What do you think of Taurus these days?

[8th SPS USAF]

This was years ago, but a friend bought their DAO 25acp. The slide kept sliding off. I told him to send it back ,but he did not. Then he bought their LT Wt 38 snub. Out of the box the trigger would stick to the rear. IMO they are junk.

 

[TopDog]

I don't know if I would roll the dice on a Taurus. Even if you get a good one you still have to deal with the Taurus tarnished reputation. And that translates into whatever Taurus you buy will not hold its resell value as well as other major manufacturers. Also consider just about every gun manufacturer has come up with a economy model. Even Walther now has the PPX which is getting really good reviews and should be able to be had for around $400. Like I have said, I personally have had good luck with Taurus but I also am well aware that Taurus has a bad reputation for a reason. Before I bought one I would at least go to a couple of LGS's and ask them if the repair rate on Taurus is still as bad as it used to be.

 

[45fan]

My wife has two, one a used PT-92 AFS, the other a Tracker 44 that was purchased new. The 92 has been nothing but excelent, never giving the first bit of issue to either of us, and the only things that I have replaces has been the grips and recoil spring (I replace the recoil springs on any used gun that I buy as a added security towards reliability)

The Tracker, for what it is, hasnt been bad, but I wouldt want one for myself. The fit and finish was probably the worst I have seen on any revolver, save a cheep BP knock off. I spent a few hours just cleaning up casting lines, and removing "extra" metal that was left in an effort to save production time. It is VERY obvious that it is a budget piece, not intended to do much more than go "bang" when the trigger is pulled. Accuracy leave a good bit to be desired as well, feeding it anything close to standard .44 mag loads, and it begins to pattern rather than group. It does shoot 44 special very well, but if its chambered as a Magnum, in my mind it should be able to handle it. I did have to replace the grip on it as well, as the factory grips were about like trying to get a firm grip on a stress ball. The Houge grips made a world of difference in comfort, and accuracy, but it still will not shoot a regular 240gr Mag load with any accuracy to speak of.

For 1/3 the price of a Smith mountain gun, or M29, I suppose it isnt a bad deal, but I will emphasize that when buying a Taurus, you tend to get what you pay for...

 

[ThisIsMyBOOMStick]

and you can't forget their excellent warranty and customer service.

Have you ever had to send your guns in for service? I'm seeing down below that some see their customer service as hit or miss.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I am going with the OP: What do you think of Taurus now? Is it hit or miss? I own the Millennium G2 and it fires nice and nicely put together. Another, who is very experienced and fired my pistol, liked the feel and thought the gun overall was a nice piece. For today's Taurus, I think that my gun has a nice fit and finish and no issues at this point. I would buy another Taurus and I am looking for a .380. One could just as easily replace Taurus with Ford, GM, or Chrysler. It seems like a lot of INGO members are very brand loyal and not as kind to other brands. Are the members here this brand loyal with their automobiles?

Let's see. Ford, Dodge, Chevy,Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Pontiac, Jeep, Probably have forgotten one or two so to answer your question, NO.

 

[ThisIsMyBOOMStick]

I see a lot of people recommending I look into other Manufacturers. I'm most drawn to the Taurus PT709 because of it's ergonomics and conceal-ability. What other subcompacts would you recommend?

 

[TopDog]

I see a lot of people recommending I look into other Manufacturers. I'm most drawn to the Taurus PT709 because of it's ergonomics and conceal-ability. What other subcompacts would you recommend?

All 9mm pocket guns I would and some I do own.

Ruger LCP
Walther PPS (a little expensive but really high quality, great trigger)
S&W shield
Springfield XDs
Beretta Nano
Keltec PF9 (probably the least expensive, but still a quality gun)
Kahr CM9 and less expensive CW9
Glock 26 a classic, tried and true reliability.
Walther P99c AS, I can say one of my favorites, a compact gun with a large slide but I use it as a pocket gun. Fits in the back pocket of my jeans. Has a fantastic trigger (good triggers are common on Walthers). Some of these may seem expensive but buy used and they are all affordable.

Now a couple of really expensive ones SIG/Sauer P290, Kimber Solo

 

[warthog]

I simply cannot recommend a Taurus because of their customer service and the absolute need that you will have of it one day. They are the worst and once you send them your firearm you may even need to involve the BATFE to get them to return the firearm to you. I know I had to do this twice, once for me and once while I was a smith returning a gun for a client. I once thought their revolvers were OK but then they came out with the Judge lie of trash and that took care of that. I had to send that revolver back to them three times until I was finally so disgusted with them sending me a gun that had that one problem fixed and two new problems arise that I MADE Taurus send me a check for the POS so I could buy something else.

