Taurus Quality: Objective Opinions...?

909

i own a taurus 909 in 9mm. bought it around 500 rounds fired and have fired nearly as much in about 6 months. never had any issue except one failure to fire when i used a crappy bullet. has been decently accurate at 15-25m and i've shot bulls at 10m and scored 7/10 on moving targets. the only downside is here we have to pay as much for a taurus semi-auto 9mm as you pay for a glock i.e. $600-800.
 
For those of you who have ACTUAL, recent experience with Taurus, what think ye?
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I've had first hand experience with 2 Taurus's.

One was an acquaintance's older medium frame .38 Spl revolver, I forget the model number but it was obviously their take-off on a S&W Model 10. This particular one was a 3" model, and was in very rough condition on the exterior. Mechanically, it wasn't too bad, with the exception that the cylinder gap was too tight. It would bind when hot and dirty. Otherwise, it was a serviceable revolver.

The other is my PT-92, which has been 100%. No problems that weren't ammo related, and those were because I was using some extra light handloads that didn't quite stroke the action enough to engage the slide latch at the end of the magazine.
 
PT1911

I have PT1911 in stainless and have had no problems with FMJ ammo over the last couple of years and several hundred rounds. It is probably not even worth mentioning, but with JHP ammo the gun will sometimes "hitch" or "hang" when chambering the first round of a magazine. When this happens I pull a couple of times on the slide and it chambers fine with no failures to feed afterwards. I do CCW this weapon sometimes, particularly in the winter, and after reading back and forth on the subject I carry with FMJ anyway- once my supply of JHP is used up I probably won't buy anymore.

I do like this pistol a lot and friends that have shot it seem to like it too. The first hundred rounds or so were all about me getting used to the whole 1911 platform- my first. Once I got past that, my shooting with it has seemed to improve steadly. The gun is more accurate than me I think. I should note that I have never shot it with the stock grips. Before I ever fired a round I replaced factory grips with rosewood and rubber Pacmeyers. Very comfortable and nice looking too. Matching numbers on barrel, slide and frame is kind of cool.
 
No more Taurus guns for me, my Model 83 was a total disaster. About the only thing it didn't do was blow up. Finish was fine, function was the problem. Went to FL twice, and amazingly, the defective barrel that anyone could see was totally invisible to the techs who were supposedly working on it. They even said on a tag, "Customer says barrel is defective- found nothing wrong, barrel is normal!" When a barrel leads so badly that you have to chisel hunks of lead out of it after 12 shots, something is wrong with it! The rifling was so rough that it tore up patches pulled through it. Not to mention it seemed to stop partway down the barrel too.

I do like my friend's new 809 though. The first polymer gun I ever have liked, but I would be really nervous buying it, just because of my own, and other people's tales of woe dealing with Taurus guns, so I'll pass, unless he wants to sell it to me, I know that one works perfectly.
 
I have a PT101 I have owned for 2 years.

Probaly 700+ rds of anything I could find on sale, of 155gr to 180gr.

Not a single hiccup and shoots fairly accurate.

I can't complain.

Looks exactly like a Beretta. Many parts interchange. Beretta finish is better and sights a little crisper otherwise they shoot the same.
 
I don't have a personal reference to a Taurus because i just believe there is an overwhelming majority of people that have, and their experiences are good enough for me. I do know some people that have had them and the opinions were mixed at best which in my humble opinion when you are talking about handguns is to stay away unless you are an avid gambler and love to roll the dice.


I don't think most of these posts are haters because most list the gun,model and problems. These are fact. If it was one person here and there then maybe you have an argument but when the overwhelming majority say "Problem" then stay away.


I read one of these posts that mentioned holding 55,000 psi but the only Taurus that would be capable of this would be either a Raging Bull or Raging Judge that is chambered for 454 Casull. I would never trust Taurus manufacturing for this caliber and by the way i have read that the Judge may very well be the most inaccurate, useless, novelty gun possibly ever made and i have heard it refered to as a good snake gun at best.


