Taurus knows exactly who they are. “We’re not out to make Rolexes, we’re making Timexes.” That’s what Taurus’s No. 1, Mark Kresser, told us. You remember that Timex tag line — takes a licking and keeps on ticking? Maybe not the fanciest or most glamorous watches, but they work when you need them to. We talked to Mark at the NRA show and he told us he wanted to change the way gunnies look at Taurus. And he knew what he was getting into when he started pushing that rock up a very steep hill. Before he got there, Taurus had worked long and hard to earn the poor to mediocre rep the company carried around. So what’s changed? . . .
A lot, actually. And as he predicted back in April, fixing things — something as complex as a multinational company — takes some time. While it never happens fast enough, all good things come to those who wait (and work their asses off.) And now their customers are seeing the difference.
Taurus has mostly focused on three things. Well, one to begin with: they want to be the most approachable gun maker out there. Meaning customers can call and, you know, talk to someone who knows guns. Their guns.
Meaning the woman who carries one needs to know that the TCP or Model 605 in her purse will go bang every time she needs it to. Meaning if she needs it fixed, she won’t be without it for months on end. And meaning the company takes carrying a gun as seriously as the people who buy their heaters do.
‘Cause the people who work there carry guns themselves. Taurus guns. And they preach concealed carry to anyone who will listen. Not just to boost sales, but because they see it as a right and a duty. How great is that?
And while re-making the company, they’ve figured a few things out along the way. Like exactly how much it costs – down to the penny – to fix a gun that comes back because it wasn’t right to begin with. And that’s why anyone on the assembly line can (in fact, is told to) hold a gun back that’s not right. Knowingly sending out a POS is a firing offense.
Have you ever called the IRS? Then you have a pretty good idea what it used to be like trying to get a hold of someone at Taurus. If, God forbid, you had to call Miami HQ, hold time averaged 90 minutes. Dial the phone, run out and do the weekly shopping, then come back and tell them your troubles.
Not any more. After upping their staff to 21 from 8 and spending a quarter million on a phone system that works, the average wait time is now three minutes. And the people on the other end of the line actually know guns, too.
But no one’s perfect, right? Guns break sometimes. Say your 24/7 needs fixing. Ouch…that used to be pucker time. In the bad old days, that meant launching your heater into a Floridian black hole. If you were lucky, it reemerged in 3 months. And if they didn’t have a part your gun needed (yikes!), it could have taken up to a year for it to reenter the atmosphere.
No longer. Now it takes about eight days to fix your firearm. Including shipping, door-to-door turn around time is under two weeks. And if, for some reason, they can’t get your gun fixed in 45 days, they send you a new one. Simple as that.
As for new models, those are on the way, too. Their new product development team has some guns in the pipeline that they think will be really well received when they’re announced. I saw one and they’re cagey about the rest, but they promise it won’t be more of the me-too stuff you may have seen before.
So will you run out now and buy a Taurus, a Rossi or a Heritage six shooter? Maybe not. Not yet, at least. But so far, they appear to be doing exactly what the top man said they’d do back in April. And if you’re in the market for an affordable home defense or carry gun, you just might put them on your list now. Mark Kresser sure hopes you will.
“So will you run out now and buy a Taurus, a Rossi or a Heritage six shooter?”
Nope. It is going to take more than a positive post to get me to run out and buy their product. I will be observing and listening to the staff at gun stores, reading online comments by owners at forums and blogs, and speaking directly with people who buy their guns and use their customer service. There are many good companies with proven track records. Why gamble with the reliability and accuracy of something as vital as a gun?
I don’t mind being the guy that risks a measly few hundred bucks to see how they’ve changed. Been eyeing that 608 with the 8″ barrel for a while now.
Hello Joel,
Did you ever purchased the 608 revolver?
Thanks,
Manny
I have purchased three taurus products in the last year. first was a model 65 .357. got it home and the cylinder release was practicallly impossible to work. i was worked it for hours with no resolution. my friend who is a s&w gun smith and convinced me taurus makes a good product took it and worked it over. He put in some shims and smith springs and did a basic triggrr action job and now it is great…but out of box it failed. next i got a pt111 g2. That was fantastic. I put 450 flawless rounds through it. i have a review on youtube on it. best 9mm for under $200 i claim. anyway next i just recently picked up a 608 4″ barrel. shot 50 rounds through it and it locked up. could not figure out why until i managed to get it free and could hear something flopping around inside. The transfer bar broke and fell down inside. So the gun is a paper weight. need to send it back i guess. question is does taurus pay shipping like smith and wesson? i like the g2 but not impressed with their revolver quality/reliability. two for two of their revolvers failed on me.
