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View Poll Results: actual experience with taurus
Never owned one, but would if the right deal came along 42 11.76%
never owned one and never will 22 6.16%
owed/still own taurus handguns with no issues 198 55.46%
owned/still own taurus hanguns with problems 95 26.61%
Voters: 357. You may not vote on this poll

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Old February 9, 2013, 12:02 AM   #126
JohnKSa
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That is now many Taurus firearms are mnufactured, and sold in compairison to other makers. With increased production comes the increased possibility of a "lemon" getting out.
A poll like this one, assuming accurate responses, largely takes that into account because it's not relying solely on the number of problem reports, but is comparing the number of owners/past owners to the number of owners/past owners with problem guns. It does make the assumption that the applicable poll responders all own/have owned roughly the same number of Taurus firearms.

As far as determining the total production figures for Taurus, it's possible to make an educated guess at that figure by looking at the handgun imports from Brazil. The ATF reports those figures annually.

The most recent figures I can find are from 2011 and indicate that 359,846 handguns came into the U.S. from Brazil. Most of those are Taurus products, but there are also some Rossis and some are the Springfield guns made by Imbel.

Total handgun imports to the U.S. in 2011 were 1.725 million--Austria is the largest handgun exporter to the U.S. with over half a million handguns (2011 stats).

We make handguns here in the states at the rate of about 2.8 million a year (2010 stats) and exports of handguns are negligible.

So the total number of handguns sold in a given year in the U.S. (imports and domestic manufacture) amounts to about 4.5 million of which about 8% come from Brazil.

So if we assume that all of the 360,000 handguns from Brazil were from Taurus and further assume that all handguns have problems at about the same rate and that all problems are reported, we would expect that Taurus problem reports would amount to no more than 8% of the total number of problem reports.

One way to get a quick feel for how the problem reports stack up would be to be to look at BBB complaint data.

We know that Taurus probably imported somewhere around 300,000 pistols to the U.S. and that Glock probably imported about 500,000 pistols in the same year, so assuming that the two brands are comparable in quality and customer service, we would expect, all else being equal for the number of complaints to be similar.

http://www.bbb.org/south-east-florid...ah-fl-27002288

Taurus
  • 75 complaints in the last 3 years, 26 in the last 12 months.
  • Failure to honor commitment to arbitrate disputes or mediate disputes.
  • Failure to respond to 4 complaints filed against business.
  • 4 complaints filed against business that were not resolved.

Glock
  • 3 complaints in the last 3 years, 0 in the last 12 months.
  • Response to 3 complaint(s) filed against business.
  • Resolution of complaint(s) filed against business.

Ruger is the number one volume gun maker in the U.S. Let's see how their massive production volume figures into the number of complaints.

Ruger
  • 4 complaints in the last 3 years, 1 in the last 12 months
  • Response to 4 complaint(s) filed against business.
  • Resolution of complaint(s) filed against business.

So, even though both Glock and Ruger make and sell more guns in the U.S. than Taurus, together they accounted for only 7 complaints in the last 3 years compared to Taurus 75 complaints over the same timeframe.

So Taurus sells about 5 times fewer guns in the U.S. than Glock and Ruger combined and yet accounts for 10 times more complaints. That's significant, in my opinion.
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Last edited by JohnKSa; February 9, 2013 at 01:09 AM. Reason: Deleted BBB ratings to prevent thread hijack.
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Old February 9, 2013, 12:47 AM   #127
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Last edited by Tad_T; February 9, 2013 at 01:17 AM. Reason: Removed when skewed rating was removed.
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Old February 9, 2013, 01:08 AM   #128
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No, I did not forget to include that line.

I INTENTIONALLY left out a good bit of information from all the BBB assessment of all three companies when I created the summaries because my goal was not to paste the entire content of the page into my post--only the relevant information was copied.