I hate Taurus.

 

[Silverslider]

i have not had any problems with my Taurus. I have a model 85 ultra lite and a millenium pro. I guess my only issue with the Taurus brand is they do not hold their value like Smith, Colt, or Ruger. If i am in the market for a Taurus I always buy used and save alot over new

 

[ThisIsMyBOOMStick]

Thank you!
I've moved down from Michigan and know a few places up there where I could pay a rental fee, buy a couple boxes of ammo and they'd let me figure out what I liked best. Do you know of any local ranges like that you would recommend?

I'd still like to try shooting the Taurus but think I should give the other guns a chance too.

 

[TopDog]

Thank you!
I've moved down from Michigan and know a few places up there where I could pay a rental fee, buy a couple boxes of ammo and they'd let me figure out what I liked best. Do you know of any local ranges like that you would recommend?

I'd still like to try shooting the Taurus but think I should give the other guns a chance too.

I have mostly shot at Indy Trading Post they have rentals. I have also shot at Beech Grove Firearms but I don't know if they have rentals or not.

 

[kawtech87]

Taurus is a second rate budget blaster.

You would be better off buying a used Glock than a new Taurus. For the money the Ruger SR series is a better bet for a budget gun.

JMHO based on personal experience with both their products and multiple returns to their "gunsmith" for "repair". Their customer service was at least helpful but a far cry from Ruger or Springfield Armory.

 

[dmarsh8]

I've owned an 85 Ultralite. No issues but not something I kept. 85 protector poly I looked at
first had plastic flashing sticking up on it and the cylinder release sucked compared to the
steel 85.LCR is way better.
I've shot a couple of other peoples smaller taurus semi's, I think both 9mm but they were just horrible
to shoot. Feel, sights, trigger, failure to feed.
No way I would waste my time. I know there are plenty out there that work fine but I'll pass.

 

[richardraw316]

I have had many Taurus firearms. I sent one in for customer service got it back fully repaired in less than five days. Wonderful customer service. I would not hesitate to buy another one. But I can recognize that they are not high end guns and that's ok. I am a firm believer in cheap tools as long as they work then the rest is not as important.

 

[IndyBeerman]

I see a lot of people recommending I look into other Manufacturers. I'm most drawn to the Taurus PT709 because of it's ergonomics and conceal-ability. What other subcompacts would you recommend?

The 709 is a great firearm, there was a problem on the Gen1's that had an extractor problem, but that was fixed quickly.

On the Taurus reliability issue, I have owned 6 Taurus and currently own 4..
The two I used to own was the PT-92 and PT-1911.
I have these current models
PT-940
PT-809
PT-845
PT-709

Not a single blip from any of them, the 940 is my oldest @ 14 years and has over 5000 rounds through it
and it is my nightstand firearm.

The 809 is my usual EDC and it's well over 8500 rounds, with 800 rounds being shot @ INGO's first PW meet and firearm
instruction given by INGO's very own HandK, and that day it was 99-100 degree's with a heat index of 119
and threw everything down range I fed to it.

The 709 I bought used off of a fellow INGO member and I carry it when I'm not carrying the 809, it's a gen 2 model
that I bought pearce grip extensions for it that helps out by being able to wrap the pinkie around also for stubby meat
hooks. Over 2000 rounds through it, and taught Mrs. IBM to shoot using it.

My 845 is the least shot Taurus, about 500 down the pipe, don't shoot it as much because .45 is not cheap, but bought it
because I wanted to carry more rounds than my old PT-1911. The 1911 I got used from INGO member in trade for my
PT-92. Traded the 92 because I bought the 809 with 17+1 capacity because the 92 was just to big and bulky to carry.

One thing to remember, EVERY firearm manufacture has lemons, the problem is most won't admit that their high priced
Glock, Sig, S&W, H&K's and others have failed.

One of the biggest issues with the Taurus lore is this, there are ton's of people out there the say they are junk, but have
never shot or even held one, they just repeat and rinse the same thing that they hear.

Those Tauri are junk, I know for a fact because I heard it from my neighbor's baby sitter's third cousin twice removed, who heard it from his mailman's ex wife's 5th husband who's uncle knew a guy that heard it from a butcher who talked to a man who knew a truck driver that heard it on the CB from some guy that was rattling on about some lot lizard who over heard some greasy spoon cashier quoting her plumber that heard it from some guy on a gun forum who had never shot one, but seen a post about it from a guy who heard it from another guy.

