It's rare that we find ourselves disagreeing with our holy brethren over at Guns & Ammo, but this is going to be one of those times: We like the new Taurus Curve.
There. We said it.
Handgun Review: The Taurus Curve Review
True to point, we like it for very specific reasons, and many of them may not be relevant to seasoned gun owners. For example, nobody is going to argue this .380, with a piddly 2 3/4 in barrel, minimal sights, and barely punch-in-the-gut stopping power, is going to win any awards in the manly department. One of our editors actually laughed out loud when he first saw it (apologies again to the Taurus rep in the room at the time).
Curves curves. everywhere a curve.
But we fall into a hole sometimes here at GC: We think like gun owners, when sometimes we should be thinking more like POTENTIAL gun owners. That is where the Taurus finds its strength. It's kind of like when my 14 year-old nephew looks at my (gasp!) 5 year-old computer. He gets a snooty look on his face and starts rambling off random stats that have to do with graphics processing or something and my eyes just glaze over because I barely use that stupid thing for anything more than writing and maybe a little mad crossword puzzle action.
Light and funky looking…don't hold it against it.
This was most obvious to me when I showed the Curve to friends of mine who aren't very familiar with firearms. Universally, they loved it, and in no small part was that due to the fact that it doesn't look like any other handgun they're used to seeing.
The sightings are a bit low IMO.
It looks special, unique, and THAT is how you target new markets in the firearms industry. You aren't going to attract young, city dwelling females to your camp with old school tech, and that is precisely who the Curve is going for.
The idea behind the Taurus is relatively simple: concealed carry design that conforms to the body.
Concealed carry design makes pocketing the piece a breeze.
Just like your bum, the polymer frame follows a slopped line which seats comfortably to your body. Similarly, radiused edges make it fit in a pocket more like a smartphone than a pistol, while removable belt clips in the frame alleviate the need for a holster entirely. The lack of an external safety prevents further snag issues, as does the omission of iron sights or a slide release.
Clearly, the target demo is going to be women and first-time shooters.
No iron sights you say? Well, the on-board laser steps in for that, which is good because the crosshairs on the rear slide are pretty much useless to any newbie. I didn't love that the aiming device is positioned with a fairly wide offset from the actual muzzle, but we were still plinking away at 20ft targets with ease given the setup.
The lights run off a few small 357 batteries and changing them requires a hex wrench, which is subtly annoying but not a deal breaker.
Lack of external trimmings make for an effective design.
I like the feel of this piece. Serrations in the handle gave it a nice grip and the loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide is a nice safety touch.
With a market price of less an $360 all in, the Taurus Curve is a great solution for those looking for an entry point into shooting. If I don't start seeing them on the range soon, I'll be very surprised.
