opinion about the PT709 slim, how dependable is it as a EDC?

[Hunter2011]

I basically made up my mind about buying a LC9.
But yesterday in my LGS I held a Taurus PT709 Slim. Now I have only read good things about it after I came back at home. It is just as small as the LC9. Carries the same rounds, but its got features the LC9 don't have. Like for instance it has a SA/DA trigger.
That means in my hands it will be more accurate than the LC9. That is a big plus for me. I do want accuracy, especially in a small compact pistol. It's got fully adjustable sights. That is also a big plus.

But here comes the problem. In my country, South Africa, there is no love for a Taurus. Our local Gun Forum is sometimes called the ''Taurus Bashing Forum'', so bad is it.
But on this site, and elsewhere, I only read good things about it. Everyone who shot with it and the LC9 prefers the Taurus, and everyone gets better groups with it than with the LC9. It is a more accurate gun. But is that enough? That will be mostly because the trigger is so much better.

What is your opinion about the Taurus PT709 slim and how dependable is it as a EDC? Do they give problems like FTF, FTE? I am not looking to save money, as it is much cheaper here than the LC9. I just want the best between the two.

 

[J_McLeod]

I had one for a while. No complaints about the dependability of it. It shot and carried pretty well for it's size. I only sold it because my wife carried her LCP all the time and I prefered the PF9.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Taurus is junk IMO. That is based on personal observation of three out of three guns I've shot having problems. I would only carry one if I had no other option. In fact I may carry pepper spray instead if I had no other option.

Other people love them.

 

[Hunter2011]

I value all opinions, that is why I started this thread, both positive and negative comments. But if you have negative comments please list the reasons why?

I have seen so many good reviews for it on youtube, only one or two guys really complained about the PT709. The rest were all impressed.

 

[justice06rr]

I have owned 3 Taurus Slim pistols: First was a 740Slim, then the 709Slim, then again a 740Slim. this was in the course of about 3yrs since I rotate and try out different pistols, and also go with the ammunition availability.

In my experience they are great little pistols and for the money, you are getting a great deal. The recoil of the 709 is much better than the 740 obviously due to the 40sw being very snappy on a pistol of this size.

The trigger will get some getting used to, but once you practice enough with it you will be accurate. At first I was not used to the trigger at all because I've owned Smith and Wesson M&P's previously and those have a totally different trigger. Once you know how to stage and pull the trigger properly, the 709/740 shoots fine.

Quality and workmanship is very good on those I've owned. Compared to other pistols I owned at the time, a Keltec PF9 and an LC9. The Pf9 was just "unrefined", with super long trigger and reset. The LC9 was good and finish was ok, but I was unimpressed with it overall. The PF9 and LC9 only came with one magazine from the factory, while the 709/740Slim comes with 2mags. That is a big deal because you don't have to hunt down a spare magazine considering you have a lowered capacity with these pistols.

The added features of the 709 are nice. SA/DA trigger, external thumb safety, loaded chamber indicator, and extra lock safety (for storage). It disassembles exactly like a Glock which is a major plus.

The only small thing to note is to avoid the 1st Generation models, which from what I heard had some minor issues. They fixed that with all the newer ones and I never had any failures or malfunctions with all 3 that I owned.

 

[pinehtr]

My sister and brother in law carry a 709 . Thy shoot them weekly at the range for over a year with no problems.

 

[seaboss]

My Taurus PT 709 has been a great, reliable pistol. I regularly carry it, and have at least 800 rounds through it. No problems at all. I have complete confidence in this pistol.
Hope this helps.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

More explanation: all the bad guns I've seen were revolvers. A stainless .357 had terrible lock up issues. 4 chambers would lock up very loose and there was a lot of cylinder movement. The last two chambers locked up so tight, there was pretty
Much no barrel cylinder gap, and the thing would come close to binding up.

Then there was the judge that had such bad timing, that one chamber wouldn't fire at all, which could easily get you killed on a SD situation. That owner returned the gun and got a new one. The first time out, the cylinder fell off of the gun
While loading it

I have another friend with a .44 mag that had to send his back for timing and lockup issues.

I hear that their semiautos are much higher in quality, but based on my experiences, observations, and stories that other people have told , I don't care if someone gave me a Taurus gun for free, and I put 100,000 flawless rounds through it. I will not stake my life on one of their guns.

I'm sure there are many examples of perfectly functioning Taurus guns out there. I just won't take the chance. I do believe all major gun makers make lemons now and then. I just think Taurus makes more than most.

JMO. Yours will differ undoubtedly.