I own several Taurus handguns in .22LR, .380, 9mm and .40 Caliber, two Rossi handguns in .22LR and .38 Caliber and a Rossi .410 shotgun, as well as a Heritage Rough Rider .22/.22WMR pistol. All of them have been reliable throughout the years starting with the Rossi 5 shot .38 Caliber stainless steel pistol bought in 1982 at The Duffel bag in Tacoma, WA. for a meager $129.00. This Rossi .38 Caliber pistol is STILL one of my favorite and most reliable self defense handguns for concealed use, and has traveled all over these United States during a 20+ year military career. I have gotten years of service from all these various weapons and have no complaints.
Really like my Taurus PT-709 Slim. Nice little CCW.
I just ordered one last night!
While my PT709 Slim has been extremely reliable from a durability standpoint, its accuracy is at the bottom of the list. After about six months of trying to get it zeroed in, I think I finally have it like I want it (verified with laser bore sighter — not on the range since adjustment). We’ll find out this coming week.
Handling comfortwise, it is much better now that I’ve installed the magazine extensions.
I can drive tacks with mt pt740 and pt140. Trigger pull is a little sloppy, but when you figure it out it’s on
I’m happy with mine as well as my PT-99.
I recently had to send my new TCP back to Miami. I never had to wait on hold and the two ladies I spoke with were very helpful. They sent me a FedEx shipping label and I had the gun back in my hands in about 10 days. I would rather not have had to send back my gun in the first place, but their customer service was top notch. And for $199 from Academy it was basically an impulse buy.
Off topic: love the name.
“Relax Charlie, I got an angle…”
Poor kids today have anime and we wonder what went wrong…
Yeah…I think that movie did some serious damage to my pre-pubescent psyche. Good times.
Hopefully the quality and reliability of Rossi lever actions will improve. Now that Winchester has discontinued half their lines and Marlin got thrown into a pool of pure, undiluted suck by Freedom Group, it would be nice to have a manufacturer making a good, reliable .357mag lever carbine.
And no, Henry doesn’t count. They can’t figure out how to make a damn receiver loading gate, they don’t count.
Its coming, look for what you just for from Henry at SHOT show provided they have it ready to be announced or follow along on the Henry forums.
“a pool of pure, undiluted suck”
That is pure genius.
If I could actually find someone that has the Rossi .357, 24″ octagonal barrel, case hardened. Lever action (This actually: http://www.rossiusa.com/product-details.cfm?id=153&category=8&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=) in stock, then yes. Yes I would.
But so far, no luck finding one.
Now if they could only lobby their home country to have all of these wonderful things available in Brazil…
Why in God’s name would Taurus hang on to the Rossi name? If they want to say they’ve upped their quality (as if it would even be possible to go down from zero) fine, but ditch that name. Come up with something less redolent of cheap crappy revolvers.
Having said that, there’s certainly a market out there, for quality priced DA revolvers and lever guns. S&W’s astronomical prices have created an opportunity for someone, but as the owner of an (older) Taurus M94 (basically the Taurus copy of the S&W 22-32 “kit gun”) I’m not sure Taurus is the one to take advantage of that opportunity.
However, I’d love to be wrong.
I’ve never had a problem with Taurus revolvers. I really liked my Mod. 85. Every bit as accurate as any of my Smiths. The 85 was the last Taurus I had and I gave it to a new shooter to get him started along. I would not hesitate to buy a new Taurus wheelgun if They had the gun I wanted when I was shopping.
Agree with Aharon completely. I sent back a gun with a defective transfer bar (and described the problem). They sent me the gun back in the same condition – except they added a fresh coat of the usual Taurus dirty grease. 2nd time, the gun got fixed. They now have to prove themselves, but not through my dollars. I’ll wait for real reviews.
Customer service matters. Bond Arms, Ruger, and Henry have that. Taurus needs to prove it. They’re right below S&W, who has “never heard of an internal lock failure” before I emailed. Yeah.
Too many companies make quality products and stand behind them for me to take another chance. Taurus? After they PROVE themselves, I’ll listen.
I have 4 Taurus pistols a PT92,PT99,PT140 and a PT740 and I have shot 1000’s of rounds of reloads and no problems. If you keep them clean they work like a Colt. I have had the PT92 for over 20 years.
