Gun snobbery

[imjin138]

I turned 50 a few weeks ago andSunday I was out at the range picking up my daughter from hunter's safety. I spoke to Bill a clerk at Shooter's while I was picking up my M&P45c. He asked if I had ever owned a Taurus pistol and I had to tell him no I had not.

He asked why and I told him that while I worked at Shooter's we sold a lot of Taurus revolvers and autos and they seemed to have problems. He told me that they are much better now. He then asked me if I had ever bought a lemon gun from a major manufacturer and I had to reply that I had.

Does anyone own Taurus guns and what type of quality are they in real life.

 

[KSCowboy]

I always had your opinion of the Taurus. When looking for an alternative to my Colt Gov't Model 380, I wanted something the same size but in 9mm, I came across the Taurus 709 Slim.

I read everything I could find about them, went to shops and shows and handled them and found out the real world price of them. Finally decided to take the plunge.

It has been an excellent gun that I would recommend to anyone looking for something of that size, weight, power.

Beyond this I have no experience with Taurus products.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

I've had many mixed reviews of Taurus products from our clients. I've never owned one myself. The majority of complaints were based upon returning the guns to Taurus for repair under their lifetime warranty policy several times until they finally got it right. Sounded pretty frustrating dealing with their customer service/repair reps. On the other hand, one fellow I know a long time has shot the hell out of a Model 85 (mostly with reloaded wad cutters) for over a decade with no issues. What I gather is that generally, using their products may be a bit of a gamble. Reliability seems to be questionable, at least as far as what our clients have told us.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[imjin138]

I have to agree with Oldflatfoot, when I worked at the counter guys would buy them and try to have them repaired and it seemed to be an ordeal. Even with major gun companies I have had to send one or two back but usually they came back quickly.

I have foreign made weapons like Walther, CZ,SIg they all work fine. I was looking for a nice .32 to go alng with my PP maybe I will look at the CZ

 

[stantheman86]

The QC of Taurus has always been spotty........for every guy that has a Taurus and loves it, there's one guy who had one and it was a piece of garbage.

It's a dice roll, you may get a great one and it will be a good deal, or you might get one that's unsafe to shoot out of the box. I have heard WAY more complaints about the wheelguns.....Taurus seems to have gotten the auto's like the PT92 down. My local dealer stopped stocking Taurus guns, he said half of them ended up coming back and he was tired of having to do Taurus' QC for them, he received guns that he said should never have been allowed out of the factory.

I have 4 Taurus wheelguns- 2 82's made in 1997, an 83 from 1993,and an early 80's model 84. All were security trade ins and I got them so cheap I couldn't say no, I don't think I paid more than $150 for any one of them. They all work, one of the 82's shoots way to the right of POA, and the 84 needed the forcing cone filed on because it would lock up after a few cylinders full.

I never owned any of the Taurus auto pistols, and probably never will unless I find an older PT92 for a good deal.....

Overall IMO they make good range beaters and I keep one of the 82's in the center console of my car, worst case scenario someone breaks into my car and I won't lose a "good" gun. I know it will go bang at least 6 times if I ever need it, beyond that I won't trust it if I have other options.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I've had three for several years. The CIA doesn't get used much use but have not had problems with the PT945 or Tracker 627. I also have guns by Kimber, Colt, Bushmaster, Savage, S&W, Sig Sauer, Winchester, Marlin, Remington and Glock. The only gun I have ever sent back to the manufacture is my S&W MP15-22.

 

[hastings]

I've owned one, and shot several Taurus 1911's, as well as a few 24-7's, Millenium Pros, as well as misc. other semi-autos and one or two revolvers. Every one of them functioned flawlessly and shot accurately. None of the other owners expressed having experienced problems with their Taurus handguns, but I admit I didn't ask them either. As far as the 1911's go, I traded mine with a friend who really wanted it. I would not hesitate to own another one. I just recently watched an fellow with a bone-stock Taurus 1911 out shoot two guys, one with a Kimber and one with a Dan Wesson. Same ammo, no jambs with the Taurus, one with the Kimber, and the Taurus grouped the best consistently, and on target. I don't care for any polymer framed gun, be it revolver or semi-auto, so most of the other autos I shot were not my cup of tea, but not due to inaccuracy of mechanical issues.

