Taurus (manufacturer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Taurus Firearms | |
 |
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| Type | Firearms Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Founded | Unknown |
| Headquarters | Porto Alegre, Brazil |
| Key people | Unknown |
| Industry | Firearms |
| Products | Pistols, Revolvers |
| Revenue | Unknown |
| Parent | Unknown |
| Slogan | Unknown |
| Website | www.taurususa.com |
Forjas Taurus S/A (Taurus Forge) is a manufacturing conglomerate based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Beginning as a tool and die manufacturer, the company now consists of divisions focusing on firearms, metals manufacturing, plastics, body armor, helmets, and civil construction. Taurus is now well-known in the U.S. for making inexpensive copies – often modified – of handguns originally produced by other firearms manufacturers.
Taurus produced its first revolver, the Model 38101SO, in 1941 and began exporting its revolvers to the U.S. market in 1968 through a series of importers.
In 1970, the Bangor Punta Corporation, then the parent company of Smith & Wesson, purchased 54% of Forjas Taurus, allowing the two firearm manufacturers to easily share information regarding design and manufacturing. In 1977, Taurus was purchased from Bangor Punta by its current ownership and its ties to Smith & Wesson were severed.
In 1980, after Italian arms manufacturer Beretta had completed its contracts to produce firearms for Brazil's military, Taurus purchased Beretta's São Paulo manufacturing plant along with the tooling, technical drawings, and work force necessary to produce several different pistol designs.
In order to more effectively tap the U.S. market, the company created a subsidiary, Taurus International Manufacturing Incorporated, also known as Taurus USA, in 1984.
One of Taurus' most successful handguns has been its PT92, a model similar to Beretta's model 92 line, but with the addition of an ambidextrous frame safety, rather than the Beretta's slide-mounted safety (see article on Beretta 92 for a list of differences). Taurus also manufactures the famous Raging Bull revolver. The most recent addition to the Taurus pistol lineup is a copy of the Colt 1911 .45ACP pistol, the PT1911. This slightly redesigned 1911 features an ambidextrous slide safety as well as a key lock safety system to prevent unauthorized usage. Initial sales of the PT1911 have been very successful, with many dealers being unable to keep the item in stock.
Current product line includes steel-frame pistols, polymer-frame pistols (Millennium, PT 24/7, others), revolvers and law enforcement weapons (submachine guns and rifles), the latter intended for the domestic market.
[edit] Other Brazilian firearms
(external links in Portuguese)
IMBEL (Indústria de Material Bélico) - Produces weaponry, ammunition and assorted equipment to the Brazilian Army
Rossi - Manufactures shotguns, short rifles and revolvers
CBC (Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos) - Originally an ammunition factory, now manufactures shotguns, small-caliber, short rifles and pneumatic guns.
