Taurus TCP-738 .380 random jamming fix.. (pics)

[backfire]

I recently purchased a new Taurus TCP-738 .380 (stainless) hand pistol for my wife to carry/shoot. While we do like the little thing, it does leave a few things to be desired in the "refinement" department that was really bugging me- especially with the occasional jamming it does sometimes. Even though the jamming seems to be rare (1-2 times in 50 rounds) and at random, obviously, I certainly don't want this "jam" to come at a time when I need the gun the most...

Sooooo, me being the mechanically inclined DIY'er for just about anything I can get my hands on, I decided to investigate the issue and correct the problem myself. I wanted to see how this gun works and what I can do to "blueprint" it or make it better/smoother to shoot somehow. Afterall, this thing is mass produced and probably slapped together on an assembly line, so I figured giving it a little "massage" just might make it serve me better.

**As a side note- After shooting approx. 40 rounds through it the other day, I did find that all the brass casings were getting pretty dinged up upon ejection, where there was even a little dent on the brass that I KNOW shouldn't be there, no matter what gun is doing the shooting.

It's not a bad little gun, but I think the bugger just needs a Lil' TLC to make her slick.

The issues I have with is~
1. Random jamming, especially when hot & w/ the last 1-2 rounds in the mag.

2. Cartridge casing denting.

3. Notchy slide action.

4. Hammer drop point uncertainty during the trigger pull.


BTW- How does one post pictures on this board??

 

[SEIndSAM]

Looking forward to installment #2. Instruction for pics is in FAQ.

 

[backfire]

Looking forward to installment #2. Instruction for pics is in FAQ.

Thanks and I did look up the procedures in FAQ, but I don't have anywhere to "host" the pics, therefore, I don't have a way to post them here now I guess. No pics then?? Wow, that's going to make describing this w/ only text challenging...

 

[backfire]

I found a place online to host these photos, so hopefully it works, 'cause a picture is worth a thousand words and I'd hate to have to try and describe all of this with words only. Ok, here goes....


Here is what I started with after first disassembling the lower internal rail assy. from the polymer frame and the also trigger mechanism. I was VERY surprised how dirty everything was down there once I got it all taken apart (even when new) and I can't believe Taurus doesn't allow disassembly of the trigger mechanism as part of their regular cleaning maintenance schedule- at least after the first purchase/use of the firearm.

Since Taurus doesn't "recommend" cleaning this or disassembling the firearm this far, there is no way a guy would know how dirty everything is getting or how to even do this at all! In my opinion, this is something that shuld be done on every TCP-738, because eventually, dirt and powder residue WILL get down there to gum thinogs up, making the slide and the trigger mechanism act notchy- just like mine is and it only has approx. 40 rounds through it! Imagine how dirty it would get after 200 rounds... 500 rounds.... So on.

 

[backfire]

Just got back home from the office.

In these two pictures, you can see the little burrs circled in red that I found on either end of the lower frame channel. You can easily see them and feel them to, where they are big enough to catch your fingernail on. Look how dirty this thing is after only 40 rounds shot through it- and I even cleaned it per factory recommendations before hand!

I'm polishing both of these smooth with crokus cloth and then chasing that w/ 4-ought steel wool. I'm surprised the gun came from the factory like this, so hopefully the slide will work more smoothly when I'm finished.

 

[backfire]

This picture kind of shows the little, sharp burr-lip at the bottom of the cartridge loading ramp of the barrel. All of my spent casings had a light scratch or gouge on them that I think this issue was causing, since the brass slides up onto this ramp when the action slide grabs it from the spring loaded magazine to ram it into the chamber. I'm gonna radius this little lip to remove the burr and then I'll polish the loading ramp to make the cartridges load smoother/easier.

 

[backfire]

This is the front of the lower frame on the trigger end of the assembly where the upper slide bottoms out against it, as the action recoils backward from firing a shot. There is a "high spot" burr on the one side, as evidenced by the extra shiny witness mark circled in red. It seems to me that if these two points aren't even, then the upper slide will "cock" a bit when the recoil occurs, making the upper slide pick up the next cartridge to load into the chamber off center. I'm going to lightly file the higher of the two areas down to match height of the lowest one so they are even.

 

[backfire]

These next two pictures show the top of the barrel assy. where this part closes the "chamber door" when the upper slide slams shut. It's kind of hard to see in these pictures, but both sides of this area on my gun are not flat, but somewhat jagged with high/low spot burrs on both sides. If these two planes are not parallel to each other, than the barrel will not sit square in upper slide when its closed, nor will it set square on the lower frame rail assembly either. Not to mention the making the entire action less smooth in operation and the cartridge setting in the chamber slightly crooked. I'm going to file both of these flat and even with each other also.

 

[backfire]

This last one is the bottom side corner of the cartridge extractor and I think I found the cause of the dented casings I was seeing on each spent brass wall! This little corner has been hit very hard numerous times, judging by the very shiny, well worn corner. I think this corner area is riding hard against the cartridge casing as its spring loaded up into the chamber from the magazine- especially as the gun warms up. Tolerances get tighter, friction is greater and the gun seems more likely to jam. I'm going to relieve this corner a bit with a fine file to lessen the opposing pressure of the extractor (against the mag. spring) so the next cartridge will have an easier and less restrictive path toward the barrel / chamber.

 

[backfire]

Well, I guess that about does it and it's my hope that addressing and/or correcting all of these little "production machining errors" will make the gun perform smoother, shoot nicer and not randomly jam up anymore. I like the little thing and if I'm going to keep it, it has to work right...

Hope this helps someone else if their "Lil' TCP" is giving them fits also.

