A long-term Taurus Spectrum review is something that I’ve wanted to do ever since the gun was announced. Unfortunately, this gun failed to deliver in the short term – never mind any lengthier testing period.
Taurus attempted to break the industry mold on .380 pocket pistols. So, they designed the gun with a smooth look and now offer it in a wide range of color combinations. Additionally, the Spectrum was hyped by many Taurus representatives as being part of a new era of quality and reliability for the company.
Where to buy the Taurus Spectrum
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I hoped Taurus representatives were being honest, and I wanted to give the pistol a fair shake. If it proved reliable, it would be a welcome addition to the growing class of subcompact handguns for self-defense.
Unfortunately, my gun has not been reliable – even after a trip back to the factory for a rework. Reading a number of Taurus-friendly websites, I’ve seen many others have had problems with the Spectrum as well.
It’s too bad really. The general shape and lines of the gun suggest it might be a better shooter than many of the .380 ACP pocket guns that are on the market. Combined with the assurances that the gun represented a new era of improved quality at Taurus, I was intrigued by the handgun’s possibilities.
In this shooting review, I will detail my problems with the pistol. In all fairness, there are a number of things I really like about this pistol. I cover those as well.
If additional repairs and testing are performed, this page will be updated to show the most current information. Your experiences with this gun are welcome in the comments section below.
General Information
With the tagline of “Shaping the future of everyday carry,” Taurus positions the Spectrum as a compact pistol designed for self-defense. It is on this use, personal protection, that I will evaluate the Spectrum.
The Spectrum is chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge, and standard magazines hold six rounds of ammunition. The guns have polymer frames with a striker-fired system. Unlike some other striker-fired pistols, this one does not need to have the trigger pulled for field stripping.
Two significant things set the Spectrum apart from other .380 ACP designs. First is the most obvious: the color combinations.
Taurus intended that the Spectrum meet the aesthetic desires of a broad range of concealed carrying citizens. As such, the gun was initially available a range of color options available. After the initial launch, the company offered in a plethora of color combination options. The announced color combination options are listed below.
However, it appears that Spectrum sales – at least for the range of non-standard colors – failed to meet expectations. Within a relatively short amount of time, Taurus scaled the offerings back to only black frames with your choice of a matte stainless or matter black slide.
The second significant design difference is the increased use of soft polymer at key points of the frame and slide of the gun. These are used to improve the shooter’s grip when firing and manipulating the gun. They also are said to have the benefit of softening the impact from recoil.
Background
News of the Taurus Spectrum leaked in the weeks leading up to the 2017 SHOT Show. I was intrigued by the information I received, and I was truly interested in seeing what Taurus had come up with.
At the show, I met with several Taurus representatives throughout the week. Each told me in his or her own way that the company was gearing up for big things.
Employees I spoke to acknowledged that the company had disappointed some of its customers with past quality control issues. However, everyone emphasized that things had changed; there was a new culture in the company: one that was customer-focused and encouraged quality craftsmanship.
The Spectrum, I was told, was just one example of the “new” Taurus.
One of the people I spoke with about the Spectrum was Dustin Srouffe, the lead engineer at Taurus. Srouffe was generous with his time and quite candid in his discussion.
Srouffe said that the Spectrum was a completely new gun. To start with, the Spectrum was designed by an all-American team of engineers. He said the design team members had experience on large projects with other gun companies. Additionally, the team members were all shooting enthusiasts.
Srouffe indicated that the team was given wide latitude when it began work on the Spectrum. Team members were allowed to develop a pistol they would want to shoot rather than a gun designed around an arbitrary set of specifications or marketing dictates.
In addition to having a great group of engineers working on the Spectrum, the company brought in some outside partners to ensure they developed the best gun possible. For example, an industrial design firm helped develop what Taurus considers the best-in-class ergonomics.
So, what did they come up with?
Features & Styling
Taurus representatives hammered home that the Spectrum was developed with ergonomics as a main goal. From the shape of the grip to the contour of the slide, the pistol is designed to be comfortable in the hand with good trigger reach and excellent control.
Looking at the pistol, I saw a gun with natural-looking curves instead of large flat areas. Srouffe told me that this design was intentional. The human hand is not flat, nor does it have hard edges. So, a gun that has large flat areas and sharp corners may not be comfortable.
From the profile of the gun, it is plain that the front and backstraps have gentle curves. When you turn the gun 90°, you can see that the sides of the grip also have gentle curves: thicker in the palm of the hand and thinner in the area where the trigger finger will reach to press the trigger.
Likewise, the slide is also rounded to eliminate sharp edges. The only flat spot on the slide is along its top where the sights are.
The machine work on my gun was not perfect. It wasn’t bad for an inexpensive gun, but you can see the rounding on the slide is not perfectly smooth. See the above photo for an example.
Overmolded Inserts – Of course, one of the things that some people have obsessed about is the use of rubber-like inserts in the frame and slide. These inserts are a proprietary polymer from PolyOne. If you are not familiar with the company, PolyOne deals with a wide range of polymers, composite materials, polymer additives and other products.
The overmold inserts are not true rubber, but I will refer to them as “rubberized” to try to convey how they feel in the hand. The material is softer than the polymer grip frame, but not so soft that your hand sinks into it.
The rubberized material also offers more friction for gripping the gun without having any sticky feeling. Frankly, the inserts have a great feel to them.
There are four areas where the inserts are applied: the backstrap, the front strap that wraps around to the sides of the grip, the left side of the slide and the right side of the slide.
On my pistol, the overmolded material was a near-perfect fit with the frame. However, it did not look seamless with the slide inserts. The pieces attached to the slide look like they may come out. However, they have remained affixed to the slide without any issues throughout the testing. Click on the above photos to see what I am describing.
A Rainbow of Colors – As I stated earlier in the article, Taurus originally offered a multitude of color options on the Spectrum, and this is where the gun drew its name.
There were three frame colors available: black, white and gray. The slide is available in both a black and stainless finish. The overmold inserts were available in more than 20 colors:
- black
- gray
- white
- Taurus orange
- cyan
- Laguna blue
- mint
- Marsala
- bronze gold metallic
- ivory
- coral
- flat dark earth
- monster green
- emerald
- rose quartz
- purple haze
- indigo blue
- torch red
- serenity
- garnet
According to Taurus, the company was supposed to offer several color combinations as “standard” options – such as my gun with a black frame, black slide and black overmolded inserts. Some color combinations were only to be made available through distributor exclusives. So, if there was a specific color combination you wanted, it may have only been available through a company like Cabellas or as a special order through your local gun shop.
Taurus representatives explained there were also supposed to be three “House Colors” that will be non-traditional combinations offered only by Taurus. These are:
- white frame with a stainless slide and cyan overmold
- gray frame with a black slide and mint overmold
- black frame with a black slide and flat dark earth overmold
These color combinations should have been available through local dealers but they commanded a slightly higher price.
Specifications
Here is a quick look at the specs of this new pistol:
| Caliber | .380 ACP |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 (flush fitting), 7 (extended) |
| Action | DAO, striker-fired |
| Barrel Length | 2.8″ |
| Overall Length | 5.4″ |
| Width (widest section) | 0.9″ |
| Slide Material | 17-4 stainless steel |
| Weight (unloaded) | 10 oz |
| Sights | fixed low profile |
| MSRP, standard colors (2017) | $289.00 |
| MSRP, house colors (2017) | $305.00 |
| MSRP, all colors (2021) | $224.24 |
Two quick notes…
First, when Taurus announced the gun, the press release stated the slide would be made of 17-4 stainless steel. After production began, Taurus changed the specs to show carbon steel as the slide material. As of 2021, Taurus once again shows the slide is made of stainless steel.
Second, the MSRP dropped significantly since its introduction. The gun was already inexpensive – now it is just plain cheap. I can only speculate about the reduced price.
“Safe Carry Condition”
Taurus states that the Spectrum offers a higher degree of safety than other striker-fired pistols. A Taurus representative explained the system as not having any pre-cocking of the striker combined with a striker block. The trigger pull handles the entire cocking and release of the striker to help prevent any accidental discharges.
The lack of a pre-cock is the reason why no trigger pull is needed before disassembly. For some people, this is a significant benefit.
(Only A) One Year Warranty
From the outside, the management at Taurus seems inconsistent. The Taurus warranty situation seems to be an example of this.
In the past, Taurus offered a lifetime warranty on its products. That policy died for newly designed firearms like the Spectrum as a cost-savings measure. For a time, Taurus offered only a one-year warranty on its products.
The good news is Taurus reversed itself once again. As of this update, Taurus is offering a lifetime warranty again. I hope they keep it.
Range Testing
On the range is where the true test of a gun begins. The gun should be able to shoot reliably and accurately in a controlled environment if it is to be trusted as a self-defense tool.
Unfortunately, my Taurus Spectrum was not reliable at all.
Failure: The First 26 Rounds
Short Story: Of the first 26 rounds I attempted to shoot, only 11 discharged. The remaining 15 failed to fire.
Long Story: I set off to my local range with 12 different factory loads that totaled more than 1,000 rounds. My hope was that I could get a good base line of testing in.
I wanted to determine if the gun would be reliable with a variety of ammo loads. I also wanted to see what kinds of velocities one could reasonably expect from self-defense loads.
Unfortunately, testing did not go as planned.
I loaded the first magazine with five rounds of Armscor 95 grain FMJ. This load has performed very well for me in other .380 ACP pistols including the Ruger LCP and LCP II, the Kel-Tec P-3AT, Rock Island Baby Rock and even a prototype SCCY CPX-3 pistol.
After firing three rounds without a problem, the fourth round failed to fire. I heard a “click” from the gun, but there was no discharge from the weapon. When I ejected the round, I saw that there was a dent in the primer from the firing pin. Nevertheless, the round failed to discharge. I replaced the round with a fresh one and fired two more shots without a problem.
I then loaded five rounds of SIG SAUER Elite 100 grain FMJ into the magazine. With this ammo, the gun went 3 for 5. I now suspected the problem may be the gun and not the ammunition. However, I moved on to the next load: the Winchester Train & Defend 95-grain FMJ load. The Winchester only went 2 for 5.
Now I was certain the malfunctions were caused by the gun and not the ammunition. So, I used a different magazine with five rounds of the Winchester ammunition in the pistol. There was no improvement as 4 of 5 failed to fire.
I had one of the range employees give it a try to eliminate me as a variable. He also had the same problems. We field stripped the gun and used a little gun solvent and compressed air to ensure there was no debris in the firing pin channel. Although I hoped this would cure the gun of its malfunctions, it did not. With another magazine, five more dented primers and no discharges.
Tired of merely denting primers, I loaded everything up and returned to the office to contact Taurus.
Customer Service
Even though I had hoped for a working gun, I tried to remain positive and figured I would get a chance to test how well I was treated by the company’s customer service department. Unfortunately, my initial impression is that Taurus treats its customers in a manner I deem to be unacceptable.
Taurus claims to allow you to submit a gun for warranty work via an online form. The concept is simple: you complete a work order and send it in with the firearm for examination. Unfortunately, the website did not recognize my serial number and made me call anyway.
My first call was made on Friday, January 26. I called customer service at 10:35 am. It took less than two minutes to navigate a phone tree. I was on hold for a total of 30 minutes before I had to hang up and go to an appointment.
My second call was made on Tuesday, January 30. This time I called a little earlier: 9:28 am. After navigating the phone tree, I heard a recorded message telling me that the Taurus customer service line was overwhelmed and that I should try calling back later in the day or later in the week. The system then hung up on me.
Later in the day, I tried to contact the company through its customer service chat function featured on the company’s home page. Unfortunately, it did not seem to work. I was able to enter my name and other data, but it never opened a chat session with a Taurus representative.
On Wednesday, January 31, I again called Taurus. This time I used the company’s 1-800 number hoping for a quicker route to a person. Unfortunately, it appeared to dump me straight into the same phone tree that I navigated the first several calls.
After waiting on hold for 48 minutes, a young woman came on the line. Though she was nice, she didn’t seem to be paying close attention to my description of the problems as I had to explain the issue more than once.
After going through several standard questions (did you try different kinds of ammunition, etc.) she agreed to process a return of the gun. She created a return label for me and indicated that she would flag my gun for a fast turnaround due to it being a new pistol.
Contrary to what I have heard from other gun owners about extended delays, my Spectrum was returned to me in just a few weeks.
Range Trip 2: Still Sub-Optimal
I was pleased by the rapid return of my gun. Reading over the documentation included with the gun, it appeared the service tech replaced several parts:
- extractor
- firing pin
- firing pin return spring
- firing pin spring
Also according to the documentation, 39 rounds were fired through the gun by the technician.
Taurus included an additional extended magazine in the box. Although there was no mention of this, I assumed this was a way of apologizing for the problems. While not the way I wanted to get a third magazine, I did appreciate the company doing this.
I was eager to return the gun to the range. I loaded up more than 1,000 rounds of ammo and headed back to my local dealer’s indoor range. Unfortunately, this trip resulted in disappointment as well.
