# I bought a TCP because I'm an idiot



## steveinaustin (Mar 7, 2017)

Well I went against every ounce of my good judgement and common sense and bought a Taurus product, a TCP. 20 rounds later the trigger assembly broke and now I have to wait 6-8 weeks to get back my brand new pistol I had for a grand total of 2 days.
I'm not angry at Taurus. I'm angry at myself. I knew better. 

In order to make this more than a post whining about my stupidity, can anyone give me a current turnaround time for repair right now? Is it really 6-8 weeks like they claim?


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## CW (Mar 20, 2015)

6-8 months, from what I've read. :mrgreen:


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## steveinaustin (Mar 7, 2017)

CW said:


> 6-8 months, from what I've read. :mrgreen:


Haha the gift that keeps on giving. Thanks for the info.


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## Livingthedream (Feb 27, 2016)

Depends if the have the part in stock. If they do less than half that time if they do not figure 6 to 8 weeks or more. They get shipments in once a month. Some say by canoe from brazil. 
Lol...............


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Unfortunately, you do get what you pay for. Just count your lucky stars that it didn't fail when you needed it most.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Sad indeed. Don't know what to say but once burned, you learn. Everyone is allowed the first screwup, since it's not fatal.


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

Sorry to hear of your trouble. It sucks that Taurus can continue to make crap. I own Glock, S&W, Ruger, Mossberg, Colt, IWI, H&R, and a sears and roebuck all perform as advertised why can't Taurus get it together?


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

rustygun said:


> Sorry to hear of your trouble. It sucks that Taurus can continue to make crap. I own Glock, S&W, Ruger, Mossberg, Colt, IWI, H&R, and a sears and roebuck all perform as advertised *why can't Taurus get it together?*


Because they're cheaply made handguns. In order to keep the price down somethings got to give. It's kinda' like those TV commercials where they advertise products for only $19.95. "Hurry now and get two for the same price!" That's what Taurus' is all about.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

I can't criticize your mistake. It really is hard to believe that they can be as bad as everybody says, for decades. I've bought about a dozen lottery tickets in my lifetime, just to remind myself, and it has helped me to resist deals that are too good to be true. :mrgreen:


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## steveinaustin (Mar 7, 2017)

Bisley said:


> I can't criticize your mistake. It really is hard to believe that they can be as bad as everybody says, for decades. I've bought about a dozen lottery tickets in my lifetime, just to remind myself, and it has helped me to resist deals that are too good to be true. :mrgreen:


Haha so true.

I own mostly HKs and Glocks. I just chalk this up to a momentary lapse of reason. Lesson learned. Never again.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

steveinaustin said:


> Haha so true.
> 
> I own mostly HKs and Glocks. *I just chalk this up to a momentary lapse of reason. Lesson learned. Never again.*


Well at least you're honest enough to admit it. Some people get deeply offended if anyone says anything bad about Taurus. No doubt that there are some who have had no problems with any of Taurus products. But there are far too many who have had experiences such as yours. The way I look at it, is that when buying a handgun for defensive purposes you really have to determine how much you think your life is worth if you're going to depend on a cheaply made or inferior product. Comparatively speaking a Ruger LCP .380 only goes for around $50 more, which really isn't shit when you think about it. At least you can depend on a Ruger. It's a good thing you also have HK's and Glock's.

I just don't understand the infatuation that some people have with cheaply made guns? When it comes right down to it they are really not much of a bargain after all.

I have a few guns that fall into the useless category. In particular those Bond Arms derringers and a few of those NAA mini revolvers. They are hard as hell to hold on to, the sights are terrible, they are slow to get into action and are not particularly suited for a day of shooting. They are more of a novelty if anything else. However they are very well made and I do like them a lot. Which is the only reason why I bought them and do not regret buying them.


