Taurus (manufacturer)

Forjas Taurus is a Brazilian manufacturing conglomerate based in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul. Founded in 1939 as a tool and die forging plant, the company now consists of Taurus Armas, its firearm division, as well as other divisions focusing on metals manufacturing, plastics, body armors, helmets and civil construction.

Forjas T S.A.
TypeSociedade Anônima
BM&F Bovespa: TASA3, TASA4
IndustryDefense
Founded1939 (1939)
Headquarters
São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul
,
Brazil
Key people
Dennis Braz Gonçalves, (CEO)
Luis Fernando Costa Estima, (Chairman)
ProductsFirearms
Revenue US$240  million (2018)[1]
US$15 million (2018)[1]
Number of employees
3,150
SubsidiariesAmadeo Rossi
Websitetaurusarmas.com.br (Brazil)
taurususa.com (USA)

History
Taurus PT 24/7 (polymer-frame)
Taurus .357 Magnum Model 605
Taurus Tracker 627 .357 Magnum
Taurus PT 145 with a Blued finish
Taurus TCP 738, black with a blued finish

Taurus produced its first revolver, the Model 38101SO, in 1941. Beginning in 1968, it exported revolvers to the U.S. market through a series of importers.

In 1971, the Bangor Punta Corporation, then the parent company of Smith & Wesson, purchased 54 percent of Forjas Taurus, allowing the two firearms manufacturers to easily share information regarding design and manufacturing. In 1977, Taurus was purchased from Bangor Punta by its current owners, and its ties to Smith & Wesson were severed.

In 1980, after Italian arms manufacturer Beretta had completed its contracts to produce firearms for Brazil's military, Taurus purchased Beretta's São Paulo manufacturing plant along with the tooling, technical drawings, and work force necessary to produce several different pistol designs.

In order to more effectively tap the U.S. market, the company created a subsidiary, Taurus International Manufacturing Incorporated, also known as Taurus USA, in 1984.

In 1997 Forjas Taurus purchased the rights & equipment to manufacture Rossi brand revolvers. They currently manufacture three .38 Special models and four .357 Magnum models under the Rossi name, manufactured in São Leopoldo, Brazil. In 2012, Heritage Manufacturing was also purchased and its production later moved to Taurus' Miami, Florida plant.[2]

Products

The current product line includes steel-frame pistols, polymer-frame pistols, revolvers, and law enforcement weapons (submachine guns and rifles), the latter intended for the domestic Brazilian market. The company manufactures and sells its firearms for generally less than other manufacturers due to low labor costs, as well as having the facilities available to build virtually every part themselves.[3]

One writer said in 2010 that the "[q]uality of Taurus handguns in the modern era is second to none".[4] In 2015, Taurus settled a lawsuit for $39 million and recalled nearly one million handguns produced between 1997 and 2013 due to "safety defects".[5][6]

Firearm model overview

Taurus was originally known for manufacturing revolvers similar in design to those offered by Smith & Wesson.[7] The company moved away from this realm by offering larger framed models such as the Raging Bull (.454 Casull) and Raging Hornet (.22 Hornet) revolvers as well as the Judge 5-shot revolvers (.410 bore and .45 Colt).[8]

One of Taurus' most successful semiautomatic handguns has been its PT92, a model similar to Beretta's model 92 line, but with the addition of an ambidextrous frame safety, rather than the Beretta's slide-mounted safety.[4]

The most recent addition to the Taurus pistol lineup is a copy of the Colt 1911 .45 ACP pistol, the PT1911. This slightly redesigned and updated design offers many features.[9]

Semi-automatic pistols
  • Taurus Millennium series (Models 111, 140, 145, and 745)
  • Taurus PT22 .22 Long Rifle
  • Taurus PT25 .25 ACP
  • PT 24/7
  • Taurus TCP 732 .32 ACP
  • Taurus TCP 738 .380 ACP
  • PT92 (Models 92 and 100)
  • PT1911
  • Taurus Model PT809, PT809c / Taurus Model 840 / Taurus Model 845
  • Slim Series, 709 (9mm) and 740 (.40 S&W)
  • PT-2045
  • Taurus PT911 9mm (15 or 10 round)
  • Taurus PT 909, PT945
  • Taurus PT 908 (9mm) (8 round)
  • Taurus PT 51 6.35mm
  • Taurus PT 915 9mm
  • Taurus PT 917 9mm
  • Taurus PT 938
  • Taurus PT 940 .40 caliber
  • Taurus PT 838
  • Taurus PT 838c
  • Taurus Curve
  • Taurus Spectrum
  • Taurus G2C G2S G3
  • Taurus TX22 (22lr 16 round)

Small frame

Compact frame

Medium frame

Large frame

Families

Rossi models

Submachine guns

Rifles

Recall and settlement

Nine of their more popular models manufactured between 1997 and 2013 have been issued a voluntary recall in 2015. This is around one million pistols and includes the following models.[10]

  • PT-111 Millennium
  • PT-132 Millennium
  • PT-138-Millennium
  • PT-140 Millennium
  • PT-145 Millennium
  • PT-745 Millennium
  • PT-609
  • PT-640
  • PT-24/7

A class action settlement has also been agreed to which amounts to almost 39 million dollars due to the defective models.[11]

See also
  • IMBEL – another Brazilian firearms manufacturer.

References
  1. "Company Profile for Taurus Armas (TASA3:BZ)". Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  2. "Manufacturer: Heritage". Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  3. Heard, Brian J. (17 August 2011). Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics: Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence. John Wiley & Sons. p. 346. ISBN 978-1-119-96477-3.
  4. Ahern, Jerry (15 September 2010). Armed for Personal Defense. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-4402-1643-5.
  5. "Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case". 27 July 2015.
  6. "Taurus pistol recall: Firearms company voluntary recalls nearly 1 million pistols".
  7. Sweeney, Patrick (3 December 2009). Gunsmithing – Pistols and Revolvers. Gun Digest Books. pp. 228–230. ISBN 978-1-4402-0389-3.
  8. Radielovic, Marko; Prasac, Max (31 August 2012). Big-Bore Revolvers. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-4402-2856-8.
  9. Campbell, Robert K. (2 March 2011). Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to the 1911. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-4402-1894-1.
  10. "What you Need to Know About the Taurus Pistol Recall". Gun Reviews Handgun Testing Rifle Shotgun Reports | GunCarrier.com. 2015-08-05. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  11. "Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case". Grand View Outdoors. 2015-07-27. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
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