 

[LP1]

Your problems are very similar to what my TCP did. Lacking the knowledge & guts to do what you did, I sent it back to Taurus twice before giving up and trading it. (If you had not mentioned that you bought it new, I would have suspected that you had my old gun.)

Even though I no longer have the TCP, I appreciate your sharing of this info.

Did you get the desired results?

Just curious - will Taurus continue to honor the warranty after someone does this kind of work?

 

[backfire]

Your problems are very similar to what my TCP did. Lacking the knowledge & guts to do what you did, I sent it back to Taurus twice before giving up and trading it. (If you had not mentioned that you bought it new, I would have suspected that you had my old gun.)

Even though I no longer have the TCP, I appreciate your sharing of this info.

Did you get the desired results?

Just curious - will Taurus continue to honor the warranty after someone does this kind of work?

Thanks and after reading a lot of other reports similar to mine all across the internet, I figured guys' were having the same issue(s) as me.

I'm not quite done with the "refinements" just yet, but I'm plinking away to the finish. Kids, the wife and that moron who tried to get in the house last Wednesday (another thread) have kept me busy.. LoL! I'll post back my results when I'm done.

As far as the warranty- I've always been a "fix-it-myself" kind of guy in just about anything I do, where I like to know how my stuff works. Always been that way, so I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse... Haha!

Plus, if the item I'm tinkering with isn't to expensive to give up the warranty coverage that usually doesn't have a very good outcome after the "warranty repair" anyway (such as your experiences) I gladly give it up, just to get a chance to do it myself.

At least if I make it better or worse afterward, I only have myself to congratulate or blame.

 

[backfire]

I just got done with everything and I'm uploading the pictures now. I can say that after testing fitting everything together afterward, this thing feels like butta'! I hope she shoots as smooth as she feels!!

 

[Mgderf]

If it turns out good, would you consider doing the same thing to another one, and where are you located?

You'll be able to send and receiuve pm's after 1 more post. Just FYI

 

[jason867]

I'm looking forward to your final results.

I just recently got a TCP. I broke it in with 3 boxes of Fiocchi FMJ and some hornaday ftx jhps (my carry ammo in it). During that session I did not have a single jam, total reliability. Both ammo types seemed to shoot pretty cleanly.

Since then, I've used cheap Federal and Remington FMJ from walmart for practice at the range. I've noticed they shoot a lot dirtier than the Fiocchi ammo. Towards the end of a box of the dirty ammo, I start getting out-of-battery jams (the slide fails to close completely and lock up) about once per mag. Tapping the back of the slide closes it all the way and it will fire and eject fine. I believe dirt around the firing pin face area causes this jam for me, as simply wiping that area with my finger allows the pistol fire a little longer jam free.

I'm collecting the 380 brass I find, and I've noticed some gouges on the mouth of some cases from my TCP.

So I'm wondering if a fluff & buff is in order, or if I need to stick to cleaner ammo.

 

[backfire]

If it turns out good, would you consider doing the same thing to another one, and where are you located?

You'll be able to send and receiuve pm's after 1 more post. Just FYI

Hmmm, didn't know that, thanks. We can chat there about it if that's good for you.

 

[backfire]

I'm looking forward to your final results.

I just recently got a TCP. I broke it in with 3 boxes of Fiocchi FMJ and some hornaday ftx jhps (my carry ammo in it). During that session I did not have a single jam, total reliability. Both ammo types seemed to shoot pretty cleanly.

Since then, I've used cheap Federal and Remington FMJ from walmart for practice at the range. I've noticed they shoot a lot dirtier than the Fiocchi ammo. Towards the end of a box of the dirty ammo, I start getting out-of-battery jams (the slide fails to close completely and lock up) about once per mag. Tapping the back of the slide closes it all the way and it will fire and eject fine. I believe dirt around the firing pin face area causes this jam for me, as simply wiping that area with my finger allows the pistol fire a little longer jam free.

I'm collecting the 380 brass I find, and I've noticed some gouges on the mouth of some cases from my TCP.

So I'm wondering if a fluff & buff is in order, or if I need to stick to cleaner ammo.

I agree w/ you on the ammo quality, but it's always hard to tell the "good" ammos for this gun from the "bad" w/out trying it first I guess... I too have found the Hornady stuff to be top drawer, but its price is also reflective of that, which makes going to the range kinda expensive shooting the "good stuff" at paper.

I've got about 60 more rounds to burn through of Magtech and some American Eagle (Federal), where once I'm done with those, I'm sticking to the Hornady stuff- if for anything else but to keep my gun cleaner after all this work.

That's a good name for these improvements- "Fluff n' Buff" !

 

[backfire]

Well, here's the photos of the "Fluff n' Buff" mods to this beastie. My apologies for the sometimes crappy macro picture quality, as this little Canon point-n-shoot camera leaves a bit to be desired in the close-up picture quality area. I'll try to explain the image a bit better for those pics...

The first picture is of the barrel assembly. I took a micro-file and radiused all the sharp edges around the cartridge chamber, deburred the edges of the loading ramp, sqaured off the face of the chamber and polished up the entire loading ramp surface. Everything is as smooth as a baby's bottom now.

 

[backfire]

Here is the now radiused corner of the extracter that kept denting and gouging the spent brass pretty good and likely assiting in the random jamming due to increased friction as the action warmed up.

 

[backfire]

Here is both sides of the lower frame rail after I deburred them and slightly radiused all the dinged or sharp edges. (they are shiny) I used wet/dry 1500 grit machinist's carbide sand paper to just do the job, without taking too much material off. I didn't do the steel wool treatment afterall, because the sand paper did what I needed it to do the first time and I didn't want to remove any more of the hard, black anodizing off the rails than I needed to. Both rail grooves as as smooth as glass...