919-388-1991
Not to be left out of the pocket 380 craze that was/is going on the firearms industry, Taurus introduced the Taurus TCP .380 at the 2010 SHOT show. The TCP 380 is an updated version of their TCP 32, except the TCP 380 was upgraded to the larger .380 caliber. The “TCP” acronym in the pistol’s name stands for “Taurus Compact Pistol”.
The TCP 380 was specifically designed to target the concealed carry market and to directly compete with other popular polymer frame pocket 380 models like the Ruger LCP, Kel-Tec P380, and the Beretta Pico. The TCP 380 features a 6+1 capacity, and comes with two steel magazines. The unloaded pistol weighs just slightly over 10 ounces and is only .87” wide, making it ideal for CCW and/or pocket carry.
At first glance, most people mistakenly think the TCP 380 is a striker-fired gun, but that is not accurate. The TCP is a double action only hammer fired gun, with the hammer being housed deep within the rear of the frame. The hammer is not accessible so it cannot be “cocked”, so the pistol is DOA only. Like most all Taurus semi-automatic pistol models, the TCP 380 also features the patented Taurus Security System so the pistol can be rendered inoperable with the turn of a special key. It should also be noted that the TCP 380 does have a safety, but does feature a loaded chamber indicator.
Reports indicate that the trigger on the TCP 380 is surprisingly good for a pistol in the sub-$250 price range. It’s long but smooth with a pull weight of 7-9 lbs. The model I test fired certainly did not feel like 7-9 pounds and felt about as smooth as my Kahr P380 (which has a phenomenal trigger).
Throughout the life of the TCP, Taurus offered it a number of different color variations, including one with a stainless steel slide. They also briefly offered the TCP 380 in a version with “wings” that were built into the slide. Those “wings” could be unfolded out and were useful in helping the shooter manipulate the slide. Unfortunately, Taurus opted to discontinue the TCP 380 series at the end of 2017 in favor of the new Taurus Spectrum 380.
Here are some questions that we commonly see regarding Taurus TCP 380 holsters:
Good question and the answer is: it depends on the holster material. Our experience has been that the TCP 380 is slightly larger than the TCP 32 so the TCP 380 version did not fit a TCP 32 version well at all (too tight). With a more forgiving material like nylon, it could fit in a holster for a TCP 32.
With the wings folded down into the slide, the winged version fits in a standard Taurus TCP holster. We are not aware of anyone who offers a Taurus TCP 380 holster made to fit the TCP 380 with the wings extended.
Yes, the TCP 380 is ideal as a pocket gun and either of these two pocket holsters work well with the TCP 380:
MTR Custom Front Pocket Holster
MTR Custom Rear Pocket Holster
Although we carry a number of magazine carriers that are designed to work with the TCP 380, we do not have one that is specifically designed to be carried in the front pocket. The magazine carriers for the TCP 380 are also listed down below.
While we do offer a number of Taurus TCP holsters, we currently do not carry a holster brand that offers an ankle holster for the Taurus TCP.