Pawn shop pick up: Taurus PT-99

olivehead1 · Oct 23, 2018

Taking a break from older S&W autos, I picked up this PT99 from 1990 at a local pawn shop. Without a doubt this was the dirtiest gun I've ever had the pleasure of cleaning. I'm not sure what some of this gunk was, and I'm not sure I want to know. Cleaned up pretty nicely. Came with one Ram Line mag, which I'd had no experience with before. Interesting design. As always, I wonder where the box and extra mag have gone off to in the last 28 years, and even more curious the one mag this one came with was aftermarket.

I stopped at another pawn shop that I know has a bunch of old mags in bins, and happened to find three good condition factory 15-round PT92/99 mags.

Total OTD for gun and 4 mags: $313.19. The gun with one mag was $300 OTD, and I felt bad in a way since the shop had $350 in it. I respectfully noted to the store manager, who'd cut me a good deal on a Ruger previously, that on any given day I might bring a LNIB Beretta 92-series into the shop and get tip top $300 for it. I think he knew someone screwed up and was satisfied, if not happy, to get rid of the Taurus and recoup some of the shop's money. The other 3 mags were $4 plus tax a piece, a price the owner threw out to me when I noted he'd previously sold me some Beretta mags for $5 each.

Eric300 · Oct 23, 2018

Nice find. Too bad you didn't take any 'Before' pics. I would have liked to have seen it before you applied a little TLC to it!

Gripgrabber · Oct 23, 2018

Hay, good find!, I to enjoy those, a ss92, and a blue 96. Fyi it’s easy to convert berreta mags to Taurus. Utub it.
Semper paratus

dwcopple · Oct 24, 2018

Be extremely careful with that rear sight. Most break or go missing.

Echo40 · Oct 24, 2018

Nice.

I've always liked the Taurus PT92 for the ambidextrous frame-mounted 3-position safety/decocker. It just feels more natural to me and I feel that the option to carry it cocked and locked like a 1911 offers a bit of an advantage over the Beretta. Plus the PT92 offers all the features of the Beretta 92A1 at a price lower than the standard Beretta 92FS.

If Taurus still offered the PT100 (their answer to the Beretta 96) then I would happily buy one, but unfortunately they've taken it off the market here in the US since .40 S&W has fallen out of favor.

In my experience, most used Taurus firearms tend to be extremely dirty, which leads me to believe that a fair amount of the modern reports of Taurus firearms being unreliable is coming from folks with absolutely no experience with firearms buying them because they're cheaper, neglecting to properly clean them, taking them to the range all gunked up internally with cosmoline, experienced malfunctions at the range as a result, then consult the internet for answers, read dated reports of unreliability, then immediately dropped it because of what they read, and now perpetuate Taurus' reputation for unreliability by repeating their own self-inflicted negative experience.

Old Corp · Oct 24, 2018

The Taurus PT92/96 seem to be one of their best autos.

Picked up a PT92 in SS while working at an LGS, $200. Made a great truck gun, and got used alot when a partner and I began instructing.
Got shot A LOT, and never a bobble.

It's a bedside gun now, with a bunch of mags I found.
You'll enjoy it.

LVSteve · Oct 24, 2018

I've been tempted to get one many times over the years because I believe 9mm needs a 5" barrel. Haven't grabbed one yet, but I can't say it won't happen.

Mike in Reedley · Oct 24, 2018

Out of curiosity, will Beretta magazines work in Taurus?

olivehead1 · Oct 24, 2018

Dirty Harry Callahan said:
I've always liked the Taurus PT92 for the ambidextrous frame-mounted 3-position safety/decocker. It just feels more natural to me and I feel that the option to carry it cocked and locked like a 1911 offers a bit of an advantage over the Beretta.

I generally agree with you about the safety/decocker, although my particular gun dates to 1990 and is safety only, so you have to decock it the old-fashioned way. I guess the decocker came on the scene on these guns somewhere between 1990 and 1993; I've recently seen a listing for a 1993 PT92 that is a decocker model.

I just ordered a set of Uncle Mike's checkered rubber grips for this gun for $20 off of ebay, and should get them by next week. Those UM grips for the PT92/99, pre-decocker, in excellent condition or NOS apparently go for about $50, but the ones I ordered have just a bit of wear, and will go better with this gun's overall condition. I wouldn't pay $50 for rubber grips in any event.

olivehead1 · Oct 24, 2018

Mike in Reedley said:
Out of curiosity, will Beretta magazines work in Taurus?

My understanding is no, because of the cut for the mag catch, but if you have some skill with a Dremel can be cut to work in the Taurus. So I guess the mag tube between the two is essentially the same and interchangeable.

Since 1980 when the evolution of the PT92/99 and the Beretta 92-series diverged, and the heel catch changed to a thumb catch, apparently Taurus didn't do a direct copy of the Beretta design. Most parts apparently evolved differently also, although my understanding is that the Beretta barrel with work in the Taurus without modification and vice versa.

Someone with more expertise than me can correct any of this information if need be.

Pawn shop pick up: Taurus PT-99

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