Taurus Curve – A Contoured, Wearable Pistol
Russ Chastain 11.18.14
In a move that will make many people ask themselves, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Taurus recently announced a new 380 pistol that’s not only dehorned and contoured to make it less obtrusive to carry, but also curved to fit against a person’s body.
Taurus is looking to create a sure-nuff all-in-one package with the new popper, which they’ve aptly named the Curve. The frame has built-in laser, LED light, and belt clip.
This little pistol can be made inoperable using the Taurus Security System, which they employ on other handguns as well. I dislike such systems, but some folks feel better if they can disable their guns.
Billed as “coming soon” on their website, the Curve probably isn’t sitting on the shelf at your local gun shop. When it does arrive, the MSRP should be a tad south of $400. Hopefully this will keep the street price in the neighborhood of $300.
A recessed button is used to switch the laser on and off.
No specs have been released for the integral LED and laser, but you may note the utter lack of iron sights on the Curve. Naturally, the manufacturer spins this, listing “Bore-axis sighting system for instinctual shooting” (i.e. the barrel is roughly parallel with the top of the slide) as a feature of the new pistol. In other words, you eyeball down the top of the slide and hope for the best.
Let’s face it, this is a short-range piece and could be considered the modern equivalent of the old “belly gun” (a gun that’s small, easy to carry, and most accurate when jammed against the belly of an assailant). The laser should help extend that a bit.
With nothing sticking out to poke a user or get snagged on clothing, it should carry very well indeed.
Taurus lists the finish as matte blue and the grips as “polymer with metallic subframe.” Mag capacity is 6, so you can tote 7 if you keep one in the chamber. Weight is listed as 10.2 ounces, and it’s 5.2 inches long by 3.7 inches tall by 1.18 inches thick. Barrel length is just 2.5 inches.
The button on the magazine (look at the lower central part of the grip) is the mag release. Squeeze it and pull to remove the mag.
The Taurus Curve is double action only (DAO), which makes sense. It has a magazine disconnect, which means it can’t be fired without a magazine in the gun–a bummer if you ever need to fire it when the magazine is missing or loose. It also has a loaded chamber indicator, which can come in handy.
The Curve probably isn’t the carry gun for me for a few reasons. First, it’s a Taurus (apologies to fans; past experience has soured me on them). Second, it’s a 380, and I consider 9mm Luger my personal carry minimum. I do like using a clip rather than a holster, but prefer a clip on the left side of the pistol so I can carry it with the grip forward; it wouldn’t carry well for me.
However, many folks will very likely love the new pistol–or at least, the idea behind it. It’s worth noting that, like the Kel-Tec PF-9, the grip frame is not serialized and can thus be easily bought and sold without going through a dealer. It may be possible for southpaws to swap the slide and sub-frame into a left-handed frame.
The Curve will reportedly ship with two magazines and a “clip” for the trigger guard, which is meant to prevent someone or something pulling the trigger by pushing through your clothes. When the gun is drawn, a tether attached to belt or pants will pop the cover out of the way.
This patented popper may very well push all personal-carry firearms in a new direction. If nothing else, the completely smooth, curved exterior and integral light and laser should inspire imitators and innovators alike.
