SHOT Show Coverage

There was a lot of talk before the SHOT Show about some of the new guns Taurus would be introducing.  Well, here is what I found:

Taurus Slim – Taurus previously announced the “Slim,” or 709-series, pistol.  However, they are now offering it with a titanium slide.  Let me tell you this thing is light!  The Slim pistol is a single stack 9mm handgun that weighs only 19 ounces (unloaded).  With the titanium slide, you can shave a few more ounces off of that number.  The blued and stainless models feel good in my hand, but the titanium model is a real winner.  Taurus lists the steel slide versions at $439, and says the titanium version will go for about $100 more.

A brief review and more information and photos of the Taurus 709 SLIM is here.

PT22/25 – These tip-up barreled guns now sport a polymer frame and lighter weight.  Unfortunately, the only samples they had on the floor (one of each) were in a back room for a private meeting with some big buck distributor when I was there.  These will start at about $220 and go up depending on what options you get.  The rep couldn’t tell me what options you may get.

Taurus TCP – The TCP, or Taurus Compact Pistol, is the latest .380 ACP pocket gun to hit the market.  Kel Tec had this market cornered until Ruger launched the LCP last year.  Now everyone is looking to get in on it.

The TCP is a very small, very thin, very light polymer pocket gun. The sights are almost non-existent, but I guess this was meant as a last ditch “get off me” kind of gun. The TCP does have a slide lock.

I’ve got photos and more information on the Taurus TCP here.

24/7 – The Taurus rep said all of the 24/7 pistols were re-designed so the curve on the backstrap was slightly altered and now each of the pistols could hold one additional round as compared to the originals.  That seemed a little strange, so I asked him to repeat himself, and he confirmed the information.  As to why they changed the curve/grip he merely said “ergonomics.”

1911 – Taurus did indeed introduce a double stack 1911.  For my hand, it is way too thick.  The magazine well is huge, and the gun balances nicely.  Fit and finish seemed top notch on the floor sample (it better, right?).

Taurus also introduced a 1911 chambered for the .38 Super.

The Public Defender – By now, everyone has seen the Judge: Taurus’ .45 Colt/.410 shotshell combo revolver.  Well, Taurus just announced the Public Defender.  This revolver is also chambered in .45/.410 (2 1/2″), but on the smaller 85-series frame.

The frame was lengthened to accommodate the longer cylinder, but it is a lot smaller than the full-sized Judge.  Yes, it still holds five cartridges.

The hammer spur was trimmed and rounded to make it less likely to snag on clothing, but it is still large enough to cock for a single action shot (precision with a .410 shot shell?)  A fiber optic front sight and the ribbed Taurus grips are standard.

The Public Defender in stainless will set you back around $500, while a titanium model will go for about $600.  More information on the Public Defender is here.

The Tactical Judge – Taurus has introduced a tactical version of the Judge, complete with a ported barrel and Picatinny rail.  Read more information about the Tactical Judge here.

On all of the guns, the rep was a little loose with shipping dates and pricing.  So, stay tuned.  When they start shipping, and when we have firm prices, I will let you know.