I personally met a INGO member who's name I will not reveal who swore up and down his Taurus was junk, I met with him and took a look at his Taurus @ a range with him. Watched him shoot 1 mag, besides the obvious limp wristing on the stove pipes, I came to find out he took it out of the box, never cleaned it and proceed to fire it. But he swore it was a bad Taurus, I cleaned and lubed it, fired 100 rounds through it without a hic cup and handed it back to him. Problem solved.

He still own's that Taurus and has bought 2 more with no problems.

BTW, here's my 709 with the grip extensions and a Houge Jr grip sleeve.

 

[Bapak2ja]

I have the TCP .380, the 709, and the 24/7 gen 1.

Bought the 709 from another INGOer who did not tell me about problems with it. I believed him when he said it was GTG. First time I used it the rear sight fell off and I had repeated FTE. Taurus covered the entire cost of sending it in for service, held for about two weeks, sent it back in absolutely perfect condition. I now have about 750 perfect rounds through it. It is part of my EDC rotation.

I bought the 24/7 from another INGOer. It has worked first time, every time for over 1,000 rounds. Most accurate weapon I own.

These two weapons were so good that I sold my Glock 26. I got enough back from the sale of the Glock to cover all my expenses on purchasing the Tauri. Two Tauri for the price of one Glock.

My son purchased a Taurus Model 1911FS off an INGOer. It has world perfectly for him for at least 500 rounds. Accurate and dependable.

On the other hand, my son purchased a Ruger LCP in .380. He wanted a small piece he could carry while running, working out to get in shape for USMC OCS. The Ruger was junk. Would not work. Ruger declined to do anything to help him. He sold it at a loss and bought a series B Taurus TCP in .380. Just like the Ruger, it had FTF and FTE problems. Son sent it back to Taurus for service under the warranty. It came back with new parts. The FTF was corrected, but it now had FTFire problems. Taurus covered all his costs, but it still did not work. He was ready to leave for OCS and did not have time to argue with Taurus about it, so I bought it form him.

I raised the FTF issue on INGO. An INGOer advised me on how to solve the problem and improve the trigger. I thought I had noting to loose, so I let the guy work on it. It took him two tries and some serious gunsmithing, but he finally got it running perfectly. It is my carry piece when I am running, working int he yard, or doing anything that will work up a sweat. The pouch that comes with it is great for those types of activities as long as I have a solid belt. It does not bounce around while I run, and it stays sweat-free. It is reliable and accurate, at 5-7 meters. I would not trust its accuracy at greater distances, though. Of course, I would not trust an LCR or Kel-Tec P3AT .380 at greater distances either.

After completing OCS and being commissioned as a 2ndLt USMC (scored Expert with both pistol and rifle), my son finally found a weapon suitable for carrying when he does his road work—a Taurus 740 Slim. Identical with the Taurus 709 Slim except for the larger caliber. So far (~500 rounds), it has been 100% reliable. It fits in his CC shirt without problems, stays out of the way when he runs or bikes, and the SS version handles the sweat without difficulty; of course, he cleans it up after each outing.

Taurus is not perfect, but neither is Ruger or Glock. Nither Ruger or Glock would assist us when we had troubles with their units. Taurus assisted us at their cost. I decided not to send the TCP back to Taurus a second time because I found an INGOer who could manage the problem. If I had it to do over, I would stay with the Taurus warranty and not ask the INGOer to work on it. The INGOer is a fine gentleman, and he did fix my problem with the TCP; however, the TCP is now out of warranty because of the work done by the INGOer. If there are any further problems with the TCP, Taurus will not handle it. Neither will the INGOer. Re-selling the TCP will be a challenge, too, since it is out of warranty.

Our Bottom Line: My son and I trust Taurus, both its products and its warranty.

 

[247survivalmindset]

Have you ever had to send your guns in for service? I'm seeing down below that some see their customer service as hit or miss.

I have talked to them on the phone several times, and they are fantastic to deal with.

I do have to say, you should not expect them to hold a value. Also, the magazines are crazy expensive. Otherwise I like mine.

 

[WestSider]

It's not like I have deliberately avoided Taurus or dislike them, I just find that it just about every pistol category there is something better more a little bit more money.

 

[d.kaufman]

Got a snubby 905 (9mm revolver) shoots great with no issues. Probably fired 5-600 rounds thru her with just about every concievable ammo and not one problem. Only drawback is the moonclips...they wear out and im having a hard time finding them local

 

[RLC]

Bought the Pt 92 in the early 90s never had an issue. 1000+ ? Rounds. Still solid. No rattles no issues. Added Custom grips and 21 rounds mags. Also just picked up an ultralite 85 ... I shot several Judges and they seem fine. I can't speak to the other models...