Taurus Armas

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Image:Taurus Tracker.jpg

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 1982.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/revisiting-80-years-of-taurus/380057, |title=Revisiting 80 Years of Taurus |publisher=Guns & Ammo Magazine |website= |language=en}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.genitron.com/Handgun-Manufacturer/Heritage |title=Manufacturer: Heritage |access-date=2019-08-31 }}

In 2019, Taurus USA moved their facilities from Miami, Florida to Bainbridge, Georgia.

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.{{cite book|last=Heard|first=Brian J.|title=Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics: Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence|date=17 August 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-119-96477-3|page=346}}

One writer said in 2010 that the "quality of Taurus handguns in the modern era is second to none".{{cite book|last=Ahern|first=Jerry|title=Armed for Personal Defense|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3coK8za7q4C&pg=PA48|date=15 September 2010|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-1643-5|page=48}} In 2015, Taurus settled a lawsuit for $39 million and recalled nearly one million handguns produced between 1997 and 2013 due to "safety defects".{{cite web|url=http://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/guns/taurus-agrees-to-39-million-settlement-in-defective-pistol-case/|title=Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case|date=27 July 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/07/taurus_agrees_to_voluntary_rec.html|title=Taurus pistol recall: Firearms company voluntary recalls nearly 1 million pistols|date=31 July 2015 }}

Taurus was originally known for manufacturing revolvers similar in design to those offered by Smith & Wesson.{{cite book |last=Sweeney|first=Patrick|author-link=Patrick Sweeney (gunsmith) |title=Gunsmithing – Pistols and Revolvers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MDAwpKEietkC&pg=PA228 |date=3 December 2009 |publisher=Gun Digest Books |isbn=978-1-4402-0389-3 |pages=228–230}} 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 five-shot revolvers (.410 bore and .45 Colt).{{cite book |last1=Radielovic |first1=Marko |last2=Prasac |first2=Max |title=Big-Bore Revolvers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V89WYyn1GeEC&pg=PA55 |date=31 August 2012 |publisher=Gun Digest Books |location=Iola, Wisconsin |isbn=978-1-4402-2856-8 |page=55}}

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.

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.{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Robert K. |title=Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to the 1911 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZvvXFQAe2wC&pg=PA188 |date=2 March 2011 |publisher=Gun Digest Books |location=Iola, Wisconsin |isbn=978-1-4402-1894-1 |page=188}}

• 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
• Taurus Model PT638 (.380 ACP)/ Taurus Model 609 (9mm)/ Taurus Model 640 (.40 S&W)
• Slim Series, 709 (9mm) and 740 (.40 S&W)
• PT-2045
• Taurus TS9
• 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 G3C G3X G3XL G3 tactical
• Taurus TX22 (22lr 16 round)
• Taurus GX4
• Taurus TH series (Models TH9, TH10, TH40, TH45, and TH380)
• Taurus THC series (Models THC9, THC40, and THC380)

• Taurus Model 327 6 shot .327 Federal Magnum
• Taurus Model 431 .44 Special
• Taurus Model 405 .40 S&W
• Taurus Model 445 .44 Special
• Taurus Model 605 .357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 606 .357 Magnum
• Taurus CIA (Models 650 and 850) – Carry It Anywhere. A concealed hammer revolver based on the Smith & Wesson Centennial
• Taurus Protector (Models 651 and 851) – Shrouded hammer based on the Smith & Wesson BodyguardFile:Taurus 856 Executive Grade Left.jpgTaurus Model 85 (includes Model 856) .38 Special
• Taurus Model 731 .32 H&R Magnum
• Taurus Model 73 .32 S&W Long
• Taurus Model 905 9mm Parabellum
• Taurus Model 94 .22 Long Rifle
• Taurus Model 941 .22 WMR

• Taurus Model 617 .357 Magnum 7 shot revolver
• Taurus Model 817 .38 Special 7 shot revolver

• Taurus Model 82 .38 Special
• Taurus Model 80 .38
• Taurus Model 65 / Taurus Model 66 .357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 689 .357 MagnumFile:Taurus revolver 689.jpeg

• Taurus Model 607 7-shot.357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 608 8-shot .357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 689 6-shot .357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 692 7-shot .357 Magnum/9mm/38SPL
• Taurus Model 44 6-shot .44 Magnum

• Taurus Judge (Model 4510)
• Taurus Raging Bull
• Taurus Tracker (Models 17, 425, 44, 627, 970, 990, 991, and 992)

• Rossi Model 971 .357 Magnum
• Rossi R46102 .357 Magnum
• Rossi R35102 .38 Special
• Rossi R85104 .38 Special
• Rossi R46202 .357 Magnum
• Rossi R35202 .38 Special
• Rossi R97206 .357 Magnum
• Rossi Circuit Judge .410ga/45lc (carbine)

• Taurus SMT submachine gun

• Taurus ART556 rifle
• Taurus CT G2 carbine
• Taurus T4
• Taurus T4SA AR-15 semi-automatic rifle

• Taurus Expedition{{cite web|url=https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/taurus-expedition-rifle-full-review/494356|title=Taurus Expedition Rifle: Full Review|last=Fitzpatrick|first=Brad|publisher=Guns&Ammo|date=May 15, 2024}}

• Taurus ST12

File:Taurus LT38SA.png

• Taurus LT38SA

A voluntary recall was issued in 2015, for nine of Taurus' more popular models manufactured between 1997 and 2013. This is around one million pistols and includes the following models:{{Cite news |url=https://guncarrier.com/the-taurus-pistol-recall/ |title=What you Need to Know About the Taurus Pistol Recall |date=2015-08-05 |newspaper=Gun Reviews Handgun Testing Rifle Shotgun Reports |publisher=GunCarrier.com |access-date=2017-02-20|language=en-US}}

• 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 was also agreed to, which amounted to almost $39 million, due to the defective models.{{Cite news |url=http://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/guns/taurus-agrees-to-39-million-settlement-in-defective-pistol-case/ |title=Taurus Agrees to $39 Million Settlement in Defective Pistol Case |date=2015-07-27 |newspaper=Grand View Outdoors |access-date=2017-02-20 |language=en-US}}

• IMBEL – another Brazilian firearms manufacturer.

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.taurususa.com Taurus USA] {{in lang|en}}
• [https://archive.today/20121209072052/http://www.taurusfrance.com/ Taurus France] {{in lang|fr}}
• [http://www.taurusexport.com/en Taurus Export] {{in lang|en}}
• [http://www.taurusarmed.net/ Taurus Forum]

{{Taurus}}

Category:Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos

Category:Firearm manufacturers of Brazil

Category:Defence companies of Brazil

Category:Companies based in São Leopoldo

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1939

Category:Multinational companies headquartered in Brazil

Category:1939 establishments in Brazil

Category:Companies listed on B3 (stock exchange)

Category:Brazilian brands