While the gun was more reliable than it had been, it was still having many failures to fire. With 198 rounds fired, the gun was firing less than 88% of the time. While that might be a passing grade in today’s math classes, it is a complete fail for a defensive handgun.
With two dozen malfunctions, I called it a day and returned home with the gun. I now have to decide if it is worth my time to wait on hold to deal with Taurus customer service again.
Possible Problem
One potential contributor to the reliability problem may be the way the slide and frame fit together.
When the slide assembly is attached to the frame, it appears to sit too far forward. This is best seen at the rear of the gun where the frame terminates about 1/16″ beyond the slide. When I returned the gun to the factory for repair, I assumed that the repair staff would fix this if it was a problem.
As the staff did not appear to address this seeming misalignment, I can only guess that they did not see it as a problem. As the gun continues to be unreliable, I wonder if it might be related after all.
Even if this is not causing the reliability issue, it suggests to me that quality control is not up to snuff. One of the main features of this gun is supposed to be its organic lines and lack of hard edges. This (apparently) unintended hard edge appears to be out of step with one of the main design features.
Trigger Control
In my opinion, the Spectrum does not have a great trigger pull. It started out long and gritty. The upside is that the more I used mine, the smoother the pull became. However, it never got any shorter.
Long trigger pulls are something you can adjust to. I have several DAO guns with long pulls. They are no more or less accurate than other pistols. If I provide a smooth roll of the trigger, the gun goes bang and delivers the round where I want it to go. If I fail to do my job, I won’t get a hole where I want it.
To me, the trigger face seems wider than many other subcompact pistols. It didn’t have any sharp edges and was comfortable over the entire length of the pull.
My bottom line on the trigger is that it works fine, but it is not going to win anyone’s heart.
Ammunition Performance
On the second range trip, I was able to get enough rounds over a chronograph for some measurements. All of the listed rounds shown are an average of 5 shots from the same package of ammunition.
| Velocity | Energy | |
| Aguila 95 gr FMJ | 838 fps | 148 ft-lbs |
| Armscor 95 gr FMJ | 799 fps | 135 ft-lbs |
| Glaser Silver 70 gr | 1,057 fps | 174 ft-lbs |
| Hornady American Gunner 90 gr XTP | 913 fps | 167 ft-lbs |
| Hornady Critical Defense 90 gr FTX | 897 fps | 161 ft-lbs |
| Liberty Ammunition Civil Defense 50 gr JHP | 1,341 fps | 200 ft-lbs |
| Perfecta 95 gr FMJ | 806 fps | 137 ft-lbs |
| SIG SAUER 100 gr FMJ | 824 fps | 151 ft-lbs |
| SIG SAUER V-Crown 90 gr JHP | 880 fps | 155 ft-lbs |
| Winchester “D” Train & Defend 95 gr JHP | 844 fps | 150 ft-lbs |
| Winchester “T” Train & Defend 95 gr FMJ | 824 fps | 143 ft-lbs |
| Winchester PDX1 Defender 95 gr JHP | 876 fps | 162 ft-lbs |
It’s Not All Bad
While reliability is a major problem for my gun, there are several things I do like about the Spectrum.
First of all, the gun fits my hand very well. I’ve shot a lot of small .380 pistols, and the Taurus Spectrum is the best fitting gun of all of them. Yes, due to hand size and finger length, every gun will fit different people in different ways. However, for me, the Taurus fits best.
With a flush-fitting magazine, my pinky curls under the magazine. Even so, the ring and middle fingers of my dominant hand have ample purchase on the gun while the rubberized inserts provide a good gripping surface.
The extended magazines have a uniquely shaped baseplate. It is designed with a pinky ledge that is better shaped for the size of the shorter digit. Some magazine extensions assume the pink is as long as other fingers. Taurus designed this one to work with the actual shape of hands – and I found it works very well.
At the top of the backstrap, the frame curves inward to allow the web of the hand to seat well under the slide. This helps to prevent slide bite without the need for an extension that would increase the gun’s overall length.
The rubberized inserts feel good in the hand. They seem to increase the hand’s control of the gun without the need for aggressive texturing or checkering on the frame.
The inserts match up well with the frame and look good. On the slide, the rubberized inserts are not as elegant in execution. The small panels are obvious and detract from the gun’s otherwise clean lines.
Nevertheless, the inserts offer great purchase when manipulating the slide. On small guns, slides can be difficult to grip since there is less area to grab.
Taurus sculpted the slide so that the gripping area at the rear of the piece has a small valley that is obvious to the touch. In the center of this section is where the inserts lie. Gripping this area and manipulating the slide is very easy and natural to do.
As mentioned above, Taurus includes a slide stop lever on this gun. The lever worked perfectly and is easy to engage. However, it is not a slide release, and takes a great deal of force to push it down when the slide is locked in an open position.
Although small, I found the sights to be usable. I am at an age where my eyesight is noticeably worse than it was in my youth. I expected these sights to be hard to use, but I was wrong. I found them easy to find and precise enough for accurate shot placement at 15 yards. I would not call them ideal, but the sights are surprisingly good for a tiny gun.
Final Thoughts
Based on the pistol I purchased, I do not recommend buying the Taurus Spectrum. The gun is positioned as a self-defense gun, and that requires reliability. Unfortunately, my gun is not reliable.
It’s too bad the gun isn’t dependable. It has a good feel in the hand and less felt recoil than many other small .380 pistols. I wish things were different, but based on my experiences, this gun is not a good value and should not be purchased for protection.
If Taurus could consistently make these guns reliable, the Spectrum might be my first choice in .380 ACP subcompact defensive pistols.
If you think that a Taurus Spectrum makes sense for your needs, I ask that you support my work by using one of these affiliate links to Palmetto State Armory and Guns.com.
Alternatives
If you are looking for a very small .380 ACP pistol for personal protection, I recommend the Ruger LCP and LCP II pistols. I found that these guns are reliable and reasonably accurate. However, they do have significant felt recoil due to their lightweight.
In my testing, I found that the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 was reliable. However, I did not like the handling characteristics or the excessively long trigger pull.
Many people suggest the Kel-Tec P-3AT in this category. In my own testing, I find these guns are a bit harder to shoot than the very similar LCP. Also, I found the Ruger pistols to be more reliable than the P-3AT.
I’ve had limited experience shooting the Taurus Curve. I found that it has an awful trigger, sits uncomfortably in my hand and is difficult to operate (slide, magazines, etc.) when compared to the competition. Combined with my current and past issues with Taurus quality, I am hesitant to suggest any gun from this company.
If you do not need a tiny pistol, but want to stay with the .380 ACP, take a look at the Smith & Wesson M&P 380EZ. This is a compact handgun that is designed to be very easy shooting with a light trigger and easy-to-operate slide.
Last Update: August 28, 2021
Disclosure
Every gun review you read should have a complete disclosure from the writer to reveal any potential biases. Unfortunately, few authors or websites bother to tell you the truth about things that have influenced their writing.
I purchased the gun featured in this article at retail from a local gun shop. I paid the same price as any other customer walking in the door. I did not get an early review gun – this came through the normal distribution channels.
Taurus is not an advertiser, nor am I in any talks with them to be one. In fact, I do not accept advertising on my website.
I have no financial interest in Taurus or any other firearm manufacturer. Taurus did not ask me to write this review, and I have not consulted with the company in any way other than what has been mentioned (calling customer service, etc.)
GunsHolstersAndGear.com is an independent, for-profit website. I do not charge readers a dime to access the information I provide.
Some of the links on this page and site are affiliate links to companies like Amazon and Palmetto State Armory. These links take you to the products mentioned in the article. Should you decide to purchase something from one of those companies, I make a small commission.
The links do not change your purchase price. I do not get to see what any individual purchases.
Feel free to leave any thoughts or ask any questions about this Taurus Spectrum shooting review in the comment section below.
TL;DR
The Taurus Spectrum is a subcompact pistol designed for self-defense and concealed carry. It is chambered in .380 ACP and comes in a wide range of color combinations. Although company representatives assured me that Taurus had significantly improved its engineering and quality control, my personally purchased gun was not reliable.
At the time I wrote this Taurus Spectrum Review, Taurus had already been given one opportunity to work on and fix the gun’s reliability issues. However, the gun remained unreliable to a degree I deem unacceptable for self-defense use. At this time, I do not recommend the Spectrum for self-defense.
However, if you are interested in buying this pistol, I recommend using our affiliate links to Palmetto State Armory and Guns.com.
184 replies on “Taurus Spectrum Review: Not Ready for Prime Time”
Solid review. Thanks for doing it. I’m tired of seeing the magazines that say every gun is 100% reliable. Even if yours was an anomaly, at least it was real.
Thank you for reading.
-Richard
Richard,
I don’t think you realize just how valuable your reviews are, due to the fact that you tell the truth, and don’t have to concern yourself about who is who, and trying to make the money people happy. That fact right there tells me more than anything you could possibly write.
I also agree with F.A. Gastille, in that you can watch a television program or attend a sporting event and hear play by play from many of the broadcasters, and they are the same way, in that they won’t do anything to enrage their sponsors. Of course, I can understand that to a point, but not completely.
If you look at any of the gun magazines, you will see two things right away. First, they always review a gun, and proclaim it is the next best thing life other than sex. Then you will find a huge advertisement from a company that was just given false praise, when the readers would be better served by truth instead of hyperbola. I mean, it is not by accident that the article written on Smith and Wesson, praising the quality of the gun, happens to be on the page just before the two page article advertising Smith and Wesson. I know, it must be coincidence.
If the gun magazines don’t start doing a better job, they will end up like other media powerhouses, shut down.
Thanks for the very kind words Tim. You don’t know how much they mean. Thanks for reading!
-Richard
When you tell the truth, you cannot fail. And your experience is helpful to those of us who have been around guns for our entire life, but have never had the chance to compare some of the guns that you are able to get ahold of, and put it through a fair test. So keep up the good work, it is important.
Thanks Richard for your review. This is consistent with others that I have read. I have been waiting a long time for availability in colors as advertised, but feel that it is now just not worth it due to reliability issues. If at some time in the future, Taurus gets serious and develops a 2.0 version, I love to read/hear your review. Taurus needs to understand that reliability is more important than price.
Richard> You wrote a great review, but I am going to respectfully disagree with your recommendation not to buy this firearm. I have two of them for concealed carry. One for myself and one for my wife. Before purchasing I did a lot of research on the “perfect” handgun for that purpose. 100% of the reviewers disagreed 110% of the time on which gun is the best. All of you have personal preferences that probably influence a review. It is not unlike reviews of an automobile wherein one reviewer didn’t like a feature but the other one did.
I will quote several items in your review. You said ergonomics was a main goal for this Taurus firearm. It absolutely is!! It is comfortable in the hand with good trigger reach and excellent control. There is nothing to catch on your clothing, purse, or anything else when pulling it out for self defense. Taurus states that the Spectrum offers a higher degree of safety. That is true. It is perhaps a minor pain in the posterior that these safety features make the gun a BIT less convenient to be a cowboy quick draw and fire person. But I can accept that – as opposed to many other handguns manufacturers who didn’t design against an accidental discharge.
You mentioned that the Spectrum does not have a great trigger pull. As a point and shoot gun, who cares???? You mentioned misfires. I’ve shot a box of rounds using both both guns. No misfires. But I would suggest that it really doesn’t matter as a concealed carry piece. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that in that self protection situation only 2 -3 rounds need to come out of the barrel?
You said “Taurus Spectrum is the best fitting gun of all of them” and “The extended magazines have a uniquely shaped base-plate”. So would that not be reasons to pick this handgun for concealed carry over others??
T
Hi Rick,
Thanks for taking the time to read my article and sharing your opinion.
Although the gun has many features that make it interesting – hence the reason I bought it – it is completely unreliable. It’s been back to Taurus twice now. The gun still will not function correctly.
For a defensive firearm, I value reliability over any other feature. If the gun is not reliable, it is not worth the risk to my life or the lives of those I love. You’ve got a different opinion, and that’s fair.
Thanks again for reading.
-Richard
Based on the date of some of the comments compared to yours, it is entirely possible the design flaws causing the firing issues were addressed and fixed between the manufacture dates. I also have the Spectrum and found that the only misfires were due to user error. My husband had no troubles with use, while I had a couple issues. This was also the first handgun I had ever fired, but we both found it to be a comfortable fit, despite the vast difference between the sizes of our hands (i wear a US size 4 ring, while he wears a US size 13). I can’t speak for accuracy, as we were shooting without targets.
So sorry you had all the trouble with yours but mine has been great. The only problem I had was with the magazine not feeding right and jamming. It was like the thing was worn out when in reality it was brand new. I called and they sent me two more for nothing and I’ve had no more problems. Quality control must need a lot of work at Taurus. I have noticed that there seems to be a difference between guns made in Florida and the ones from Georgia quality wise.
