Do I need a CHL?

The Raven wrote:

my primary carry is a Taurus PT-140. very small, light, cheap, 10+1 .40 cal. SA/DA

Ugh. Personally I can't stand them. Worst-executed Glock rip-off attempt...ever. Their slide is way too tall, the sighting system sucks, the grip is too long, sucks to shoot, and it just generally doesn't feel right. Maybe I'm biased, though, as I was raised on Glocks. Personally, I don't advocate cheaping out on a firearm, especially one you might one day rely on to save your life. If you don't like shooting it, you won't, and that's not helpful for when shit unexpectedly hits the fan. If you have to save for another week or another month or whatever to scrounge up the extra 1 or 2 hundred bucks, it's worth it.

No offense, though. If it does work for you, awesome, because hey, cheaper and works great. Personally, though, it's not for me.

i agree 100% with you. don't cheap on something with the potencial to save your life, however, i've shot many different styles and this one feels perfect. my hand indexes right where it's needed. just because it's polymer doesn't make it glock wannabe. they have done the same test with the taurus line, with throwing them in the mud, running over them with a tank etc... and ALL sights suck when you deal with a 3.25" barrel.

i'm not taking offense just throwing out my side. taurus had major problems a few years ago, once they bought baretta they started getting a little quality control. most people were just so turned off by them from thier previous failed attempts. now they have quality products, and customer service but have to price them "affordablity" because they don't have the fan base that say the glocks do.

good luck with your choice, me personally i'm saving up fo the full size 24/7

Deacon wrote:

Maybe I'm biased, though, as I was raised on Glocks.

Funny you said that. I was raised on S&W revolvers and Colt model 1911. My dad really hates Glocks but after I bought two S&W polymer pistols he seems to be letting up on them. I'm warming up to Glocks now. I'd like to buy a Glock 21 and do the .50 conversion on it just for the hell of having an unusual caliber in my arsenal.

The Raven wrote:

Taurus had major problems a few years ago, once they bought baretta they started getting a little quality control. most people were just so turned off by them from thier previous failed attempts. now they have quality products, and customer service but have to price them "affordablity" because they don't have the fan base that say the glocks do.

That's a fact (sorta):
The Beretta 92 was designed for sports and law enforcement use and, due to its reliability, was accepted by military users in South America. A large contract for the Beretta 92 was with the Brazilian army, for which Beretta set up a factory in Brazil. This factory was later sold to the Brazilian gunmaker Taurus. Taurus make these pistols (called the PT92) without the need for a license from Beretta since their design is based on the original Beretta 92, whose patents have since expired. The PT92 can be distinguished from its Beretta counterpart primarily by having the safety mounted on the frame as opposed to on the slide like the Beretta, though PT92's are essentially identical to early Beretta 92's.

Beretta still makes handguns.....

Most have a love/hate thing with the Taurus - back when I first started looking for a handgun the weapon of choice was Glock - they set the bar high with a polymer frame and then every mfg followed....... IMO they changed the industry. Back then Taurus had good, affordable revolvers but I wasn't interested in "only" six shots - and their autoloaders had a bad rep. When I purchased my first handgun it was to work as a police officer and I did not want to go with any weapon or mfg that had a bad history my first choice was a Glock 10mm, after watching a video of the abuse those things take I wa sold. I went from a 10mm (too much penetration) to a .40 which is a nice round IMO to the HK USP 40.... and now to the .45 1911. I do have my little S&W 340 that is my new fave, it fits right in my pocket and you cannot tell it is there and .357 mag will get anyone's attention.

I have heard nothing bad (recently) about the Taurus..... I had one buddy who wasn't real happy with their customer service but I am not sure of the entire story - either way he got the problem resolved.

Yeah, like I said, if they're right for you, well then good. It works out well. I just haven't liked any Taurus semi-auto I've ever fired, and the respective owners have all since said that while they liked the Taurus fine, I guess, they're really looking toward a Glock, XD .40, M&P 40, etc. Granted, that's only 3 of them, but still

If I couldn't carry the Glock 27 I'd probably have to look into it more, but I'd probably have to first try one of the Glock knock-offs from Springfield or S&W, at least for actual carry purposes. Otherwise I've always liked the H&K USP Compact, and I'm pretty sure I could be talked into one of several SIG Saurs

OK.... I realize that this thread has taken one hell of a turn in terms of debate...but here is something cool that I found while researching a little more on Taurus.... it builds on the first thread and has an interesting tidbit of info:

Beretta had won a huge contract in 1974 to produce small arms for the army of Brazil. Part of the deal was that Beretta construct a Brazilian factory and use Brazilian labor. This they did, in the southwestern coastal city of Sao Paulo. When the contract ran out in 1980, Beretta sold the plant, literally "lock, stock and barrel," to Taurus. Taurus now owned everything that once belonged to Beretta, including drawings, tooling, machinery, and a very experienced work force. Taurus was in the pistol business, and immediately sought to improve on the Beretta design, resulting in the popular and acclaimed Taurus PT-92 and PT-99 9mm pistols.

The next milestone for Taurus came in 1982. This is when the Brazil management decided to "take the bull by the horns" by opening an affiliated company, Taurus, in Miami, Florida. Sales that first year in America were limited as a solid distribution system had to be established. Taurus guns had not been advertised or written up in the shooting press. Taurus was truly an unknown commodity in the United States. This situation was to change dramatically in the next few years.

At the Dallas, Texas S.H.O.T. Show in 1984, Taurus was to make an announcement that was to have a tremendous impact on the entire industry. Taurus became the first company to offer its customers an unqualified LIFETIME REPAIR POLICY. This one brilliant piece of marketing changed the course of the company in this market. Only recently has this policy been matched. It has never been exceeded. In 1984, this daring innovative policy made everyone sit up and take notice of Taurus Firearms. The U. S. company has posted record years ever since...


OK... .with all that being said it is obvious (to me) that Taurus knew they had a reputation issue and worked hard to fix it - first by purchasing the Beretta plant and then by offering a lifetime repair policy....

Now I am not going to run out and buy a Taurus, I love my 1911, just thought it was cool to see their progress.

Thanks for the info! i find myself defending my carry choice quite often.

Interesting...