Taurus 709- Problems

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sammitysam

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Hello all, this is my first post here, I've been following this forum for the last six months or so. I decided to pick up a Taurus 709 Slim last week as another option for carry. (Have a ruger LCP just for that purpose but I was wanting something with a little more than .380 ballistics in a similiarly thin package) Anyhow, first impressions were great, fit/finish of the gun seems pretty nice, feels good in the hand, reasonable sights, my only complaint was that it points like a glock:(

Until I got to the range yesterday that is. First fifty rounds went off without a hitch, it was shooting about 3 inch groups at 15 yards which is about all you're gonna get out of me anyhow lol. During the next fifty rounds I had 3 FTF with the gun getting the first round about half chambered. Still cannot figure out why it was doing this. The gun also decided to stop locking back when empty, so I'm not getting a round in when loading and getting nothing but a click(or clickS thannks to taurus's "second-strike") when empty! To top it off, the mags also would not drop free when the gun was shot empty and unable to lock back, I actually had to use two hands to press the release with one and actually PRY the mag out with the other.

This is my first Taurus purchase, and I have never had so many problems with a firearm. I WANT to like this gun! So far its been proving very unreliable.

Edit- just went to clean it and I'm seeing some serious stress marks/gouges in the breech face... I think I got hosed
I'm trying to figure out how to attach an image of the breech
 
That looks rough. Mine has no places like that but I've only fired less than 300 rounds so far but havn't had any problems. I'd contact taurus about this & keep us posted on outcome.
 
wonder what screwy drill they used to make that hole for the firing pin channel??? wow.
 
My son just got a Taurus PT 145 Pro. Less that 50 rounds of factory ammo and second trip to the range the striker stopped working. Matt dropped the mag and 2 small broken metal pieces fell out.

Never saw pieces fall out of a gun before.

Quality control problems?

Tom
 
I purchased a 709 a couple of days ago and took it to the range. Fired 150 FMJ S & B 115 through it no problems. Groups much better then I thought it would and recoil was almost nothing. Then went to some Fiochii Xtrema 124gr Hollow Points. Went through 5 mags and had a FTF at least once every mag, 3 of the mag loads had more then one failure. Had to lock slide back, eject magazine, and round fell out...racking the slide by itself did not work.

Just wondering if anybody had any trouble with this ammo and also if you have had success with Hollow points, which brand were they. I am going to try some Hornady HP, Gold Dot HP, and Black Hills +p 124 hp.....just kind of discouraged by the number of failures with the Fiochii. I examined the rounds...shot them through a glock 26 with no problem.

I really like this pistol and hope the test with the other three types works outs.
 
cmfireman, I hate to admit it but I saw your thread and had heard of other problems with the gun, here and elsewhere, but unfortunately I wasn't swayed from jumping in and trying the waters. I'm curious to hear how filing your extractor works out, please let me know.

And those marks are NOT machining marks, I wouldn't have purchased it if it looked that rough, thats just remarkable wear from a 130 rounds... :-/


I contacted Taurus today and they want to bring it in, the Customer Service line was helpful, though not incredibly insightful. They are taking care of shipping both ways and I was quoted a turnaround time of 4-6 weeks.. She said their service department is always PRETTTTY BUSY, and boy can I believe it.
Hopefully they get things straightened out with this pistol, but my first experience with Taurus is already leaving me rather bitter
 
No gun is going to be perfect. I have owned quite a few Tauruses and have been completely satisfied. I have had a Millenium PT-140 have some issues, but it returned to me from Taurus without a hitch, free of charge. We must remember these are still in the first year of production and will most likely have a few bugs to work out. I have not taken mine to the range yet, but hope to soon. Until it proves itself, I will carry the most reliable handgun I have ever owned. My Ruger SP-101.
 
Lately, I have become interested in small self-defense 9mm pistols---so went out and purchased 3 Kahr CW9 pistols---one for me, one for my wife and the other bought by my brother. All 3 came from the factory looking quite well-made, but, all 3 soon exhibited a major problem---the magazine would drop down after the first or second shot fired from each. Called Kahr and they said yes there were some problems with this exact issue and they sent 3 new mag release buttons and springs for them---problem solved! All 3 shoot and function fine now. Yeah, the above ain't about Taurus 709s but goes to show even well made guns can have probelms. I, personally, would wait awhile before buying a newly introduced pistol until they can work some of the bugs out. Walther also had some new gun bugs with their recent PPS model but they seem to have gotten beyound that as well---my PPS 9mm runs fine.
 
Curious as to what ammo you were using. Mine worked perfectly with Magtech FMJ and a couple of different hollowpoints. I got a great price on some Winchester White Box NATO 124 grain FMJ and the jams began not only in the 709 but my STI Rogue. I have heard a lot of other people experiencing the same problem with the Winchester WB in whatever they are shooting.
 
my 709 stainless model has had no problems at all after 200rds of wwb 115gr fmj's and 50 rds of winchester 147gr hp's. still got to shoot some 147gr gold dot and some 124gr +P gold dot (my fav for my full size 9mm's).

no problems and no wear like you have mentioned.
 
The firing pin hole looks to be oversize and egged. I have no idea what could have gouged the breach face like that! Surely not the brass and copper case head and primer cup. Wonder if pieces of the firing pin broke off and became trapped between the case head and breach face. Or perhaps metal chips in the firing pin channel. Hope you'll let us know how Taurus treats you, and what they say the problem was. Tough break!
str1
 
Trigger Issues

Am used to shooting target pistols with little to no creep in the trigger and almost no slack. Moving to the 709 makes me very nervous as it is something of a surprise (with the creep and slack). Did anyone else notice an abnormally high trigger pull also? Dad (somewhat expert marksman- ex marine marksman) says it's about a 12 lb trigger pull, which both of us decided is a little absurd.

Anyone else find problems with the trigger? Also have fired 50+ rounds and have not found any other problems, just the weird trigger and it was sighted in way low when I first took it out.

Please Help!
 
I didn't have any problems with my 709 when I had it, but I think that was due to it being a NIB replacement for a LEO whose original 709 malfunctioned.

Taurus may be working a little faster now...my 738 TCP (I traded for it with my 709) had to go in and it came back about two weeks later. (FWIW, my old 709 is still shooting fine, according to the new owner.)
 
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