Before anyone starts to salivate excessively (or fire up their flame-cannons, as the case may be) let me make it clear that this isn’t a review. Like H.G. Wells’ 1936 Sci-Fi classic, it’s merely a glimpse of Things To Come . . .
All I’ll say so far about Taurus’ big service pistol is that it’s big (34 oz. empty), extremely comfortable, and shows a level of fit and finish that might be just one cloth buffing-wheel shy of a SIG SAUER. The Taurus’ long DA (double action) trigger pull is consistent and reasonably light, at a hair over nine pounds. The SA (single action) trigger pull is exactly five pounds, with a short takeup and an awesomely crisp break. The trigger reset is a very short 3mm.
There are just two minor hiccups so far: the gun came drenched and dripping with oil in its shipping box and you’ll probably lose a thumbnail before you’ll manage to jam that 17th round into either of its allegedly 17-round magazines.
Stay tuned for the full review. This should be fun.
I gotta be honest, I’ve been very torn about whether to pick up one of these. On the one hand, it’s a Taurus. On the other hand, it’s a Beretta 92 that solved my main gripe on any pistol: moving the slide-mounted safety to a frame-mounted one.
To your new acquisition: please be awesome. Please?
Frame-mounted safety and looks like a 1911-style “up safe, down fire” set up, too!
IDK,, it looks like a frame mounted decocker
I own a PT92 AFS. That’s a safety/decocker. Up is safe. Middle is ready to fire. Thumb it down and it drops the hammer.
Although it’s a Taurus, it’s a Taurus made on Beretta tooling. I have an early example and it is an awesome pistol.
I alway hated the slide mounted safety on those.. now they they have redesigned it, I am anxious for another look
That’s not a redesign, the original 92s had a frame mounted safety. Taurus just copied the first model.
Taurus Revolvers have served me well. They’re not Smith and Wesson’s, but they’re perfectly functional. I gave the last Taurus I had to a young man just getting started in shooting.
I’ve never shot one of their semi’s. Be good to see how this one does.
Shame. If it were chambered in .40 it might be a decent Limited gun.
PT100 AFS .40 S&W….*cough*
“But it’s a Taurus!” Whatever.
What’s the extent of parts interchangability with the Beretta original?
Barrel, locking block, recoil spring, I think that’s about it. You can swap the mainspring with the Beretta on the older PT92s (mine has the excellent “D” spring).
I got one of these as my first handgun when I turned 21. Mine is a PT92 AFS. It’s been almost 10 years now, and still running strong. I can’t really say anything negative about it.
That make a .40 S&W models. Taurus PT-100 and PT-101. The difference being that the 101 has adjustable sights.
Woop, was supposed to post this as a reply. Not another separate post.
please compare to beretta 92fs
The comments and suggestions are all pretty awesome, and I’ll do my best to work them into the review. Joe Grine has a Beretta 92, so we’ll definitely shoot and compare them side-to-side. Swapping slides sounds like a bad idea, but we’ll test the magazines for interoperability.
I’m not a big fan of manual safeties, but Taurus seems to get them right. This one is up to fire and down for safe, just as John Moses Browning intended, and if you press it farther down it decocks the hammer. Just like a 1911, you can even carry it cocked and locked if you want to.
Slides and magazines are not interchangeable. 92fs magazines can be made to work in the PT92 if you widen the notch for the catch though.
“This one is up to fire and down for safe, just as John Moses Browning intended…”
The up position on a 1911 is safe, the down position is fire.
D’oh! Too much Nyquil…
Can anyone tell me why Beretta hasn’t sued the pants off the manufacturers that use this same design? Glock has..so…?
Not to be mean or anything but I was discussing this question with a guy at the firearms counter last night at MC Sports.
PT92s are built under license. Hell, they were originally built on Beretta equipment (not sure if they still are).