I agree with your review. I just bought one and had several stove pipes and a few fail to fire. I was using factory new ammo and shooting 200 round and I had about 15 stove pipes (fail to eject fail to feed), 6 fail to fire, and 5 short triggers. Calling Taurus customer service is a joke. Two days now and can’t get through. The day of the testing I had my Glock 42 with me and put 200 rounds of the same ammo through it and it worked flawlessly. I wanted something for self defense that was a little lighter and smaller than the Glock 42 for concealment but looks like I will be concealing this P.O.J. in my safe.
Gary I just read your reply,
I bought two spectrum’s one for my wife and one for me and have not had a single failure and on the other hand I have a glock 42 that I have had several failer’s with it and I wouldn’t carry it to a candy store because its not reliable.
I guess it depends on the gun just like a car you can buy one that’s great and I buy one just like it and its junk. I seriously would not carry my glock 42 it sits in my safe and I would rather carry my spectrum. But my real every day carry is a taurus Pt 111 G2 I have never had any kind of failure with the G 2 not one! and I have put hundreds of rounds through it. The spectrum is my back up.
A lot of failures are due to poor mags and ammo some guns are ammo sensitive.
Jim
My spectrum has about the same fire rate less than 50%. It’s slide matches up to the frame a perfect at the back. And I’ve spent 3 calls worth of my tome on hold with Taurus as well and I still haven’t talked to anybody. Thanks for the great review. Wish I had found it before I bought the gun.
Hi Chad,
Sorry to hear about your Spectrum problems. Any chance you tried the online service request here: https://www.taurususa.com/prelog.cfm It didn’t work for me, but maybe it will for you? If it does, it could possibly save you a lot of time.
Thanks fro reading and your kind words.
-Richard
I was going to wait a year for the “bugs” to be worked out before I purchased a Spectrum. However, it is looking more and more like the bugs are not going to be worked out, and I have a feeling that Taurus is losing interest in the gun. That’s a shame…it seemed to have a great deal of potential.
Hi Chip,
I agree – the Spectrum does seem to have a lot of potential. Although I was disappointed by the one year delay between announcement at the end of 2016 and the actual start of shipping at the beginning of 2018, I had hoped that meant the company was making darn sure that the guns were ready for sale and use.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.
-Richard
I talked to a Taurus rep at SHOT this year and they mentioned making sure the rubberized panels adhered to the metal properly as one cause for delay. It was quite the delay. I had sent in my TCP magazine that wouldn’t lift the last round quickly enough for the slide to catch it and the rep I spoke with sent me a few magazines and a laser attachment, which was above and beyond customer service. The actual customer service experience I had leading up to that was more like your experience. I sent in my magazine on my dime and the replacement just never came. I bought my TCP on price right before the Spectrum was announced, and I believe they have discontinued it as the Spectrum was to replace it. The TCP is a Kel-Tec clone like the LCP, etc., hammer-fired and otherwise a DAO single stack .380. Perhaps Taurus was unable to fit the geometry for enough leverage to get an acceptable trigger weight and still have strong primer strikes with the striker-fired system in the Spectrum. It seemed like a TCP/LCP/etc. clone with reasonable evolutions like rounded surfaces for reliability of draw and the striker system for a better trigger but this seems like Taurus just doesn’t want to fix its bad reputation for customer service and quality.
I think that your statement of “reasonable evolutions” as it applies to this gun is pretty accurate. (Assuming they all shot reliably.) Like you, I also get the impression that Taurus doesn’t want to do whatever is needed to fix its quality control and customer service areas. It’s really too bad, as they could have a great company if it did.
-Richard
I think Taurus made a huge mistake in discontinuing the TCP 738. I have two of them, one has really practical cocking “wings†on both sides of the rear of the slide, and both firearms have been utterly reliable. Additionally, I have a Remington RM380 that I’m quite fond of as well. An all metal gun that functions perfectly, albeit the trigger was a bit stiff at first. I’ve looked at a Spectrum but it just didn’t “trip my trigger†if you know what I mean. I’ll stick with my TCP’s and RM380.
Actually, the bugs have been worked out between when I first tried out the Spectrum (in November 2018) and the most recent time (December 2019). The overhang on the frame is gone. The trigger action is substantially improved to where it’s the best I’ve felt in a double-action pocket gun. I did have FTF’s with the original Spectrum, but unfortunately, I did not have one to test at the range. However, since a Spectrum with two magazines costs only $125, I may buy one just to do my own long-term testing. The only othjer guns at that price point are basically garbage.
Wow – great review. I am impressed by the amount of time you put into this.
I liked the idea of these guns, but umtimately decided to get a J-frame wheel gun instead. Glad i did!
Thanks for the kind words Tony. I love my J-frames and almost always have one on me.
-Richard
I shot white box Winchester through mine and did not have a single hiccup
Good to hear! Maybe they have figured out what some of the problems are.
How many rounds will you run through it before you would rely on it for self-defense? I know a lot of people will say 500-1000, but some go as low as 300 plus a couple of boxes of their preferred self-defense load.
Thanks for the feedback. I know other readers will appreciate it as well.
-Richard
Brownells had the Spectrum on sale last week for $149 so I decided to take a chance on one. This is my first Taurus and after years of Taurus horror stories I didn’t have high expectations. Fit and finish were better than I had hoped for but the trigger was a little gritty and the gun needed a good cleaning and a little oil. Before cleaning I dry fired the pistol a number of times and the striker didn’t seem to carry much momentum. After cleaning there seemed to be a more audible “click” when the striker released. I went out back to the arroyo and put 100 rounds of White Box through the gun with the only hiccup being one FTE during rapid fire. Tried some Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 90 gr JHP’s and the gun ran flawlessly through 50 rounds. I was extremely impressed with the accuracy of this little gun. I’ve owned several 380’s over the years and this Spectrum outshoots them all. We’ll see if the reliability holds up over the next several hundred rounds but so far I really like my Spectrum.
Thanks for taking the time to post your feedback. I really appreciate it.
I saw the Brownells sale and figured that they would probably move a bunch of them at that price. I hope your experience is the norm and that the problems I experienced with the gun have been worked out. I do like the way it shoots, and I think this gun could be extremely popular if it proves to be reliable.
-Richard
I bought one of these last week and took it to the range. This article reads like what happened to me *exactly.* I just shipped it back to them for warranty repair. Fingers crossed…
I’m sorry to hear that you are also having the same problems. If you think about it, would you mind posting a follow up once Taurus repairs the gun? I’d like to hear if they correct your gun’s problems and how the customer service experience goes.
-Richard
I can say that I had the same experience when trying to contact them via phone. They were just not going to answer. During the hold times they played several messages about their site, one of them being they had a chat window feature customers could use to contact them. So I hung up and tried it. I got someone right away and they were rather helpful (no broken English, confusing jargon, etc.).
One reviewer I saw on YouTube who had the same problem as us mentioned that the repair process was rather fast – he got his pistol back in around 7 days. My pistol was just received by them today, so we’ll see.
My experience with the gun is the same as the reviewer’s. I sent it back to Taurus to cure the light primer strikes, but when I got it back, still light primer strikes. It took them about 3 weeks to return my gun and they listed the exact same things that the reviewer listed as repairs. They also fired 52 rounds of a variety of .380 rounds. My Spectrum not sits unused, in a box. It will stay in the box until Taurus comes up with a real repair.
Thanks for sharing your experience Brian. I’m pretty disappointed by the whole thing.
-Richard
It seems like there are a number of guns being made to fit that same niche. This Taurus Spectrum, the Keltecs, SKYY pistols, and probably several others that I am missing. I know Remington makes one, and of course Ruger has a whole basket load of similar guns. Hopefully the Taurus Spectrum gets their act together, because there is still a niche for this gun. The coloring of it is of course a strictly sales ploy, but the thing is, it works. And anytime we can get someone to get into the gun ownership side of things, the better we are going to do with keeping our rights.
Just a quick update: it’s been over three weeks and I haven’t heard a peep out of Taurus. The status of my gun on their site is stuck at “Firearm arrived, waiting for repair.”
After reading this review again, I decided to contact them to inquire about a refund instead of a return since they haven’t even looked at my gun yet. Using the chat feature on their site, they said they can’t do refunds, only repairs. If I wanted a refund I needed to ship it to the site I purchased it from, which was Classic Firearms (a site with a rather horrible return policy, I might add). I asked them if it was acceptable for me that I purchased a firearm that fails and I have to wait as long as three months for the possibility that it *still* won’t work. They replied that this is how they handle these situations and if I wanted the gun back, it would have to come with an “Unsafe Letter” and my warranty would be reduced to an “as-is” sale. SMH.
I then asked Taurus what happens if the gun comes back still inoperable. They said they will repair it again (?) and if it still doesn’t work, they’ll replace it. After trying to wrap my head around that answer, I asked what they would replace it with. He said “Although I don’t want to commit to an answer that may not be accurate, you would likely receive another Spectrum as a replacement.”
lol… I can’t deal with this. I spent $250 on a gun I don’t even have and should it come back, it may not work. So much for self defense. I’m getting s-c-r-e-w-e-d!!!
Thanks for the feedback. It is a sad situation. If they ever come through for you, I’d love to hear about it.
-Richard
I am glad I read this review, I was about ready to order a couple of them, one for my niece and one for me….Not willing to take the risk, specially I am out of the continental US and service as described, will be Chinese torture as we say here….
Thank you for taking the time to read my review! I dislike recommending against the gun, but based on my experience, they just are not reliable. The good news is there are lots of alternatives out there, and I hope you are able to find one that works for you and your niece.
-Richard
I purchased a Spectrum as well back this past winter and experienced the same failures to fire as the author of this piece. Repeatedly, with several brands of ammunition. I believe the failure rate was on the order of more than 20 percent. And like the author I also noted exceptionally poor service from Taurus, particularly via the telephone. I did notice a “live chat” service on the firm’s web site and found that venue was substantially easier to navigate. The arm was returned to Taurus and when the company sent it back its service notes on the issue appear to have been the same as what the author had encountered. At least, however, another range session involving the firing of 50 rounds with three different brands saw no further failures to fire. As for the trigger pull, I am not offended. My S&W snub-nose revolver and a couple of semi-autos are no better anymore than is my wife semi-auto S&W Bodyguard. Still, sadly, I also would not recommend this pistol for anything other than for hooting range fun…
I purchased a Stectrum 5 October 2018 without the benefit of reading a review on the item. I have since fired 200 ends without any misfires. I did have one misfeed. I blamed that on an unexercised magazine. I did add a white dot to the sights to improve aiming in low light. I find it a great little pistol that I bought for my wife.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the Spectrum. It sounds like you got a good one.
If you don’t mind, can you check back in a few weeks when you get some more ammo through it and let us know how it is doing? One malfunction in 200 rounds isn’t a bad start, and I’d be happy to hear that it runs flawlessly for the next 800+ as it gets broken in.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences! I know readers also really appreciate hearing from others on how well the guns are doing.
-Richard
Just bought mine while I was at my local range to renew my CC. I hadn’t done any research, but the price was right and I really liked the size and feel of the gun.
I put 50 rounds of cheap stuff through it before I left the range. I didn’t have a single FTF. However the last round jammed on every clip but 2. Moving the slide back a few mm then letting go allowed the last round to load.
This was only on the last round each time. And it mostly loaded the round, just didn’t chamber it fully. Pushing on the slide would not load the round, it had to be moved back slightly.
I however suspect the ammo in this case. The cheap stuff they sold me had a pronounced indented ridge where the slug was clamped into the casing. It was quite pronounced, so much so when I went to load the first round I checked several others to make sure it wasn’t a defect. Currently I believe that was causing the jam on the last round. The much more expensive hollow points I bought do not have a ridge like that, and are smooth.
I’m going to buy some more ammo and retest in a few weeks. I’ll make sure these are smooth and I’ll report back with my findings.
I had been hoping it may have needed some break-in. But even the last clip FTL the last round.
Other than the above, I really liked the gun.
I bought a Spectrum the other day and I took it out for a shooting today. It’s solid black so I can’t comment on the fashion colors.
I shot 100 rounds thru it and I had no failures. Every round fired the first time I pulled the trigger. The only problem I had was trying to load a round into the chamber when I let the slide go forward. They went in easier as I shot but it think it was because I was using Winchester ammo and they had blunt noses. I am going to try Federal as they have round nosed bullits to see if that fixes the problem. Im very happy with my gun as it fells extremely great in my hand and I think it looks good and this one is VERY dependable. The slide release button was impossible to operate when new, it took a hand to pull the slide back as I pulled down on the release button with the other, but as I used the gun it loosened up and I can now release it without tearing the side of my thumb off. I hope it gets a little softer with more use.
The trigger pull is long but on my gun it is very smooth.
Hi Dean,
I’m glad to hear you’ve had good initial success with the Spectrum. Maybe the company has improved the QC process and the later made guns work correctly. Certainly, people who have bought them in the past few weeks/month seem to have better performance than those made in the first half of the year.
If you think about it, would you mind checking back with us after you’ve had a chance to put more ammo through it? I know both the readers and I would like to hear how the gun does with different loads and more trigger time.
Thanks!