 

[TarDevil]

Apparently Taurus seems to find a particular design here and there with which they do pretty well. I was interested in the 709 for a while and did a bit of reading (though I never bought one). This seems to be one model they got right.
My interest moved to other guns, but I think I'd be ok with it.

 

[BSA1]

As far as the quality of TAURUS REVOLVERS my experience is they are hit and miss. For example I have a M-85 which has been trouble free and meets all of my expectations for a small frame 38 whereas my experiences this year with their 22 magnum has been far different. (I have posted some of my experiences with this gun on THR).

But your question is about TAURUS SEMI-AUTOMATICS. I have read very little about problems with their semi-automatics whereas there are lots of complaints about the legendary Glock, Rugers and S&W's. Like the O.P. the 709 is on my radar screen as a concealed carry piece and will not hesitate to carry it if it passes my 500 round test which I submit all of my semi-auto's too.

Unlike 460Kodiak my attitude about all Taurus firearms is more forgiving for if I used the same criteria he is I would have S&W at the top of the list. This is not meant to suggest the 460Kodiak opinion is not valid just that I have seen lots of issues with all major manufactors over the years.

TarDevil reflects my attitude best. They can't seem to get consistent quality with their revolvers but they make a very good semi-automatic.

 

[Hunter2011]

Thank you for all the replies. I am going to the shop tomorrow after work to buy the PT709.
The license will take a few months but I will report back if all you said is true

 

[Texron]

I have a 709 and have never encountered any problems with it. As far as Taurus products are concerned, I have owned six of their handguns. The only one I had a problem with was their 380 ACP. I couldn't get through a magazine without a FTF. I sent to taurus twice, got it back quickly, but never fixed. I got rid of it.
They do sometimes make a lemon, but, I will still buy one.

 

[MedWheeler]

The 709 had intrigued me as well, and I have read little negativity on it. I have currently two Taurus firearms. One is a revolver (M66 in .357 Magnum) purchased new in 1987. The other is a PT-22 purchased used in 2012 (it was made in 1998.) Both have run well; the revolver had an issue with the ejector sleeve working loose from time to time, locking the cylinder shut. The gun would still fire out, though. I also had a rimfire revolver many years back (M94), and let my now-ex-wife take it when we divorced. Didn't have any issues with it, either.

I have the Kel-Tec PF9, and that's why I never got the 709. But, like you, I have no issues with the DA/SA trigger mechanism, as that's what I was trained on in law enforcement many years back. Before, then, however, I was trained on the DA/SA revolver, so a pistol with a DAO trigger works fine for me, too.

Good luck! I think you'll be fine.

 

[Jim NE]

It's my impression that Taurus guns will have a "break in" period, where some other brands may not. The wear patterns on the moving parts of my two Taurus semi-automatic pistols seemed to indicate that they were built with closer tolerances than necessary. This may explain the break in period. After a while, the wear on parts did not increase, so tolerances have apparently worn down to their appropriate levels.

One gun, which I've sold, was a PT22 that had malfunctions at first, but then became a fairly reliable gun after break in, which took more rounds than usual.

The other gun, a PT145, had no malfunctions but a small glitch with one of the mags at first. Works 100% reliable now.

Sorry, can't speak to the PT709 specifically, just to Taurus quality generally: not all Taurus guns will have break in related glitches at first, but I would count on it happening. Don't use as a carry piece for the first 200 rounds. After that, they're as reliable as many other respected brands.

Yes, I have to admit, I also kind of stay away from the revolvers, too.

 

[TanklessPro]

I carry a PF9 but my father-in-law carries a 709. He likes it pretty well and he is rather hard to make happy. I have shot it several times and it seems to shoot well. I agree with other posts that the SA/DA will take some time to get used too.
I have several of the 24/7's and love them.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I carry a 709 Slim. I purchased it new and have probably put 500 rounds through it and the only problems I've ever had were my fault, not the gun's.
I too was going back and forth between it and the LC9. There were a couple of things I didn't like about the Ruger. The long trigger pull was one. You can't double tap with a LC9 (or at least that's what I understand to be the case). Also the loaded chamber indicator sticks up very high on the Ruger. The Taurus has one, but it is much less obvious.
And mine has been utterly reliable, and accurate enough for what it is.

 

[USAF_Vet]

The 709 slim has been my EDC since I got it back in April. Not a single issue with it.

There is a lot of hate for Taurus, just like Hi Point. Most of it is totally unjustified. I would have no problem purchasing a select few other models made by Taurus.

