Taurus Arms questions

[revs]

Ok, I am looking at a couple Taurus pistols. I was curious as to what you guys think off Taurus in general. Apparently the local gun shops aren't fond of them for some reason. I have read a few of the posts about them here on the forum, but want some more opinions on the quality of their pistols.

If you are curious, I am looking at a TCP for carrying when it is warmer-Utah summers get hot, a 1911 because I want one and the Sprignfields are a bit out of my price range at the moment, and possibly a .38 revolver just to rotate around with the Glock 19 I currently have. Besides, everyone should have a revolver, right? :)

Thanks all.

[Detox]

Personally I do not have any experience with Taurus. So if you choose to discredit this post feel free
I have had numerous people tell me after using a Taurus their experience was negative. Ranging from feel to actual mechanical problems.
Like I said I've had no experience with the brand but if I had to spend my money I'd most likely spend it elsewhere. S&W makes a great revolver and I'd first look there but if I were you I'd shoot a Taurus to see how it felt/performed. After all it's all up to you and how it feels/performs in YOUR hands. There is nothing wrong with Taurus and I've yet to shoot one. Coming from a Ruger LCP that I EDC I wouldn't mind shooting a nice revolver just for a change of pace.

[Rob72]

and possibly a .38 revolver just to rotate around with the Glock 19 I currently have. Besides, everyone should have a revolver, right? :)

Thanks all.

Not being a smart alek, but why? I've carried 19s for many years, and never had a real reason to carry something smaller- unless I was at the beach and swimming.

To directly address Taurus: I have a PT-22, and am very pleased with it. I also went through, and did some detail work on it. Taurus is very much hit or miss, if you recognize that you may have to do some work and/or return the gun to have one that works, they may be worth the gamble. Their older (1990s) revos can be very nice.

If that isn't what you want/are willing to do, shop around for a used Airweight, or if you just want a revo, and don't care about weight, a SP101.

[preacher]

Probably the mentality of the local shops is from way back when a Taurus was not very high quality.

However, those days are Looong behind them. Taurus makes a fine product and my EDC is a PT145.

I have limited experience with their revolvers but will say this, my LEO brother carries a Taurus 850 CIA as his backup. So if it is good enough for the police to trust their life with, I think that speaks very loudly. And if I were in the market for a revolver, Taurus would be in my top 5 for consideration just based on my trust of their product.

[revs]

Not being a smart alek, but why? I've carried 19s for many years, and never had a real reason to carry something smaller- unless I was at the beach and swimming.

To directly address Taurus: I have a PT-22, and am very pleased with it. I also went through, and did some detail work on it. Taurus is very much hit or miss, if you recognize that you may have to do some work and/or return the gun to have one that works, they may be worth the gamble. Their older (1990s) revos can be very nice.

If that isn't what you want/are willing to do, shop around for a used Airweight, or if you just want a revo, and don't care about weight, a SP101.

Why? Because I grew up around revolvers and like the feel of them. But, I love my Glock. And, if I am out of town for work and the wife wants something a bit more portable than the 870 she can grab whatever she is most comfortable with. I usually take the G19 with me when I go and personally would feel safer with a revolver for her to keep around the house. I will definitely take her out and let her shoot any of them she wants. That way she can use what she feels most comfortable with. If she likes the G19, then I carry the revolver or TCP.

How detailed of work? Polishing internals? Or more detailed? I have a family member that is a part time gunsmith, so getting work done wouldn't be too hard. Polishing I can do.

[Spydermonkey]

I'm not a fan of Taurus. I bought a 9mm 24/7 Pro for the gf about 2yrs ago. The plastic dust caps, as Taurus calls them, on the back of the slide would constantly fall off when she was shooting it and they had to be replaced several times since they'd disappear after going into orbit. The trigger was the worst part (at least that didn't fall off the gun while it was being shot) and caused her to sell it. After arguing w/ Taurus CS to get the parts and then losing the 2nd replacement I gave up. She has a G19 now and all is well.