Richard
I have put another 100 rounds throught the spectrum and again not one light primer strike. Every trigger pull fired. The only mishap was one time in didn’t lock open after the final round. I shot Federal ammo through it with the round bullet and it seemed to fix the problem of the slid not closing all the way when I released it to load a round into the chamber. The Winchester blunt bullet seemed to not work well as I had to push the slide forward to close it.
I feel very confident that when I pull the trigger in will fire but I need to put a couple hundred more rounds through it before i use it for a carry gun. I am VERY pleased with this weapon as it feels great in my hand and at this point in time has been 100 percent dependable. Maybe I got really lucky and bought a good one. I’ll get back when I’ve put a couple hundred more rounds through it.
Reading some of the reviews, I can say I have not had any break down issues with the gun. The recoil spring is difficult, wish it was one piece like my Glock 19, but I don’t find it that hard to work with.
This gun seems to like Federal ammo. Also, did anyone load their gun and wait the 48 hours before trying it out?
At that price point you would be better off buying a military surplus Nulgarian makarov. More reliable, better looking and still have money left over for a mag and holster.
Wish I would have read your article before I bought the Spectrum. I am sending mine back for the Third Time! This piece of junk has never fired a full magazine, even after waiting more than 12 weeks for repair, hard to believe they even test fired before sending back.
On my way to pick one up a my local gun dealer. Bought it from Palmeto S.A. Hope I don’t experience these problems. Wish I had read this a week ago….. Anyway, I will shoot it tomorrow and give my review thereafter.
Hi Gary,
It sounds like the more recently built guns are doing much better than the original ones. So, I hope you have one of the good ones. Either way, please check back and let us know how it performed! I like the way the gun feels – if it shoots reliably, then it can be a winner!
Thanks for reading the site!
Richard
I have been involved in Taurus firearms for 5 years, and am the largest review content provider on the Taurusarmed forum. I have preached patience and complete faith in their wheel guns, the PT92. and some of their PT1911’s. So I am biased pro Taurus. Until I purchased the torch spectrum from Brownells a few months ago. Like you I purchased 5 different types of brass range ammo to do a full review. My light primer strikes were more prevalent, restrikes were unsuccessful on any of the ammo. My failure rate was 2-3 rounds in every mag – regardless of the ammo type. I will mention the chat function works pretty well. So I sent it in. Came back stating replaced the FP spring, and FP block. Tried another review session and while better, I still had Fail to fire on about 2 rounds in each mag, however restrikes were successful most of the time. Also the main safety sales bruhaha feature of breakdown by simply turning the takedown screw, no longer worked, I had to tap it with a hammer or handle to get the slide to break free. Ok another chat session – this time the agent told me I had to pull the trigger to remove the slide. I reminded her to review the Taurus manual before providing false information. So it went in again. the first repair took 4weeks, this second repair took three weeks. Parts replaced recoil spring,FP spring again,ejector, extractor and the FP housing again. The take down issue is still there, but is easier. The new recoil spring is too long, and I had to form the front coil to fit into the slide. With this extra length reassembly is almost impossible. Much harder than a PK380, which is difficult. Ok So I will hope running rounds through it will weaken the recoil spring enough to make maintaining this pistol possible. But if not – I will have to send it in again. Also they marred the slide while removing the extractor. Not a big deal, but noticeable. More to come.
Hi John,
Thanks for taking the time to leave the details of your experiences with the Spectrum. I wish you had a better experience. Some of my readers have had good experiences, but too many are having problems like the one you describe. If you have the time, please post a follow up once you get some more rounds through it to see if it will need to go back again.
Thanks again for reading and for taking the time to share your experiences. You are always welcome!
Richard
Hello John,
I’m sure you’ve turned many prospects away from the Spectrum. I’m one of them. Thank you for a super thoughtful and honest review. You’ve saved me some frustrating BS. Having owned and shot more than 50 handguns spanning 50 years, I was willing to try a Taurus. Not now! I recommend all Colt, Smith &
Wesson and Ruger revolvers and pistols. I believe that new shooters should
begin with trusted revolvers in .38 special. Also, if and when it’s time to sell,
Online too, Colts scream out the door.
New shooters should also be taught how NOT to “limp-wrist semi autos†a common problem. I’m also a Beretta PX-4 Storm fan as a reliable pistol in
9mm or .40 Caliber…. and fun to shoot— never a misfire in my life!
As a former military policeman, proud to be expert in both rifle and pistol,
Practice and good instruction is the answer.
Thank you!!!
Steve Crowley
[email protected]
Hi Steve,
I’m glad you found my review useful. It’s not my intent to turn people away from the Spectrum or Taurus, but to simply share my experiences with the gun. Sadly, my experiences so far have not been very good. I am hopeful that the company will (or has) figure this gun out and make it reliable for everyone. It seems that some customers have gotten good service out of their Spectrum purchases.
My gun is back at Taurus for additional work. I’m hoping that it is fixed.
-Richard
I had a different striker fired gun that struck the primers way off-center like those shown in the photos. Mine had a cast slide that was actually cast off-center, so basically the entire core was shifted slightly out of line. That was the cause of all sorts of strange problems. They knew it and replaced the slide. It fixed everything.
Thanks for the feedback Matt. I had not even considered this as a potential issue.
-Richard
No sweat! I hope that’s the case here (the slide gap seems to support that possibility). My brand x gun had misfires at the rates you describe but also bizarre FTFs, FTEs. It was literally flawless with the new slide. Keep us informed!
I have read a lot of gun reviews over the years and I think this is truly one of the best and certainly one of the most honest and straight forward. I bought one of the very first ones when they finally became available and it was terrible so I returned it and received a replacement through the National dealer and it also was terrible. I eventually got my money back but lost money in the process. I had dealings with Taurus over the past ten years as I developed the first folding concealed carry gun and had four patents so we had discussions about their acquiring my patents and communication has always been an issue including dealings with issues with private sales of their guns. I liked everything about the Spectrum but quality is an issue and the basic company culture is in question in my mind.
Hi Larry,
Thanks for offering your experiences with the gun and kind words about my review. I’m no Taurus fan boy, but like you, I liked a lot about the Spectrum. I really wanted it to work. But, right now, it is not a gun I can recommend.
-Richard
My wife owns 3 of these spectrums. We have had no serious issues from any of them. The first one she received did have a few light primer strikes. Second strike fired every time. After a good cleaning, the issue went away. She also has a TCP and a G2, 100% reliability with those as well.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for reading. I am curious to discover why your wife owns three Spectrum pistols. Is she capitalizing on the availability of the different color combinations? I know that a broader palette of colors to spur sales was one of the things that Taurus was hoping to achieve with the Spectrum. Most people do not buy multiples of the same gun, so it would be interesting to find out what resonated with her on the Spectrum and why she’s in for three.
-Richard
We own two of the Spectrum, and much like their experience I’ve had few issues. After a quick field stripping and it’s preference to 95grn HP no issues. Initially I had purchased the first as a purse weapon for my wife. After I fired it I wanted one as a vehicle carry. We’ve owned a TCP and a PT111G2 neither experienced any malfunction that weren’t used related. Sorry your experiences haven’t been well.
Hi William,
I’m glad your multi-purchase of the Spectrum has gone well. It is encouraging to hear that Taurus may be taking quality control more seriously. I sincerely hope so!
If you don’t mind my asking, what led your wife to decide to purchase a Spectrum? I know Taurus has gone for a non-traditional look with these. Did that have anything to do with her decision to buy one?
-Richard
I’ve been looking at one of these pistols for about half a year now for my wife as a ccw.
I’m glad to have found your review here.
I’ve had light primer strikes before in other pistol manufacturers, but usally a new firing pin and spring does the trick. So this is unique in it being a total flop, with the frame mating to upper receiver. this now knowing, this isn’t the pistol for me, or my wife. Thank you for your honest review.
Thanks Bud. Providing you with good information so you can make informed decisions is one of my top goals with the site. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
-Richard
I have 3 380s but was looking to add this one as a comfortabl pocket carry gun fro my wife. Misfires make me nervous, she would come unhinged. Reliability at the range is important and life critical if the need to draw arises. I’m not all that skilled with repairs nor do I have the time to learn the idiosyncrasies of a gun like this. Your review sadly makes this an easy decision not to buy. Knowing I may have to return iit out of the box is a non starter which is to bad, I was looking for just this type of weapon and the price is very manageable. I will be looking at your other recomendations and looking forward to your reviews of other firearms in the future.
IPad no problem S. Just the ammo would jam. On the flat bottom magazine
Did you read all of the other users saying they experienced no FTF or FTE? You’re going to base your decision on one persons one experience. There are likely literally hundreds or even thousands of these Spectrum guns out there you’ll never hear of.
I own 4 Spectrums. I’ve only put one magazine worth through each as I was running behind a few days ago when I picked them up. I had one FTF in one fun. No other Fails.
So I’m curious to put more now as I suspected that one round was the issue. But I can’t imagine letting one (thorough) review deter me from a $150 firearm…
Hi Will,
You reiterate a great point that I’ve made many times – one gun’s performance should not be an indicator of a trend for the whole line. However, many people have had (and are continuing to have) problems with the Spectrum. You can find many people leaving comments about those problems here and at message boards across the internet.
Your Spectrum ~3.6% failure rate (assuming you were loading the extended magazines – about 4.2% if not) is certainly better than my gun before and after Taurus worked on it. Unfortunately, it is not what I would consider reliable for self-defense carry.
Once you get a few hundred rounds through each of your four Spectrum pistols, would you mind posting a follow up and let us know how they run? I know some people are reporting their guns as reliable, and I am hoping that is indicative of the company working out the bugs on more recently manufactured guns.
-Richard
RK Guns is having a sale and with the manufactures rebate the price is $145 and it seemed to be an easy sell….but I thought I would check reviews just in case. Reading your well thought out review and hearing from others I decided against it. I own 2 other Taurus handguns and have been happy with both but don’t want to chance the hassle in case I would get one like you did. Thank you for your review.
Hi John,
You are welcome. Thanks for reading!
-Richard
This gun seems to like Federal ammo. Also, did anyone load their gun and wait the 48 hours before trying it out? The manual states to do so before firing any rounds.
I just purchased a Taurus Spectrum two days ago, I have not gotten to load or fire it yet though. 🤞ðŸ»
Hi Britt,
Yeah – the load a magazine and wait “at least” 48 hours statement is a bit weird in its phrasing. The “…for a complete accommodation of its internal counterparts” bit seems ill-written. However, it does not say not to fire the gun within the 48 hour period or that the gun will be unreliable if you do.
If you have to wait “at least” two days before you can use the gun, then I would argue there is an engineering or manufacturing issue that needs to be resolved before shipping the gun.
Let us know how your gun runs. Some of the recently manufactured guns seem to be performing better than ones built earlier in the year.
-Richard
Very helpful review. Detailed and with disclosure.
We need more authros like you.
Thank you!
Thanks RG!
-Richard
Sam
I found your review very helpful. I purchased a Spectrum last week and put about 120 rounds through it the day after I purchased it. Out of the 120 or so rounds, I had about 13 fail to fire – all but one fired with the second trigger pull. Toward the end of the 120 rounds – say about 90 rounds, I was getting a failure to completely feed on the last round of the smaller clip. I had been loading only 5 rounds in the clip, and did not have the problem until, as I stated, I had shot around 90 rounds through it. My failure rate does not seem as bad as some that have posted, but obviously no where reliable enough to bet your life on as a defense weapon. I am hoping that perhaps after cleaning, it will improve the light strikes and maybe just a new magazine will keep me from the trauma of sending the weapon to Taurus and possibly having it come back in worse condition than before – any advise on proper cleaning and oiling of the gun would be appreciated. Thanks for a well thought out and presented review – that, and all the comments are extremely helpful.
Hi Sam,
Thanks for reading and sharing how your Spectrum has fared. I’m sorry to hear you are having problems.
I’ve tried a variety of cleaning solvents and lubes to try to improve the performance, but I have not found any combination that seem to correct things. I would say a standard cleaning with Hoppes (or your solvent/CLP of choice) and a light oiling on the rails and contact points should be fine.
Thanks again for taking the time to read the article.
-Richard
I have had the same problem the poster John Yocum had with the recoil spring. Mine is about a half-inch longer than it should be, compared to what I’ve seen in various reviews, Youtube clips, etc. Reassembly is monstrously difficult as a result. I’ve called Taurus, but Taurus customer service is, well, Taurus customer service. I haven’t given up on the gun yet, but I am not hopeful that this will be the pleasant surprise that some of my other Taurus purchases have been.
The Spectrum manual says that it may fire if dropped or bumped. Is this a general type of comment on all firearms? I dropped my Glock several times with a round chambered and nothing happened, thanks God. So, I was surprised that Spectrum’s engineers would overlook such a safety feature quite common on a lot of firearms. So, is it safe to keep a round chambered on a Spectrum?
On another subject, I would not mind to donate to your website if you had a way of doing it. Your assessments are honest, straight and to the point. You come across like a honest person trying to do the right thing. I like that. Had I read your review before I would not had bought a Spectrum. First time I come across your website. Thanks!