I try to keep an open mind and judge each gun individually, not based on name or reputation alone. I do that with any manufacturer, since I have experienced some pretty bad stuff from Ruger, S&W, Colt, Marlin, Remington, and Beretta. I don't hold it against any of them, I just check out the particular gun prior to purchase. If I dismissed every Taurus based on internet anecdotes, I'd have missed out on a few really nice guns.

 

[Class III]

I had a 4" Tarus M66 about 25 years ago that was good as gold. Then I bought their copy of the Beretta 92, what a problem piece that was. Their CS left such a bad taste in my mouth I sold the M66 and the M92, once the M92 got back from the 3rd trip back to them.

Class III

 

[corpulent]

I have a PT24/7 PRO 9mm; it has performed flawlessly for years.

 

[JohnnieB]

I own(ed) 2 Taurus pistols and 2 Taurus revolvers

PT 24/7 .45acp pistol. I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn door with it, but it was me not the gun. My daughter could shoot it pretty well, so I gave it to her along with a XD-45 that I did okay with. (I can no longer rack the slides reliable enough for HD/SD)

PT 22 .22lr pistol. Like all RF, you can get a rimlock if you don't load the mags right. Other than that, it was fairly accurate and fun to shoot. Regret selling it, but would buy Beretta Bobcat if I wanted a tip-up barrel .22 to practice with. (I CC a Beretta Tomcat occasionally and .22lr is a lot cheaper than .32acp)

M627SS4 .357mag 7-shot, ported barrel, revolver. Shoots okay from a rest, too nose heavy to free hand, but that's just me. I like the triggers on my S&Ws better, so it doesn't get to the range much.

M94SS4 .22s/l/lr 9-shot revolver. Went back to Tauras 4 times with extraction and trigger pull problems before I polished the chambers with J-B non-embedding bore cleaning compound and replaced a couple springs. Still fine tuning it, but it's nose heavy like the M627, so I like my S&W M63 a lot better.

I don't have anything against Taurus, but I doubt if I'll be buying any more of them.

 

[DCWilson]

Never owned one, but seriously considered a couple of their revolvers before buying my first S&W. After that commitment, the direction of my addiction was pretty much set.

 

[David LaPell]

I have never owned a Taurus, but I know alot of people who have, and have heard of lots of problems. I know of two 1911's locally where the safety broke, actually snapped in half at the base. I know a guy with a .44 Raging Bull and after six shots the rear sight broke. I know of a Model 85 that siezed up so bad the guy ended up having the whole revolver replaced. To me I have heard more bad than good, so I stay away from them.

 

[redlevel]

My dealer sells a lot of Taurii. Speaking of the quality of work done on guns he has had to send back (many of them), he told me, "They don't have gunsmiths working there, they have blacksmiths."

 

[gregintenn]

I bought a Taurus 357 mag at an auction back in the late 80's. As I remember, it was a large framed gun, like an N frame, with about a 6" barrel. It seemed to be of good quality with a smooth action, a pretty good finish, and shot well. That's been my only experience with Taurus firearms.

 

[neiljrosen]

I had a Taurus .22 target revolver a long time ago and traded it on a S/W 617.
I'd rather spend a few bucks more and buy a Smith than another Taurus.

 

[psquarejr]

I had a Model 94, 22lr, 2 inch barrel, nice gun, fit and finish was great, my kids and I put several thousand rounds thru it. Never a problem and it still looked and functioned great before I traded it.

 

[btruman]

The quality control of Taurus has been spotty as noted but sometimes you get a good one. This two has served me well with a lot of full power loads through the older model 66. It's not a S&W but not bad for what I paid for it some years ago. The little steel frame 85 is one darned good little gun with as good a trigger, both single and double action, as any made by any manufacturer.

 

[Len]

I have Ruger SA guns, but most of what I use is S&W or Sig.