I bought a used Taurus 1911 recently thinking if it got monkeyed with, the lifetime warranty would fix things. That beat up .45 ACP has yet to fail on me yet.
Moral of the story:Taurus pistols are a lot better than what the gun store grapevine says. Kudos to Mr Kresser for improving the company the hard way instead of chasing a big public contract and jacking up their prices to fool people into backing the brand.
The people at the gun store see more Tauruses come back with problems than you do. I say this as someone who works at a gun store and also has a Taurus 1911 (which I’ve owned for six years and is still awesome.) – just because I haven’t had a problem with mine doesn’t mean a lot of other people haven’t either.
I’m curious though do you see a greater percentage comeback as if I sell 100 Taurus and 2 hk and I get 10 Taurus back and one hk Taurus has a better record
Never seen an HK come back with problems but a better comparison would be Springfield XDs, which we sell a lot more of than Tauruses but don’t see any come back with issues. Though percentage-wise it seems the Kimber Solo does worse than any single model of Taurus, now that I think about it..
You are correct. The only problem I have is with the slack in the trigger, not the trigger pull. The trigger pull is fine. The Ruger P95 and the SR9 that I see are junk. The KelTec PF-9 trigger is real bad and I get alot of misfires with it. I do have some Glocks and they are the best ugly gun out there.
I have been seriously considering Taurus. I know they have been implementing changes. To be honest, how a company acts is as important as what it makes. Sure it might be a great product but they need to answer the phone too. I was interested in the 24/7 .45 ACP.
You should buy one. My father in law has one and it works great.
Seems like I’ve heard this song and dance before.
I bought a mini 380 revolver in august of this year has already been back to Taurus twice. Words mean nothing. I have no plans to every buy another taurus. And the lifetime repair only means that the lifetime of owning the firearm with be in repair.
I have a 5 shot Taurus snubbie stainless in .357 Magnum. Shooting .357 magnum loads is not recommended. However, the gun handles .38 Special +P like a dream.
The gun has an incredible trigger on it..smooth as silk with a great break.
I bought the gun used for $200 a decade ago and didn’t put too many rounds through it, because I hadn’t yet discovered 38 Special +P.
Now, the gun is one of my favorites.
I’ve never seen a Heritage that I wanted to by. They (used) to get some parts from Pietta–but not enough. Their guns just don’t look “right” somehow. I’d rather get a tuned Uberti. Taurus I’d buy–I bought one for my daughter. A friend of mine bought a Taurus pistol, which he shoots regularly, a decade ago, and has had no problem with it. No manufacturer makes a perfect product–just go to the thread about “CS worst nightmares” from the other day. The only one I haven’t seen on the list is Colt–and I don’t kow if its because they make a particularly good piece or becuase no one buys their overpriced guns for anything other than an investment.
Colt makes a good one. I have two SA Armies, made probably before you were born, and they still are as good as new, except for a little holster rub from quick draw competition over the years. Still tight and accurate though. Hand guns I’m Colt or Ruger all the way. Long guns, Winchester or Parker Hale.
My LGS is pretty good about not pushing one brand over another, but when I asked about a Taurus, I was told: “Save us both the hassle of the warranty return run around and buy something else. Anything else.”
Mr. Kresser,
Please for the sake of us in the People’s Republik of Massachusetts, pay the necessary tribute to the District Attorney so your guns can be sold here in the home of the shot heard ’round the world. We need all the alternatives we can get…
Oh and drop the Hillary Hole from your guns. Even people in Massachusetts hate those.
I like taurus. They make some neat products and are not afraid to do small runs of off the wall stuff. Now if only they would bring back the 45acp tracker.
No, not yet. There are to few places to go for honest reviews of production guns. I’ll wait for the word on the street to turn positive.
If you could believe the mainstream reviews, it would be safe to buy a Marlin lever action right now. Which it’s most definitely NOT.
I’m glad to see that customer service is improving. This is really important to me when considering a gun purchase. I’m hoping to hear reports of improvements affecting product quality as well. As important as it is to know my gun will be fixed within a reasonable period of time, it’s even more important to know that I probably won’t have to worry about that.
I’ll buy one after I see your favorable review.
Amen to that brother.
I have been lusting after a side loading .45/70 or .44 magnum lever gun for a while now.