Hi Hector,
Thank you so much for your kind comments. It means a lot to me that you took the time to post them and offer a donation to the site. One of the things I have been considering is adding a Patreon membership. Is that something you would consider doing?
Regarding the drop issue – Taurus was sued multiple times and finally in a class action suit regarding alleged safety issues with some versions of some of its pistols discharging when dropped. According to the complaints in some of the cases, some people were seriously injured. It is my understanding that Taurus has never admitted fault in any of these incidents, but did enter into an agreement on the class action suit to provide certain upgrades or refunds to customers who purchased one of the affected guns.
I mention all of that to say that the language in the manual may be a complete CYA to mitigate losses on any future lawsuit where a gun discharges after striking the ground. I do not know if the Spectrum is any more or less likely than a Glock or other pistol to discharge if it strikes the ground. I’ve seen a lot of complaints on the internet about the reliability of the Spectrum, but one of the guns discharging when striking the ground has not come up in any of my reading. My guess – and it is just that – is that the gun isn’t unsafe but that freak accidents can happen if guns are dropped.
I hope this helps. Thanks again for taking the time to read and post your comments. I sincerely appreciate you!
-Richard
Out of the box the spectrum will not feed the last round of a magazine. Both magazines fail to feed last round. Frustrated and gave up after 1 box of Remington ammo.
Thanks for the fantastic review and spot on! I am a relatively novice shooter and had all the problems you mentioned on the first and second times out. I was using Tulammo so wondered if that was the problem and bought another box of standard FMJ but don’t have high hopes based on your review. It was really hard, and to me seemingly not very safe, to have to eject all those misfired rounds, I struggled with both the slide and the mag release. Now I’m wondering whether it’s even worth going through the hassle of customer service as you described. I am going to buy a Ruger LCPII as don’t expect the Taurus will ever really be more than a pretty decoration (it is pretty, I have the salmon & gray color scheme). It does feel good in the hand and it does shoot reasonably accurately even at my technical level. I also don’t like the trigger pull. Thanks again!
A zinc Zamak alloy (pot metal) Phoenix Arms HP22A (22LR rimfire), loaded with 40 grain roundnose standard pressure CCI ammo, is starting to sound real reliable right about now. It may not be a 60,000 mile tire, but a 20,000 mile tire at a third the price is better than no tire at all.
If it’s a choice between a Taurus Spectrum 380 that may or may not fire, and a pot metal Phoenix Arms 22LR hp22a that does fire, I’ll take the Phoenix. Of course, we all KNOW that 22LR can’t kill anybody, as they rarely fire AND just BOUNCE OFF, but don’t tell the Mafia or the Hospital Emergency Room that, and certainly don’t tell the Army the .223 round is just a heavier, faster 22LR.
after sending mine to the factory and did the same thing .I fixed my problem. I traded it in on a S&W .380 EZ no more problems$100 on trade but worth it. Your review hit the nail on the head. Thank you
Hi Donald,
Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I’ve been thinking about getting the S&W 380 EZ. It sounds like you like it. Any issues with it?
-Richard
Thanks for the time you spent on this. I did like the look of this, but after your review and several others, this is not the CC my daughter will have. I understand a few misfires but that combined with poor customer service puts Taurus out of the running. Thanks again for your excellent, thoughtful review.
Hi John,
I’m happy you found my work useful. I hope you are able to find something reliable that she likes!
-Richard
I am glad I got to read yur results on this weaponI was looking at one in Cabalas the other day no more then a quick peek the salesman had just spent about 20 mins with one person deciding on nothing. I guess he was to busy doing nothing to really let me look it over .I was disappointed.do you have any update on these? for now Im not buying it thank you very much Jake W
Thanks for your evenhanded, fair, and unbiased reviews! Keep up the good work.
My wife and I each got ourselves a Spectrum at the end of 2018. Mine is black with grey overmold, hers is the white and cyan with matte silver slide. Aside from some light strikes with Blazer Aluminum, they’ve been great at feeding, firing, and ejecting several different kinds of ball and JHP rounds from Armscor, Remington, Winchester, and Federal. (I’m avoiding the Blazer Aluminum from now on.)
Our two pistols are accurate, easy shooters that handle the felt recoil better than most 10-oz pocket guns I’ve shot before. Triggers are reasonably weighted, smooth, and consistent. Easy guns to conceal, too. All in all, we’re pretty satisfied with them.
Still, this seems like an argument in favor of waiting a while for a new model to have the bugs worked out of it before buying, which has been my general rule for some time now.
Good review, although mine functions flawlessly with any ammo I’ve tried. One of the best concealing 380’s on the market. My go-to pistol for deep concealment. Easy to field strip and clean too.
Thank you for the review. However, After owning 4 Ruger LCP’s, I would never recommend them. Yes, reliable, but as a avid pocket gun enthusiast for years, I can tell you that these guns will fail with any substantial ammo through them. Split rails, cracked frames, cracked grips, broken down take down pins and on and on. These guns use a aluminum chassis. And they take a heck of a beating. A much better buy is the Beretta Pico. They will keep on trucking when Rugers fall by the way side. All stainless steel construction, Modular design, Great sights and ability to change out to night sights. Stainless steel magazines that look like high end 1911 with a steel follower, RESTRIKE CAPABLE. These guns are seriously built like a tank. And small guns need diligent practice and need to be be shot often. The Ruger is a very poor choice for this.
Thank you for the Review. By the way, I got much better results with the Spectrum when I tested the gun. No failures after the fist 25 rounds.
Thanks for your feedback and suggestion. The Pico seems like a good gun, though I’ve not had an opportunity to do any real testing with it. I should probably make it more of a priority.
-Richard
I WAS GOING TO GET THIS GUN UNTIL I READ THIS AS I REALLY LIKED THE FEEL OF IT. BUT NOW AFTER READING THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS GUN I HAVE DECIDED TO GET THE NEW SCCY 380 CPX4. AS I GOT THEIR CPX2 9MM AND REALLY LIKE IT. PLUS THEY HAVE LIFETIME GUARANTEE. AND THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VERY GOOD
Looks like the Spectrum is just like the TCP. You either get a good one or you don’t. My TCP 380 has been great and is surprisingly accurate for such insignificant sights. It’s on glove box duty with occasonal CCW duty when running into stores etc. At least the Spectrum is cheap enough that it won’t burn too bad when you get a dud.
When I saw the Spectrum, I was keen on the futuristic almost fluid look. Even the wife thought it was cute. I got one and didn’t have any problems. However, I got two more… one for the wife, and one for her mother. Of the three, mine ran flawlessly, I’ve put six or seven extended mags (approx 50 rnds.) through the wife’s (#2)and it didn’t malfunction. The third, on the other hand ran exactly like yours. I ran almost 30 rounds through it and had at least five FTF, and I don’t know how many I had to multiple strike to go off. When I got home, I started comparing them…. Most notably different, was the recoil spring in the second. It was fully two turns longer than the other two. But that one didn’t malfunction. In addition, in mine the leading end of recoil spring was flat and didn’t have the “unfinished” look as though it had been cut from a longer spring (at each end). Other than that, they are all identical.
It is a Puzzlement.
I keep looking back here for updates…
Hi Carl,
Thanks for letting us know about your experiences. Mine’s back at the shop again. I’ll try to get more information from Taurus once they work on it some more.
-Richard
I bought a Spectrum about a month ago. I finally took it to the range, and I put 100 rounds thru it, with only 1 light strike (which is why they have the double strike opportunity, which is nice). It’s hard to aim for sure, but, as a backup gun, it’s not meant to shoot 20 yards accurately. It’s small enough that I carry it comfortably on my ankle. I use the Taurus 605B2 357 chambered with 38sp+P, but as it only holds 5 rounds, the extra backup makes me feel better. You can’t go wrong for the price! I have heard all the horror stories for sure, but haven’t had an issue yet! The biggest problem that I see many have is you MUST clean and lube the hell out of it before you fire it first, and I imagine many don’t do that. Mine came dry as hell, there wasn’t even a drop of lube on the thing! That said, it’s reliable for what I need it for. I put the “cheapest” ammo the range sells thru it, I forget what kind, but, I also put a bunch of Fiocchi (sp?) hollow points, and, not a single issue with the more expensive ammo. Hope this helps! I have ALL the confidence in the world that this would work perfectly fine in a situation where I would need it to.
I was considering buying a Spectrum to put in my “bug-out” bag. After reading your review, I’ve decided to go with a Ruger LCR in .38 spcl. Thank you for your honesty, you just saved me from an ulcer and a few more grey hairs.
The LCR is a very good revolver. I think you’ll like your purchase.
-Richard
I waited to see if the issues you wrote about would be addressed by Taurus, but as off today they have not. I went to the range, rented the Spectrum with hopes of purchasing it. However, after 50 rounds with only 35 discharges I was not impressed. I witnessed the very same thing you did as the pin hit the primer with negative fire. I have a large hand with long fingers, but I felt the weapon fit me great. I hoped to use it as my backup and wear it on my ankle, but after this I am not sure I will buy it. Nonetheless, I am returning to the range in a week and I intend to give it one more try. I will update you all on that. Finally, I did not see the offline of the frame as you mentioned as mine was lined up perfectly. Like I said I will give it another try.
i don’t own one of these guns, and after reading the comments and review, won’t. that said the off center/light strike issue is NOT firing pin/spring related. the pistol isn’t going into battery call the way. I have a shield 9. recently i was shooting some old, not so good reloads out of it. i was getting this same offcenter hits and failure to go off. the gun wasn’t completely chambering the ammo. this was due to low quality out of spec reloads I was shooting. in the case of the pistol here and doing it with factory ammo, i’d be taking a look at the chamber and barrel to slide fitting.
I was contemplating buying a Taurus Spectrum and I am SO glad I found your review. My current small carry gun is a vintage Llama .32 ACP. It never misfires, shoots anything I can feed it and is decently accurate. Beyond that the quality of the engineering and construction certainly exceeds that of the Spectrum. I purchase hotter European-made ammunition both for ball and hollowpoint and get ballistics (foot pounds of energy) matching or exceeding most .380 loads. I deeply appreciate the honest review you have given. I learned a long time ago that gun reviewers in shooting magazines are driven by advertising. I need honesty. Thank you for that.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for the kind feedback. I hate to see guns like the Spectrum fail, but people deserve to hear the truth about a gun’s performance.
-Richard
Great review. A unbiased view is always a good thing. I purchased one of these yesterday and put 163 rounds ( 150 of the cheapest brass case I could find and two magazines of Hornady critical defense) through it with zero failures. I hope to get it up to 500 rounds by the end of next week so I can start carrying it. The slide fitment on the frame left something to be desired. I cannot believe that Taurus sells pistols with that big of a gap. Outside of that I hope it continues to be a good one.
Hi Carlos,
Thanks for your feedback. It sounds like you’ve got a good one! Also – major props to you for testing your carry guns. I also put a minimum of 500 rounds through any gun before I will consider carrying it.
Keep safe!
Richard
Hi Richard:
In December of 2018, you wondered aloud about the M&P 380 EZ. I purchased mine earlier this Spring of 2019 and it would not eject a fired case. I tried 3 kinds of ammo and all results were the same. After 25 rounds, I e-mailed customer service at S&W and asked for suggestions. I realize that there are many ignorant customers out there who barely know the different between a muzzle and a breech but I am not one. The first order of business on a new firearm is a thorough cleaning and lube. Look down the barrel of a new firearm and you’ll know why. Other than my question about failure to eject, I also asked a very pointed question along the lines of: “do you think it is wise for S&W to sell a pistol that cannot be used to protect your life as you walk to the parking lot of the gunshop when it won’t fire a 2nd shot, let alone after 25 shots?” The answer was surprisingly snarky and was along the line of: “I would not use any firearm for protection out of the box” “It will sort itself out after 300 rounds or so – that’s just the way it is.” In retrospect, after my initial shock and disappointment at his answer, he was correct. Failure to eject stopped after 50 rounds or so, then stove piping occurred for the next 50 rounds or so, then occasional stove piping for the next 75 rounds or so, then pretty much 100% for the next 50 rounds, now is all OK. Although I don’t appreciate the cost of the ammo necessary to make the M&P reliable, I am very happy with the pistol. Now, the only problem is how to correct the fact that it shoots between 5 and 6 inches low at 10 yards and 4 and 5 inches low at 5 yards. You would think S&W would have this figured out, but I have no stomach for another snarky response from customer service.
Having shot the M&P380 EZ and now testing the Performance Center version of the gun, I’ve come to like the pistols quite a bit.
It is unfortunate that you did not receive service from Smith & Wesson that you expected. Fortunately, I’ve only had good experiences with the company. You might want to give them another shot, but I understand why you might not want to.
Being that far off 5″ @ 5 yards and more at 10 yards suggests either a significant problem with the sights or with your shooting technique. What I would recommend is:
1. Try different kinds of ammunition. See if any of them perform significantly differently.
2. Have another skilled shooter fire the gun. See if they experience the same issues.
3. Have a qualified gunsmith take a look at the pistol. If the sights are that far off, it might need the hands of a skilled gunsmith to bring them back in line.