I had a very jaded opinion of Taurus, based, I admit sheepishly, only on hearsay. Knew they weren't any good, but didn't know anyone that owned one, much less had problems with it.

Then my local gun pusher gave me an offer I couldn't refuse...try a Taurus PT 709 slim, and if I didn't like or trust it after a thousand rounds, he'd buy it back, no questions...

I did, and it performs flawlessly. No failures of any kind, using FMJ, JHP, +P, 115, 124 and 147 cartridges from four or five makers.

It trust it now for concealed carry. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, but I won't trust unfounded opinions...or, for that matter, profess unfounded opinions on any gun anymore.

Len

 

[310Pilot]

Many years ago, I owned a gun shop. I sold Taurus and Rossi firearms for a few months, as well as S&Ws, Colts, Rugers, etc. They seemed, on the surface, to represent a good value for the buyer; however, almost every one that I sold (and that was after a thorough inspection, I sent probably 60% back as unacceptable relative to QC, without even putting them out for sale), came back within a week or two with major problems. Sending them back to Taurus for warranty repair was, at best, a bad joke. Most were never repaired properly, and function was, at best, unreliable. Pretty much a similar story with Rossis, though maybe not quite as bad. Needless to say, I stopped carrying them, and would not even order one if somebody requested it.

My favorite local gun shop carried Taurus extensively, but recently, the owner told me he was discontinuing them, as the quality is very spotty, and they were having far too many returns for manufacturing defects. This included both revolvers and semi-autos. Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

That's not to say you can't get a good Taurus, but you really need to thoroughly inspect it before purchase, and keep your fingers crossed. Some do come through which are perfectly alright, but it seems they are in the minority, and getting one requires a certain amount of luck.

Just my opinion, YMMV.

 

[blujax01]

I shot a buddy's 911 9 mm. I remember a lot of sharp edges. Admittedly, I was looking for any and everything I could find to support my "S&W is better" argument.

 

[Fishslayer]

Does anyone own Taurus guns and what type of quality are they in real life.

My first wheelgun was a 6" Taurus 669 in .357. I bought it because my brand new Ruger KP90, a gun with a solid rep for combat brick reliability, had to go back to Prescott. Stuff happens. I also feel like eveybody should own a wheelgun in .357, but I digress.

The Taurus is an '82. Fit & finish is good. Accuracy is good. I've only put a few hunnert rounds through her but no issues. I've been very satisfied. For $300 OTD (this was during the height of the Obama gun rush and I live in Kalifornistan) I feel like I got a very good value. As good as a Smith? No, but I don't have any $300 Smiths, either.

 

[CajunBass]

I've had three Taurus revolvers. The ONLY thing I can say bad about them were one of them had a set of ugly grips. The gun shot just fine, as did the other two.

 

[keith44spl]

Bought one for my MIL...Don't care if I see 'em again

 

[stantheman86]

Here's my 4 Tauri, all of them are OK, I think I'll cut my losses and count myself lucky these 4 have no real issues, and probably not buy any more of them.

 

[rimfired]

I own most of the major brands including S&W's, SIGS, Berettas, Colts, Brownings, Kimbers etc.

But my current favorite off duty carry guns are both Taurus's; the 9mm PT111 Millennium Pro & the .45 ACP PT145 Millennium Pro.

Why? Ergonomically they fit my hand better than any of the other brands, they are reliable and accurate.

The 9mm PT111 has surpassed 3,000 round mark and the .45 ACP PT145 is approaching the 2,000 round mark, and neither one has had so much as a burp.

From all the herd, my wife's favorite two are the .357 S&W M-65 Ladysmith and....drum roll...a .38 spl Spectrum Blue Total Titanium Taurus Model 851 Protector; which is their clone of the S&W Bodyguard series.

Her Taurus revolver is her favorite concealed carry piece and is approaching the 2,000 round mark with a hitch either. The vast majority have been 158 gr. LSWC's with a few hundred 129 gr. Federal Hyda Shoks to keep her current on their POI.

