Wouldn't buy a taurus if I were you

[Bumpus13]

I was given a PT111. It was virtually new. It shot about 50 rounds. Then the slide locked up and wouldn't come apart. I finally pried it apart. I tried to put it back together but it was kaput. It went into the trash and I sold the magazines. Taurus is third world junk.

Bummer. Mine has been flawless through the first 6 or 7 hundred rounds so far.

Maybe your example was free because it was somebody else's trash. People tend to keep the good ones, while the lemons make the rounds. True for every manufacturer from time to time.

Small sample size, but the three I personally have experience with (mine and two friends) seem to be functioning fine.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

In the past bought 2. Both broke. Sold. Never again.

 

[stansdds]

Some are good, some are bad, the same goes for everything that is mass produced.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

The money one saves on a budget low end Taurus gun is likely to be eaten up by the shipping costs to send it back for repairs.

Friends don't let friends buy Taurus.

I do always get a kick out of the spendthrifts who defend Taurus on forums. These guys out there talking up their Kia cars too?

 

[OLDSTER]

The money one saves on a budget low end Taurus gun is likely to be eaten up by the shipping costs to send it back for repairs.

Friends don't let friends buy Taurus.

I do always get a kick out of the spendthrifts who defend Taurus on forums. These guys out there talking up their Kia cars too?

What's wrong with a KIA ??

 

[Dump1567]

Many years ago (late 80's) I was looking for my first .357 magnum. Due to budget constraints (I was young), I looked at Rossi's & Taurus'. I settled on a Taurus model 66. It shaved lead terribly due to the cylinder holes & barrel not lining-up correctly.

It was promptly traded away for a model 686.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I don't understand the willingness to buy a brand known to be substandard in quality. It doesn't matter if the intended use is for pleasure or self defense. Why put up with the aggravation? Why put yourself in that position knowingly?

People walk into our shop at work and complain that they made three trips to the hardware store and their keys still don't work. then they say "I should have come first!".

I owned eight Taurus guns. Some were new and others used. All failed or broke very quickly. The last was ten years ago. No more.

When I go to my friends pawn shop he smiles as he shows me a Taurus. He says "hey, life time warranty!". He's joking. He knows that the warranty is not a very good selling point. Not in my mind anyway.

 

[BC38]

The money one saves on a budget low end Taurus gun is likely to be eaten up by the shipping costs to send it back for repairs.

Friends don't let friends buy Taurus.

I do always get a kick out of the spendthrifts who defend Taurus on forums. These guys out there talking up their Kia cars too?

My wife's 2009 Kia Borrego is rolling over 150k miles and so far I've had to replace a front drive shaft and an AC compressor.

Compare that to the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee she drove before the Kia. I replaced two window mechanisms, an alternator, both tail lights, a heater core, and a transmission before it hit 100k.

Not to mention that the Kia is better equipped, has a third row of seats, has more power, gets better gas mileage, and cost 25% less than the Jeep. And FWIW I'm a Jeep fan - I've owned 10 of them and still own 4.

So yeah, I do like my Kia a lot.

 

[LVSteve]

What's wrong with a KIA ??

A bunch were recently recalled for a fault and the repair process could result in disturbing the fuel lines. This has led to fires and at least one death IIRC.

Otherwise, they are OK vehicles. More info:

Hyundai and Kia Fires - NHTSA Investigating Three Million Vehicles

 

[BC38]

A bunch were recently recalled for a fault and the repair process could result in disturbing the fuel lines. This has led to fires and at least one death IIRC.

Otherwise, they are OK vehicles. More info:

Hyundai and Kia Fires - NHTSA Investigating Three Million Vehicles

LOL, and Ford had the Pinto, and the Explorer fiascos.
Chevy had the Corvair, and side-saddle gas tanks in their pickups and the unexpected acceleration issue with some of their more modern cars
Toyota (and several others IIRC) had the bad airbags debacle
And on and on and on...

Your comment so VERY clearly illustrates the reality of the situation.

EVERY brand of mass-produced items has had and will have lemons. Judging all products of an entire brand by one or two failures is extremely myopic and generally serves to reinforce most people's pre-conceived bias.

 

[mikerjf]

I learned to drive in a '63 Corvair (in a Minnesota winter!) and think they are awesome cars.

 

[Echo40]

Too late.

Between my family and I there are a total of 5 Taurus brand firearms in my household and they've all ran flawlessly.