Of course, Smith & Wesson offers a lifetime service warranty. If you care to talk with them again, I’d do #1 and #2 then call them for #3.
Best,
Richard
I have owned a total of about 8 Taurus guns in my life time and I cant say that I have owned any of them long enough to have any major or minor problems though I have shot all of them enough to know if the gun was problematic or not. I still have three of them now and the ones I hot rid of were either to get something else or I initially bought it on impulse and didnt want anymore. I got rid of my 709 Slim for being too snappy. At the end of the day I mist be one licky son of a bitch because I have never had a problem with a Taurus, but who knows, maybe mt Spectrum will be my first experience with Taurus customer service.
I see that back in March 2019 Taurus changed the One Year Warranty on the Spectrum to a Limited Lifetime Warranty for the original owner only. That is certainly good news for Spectrum owners. Kudos to Taurus for making the warranty change.
I’m still going to hold off on purchasing a Spectrum until WELL after Taurus completes their move/relocation from Miami to Bainbridge, Georgia this year. Hopefully the shiny new Georgia manufacturing facility will produce better firearms than Miami. Of course one wonders how long will it take for the new Taurus Georgia work force to become sufficiently proficient in their new jobs?
I would like to purchase a Spectrum… but I’m going to wait a couple years for the new Georgia facility to get up-to-speed.
I bought a spectrum also and it’s probably the worst mistake in a purchase of a new handgun I made in years. Failure to feed . Failure to eject. . I was embarrassed at the gun range. …Called Taurus. No real solutions . … only “ make sure to run 100 rounds “ and did you clean and oil the handgun†that’s like reading a cue card … like did you press the on button?… yeah right.
I’m ready to sell … not a safe reliable concealed carry handgun. Don’t trust your life on it..
Same story here. No matter what I feed it, jams and failure to fire. Shame, too because super accurate at personal defense distance..
Just bought the Spectrum today at Academy. I was glad to hear of the lifetime warranty but didn’t figure I would need it. especially on the very day I purchased it. Initailly, I have many of the same praises about the gun but boy, how I wish I had seen your review and all the feedback first. I would have stuck with my initial decision for the LCPII.
Anyway, I bought it, brought it home, cleaned it and three mags, loaded each mag and could not get either one to lock into place. After removing one round from each mag and a great deal of wiggling and pushing – I got each to lock into place. The first round jammed. The spent cartridge had not ejected. I had to remove the mag and wrestle with the slide to be able to pull the cartridge out. I re-cleaned it a bit just to make sure I hadn’t missed something. The second shot was a repeat of the first. Thereafter, it did not matter which of the three mags I inserted, the gun would not fire. It didn’t even dent the firing pin.
One possible plus, Academy told me when I purchased it that if I had any problems I could bring it back to them and they would send it to Taurus for repairs. If it works smoothly I won’t have to deal with the customer service department. I asked about a refund or exchange of the firearm since I just bought it today and they said “no”, that gun goes has been assigned to the original buyer, me, and that was final. The manufacturer was the only one who had the option of replacing it.
I am hoping for a quick, accurate repair or replace but after reading all the input here, I am not very confident of that happening. I am really wishing I had purchased the LCPII right now.
I returned the Spectrum to Academy the very next day for repairs. Three weeks later, as promised, the handgun is returned like new. I fired 20 rounds from three mags as fast as I could reasonably fire them and had not one hiccup. Accuracy was what could be expected of a small handgun. All center mass at 15 ft. So far so good.
So glad to have read your review on this firearm. I was planning to buy one for my wife, but now decided to buy another sub compact for her. I need a firearm that is reliable, and based on this and other review on this manufacturer I came to the conclusion of choosing another firm to buy. Thanks so much for a very honest review.
Hi Arvin,
Thanks for reading my article. I’m glad it was able to help you.
-Richard
Richard I just read your review I just got my weekly ad for the gun of the week from rkguns. I like reading about the weapon first an see that your review was a short time ago. Have you heard of any fix’s for the reliability of the products yet? For the price they are offering is kinda a no brainer but still 145.00 out the door tax background shipping an all. Just don’t want the throw it down the tube if it’s not going to be there when I need it. You do have one of the best reviews I’ve seen in a long time an will bookmark your site to come back again. Thank you Jerry
After all the negativity I see that Rural King is offering the Spectrum in their ad today for $119.99! I guess it would be an expensive door stop, but I would never carry one at any price.
I navigated here seeing the RK $119 sale.
Too bad they seem like garbage.
I picked up a couple G2C (my first non-BB guns ever) because of all the reviews of flawless reliability. No problems whatsoever yet – after spending extra time lubricating one of the two that was a little harder to break down. Am awaiting my $50 rebate for the two.
Wish this 380 was reliable. $120 for an easier conceal would be nice.
To me for self defense especially but really any shooting – one failed bullet is one too many
I do understand sometimes ammo is to blame but if you look after your gun and don’t have damaged or weak parts there aren’t that many parts. Shooting.
Very simple analysis from today’s research. Spectrums are available everywhere, TCPs are out of stock not everywhere but many places. Speaks volumes.
Kudos … Excellent review.
I just picked up a spectrum 380 ( on 8.7.19) and have devoted time going over the mechanics of the pistol on the work bench . I to have some reservations on reliability just from my work bench detailing. Had numerous FTF with HP dummies and traced the problem to the 7 round magazine; 6 rounder worked perfectly . Cure for the & round mag was to opened up the guide rains atop of the mag and it works fine now with HP’s.
Ejecting a “non fired” (dummy) round that didn’t always clear the ejection port thus necessitating the removal of the mag to let the cartridge drop out thru the grip. Not a good sign for a CCW and we will see how this fares on the firing line.
Additionally, my Spectrum came with a ‘hooked end’ recoil spring that makes reassembly very difficult and a potential liability issue for Taurus.
Flat ended vs Hooked ended; There are are two take down videos on U Tube that clearly show the recoil spring finished with flat ends and not the hook end as described on my version of the Spectrum. I did contact Taurus successfully and spoke to a lady who understood the condition and re-assembly issues relating to the hooked spring and promised to send a properly finished spring when it “comes back in stock”. ‘Back in stock” speaks volumes considering Spectrum is manufactured in FL. Further, our conversation led me to believe this hooked spring is an incorrect (or substitute spring) that somehow got into the manufacturing process.
I question the rave reviews on the slide release grip-ability. I ve never use the Talon type grip material on any of my pistols but I was sure looking for some to add to the Spectrums slide grip area as I do not believe it is a grippy as advertised. Given the small contact area it can be vulnerable to sweating hands and or protective oils from firearms.
I am now ready to take it to the range for live fire testing and hope the Spectrum is more than a novelty. Given Spectrum is Taurus USA’s first design and manufacturing effort, should we anticipate a Spectrum Gen 2 ?
Speaking to “Taurus reliability”: I can attest to my Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 with 1800+ range rounds and zero failures. The MG2 sub compact hangs right in there with my larger harder to concile CZ’s, Tanfoglio Witness and Canik’s TPv2 & DA pistols. The MG2 with its 12+1 (and Promag 15+1 back up) capacity makes and excellent summer time CCW .
Best regards to all.
Picked one up at Rural King for $119 on 8/12/19. Fit and finish looked OK. Magazines took more effort than normal to seat. Inspected mags and no burrs or defects. Loaded snap caps in mags, oiled mags and release button and worked until pressue to seat was normal. Fired 100 rounds from a mix of 3 manufactures with zero jams or missfires. After coming across this article decided to test further. Fired a 100 pack of Win fmj and 100 pack of Remington jhp with zero issues. Fits hand and shoots muchetter than my Ruger Lcp II. Great value at this price!
I’ve purchased two Taurus firearms in my lifetime. After sending both back to taurus more times than I can count, it’s clear to me they are all garbage. I’d rather burn my money. At least that way I’m saved the time of packing up junk and sending it to warrant repair every week.
Fool me twice…..
Between the horrible groove on the slide and the mismatch at the rear of the gun I assumed you had a one off as far as reliability. Then I read some of the commenters. Same thing. Yet I know on YouTube many of the Spectrums run flawlessly. I can’t begin to understand why one will be perfect than the next worthless. I wanted my 3rd new gun to also be a Taurus.
I just bought this POS gun, It keeps getting jammed & will not load the bullet, I’v tried 2 different bullets with the same results. I wouldn’t depend on the firearm for protection. I just wasted my money.
I bought one of the Spectrum’s last month. Had a range day yesterday and only fired about 75 rounds through it. No problems noted. Need more time at the range with different ammo. Satisfied with its performance to date. While cleaning After range time I was amazed at how dirty the gun was after only 75 rounds. It was a surprisingly soft shooting gun, easy to hold onto. It has a very long and gritty feeling trigger pull. It was easy to draw from my Blackhawk pocket holster.
Things I liked:
Comfortable to hold and shoot.
No snags from pocket when pulled from a pocket holster.
Things I didn’t like:
Hard for me to load magazines.
Absolutely horrible trigger. Feels like it had half a gravel driveway in it.
More time at the range is needed. Purpose of my range trip yesterday was to start the break-in procedure. I fired it enough and rapidly enough to heat the barrel to an uncomfortable moment when I touched it. It even fired some Tula steel cased ammo (two clips). A friend at the range fired his spectrum with no issues.
Thank you for the article. Was very helpful in navigating through my new guy. One thing you failed to mention was the break down and reasonabling of the gun. The recoil spring is very long for the 2.8″ barrel and takes longer then it should to put back on. I called Taurus and they said “We know its extra long, 100’s of people have called complaining about it, nothing we can do, you just have to work the spring in”. If they know it’s a problem then why dont they fix it? Took me over an hour to get it in and I have taking 100’s of guns apart in my years of servicing guns.
Dunham’s had the gun on sale this weekend. I had been seriously considering it but decided to look around for reviews and came upon yours. You saved me a lot of frustration, thank you for that you talk about the LCP and I have read some not so good things about that but nothing a like your review of the Taurus spectrum. At least there is the LCP II If I want to spend a little more money. Thanks again for saving me lots of frustration, life is full of frustration without adding to it
I was considering getting Taurus Spectrum, until I learned of so many problems with the gun (FTF, FTE, etc.) Reminds me of my friend who once bought a new Jaguar automobile. The car was a maintenance nightmare! “Ahhh…..but when it did run (sometimes) it ran well!” NONSENSE! Under warranty, Jaguar always “repaired” the car. It was a major headache to it’s owner. People carry firearms to protect their lives. When needed, the firearm must perform flawlessly, or it’s owner could be killed. It appears as though there are many problems with the Taurus Spectrum, yet Taurus, through it’s dealer affiliates, continues to sell the gun. Perhaps, non-satisfied Taurus customers should write a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Attorney General, A.T.F., etc., indicating their experiences. If a certain model automobile has such problems, the Feds step in and force [needed/justified] recalls, or, may prohibit further sales until problem is remedied. If your malfunctioning gun is a target only fun gun, then Spectrum’s problem may not be cause for alarm (duh). However, I believe the vast majority of Spectrum owners have it for personal protection. “Hey……my new SUV is great, and the brakes work some of times!” TAURUS; are you listening? Perhaps Taurus should [voluntarily] suspend sales until the Spectrum’s flaws are fixed.
The issue to me seems to be that the firing pin is striking off center. It should hit the primer dead center. You had twenty or so ftf. Of you collect those ftf and run then thru a ruger lcp, I wonder what the failure rate would be?
Primers should be struck dead center so the primer material is crushed between the cup and the anvil!
Looks like the firing pin is not centered on the face or the slide is so loose (because the extractor is pushing the slide) it is not centering the firing pin hole on the primer.
What are your thoughts?
I just now came across the author’s review. I just purchased a Spectrum online (the price was $124.87 and any gun enthusiast knows a price like that cannot be ignored or refused). I am to pick my new Spectrum up in a day or so, so I now have some additional worries and skepticism regarding this new addition. I will take mine out and try ‘er out. I purchased this gun for a “pocket gun”. I have a Ruger LCP, a Kel-Tec PA3T, and a Diamondback DB9, but for different reasons all three guns seem uncomfortable and cumbersome getting in and out of my pocket or simply traveling in my pocket. I saw the Spectrum’s shape and design as possibly the answer to my “pocket issues”. But like many of the previous comments, this will be a wait and see how mine works out. Colors choices and comfortable ergonomics are a great thing. However, I think all gun owners will agree that, a gun must go bang each and every time you pull the trigger. This is ultimately the only request and concern we have.
Academy Sports put these on sale over the weekend! Hopefully this batch is better.
I believe your review from a year ago has been confirmed with the recent pricing in the market for the Spectrum. Sub $140 pricing is found fairly easy.
