Manufacture Quality

atvguy585

I'm interested in buying a new pistol. I'm also making a wish list for the future (2 pages Just Auto pistols), and I really haven't been looking much into Taurus. How great is the quality in the Taurus line of autos? I'm curious if they make quality, reliable firearms that will last or junk? I also read somewhere that they bought Beretta or a Beretta plant? Are they the same company like Chevy and GMC?

For revolvers I stick to S&W, Ruger.

I was also curious if anyone has feedback on the S&W line of autos? If so, make sure you list which model your referring to. I don't really like the M&P so I was looking for feedback on the other models.

bpost

My Taurus PT 92 AF has been FLAWLESS through many thousands of rounds. With that said; there are many threads and many posts on this forum with people having severe problems, including dangerous failures, with Taurus handguns. Many have complained of very poor service quality with the problem not being resolved even after several attempts.

You are going pay your money and take your chances.

gary wray

atvguy585.....bpost1958 is right on. Many threads on the GB Forum that I have read about Taurus have not been good, both to quality and to service. Having said that, my personal experience with my Taurus Titatium has been super! The gun is light and wonderful to carry and, best of all, is very accurate. Certainly not junk (don't do junk). The little Titatium (Gold model) has never failed me the years that I have had it and carried it. Looking into autos? IMHO, top of the list... go Colt, 1970 or before. Can never go wrong. Smiths? Never had a problem with the many (too many to name) that I have. Partial to the Model Model 39 in 9mm (single stack) as is the double stacked Model 59. Never had one of the newer models so can't vouch for them.

fastcarsgofast

Avoid the Taurus automatics especially the polymer framed ones. Poor designs and materials used.

atvguy585

I appreciate the reply's. I forgot about colt but I did not see anything other then 1911 in their line up. If that's the case, I'm not looking for another 1911 because I will just build my own. I have a few 1911's already but, I'm trying to expand my firearm collection to other models and makes. I am mainly in search of a new pistol for my new holster. My Beretta 90-2 and 1911 are to bulky with a t-shirt on. My other pistols are mostly military stuff like Makrovs and what not. I got the holster from SpecGear, it's the truss. I'm trying to make up a list and go see what fits my hand the best. I didn't like the safety levers on the ruger's because it's hard to switch off if drawing quickly. I'm going to take a look at the Px4 line up, H&K, XD, FN, SIG, CZ, and Walther. I was just wanting feedback on the Taurus line up to see if I should add to my list.

Here's My list so far (The CZ I didn't write up correctly will re-visit):
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B9ZQ9o3mVzH3MGMyMTU2OTYtY2Q4ZS00YTQ2LWJlYzMtYTZiMmUwZGQ1MzJi&hl=en [To view you must download and open in excel or open office or any other excel based program]


Another thing I forgot to mention is that I'm not a fan of plastic pistols. This is the first time I'm considering buying one since they seem to be more reliable now that the designs have been around for awhile.

beantownshootah

If I remember right, Taurus is a Brazilian company that was originally a South American Beretta contractor.

Taurus started out making Beretta clone guns usinig actual Beretta machinery, and for many years the ONLY available Taurus autos were these Beretta clones. These include the PT92, which is a clone of the older Beretta model 92, and the small tip up .22/.25 "pocket" gun based on the Beretta 21 series. In the last few years, Taurus has expanded its lineup of autos considerably.

The PT92 in particular is a good gun, comparable to the Beretta, but with a slightly different internal design then the latest iteration. Back in the day (and I don't think they do anymore) these used to come standard with beautiful Brazillian rosewood grips, which was a nice touch.

Apart from this historical connection, and the ongoing manufacture of a few older Beretta clones, there is no current connection between the Brazilian Taurus and the Italian Beretta. They're totally different companies, with different guns and different product lines.

The Taurus revolvers are (or were) originally Smith and Wesson knockoffs, but that's the subject of another discussion.

Getting back to Taurus, the company itself has had variable quality control over the years. There was a time when it put out a relatively high number number of guns with serious defects, and I think a lot of older shooters were soured on the guns because of this. In the mid-90s Taurus made a concerted effort to clean up its quality control and customer service, but many think its started to regress in those areas over the last few years.

In my opinion, Taurus' best auto is probably its oldest one, the Beretta clone.

The newer design Taurus auto guns may be OK. . .they may not, but so far as I know, none of them have really distinguished themselves in what is currently a fairly crowded and competitive market in semi-automatic guns.

In terms of the Smith and Wesson "number" series autos, these are somewhat mixed. Ultimately they're all based on the older model 39, but with variations in frame material, single/double stack, caliber, and trigger/safety systems. In general, the guns are reliable and durable. Most of the older police surplus type autos have dried up now, but you can still find these guns relatively inexpensively. I think for what you get (ie reliable, high cap, excellent Novak combat sights, and often stainless steel from a "name" manufacturer) these are still relatively inexpensive.

Possible drawbacks include ergonomics (I find the trigger reach somewhat short) and mediocre trigger pull. Some people like a frame-mounted decocking safety, and some don't. Mostly these things are a question of personal preference. Ditto for the highly "American" look of the gun.

I think there are better out there (eg I really like the CZ75 series), but IMO these are definitely worth checking out, if you want a metal-frame service type auto that doesn't cost too much.

Smith 3913, in particular, is really quite a good small 9mm, though these are not cheap.

Smith 1911s are good guns, but they're just another entry into what is an incredibly crowded field of 1911s right now. I'm not a super-1911 expert, but in my opinion they don't particularly stand out at their price point.

Smith Sigma series. . .not so great. They're basically Glock clones (though the parts won't interchange). For the cost, they're OK, but I think the heavy and rough out-of-the box triggers make them tough to shoot.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot about the SW99 series, which is basically a Walther 99 frame with a Smith made upper. IMO these are quite good guns, roughly comparable to a Glock 19 in terms of size and weight, but with a traditional DA trigger and decocker, and (IMO) better ergonomics. Again, this becomes largely a question of personal preference, especially as there are a variety of trigger system variations out there right now. I like the original "anti-stress" trigger system, though it does take a small amount of getting used to.

Unfortunately, the different variations here are a long post unto themself. . one I'd rather not type up again!

atvguy585

Thank you for the information. That was a well written post with a lot of info I found useful and informative. I really enjoy reading post like these if anyone else cares to share some knowledge.