Taurus has the worst customer service in the industry among mainstream firearms manufacturers, but their overall quality control is no worse than Ruger, you just hear more negative reports than positive because; "It works" isn't as noteworthy as; "It had issues and customers service is giving me the runaround!"

That being said, I don't buy Taurus firearms anymore, namely because their prices are no longer significantly better than the budget-priced offerings from Ruger or Smith & Wesson, so I'd rather pay maybe $50 more for an American-made firearm with significantly better customer service so that if I do get a lemon, then getting it repaired/replaced will be less of a hassle.

 

[gman51]

Any company is only as good as their customer service and warranty. I believe Ruger has got to be number one for those two.
I have heard a few times that Taurus service and warranty sucks. I wanted an inexpensive semi auto with a 5" barrel with high capacity. After much research I bought the Taurus PT92 which is a clone to the Beretta 92. The accuracy and dependability of this gun right out of the box has been exceptional. Knock on the wood grips I got a good Taurus.
I also have two Rossi revolvers 20 to 30 years old which are clones to the S&W 36 & 60. They may sit in the safe for a year and when I take them out to shoot they both will fire off with not so much as a hiccup. Knock on wood grips again.
Just about any gun bought these days can have a problem right from the factory but how the manufacturer takes care of the gun and customer after the sale is all that matters. It seems Taurus doesn't know that. I have also heard KImber has a substandard customer service also. Again knock on wood grips mine is a good one.
I have seen a few Taurus models that are not what I call basement prices either. $700 for a Taurus, I don't think so.

 

[MOONDAWG]

Taurus is in the process of moving their operations from Miami, FL to Bainbridge, GA. and hiring 500 new employees.

Customer service should improve substantially once the new plant is up and running.

 

[27 Man]

I have read the quality issues problems of Taurus for years and vowed to never own one. However, I got entangled in a trade deal at a gun show that involved several guns. One was a stainless PT1911 in 38 Super. I figured I would trade it off at some future show. Going through my ammo box one afternoon I found a partial box of shells in 38 Super and decided to blast them all off with that long forgotten Taurus. They shot very well and produced a nice group. Later, I bought another box of shells and got the same results. Guess I'll hang on to it a bit longer and maybe get some reloading dies for it. However, it is the only Taurus I have.

 

[Rubone]

I only own one Taurus. I liked it when I saw it, I liked it when I shot it, and I still like it. It is a revolver however and less subject to some of the issues, and also older so not so subject to the last decades QC issues. ( discontinued nearly two decades ago) It is a 450T in 45 Colt in full titanium. it weighs about what a loaded magazine for a 1911 does. But it isn't a edc gun, just one I may carry hunting or the like.

 

[dubshooter]

I don't mind if a gun needs to be repaired. But I prefer if it doesn't happen in the first box of ammo. And I expect the manufacturer to fix it.

I just sent an SP101 back to Ruger I have had for 12 years. UPS picked it up on a Wednesday, and FEDEX dropped it off the following Wednesday.

 

[Spencerivey101]

I don't mind if a gun needs to be repaired. But I prefer if it doesn't happen in the first box of ammo. And I expect the manufacturer to fix it.

This. I don't like that Taurus has problems, but I get that they happen. Just sucks when they happen to me. And the way their customer service has just blown me off is truly disappointing. I realize that they're in a transition right now but I don't feel that that excuses this lack of service.

 

[elm_creek_smith]

The money one saves on a budget low end Taurus gun is likely to be eaten up by the shipping costs to send it back for repairs.

Friends don't let friends buy Taurus.

I do always get a kick out of the spendthrifts who defend Taurus on forums. These guys out there talking up their Kia cars too?

I've had 3 Taurus revolvers: an old Model 66, and 2 Model 85 SS2ULs. I sold the Model 66 to my reenlistment NCO in '92 and the first 85 SS2UL in '98 to fund something else that I can't recall. My daughter still has the second one.

Our 2008 Kia Rondo LX2.7 has over 165,000 miles on it and is still running like a champ. My other daughter is driving it since her Dodge started leaking everywhere, thanks.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

 

[CajunBass]

I've owned I think seven Kias over the years with over 100,000 miles on each. One of them had IIRC 270,000+ miles. Out of those cars I've replaced a bolt that held the alternator on, on one, and on the 270,000 mile one I actually had to replace the alternator. Other than those two items, routine maintenance.

I've owned a similar number of Taurus revolvers with fewer problems. I will admit the Taurus don't get used as much, but then neither do any other guns I own.