The spectrum was my first semi auto pistol so I have no experience with them yet. I’ve only had revolvers which don’t have these issues the auto’s have. I was alarmed at the harshness of operating the slide for the first time with my new gun at the counter when I was inspecting it before accepting it , and figured it just needed proper lubrication before using. I use RLine Assembly Lube (purchase online) with a small arts paint brush and thickly coated the slide rails and everything that moves and has contact points ,reassemble and cycle slide and trigger continuously for minutes and you will feel everything start to get smoother and slicker operating. Then remove slide and observe contact points, wipe out all excess lube where it’s not needed before using gun. I shot 6 rounds of W. white box no problems . I also had purchased two brand new ,cheap, 22 caliber semi auto’s for cheap plinking and found the same harshness in their slide mechanisms, so did the same lube treatment on them and the slides are slick operators now, no problems yet . This should accelerate the breakin process , and possibly cure some of the negative issues, we’ll see.
Bought for the wife’s self protection need over a year ago. Wish this review was available back then. Failure to feed, and eject. Gun is now going into a drawer for serious emergency, last resort purposes.
Sorry to hear you got a dud like I did. If you decide to send it back to Taurus for repairs, let us know how that goes. I’m hoping the new facility and crew in Georgia can fix guns better than the south Florida folks.
-Richard
Bought my Spectrum 4/1/18 and have 800+ rounds through it. Couple duds with Winchester “value pack/ range ammo” and “Ultra Max” Bosnian ammo which had multiple malfunctions not just in the Spectrum, but Bersa Thunder & Walther PPK/S which are always reliable. You don’t have to pull the trigger for takedown as a dime or small screwdriver turning the takedown screw counterclockwise you’ll hear a noticeable click & the slide will come forward about a quarter inch & slides forward & off. Recoil spring goes over guide rod with the “pointy” or “cut off” spring end
toward the base of the guide rod & the dual flat end in to the front of the slide or it may cause improper function. Mine fits in my sport coat/suit inside pocket without printing or sagging. Mechanical fit & finish were excellent. They’re not meant to be racked, or handled “gentally” & meant to be racked with authority or you may short stroke it & jam, or limp wrist which will cause malfunctions. Mine runs like a well timed & oiled sewing machine & accurate at 21′. I have no problems defending my life with this gun. Take care of it and it’ll take care of you. Been carrying professionally since 1968, veteran advanced senior enlisted Lt/Hvy weapons. SGT, before joining & retiring from Detroit PD & SRT member. God bless, be safe & remember you respond as you train.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the pistol. Happy to hear you got one that works!
-Richard
If you think the Taurus Spectrum is unreliable , go buy a Remington RM 380 , it will fire any ammunition all day long with out stove pipes or jamming. When the slide stops and does not go back into battery take a look at the slide lock pin sticking out of the left side about 1/8 of an inch locking the slide.
300 rounds no problem then the lock up.
I am not saying the Spectrum is problem free, but it has second strike capability to set off the primer and I did not see any of your ammo that looked like the firing pin hit the primer twice. So being an ex combat Vietnam soldier and ex police officer and ex deputy sheriff I will take the Spectrum any day and still trust that firearm if you put BRASS ammo in it with boxer primer . You have your opinion and I have mine!
Hi Steve,
Thanks for taking the time to read the entire review and making your opinion known.
Your initial statement is unclear to me. Are you suggesting that the Taurus Spectrum or Remington RM380 will “fire any ammunition all day long…?” Sadly, My experiences are that neither are very reliable and worth risking my life on.
Also, are you saying your Spectrum is only able to fire about 300 rounds before pins work their way so loose as to stop the gun from functioning properly? I’ve heard of the same problem with the RM380 but had not seen it in the Spectrum. Of course, I haven’t been able to get my Spectrum to fire 300 rounds continuously for that problem to possibly crop up.
As many readers know, the “second strike capability” is a marketing “feature” that may address ammunition problems under certain circumstances. In other words, if you decide to keep pulling the trigger on a round that failed to fire instead of clearing the malfunction, the round may discharge if the problem was related to the round’s primer. At least that’s what the marketing folks have been pushing for years.
I try to avoid appeals to authority when making points. Nevertheless, I’m unaware of any reputable firearms schools or instructors who teach pulling the trigger on a dud as a tactic for self-defense. If you know of any, feel free to share them. I would be eager to understand how the tactic would enhance prevailing in a deadly force encounter.
I don’t think you are suggesting I used poor quality ammunition (heck – Hornady and Winchester alone made up five of the loads I used,) but you do emphasize the use of “BRASS ammo in it with boxer primer.” Just so we’re clear: I only tested this gun with factory loads that used boxer-primed, brass case ammunition.
If you are suggesting that the problems I demonstrated with the Spectrum – not the ammunition – are a part of the gun’s design, I agree with you. However, I cannot agree that this is acceptable. There are many handguns on the market that are reliable and suitable for self-defense. I’d humbly suggest that your life is worth one; mine certainly is.
-Richard
I am saying that the RM 380 which I carried had the slide lock pin come free after I had fired over 300 rounds with no problem and then the pin came out far enough to lock up the slide. This firearms was field stripped and cleaned after every range time. I don’t know about you, but in a life or death situation I don’t believe you will have enough time to push the pin back in (if you have something handy to do that with while being shot at). Remington knows the problem is there but after reading all the hype about what a great firearm it is and how it performs flawlessly in every situation I personally don’t buy that!
Now as far as the Taurus Spectrum is concerned I realize a person is not buying a Glock or Sig, but one does have a chance to fire twice on the same round, and if it does not fire, clear the weapon and fire again. Yes, I have had some misfires with Blazeer 95 grn FMJ,Fiocchi 95 grn FMJ and Herters 95 grn FMJ. Every round went bang on the second strike. I have not had any problem with Win. PDX1 95 grn JHP,Hornady 90 grn FTX, and Liberty 50 grn HP. They all went bang!! I don’t mind if a weapon has a feed problem that can be cleared and ready for action in milli seconds if trained to do so, but to have the weapon malfunction because of a manufacturing problem that needs tools to fix the problem is unexceptionable.
I just don’t believe the Taurus Spectrum is getting a fair rap for a weapon that costs as little as it does. Is the fit and finish a Kimber or Colt no way but not everyone can afford that kind of firearm. So a Spectrum is still better than a sling shot!!
I am not a firearms instructor or a gunsmith, so maybe you are right and I am completely wrong about the spectrum.
Richard,
Thank you for this review of your experience with the Taurus Spectrum 380. A large local retailer recently had a special on this pistol for $149. The only thing that kept me from jumping on it was no one had posted a review and my wife would be angry at me for buying it.
I found your website looking for more information on it and am grateful I did. You have started quite a conversation on this pistol and although some have stated good results with it, the large number of folks who have not speaks volumes.
I very much enjoy shooting and firearms in general but the snarky meanness of so many sites and chats are a turn off. I appreciate your honest, straight forward, respectful, logical approach. I will visit again. Best!
Richard, I wish I could, or someone would date these a bit articles and reviews better. I am not too sure of the date you did this review. Here is my question: Did you get to the Shot Show and ask or has Taurus remedied this firing pin problem? I recently looked at a Spectrum and it did not have the ledge (misalignment) on the rear slide like you indicated. Like you said it has many favorable features, and I love the look and feel of the Spectrum. The pistol I looked at was new (made in 2019 I believe) and yours was a 2017 or 18 model. I was told that the model is a great seller and that they are hard to keep in. Perhaps a salesman pitch, but maybe the Taurus people want to keep their customers coming back for new pistols.
Thanks for your review. Are you ready to try again, or is Taurus ready to show you a better pistol?
Hi Chris,
Thanks for taking the time to read my review. Outside of the repair center, Taurus media representatives have refused to speak to me. So I have no information on what the company may have done, if anything, to improve the reliability of these firearms.
Yes, I’m sure they are very good sellers. Many people are willing to spend $150 on a handgun without regard to the potential reliability issues it has. For many people the price is the only factor in their purchases – from TVs to motor vehicles.
You can take a look at all of the comments here and judge for yourself if the company is putting out a pistol that you would like to depend on. Some people say they have a Spectrum pistol that works. Other people have found the guns unreliable.
As to your last question, I am unclear what you are asking. I’m unwilling to purchase another Taurus firearm or recommend them if that’s what you are asking.
-Richard
I bout the Spectrum because the Ruger LCP 380 was totally unreliable until I took burrs off Now LCP is some what ok. My Spectrum never misfired with 300 rounds being sold for 129.00 by Super Sports. Like my Ruger LCP being just a miss print, I think you should test another Spectrum. I grab the Spectrum over the LCP for CC.
Hi Mike,
I’m genuinely happy your Spectrum has been reliable through the first 300 rounds. It seems some people get a Spectrum that works while others do not – a sad comment on quality control I guess.
I’d be happy to buy and test another Spectrum if someone is willing to pony up the money for all of the costs that go into a review.
-Richard
New out of the box, my Spectrum would do more damage if i threw it at someone… So, I took it apart cleaned and polished the firing pin, cleaned the firing block and reassembled those part using no oil. Then I polished the ramp and made sure there were no sharp edges that the round may come in contact with upon entering the chamber. I also sanded any sharp edges of of the plastic where the slide moves. I pulled the slide back and forth about 100 times to help the break in. Then I bought a box of Blazer 95GR brass and shot the entire box without any problems. I carry this gun when I solo hike without any worries… Hope this helps
Thanks for sharing James. I wish Taurus had you working at their QA/service departments. It sounds like you know how to get those guns running!
-Richard
Very good James, wish everyone was as talented as you and I. People should not have to read reviews, to find out if a firearm is worth purchasing or not. The company should, step up or shut their doors. You would think with social media, we could either get them to change their ways or quit selling your crap here. This review came to me, while doing a search for aftermarket springs and triggers for the Spectrum. A sporting goods store has it on sale for $189. I’ve been looking for just this type of .380 for the wife. Either I’m going to buckle under and pay the extra for a Walther PK380 or get the Ruger LCP 308 auto. Both use a breech lock system, helps with felt recoil and the slide racking. I do love the aftermarket parts for the LCP, not only the upgraded solid aluminum trigger, but recoil-spring sets 9-13lbs. With the added laser or optic sights, one should not have a problem keeping on target. I’m surprised James did not say he had to break out his Dremel rotary tool, which would speed the lapping and polishing processes. Combined with being able to “read” a spring size, so one can have any spring or springs made, to help function properly. There is a company in CA which can make you any spring, even show you how to determine length, wire size, etc. I used this route, when I could not find what I was after for improving a firearm. The cost of the new springs let’s say the shipping costs more than the springs did and they used a super small package 3″X3″. I come from a time, when we needed it to work right, we reengineered any problems. Most machines or items I have worked on, run and operate better, than the day they were manufactured. I tried to lend my expertise to some of them, only to be told “we don’t have a problem? or they never bother to reply, my guess is they hate to be embarrassed by a layman. You would think, the cost for all the service work, could have been avoided, by spending a few extra dollars on QC, before the item even leaves the factory. Not to mention “ALL” the negative word of mouth, reviews and feedbacks the company will and does receive. Blows my mind.
What a pity. A great idea, but apparently not as well executed as it could be. I have found, over the years, that Taurus makes excellent revolvers, and that their original Beretta knock offs were great. They seem to be having real issues in developing their own line of semi auto pistols. I have a PT38 that works great, but I have heard this is the exception, or perhaps it was just broken in properly, as I bought it used. At any rate, a gun needs to be reliable, above all else. If it does not go off every time the trigger is pulled, anything else it has going for it is moot.
One takes a chance…..and sometimes the ugly truth is reality. Bought my spectrum and had FTF, FTE, and FTL over and over again. So…guess its time to do the disassembly procedures recommended and try and fix ……I tend to believe what one reviewer said….. some work, some don’t. It’s my first Taurus…..I am NOT impressed. I have two Walther PP’s, but wanted something a little lighter, and smaller. I now have a Taurus Spectrum paperweight unless I can fix it….. from the sounds of it….sending it back to Taurus may be a lesson in futility..
Mine failed me right out of the box. I am waiting on a response from their customer service department since 4 weeks (!!!), also no luck with the phone service.
I purchased one new from Cabela’s little over 3 weeks ago so far only problems is with light primer strikes using Sellier & Belllot fmj range ammo, my Inceptor Arx ammo, and Hornady Critical Defense work well although on occasion the slide fails to lock back on the last round.
The trigger on this pistol is horrible, long and gritty with a long reset.
What’s worse is they have a new recoil spring that is too long and too stiff and literally took me 1 hour to put back into the pistol resulting in bruised thumbs and numerous attempts that ended up with a flying guide rod and spring.
I do like the ergonomics on this pistol, the grip is exceptional for a small .380 but as for now I’m taking it to Cabelas and selling it back to them at their “Gun Library” and eat the $100 loss. I will continue to carry my Glock 42 and Ruger LCP 2, neither one of these ever had a hiccup with hundreds of rounds with any kind of ammo I put in them.
The G42 is the easiest shooting .380 I ever fired and almost as accurate and my full-sized Walther PP2 M2.
