Feb 4, 2017
Shot the curve a bit today. Here is what the 3d printed improvements look like in practice. The front sight notches are pink, but If you zoom in on the pic, you can see it. They work in real life, it's just hard to photograph it.
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Shot the curve a bit today. Here is what the 3d printed improvements look like in practice. The front sight notches are pink, but If you zoom in on the pic, you can see it. They work in real life, it's just hard to photograph it.
This specific question came to me today: “Bersa Thunder 380 or Taurus Curve 380 for a first pistol?”
This is a question I have been wanting to be asked, so I am going to do a quick write up. I did not have a Bersa on hand, so I grabbed the Walther PPK/s I have nearby, since the Bersa Thunder is essentially a more modern take on the Walther PPK design. In short, I would recommend the Bersa Thunder for a first pistol, but at the same time I still recommend the Taurus Curve; however, there are qualifiers I must discuss.
Let us begin: Bersa Thunder and the Walther PP design.
(This photo of the Bersa Thunder is not mine, It came from a google search)
The Bersa is essentially a modern take on the Walther PPK, with a few improvements. It is a straight blowback pistol, which I consider to be very notable, and I will come to that later. Moving along, the Bersa Thunder has a nice variety of pistol controls, such as a manual safety and decocker, plus, it has a single action/ double action set up with an exposed hammer allowing you to place the gun in single action mode for clean trigger pull. With that said, there are Bersa Thunder models with a bobbed hammer that are double action only, but this will be obvious when purchasing one, and is not the standard setup.
The Bersa Thunder has several updates that are great additions to the Walther Polizeipistole/Police Pistole design. One big update is the slide release lever, which allows the slide to be released without racking the slide or removing the magazine. Also, the Bersa has a fixed trigger guard, as most modern pistols do. However, the old Walther design does not. The PP design is disassembled by pulling the trigger guard down, but the Bersa has uses a mechanism on the side. The Bersa is also is more ergonomic than the older pistols and the Curve. Personally, I like the trigger reset on the Bersa. I will abstain from commenting on the double action trigger pull, as such can be changed with hammer springs.
On most Bersa Thunders, you can upgrade the sights, as the sights are removable using the dovetail design. Again, there are some Thunders with low profile sights that are part of the slide (I would recommend buying a Thunder model with removable sights, but I’m not going to discredit the others).
PP design & Straight Blowback: The Bersa Thunder is unmistakably similar to the Walther PPK, which is the short version of the Walther PP (police pistol). There is not much difference in size between the PP and PPK, but the PPK is shorter, as you can see in this picture. (The black/blue pistol is a FEG PA63, an almost identical variant of the PP that originates from Hungary).
The PP and PPK are both great for conceal carry. They are sleek, relatively small (but large enough to hold well) and generally comfortable to carry and shoot.
These pistols are straight blowback, a design which generally implies the barrel is fixed to the frame. Although I my favorite pistols are Heckler & Koch USPs, I crave the idea of straight blowback pistols. As opposed to pistols with a tilting and locking barrel, the fixed barrel does not require a guid rod, which allows the barrel to sit lower. Moreover, the lower the barrel, the easier it is for energy to be transferred up your forearm instead of your wrist.
Bersa Recap: The Bersa is affordable, able to be accessorized, great for conceal carry, and it is a modern take on a historic pistol design (yes, I consider the Walther PP to be historically significant).
Now, we move on to the Taurus Curve.
Ah yes, the Taurus Curve. Its new, futuristic and weird. It doesn’t have typical sights, and you can’t purchase extra mags for it. All of its controls are either weird or non existent. It is made by Taurus, who has notoriously bad quality control. Oh yes, It is Curved.
Notwithstanding all of this, would I recommend the Curve? Yes.
Many will say the Curve is for the inexperienced shooter, or for someone who wants to buy a gun but will never shoot it. Honestly, I do not know how anyone could construct either of those arguments with intellectual honesty. With that said, I would like to articulate that the Curve is for individuals skilled and knowledgeable with firearms who need something for deep carry.
The Curve is curved! It feels strange in your right hand, but interesting and enjoyable. It doesn’t feel so weird in your left hand, which is how I shoot it. I shoot left handed and wear the curve on my left backside, with the slide next to my spine. It comes out quickly and conveniently. Many are upset that there is not a “left handed Curve,” but in all honestly the “right handed” shape works great for how I like to conceal carry.
To keep the pistol slim, the slide is anything but tall on the Curve, which can make it difficult for some people to pull the slide back. However, the slide has a great (and aesthetically pleasing) set of serrations that prove great traction for operation. It is worth noting, you cannot feel the serrations while wearing the curve.
What is the deal Taurus, can’t you get a hold on Quality Control? If you are having failure to feed or failure to eject with the Curve, I can almost guarantee the issue is with the extractor claw. There is a real chance you will need to polish and slightly reshape the extractor to get the curve to operate well with all ammunitions. This is easy enough and quick to fix, but not if you lack knowledge and skill in firearm care. Again, this is consistent with my argument that the Curve is fort those skilled with firearms. (Seriously Taurus, I can send you the design improvements needed on this one, it would take minimal effort to fix all of this QC stuff with the extractor).