The moral of the story here is in a revolver think Smith or Ruger. Everyone at some point has had some issues but overall Smith and Ruger are minimal and their history is rock solid. I am not a semi auto man so i can't accuratly comment on those. All i know is you shouldn't be one of the people that ends up having regrets when it comes to your firearm purchase. Good Luck.
 
I tend to buy very few and mainly because they are interesting, such as their little 5 shot .45 ACP revolvers. I bought the SS Tracker and then they had a similar gun in Totally Titanium.

Out of curiosity I bought one of the PT1911s when they first came out for about $500. I usually buy "off the rack" and examine the gun in question. Maybe that is why I haven't had any disasters with Taurus yet. The PT1911 I bought was pretty well put together, but others I looked at about the same time had loose ambi safeties and other issues.

These guns are more range toys so I don't shoot them that much. I have a little over 2K rounds through the PT1911 for instance.

So all in all I have sort of a neutral opinion towards Taurus, like you get what you pay for I guess.
 
After I retired as a LEO, I went to work for Wackenhut Security for a short
while; thinking they were a "top rate" security company, that issued its
troops with good equipment. Boy, was I WRONG in that assumption; as
they issued me a six-shot, 4" barrel Taurus model 82 with 'bout a 25 lb.
double-action trigger pull. And to top if off, they expected me to qualify
with this POS handgun. I did, but I shot the lowest score that I have
ever acheived in qualification; a mere 82.

The next day, I returned the firearm with their six 158 grain round nose
lead bullets; and politely told them "NO THANK YOU" for the opportunity
to serve with their company, as I could not trust my life [or the lives of
other"s] too such a POS. I have never looked back, and chalked it up to
EXPERIENCE~! :rolleyes: :eek:
 
I've got the PT140 Millenium (not pro). I'm not thrilled with the trigger or accuracy. BUT, I got this gun based on empty weight, cartridge capacity, and of course price. All these Millenium models win in these categories, usually at any price. Get to know your weapon and you'll know if you can count on it to defend your life with. I'd say mine is a resounding YES. This thing will be plenty accurate if I am defending my home from within. I also use this for night time CCW carry outside the house. It sure fits nice in the front waistband. Besides, God forbid, you ever have to use it, you'll surely have to hand it over to law enforcement while the investigation continues indefinitely. You don't really want to hand over your prized weapon you inherited from Grandad, or a $1,000-$2,000 custom gun do ya? Taurus may not be the best guns out there, but you can certainly depend on them to defend your life.
 
I have a Taurus Judge and have not had a problem with it... that said I still don't think I will buy another Taurus, The gun is more or some thing I bought because its fun to shoot.
 
taurus

no issue with my pt140 thus far.. have had it a while..
i am not sure what these guys are talking about...
mabye revolvers... but the trigger on my pt140 is very light..
very nice.. i can hit a softball from 50 yards with it..
have not tried anything beyond that or smaller...

I love my gun..
 
Old thread but revived so here's my take.

I've got a Taurus 22 caliber nine shot revolver and a 38 special ultralite revolver. Havn't had any problems with the 38 but the 22 caliber gun will not allow spent rounds to be ejected after shooting only a couple cylinders full. To get them out you have to bang on the ejection rod with a small hammer. That's not my idea of a well made gun.

I bought the two guns because they were less expensive than comparable Smith and Wessons. Guess you could say I learned my lesson. Real quality is worth the additional money you have to spend to get it. There will be no additional Taurus products of any kind for me.

If a person doesn't know any better they can be excused. But if you know better and still buy any inferior product you have no one to blame but yourself.
 
I'm not going to wade through all these posts to see if its been covered but there is no such thing as an "objective opinion", that's an oxymoron.
 
