First firing of Taurus PT 138

[jerrybob]

I went to my CHL class this morning and got to fire the new Taurus PT 138 for the first time. We fired 50 rounds for the class and I stayed after and fired 100 more. Out of these, 2 of them failed to fire, even though there were solid impressions on the primers of both failed rounds (Remington BTW). Both of these rounds fired when placed in the weapon again. This happened during the initial 50 round cycle and I had no problems after that, so I really don't know what caused the misfires.

As for the weapon itself, I was quite pleased at the way it fired and the feel seemed quite natural to me. I haven't fired a handgun since I left the Army in 1981, and was putting all of my shots pretty close to the center of the target. No wild misses at all, and no need for any sight adjustment. The recoil was almost not noticeable and there is very little muzzle flip with multiple firings.

This Millennium Series pistol field strips in seconds and cleaning it when I got home was quick and easy. I was a bit surprised at the amount of soot in the barrel but again, that's the ammo, not the gun. I had quite a bit of fun putting holes in paper this morning but I've got to admit, I miss the Army targets that fall down when you hit them. It was always satisfying to see them drop. I'm going to go back next week and practice some more. Can't believe I haven't been doing this all of these years. It's a blast!

[Teamless]

Just curious, if this is the first firing, other than trusting "its a new gun", how did you know it would fire, and properly.
How did you know the sights were proper, etc?
Sorry, I guess I don't understand never using your gun before your class, and I am not trying to start an argument, just curious.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Welcome aboard the forum, sir.

Glad that you are having fun.

You may wish to go the forum's UCP (User Control Panel) and input your town.
That way, those who are your 2A neighbors will know that you are nearby, since your hometown
will appear each time you post.

SIA

[jerrybob]

Just curious, if this is the first firing, other than trusting "its a new gun", how did you know it would fire, and properly.
How did you know the sights were proper, etc?
Sorry, I guess I don't understand never using your gun before your class, and I am not trying to start an argument, just curious.

Hello Teamless, and thanks for your response. I suppose I was just trusting its newness when I took it out to fire today. I had, of course, familiarized myself with it and cleaned and oiled it thoroughly before going to the range, but I honestly don't know what else I could have done prior to trying to fire it to determine its readiness. The gentleman who taught the class did examine it for my before I fired it, and seemed satisfied that it was safe and ready. I assume that it was test fired before it left the production facility, but have no way of knowing for sure. As for the sights, again, all I knew to do was to take it to a safe place (the firing range) and try it out. The projectiles were hitting very close to where I aimed them, so I didn't see any need to move the rear sight.

If there is a better or safer procedure for breaking in a new firearm, please let me know. I'm always ready to learn something new. Thanks again for your input.

[Teamless]

If there is a better or safer procedure for breaking in a new firearm, please let me know. I'm always ready to learn something new. Thanks again for your input.

I agree that new should be good to go and I also agree that they probably test fired it.

I have just heard too many stories about people who have never shot their weapon before their class and they found many issues:
1 - wouldn't fire
2 - couldn't control / recoil was more than they had thought it would be
3 - wouldn't eject the casings
and so on.

I am glad it worked for you, and honestly, a new weapon should work for most people their first time out (new should be good!)

what would I suggest? taking it to the range ahead of time (a day or days before) at least to know the intricacies of it, the recoil, safety, short or long trigger, etc, etc.

[snatchel]

In the time it will take for you to get your license.... run a few hundred through her

This will ensure 2 things:
1) Familiarization with your handgun, learning how it shoots from muscle memory alone.....
2) Thoroughly break in your handgun.. if this will be your only carry gun, you should try and dummy-check it completely. Break it is usually 200-500 rounds, depending on the handgun, and some handguns have a tendency to be picky on ammo.

I would run several hundred in ball ammo through it just to break it in, and learn how it shoots. I would then run 100 or so of your choice of carry ammo through to learn how it shoots, and that it cycles well every single time. It is a little expensive, but it ensures that when you pull the trigger it will go bang!