Taurus (manufacturer)

Forjas Taurus S.A.
Sociedade Anônima
Traded as BM&F Bovespa: FJTA3, FJTA4
Industry Defense
Founded 1939
Headquarters Porto Alegre, Brazil
Key people
 Dennis Braz Gonçalves, (CEO)
Luis Fernando Costa Estima, (Chairman)
Products Firearms,
Revenue Increase US$342.1 million (2012)[1]
Decrease US$20.4 million (2012)[1]
Number of employees
 3,150
Subsidiaries Amadeo Rossi
Website taurusarmas.com.br (Brazil)
taurususa.com (USA)

Forjas Taurus is a manufacturing conglomerate based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Founded as a tool and die manufacturer, the company now consists of divisions focusing on firearms, metals manufacturing, plastics, body armor, helmets, and civil construction.

History

Taurus PT 24/7 (polymer-frame)
Taurus .357 Magnum Model 605
Taurus Tracker
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.

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.[2]

One writer said in 2010 that the "[q]uality of Taurus handguns in the modern era is second to none".[3] In 2015, Taurus settled a lawsuit for $39 million and recalled nearly one million handguns produced between 1997 and 2013 due to "safety defects".[4][5]

Firearm model overview

Taurus was originally known for manufacturing revolvers similar in design to those offered by Smith & Wesson.[6] 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 The Judge 5-shot revolvers (.410 bore and .45 Colt).[7]

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.[3]

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.[8]

Semi-automatic pistols

Revolvers

Small frame

Compact frame

Medium frame

Large frame

Families

Rossi models

Submachine guns

Rifles

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Company Profile for Forjas Taurus (FJTA3:BZ)". Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. 1 2 Ahern, Jerry (15 September 2010). Armed for Personal Defense. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 48. ISBN 1-4402-1643-6.
  4. ↑ "Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case". 27 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Taurus pistol recall: Firearms company voluntary recalls nearly 1 million pistols".
  6. ↑ Sweeney, Patrick (3 December 2009). Gunsmithing - Pistols and Revolvers. Gun Digest Books. pp. 228–230. ISBN 1-4402-0389-X.
  7. ↑ Radielovic, Marko; Prasac, Max (31 August 2012). Big-Bore Revolvers. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 55. ISBN 1-4402-2856-6.
  8. ↑ Campbell, Robert K. (2 March 2011). Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to the 1911. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 188. ISBN 1-4402-1894-3.
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