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## Livingthedream (Feb 27, 2016)

desertman said:


> Well at least you're honest enough to admit it. Some people get deeply offended if anyone says anything bad about Taurus. No doubt that there are some who have had no problems with any of Taurus products. But there are far too many who have had experiences such as yours. The way I look at it, is that when buying a handgun for defensive purposes you really have to determine how much you think your life is worth if you're going to depend on a cheaply made or inferior product. Comparatively speaking a Ruger LCP .380 only goes for around $50 more, which really isn't shit when you think about it. At least you can depend on a Ruger. It's a good thing you also have HK's and Glock's.
> 
> I just don't understand the infatuation that some people have with cheaply made guns? When it comes right down to it they are really not much of a bargain after all.
> 
> I have a few guns that fall into the useless category. In particular those Bond Arms derringers and a few of those NAA mini revolvers. They are hard as hell to hold on to, the sights are terrible, they are slow to get into action and are not particularly suited for a day of shooting. They are more of a novelty if anything else. However they are very well made and I do like them a lot. Which is the only reason why I bought them and do not regret buying them.


Taurus owners are bargain hunters and refuse to believe that what they have purchased is bad quality. I was suckered into buying a G2 huge mistake nothing but problems with it. Dumped it and got a FNS9 compact. Best move I have ever made.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Livingthedream said:


> Taurus owners are bargain hunters and refuse to believe that what they have purchased is bad quality. I was suckered into buying a G2 huge mistake nothing but problems with it. Dumped it and got a FNS9 compact. Best move I have ever made.


Like I've mentioned in my previous post, a comparable Ruger is only about $50 more. I seriously doubt that will break anyone's bank account? You can't buy much for $50 these days. You're only talking about a coupla' boxes of ammo in order to have a better and more reliable handgun. The cost of a coupla' boxes of ammo is nothing when taking into consideration how many boxes of ammo that will need to be fired through that weapon in order to be proficient with it. Not to mention whether it can be relied on or not. To me buying an inferior firearm from a manufacturer with a questionable past is both: "penny wise and pound foolish".

Glad you've seen the light.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Livingthedream said:


> Taurus owners are bargain hunters and refuse to believe that what they have purchased is bad quality. I was suckered into buying a G2 huge mistake nothing but problems with it. Dumped it and got a FNS9 compact. Best move I have ever made.


It's like buying a chevy and expecting to get 200k out of it. Not going to happen. Buy a Toyota, Lexus, Honda if you want that kind of mileage. We bought chevys on state contract at my last employer. The last Malibu we had ran for 30k before we had to send it back for a new engine. Convinced me that they really haven't improved much in the last 30 years.


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## steveinaustin (Mar 7, 2017)

desertman said:


> Well at least you're honest enough to admit it. Some people get deeply offended if anyone says anything bad about Taurus. No doubt that there are some who have had no problems with any of Taurus products. But there are far too many who have had experiences such as yours. The way I look at it, is that when buying a handgun for defensive purposes you really have to determine how much you think your life is worth if you're going to depend on a cheaply made or inferior product. Comparatively speaking a Ruger LCP .380 only goes for around $50 more, which really isn't shit when you think about it. At least you can depend on a Ruger. It's a good thing you also have HK's and Glock's.
> 
> I just don't understand the infatuation that some people have with cheaply made guns? When it comes right down to it they are really not much of a bargain after all.
> 
> I have a few guns that fall into the useless category. In particular those Bond Arms derringers and a few of those NAA mini revolvers. They are hard as hell to hold on to, the sights are terrible, they are slow to get into action and are not particularly suited for a day of shooting. They are more of a novelty if anything else. However they are very well made and I do like them a lot. Which is the only reason why I bought them and do not regret buying them.


Well said and I agree with all of it.

I have a glock 43 I normally carry....I was just lured by the price tag and the stubborn belief that they can't be as bad as everyone says....I was wrong. Very wrong.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

RK3369 said:


> It's like buying a chevy and expecting to get 200k out of it. Not going to happen. Buy a Toyota, Lexus, Honda if you want that kind of mileage. We bought chevys on state contract at my last employer. The last Malibu we had ran for 30k before we had to send it back for a new engine. Convinced me that they really haven't improved much in the last 30 years.


Having worked on cars all of my life including doing complete restorations of antique vehicles. I've seen a lot of the "Big three" Ford, Chrysler, and GM vehicles that have been literally driven into the ground before they quit. I still own American made cars from the 30's that still retain their original drivetrains. Sure, I've had to rebuild them but only after 100,000 miles or more. The old Ford "flatheads" didn't have oil filters. They made conversion filter kits, but they were rudimentary at best. People back then didn't have the money to buy a new car every few years so they just kept the old ones running. Depending on where you lived rust is what killed a lot of them. I'd be curious to see how long these late model vehicles both foreign and domestic last?