Marlin’s introduction of the crossbolt safety and subsequent drop in quality has put me off them. I dunno, the henry in 45/70 might actually be worth it. I can’t think of a situation where more than 5 rounds of big bore blastage would be required…still I hate tube loaders for anything but rimfires.
My buddy had a tarus 44 mag. The cylinder was junk and came loose and seized up in the gun. My timex watch from highschool still runs. Big difference.
+1 “He is an overflowing cup, filled with the very cream of human goodness.”
Edit: Meant for Hanover.
Is there any explanation for the comment system still bugging out?
Try clearing the browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox) cache — delete temporary files. That worked for me.
I’m a S&W snob, but I appreciate the new Charter. They’re putting decent guns in the hands of people who need them. If (very important word) Taurus can consistently (another very important word) make a revolver that doesn’t have the problems of a shot-out pawn shop gun right out of the box, I will change my tune. Until then, I will continue to recommend alternatives.
I wish I could get my hands on a Charter Pitbull 9mm.
Ruger already fills the pretty crappy but kinda decent role in the gun marketplace. Taurus has their work cut out for them. I wish them good luck, but fixing your logistics and customer service doesnt really affect the quality of your product. That being said, if they’re fixing stuff, they’re probably fixing stuff.
My PT92 has been perfect since 1991.
Older Taurus guns worked fine. The problem with the “old” Taurus was service.
I’ve always liked Taurus and have had good luck with them. Well… Save that time a spilled an ‘energy drink’ on a 24/7 .45 and the finish melted of in 20 minutes.
Not to self: do something about that caffeine habit.
I stopped listening to the “pros” at one LGS I frequent (less so now) when in the span of about 10 minutes he told me Rugers are junk, told another potential buyer that a used CZ 75 they had for sale wasnt half as good as a Glock and then proceeded to engage in some fantasy shoot em up conversation with another guy about what to do if the cops kick in your door some night. So i take any input from LGS employees with a shaker of salt if they come across like that clown. Which sadly many do. Thats going to be thr biggest obstacle for Taurus to overcome in the long run. You can fix a defective product line in months but a defective reputation may last forever. And BTW, for any readers that may be gun shop owners, I took my business to a different shop that only has two employees and they dont have the “i’m a super expert and you’re a newbie” attitude, and I purchased my LCP, and a Kahr CW45, a bunch of ammo and various supplies from that shop since then. I’ve been shooting going on 30 years and that type of clown seems to be becoming way common in shops. I won’t spend my money in a store like that, and to a lot of new shooters it’s probably very off-putting to say the least. Just my opinion.
“…told another potential buyer that a used CZ 75 they had for sale wasnt half as good as a Glock…”
Blasphemer.
“You can fix a defective product line in months but a defective reputation may last forever”
Another classic truth made here at TTAG.
Try doing business where the owner is the only man there. I have since ’94, great knowledge and service.
Of the 2 autos and 2 wheel guns I’ve had from Taurus, I’ve not had a single problem. On the other hand, I had a total pos smith 442 that would sieze randomly, and a glock 36 that had s lot of feed/eject issues.
Personally I haven’t experienced the supposed issues with Taurus, but the word is widespread. Glad to see a company acknowledge the perceived faults.
Is taurus the hyundai of firearms manufacturers? Will they pull off the same?
Competition is a good thing. Should they really pull it off, that will force others to up their game as well. Good luck to them a lot of people will be watching. Words are nice now let’s see proof.
‘Bout ten years ago I made a shootin’ at a bar. The shootee was hit by four out of five rounds from the shooter, who was using a Taurus .38 special with round nose 158 grain lead bullets. No ballistic gel, no trajectory charts, no chronographs. Just one dead dude and one arrestee.
Guns/bullets get Wayyy………too much media (mags, blogs) coverage these days. What won’t impress “ballistic gel” will probably knock your dick-in-the-dirt.
I’ve had a Rossi .357 for a few years now and never had a problem with it and in fact like it quite a bit. That being said, the research I did on them told me it was a gamble to get one that was problem free; sort of like buying an American made car from the 70’s or 80’s. I prefer Smith and Wesson’s revolvers over anything else, but unless I’m buying used I can’t always afford to toss down $1000 on a gun that’s only going to go to the range every other month or so.
I’ve had a few Tauri with no problems. My issue with this and other “on site” reviews of their Florida operation is, if I remember correctly, they only make mouse guns there and the “real” guns and cannons still come from Brazil. How much impact does Mr. Kresser have over their Brazilian operation?
