Taurus Quality: Objective Opinions...?

[Tom Servo]

I also spoke to the president of Taurus once and he was a complete tool.

He was nice enough to me when I met him, but when I brought up the quality-control problems I'd seen at that point, he only claimed that there had been a renewed commitment to quality.

That was three years ago. In the meantime, I have seen no improvement in the failure rate on new guns.

[HoraceHogsnort]

"Objective opinion" is a non-sequitur.

[madmag]

I have owned one Taurus, a PT945. It was very good for relibility but lousy for accuracy.

My "objective opinion": After spending years of reading about and shooting mine and other Taurus hand guns, and after careful sorting out of the Taurus bashers, I have come to the conclusion that Taurus is hit and miss for quality control. I have also concluded that their CS is lacking compared to others. And I don't think this this is due to the lower cost of Taurus firearms, least I would then have to complain about my several Ruger's.

At this point I am not looking to purchase another Taurus pistol.

[mordis]

My first auto pistol was a taurus pt945. I loved that gun, had all the features i wanted in a pistol. I was forced to trade it when the magazines that came with the gun had massive problems. Every time i would fire a string of rounds, the base plate on the magazine would fall out. Being young and dumb, i got ****** and sold it. I wish i hadnt, becuase had i just purchased new mags i would still have that nice shooter today. The gun never malfunctioned, but the mags were horrid, And i could not ever find them in my area.

I may buy another pt945 sooner or later seeing as i miss it.

[madmag]

Originally Posted by mordis

Every time i would fire a string of rounds, the base plate on the magazine would fall out.

They solved that issue with a cross pin in later mag's.

I agree the PT was great for size and features. Light frame, 4.25" barrel, firing pine block, DE-cocker, carry locked and cocked if you wanted, etc.

[PT-92]

I have three:

PT-92
24/7 OSS Tactical
PT-25

-3k+ rounds PT-92 no problems
-24/7 is new but fine so far with 500 rounds down range (big full-size gun)
-PT25 is no target shooter but a great BUG (only 300 rounds but it goes bang every time).

Never had a Taurus revolver so I can't subjectively comment but I am happy to report I have had no problems with my Taurus' or any other of my guns (long or short) so I have been quite fortunate.

Oddly enough, I was concerned when I purchased my Kel-Tec stuff (P-11 and Sub-2000 because I heard similar concerns expressed but they have been great as well).

-Cheers

[bdb benzino]

I had an old single stack 9mm in my early 20's, I think it was a PT908. Pretty gun, but it would FTE 1 out of 50 rounds and I dont keep unreliable pistols so by by!
In the last two years I have had 2 revolvers, a M905 5 shot 9mm snub and a M605 5shot 357mag snub. Still have the 9mm. Both revolvers have good triggers and tight lock up( the 905 especially). Both are great reliable shooters and have nice blueing. I find the revolvers from Taurus to be of good quality, although a thourough revlover check out is a must for me before buying no matter what brand it is.

[winkytink]

I had an old single stack 9mm in my early 20's, I think it was a PT809.

The PT-809 is a double stack and has only been on the market a couple years...maybe you're thinking of the 709, or maybe the PT111? Small gun, lightweight, subject to limp-wristing because of low mass.

I have an 809 and love it. I also have a PT-101P that is rock solid as well, I'm just not a big fan of the .40 S&W cartridge.

[MrWesson]

If 5% of people have problems with something their "loudness" will overshadow the quiet majority.

Before you know it people will be calling the company "hit or miss" when it takes 50% to get there. I dont know much about taurus but I can tell you 50% of their firearms are not defective. On the flip side of this we are probably the most difficult customers that exist because we are staking our lives on a product.

Its like business reviews how many content people write them vs the angry minority?

[Doug S]

My opinion is based on having owned 7 Taurus firearms (1 semi-auto- 6 revolvers). Purchased between 1998 & 2005. 4 of the 7 required at least one trip back to the factory, which took a lot of time to make repairs, and about 50% of the time didn't get it right.

So my opinion is based on experience, and I think it's fair to say that it is "objective" in that it's not based on reading, or hearing things from other people. It's based on the fact that I gave Taurus more than a fair chance, and obviously had nothing against them or I wouldn't have bought 7 of their guns. So to all who insinuate that anyone who speaks out against Taurus as being somehow "prejudiced", I say nonsense.

I cannot in good conscience recommend Taurus firearms. They are a crap shoot at best.