You can't base your opinion on "state contract" or fleet vehicles as these vehicles are abused the most. Some are left running 24/7. After all those who use them did not pay for them or are responsible for their maintenance. Many of those that perform their maintenance chores are "clock watchers" who only care about 5 o'clock on Friday afternoon. Not only that you do not see too many public works, police, sheriff, fire departments, ambulances or utility companies using Toyota trucks or foreign made vehicles. In the private sector, how often do you see a foreign made tow truck or utility truck?

Not being able to afford a new car for many years. I bought a lot of used American made vehicles that had high mileage and with only routine maintenance lasted me a number of years. My neighbor has a 2000 Chevy Suburban with 249,000 miles that is still going strong. He doesn't know jack-shit and could care less about vehicles. To him it's just a form of transportation. He just puts gas in it and drives it. I had a '65 Buick Electra with a 401 "nailhead" that had over 175,000 miles on it. Never leaked or burned a drop of oil. The interior was like new not a tear in the upholstery. I gave it to one of my friends who put another 75,000 miles on it until his mother got drunk and wrecked it in Texas. That was probably one of thee best cars I'd ever owned. I had a '72 Chevelle station wagon that had 90,000 miles when I bought it that I drove for three years and put an additional 75,000 miles on it before the rear axle seals gave out. I gave that car away to someone who was willing to fix it. The "small block" Chevy engines (265 thru 400 cu. in.) are ubiquitous and for good reason. They're damn good engines which are easy to work on and will practically last forever if properly maintained. I'd say that about 75% of "street rodders" have them in their rides.

Vehicles, any vehicle for the most part, if properly taken car of should last for a coupla' hundred thousand miles maybe more. Obviously there have been recalls on both foreign and domestic vehicles, most of which were due to a faulty design of some mechanical component as vehicles have become more complicated. You didn't hear of too many if any vehicles that were manufactured before 1972 being re-called for anything. From the mid 70's into the late 90's were the worst years in my opinion for cars and trucks both foreign and domestic. Vehicles now have become computerized, making them more efficient while increasing performance and horsepower. You can go about 100,000 miles without a traditional "tune up". Late model American made diesel powered pick-up's are now developing over 900 ft.lbs. of torque out of a 6.7 liter engine! Today's muscle and sports cars are putting out over 650 horsepower!

The biggest problems with these vehicles is that they require thousand's of dollars of test equipment in order to find out what's wrong with them. Just opening up the hood and it's nearly impossible to gain access to many of their components without having to remove God only knows what first. One of my friend's had to have a water pump replaced on a late model vehicle and it cost $1800 which was mostly labor. Gone are the days of the backyard mechanic.


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

That's too bad about your pistol, it certainly sounds like Taurus keep's dropping the ball. What's odd to me is the older Taurus gun's like the PT92 and 99, and their older revolver's like the M66 and M94, have been shooting and shooting for me for thirty years. The newer products are sadly lacking in design and Quality Control although I actually have been hearing good things about the Millenium G2 from people that actually shoot their gun's. Maybe there's hope, but as of now I wouldn't buy a new Taurus product for self defense.


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## Livingthedream (Feb 27, 2016)

Tangof said:


> That's too bad about your pistol, it certainly sounds like Taurus keep's dropping the ball. What's odd to me is the older Taurus gun's like the PT92 and 99, and their older revolver's like the M66 and M94, have been shooting and shooting for me for thirty years. The newer products are sadly lacking in design and Quality Control although I actually have been hearing good things about the Millenium G2 from people that actually shoot their gun's. Maybe there's hope, but as of now I wouldn't buy a new Taurus product for self defense.


The G2 has been riddled with problems. First there was the safety trigger issue (breaking) then the magazine release falling out now people are having issues with the extractors causing failure to eject. Not to mention sight screws falling out randomly .


