Spring tension saving (Taurus PT92/Beretta92): hammer on half cock safety notch or all way down?

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TheGuyOfSouthamerica:

I've never heard of a stainless (metal) finish applied to a carbon steel frame or alloy frame. Perhaps it's done, but I'm not sure what's to be gained from doing that. Gun makers do COLOR alloy frames to look something like stainless -- and in fact, that's what Beretta does with the Beretta 92 INOX models: it has an anodized alloy frame colored to look almost like the stainless slide.

The newest Taurus catalog shows a stainless model 92, and they call the finish STAINLESS. I've never heard of a STAINLESS finish -- as a "finish" is a coating or layer of something applied to a different material, and you don't generally coat one type of steel with another. Saying the gun has a stainless finish is confusing. I suspect the customer service rep you dealt with was new on the job, or just saying the things he's told to say.

Here's a picture I found on the 'net of what might be a stainless-framed Taurus:

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If your gun is like THAT model, and a magnet sticks to the metal frame, it's stainless steel, not aluminum alloy.

Note: while the term alloy is properly used to describe any mix of different materials of which at least one is metal, in the gun world, alloy is a term most frequently used to describe the materials used when making aluminum frames.
 
Walter sherill,

In that way I reasoned as well.
It was strange to me too, having an stainless finish since all I investigated the stainless is the material and not an "finish" in order the stainless steel does not Need any finish.

Magnet is sticking to MIM control parts, Barrel, Magazine and slide.
Magnet is NOT sticking to the Frame.
The gun you posted is the exact gun I have as you can find here:

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Taurus swears to me it is finish.
I figure carbon steel is cheaper to produce than ordnance grade real stainless steel. So they invented an "el cheapo" stainless paint.
The gun definatelly is not plated as far as I can tell although the very early PT 92 ones were nickel plated which was famous to peel off and the gun starts rusting (there is an post on TFL about that).

"stainless Finish" it says on their "stainless" Revolvers as well (on the box). The nickel plated Revolvers you spot very easy by it's glossy shiny appearance likely to the PT 92's Frame.
However I had once an Tracker 22 LR Revolver and the gun was supposed "stainless" but on the box it said "stainless finish". The gun had a bit Holster wear but never rusted.
I believe These PT 92 are fairly rust proof since all YouTube Videos just praise the gun. I Baby the guns anyways due to it's horrendous local Price.
 

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Maybe Taurus has developed a "stainless" finish -- just not a stainless steel finish.

Whatever it is, it's better looking that the Beretta INOX coated frame.

A carbon steel frame probably is cheaper to product, but the steel itself isn't likely to be that much less expensive. The tooling required to machine stainless steel is apparently more expensive, and the steel itself is harder to work. (Or at least that's what I've been told.)
 
I am fairly confident that the Taurus slide and barrel are actually stainless steel and the clerk you were talking to had no correct technical information. It is magnetic because it is a martensitic alloy, used to permit heat treatment.

The alternative is that what is commonly called a "stainless finish" that looks like stainless steel is either nickel or chromium plating over what we may hope is chrome molybdenum ordnance steel, not common carbon steel.

The receiver is "forged (aluminum) alloy." Aluminum is not magnetic. It may be anodized, plated, or coated, I cannot tell which in a picture.

Beretta INOX is not a finish, that is their trademark for "inoxidable" i.e. stainless steel.
 
ah gawd, I said I wouldn't post anymore.
But I do so for others benefit, I know TheGuyOfSouthameric won't listen to me on this.

Taurus has 2 model 92's.. the AF and the AFS
The "S" stands for stainless, that's the only difference.

Back in the day they use to make "AF" models in black and nickel (this is before they offered stainless) I think they discontinued the nickel in the late 80's? or was it late 90's? don't recall off top of my head as it's before my time but in either case they no longer make the AF in nickel.. the AF is black only now.

The AF model I have is from '88 and they used old school bluing back then, but It's changed to something else now just not sure exactly what.
Probably epoxy based, But maybe phosphate?

Now on to stainless.. As I said nickel is long discontinued and that was the AF model. the AFS model is as follows.

Slide: stainless (brushed)
Barrel: stainless (polished)

Frame: HIGHLY (mirror) polished aluminum and then "CLEAR" anodized
If they did not anodize the frame it would wear like butter with the steel slide going back and forth on it's aluminum rails.. there is no steel of any kind in the frame, it is solid aluminum alloy, do not know type.
It would also tarnish quickly.

Controls: Older AFS models had MACHINED stainless controls.
New production is Chrome plated MIM parts (do not know composite)
Not sure when this switch happen I suspect when they revised the design for a decocker or maybe the rail?
 
theguyfromsouthamerica said:
If it is really supposed to be stainless must it then not stick to the Metall?
Click to expand...

Do you have access to the internet?

For someone who claims to be intelligent and prides them self on attention to detail, you sure don't demonstrate either of those characteristics.

30 seconds on Google will give you more information on why many grades of stainless are magnetic than you can process in your lifetime.
 
I just happen to have an 0.5 liter canadian stainless steel beer mug to which an magnet does not stick at all.
Dont worry the mug never sees alcoholics and the strongest bewerage it ever saw is coffee.

Sixpack. Your detailed info, do you have that from Taurus or have you invented that. All info I got ever from Taurus is contradiction and the internet is guesswork at most as well.
 
TheGuyofSouthamerica said:
I just happen to have an 0.5 liter canadian stainless steel beer mug to which an magnet does not stick at all.
Click to expand...

Tht mug sounds like it was made of pewter, which is seen in many mugs (and which can look like stainless steel). Is it MARKED "stainless steel"?

And JoeSixpack's comments sounds correct. I've not seen highly anything that was described as "highly polished" aluminum, but that would -- I think -- look like at least one Beretta-like Taurus that a friend had. I had assumed it was stainless steel.

The model shown on the Taurus website isn't identified by an AF or AFS designation, but those two models could look much alike if the AF was a polished alumnum frame. To fully satisfy yourself, you might try contacting Taurus and give them your gun's serial number -- and they can give you a correct answer.
 
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I am closing this thread. The basic concept was flawed given any reasonable expertise and the use of gross vulgarity is not appreciated. Such posts do have consequences.
 
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