[ChuckP]

First of all, thanks for all the input on "ambidextrous" guns for lefties like me. Settled on a PT92AFS in matte stainless. It meets my ambi requirement (my right handed son will also be shooting it) and the price was right.

Took it to the range today for the first time. Fired 200 rounds with 199 out 200 shots with no problems. One round of Wolf cheapie ammo was a dud, but gun itself never malfunctioned.

Not crazy about the sights but managed respectable groups after I got used to it. Trigger pull, even single action, is pretty heavy but I guess that's better than too light.

One thing I can't figure out is how to get more than 10 rounds in the 17 round magazines! The first 9 are easy, the 10th is a struggle and anything more than that impossible unless you are one of the finalists in "World's Strongest Man" competition! Can I assume the spring will eventually weaken a bit? Is there some "trick" to getting all 17 rounds in the mag (other than spending more time at the gym)? I thought about leaving the magazines loaded for a week or so to see if that will take the grunt out of the springs a notch or two.

I definitely like the ease of field stripping the PT92. Turn a lever a quarter turn and the slide comes right off. cAll in all, I'm satisfied with my purchase (at least after the first 200 rounds).

-Chuck

[Moonclip]

Good guns, among the best ot the Taurus pistols I feel. I prefer it to the Beretta in some respects.

There are tools sold to make it easier to load magazines, hit up your local gunshop and see what they have.

[ChuckP]

After leaving 10 rounds in each magazine overnight I can now load 15 rounds easily and 16 with a little extra effort. I figure a little more "breaking in" and I'll finally be able to get all 17 rounds loaded.

I also picked up an HKS "Speed Loader" today. Don't know how well it works but I'll give it a try. Looks like a pricey piece of plastic for $11.

-Chuck

[HSMITH]

Chuck, you picked up a VERY good gun. Shoot the snot out of it and the trigger pull will clean up quite a bit.

[ChuckP]

Glad there is an outdoor range 20 mins from my house that costs only $20/year to use.

-Chuck

[mole]

So what holsters do you guys use? I still need to find a decent one.

Thanks,
mole

[idahoberetta9000s]

If you can afford it, go with the genuine article, the Beretta 92fs, not a cheap immitation from South America.:evil:

[ChuckP]

by a hot blonde Brazilian babe who took the time to explain the Taurus lifetime warranty over cocktails. Unfortunately she only spoke Portugese but who cares?

[Nathanael_Greene]

I've owned a Taurus PT-99AF for about a hundred years, and it's been a terrific handgun. It has the pimpadelic satin-nickel finish, and looks great. It has never malfunctioned in any way. It's a moose of a handgun--really too big to carry concealed--but I'd never part with it.

[HSMITH]

Idaho, I have owned both and still have the Taurus. Quality is just as good, and it doesn't have the assinine slide mounted safety!!

[Old Dog]

If you can afford it, go with the genuine article, the Beretta 92fs, not a cheap immitation from South America.

Dang, it's so annoying when a poster waxes positive about his gun, and another poster jumps in telling him that he should really own another gun ... This is fast becoming a real pet peeve of mine on this forum ...

ChuckP, I own three Beretta 92FS pistols in addition to a Taurus PT-92 that I bought new around 1992 ... I still love my PT-92; it's been 100% reliable all these years, it's accurate, and it still looks good. By no means do I consider the Taurus a "cheap imitation from South America." Those folks who know handguns know that Taurus puts out some pretty darn worthy handguns.

[ChuckP]

Guns, cars, beer, computers, politics, women...doesn't matter...everyone has their opinions on the "best". I realize that. However, for someone who proudly exercised their 2nd Amendment rights and purchased their first firearm since the .22 single shot they had as a teenager, I think it is a bit out of place to criticize their choice. Another "newbie" might not take it quite as well as I did and stop visiting this forum which has proven to be an invaluable source of information for me. I plan to be here often!