Taurus Curve sights and sight picture: Is Curve a range gun? Meh. It can be. If you are skilled and need to show out, you annihilate targets with the curve all day long. But, it is not as fun as a USP Match by any means. If you scroll through our blog, you can see videos/gifs of us putting entire magazines in targets that are 25-50 yards away. Mind you, this was before we made custom sights for the curve. It has plenty barrel to stabilize a round of 380 acp. The issue comes with how the operator can interact with the controls of the firearm, which are very minimal on the Curve. It does have a physical sight system, made up of lines and a loaded chamber indicator, so it is anything but conventional. The information conveyed by the Curve’s natural sight system is very fine, which in this context means meticulous, thin, and infinitesimally easy to overlook. Again, with the information conveyed being so difficult to detect, this is an item for the skilled operator who intimately understands the abstract forms firearm operation. The sight picture information is certainly there, but it is anything but overwhelmingly. Only those skilled at shooting will excel with the Curve.
Taurus did incorporate into the frame the opportunity for a laser and light (made by Laserlyte). But not all Curves come with the Laserlyte installed, due to an issue with supply and demand. Furthermore, the button to turn on the Laserlyte module is not the most intuitive thing in the world. So if you need a laser to tell you were to shoot, you have that option with the Curve.
The Taurus Curve is double action only, with a shrouded hammer hidden away in its tiny slide. Trigger pull is long but consistent, and you can feel when you are about to release the hammer. Although it shares a few parts with the Taurus TCP 738 (such as the mag frame which can be used to make extra mags if you have the ability to do such) it does not have a slide release, or a conventional magazine release as does the TCP 738. It will lock the slide back after the last round, but you have to manually rack the slide to get moving with a second magazine (which is included in all Curves purchased). The Curve magazine actually has a clip to hold it in. Instead of a more conventional mag release near the trigger guard (or even on the heel), the Curve has a place on the magazine that you push to release the clip-lever mechanism. I would have not gone this route had I designed the Curve, but it correlates with the trigger design and smooth profile. The trigger has no dead space behind it, ensuring nothing can get behind the trigger if it is in a bag without its trigger guard. The trigger wraps around the magazine when pulled (inside the frame).
The curve has no safety, but instead a cover that pops off when you pull it out. This serves a few purposes. It ensures the trigger is covered when holstered, but it will pop off when you pull the gun out, as long as you have tied the string to a belt loop…or something else. It works as a safety, but also keeps debris away from the Laserlyte button. The cover is smooth and intuitive. I thought I would never use it, but I actually like it. It works well and pops off only when the firearm is pulled in a certain direction, which is the same direction you naturally pull it when getting ready to fire.
The Curve holsters itself. The curve does its own thing, which is what makes it great. It has a belt clip from the factory, which is awesome. Even though the pistol is thicker than some other small pistols, it is actually thinner when on you. It does not require a holster, and the curved frame wraps around you and is so very comfortable to wear in all clothes. With the belt clip and trigger cover, the curve is so smooth that you can easily forget it is there. I wear the curve all the time, and no one ever has a clue it is there. Even the people who know I am carrying have a hard time detecting it, and I am a slim 25 year old who wears clothes that actually fit.
The Curve uses a locking/unlocking design. The barrel is not fixed on the Curve, as it is on the Bersa Thunder. Instead, it uses the same locking design found on most modern pistols. This is fine, but it does slightly raise the barrel. Nonetheless the curve has a low enough profile that the energy still moves down your forearm well.
Taurus Curve Recap: This is an awesome and futuristic pistol, that I would recommend to those who understand the intricacies of firearms. It has some notable QC issues out of the box, as well as accessorizing limitations. But, out of all of the firearms on the market. I cannot find one that is more concealable. I cannot find one that can execute the task of deep carry with such effectiveness. Once you get past its issues, and polish it up, it works well and wears well. Moreover, if you can make your own parts, you can put sights on it and make as many mags as you want. I wish Taurus would come out with an updated version that has a few improvements (cough cough extractor claw QC and traditional magazine release). With all that said, It truly is the future of conceal carry, and I hope there are more pistols that come out that follow its form. The Curve is the ultimate in conceal carry if you want a truly concealed firearm, and I say that as someone who is experienced with the G42, G27, PPK, KelTec 3-AT, Ruger LCP, NAA mini revolvers, and a whole variety of other small pistols. These other pistols may be great, but I would recommend the Curve to skilled shooters because I cannot find another pistol that is so effective at being concealed, not to mention being comfortable and easy to access while being concealed.
TLDR: Buy yourself a Bersa Thunder if you want a more modern PPK, as it is a versatile firearm. Buy yourself a Taurus Curve if you want the ultimate in concealability, and are capable of tweaking it.
If you don’t like either, do have the social skills to keep it to yourself, as this is intended as a constructive writeup. I own some very expensive toys, but I still don’t trash casual stuff. Social skills people.
Here one can see how we redesigned our rear sight system for the Taurus Curve 380.
Previously, our rear sight was not designed to be removable, as such would weaken the sight. However, this new design is a bolt on/off.
Again, no milling is required, so it doesn’t affect warranty and etc.
It works with the loaded chamber indicator to give a full sight picture (albeit a short one).
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