#Taurus

Taurus has released statements through Shooting Sports Retailer regarding their recent settlement of a class-action lawsuit regarding several its pistol models, all of which were susceptible to discharge when dropped. Anthony Acitelli is the CEO of Taurus USA, the US distributor for Taurus International products. From Shooting Sports Retailer:

The firearms industry is at its best when creativity and hard work combine to create something that’s truly innovative and great… But that’s not always what happens. Sometimes, the quickest way to get a product on the market is to simply copy what’s already out there. It’s no secret that guns like the S&W M&P or FN FNS-9 are clones of the ubiquitous Glock, or that the subcompact market is dominated by guns that are all basically clones of each other, but the degree to which some of these models match up with one another can be surprising. For example, take the Ruger LCP and the Taurus TCP, which match each other so closely that, as one poster on Imgur found out, the Ruger’s slide will fit on the Taurus’s frame:

If you own a Taurus handgun, you will want to read this post. Recently, Iowa deputy sheriff Chris Carter brought suit against Brazilian firearms manufacturer Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc. for a defect in their handguns whereby the weapons could potentially fire when dropped. Those who own Taurus handguns in the following models may be able to, if they wish, receive compensation for the weapons as part of the settlement reached between Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc. and the lead plaintiff. From the lawsuit’s website:

In the summer of this year we reported about the class action lawsuit that Taurus lost, and was filed by a sheriff in Iowa over some defective conditions of their semi automatic line of handguns. The payout was over millions of dollars. However a video has recently been surfacing of several Taurus handguns in this infamous drop test, and the results don’t look very good. All three of the pistols in the video show significant results in their slides and triggers as a result of being dropped. Some of them the triggers are shown being pushed all the way to the rear, while another has the entire slide racked back enough to extract the round in the chamber. Now the video is in slow motion, so I would be curious as to how similar this would happen with other polymer handguns such as Glocks, M&Ps, and XDs. The biggest difference would be with the trigger bar in all these handguns that I think would prevent the kinds of trigger push that we see in the Taurus video. Either way, I don’t know if this video was used as evidence or involved in the courtroom drama in the summer, but it is certainly a testimony to understanding the drop tests and current Taurus handguns.

In a case that almost made it through the cracks T opClassActions reports that Taurus agreed in May of this year to settle a class-action lawsuit brought over nine handgun models, including six of the PT Millennium models. In response to common practice, Taurus legally does not admit to wrong-doing, but has agreed to pay $30 million to the Class members and agreed to “enhanced lifetime wwarranty and training for the firearms.”

When I first published the review of the  Taurus Millennium G2 PT 111 there was definitely a vocal number that disavowed a love for anything Taurus.  Apparently though, despite some bad experiences people have previously had with their products, this model is doing very well and is maintaining some popularity.

Last Saturday, a suspect was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle in Singapore. The 23 year old suspect complained about chest pain and was taken to the Hospital. There the suspect was placed in a room away from the public. There were two police officers, however when one went to submit information to the hospital, the suspect managed to subdue the other officer and take his side arm. The officer managed to regain control of the suspect and stopped his escape. During the scuffle, the suspect managed to fire three shots. The officer was shot in his left thumb and right foot. According to an article from Straitstimes, the suspect will be charged with unlawful discharge of firearms under the Arms Offences Act. A crime punishable by death.

Toele Shooting Supply, LLC, writes on their Facebook page:

Youtuber Andrew @ GY6vids reviews the Taurus Curve pistol. It is hard to see in the video, but as you can see in the phtoo above, the “curve is not the curvey profile, but the fact that the entire frame has a concurve shape, designed to curve around your upper thigh and, in theory, print slightly less.

Scottie writes …

Troubleshooter Berlin, TFB’s favorite German-based amateur small arms designer, has been experimenting out in the Arizona desert with a blowback-operated design based on a Taurus 92 compact. He demonstrates that, strictly speaking, the locking mechanism on the Beretta 92 pattern of handguns isn’t necessary for the gun to work:

LaserLyte announced a joint project with Taurus to sell the PT840, Millennium G2 and PT92 pistols with the unique Center Mass laser sighting device. Phil previously reviewed the LaserLyte Center Mass laser (on a shotgun) here.

According to Caleb Giddings at Gun Nuts Media, credible reports have confirmed that Taurus International Manufacturing have fired their CEO Mark Kresser. His release is a sudden move for the company after it has been trying to re-invent its image under his leadership for the past several years.

I’ll admit, the first thought that crossed my mind when I was told that I was to do a review on the Millennium G2 was, “Is my writing so bad that my editors are trying to kill me?”. As many of you may be aware, the Millennium G2 has a sordid history with a notable event of an unintended discharge, resulting in a severe injury and corresponding lawsuit.

Advanced Technology International (ATI) is now shipping the Scorpion X2 grips for the large frame Taurus revolvers.  The new grips will fit a variety of models including the Model 45-410 Judge.