Taurus

Taurus International, established in Porto Alegre (Brazil) in 1940, is a gun manufacturing company that is best known for making price-effective facsimiles of popular firearms. This does not make it a rip-off outfit – in fact, Taurus International is well known for incorporating significant improvements in their versions of the originals. For instance, their PT92 pistol includes features that are not available in the Beretta 92 range of handguns (on which it is based). Far from engaging in any kind of plagiarism, Taurus included these innovative features after it acquired Beretta’s plant in Brazil, along with all accompanying product rights. The PT92 remains one of the handguns of choice among Brazilian law enforcement personnel.

Among their most successful handgun models is the large-caliber Raging Bull. This handgun, which comes in both double-action and single-action formats, is preferred by hunting enthusiasts all over the world because it is powerful enough to drop game as large a Cape Buffalo. The Raging Bull features a unique ported barrel and grip cushioning that reduces recoil-induced inaccuracy significantly. The manually operated front cylinder latch, similar versions of which are incorporated in other powerful handguns such as the Ruger Super Redhawk and the Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver, is yet another notable feature.

Taurus International manufactures the Raging Bull in a variety of configurations. The models that chamber .45, .454 and .500 ammunition can accommodate rounds in the revolving cylinder feed. The cylinder holds six rounds in those that are chambered for .41, .44 and .480 ammo, and eight rounds for the.22 and .30 versions. Depending on the model, the Raging Bull is between 254 and 419 mm in length and weighs between 0.80 and 2.20 kilograms. This revolver will probably be known as Taurus International’s most distinctive product, and the company has taken care to spread it over a wide user base by making it available in a variety of finishes (stainless steel, matte stainless steel and blued) and providing mounting facilities for optical sights and laser pointing devices.

After their first product, a revolver, was manufactured as early as 1941, Taurus International has managed to build up an impressive array of firearms in its production catalogue. The company caters to the needs of law enforcement agencies as well as the civilian market all over the world with its line of steel and polymer-frame pistols, revolvers, submachine guns and rifles. Apart from the highly successful 9 mm Millennium, another of Taurus International’s bestselling products is the Taurus PT 24/7, a semi-automatic pistol that the company manufactures in 24 different models.

The Taurus PT 24/7, which is being distributed in the United States through the company’s American subsidiary Taurus USA, won the distinguished NRA Handgun of the Year award in 2005. Weighing a mere 27.2 ounces, this single/double action handgun’s various models chamber .45 ACP, .40 S&W and 9mm rounds. Its magazine has an 11-round holding capacity. The Taurus PT24/7’s name is meant to reflect its round-the-clock reliability. One of the most attractive features is, of course, the price tag – it retails at a very reasonable $485.

The American subsidiary, Taurus USA, was incorporated in 1982 in Miami, Florida. The beginning was rather inglorious and it took the newly launched company a couple of years to find a firm market footing. However, the fact that it made technically perfect and even improved versions of popular firearms models available at much cheaper rates finally had an impact on the American gun market. In 2005, the company introduced the Frontier-style Gaucho (‘cowboy’ in Brazilian), offering it in .45 Colt chambering and in four different finishes – this handgun was an instant success. Among its latest products are the Taurus 24/7 Pro (with indexed memory pads, an improved trigger mechanism and the ‘straight eight’ sight system), the C45BR rifle (with a new hammer-mounted de-cocker and unique ‘longhorn’ adjustable rear sights) and the M605B2 .357 Magnum.