We may have just ended up with a lemon but it was enough to convince me not to buy another gun from them. YMMV

[hovaczech]

I have a PT92S and have had no problems and I spend alot of time at the range. Trigger action is not great but I haven't (and probably won't) put any money into trigger work. The only thing I do not like is the arc (or lack there of) the shells take during ejection. I have ended up with several hot empties on my arm and melon. Not pleasant. Other then that, I pull the trigger it goes boom.

I think they are a fine gun if you are willing to understand you are not buying a high end piece. Kind of like its name it is the Ford Taurus of guns. Not as nice as a BMW but will get you whee you need to go.

[Bullzaye]

Probably the mentality of the local shops is from way back when a Taurus was not very high quality.

However, those days are Looong behind them. Taurus makes a fine product and my EDC is a PT145.

Hmmm...with all due respect, I am of the opposite opinion. Taurus used to make a very high quality handgun, back in the day (as mentioned before, 1990s and earlier), when they were still trying to establish themselves in the U.S. market. While their guns are not junk, they do seem to be more "hit-and-miss" than in the past.

I have limited experience with their revolvers but will say this, my LEO brother carries a Taurus 850 CIA as his backup. So if it is good enough for the police to trust their life with, I think that speaks very loudly.

A very good friend of mine purchased the exact same gun for his wife to CCW, and he had a problem with it. When pulling the trigger very rapidly, it would occasionally "lock up", wherein the trigger would not pull through and the gun would not fire. He sent it back to Taurus for warranty repair, and they claimed it was fine. When he got it back, it still did the same thing. I witnessed the problem, it was real, and it was there. His only recourse was to sell it, and he advised the buyer of the problem, so of course he lost money on it.

And if I were in the market for a revolver, Taurus would be in my top 5 for consideration just based on my trust of their product.

You say that Taurus would be in your top 5 choice of revolver? Perhaps you intended that to be complimentary to Taurus...but when I think about it...what are your choices? I mean, for me it's: 1) S&W (pre-lock), 2) Dan Wesson (not sure about their current line, but their older guns were excellent), 3) Ruger, 4) Colt. So for the number 5 slot, the only other manufacturers I can think of are Taurus/Rossi, Korth (which would actually be my #1 choice...if I were wealthy. Since I'm not, I excluded them), and Charter Arms/Charco/whatever they are called today. So, excluding Charter Arms, which I'd never own, and Korth, which I'll never be able to afford...I guess Taurus makes my top 5 choices for revolvers too...since I only have 5 choices! I've also excluded Uberti and others who build single actions, mostly Colt SAA clones, since I'm thinking of mostly DA defensive revolvers.

Preacher...I'm sorry if it seems I'm picking on you, that's not my intention. It just happened that you mentioned Taurus' past quality, and that you mentioned the Taurus 850 CIA specifically, and I had opinions on both of those. And I just noticed the "top 5" comment, and it got me to thinking.

As for my experiences with Taurus, aside from what I've already mentioned...I have several friends who've owned their semi-autos, and none of them were thrilled with them. They've since sold them...and say they don't picture themselves ever buying another Taurus. As for me...I've only owned one Taurus. It was a model 669, .357 with a 4 in. bbl. I bought it brand new for $189 back in 1991. I never had a single problem with it, it shot great, and was quite accurate. I finally decided to sell it when I decided I had more .357s than I needed, and someone offered me $325 for it.

So...I don't see myself ever owning a Taurus semi-auto (unless Taurus improves their line), but I might purchase a Taurus revolver some day, if it was built in the early 90's or earlier, or if I were buying it purely as a "range" gun, and I didn't intend to trust my life with it.

Tim

[DonShock]

I've had a PT-99 for the last 20 years. I've temporarily owned a lot of other handguns and rifles. But eventually, the enjoyment fades and they get sold off again. The Taurus is the only one that's stood the test of time.

[jsmith008]

I have heard good things about them for the most part. Heard the 24/7 is good, and have heard the Judge is well made also. They have started making most if not all of their guns in the US. There new catalogue is awesome. They have taken the Judge to its full extent. Totally cool.