Unsafe and discontinued Taurus 809/840 still being sold

[wild cat mccane]

Just a heads up as I almost got caught in it...

Taurus has discontinued it's 809 and 840 models because they are not drop safe. A new line is coming (T and TS series), but they currently do not import the 809 or 840 anymore.

I don't know how it's legal and it certainly isn't ethical, but gun sites are unloading them right now on consumers without warning about this known issue.

There is no fix for the 800 series to make them drop safe.

Shame on Tauras and gun sites for selling them.

[JoeSixpack]

I need some evidence to back this up, I know about the discontinue Im waiting on them to get sub 200 Im planing on buying a pair.

Taurus did have a drop safety issue but it was on striker guns all of which are no longer in production..

The 800 series is hammer fired.

so please give me the source of this drop safety problem cause I could not find a problems with them being drop safe when I did some google research on them.

[racedawg]

Wasnt those guns..it was the others .hammer fired didnt have that problem.

Sent from my LGMS210 using Tapatalk

[wild cat mccane]

The PT800 came out after the 24/7 and Mil Pros went under the lawsuit.

The PT800 come out in between and before the new Mil Pro G2.

I've been reading reports of the 800 not being drop safe-this is independent of the two firing systems being striker vs hammer. A new lawsuit might be coming.

http://www.taurususa.com/product-det...ategory=Pistol

Taurus has pulled the 800/840 from the US market even before its replacement TS series has been released and 800s are now $200 or so. This supports the likely coming lawsuit.

[kenny53]

Joesixpack: Kel Tec makes the sub 2000

[Sevens]

Not sure why this is so seemingly awful, the used market is bursting with many older guns that were never drop safe. We shouldn't be melting down all those "unsafe" handguns, should we?

[JoeSixpack]

Originally Posted by kenny53

Joesixpack: Kel Tec makes the sub 2000

Im not sure if you're making a joke or if you just misunderstood my post.

When I say im waiting for them to get sub 200
I mean Im waiting for the cost of the gun to drop below $200
@ which point I plan to buy 2 of them.

I suppose "get" should have been "drop".

When you buy a discontinued Taurus gun you're not completely on your own.. any major problem they'll just swap it with something that's currently in production.

They discontinued the 738 also, which was a popular 380.
Spectrum is taking it's place.

Originally Posted by Sevens

Not sure why this is so seemingly awful, the used market is bursting with many older guns that were never drop safe. We shouldn't be melting down all those "unsafe" handguns, should we?

The Taurus 800 series came out in 2008.
So unlike say a 40 year old gun you expect a modern design to be drop safe.

But like I said the Taurus guns that had drop problems was all striker fired and have all been discontinued.. the 800 is a fullsize polymer framed hammer fired gun.. it was never in the recall.

IF the OP has evidence of the 800 series failing drop tests I'd like to see it, But far as I know that is not the case.

Far as I know the recall consisted of the milpro & 24/7 line.
The new Milpro line G2's aren't affected.

You can send your gun in and they will replace it with a G2 model.
They currently have no "fix" for older models.. They claim they will fix models IF they ever develop a repair process for them.. but I would not hold my breath.

The g2's are even cheaper than the original milpro line and the 24/7's was even more expensive then the milpro's.. it's probably not worth their time to develop a fix.. cheaper/easier to just swap you a g2.

[Ibmikey]

My concern with the discontinued pistol would be the same as my experience with two other Taurus' both of which spent their initial months of service being repaired. No bashing intended just wish to make my brief Taurus ownership known.

[JoeSixpack]

Originally Posted by Ibmikey

My concern with the discontinued pistol would be the same as my experience with two other Taurus' both of which spent their initial months of service being repaired. No bashing intended just wish to make my brief Taurus ownership known.

They would still fix it if they have parts, otherwise they would offer you something similar as a replacement.. the 92 is the closest thing to the 809, but they would probably want to give you a G2 since it's cheaper.
The 800 & g2's both being polymer, but the 92 is similar size and hammer fired.

The 92 cost more obviously with it's all metal construction.

Either way you'd get "something" back, Warranty is still good as far as them fix/replacing.

Originally Posted by wild cat mccane

The PT800 came out after the 24/7 and Mil Pros went under the lawsuit.

The PT800 come out in between and before the new Mil Pro G2.

800 series came out in 2008. point?

Originally Posted by wild cat mccane

I've been reading reports of the 800 not being drop safe-this is independent of the two firing systems being striker vs hammer. A new lawsuit might be coming.

Ok well I'd like to read those reports as well.. source?

Originally Posted by wild cat mccane

http://www.taurususa.com/product-det...ategory=Pistol

Taurus has pulled the 800/840 from the US market even before its replacement TS series has been released and 800s are now $200 or so. This supports the likely coming lawsuit.

Just shows that it's discontinued, it got axe at the end of 2016
The 738 is also discontinued its' successor is the Specturm which isn't out yet.. what's the point? just because the successor to the 800's aren't out yet it must be cause it's faulty?

Their use to be other models of the 800 series like the 809c (compact) and the stainless slide model.. those been discontinued like a year or more.
Did they pull those a year or so back because they wasn't drop safe but kept on producing black models knowing there was a problem?

Look Taurus has a really nasty habit of quietly axing models, They dump all their stock onto the supply chain and drop the gun unceremoniously.