In contrast I've owned multiples of Ruger, S&W, Glock, Bersa, Beretta, Keltec, and singles of others, none of which have required a trip back to the factory for any type of repair.

So I have to disagree with those who believe Taurus' poor reputation is based on myth.

[tenusdad]

Taurus - these South American products at the very least have a spotty reputation and low resale value. Why not buy American and wave the flag when you shoot. We have a lot of excellent American gun makers which offer competieive prices, higher resale and more pride in ownership. I've had just about everything over the years, but these days I like to support the American arms industry. Right now I even feel like supporting Arizona - so buy Ruger. Most Taurus guns will go bang when you pull the trigger, I just don't see the point. Just an opinion.

[woodguru]

.....Objective opinions, 90% will be subjective.

(That's based on the one or two the poster has had)

I just got a Millenium .40, it is what it is, the trigger is getting better, we'll see. It's not a Beretta 86 Cheetah and I may/won't ever be as comfortable with it.

Some guys love em, some hate em. I've always been against the opinions that keep someone from trying something they might really like. The same guy who hates a Taurus based on his one experience is the guy that loves a piece of junk you personally will hate.

There are some good posts where a guy has had quite a number, I like the one above where the guy has had 7 and four have had to go back to the factory. That starts to show what your chances are of being one of the guys who likes them, 40/60?

[Skans]

Here's a completely objective opinion on the Taurus PT-99 quality.

My locking block shattered, the gun locked up and the frame was damaged as a result. It took several months to get a new locking block. The one that was provided (to my gunsmith) was so poorly formed that it couldn't be safely fitted to the gun. It took another 3 months to get another locking block. After about 6 months my gun ran again, but the aluminum frame rails were still gouged. My opinion is that my particular PT-99, which had less than 500 rounds thorugh it, sucked. Taurus service sucked. Taurus locking block quality sucked....at the time that this happened.

[rodfac]

A friend brought his "Judge" out for a try out on the farm here in Ky, earlier this year. Here are the results:

With Federal buckshot defense loads, the gun was unable to penetrate 3/4" fence board from a distance of 21 feet. The pattern was a little over 6" in diameter and centered on the sights.

With .45 LC cowboy loads, all cylinders keyholed their bullets at the same range and the group was 6" across.

The gun locked up ok but had a trigger pull that was unbelievable...very heavy and felt like sand had been poured into the works. In my opinion, a woman of normal strength or a guy with similar sized hands would find the double action pull impossible to shoot...so hard that it would pull shots off center mass at combat distances.

The finish was poor, with inadequate polishing...

He spent his cash on a revolver with marginal usefulness in real self defense situations and that money is wasted....he's a retired airline pilot and could have bought a quality weapon but was caught up in the hype of Taurus' advertising.

In this instance, the quality, engineering and usefulness were sub standard. Reports here on this forum regarding their customer support leave much to be disired.

I'd recommend a Colt, a S&W, or a Ruger...buy American...spend the additional dollars and be proud of your choice...you won't have to make excuses for doing it either.

In my own experience, S&W's customer service is superb..two problems with J frame guns, one new and the other nearly 20 yrs old, resulted in quick (less than a week) turnaround times at their expense, including shipping. The people on the other end of the phone line, spoke American English, knew the weapons intimately and were more than ready to fix the problem. First Rate...the other 12 S&W's, 10 Colts, and 8 Rugers in my stable have never been to a gunsmith to fix a problem...never...some are over 70 yrs old.

Forget Taurus, buy an American product and be happy. Rodfac

[sigxder]

After owning several Taurus product over the years I would say the terms Taurus and quality do not belong in the same sentence,

[iblong]

Ive had several Taurus pistols and revolvers over the years.
Some were excellent,some were ok,some not so good.
All were accurate.I never sent one back but probabally should have.
My p911 was great,My pt 1911 was the most accurate 1911 I owned,it had a horable finish and I started getting small part failures at about 8,000rnds.
My 605 was outstanding, better than my Smith 638.My ul85 was ok.ect.
My opinion is that back when I bought them the price point was good and I
got what I paid for.As there prices started creeping up closer to the other major manufacturers I started paying the extra for a little better firearm.
I no longer own any,but could be talked into a 92 if the price was right.

[clrmegne]

I have owned five previously, 2 revolvers, 2 milleniums, and 1 PT99. I had a problem with the millenium and had two returns.

