Taurus 58, the (not so) new .380 EDC pistol

To be honest, it is hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu about the latest Taurus release: firstly, because Brazilian Taurus Armas, Taurus USA's parent company, already offered that same .380 pistol in the late 1980s under the name PT-58; secondly, because the Taurus 58 series was “heavily influenced” – so to speak – by Beretta's 80 Series (aka Cheetah), in particular the 84 model. Actually, the only difference is that in the Taurus 58 the takedown and slide stop levers are taken from the larger 9mm Beretta 92/M9.

But also in the firearms world nothing is created and nothing is destroyed, so here we are: the latest release of the Taurus 58 is a blowback operated semi-auto .380 ACP pistol with 4” barrel designed for EDC (everyday carry) and range use alike.

Taurus 58 video introduction

Taurus 58, a smart design (but a bit old one)

A 15-round capacity and a lightweight double/single action trigger, together with well-established ergonomics and a carry-friendly compact design, are pretty solid features fr a carry handgun, and the Taurus 58 ticks all the boxes. The lightweight aluminum frame also helps for all-day comfortable carry. The manual safety and decocker are ambidextrous and does not compromise the slim profile. The pistol comes with an alloy steel slide and in a classic black finish, but in case you need a more corrosion resistant option, a stainless steel version is also available.

The rear sight is drift-adjustable but the front sight is fixed, integrated to the slide: this is a questionable feature in a modern gun, just like the absence of an accessory rail – which is a must nowadays. Obviously, these are carry-overs from the original Beretta 84 design which is more than 40 year old, but one would have expected some improvement here, especially since the Taurus 58 is already a reiteration of an earlier Taurus model. Price of the revived Taurus 58 in the US is $604.99: still, not a great deal, especially if compared to other more modern designs.

Taurus 58 technical specifications and price