 

[scooter123]

So, Spence...The 442...what year and what engine? Pontiac had a good run of them with the little 400c.i., dual quads, 4-speed. The 455 was a beast, too! I definitely would've gone with THAT, even with a little 350 automatic. Heck, it probably would've outrun that .38 Spl.!

Yikes, what can I say? Pontiac never made a 442, that was an Oldsmobile product. It was so named because it featured V8 engine with a 4 Barrel Carb, 4 Speed gearbox, and Dual Exhaust. BTW, the baseline 442 featured a 3 on the tree manual and the powerslide was also on the option list, so it's never been a purist model, it was simply a bit of clever marketing on a specific option package. The 455 inch W30 cars were never a "beast". The 1970 W30 was a pretty warm but the drop in compression ratios in 1971 turned the W30 42 into a nogo showboat. Heck, my 2019 Ford Fiesta ST can blow the doors of a stock 1971 W30.

 

[Donn]

While I loathe weighing in on threads like these, I do defer to the gurus at my LGS. They don't include Taurus or Springfield in their inventory. That's enough for me.

 

[Narragansett]

I don't mind if a gun needs to be repaired. But I prefer if it doesn't happen in the first box of ammo. And I expect the manufacturer to fix it.

I just sent an SP101 back to Ruger I have had for 12 years. UPS picked it up on a Wednesday, and FEDEX dropped it off the following Wednesday.

Beyond Smiths I own one Browning, , 1 Colt and 1 Walther. I do consider myself fortunate, I have never had a Smith problem. The last Ruger I had was an 80's Super Blackhawk 44 mag. First day at the range, last shell out of a box of factory ammo, the ejector shroud,rod and spring came off and went flying in all directions. Never fired it again after Ruger quickly fixed it. I gave it away

 

[Pointblank2U]

When the Shield first came out, I got a couple in 9mm for my wife and myself. They ran pretty good for a year or two then I started getting malfunctions with both of them. I looked at the S&W website looking for a new recoil spring assembly (RSA). There were none to be found. I called S&W Customer Service and was told the RSAs were "backordered". I was also told they S&W was not maintaining a waiting list. To me, this was a secret product defect. secret recall. I ordered stainless steel RSAs from a third party and they pistols run fine now. Irresponsibility is not limited to Taurus.

 

[Art Doc]

You got a lemon. Ever notice all the posts about defective S&Ws? It happens. I have had 4 Taurus firearms, still have 2, and been happy with all of them. Don't condemn the brand based on one clinker.

 

[andy52]

Even tough Taurus doesn't have a great reputation for the best QC it can happen with just about a gun manufacture and it isn't like a new thing.
A guy I worked with called me awhile back and said he couldn't pull the slide back on a Ruger MKII he had bought new in the 80s. Now this guy isn't much of a shooter and probably hadn't fired 50 rounds through this gun. I told him to bring it by and I'd have a look at it even though I hate disassembling Ruger .22s. When I opened it I was astounded at what I found. The gun was filled with milling fragments that caused the slide to bind up. After removing all the pieces it worked fine but as stated above I took detailed photos just in case Ruger needed to be called.

 

[ROB94045]

I hear a lot of folks having problems with Taurus and I certainly don't discount their experiences but mine has been different. About four years ago I bought a Millennium Pro G2 and it's functioned with no problems. Several months after the purchase the loaded chamber indicator bar broke and the spring underneath it was lost. I contacted Taurus who sent me a FedEx shipping label for it. I sent it off and got it back about three weeks later, repaired. Maybe my experience is the oddball but I had to give them good marks all the way around.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

 

[H Richard]

I have owned 2 Taurus revolvers. I didn't buy either one, I won them at various benefits drawings. One was a .22 snub nose and the other was a .357 Raging Bull 6". I tried my favorite .57 loads in the one, and the best group I could get from a sandbag rest was 5", I never shot the .22. Both were used as trade material for more S&W's.

 

[Old cop]

Before I buy from a gun store I always ask about their service after the sale. If they say they'll ship the gun back if there's a warranty issue I do business w/them. Otherwise I buy elsewhere.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Not only did Pontiac not make the 442, they never offered dual quads with a 400.

No, but triple deuces on the 389 goat. Different body style. I'm sorry to Olds owners! They are in a class of their own! And a very nice car they were. Neighbor had the 442, green, with lots of burnt rubber coming from under the rear wheel wells! Sorry, again about that Pontiac thing! I was thinking about my BIL's Judge.