New 2017 weapons: Taurus Spectrum self-defense pistol
With enviable stability, every year the Brazilian company Taurus tries to make a "revolution" in the market. weapons for self defense. The previous year it was a compact Curve pistol that had the shape of an arc, as stated by the manufacturer, for a more comfortable permanent weapon carrying. Apparently, experience has shown that the market is not yet ready for such “revolutions”, so this year the designers of the Brazilian company have limited themselves to the usual compact pistol chambered for .380 ACP.This gun was introduced at the SHOT Show 2017 show. If you do not take into account the previous pearls of the Brazilian company, the new gun turned out really interesting and finally it can be called a normal, full-fledged weapon for self-defense. But it is worth noting that the Brazilian company still tried to betray their weapons personality and makes it in a variety of colors. Although among the blue, pink and orange there are standard dark colors.
If we talk about the main features of the gun Taurus Spectrum, then it is certainly not the wild colors of the overlays on the weapon, although the name suggests otherwise. The main feature is the maximum ease of operation while maintaining the small size and weight of the weapon. And the Brazilian designers succeeded.Since the pistol for self-defense is a weapon that is worn constantly, the individual requirements for such a pistol are made by weight. Due to the plastic frame and light alloy casing, the weight of the gun without cartridges is only 280 grams. But you need to understand that a weapon without ammunition is useless, with such a weight they will even hit the enemy ineffectively. Real wearable weight will be about 360-380 grams.
It is important for self-defense weapons and the absence of any protruding elements that can catch on during extraction. With this, the Taurus Spectrum pistol is also in perfect order. The only controls on the sides of the weapon are the magazine eject button and the shutter lag button. Both elements are made flush with the surface of the gun, which affects the convenience of clicking on them, but the gun does not catch on the clothes, and the overall thickness of the weapon is smaller. Sights consist of a small pillar and front sight with smooth corners.
To ensure that the gun was not only comfortable to wear, but also normal to hold, Taurus added rubber pads to the weapon’s design in places where a reliable grip of the weapon is necessary. One of the main problems of compact pistols is the inability of the normal grip due to the low height of the handle; this in the Spectrum pistol is partially compensated by an elongated magazine, which increases the overall height of the weapon, but makes the grip more confident and adds another additional cartridge. The standard magazine holds 6 cartridges, enlarged 7.Ammunition for such a kid was chosen more than sensibly - this is the .380АСР cartridge. You can often find compact versions of weapons for self-defense for ammunition 9x19, .40S & W and even .45АСР. There is also the other extreme of pistols chambered for .25АСР or even under .22, which is clearly not enough for confident defeat of the enemy in view of the low kinetic energy of the bullet. The .380АСР cartridge looks like a more than suitable ammunition, especially when you consider that there are variants of this cartridge with an expansive bullet.
The basis for the new pistol became automatic with a free gate, which is the best option, both in terms of reliability and ammunition.
On the issue of the safety of the handling of a pistol, the Brazilian company Taurus approached the standard for such weapons. The gun does not have any safety devices other than an automatic fuse on the trigger. In this case, the trigger pistol is a shock pistol, only double action. That is, each shot of the weapon is made by a self-cocked and with a heavy trigger stroke, which provides protection against an accidental shot, even if the cartridge is in the chamber. The use of a self-platoon should inevitably affect the accuracy of firing a pistol, but since in self-defense weapons are used for short distances, this feature is unlikely to be taken as a serious shortcoming. Plus, the short barrel of the gun (71 mm), already hints that the weapon is clearly not accurate.
Typically, the company Taurus sets on their weapons their trademark lock, which blocks the individual parts of the gun, making it completely safe. This possibility is an indisputable plus for weapons, especially if it is deposited when visiting places where there is a strict ban on carrying firearms. Locking USM when storing a pistol at home in a safe will be useful. But all this has one big flaw. Such a lock does not have a “secret”, which means it can be opened, if desired, with a simple screwdriver or another key from another Taurus weapon. In order not to wrestle with what to use, the Brazilian company abandoned its brand lock, or rather, the key for it. Now the lock is made in the form of a bolt head and can be opened or closed with a regular coin.
If you evaluate this gun, then it is certainly a simple and reliable weapon for self-defense. Convenience of continuous wear also leaves no issues, as well as the effectiveness of the application. Questions may arise about the reliability of mounting rubber pads on the gun. On the one hand, rubber is just the material that is needed for a confident grip even with wet hands, on the other hand, if these linings come off in a few months, then sit and think what to glue them up is not the most interesting thing. Although the weapon of self-defense does not imply daily use, but at least it is obviously necessary to practice with it, which means that the gun will be actively used for some time, which will show its resistance to wear.The price that the manufacturer claims is less than 300 US dollars, which is generally a bit, but whether this price will affect quality is a question.
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