[mi77915]

Hi,

It's been awhile since I've posted here, been away from handguns for a while. I had to sell my handguns do to financial matters. Now that I am doing better money wise, I'm in the market for a TCP. I am interested in the TCP with the black slide, however, I see on Taurus's website, they have (2) different ones listed, 738FS and 738BSS. I presume that the BSS stands for "black stainless steel". I am not sure what the FS refers to, so I called Taurus..... Well, the gentleman I talked to couldn't answer the question, he simple did not know.. The price difference on their website is nearly $100!!! I suspect that the more expensive (BSS) comes in a hard case with (2) mags, and the FS comes in a cardboard box with only (1) mag... Is this a correct assumption? Are the handguns identical?

Thanks for all your help,

 

[GhostHorse]

There are TCP slides made from regular steel and stainless steel. Some of the stainless ones are finished in a dark finish. Some also come with one magazine, and some with two. Whether $100 is worth a stainless slide and an extra magazine is up to the purchaser. But those magazines aren't easy to come by; keep that in mind.

 

[Waltherfan01]

I'd pay the extra just for the second mag. I've never seen TCP mags in the wild.

 

[mi77915]

Thanks for the info!!!

I don't mind paying the extra money, I just didn't know what the extra was for. Since my original post, I discovered that the FS slide is made from "carbon" steel, not "stainless"..... I would much prefer the stainless steel slide, less likely to develop "rust" over time if not well maintained.

 

[Craftsman]

I have a TCP with the "FS" slide. Given that it is coated on the outside and lubricated on the inside, I have no concerns about its reliability. I do pocket carry this gun (using a holster) so I clean and relube it every week or two. Not a traditional cleaning since I am not remuving gunpowder residue, I simply disassemble the gun, blow/wipe all the components clean, add a little lube and reassemble. I have noticed that pocket carry tends to wick away lubricants while adding lint and dust (I have three daughters so my pockets are perpetually empty ). I found a mag on the peg at Academy when I first bought the gun around 18 months - 2 years ago. Got a pro-mag as well, but had to abandon that one as a failure. Haven't seen either one restocked.

 

[mi77915]

How is the outside coating holding up? I had a 709 with the "fs" slide and it looked great!!! Unfortunately, that was one of the handguns i had to sell. I didn't have the 709 much more then about 6 months or so and the outside slide finish still looked great.

 

[GhostHorse]

My FS slide TCP has held up very well, with one exception. Make of it what you will. I made a holster for inside-the-cowboy-boot carry. My TCP spent three solid days in that boot. Tough environment, since of my feet was also in there. On the third day, I found the merest beginnings of two rust spots. I cleaned them off, and the finish has been fine since. But as I said, that was a tough environment.

 

[chicagotrauma]

A different question, is the black ss simply ss painted black?
I know its a noobish question so I'll apologize in advance...

 

[Magnum_Gauge]

I'd pay the extra just for the second mag. I've never seen TCP mags in the wild.

Just get some keltec p3at mags. Only difference is the baseplate.

 

[Craftsman]

My TCP is actually two TCPs. The first one had a subframe failure and was replaced by Taurus. Had it about a year and except for a ding where I dropped it, the slide finish held up fine. The second one is also in good shape, but hasn't got as many miles on it. The TCP is my EDC gun, it lives in my right front pocket most of the time when I am awake and wearing pants.

 

[GhostHorse]

A different question, is the black ss simply ss painted black?
I know its a noobish question so I'll apologize in advance...

I can't imagine it's literally painted. The Taurus web site gives "blue steel" as the finish on the stainless model that doesn't look stainless. According to Wikipedia, stainless can be hot blued, so it's possible that the tech specs given for the dark stainless model can be taken literally when they say "blue steel." Or maybe someone at Taurus is a really hard corps Zoolander fan.

 

[chicagotrauma]

My new TCP has black stainless stamped into the side. The one that cracked was blued. The new one kinda looks like its painted...:mellow:

 

[McE]

There's the blued carbon steel, the silver stainless steel, and the black stainless steel (which is coated melonite/tenifer/bruniton type stuff but not as durable)

There's also a white slide but probably more like duracoat or more like paint than some chemical bonding.

 

[olfarhors]

I'd pay the extra just for the second mag. I've never seen TCP mags in the wild.

Heck I see them all the time where I hunt!
they grow on trees, different looking trees have fruit 709 magazines, and occasionally I find a Smokeless Powder Tree.
So you have to be really careful around those cause if you miss the Yeti or Unicorn that you are shooting at you don't want a stray bullet hitting the powder trees.------------

 

[GhostHorse]

you don't want a stray bullet hitting the powder trees.------------

YouTube or it didn't happen.

 

[Czechbikr]

Just get some keltec p3at mags. Only difference is the baseplate.

You have my attention! Will they work with the KelTec baseplate? Does the Pearce baseplate fit on these mags? Inquiring minds..yada yada yada

 

[McE]

You have my attention! Will they work with the KelTec baseplate? Does the Pearce baseplate fit on these mags? Inquiring minds..yada yada yada

Not the best looking but seems like they'll work.
Still trying to find some cheap Kel Tec mags to experiment with.

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/700-s/131458-question-anyone-who-has-both-tcp-p3at.html

 

[Flex]

When I was looking to buy my TCP they were a little bit hard to come by (high demand, flat supply). The FS series pistols were the "entry-level" or "economy model" guns (but I'm sure that many gun owners dislike those terms so Taurus came up with the FS terminology).
Entry-level didn't apply to me BUT Economy model appealed to me so that's what I bought. There was nearly $100 difference in price between the FS and SS guns (but they did come with a 2nd mag).

While the FS guns are described as "blued steel", mine appears to be more of a matte black coating. It seems to be holding up fine so far but it lives mostly in a pocket holster and as such, is fairly well protected. I'm not so sure that any of the "coated finishes" stand up as well as a traditional blued finish. I have yet to see the development of any signs of rust on my FS (TCP & PT740) firearms.

RE: cardboard box vs plastic case, I'm not sure that this should be a major factor. My TCP and 740 both came in the plastic case. I rarely use them. They sit empty on a shelf in the Man Cave.

Function and design-wise, I think that all of the TCPs are exactly the same. Appearance and durability may be enhanced in the non-FS models. Appearance is strictly personal. Durability shouldn't be an issue if the gun is cared for properly.
Flex

 

[GhostHorse]

While the FS guns are described as "blued steel", mine appears to be more of a matte black coating. It seems to be holding up fine so far but it lives mostly in a pocket holster and as such, is fairly well protected. I'm not so sure that any of the "coated finishes" stand up as well as a traditional blued finish.

Blued finishes can look very different depending on the way the metal underneath is finished. Blueing can look like parkerizing if the bare metal they start with has a matte appearance, or if the metal underneath has a highly polished finish, you get a Python shine. But if you'll pardon my saying so, I believe you've got the durability issue bass ackwards. Blueing can be beautiful, but it's really about the weakest, least protective finish around. All it does is enable the metal to absorb and retain oil. Bone dry bluing will rust. Modern coatings like Tenifer or Cera Coat will outperform pretty much anything else. There's a ton of experimental data to prove it.

 

[Fishinkeylargo]

The FS series comes with one magazine and no Bull Dog Holster, the more expensive model comes with 2 magazines and a Bull Dog holster. I have a 2011 PT-145 that is labeled Duo-Tone, it is stainless with the black (painted) areas. I carry it off and on and shoot it often, the black finish on top of the slide and in the serrations has not worn off at all.