Pawn shop find: Taurus PT99 satin nickel **NEW GRIPS**

[olivehead1]

Picked this up because it was there and I had never seen one in person although I'd probably seen one online somewhere before. Production year 1991.

It's about 98% and having field stripped it, I can't seen any indication it's ever been fired. Disappointing as I usually enjoy cleaning these pawn shop guns but there ain't much to clean on this one.

Oh well, I'll find something to tinker with.

 

[Sevens]

These are good pistols. I'll offer my experience -- the rear sight is somewhat fragile. I snapped the elevation in screw in mine and in my travels, I am not the first and nor will I be the last to do so. Careful with that screw.

 

[Roller Delayed]

I have a blued PT92 of the same vintage - pre-decocker. These were beautifully made guns. Mine groups around 1.5" at 25yards.

Night and day different than current production. Those old ones are pretty much Berettas.

I like the two tone look of yours.

 

[Echo40]

Very nice.

The PT92 Series are among the best Taurus has to offer, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

However, keep an eye on that rear sight, as they have a tendency to work their way loose under recoil, are somewhat fragile, and difficult to replace since Taurus discontinued the PT99.

One of these days I hope to find a nice example of a PT100 or PT101, which the PT92/99 chambered in .40 S&W at a good price. Sadly, they've been discontinued and it seems like most folks who own them aren't letting them go because you almost never hear of seeing them for sale at a good price. You can usually find a Beretta 96 for less money than a PT100.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I am no fan of Taurus, but that is better than most of what I have found in pawn shops. I hope that it is a great pistol for you.

 

[Ribwizzard]

One of my first handguns! Was my first s/a.
Bought it 90 or 91, first was a Blue one, and a coworker went with me a purchased one like yours at the same time ( both our income tax return purchases) . Well about six months later, Charlie was broke and sold his nickel one to me for $150. I really didn't look at it, since I knew it was so new. When I got home, I couldn't believe what I found. The gun was covered in what I believe to have been dried up soda pop and chewing tobacco spittings. It was caked in the slide serrations and every other nook and cranny. I worked the magazine free and found the copper jackets had fused together inside the magazine. I had to pop the apart with a screwdriver as I worked each round out. The gun would have never, I mean never, of fired if he needed it to. I cleaned it up and shot it some, but every empty casing landed on top of my head. I probably could have shot it gangster style and been alright but was young and didn't know any better so I sold it. Kept the blue one a little longer but had the itch for a .357 so traded it in. That's all I have to say about that.

 

[stansdds]

I've known people who owned Taurus 92's, none of them complained about them. Maybe not up to the finish and trigger standards of the Beretta 92, but still quite good. I agree with what others have said about the adjustable sight on the Model 99, keep and eye on it as it is the weak link in that pistol.

 

[Mrnurse]

Had a Blued early 92 from like 1994DOM Bought New.... Shot perhaps 500 rds with no issues...traded for something else... Machine work was excellent.

 

[rwt1405]

I will admit to being what some refer to as a “Taurus hater”, but I will also admit that the first Taurus I bought (also my first handgun) was a PT-99AF.

I have to say it was the finest of all the Taurus handguns that I ever had (6 or 7, over the years).

I sold it when a local Officer I was friends with shot it, and then offered me more then I paid for it.

It is the only Taurus that I wish I had kept.

 

[growr]

My brother just bought a PT-99 at an auction sale but it is missing a magazine.

I remember that many would modify a Beretta 92 magazine for the Taurus....anyone remember what was modified to make it work? Beretta mags are very easy to find here in Montana.

Seems like there was something to do with the magazine release cutout hole......

 

[Sevens]

Some do try to modify a Beretta mag -- as I recall, the Taurus cut-out is larger. But you might imagine that what sounds like a tiny matter REALLY affects how the magazine sits and thus, REALLY affects feeding in the pistol.