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

steveinaustin said:


> Well I went against every ounce of my good judgement and common sense and bought a Taurus product, a TCP. 20 rounds later the trigger assembly broke and now I have to wait 6-8 weeks to get back my brand new pistol I had for a grand total of 2 days.
> I'm not angry at Taurus. I'm angry at myself. I knew better.
> 
> In order to make this more than a post whining about my stupidity, can anyone give me a current turnaround time for repair right now? Is it really 6-8 weeks like they claim?


You're not an idiot; you just wanted a bargain. Guns are one of those things where you don't get a bargain; they cost too much to manufacture with quality. If it's cheaper, it's crap.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

desertman said:


> Having worked on cars all of my life including doing complete restorations of antique vehicles. I've seen a lot of the "Big three" Ford, Chrysler, and GM vehicles that have been literally driven into the ground before they quit. I still own American made cars from the 30's that still retain their original drivetrains. Sure, I've had to rebuild them but only after 100,000 miles or more. The old Ford "flatheads" didn't have oil filters. They made conversion filter kits, but they were rudimentary at best. People back then didn't have the money to buy a new car every few years so they just kept the old ones running. Depending on where you lived rust is what killed a lot of them. I'd be curious to see how long these late model vehicles both foreign and domestic last?
> 
> You can't base your opinion on "state contract" or fleet vehicles as these vehicles are abused the most. Some are left running 24/7. After all those who use them did not pay for them or are responsible for their maintenance. Many of those that perform their maintenance chores are "clock watchers" who only care about 5 o'clock on Friday afternoon. Not only that you do not see too many public works, police, sheriff, fire departments, ambulances or utility companies using Toyota trucks or foreign made vehicles. In the private sector, how often do you see a foreign made tow truck or utility truck?
> 
> ...


sure, if you do your maintenance, they all will last. But for the average driver, they won't make it that far without major repair bills in my experience. Your mileage will vary but in my experience, Japan has had us beat for durability for the past 30 years. I used to buy all my chevys from an uncle who sold them for a living. Had blown transmissions at 30k, blown heads at 50k. Been there, done all that. Just don't have the confidence in them any more that I get out of a Toyota or Honda.


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

RK3369 said:


> sure, if you do your maintenance, they all will last. But for the average driver, they won't make it that far without major repair bills in my experience. Your mileage will vary but in my experience, Japan has had us beat for durability for the past 30 years. I used to buy all my chevys from an uncle who sold them for a living. Had blown transmissions at 30k, blown heads at 50k. Been there, done all that. Just don't have the confidence in them any more that I get out of a Toyota or Honda.


Ditto on that. I used to work for GM , after 3 lemons switch to ford then Chrysler Jeep. Driving a Toyota now after my jeep got totaled when I was driving 0 mph. Cellphone driver rear ended it.

Never buy a Monday made or first run of any American car. 73 Mustang first year for emissions had the pickup worst than me on my ten speed bike. Wife inherited Olds with first use of direct ignition, it had a 10 to 20 mile range then a tow truck. They swapped the coils and controller numerous times.

Now my experience with Taurus wasn't as bad as that. No problem with the two I owned. American Rifleman had a two part series on Taurus about 3 weeks ago. Part 1 was Brazil made wespons, part two USA made. Taurus recently moved multiple sites in Brazil to a common location about 4 or 5 years ago. That could explain much of the quality issues.

Almost seemed like infomercials. It should replay in the summer.

I am tempted to try some of the USA made ones, but will wait for other opportunities for now.


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## steveinaustin (Mar 7, 2017)

Well I went to the gun shop Friday and did what I should have done in the first place and bought an LCP 2. Took to the range and shot 100 flawless rounds and I'm happy again. Live and learn as they say.


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## DeputyRuff16 (Aug 5, 2017)

First, you can always claim the purchase was based on termporary insanity--something like too much sugar, not enough sugar or the influence of the sugar conglomerate. Second, I am sorry you had this experience; did you get the gun back and how has it functioned since repair? Sadly, there is a need for quality, low-cost pistols and revolvers. While Taurus might never be in the same tier as S&W or Ruger, they are positioned to offer good guns, albeit with less features. They COULD be the "go-to" manufacturer for new gun owners or folks on a budget. Instead, Taurus constantly wastes their opportunities, thereby damaging their reputation and value of their brand.


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