The mid-1980's seemed to be a time for "new" firearm makers. I saw my first Glock, and my first Taurus while working in a gunshop around that time.

Rob (the owner of the shop), Gary, Van, and I compared the "new" Taurus revolvers side by side with Smith & Wessons. All agreed that Taurus was obviouusly mimicing S&W, but all also agreed that the Taurus was inferior in materials and workmanship. This was in a time when one could buy a Llama 1911 for about $150-$175.00 NIB. Don't hear much about those any more, either, so they must not have lasted very long. I don't even see them used very often any more.

In a somewhat strange turn of events, I ended up with one of those early Taurus revolvers chambered in .357 mag, and it's (lack of) longevity reinforced our findings during that early comparison.

I've not looked too seriously at a Taurus firearm since...until a few months ago. I was considering a DA .22 revolver, and looked at several. The gunshop I was at had a Taurus 92/94 (?), one chambered in .22 LR, and the other in .22 mag.

On inspection of them, they appeared "solid". They appeared fairly heavily built for a rimfire revolver, and I sorta liked the look, heft and feel of them. They passed on that issue, but...

The action was VERY stiff on both, and the hammer was seriously hard to cock for SA shooting. I have strong hands, but I almost couldn't pull the DA trigger. If my past experience is still valid, I have no doubt that would loosen up pretty quickly, but IMO it was way too stiff for practical use. It failed in that regard.

From the look of the current one's I inspected, the fit and finish has improved a bit since the early days. From reports from disappointed Taurus owners, I think a person is taking a chance buying one. $400 NIB sounds great, but for another $100-$150.00 a person can get a very dependable, accuirate firearms. When it comes to defending yourself and/or your loved ones, is it really worth the percieved "savings"?

It's not for me. The saved frustrations alone are worth the extra expense for me.

Daryl
 
My father owned a Taurus M66 revolver in .357 Magnum. The only issue he ever had was the ejector rod backing out once (an issue I've also had with S&W's). Once properly tightened, the ejector rod nor any other part of the revolver ever gave any more problems. That gun was sold in order to finance a Ruger SP101 which fit his needs better.
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Hi,
I have only had one Taurus Revolver. A Tracker 627. After fifty rounds I sent the revolver back to Taurus because the casings were sticking so bad I had to take them out with a screwdriver.:eek: I had a gunsmith look at the revolver and he told me "that is the worse finish inside the cylinder bores he has seen in a long time".:( Bottom line, I waited close to two months before Taurus shipped the gun back. And the result was the same thing. Taurus did not fix the problem. They said they polished the cylinder bores and said everything is OK.:mad: I traded the revolver for a Smith.:) The only revolver that has a fairly good reputation is the M66. Every one that I have seen has got a great action and is reliable. I have not found anybody that has had a problem with the M66.
I think with Taurus it is a crap shoot. Either you get a good one or not. The problem is if a person gets a bad one good luck getting the gun fixed. :(You would be better off having a gunsmith fix the problem. My question is, why would anybody buy a gun knowing that if a repair is needed its unlikely that the company that made gun can fix it.:confused: I don't think its worth the hassle and frustration.
 
SWAT magazine - our sponsor - had a story by Tom Givens on the Judge as a SD gun. I know Tom well and he is quite the expert. He was not impressed and saw no advantage over a standard handgun. He pointed out quite a few problems in for an HD gun.
 
For those of you who have ACTUAL, recent experience with Taurus, what think ye?
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A simple search would have yielded many pages of results...
Executive Summary:
Yes, a large numer of Taurus owners are still experiencing difficulties sufficient to return the handgun (one or more times).
A recent poll had it at about 37%.

Ahhh, here it is...
http://thefiringline.com/forums/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=3741

That's more than enough for me.
 
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HAD a 970 tracker in 22. The first 15 rounds were great. Couldnt get through a box of 50 without the cylinder binding most of the time, it shaved lead like crazy!! I traded that back to the dealer at a good loss, but I will never buy a taurus again....