So why isn't it relevant that the BBB doesn't know how big Taurus is? It's because WE know how big it is. We used the ATF's import figures to get a feel for their size in comparison to the other two companies we're comparing it against.

You'll notice I did provide the link to the Taurus summary for those who wanted to look at ALL of the data, and the BBB site can be easily searched for the information from the other two companies.

However, I can see that this is going to be a problem. I'll tell you what. I'll delete any mention of the rating from my earlier post to prevent the rating and what it's based on from becoming a sidetrack to the main topic.
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Old February 9, 2013, 01:31 AM   #129
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I own four Tauri.

PT92
TCP738 - belongs to my daughter now. I wouldn't have given it to her if I didn't trust it.
M44SS6
PT709 Slim

I guess I have been extremely fortunate because I have not had any issues with any of these weapons. All are accurate and reliable.

I also own S&W, Colt, Beretta, Springfield Armory, Glock, Ruger, Heritage, Interarms, Iver Johnson, and AMT handguns so I do have some basis of comparison.

Last edited by Tad_T; February 9, 2013 at 01:54 AM. Reason: Forgot my Virginia Dragoon and my TP22.
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Old February 9, 2013, 01:51 AM   #130
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Product problems and complaints to the BBB don't necessarily track either. Product problems can be resolved by DIY repair, gunshop repair, original dealer repair, or factory/factory rep repair. None would be reported to the BBB, but all would, IMHO, be product problems. Complaints to the BBB usually involve business practices, not defective products, per se.

AFAIK, no one, except the companies involved, keeps track of the actual reported troubles with guns. Even the companies don't know about or track other than their factory or factory rep repairs. If I have a problem with a Taurus and fix it myself, Taurus has no way of knowing about that problem and won't take steps to correct it.

That is why I will almost always recommend that gun owners with other than very minor problems send the gun back to the factory. The owner or a gunsmith might do just as good a job with a repair, but then the factory will be dumb and happy, not knowing there is a problem that needs corrected. Also the fix comes quicker if it costs them money; if I fix it on my dime, they don't care.

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Old February 9, 2013, 02:23 AM   #131
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Complaints to the BBB usually involve business practices, not defective products, per se.
The complaints are broken down by type.
Advertising / Sales Issues 13
Delivery Issues 1
Guarantee / Warranty Issues 10
Problems with Product / Service 51
Billing / Collection Issues 0
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Old February 9, 2013, 04:52 AM   #132
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This thread is really getting interesting. Keep up the digging!
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Old February 9, 2013, 08:10 PM   #133
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My first Taurus was a stainless 6" 44 special, great shooter. Don't remember the model, but looked very similar to my S&W 686. I then bought a Rossi 720, 3" 44 special, great carry gun with the lightest, cleanest trigger pull I've ever shot. No problems at all. I've always favored the 45 acp, so when looking for a compact auto I stumbled upon the Mil-Pro. Suprisingly easy to shoot and carry, no problems with at least 1200 rounds through it. Because of the favorable track record with Taurus, I didn't hesitate to buy a 24/7 OSS when I saw one at a gun show a few years back. Didn't need it, but for less that $350 otd, I couldn't pass it up.
My only dealings with the factory was to order some mag spacers so I could carry the 12 round OSS mags in my Mil-Pro and not have the gap. They were friendly and efficent.
I'm sure that their quality control is not up to snuff compared to the other major manufactorers, but it's a free country, we can select from whom we want to buy. I might never buy another Taurus, but it won't be because of giving me any problems.I've been fortunate over the years, very few problems with any brand of guns i've bought.
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Old February 10, 2013, 05:17 PM   #134
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The only time I've dealt with Taurus CS was when I broke my M605. A case of obvious damage, they fixed it with no questions. It has been a reliable little gun.
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Old February 10, 2013, 05:29 PM   #135
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Had a Taurus 2" .38 that I dropped on the hammer and broke the firing pin. Shipped and repaired on their dime and back in my hands in 5 days!
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Old February 10, 2013, 06:23 PM   #136
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I had one 44 Tracker. Never was able to fire six rounds without it locking up. Sent it back same results. Took it back to the store I bought it from and got a Smith. No more Tauri for me.
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Old February 10, 2013, 09:40 PM   #137
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Own 2, no problems at all

