they are not comfortable, you wont carry for long.

 

[revhigh]

LCP, TCP, P3AT, LC9, PF9 .... blah blah blah ... they're all junky little plastic pistols that feel and shoot like junky little plastic pistols.

Just pick one because they all are cheap plastic junk. It really doesn't matter if that's what you want.

The Sig 238, CZ82/83, and the Walther small guns are at least real guns.

If you want a real gun see if one of those will work. If not .... then the LCP or P3AT is probably your best choice.

It seems like companies have lost track of what a quality firearrm is anymore.

BTW. ... I have a P3AT, and I carry it when I don't carry my G26, but it's still cheap plastic junk, and I know that and accept it for what it is. No need to kill yourself trying to analyze this just pick 1 because they're all pretty much the same.

REV

 

[vito]

I guess a gun is only a "real gun" if it is made of steel. I have steel guns and I have polymer guns and that in itself doesn't make one better or worse. One of the nice things about the LCP is the light weight because it is "plastic".

 

[revhigh]

No ... not because they're made of steel or not.

Because they are or are not a quality weapon.

If You can handle 1 of those cheap plastic guns and say that they're a quality weapon ....then you've never really handled a quality weapon.

Feel the trigger ... work the slide .... disassemble them ... work the action ...

Why do you think there are so many problems with these guns ? They're made with cheap lightweight plastic parts, cheap stamped metal firing mechanisms, and the rest of the parts are MIM.

REV

 

[vito]

I guess the definition of a quality gun varies by what criteria you use. My Ruger P97 that I have had for many years is accurate and absolutely reliable. It is an inexpensive steel and polymer gun. For me it is a lot better gun than my Kimber that cost triple what the Ruger cost, was all steel, but unreliable in its functioning