-George
 
Since Taurus bought Beretta's factory spent $20,000,000 on upgrading CNC equipment, kept almost all the Beretta engineers, smiths and assemblers.I am mildly amused at the number of haters that crawl out of the woodwork when Taurus is mentioned. I have one a 24/7 Pro Ds, has been perfect once it was cleaned three times.Prior to the 700 series most of the problems were caused by uncleaned guns, and poor 45acp magazines The 700 series initially was plagued with extraction problems, it has since been redesigned and repairs are made in Miami with 7-10 day turnaround.Taurus sold 600,000 handguns in 2009, only about half went to the US.12,000 guns were returned for repair. Half of those only needed cleaning.That's 2% If you join the Taurus Armed site you can see the Taurus complaints forum, visiable only to members.I tracked one hater to ten different sites using ten different user names, but copying and pasting his complaints.Had to be the ultimate troll!I hit the archives and found his original post, the gun in question was a Judge and belonged to the father of a friend of his.There were several Judges that had the barrel over torqued causing it to shear off at the frame.Ruger had a similar problem but it involved several hundred revolvers.They found out these were Monday morning revolvers who had sat with lube applied on Friday afternoon and drying out over the weekend.For my money, Ruger makes the best revolvers bar none.
 
I am mildly amused at the number of haters that crawl out of the woodwork when Taurus is mentioned.
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As nearly as I can tell, the majority of folks posting negatively about Taurus on this thread are Taurus owners who have had problems with their guns and often with customer service as well. That doesn't make them haters, it makes them disgruntled customers.

The immediate jump to "label" people is getting tiresome.

A person isn't automatically a hater or a troll because they have something negative to say about a gun/brand.

A person isn't automatically a fanboy or a koolaid drinker because they have something positive to say about a gun/brand.

A person's arguments stand or fall on their own merits. Attacking/labelling/pigeon-holing a person in an attempt to discount/dismiss that person's arguments is called ad hominem and it is a very common form of logical fallacy.
Since Taurus bought Beretta's factory spent $20,000,000 on upgrading CNC equipment, kept almost all the Beretta engineers, smiths and assemblers.
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The purchase happened 3 decades ago. I've never owned a Taurus product so I will NOT comment from personal experience on their quality and I do not intend this to be a commentary on Taurus quality.

I will, however comment on the merits of your argument.

The fact that Beretta once owned that equipment/factory and employed some folks that may still work for Taurus is absolutely NO indication that the current quality is still the same as it was under Beretta management.

We've seen companies like S&W turn a corner virtually overnight, showing either degradation or improvements in product quality over a period of just a few years, if not months, based on high-level management decisions. The assertion that something that happened 30 years ago to Taurus somehow insures or even implies that quality today is still at the same level it was back then is totally bankrupt from a logical perspective.
Half of those only needed cleaning.
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That is an irrelevant statistic for the simple reason that we can read on this thread and on many others about Taurus owners who sent in a malfunctioning gun and received it back in the same condition. Those guns, in Taurus' assessment needed only cleaning. That's why they didn't do anything other than clean them and send them back, still in non-working condition.

It's not really kosher to use published statistics from a company to prove it's doing a good job. How many companies out there publish statistics like: "Percentage of returned handguns that are returned to the owner still in malfunctioning condition"? Clearly NO company does that. It would be tantamount to commercial suicide. Companies publish statistics to make themselves look good, not to prove that they have product quality issues and/or that their customer service isn't working properly.
I tracked one hater to ten different sites using ten different user names, but copying and pasting his complaints.Had to be the ultimate troll!
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The fact that there are SOME trolls (which we all know is true) does not even so much as suggest that everyone with something negative to say is a troll.

It's a given that some people are making things up--both positive and negative--but trying to imply that anyone who doesn't share your point of view has a harmful or deceptive agenda doesn't help things at all.
 
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