First handgun I ever bought was in 2009, a Taurus 85 Ultralite snubby for home defense. I put several hundred rounds through it at the range with no issues, including a couple of hundred +P+ loads. Its 2" barrel encouraged me to work on my hold to improve accuracy. It became my carry gun when I got my CCW in 2010. It's still my backup carry gun (I switched to a Ruger LC9 two months ago, it's slimmer and easier to conceal plus 3 more rounds available and a pinky extension on my magazines that helps my accuracy).

When I decided I wanted to work on accuracy at longer ranges, in late 2009, I bought a Taurus 82 with 4" barrel, and got into reloading. I've fired thousands of reloads through it and the only issue I've had, has been barrel leading from all the lead semi-wadcutters I've put through it. But that's easy enough to deal with. I'd like to see about maybe a little lighter trigger pull in double-action mode, but I'd trust my life to either one. I'd use the 82 in competition, if I decide to get into that.
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Old February 11, 2013, 08:18 AM   #138
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I had one 44 Tracker. Never was able to fire six rounds without it locking up.
I've never been able to fire six rounds in my Tracker 44 either.

It's a FIVE SHOT revolver.
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Old February 11, 2013, 08:35 AM   #139
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I've never owned one but if the right deal came along, I'd keep an open mind. (Says the man that owns not 1 but 2 RG Rohms and a Ruby Izzara)
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Old February 11, 2013, 11:48 AM   #140
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My solution to dealing with Taurus is that I never buy a new weapon from them. I don't like the company but I do like a few of the products. I would love to have a Taurus PT92 but there are a lot of used ones. I would rather give the money to a private seller than to Taurus. Since the previous owner did the break in chances are it is fine so I won't have to return it like I would with a defective new one.
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Old February 11, 2013, 02:01 PM   #141
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Taurus

I had a work partner that had a .44Taurus Raging Bull.He had to send it back to Taurus twice,I don't rember the problem,but the second time they sent him back a new gun.No problems sinse.I was buying a Ruger SP101 at a sport shop and found the cylender woulden't turn,brand new gun.they ordered another one and in less than a week I owned it.No problems sinse.I guess stuff can happen no matter what ya buy.hdbiker
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Old February 12, 2013, 03:44 AM   #142
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I'm somewhere in the middle. I have only owned 1 Taurus, it was a blued model 66. From the first time I took it to the range the cylinder never cycled and sometimes required tools to un-jam it regardless of what brand or type of ammo I fired in both .38 or .357. I ended up trading it in for partial value on my XDm .40. I full well could have sent it in under warranty but the stories of their customer service I read online I decided I would rather have a different gun.

With that said I don't go out of my way to bash Taurus but I'm open about my experience to others if they ask my opinion. Someday I will probably own another Taurus, if that one's junk then I will be sure to let everyone know but if not then I'll consider the first experience an anomaly.

For those of you that care I'm like everyone else in the world, I took the time to post in this thread about my first poor Taurus experience but have not ever posted a thread about any of the 10 guns I have that function flawlessly every day. Only those with something bad to say take the time to say it, everyone else is out enjoying their fine working guns.
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Old February 12, 2013, 06:35 AM   #143
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People keep saying that, and yet it's not true.

The bit about "people never talk about their good guns."

I've had any number of good things to say about CZ, for instance, and about Matt Mink's gunsmithing on CZs. For that matter, I've written posts praising the customer service at Angus Hobdell's CZ Custom Shop.

I think very highly of Bob Hunter's work, and have posted about it.

On the gear and accessories side, I have posted many times about the quality of Andrews Leather.