[106rr]

When we post on any site that is open to the public, we are all unwitting ambassadors for the shooting sports. Newbies who are filled with enthusiasm for the sport and their new purchase can easily be stepped on. They make many mistakes in nomenclature, power, reliability etc. Despite these mistakes we all gain if people are encouraged to stay in the shooting sports. We also gain if they begin safely shooting their new purchase and gain some respect for the sport.
While it is indeed easy to step on them, remember that when you step on them you step on all of us. They are all potential allies in the 2nd Amendment struggle. Never leave a boot print on the face of a political partner.

[Mad Chemist]

So what holsters do you guys use? I still need to find a decent one.

Thanks,
mole

CCW or open carry?
With a full size auto you'll need a cover garment to conceal it (vest, jacket, overshirt, etc.). I've had good luck with Galco holsters..
For a open-carry or duty rig, I like a Bianchi High Ride hip holster.It offered excellent retention and although not great for concealment, I still carried a Ruger P with one underneath a vest. I'm 6' 1'' 180lbs with fairly broad shoulders, so its easy to hide a pistol on my side. Your own physique is important to consider, you should try on different types of holsters before you buy
The hip holsters are the most comfortable to drive with and are much easier to access from the drivers seat. Strong side hip holsters offer better concealment esp. IWB models.
Hope this helps.
JH

[QuickDraw]

Geez,I had a PT92 about 15-20 years ago.I loved that
gun.:uhoh:
Sold it or traded it away.I now have a Beretta 92
for about 6 years.I still wish I had that PT.
Great gun,reliable.My first automatic. *sigh*
I must be getting sentimental in my old age.:p

QuickDraw

[AFhack]

ChuckP - thanks for the report. I'd been looking at an M-9 sort of clone for a while and couldn't make up my mind between a Berretta and the Taurus. After this post I decided to go with a Taurus PT92AR which I picked up this morning.

I put 300 rounds thru it today, and my initial results are almost exactly like yours. I had one dud round of winchester white box 9mm, but not one single gun malfunction of any kind. The trigger is kind of heavy in both modes but I found well within the the acceptable range in SA mode. I mainly shoot various 1911A1s so I wasn't expecting too much out of this trigger to tell you the truth.

I like the sights on mine, very easy to aquire the front sight, and the gun shoots to point of aim.

Takedown is very straightforward and seems to be a tad quicker than with my beloved 1911s. Cleaning is a bit of a chore as there seems to be more "nooks and crannys" for soot to collect in, but it was done quickly enough.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the gun - especially in this price range :-)

[George S.]

by a hot blonde Brazilian babe who took the time to explain the Taurus lifetime warranty over cocktails. Unfortunately she only spoke Portugese but who cares?

:cool: I'll take one of those too! I might even buy a PT92 :D I have shot teh PT92 and it is a very good pistol and an excellent value.

Guess that makes my Springfield 1911 Loaded a lowly import from Brazil too.:rolleyes:

[CentralTexas]

Idaho, I have owned both and still have the Taurus. Quality is just as good, and it doesn't have the assinine slide mounted safety!!

Same here, sold the Beretta & kept the Taurus...
CT

[ChuckP]

Total rounds fired = 500

Number of firearm malfunctions = 0

Number of ammo malfunctions (duds) = 2 (1 Wolf, 1 Remington/UMC)
I like the price on either Winchester "white box" or CCI at Wal-Mart: $5.97/box. Unless I come across some good deal on a case of 500 or something, that's pretty hard to beat for range ammo.

All in all, I'm quite satisfied so far with my "cheap South American knockoff".

Happy New Year to all!

-Chuck

[HD]

ok , everybody here knows i HATE tauri ... however , the one gun they do right is the beretta knockoff..
i never in all the years i did repairs had a pt92/101? come in for work , never had a single complaint on one that we sold either...
the rest of their guns are merde meirda schiess clinton hillary kerry turds crap etc...


the 92/101 is the best thing they ever did...