Any man made product regardless of cost is subject to failure. It it weren't so they would be no Rolex or Rolls Royce repair centers.

If you take a chance on a product you may be surprised at it's quality or you may get a lemon...such is life

Well stated and written. Thanks.

 

[rburg]

I've never owned one, nor will I. I've had a bunch of opportunities, but I have lived by the slogan "life is too short for crummy guns." I've sure seen a bunch of bad ones, and a bunch of owners trying to get out from under one or more with their skin intact. They rarely manage.

The reality is the guns sell new for a big discount from retail. Store owners don't want them back. Even at the large discount, they made a nice profit. But at the most they can only give someone half that amount in trade. They could obtain another new one for 2/3rds. Its hard enough to sell new ones, no one in his/her right mind wants a used one, especially if its been a problem gun. S&W on occasion makes a problem gun, as does Colt. Taurus makes a bunch more. No one in their right mind buys a used Tauri without a return guarantee. The last thing someone wants or needs is a problem gun.

I started reloading in my early grade school years, on my daddy's knee. When I got married, I continued on my own. I never had a problem round. But one day were were out shooting and a friend brought along his Taurus. When he ran out of ammo, he needed more. So I handed him 50 of my best. He proceeded to have a run of misfires. I'd guess he had a half dozen. Another friend and I were shooting the same rounds. Not a problem. But I did take some grief over my poor quality ammo. The other guy picked up the rounds that "wouldn't fire", loaded them in his ancient M10 and proceeded to fire the full gun load without incident. Then he noticed something interesting. The guy with the Taurus had also pitched out about the same number of factory loaded rounds. Those wouldn't fire either (Winchester.) At that point I made some decisions. I didn't want to go shooting with the guy again, bad enough he bought a malfunctioning gun, worse that he blamed my reloading for the same problems he had with factory ammo. The guy just wasn't a gun guy. Which is how I view most folks that buy off brand guns.

Life is too short for junk guns. Its barely adequate for top shelf guns from the best makers. Make your decisions based on how much time and money you have, and if you demand performance from your firearms.

 

[MotoShot10R]

I had owned a PT-945 for years...I bought it from Shooters. Heck probably from you.

I have never had any issues at all. No failures at all...not a one. It shot whatever I put in it. I sold it and now want to buy it back.

 

[roundgunner]

I bought one used for my wife, an 85 I think, copy of a stainless J frame.

We didn't get around to shooting it for a couple weeks but when we did we got one of those loud clicks, followed by a bunch of clicks.

We went back to the LGS that sold it to us who wouldn't take it back. I asked him to just take it back for credit towards a used model 60. He would not, he told me to send it back to the factory, I told him to send it back to the factory, it ended with every customer in the store knowing exactly what happened and my promise to never buy anything in there again.

I got the gun back and it did work but I never felt like I could trust it. I sold it to a man who took my NRA pistol class and liked it. I told him the story on it and I see him often, he has never had an issue with it. It did have a pretty nice trigger on it. Oh and the LGS is now a furniture store.

 

[old bear]

I bought a Taurus 617, seven round .357 Magnum two years ago. Since then I have put 2,000 + rounds of assorted 38 special +p, +P+, and all types of .357 Magnum through it. I have not had any problems to date. So my experience has been very good, yet based on the total number of Taurus stories (good and bad) I will not buy another Taurus or would I recommend one to a friend.

 

[Badkarma 1]

I've had a few Tauri and I hafta admit they worked very well!
My first 9mm was a Taurus PT92 and I shot the daylights out of it, standard pressure ammo, Cor-Bon 115+P and Top Notch +P. The pistol never burped, bobled, or failed.
My second was an 85 and that too got a lot of semi-wadcutters but no +P loads (I was still learning in those days) and was just a dependable little snub.
Later I played with their PT100 in .40 and found a dislike for that cartridge but the gun ran fine for the limited time I had this one.
The only one that was any trouble was a 669 in stainless, it turned out to have a bent ejector rod.
All in all the brand has never bothered me but once, AND I would mind trying one of their 1911s! Dale