I've written good reviews of Dan Wesson, SIG, even Glock - which I personally don't like but the guns work very well; I've done positive write-ups on FN and Beretta. I've noted issues I've had with S&W and Ruger, but also noted that in each case, the factory took immediate and decisive care of the problem.

If you check out the various brand threads, you will find there are a lot of people like me.

So, what you might say is that you, personally, don't normally bother to write unless you have a complaint. Don't project that to include me, thanks.
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Old February 12, 2013, 08:20 AM   #144
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I owned a Mod 608 in 357 magnum. Eight shots of .357 magnum, built into a large .44 mag frame. Due to the weight, and the ported barrel, it is easy to shoot, even with the hottest .357 magnum loads. I gave this gun to my son a few years ago and he still has it and shoots it. No problems or issues what-so-ever.

I also had a Taurus 922, a 9 shot 22lr revolver. It had problems with extracting the empty shells after firing. Perhaps some honing & polishing of the cylinder chambers would have taken care of the problem but I ended up trading it in.

The general consensus among shooters I know, is that Taurus makes decent revolvers, especially in their Raging Bull series. I've also heard many positive comments about their 1911 series. I have heard mostly negative comments about their Millennium series. However a good friend of mine has a Taurus 9mm in the Millennium series and has never had any problems or issues with his.

You may buy a Taurus and have great luck with it or you could have some problems. I purchased a Kahr and had lots of problems with it. Any manufacturer is capable of spitting out a lemon once in a while. I think it all comes down to one's own budget. If an economically priced gun is what your budget allows, by all means get into the game. Start shooting and enjoy.

If your life is going to depend on it though, I would choose a Glock, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson, Colt, Sig Sauer, Ruger, H&K, Beretta etc.
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Old February 12, 2013, 09:16 AM   #145
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I had a Taurus PT111 that had a bad habit of not extracting a round, even if I just loaded it then pulled the mag and tried to rack the slide.
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Old February 13, 2013, 12:47 AM   #146
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I had a pt 140 millenium (non pro) that my uncle got when he first got his ccw a few years back, it went from him to me to my dad as a kind of right of passage first carry gun after we each got our permits. problem with it was that it liked to hang up while loading a round. we tried all different brands of ammo with it but it seemed to only feed semi reliably with winchester white box. turned out to be unreliable and not such a great carry gun. in the end it when back to my uncle to deal with as he saw fit and we all carry something much more reliable now.

needless to say im not a huge fan of taurus semi auto however i believe if they can correct their problems i may end up giving a few of their models a chance in the future after i cross some of the other things on my want list off. the judge and their 22ply interest me although id have to figure out how to get rid of the righty only safety on the 22ply, last thing a lefty needs is to carry a bug that may have a safety accidentally engaged that they cant easily click off to get rounds on target in an emergency
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Old February 13, 2013, 04:42 PM   #147
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I own a Tarus 94 ss in .22lr. Fits my hand like a glove! Great sights, great weight, 9 shots! WORST TRIGGER EVER! But its been a great training arm. I do a couple reps on its trigger, swap back to the Ruger which is know for its smooth trigger right and half the size of my groups. Sorry Cheapshooter, but if I can ever find an SP101 in .22lr that Taurus is getting traded.
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Old February 14, 2013, 08:00 AM   #148
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Love my TCP PT738. Conceals perfectly for me and goes "bang" every time I pull the trigger.

Three hundred rounds to date without a hitch. Great gun for the price.....less than $200.
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Old February 14, 2013, 08:08 AM   #149
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300 rounds is good; OTOH I burn that in one typical session at the range.
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Old February 14, 2013, 02:08 PM   #150
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Three hundred rounds to date without a hitch.
*sigh*

Since when did a few hundred rounds become some magical "My Gun is Flawless" test?

Similar to the poster above me, I'll burn through 300 rounds in a session or two. Call me when you have 3k rounds through it.
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