Richard,
I wish to God I had read your review before purchasing my Spectrum a couple of weeks ago. I had read some other reviews that were glowing and that, combined with some recommendations from shooters I know, was enough to um…pull the trigger as they say. Since this is a late dated purchase, my hope is that I got a good one. I plan on going shooting with a friend of mine in the next couple of weeks. So we’ll see. I’m really hoping it’s a keeper, as I paid entirely too much for it and don’t want to add my own nightmare experience to yours and all the others who shared their stories in the comments.
Hi Chad,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope you’ve got a good one. I like the feel of the guns, and I genuinely hope they work out all the bugs. If yours is Georgia marked, it is definitely a newer gun. If it has Florida on the side, it still could be newer production.
If you have the time, would you check back after you’ve had it on the range? I’d like to hear how yours runs.
-Richard
7/10/2020
Richard,
i just read your review of the taurus spectrum after doing a search for “taurus spectrum trigger stops working”. while doing some dry firing mine did. its only a few months old with maybe fifty flawless rounds through it. i have a bodyguard 380 that is a nasty thing to shoot so comparing the spectrum gives rave marks to it. but the trigger stopped working. now when i pull it it doesn’t catch to cock and no amount of praying and flipping it rewards me. like you i was liking it. im glad it failed when it did. i have a pt111g2 and i trust it. should i?
cmon taurus some of us are rooting for you,but not forever.
Jon
Great review, i just wish I’d read it before I bought my Spectrum. The look and feel of the gun is very good IMO, with the price point even better. I have not fired mine since I bought it almost 2 years ago, and I think its going to take a trip to the LGS for trade in value on another .380. My wife has the S&W .380EZ and it is a fine gun, though bigger than many other .380 pistols on the market. Will check out the RUGER LCP.
I am far from an expert. I bought mine first week of Oct 2021 and have run 50 shots through it. I’ve had none of the problems described in the article. Not a single misfire. The slide on mine is properly lined up.
Perhaps, my eyes, which are not good but for me the sights are terrible.
I painted the front sight with white nail polish and that helped a little bit.
The edges of the trigger are sharp, I rounded them. Where the trigger guard attaches to the handle is also sharp, I also rounded that. Easy both took a few minutes. Now it is very comfortable. Ammo cost and availablity, 380 is outrageous.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad to hear yours is running well.
-Richard
Thanks a bunch! Horrible reviews pre-pandemic allowed me to easily procure a Spectrum, well below MSRP.
Cautious about possible malfunctions, etc., I took my Spectrum out to shoot in an unsupervised range, where I could shoot as I saw fit. Breaking it in, the only 2 hiccups were the slide stop and a certain brand of ammo (that I’m otherwise fond of). After another trip or two, the slide stop worked fine and reliably on a loaded magazine during reloads. I didn’t bother with the same iffy ammo nor did I need to.
Accuracy is really good, with or without diligence of careful sighting. The slide never jammed. All in all, the pistol has performed flawlessly. Whatever issues exist with other Spectrums, they don’t exist here. I consider myself very lucky to have had none of that after the initial 150-200 rounds, customary to break-in any semi-auto.
Yeah, sure, it may have left something to be desired during the first few magazines but no dealbreakers at the get-go. I’m of an older generation that doesn’t expect out-of-the-box perfection. I trained and practiced hard to be able to accurately and reliably shoot anything. At one time, my life depended on mastering the art and skills. So much so, that even after a stroke and using this Micropistol, I can still shoot better than I imagined beforehand.
Would I rely on my Spectrum to defend myself, etc.? Absolutely. I do it all the time. Once I found that it had none of the limitations that many claim, it’s my go-to. It’s a convenient size that can go anywhere, works more reliably than my last Zippo and still looks like an exotic from a 1960s Playboy.
Magazine capability is the closest thing to an issue. Just 6 rounds in the flush if you don’t carry with a round chambered. Seven rounds if you do. Up to 8 rounds if using the extended magazine. Any shooter worth their salt, can make all that work adequately. Bear in mind, a J Frame tops out at 5 rounds and costs at least 3 times more. It’s also a little bulkier and most are heavier. The trade-offs fir weight/recoil should be a non-issue at this end of the ballistics pool. If you struggle with recoil, the gym may prove as useful as the range.
What dies it feel like to be shot? I can answer that. Imagine hitting yourself with a hammer hard enough to possibly break bone. The wound cavity is so traumatic that if it doesn’t stop blood flow or interrupt the brain, it’s numbing enough to still get to business for quite a few minutes until the pain becomes distracting/overwhelming. Actual mileage may vary. I was lucky in that the bullet totally missed everything most important to mess me up good. But if you imagine that you’re punching your target with everything you have, placement becomes important in target aquisition. So, yeah, the Spectrum is more than good enough in my assessment.
And again: Thanks for helping keep prices down for a while, anyway. Contrary to common-sense, new pistols are overpriced before proving themselves. Negative reviews kept this the opposite for the Spectrum, until everyone went Covid-Crazy. I got one of the best deals in my 20+ years of shooting.
Hi Adam,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a detailed review on this pistol. Glad to hear your works. It really seems hit and miss with the QC on these. Sounds like you got a good one.
-Richard
One big problem I see with all semi-auto blow-back pistols, the factory “should” do their own testing of factory cartridges. The same ones we can buy in any store. Then recommend, which loads work best with their pistols. If people only knew how important and delicate a gas-system is, in the gas-operated firearm. Each one will have it’s own flavor. I compare this to food we eat. Some of it’s eaten and spit out. Some never gets swallowed. We even choke on some. I have the luxury of loading my own, so I can fine tune with different casings, powders, primers and bullets. Let’s just say, there are 5 different ones to pick from in each category, can you imagine the number of variables there are? I’m lucky, many who failed in loading cartridges, posted their data. So, I have a good source of data telling me where to begin and with what. Even more importantly, what to stay away from. Everyone who shoots, should have at least one friend who hand loads for the others. If not to load ammo, for the knowledge to fix or repair a trigger system or lap and polish a feed-ramp. It’s really quite simple, when someone shows you the correct way. An art that’s quickly disappearing.
My wife and daughter both carry a Spectrum (no colored versions though) and have had no issues shooting. I regularly carry a Taurus G2C and have not had any issues. I also have an S&W Bodyguard 38 and like one review stated, only having 6+1 or 7+1 is still better than a 5-shot revolver although if actually needed for self-defense, I don’t plan on sticking around that I would need to reload!
It seems to me, with so many folks having reliability issues with the Taurus Spectrum, the parent company would cease selling the gun to the public until/if the reliability issues are fixed. By their continuing to offer this gun for sale is very dangerous and very telling about Taurus; that they are putting profit ahead of consumer safety. It is an inexpensive gun, so when individuals have reliability issues with their Spectrum, the consumer is not likely to make a federal case out of it. I think they’d be inclined to toss the Spectrum into their junk drawer. Shame on Taurus for selling this not-reliable gun to the public. Perhaps all who’ve had a problem with their gun should file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission as it seems that Taurus is selling a product that DOESN’T WORK AS INTENDED/EXPECTED! Again, SHAME ON TAURUS.
Do you have reliability figures on this firearm? It seems that you’re damning the company on the grounds of negative hype.
Are you assuming that this gun is generally unreliable based on a biased selection of reviews that you’ve read?
I have thought about the Spectrum for some time. I will read a few more reviews before making a decision. I own several Taurus pistols and have had no problems G2S 9MM, G2C 40S&W, PT709Slim, PT 111 9mm. I appreciate your honesty.
In my case, I’m having the well-known dead trigger problem. The trigger fails to reset after a trigger pull, causing me to have to pull back on the slide a tiny bit to get the proper alignment for the latch inside from the lower to catch on the upper. Then I get one more trigger pull, rinse and repeat. New gun, so I will take it back to Sportsmans for them to send it to Taurus. No other failures though, just the trigger problem. Oh, and the other unsold Spectrum on the wall at Sportmans had the same problem, much to the amusement of the sales reps and me. I really like the gun. I have ordered a “captured guide rod” from Galloway Precision because the field-strippable spring that came with the gun is not captured and is too long and difficult to re-assemble. I like the gun that much. I hope they fix it. In the meantime, bought a Ruger LCP Max.
I love my Taurus Spectrum, as a matter of fact I have two of them. My 8 year old grandson cannot get enough of it, he will shoot it as fast as you can load the magazine’s. I carry it in my right front pocket almost everywhere I go, I live in Missouri so I don’t need a ccl. Thanks for letting me give you my op
I was throwing away some old Guns & Ammo magazines and came across a January 2018 with a picture of a Taurus Spectrum on the front and read that article perhaps for the first time with interest. Then I Googled it and found your article. As I was interested in the Spectrum, I really appreciated your article which saved me a lot of headaches. Thank you for your efforts to tell us about all you went thru. I have the Rugar SR 380 but you can never have enough EDC. I’m surprised that Taurus fixed the problem or another company hasn’t picked up on that idea.
I have a Spectrum, and it has served me fairly well, it is accurate, I can hit a coffee cup size target at 15yds and hit a silhouette at 25 yards. It would stovepipe jam on occasion, I thought it was the gun, but it was how I was holding the pistol, correction made and that problem solved. Very rarely a bullet would not fire, this pistol is double action so you can pull the trigger a second time, that solved the problem for 90% of my duds. The trigger pull is long and hard, I don’t want a hair trigger on a daily carry pistol. You can wear this pistol out, I was shooting for a while, at the rate of a box per week, then one day it said ‘I quit’. Taurus repaired it, and it is shooting just fine again. It is carry-able, accurate and for me it has been fairly reliable.
No mention of the Beretta Pico?
So, as long as the bad guy also has a Spectrum, you have a 50 50 chance!
So far the Spectrum that I bought last year didn’t gave me headaches. Took every round that I fed it, JHP’s FMJ’s, No FTE’s or FTF issues also. I once used a Glock 42, but now carried this pistol for almost a year now. My Taurus G3C once had an issue, mostly FTF. I just made some adjustments and the G3c now seems flawless. I surmised that some products have a lemon, and even in other brand like S&W, Glocks, Beretta, they sometimes have issues with some units.
Good article and accurate. I have a Love/hate relationship with my Spectrum. Love the look, the feel and the accuracy. Reasonably reliable. It’s currently at Taurus for the 3rd time for the same issue. An internal component breaks resulting in failure to ejects. As of this writing, they still haven’t figured out the underlying issue. Net/net: I can not and will not trust my life to this gun. I bought a Ruger LCP II to replace my Spectrum and it has performed flawlessly.
Guess I got lucky I’ve never had a problem with the one I have, or any of my other Taurus pistols. I only have one Glock the 27 but I carry my Taurus Millenium Pro S&W 40 , I’ll take the any day over the Glock27 .
Just read this review because I won this gun in a drawing and wanted to learn about it as I didnt know much if any about Taurus. Haven’t got the gun yet but hope it works. I found this review helpful
Captive recoil spring solved my issues.
Mine are now completely reliable. I bought 2 several years ago when they were almost giving them away. Had the same problems, failures, light strikes, lousy service, etc. The only reason I didn’t get rid of them was guilt about sticking someone else. Then I found out Galloway sells captive guide rod recoil spring combo. I installed and not only was it worlds easier to reassemble, I haven’t had a malfunction in either one since. I don’t know why. I’m not an engineer or a gunsmith. All I know is they’re 100% reliable now. Before you throw one away, spend 25 bucks and see if that does it.
Hi David,
I am glad to hear this worked for you. I’ll give this a try with my pistol. Thanks!
-Richard
I have one that has a broken spring and my gunsmith says I need to return it to Taurus but I can’t seem to get the correct information to do that.
Bought the Galloway captive guide rod and it’s great. Gun is accurate and reliable now. Love it.
I too have a taurus spectrum 380.
have it fr 6 months
bought it from a coworker
my 2 problems are the slide does not return to fire position for not round..solved by a good cleaning.
..next…it fires under the at target at 20 ft.
hoping to hit anything t 20 ft and beyond.
I had to aim 4 ft over the target to get any round to hit
how does thus happen with a straight barrel or is the short barrel the problem.
any advice will help worse case I replace thus weapon with another that uses this ammo.
thanks for ur time
in Harrisburg pa
I FEEL LUCKY.
I PICKED UP A SPECTRUM AT A GUN SHOW UN USED IN THE BOX. IT IS FOR MY SISTER AS A CARRY GUN. I GAVE IT TO HER LAST CHRISTMAS; SHE LOVED THE COLOR. WE WENT TO THE RANGE AND THREE OF US PUT A COUPLE OF BOXES THROUGH IT WITH OUT A HICUPP. SHE STILL LOES THE GUN. AFTER READING YOUR REVIEW, I FEEL THAT GUN GODS MUST HAVE BEEN SMILING ON ME WHEN I BOUGHT THE TAURUS.
My taurus spectrum didn’t have the failures you experienced. I didnt like reassembly so I purchased a galway 10% heaver captured spring. No problem so far. REASSEMBLY IS a breeze.
I definitely feel you are on to something with your slide seating too far forward on the frame; eg too deeply engaged. I am not familiar with the design, but this seems like something is obviously not correct. Contact Taurus again and tell them about this slide seating too far forward.
Where can I get new rubber grips for my Taurus Spectrum 380?