I am middle of the road on Taurus. I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy. But, I also understand that (based on experience with them) they may have some break in time or even have to return the pistol to get it functioning where it needs to be. If I was buying only one pistol and it was intended to be my EDC with nothing sitting in the case that was proven, I would look elsewhere.

What I can say is that their customer service for me was fantastic in my two experiences. Taurus paid shipping both ways. Both returns were received in two weeks. I was extremely impressed. My only other past return was on a S&W and that was slightly over three weeks.

[youngunz4life]

taurus revolvers can be very picky about the rounds they eat. there is no ryme or rythem to this, as rounds that are considered not appropriate for certain revolvers work fine and rounds that are considered a perfect match can bind a taurus. choose a ruger or smith & wesson to avoid this and you're buying a handgun in america at the same time. this has been my persoanl experience. my one and only taurus works fine and has never needed fixin, but it is very picky about the rounds it eats. I will not push my luck and buy another one. I have never gone back to the rounds that caused issues even though those rounds should have been fine in the first place.

[nogo]

My experience with Taurus handguns and a .22 rifle has not been positive. My advice is buy a brand with a better track record and avoid the grief.

The T service dept--like the Keltec service dept--does have a bunch of experience, because both get a lot of practice.

[bdb benzino]

taurus revolvers can be very picky about the rounds they eat. there is no ryme or rythem to this, as rounds that are considered not appropriate for certain revolvers work fine and rounds that are considered a perfect match can bind a taurus. choose a ruger or smith & wesson to avoid this and you're buying a handgun in america at the same time. this has been my persoanl experience. my one and only taurus works fine and has never needed fixin, but it is very picky about the rounds it eats. I will not push my luck and buy another one. I have never gone back to the rounds that caused issues even though those rounds should have been fine in the first place.

Are you sure you are not just having trouble with 38spl bindung in a 357mag revolver that is dirty?? If so that is pretty common, and what you are describing is not too clear.

[FoxtrotRomeo]

My friend has a Taurus Tracker in .44 magnum. I have personally shot it many times. It is reliable. It does not have the greatest trigger pull in the world but it is reliable and accurate.

I myself have a PT1911. No it is not the best finish, yes it could be fitted better, but it is very accurate and a great pistol as a first 1911. It is not as high end as a Kimber or any of the others and the price reflects that. It's a "gets the job done" kind of pistol. It goes bang, it's reliable and it's accurate. To expect more out of it, is expecting too much.

Any of the others I don't know about. Those are the ones I know about.

[twhidd]

I've owned two Taurus revolvers and a Millennium pro over the years and had problems with all of them.

[hydroholic]

I have a Smith and Wesson .44 Mag , A Taurus Raging Bull .44 Mag and a Taurus .357 Tracker. I have killed many Whitetails and a few hogs with the Raging Bull. Have shot thousands of rounds through both of the Taurus guns and love them. Never had any problems with either. I like the way they shoot much better than my Smith. Not saying anything bad about the Smith, just like the Taurus better. My buisness partner has a Raging bull .44 mag and all though he doesn't hunt ,since we reload our own ammo, he has shot thousands of rounds through his as well and had no problems. I have never owned a Taurus auto, so I can't comment on them, but I love my Revolvers and would part with the Smith long before I ever would the Taurus.

[TheAmmoBroker]

Own one PT140 Millennium Pro. Have shot approximately 1k rounds through it. The only issues I've had with the actual 'firing' of the gun is related to squib loads. I do generally like the gun, but the 40S&W clips are extremely sensitive to loads that are on the high side of the overall length spec - they tend to bind in the clip and it's a hassle to sort the longs ones. The good news is that this has only happened during loading, so it does not appear to be an issue that would be a total surprise. Admittedly, this is less of a problem for OEM loads and has really only been an issue when shooting reloads. The 9mm and 45 ACP may not have this issue - would appreciate anyone else chiming in if they've seen similar issues.

[youngunz4life]

Are you sure you are not just having trouble with 38spl bindung in a 357mag revolver that is dirty??

bdb - sorry for delay,holidays. no the weapon is clean and I only use 357 ammos. this is a random case and just my personal experience I think but I have never had an ammo issue with by other 4 firearms: ruger, smith, etc. the weapon works fine and this hasn't happened in a long time plus it hasn't happened since I changed the ammo. at the time it almost became an issue until I realized this taurus snubby likes the heavier grain rounds.