The only thing I've done is add the Pearce grip extensions to the magazines so I can get a full grip.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

My wife had one for a while. It never malfunctioned. Fit and finish was pretty good. I would say not quite as nice as my Shield, or my old Kahr P9, but nicer than the Kahr CW9 or Kel-Tec PF9, about on par with the Ruger LC9 and probably about the same quality. Ergonomics are pretty good, magazines are great, sights are great for the size.

It was reasonably accurate, low recoil, and comfortable to carry. I'd own one again, if it weren't for the M&P Shield, which is basically the same gun with a couple slight refinements and made by a company that isn't Taurus, which I admit did have something to do with my otherwise prejudiced decision to go to the Shield instead.

 

[Hunter2011]

Well I bought the PT709 yesterday. I don't have the feeling that I should have bought the LC9 rather. I will see how she shoots, hopefully with 100% reliability.
What ammo have you found that this gun loves? I want the best accuracy possible from this gun.

 

[Jim NE]

You may improve your chances of 100% reliability during the break in period by polishing some of the surfaces prior to shooting with a dremel or variable speed drill and a cleaning rod fitting with cloth and compound on it. My PT 145 had a highly polished feed ramp right from the factory, so I didn't worry about that.

Maybe some of the surfaces on the underside of the slide, BUT make sure you don't get compound in the striker/firing pin channel.

Like I said, my PT didn't need any polishing and worked 100%, but you never know and it can't hurt.

 

[JR47]

Before worrying about a fluff and buff, clean the gun thoroughly, really thoroughly. Taurus uses a preservative in it's guns for shipping, NOT a lubricant. That is often the problem that casual people encounter. Clean it, then lube it properly, and shoot it.

My 709 had over 1000 rounds through it, without fail. It is accurate and reliable.

I own 14 Taurus firearms. Some bought through Interarms, that long ago. They have all performed as well, or better, than many over-priced guns, like S&W. I have a similar number of S&W revolvers and semi-autos. Of that number, EIGHT have required factory reworking. Stupid things like out of spec magazine releases, the wrong sights on the gun, a hand on a revolver that broke on the first shot, and stripped from the factory cover plate screws. I've also had ejector rods turn loose, tying up the action, and a new Model 617 that simply froze up. Trigger was locked up, cylinder was jammed shut (on five live rounds), and there it sat, a lump of useless metal prices way out of proportion to it's abilities. S&W replaced the gun, after almost six months.

Maybe they guessed that I wasn't a fan?

I also own S&W firearms that have been flawless, so far. To me, I'd trust a High Point before I'd trust a S&W as an EDC. Of course, my opinion holds JUST as much weight as any other poster.

Brand is far less important than a good, and thorough, inspection of the piece you consider buying. Then a good cleaning and re-inspection of the obvious variables.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I don't think you'll regret it.
Give us an update when you get to shoot it and let us know how you like it.

 

[Vol46]

I bought a 709 last February, put about 100 rounds through it, & then started to experience failures to extract the fired round about 10% of the time. Sent it back to Taurus ( they paid shipping) and ultimately got a new replacement under their lifetime warranty. The replacement gun has functioned perfectly with a variety of 115 & 124 grain target ammunition, as well as my pet 9mm target handload ( CCI SP primer, 115 gr. Berry's round nose, & a mid range load of Win. 231.)
The most accurate factory ammo I have used in mine has been Herter's 115 gr. FMJ, with PMC 115 FMJ a close second, but I have shot mostly FMJ target rounds during break in. The advice about field stripping and cleaning thoroughly before you shoot it for the first time is a good recommendation.
I am very pleased with my 709. It is surprisingly accurate and fun to shoot for a small pistol, and easy to carry concealed. I use a Remora IWB holster, and it is really quick & easy to tuck under my belt. Have fun with yours.

 

[Ben86]

I had one and was impressed. It was reliable, accurate and had a really good trigger pull. Recoil was light considering it's small size and light weight.

The only thing I could find negative about it was that the trigger safety seemed to not work. I could pull the trigger back fully without applying any pressure on the trigger safety. Perhaps it was just my gun.

I ended up selling it to fund an AR project, but still considered it a great gun. I also owned a 709 tracker revolver in .22LR. It was a great gun and I regret selling it.

Taurus guns get a bad rap, mostly from people who have never owned them. I think they are a great value.

 

[G.barnes]

I had a millennium pro that shot 12 inches low and to the left at 7 yds. and the magazine fell out everytime it fired. Also had a tcp that was tearing up casings loading them Taurus did fix that one I sold it after they returned it. I tried two both let me down I won't own another.