Don’t how much control he has over things. But in Brazil their guns are restricted for police use since civies can’t own any caliber larger than .38 special. Guess the production has to be half decent for the cops. Just my opinion though =)
This article is just a puff piece. It is easy to say you are going to build a durable firearm and fix it quick. In Practice I have seen how bad this company is. They had my gun for Seven — thats 7 months. Then they replaced it and wanted me to pay the new FFL transfer fee. STAY AWAY until they practice what they preach.
I have one of their little .357 snubbies and have had absolutely zero problems with it. I bought it for a cheap revolver to carry in the pack on my 4-wheeler, but after shooting hundreds of rounds, both full house magnum rounds and .38’s, I find it on my belt nearly every time I leave the house. I’m an old retired cop who cut his teeth on revolvers, and can say it is a very well made little wheel gun that will still be shooting long after I’m gone..
I’ve owned a PT-92 for over 5 years without a single issue ( more than I can say about my Glock 26 or my Smith 4515-1, both of which I no longer own) Taurus gets a bad rep and I have no idea why, the PT-92 shoots no different from the Beretta 92’s I have shot.at about 200 cheaper. I’m currently saving my nickels to buy my next Taurus, Just have to decide which one.
Taurus, oh wonderful Taurus. From the days long gone pining for a PT92, until today when I purchased a model 85 for the woman unit to carry concealed, has the company really changed? No. The way the company markets itself has undergone scrutiny, but the units that company produces still go bang every time I pull the trigger. Is a Taurus my go-to-gun these days? No. Why did I buy my lady-unit a Taurus? Easy. She dragged her feet, and I am on a budget. If a .38 Special Model 85 fails her, then she probably failed somewhere along the line and it would not matter one bit if I bought her the Taurus or an over priced Colt.
Taurus is a company that produces decent quality at decent prices. I have owned different Taurus products before, and would not hesitate to do so in the future. I have since acquired a taste for more expensive things, and that divides the practicality. I train with my SIG’s and other weapons. Your mileage may vary…
I have become my own troll and have started posting replies to my own comment, oh the shame of it all!
The above mentioned Model 85 went to the range this afternoon for her inaugural run, and I experienced 2 failure to fires and after the tenth round, the cylinder would not release and swing out. Range inspection yielded nothing, but closer inspection at the bench found that the bolt was sheared. It looks like I will be putting my money right square where my mouth is and finding out on my very own just how new and improved the Taurus service folks really are. I will post results, not opinions (I figure you folks are smart enough to form those on your own). Wish me luck!
I own a PT 92 SS, a PT 111 and a Public Defender 45/410 SS. I have had no problems with any of them and would recommend them to anyone. I plan on buying a few more Taurus pistols and maybe a 410 shorty soon. Keep up the good stuff Taurus.
I’ve had a Taurus Public Defender for about two years and it recently developed a problem where the double action would occasionally get hung up. My call to Taurus was answered quickly and professionally, and the operator walked me through the process of returning it for service.
Two weeks ago I mailed it back to them on a Monday. Last Monday, one week after mailing it, I received a doortag from FedEx and picked it up the next day. Their estimate when I sent it was 6 weeks. Total turnaround time on the repair was one week. Talk about under-promising and over delivering. All in all I was about as pleased as one could be with the experience of having to return a firearm for service.
I understand that other people’s past experience was less pleasant, but at the very least I can testify to an improvement in their customer service.
In my short time owning 2 Taurus Semiauto’s, both of them have not failed in any way, and the quality was top notch compared to Keltec or HiPoint.
Taurus is definitely on the right track and I will buy more of their products in the future. One thing I hate are Gun Snobs. I hate to be one myself.
I have owned 10 or more Taurus revolvers over the years plus two Rossi Model 92 rifles. Almost every revolver leaded badly. Since many shooters use lead or cast bullets for inexpensive practice, gun reviewers ought to include any problems with the gus they’ve tested that become apparent during cleaning. About the rifles, one was a beauty and the other was a best. It was hard to believe the came down the same assembly line. I’d buy another one as they are beautiful and quite accurate, but I’d buy it from Davidson’s so, if it was a turkey, I could send it back for a quick replacement.
I’m a Taurus “fanboy”, loved ’em since my Dad got me a pair of PT92’s for my birthday many years ago. I still have both of them and have added a 24/7 GEN2 and a 24/7 GEN2 compact. Many, many rounds down range with no issues at all. Cheap steel case Tulammo likes to FTF, but with the “strike 2” it fired them off EVERY time. I have even modified my failure drill to include a second pull of the trigger before “tap-rack”.