BELIEVE me I have a long history of Taurus discontinuing pistols on my wish list.
The 917, 101, 909, 145 (although I might have dodge a bullet on that one), The 85's with zero-profile hammer, metal pt22's.

There is still plenty of stock in the pipe line, Im not sure when the replacements are hitting the market I heard someone say they might not even market the replacements for the US market.

Taurus has under gone changes over the last 5 or 6 years.. they use to have a huge catalog.. maybe to big, it's been slashed.. in fact there was a thread not to long ago here about it.

It might be that hammer guns from Taurus are going the way of the dodo.. they've already switched their focus heavily on polymer, they've even retro fit the pt22 and killed the metal version, some of the revolvers like the 85 now come in polymer frames.

They'll probably still sell the 92 as-is for a while still.. It's a signature gun and a good seller.. but even it's product line got slashed.. no more pimp versions, no adjustable sight 99's, the centurion like 917 got axed some years back.. the .40S&W (100,101) is GONE!

So hammer fired Taurus looks something like this: PT22, 1911, 92.. Rest are striker.

The rifle line (which honestly I never seen in the LGS anyway) seems to have been anialated.. at least for the US market.

They're intorducing a ar15 platform.. yay just what the world needs another MEE TOO ar15


Unless you have some proof of this problem.. or at least something else pointing to possible problem I'd say you're reading to much into a discontinuation of a product line.

[wild cat mccane]

I'm furiously trying to find it again and do appreciate backing up statements with information

I am totally aware of the first recall. If you give me some credit, remember, the last lawsuit started with only one person and one youtube video of someone shake firing in 2009.

I could be wrong, but I know I read someone getting hurt from their dropped 809-not the previous pistols.

[JoeSixpack]

Check your browser history, Assuming it wasn't a long time ago you can probably find it that way.

Is your source a youtube video? While I have not watched every video on youtube with the guns I've seen 2 problem videos 1 where the guy field stripped the gun and apparently the firing pin block came out, and another where the guy had a problem with the safety.. but the problem was obvious and didn't have anything to do with drop testing.

I never really paid attention to the 800's till I seen they was discontinued and the price was dropping on them.. So I've been researching them and 95% of what I read is good... haven't found any series issues.. but if you find anything about a drop problem please let me know It probably won't be long before I pull the trigger on a pair of them.

[T. O'Heir]

No manufacturer will discontinue a firearm based on somebody else's tests. Especially a "test' that is primarily designed to discourage firearm ownership.
Manufacturers will discontinue stuff because it doesn't meet marketing department sales projections. And, on occasion, for no apparent reason at all. But highly restrictive firearm ownership State tests is not one of 'em.
You'll also notice that most failed "drop tests" are firearms not made in the U.S. Drop a 1911A1 on its hammer and it'll go bang too.
"...last lawsuit started with only one person..." And a lot of U.S. law suits are very decidedly frivolous money grabs and are intended to cause firearms manufacturers, et al, as much grief as possible.

[Bill DeShivs]

Dropping a 1911 on it's hammer won't cause a discharge!

[James K]

I shudder to think of the results if fear mongers like "wild cat" prevail and every gun in the country that is not drop safe is confiscated and its sale banned.

Jim

[Cheapshooter]

Drop a 1911A1 on its hammer and it'll go bang too.

Dropping a 1911 on it's hammer won't cause a discharge!

But a 1911a1, being produced long before 1983 when the Series 80 pistols came out certainly can go bang if dropped.

The Series 80 consists of two added levers that, when the trigger is depressed, the levers push in a plunger in the slide moving it out of the way allowing the firing pin to move forward. The reason behind any firing pin safety is to prevent accidental discharge in the event the pistol is dropped on it’s muzzle from a height.

I don't care which end it falls on, if you drop a pre Series 80 1911it can go bang.

[Bill DeShivs]

The only way an uncocked pre 1980 series 1911 type can go off when dropped, is if it is dropped on a very hard surface, directly on the muzzle from a several feet.
The inertia firing pin prevents it firing.
If the gun is cocked, the half cock notch should catch the hammer.
If you have the gun on half cock, the notch could shear and allow the hammer to set off the primer- but everyone except idiots know better than to carry a 1911 on half cock.

[FNS-40]

I consider all guns not drop safe. That's why I don't drop them.

[Don P]

Ah, the coast line is going to flood with the snowflakes of the gun world melting of dropped guns going bang

[Lohman446]

I treat every gun as if it were loaded and do my best not to drop them. Who goes around dropping their very expensive firearms on concrete and why?

[Bill DeShivs]

In case you haven't figured it out- guns are dangerous-unless handled correctly.

[JoeSixpack]

Any luck finding those reports OP? Still waiting on price before I buy but if you got anything I'd like to see it before I end up with them.

[Fishbed77]

In case you haven't figured it out- guns are dangerous-unless handled correctly.

Much like automobiles. Or forks. Or toothbrushes.

[GarandTd]

I have been doing some of my own searching as I considered the 809 before purchasing my SAR K2P. I haven't found any reports of unexpected disharges. RK guns has sent me a couple emails now for a special on the 809 @ $224+change.

[wild cat mccane]

Well, I couldn't find it again. At this point I admit defeat and take the credibility hit.

At every least it let people know it was now discontinued, but again, I might be completely wrong

[GarandTd]

Wild Cat, I did see that the taurus 609 was part of the original recall, maybe that threw you off. The 609 is similar in appearance both physically and in model #.