[phorvick]

I have had more than a few Taurus 92's and all have been great. I tend to buy them, shoot a lot (or in some cases sparingly) and use them from time to time as sources to sell to get another project completed. (I am selling an almost new T92 right now..see the "for sale" section).

My experience with Taurus is limited to their model 85 subby and the 92 semi-auto. Both have been excellent.

My son has a new Beretta 92 and it is also a great gun...for about $250+ more than the Taurus. The interesting thing is that (aside from the safety location), what he and I like about the Beretta we also like about the Taurus (and vice versa); similarly, what we don't like about the Beretta we also share the same dislike about the Taurus. Personally, I prefer the frame mounted safety, so I am very happy with the gun.

I will likely sell the one I still have, and in about 6 months get another as I always like to have one in the home arsenal. They have been great for me. Here is mine:
http://shootingsafely.com/t92-1.jpg

[ChuckP]

http://uploadfile.info/uploads/c64872513c.jpg (http://uploadfile.info)

[AFhack]

Nice Shootin' chuckP!

BTW - I picked up an HKS Speedloader this morning before my range trip... It really makes loading up these magazines very easy.

[ChuckP]

I wish I could be that consistant freehand. For most of the shots I was using a homemade wooden rest at 16 yards (48 feet) to see how the gun/ammo would perform. Better than the shooter...

I also picked up an HKS loader. Sure saves wear and tear on the thumb getting those last couple of rounds in the mag.

-Chuck

[igor]

This (http://www.toiminta-ampujat.fi/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1069) is what can happen to a 99AFD after close to 30.000 rounds... never mind the language :confused: :D

Before this, the only malf was a broken locking block about 5.000 rounds earlier. Advice: change them earlier.

This was my second Taurus 99. I might get another one, especially now that the AR line has the heavier frame with the rails. But my next pistol will be a CZ75 SP-01.

The Tauri are made of soooooooooft steel, but I love the ergonomics and accuracy - and the price tag, still. But do avoid the 99/101 models - those "adjustable" sights are true junk.

[kmrcstintn]

This is not a Taurus hate thread, just my experiences with them.

Taurus 605 spurless hammer snubbie in .357...I had a hot Corbon round pop the primer cap outward against the breech face and the gun froze up. The shop where I bought it cleared it, but the innerds were so sensitive that it went slightly out of time after that...instant unreliability

Taurus 66 7 shot .357 revolver...worked great at first, after 700 rounds, the gun had @ 30% soft primer strike rate in DA mode...instant unreliability

I have no luck with them, so I stay clear of them.
:eek: :eek: :banghead: :banghead: :fire: :fire:

From what I have read/researched, Taurus had Beretta licensing to manufacture 92's for South America clients. Remember, the older versions of the Beretta 92 had frame mounted safeties and were "cocked and locked." This is why they do such a great job with "copying" them since they were licensed by Beretta to build them at one time.
:what:

[ChuckP]

Too bad my mom is no longer with us...she could have translated it...she came here from Finland when she was 19. It will be a LONG time before I put anywhere near 30K rounds through my PT92. Especially since I'm now looking to buy a .22 and a .45ACP and .357 revolver to share the shooting duties.

I understand newer PT92/99 models have "improved" locking blocks but I'll probably swap mine out every 3000-4000 rounds or so. Easy enough to do.

[palerider1]

my first handgun was a taurus pt92 9mm. 16 rounds and one in the chamber. i bought it in 1989. great gun in its price range.

have fun!!!!!!!!!!!

palerider1

[mole]

Thanks for the info Mad Chemist . I thought about a shoulder holster (possibly one from galco--the cheaper jackass-like rig) for concealed during the winter and a hip holster for open carry (maybe a paddle from blade tech). Anyone have any experience with these?

The only complaint I have about Taurus is the fact that they put their name and model in big letters on the slide. I don't like being an advertisement. I bought the stainless version just because it's not as noticeable.

The front of the rear site has a terrible blue job, but the only thing that will see it is the target. You couldn't see it when I bought it because is was covered in grease and hid the blemish.