For certain, someone skilled can do it properly, but Mec-Gar makes fantastic PT-92/99 magazines that will absolutely work, and they don't cost a lot.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Wow!

One of my first handguns! Was my first s/a.
Bought it 90 or 91, first was a Blue one, and a coworker went with me a purchased one like yours at the same time ( both our income tax return purchases) . Well about six months later, Charlie was broke and sold his nickel one to me for $150. I really didn't look at it, since I knew it was so new. When I got home, I couldn't believe what I found. The gun was covered in what I believe to have been dried up soda pop and chewing tobacco spittings. It was caked in the slide serrations and every other nook and cranny. I worked the magazine free and found the copper jackets had fused together inside the magazine. I had to pop the apart with a screwdriver as I worked each round out. The gun would have never, I mean never, of fired if he needed it to. I cleaned it up and shot it some, but every empty casing landed on top of my head. I probably could have shot it gangster style and been alright but was young and didn't know any better so I sold it. Kept the blue one a little longer but had the itch for a .357 so traded it in. That's all I have to say about that.

Can't blame THAT on Taurus

 

[olivehead1]

My brother just bought a PT-99 at an auction sale but it is missing a magazine.

I remember that many would modify a Beretta 92 magazine for the Taurus....anyone remember what was modified to make it work? Beretta mags are very easy to find here in Montana.

Seems like there was something to do with the magazine release cutout hole......

Before trying to modify Beretta mags, I'd suggest going to your local pawn shops (and LGS if they buy, sell, trade used guns) and asking if they have a bin of magazines that they wouldn't mind you looking through. Most do, and you never know what you'll find; I've picked up a dozen or so Beretta 92 and 96 and Taurus PT92/99 mags for between $5-12 OTD each, depending on the shop and who at the shop you're dealing with. Sometimes they're happy just to get rid of them.

 

[robvious]

I have had one for well over 30 years, my first centerfire pistol... many thousands of rounds thru it... I even have a 22lr Ceiner conversion... a wolf recoil spring is about the only recommendation I would make...

 

[olivehead1]

I found some period-correct medallion grips on eBay for $18 that are in reasonably close condition to match the rest of the gun. I think they look a little better in person than in this pic.

 

[ShivasIrons]

The Guns that Taurus does best are the Model 85 and the PT-92. I remember an old Dick Metcalf article where he shot a tree in half doing I think a 10,000 round reliability test. Those were the days...

 

[Old Corp]

Some years back a partner and I were instructing lots of CC classes and Basic Pistol classes. For loaners, we'd acquired a variety of .22 autos, but needed to start getting some centerfire hardware. Didn't wanna use our 'personal guns'.
I was working at an LGS and picked up a used Taurus PT92, satin. $200, hard to go wrong. In good shape. Store had a bunch of mags for it.

Anyway - that PT92 got a real wringing out. Many, many dozen class attendees used it, and it even worked when being fired 'limp wristing', which keeps the class moving. Back then, we were so busy that it rarely got cleaned.
Tried every weight and configuration 9mm bullet, all functioned fine.

It went on to be my truck gun (perfect niche' for Tauri) and now sits bedside duty.

I'm no Taurus fan boy, nor a huge fan of 'World's Largest 9mm' design - but can for sure testify they got this one right.

 

[Ross3914]

I had the exact same gun in blue. Pre-decocker and all. It worked fine, even with cheap aftermarket mags. Hey it was during the AWB and hicap mags for anything were harder to get at an affordable price.

Taurus had a great service as well back then. The rear sight was damaged when I bought it at the gunshow, and I sent it to them under their lifetime warranty. They had it back to me in ten days of me sending it to them. That's the shipping and service time, door to door. They replaced the rear sight, and a couple of other things that I didn't know were messed up on it. You couldn't go wrong buying a used Taurus back then, because if anything was messed up on it, you could just send it to them and they'd repair it. I know they still have the lifetime warranty, though I don't know if their service is still as good.

They're good, solid guns though.