He almost instantly started on a 5-10 minute rant about how evil and mean gun bloggers were, and how we only spew lies. I tried to give him a couple outs, since I know that there are many out there that bash Taurus because that’s what all the cool kids do, and not because they’ve had bad experiences/done research/etc. They’re not the only company that has that issue. Some deserve it, and some don’t, and I have been giving them the benefit of the doubt. He failed to act like I might be different. Thanks to Taurus’ sales rep, I have learned that they do not wish to have the benefit of the doubt, nor would they like my good will, business, or recommendations to others.
via How not to impress folks that will write about you | Guns, Cars, and Tech.
I would love to say I am surprised at the Taurus Rep reaction, but it would be a lie. Taurus, like many Latino-Based companies, still has not figured out that the US Market favors the consumer and suffer with the Take-It-Or-Leave-It attitude because consumers will gladly leave it and go to the competition.
And that is the concept that is hard to swallow to Latino business people: Competition. The Latin business model is one of oligopoly or downright monopoly and that affects both quality control and good prices. And while it is true that maybe the markets down there may not require or cannot afford 7 different manufactures of a good, the few companies will make sure not even importation of competing products are allowed by putting pressure on the government to either levy outrageous import taxes or banning them altogether from the country…. unless it is them doing the importation.
Now, as a consumer you either learn to accept a subpar product, do without or figure out how to smuggle good stuff in to keep your business going. Sometimes the mark up or desperation is so big, a trip to another country where the good product is freely available is not only necessary but even affordable compared to buying the local or subpar imports. Not everybody can do this and thus these companies flourish pushing their crap.
They do get the shock of their lives when dealing with US Customers. Not only they will not buy your crappy shit, they have no bones about telling others not to buy your shit. Word of mouth, something that was dismissed in their countries of origin now becomes (in their eyes) their biggest enemy and lash against it. But what is even sadder and the case above shows, is that US business people hired to work by these companies, default to their crappy business practices instead of being the ones telling HQ “You guys, business is not done like that here. Change is needed.”
Taurus does have a Quality Control problem, nobody with a brain can deny it. And that problem destroys any innovation they can come up with. I keep believing that The Curve is something that will be soon repeated and improved by other companies, but Taurus appears to be already recalling the few ones out there and not saying why…and we really do not need to figure that out much.
I have a soft spot for Taurus. My first gun as a Free Citizen was a PT-92 and it came handy in a couple of occasions plus got me started in IDPA. But the company needs to either step up or simply pull up stakes and go back to sell their crap to gang members in the favelas of Rio.
I’ve tried giving Taurus the benefit of the doubt. I had one of the 9-shot .22 revolvers, that looked pretty good. Trigger was horrendous and internally it was pretty rough. I seriously considered one of their 1911’s until I field stripped it, and there was a major forging/machining flaw in the barrel link. I figured that was kind of a bad place to have an obvious problem, and passed. I haven’t picked up a Taurus since then, and probably never will.
Years ago, I bought a Taurus clone of a S&W model 10. The rear sight was a groove in the top strap and it was just a bare bones revolver. In my ex-wife’s hands, that thing was deadly accurate and never failed to go bang. What the hell happened? I’ve thought about buying one, and then I remember all of the horror stories I’ve heard about quality and customer service. I’ve been wanting a 9mm since I haven’t had one in years and I looked at a PT92. But for less than 100 dollars more, I can get a Beretta M9. Now I’ve decided I’m going to get a S&W model 39. I’d rather have a old, good gun instead of a new gun gun I have to work on.
When did you come here miguel?
The well documented QC problem is a definite reason to be wary of Taurus products, especially for those without very little money. Those with very little money will not be able to afford to properly test their guns for reliability* (about 200 rounds, with at least 50 rounds of the preferred defensive load). Thus, one has higher odds of a ‘click’ instead of a ‘bang’ when one needs it.
*you should do this with ANY new gun, no matter the make or model.
I will say that Eagle Imports (the guys that distribute Bersa in the US) are on the opposite end of the spectrum. The rep at their booth agreed with me that he wished they could do something about the magazine prices, and was very nice. The one time that I’ve had an issue with one of their guns, the lady on the phone responded with something akin to “oh… that sucks, hold on. What’s the serial number? Thanks, we’ll send a new extractor out to you ASAP.”
The first time I saw a Taurus was back in the very early .90s, and they were a decent-quality alternative to Smith with a great reputation for warrantee service. The last Taurus I personally handled was a few years ago; it was a .44 magnum Tracker with so much cylinder slop that I personally wouldn’t have fired it if it was given to me as a gift. And that was brand-new-in-the-display-case.
Live or die by the QA/QC, guys.
Meh, I bought my first Taurus, an 856, a few months ago. Six shot .38 cylinder on what amounts to a J frame, stainless, $251 out the door, used, at the local pawn broker’s and a lifetime warranty. Yes, you need to be He-Man to pull the trigger. But it is perfect for the Jeep console when fishing at the beach and stashing between the bedroom and the crackhead attracting porch.
You can use the J Frame spring kit from Wolff to improve it 🙂
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