As to customer service, I have never had to send a pistol back, but I have had this experience;
I bought a couple of spare mags (Taurus brand) from an online store. The store didn’t make it clear that the mags I bought were for the GEN1 24/7 and would not work with my GEN2. I thought I had defective mags so I called Taurus, zero wait time, when I explained my “problem” the guy walked me through a couple of things and we figured out what the problem was. Now, keep in mind that I bought these mags from another retailer, not Taurus. But, once we figured out that I had screwed up and ordered the wrong mags, the CS rep had me send in the wrong mags and replaced them with the correct mags! The turn-around time was about 10 days from the phone call to receiving the new mags. Taurus has my business for life. As always, YMMV 🙂
I would like to think my meltdown with Taurus-Miami over a PT845 had something to do with their supposed newfound CSR skills. They screwed me around for 2 months in 2010 before relenting after an angry exchange with a manager and sending a replacement gun. The threat of police showing up at their door with a warrant for stolen property finally got them off their abrasive do nothing asses. Their newfound claim to CSR fame rings hollow to me and I will never bother with their products again, thanks to the nightmare and sheer stupidity they put me through. AND sadly I got the same kind of know nothing treatment over the phone from Springfield on a XD9C. Dumped the PT845 and the XD9 in response to the hassles. Turnaround on my Glock 22 on a total rebuild? 4 days, not including the shipping time to Glock Smyrna. THATS SERVICE.
I had a PT111 and a 709 Slim which had to go back for repairs. Sent them both together on a Tuesday and believe it or not had them back at my doorstep the next Monday. Sold them both and got a 809c which had to go back with a broken trigger spring and that took 2 weeks. Go figure. However, I have to say that CS was always good. I still have the 809c and also have a new 709, PT145, and a 605.
What I’d like to know is why is it so damn hard to find magazines. Seems like the author of this article, Mr. Zimmerman has some contacts at Taurus. Mr. Zimmerman could you please find out what the story is?
I tell you, I like Taurus, I think they have good designs, pricing is good and the lifetime warranty makes it worthwhile, but man! The magazine situation is a big turnoff. I really recommend new buyers to think about it before spending their money on a new Taurus, check the market for accessories on the model you plan to buy beforehand, you’ll save yourselves a lot of headaches.
I bought a taurus pt 840. Within two times of use the trigger has came apart twice. I have never been so unsatisfied with a product. I bought this gun to protect my family and I’m glad it wasent a life or death situation. Now I have to wait 3 too 4 weeks to get my weapon fixed. I will never buy from Taurus ever again.
I sent a Raging Bull in 6/26/13 through an FFL dealer.On 8/12/13 your site said it did not have my firearm.On the 13th it said you had it. On the15th it said it was repaired.On the 14th that would have been 55 days.Should I be looking for a new gun ? LOL Next week would be fine.
I just purchased a new Taurus 605 because the store did not have a Charter Arms Pug 357. I have not fired it yet but soon I will walk outside and do so in my back yard. I do not go to firing ranges because I do not have the time. If the revolver ever fails my backup is a 12 gauge magnum Remington 870 Wingmaster
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My own experiences with Taurus back this up, but the other two “focal points” are still a bit blurry.
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My experience does NOT back up this claim. I bought a new 709 Slim at a local gun shop for under $300 and soon discovered why it was so cheap. After the preliminary cleaning and oiling, the pistol jammed (FTE) on the first shot. Tried different ammo with same results. Experience has taught me that a light deburr-and-polish solves most new gun problems so I took it home and stripped it again. On close inspection, I found MANY parts which were poorly machined and/or fitted, including the slide, sights, extractor, locking mechanism, striker, and barrel (feed ramp). The dovetail cut for the rear sight was crooked and someone at Taurus had forced the sight into place without correcting the cut. Same with the rear cover plate – it was forced into place so tightly that I had to destroy it to remove it. A call to Taurus got me a free cover plate and sights, but the pistol required MANY hours of hand fitting before all the parts fit and functioned properly. I know I could have sent it to Taurus for repair, but there are so many stories on the internet about long wait times and guns coming back without their problems fixed that I decided to do it myself. The pistol functions perfectly now, and I trust my life to it. The thing I’m most grateful for is Taurus’ willingness to provide prepaid shipping labels and send replacement parts for free, but I think they’d be well advised to sell replacement parts on their website. I prefer to do my own gun repair whenever possible and I’m sure many others do too. I would also like to order spare parts without having to call customer service.
