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Hello all. I'm new to the forum and just bought my first handgun, a Taurus PT 138 in .380 caliber. Haven't fired it yet but have a CHL class scheduled this week so that will come soon enough. The literature that came with it states that the magazine should hold 12 rounds, but darned if I can get more than 11 in it and the last 2 of those it is really hard to compress the spring more. Am I doing something wrong here?

I've read the entire manual now and can field strip and reassemble it quite easily. Have it cleaned and oiled and ready to go.

Welcome jerry. New magazines sometimes have difficulty getting the last round loaded. Leave it loaded overnight with 11, and I bet you'll find out the next day you can get the last one in.

My first pistol was a Taurus Mil Pro (but in .45, so it was a PT145).

You said you haven't fired this gun...do you have much experience shooting pistols? If not, I recommend going to the range before the CHL class. Your instructor and fellow students will appreciate it. The CHL class isn't for teaching someone how to shoot, just the legalities of carrying a gun in Texas.

If you have any other questions, this forum is chock full of knowledgeable friendly people.....and a few jokers such as myself.

Welcome!!

I'd recommend going to the TaurusArmed forums. I doubt you'll find a lot on here with detailed PT138 knowledge.
You will find a lot of Texas Law, self defense, situational awareness, and other knowledge here relative to carrying and your CHL.

74novaman wrote:You said you haven't fired this gun...do you have much experience shooting pistols?

Thanks for the reply. My training and experience with firearms was in the U.S. Army, but that was a long time ago. I was qualified as an expert marksman on a number of different weapons, including the .45 service weapon then in use. During my service years I became very comfortable with and around weapons and learned gun safety the Army way. I just haven't felt the need to be armed in my civilian life until recently. I live in a pretty safe area but I commute through some of the ugly parts of Houston where predators roam, often at night. I've been feeling a bit naked lately.

I'm going to put in considerable range time besides what is required for the class to rebuild my sharpness. Until then, I'm familiarizing myself with all aspects of the weapon I've purchased, both using and maintaining it.

Got it. I just get slightly worried when it sounds like someone is going to CHL class expecting to learn how to shoot and in general being unsafe handling a pistol. Looks like you won't have that problem.

Kind of like riding a bike, you don't forget little things like the fact you shouldn't point the gun at your fellow students on the range.

As scott recommended, taurusarmed.net is a good Taurus firearms website. Try out that partially loaded trick and let us know if you manage to get 12 into the magazine in a day or two.

74novaman wrote:Kind of like riding a bike, you don't forget little things like the fact you shouldn't point the gun at your fellow students on the range.

Hehe...I remember that in basic training they made sure we knew that the NCOs in the range tower were armed, just in case someone did something stupid.

Taurus lies. The mag only takes 11. I sold mine and got a 638, whose mag is supposed to take 15 but only takes 14. Welcome to Taurus ownership. Don't qualify with it. It isn't accurate. I carry my 638 only to use as a bludgeon.

My PT145 mags hold the proper number of rounds (10 in the 10-rounders, 12 in the 12-rounders), although they were quite stiff when brand new, and it was difficult to add the last round. I bought an Uplula mag loader and that problem was solved. Everyone I know who owns a Taurus, of any caliber, has managed to use their mags to full capacity. As for accuracy, my PT145 is QUITE accurate. Most who whine about the accuracy of the guns have simply not taken the time or effort to familiarize themselves with the sights, which require a combat hold rather than a target hold. (People whine about Kahrs being inaccurate for the exact same reason.) Those familiar with Taurus pistols know it is usually the shooter, not the gun, that is the problem. Either practice until you can shoot it well, or get a different gun that you are capable of shooting well. Anyone who would carry a gun with which they aren't capable of htting what they aim at is ignorant at best, and (potentially) criminally negligent at worst.

My PT145 fit the advertised number of rounds as well.

I also took my first CHL class with it, as it was my only handgun at the time. Passed with flying colors, even with that 3" barrel and long trigger pull.

Heck, you tell people you like or buy this or that handgun/rifle/car/phone/brand of pants and you can always find someone to snort disdainfully at your choice online. Its part of what makes the internet so warm and cuddly.

Back to the OP, have you tried again to fit that 12th round in? A mag loader like warhammer mentioned might help as well. In addition, be sure to let us know how your CHL class went after you take it.

74novaman wrote:Back to the OP, have you tried again to fit that 12th round in?

Just tried again and still can't get number 12 in. Oh well, I have two magazines, and if 22 rounds won't get me out of trouble, 24 wouldn't either.

I did order a Butler Creek Baby Universal Lula Pistol Loader and should have it tomorrow, so I'll let you know if that makes a difference. It may just be that my arthritis doesn't let me push down hard enough to get that last one in.

And to follow up on my last post, I got the Butler Creek Baby Universal Lula Pistol Loader today, and I should have ordered its big brother. The Taurus Millennium .380 magazine is too thick to fit into it. I wish that it was listed with actual dimensions online instead of just by caliber of ammunition it is intended for. Oh well, live and learn.