This isn’t a Norinco type clone. The Brazilian Army took out a huge contract for Beretta 92s but they had to be built in Brazil. When the contract ended Beretta decided it wasn’t worthwhile to ship the machinery back to Italy, so they sold it to Taurus who bought a license to manufacture them. The quality is as good as the Beretta. Back in the 80s when Berettas were cracking their slides the Taurus had no such issues.
I know it’s become something of a fad to not clean your guns, i.e. Filthy 14, but please tell me you’ll clean all that dripping oil off thoroughly before firing that beauty.
I keep cleaning it off, and more oil keeps seeping out of every nook and cranny. It’s like a Thomas’ English Muffin, but made of metal and filled with WD-40.
I grew up shooting my Dad’s nickel-plated, wood gripped, beauty of a PT 92 from the 80’s. We still take it shooting to this day, with no issues.
I have the adjustable sight version of this the PT-99 and a Taurus 709. I like them both.
Call me a pussy, but life’s too short to load high-cap magazines without a LULA.
You guys should test the SGS style compensator for this. I’ve thought of it before, but it’s hard to justify considering the price.
Chris you Dirty Girl…you are such a tease.
I just wish you would put-out (the gun review) already.
Remember, Lots of pictures for folks like me who dont like reading. Please.
I’ve had two, loved them both. Liked the safety better on the Taurus, the decocker and lower price than the Beretta.
I have a 20 year old PT-92AF from the pre-rail series purchased back in the days when Wal-Mart sold them. It had a small burr in the slide and a slightly gritty trigger at first, but both issues smoothed out after about two thousand rounds.The only change I have made to my PT-92 is to add a Pachmayr grip. I’m interested to read your impressions of the new production pistol.
Oh snap! A must-have pistol for any collection. Park it in the safe right next to the 92FS or Inox. See which one goes to the range more often. Don’t care that you can buy them fresh and LNIB for under four hundred all day long. Doesn’t matter. Don’t be a gun snob. Still an iconic and ubiquitous design. Even evil Hollywood’s screen gun of choice.
I’ve lost track of all of the variations of the PT92 I’ve seen over the years. Black, gray, two-tone, stainless, two-tone stainless… Don’t forget the hard to find PT917C, that 4″ carry version of the full size 92. Is there one in my safe? Of course!
For whatever the reason, Taurus has recently (last year or so) discontinued a lot of the variations of the 92 leaving pretty much the black finish that Chris shows up top here and the stainless slide/anodized frame model. Still available in 9mm and .40 cal though. But some of the nicest now discontinued versions are only available on GunStroker and forum’s for-sale sections.
So John, you ask, what’s your favorite PT92? It would have to be the PT92 “Combat” matte gray finish variety. I was going to post a picture of it but HTML tags have disappeared???
How about, that review?
I recently purchased the Taurus PT92 AFS. It is my first handgun, and I love everything about it. It feels good, shoots nicely, and I don’t have any complaints, except for the fact that it comes in a cardboard box. No case, whatsoever. Upside: It breaks down VERY easily, has several safety functions, and of course… looks extremely cool.
This is NOT me, but a review that I watched prior to my own purchase.
just bought mine, so far so good. Sweet shooter…
Got the very latest version,92 afs with adjustable front and rear sights. Added VZ grips, Beretta d spring, Titanium nitride on controls, had the barrel cryo treated. It’s all back together and I friggin love it. I’ve modified some Beretta mags to work with it. Just put about 450 rounds through it, I’m making a hybrid leather/kydex holster for it with the viridian c3 light and laser… This is a sweet shooter. Ordered extra springs so I’m set.
i have the taurus pt92 af now as its the second one i have had. the first i stupidly traded for a beretta px4 storm(never have one of those pistols again). then i tried glock in all 9mm styles, (17,19,43x,and 26)no offense to glock but didnt like any of them to my taurus pt92.it fits my hand like
a glove. the only issue i had with my previous pt92 is a burr in the slide developed causing it to stovepipe.but it was after shooting it for 15 years. i will never part with this pt92 again as its a solid gun, easy breakdown for cleaning,on target for shooting at most any range up to 25 yards, great pistol all around as my only pistol i need.