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Unfortunately, nothing I’ve read on the internet supports this claim. I sincerely hope that changes in the future.
My 740 slim went back to the factory for trigger repair, did a good job. Gun feels good, shoots good, and reliable. I would like to use the gun, and I would carry it, if Taurus would take some of that money they put in their mouth, and make some magazines so I can buy just one. Six rounds is not enough, and that’s why I still carry my shield, which is a very good gun.
Bought my ’92 357 mag ss this morning and sent It back tonight. It was’nt cycling at all and the loading gate wouldn’t open to load the second cartridge. POS
I bought the PT-111 millennium pro G2. It had several problems and I had to send it back. It took Taurus 7 weeks to get the firearm back too me. Not to mention I called every week to get an update.
The only response I got was: “your weapon had a few dangerous issues. It’s with our review board to determine if we can fix it or not.”
I will never buy another Taurus again and I will tell anybody thinking about buying one not too.
It’s a joke the weapon I bought made it through any QC.. if they really have any.
I think that 45-day rule is bogus.
My M44 has been in FL since Jun 5th. I called them yesterday (7-21) and they said that on July 1st, they ordered me a new barrel from Brazil. They told me that would take, going by the average, six weeks to come in. THEN, it would be a couple more weeks to finish the repair.
So I could very well be waiting on my gun to come home all the way into September. I bought the gun on 5/23.
Long story short, I’m already on the cusp of the two-month mark and I may have another month/ month and a half left to go.
So how does this 45-day thing work? Calendar days or business days? Do they start the count over if they have to order a part? I think it’s a marketing ploy.
I will say they’ve been uber-nice to me over the phone. But, from my experience, I’m still waiting for mine to ‘reenter the atmosphere.’
So this is day 61 for my M44. WAAAAYYY past the “45 day” mark any way you count it.
I called yesterday and was told that a supervisor would personally go down to the shop floor and ‘put his hands’ on the gun to see what the story was. I was told to expect a call back at 6:30pm.
Never happened.
I called this morning and was told the same story. I’m still waiting to hear back from someone at Taurus.
I actually bought this firearm based on this article. I thought maybe it was true that Taurus wanted to turn over a new leaf and at the worst, I’d get a new gun after 45 days if I had to return it.
Wrong.
Taurus has lost me as a customer. I know you hear that a lot online, but it’s true. I could have gotten a Ruger or a Smith. I chose to go with Taurus because I’d never had one before. Looks like I’ll never have another one, either.
Taurus, you’re in the fail boat with Mossberg. You two are the weakest link.
Just talked to Taurus about the 45-day thing. The 45-day count only starts once the gun goes into “Awaiting Parts” status. My gun was in “Under Repair” status for a month before going into “Awaiting Parts” status.
At the 45 day mark, there’s a whole slew of things that have to happen before you get a new gun and YOU pay FFL costs to get it, even then.
So there you go. My gun’s been gone since 5/26/14. Today is 8/5/14. STILL haven’t reached the 45 day mark yet. Sounds like they really know how to space out their status updates to stretch things out.
“Now it takes about eight days to fix your firearm.”
B.S.
8/7, Taurus called to say they ordered the wrong part for my gun. They offered to replace it, which is awesome. Only problem is they don’t have a comparable gun in stock. I could, of course, wait a month or two to see if somethig comes in. Awesome.
Taurus USA needs to have a better shipping/workng relationship with their parent company in Brazil. It took them a whole month to ship the wrong part for me.
So; still waiting on a gun I sent in well over two months ago.
8/15 I received a replacement gun. It’s a 4″ instead of the 6.5″ I originally purchased.
But it seems to shoot great.
I bought a new Taurus 44mag stainless 6 1/2″ barrel a few months ago. Since that time, my Taurus has been sent back to the factory twice now. It locks up. The cylinder does not and will not rotate. It is very undependable. I bought this gun to carry with me while hiking in bear country. I chose it due to its factory porting. When it does shoot, there is very little recoil even when shooting bear loads such as double taps 320gr hard cast bullet. It is extremely accurate too. But all of these things mean nothing since I can’t depend on it when I need it. I’ve been shooting for over 45 years. I have owned many revolvers in my lifetime and have never ever had problems until I bought this Taurus. The marines taught me too a lot about weapons.
This article is a load of shit. I purchased a NEW tcp and right out of the box it would lock open with one round left in the magazine. Slide release was never right either. Sent it back, it’s been sitting still for a month now. Nobody’s even picked it up. What’s the average phone call time? Cause I had to wait an hour and a half. How do you send out a gun that doesn’t function right? Spend the extra money folks!
Note: this article was written a while back. The CEO who was championing these changes was fired. Your experience is noted for an update. Thanks!
I’ve had one for 10 years now.. 9mm. I love it. Just got some additional mags for it. Grip is extremely worn off… back in the day they were making soft rubber grips… loved the feel… just couldn’t stand the test of time. Still a nail driver in skilled hands. Never… allow me to emphasize… NEVER had a misfire, fte, ftl. Smoothest firing gun I’ve ever had. Pondering getting the .45.
2016 update on my four Taurus products. 1911, TCP, model 85 & a Heritage 22/22 mag. All have been flawless with an average of 1000 rounds through each. All in stainless except Heritage. Fit & finish is great. Really can’t ask for anymore. I have other ‘high end’ guns too to compare side by side. Taurus saved me a lot of money by building everything in house. Modern methods & Brazillian wages perhaps. I’ve been very pleased. Worth a try. Don’t believe ,the negative hype. Ayoob,Spaulding,Clapp, Smith all speak well of them too. I’m in good company I feel. Ten,six & four years of ownership & use. No problems.
I purchased 2 of the pt111 g2’s a little over a month ago, one for myself and one for my wife, and a pt140 g2 as well. So far the pt111’s have performed flawlessly (once my wife learned the proper grip and stopped limp-wristing hers), but on the 30th round through the pt140 the trigger safety broke. Emailed Taurus SC and they promptly called back then emailed me a FedEx shipping label on their tab. Gun arrived at Taurus 2nd day and they again emailed me that they had received it with the disclaimer of up to 6 weeks turnaround. I assume that’s just standard repair speak, we’ll see how long it actually takes. So far, am very happy with their SC, though not so happy about the gun.
I plan to put a lot more rounds through the .40 when I get it back as well as the two 9’s to make sure there are no more problems. I love the guns, and if they hold up, I plan to buy the TCP as well! Keeping my fingers crossed.
Funny reading this older article considering the trainwreck that is going on at Taurus right now with their bogus “recall” on the entire Millenium/ 24/7 line. They havent taken one gun back after over a year they just stonewall. Taurus vs. a rock, at least the rock wont shoot you in the butt if you drop it.
Two words describe my feelings about Taurus firearms: NEVER AGAIN. I’ve had THREE Taurus pistols. The first one was a PT-40, a full sized frame .40 cal. The rear sight would come loose, and the weapon frequently would not fire. After sending it back for repair FIVE TIMES, I gave up and sold it.
Many years later, I started reading good things about the Millennium Pro series, so I went and bought a PT-145, which started out great, but became a horror story several years later (more on that later).
A couple of years after buying the PT-145, I decided to try the TCP-738… HUGE MISTAKE. That weapon started jamming IMMEDIATELY. It turned out that the takedown pin was working its way out, causing the slide and barrel to skew (made clearing the jam very difficult).
I sent the weapon back to Taurus and after FIVE MONTHS (and a lot of angry phone calls) they finally replaced it. That weapon would not retain magazines. They would just fall out. It went back to the factor 4 more times before they got it right.
The horror stories about the PT-145 started when a lawsuit was filed against Taurus because all of their “Millennium Pro” series weapons had a tendency to discharge when dropped (with the safety ON). I sent my pistol back in Sept. 2015. It is now Nov 2016 and I am still waiting for a repair or replacement. Every time I call Taurus the story changes (that is IF I can even get in touch with a person)
This was my LAST Taurus.
I purchased my first Taurus in the 1980’s when Taurus took over the Beretta factory in Brazil and started making the Taurus PT92. The PT92 has never failed in over 30 years of use. I carried that PT92 with me everyday, everywhere, I traveled for 20 plus years. My second Taurus pistol was a 24/7 Compact and it has also never had a failure of any kind. I purchased it about a year after the 24/7 Compact came to market. Now, that I am retired I want something a little lighter on the hip to carry around so I will be getting a PT709 Slim and I expect it to do just as well as my other two Taurus pistols have for all these years. Personally, I’ve never had a problem with Taurus pistols and I make sure to send about 100 rounds down each one’s bore a least once every six months just to keep in practice with them.