Taurus PT 24/7
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Taurus PT 24/7 Pro Specifications | |
|---|---|
 Taurus-PT24/7 Pro(polymer-frame) |
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| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin |  Brazil |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Headquarters in Brazil, United States subsidiary Taurus USA |
| Produced | 2004-Present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 771 g (27.2 oz) |
| Length | 181 mm or 206 mm (7 1/8" or 8 1/8") |
| Barrel length | 102 mm or 127 mm (4 or 5 inches) |
| Width | 32 mm (1 1/4 inches) |
| Height | 133 mm (5 1/2 inches) |
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| Cartridge | .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm |
| Action | Striker-fired |
| Feed system | Detachable Magazine |
The Taurus PT 24/7 Pro is a semi-automatic pistol that is manufactured by Taurus. It is distributed in the United States through a Taurus subsidiary, Taurus USA, and is a standard issue sidearm to many law enforcement agencies.
The trigger action for the PT 24/7 is innovative and exclusive to Taurus firearms including the latest model Millennium Pro. Most handguns that are DA/SA (Double Action and Single Action) are DA for the first shot and SA for each subsequent shot unless the user cocks the external hammer for the first shot. The 24/7 instead is a striker-fired SA/DA where the internal striker is "cocked" by the slide moving back and is released with a single-action trigger. Multiple safety features including a firing pin block, trigger block, and a manual safety prevent accidental discharge. Without the user ever having to cock an external hammer prior to firing, each shot is SA except in the case of a round failing to fire. When this occurs, the 24/7 trigger system reverts to DA. This design has several benefits. SA triggers deliver a smooth, low-weight pull which allows rapid, accurate refiring. Reverting to DA in the case of a misfire allows a repeat strike on the round that failed. It has been shown that over 80% of misfires do fire on the second time as the first strike typically corrects the problem, and it is much faster to simply pull the trigger again than the usual tap, rack, bang method of removing the round that failed to fire and chambering a new one. In the rare event that the round does not fire on the second try, a shooter may still eject the cartridge and chamber the next round via a method like tap, rack, bang.
The 24/7 has many standard features. The 24/7 comes standard with Heinie "Straight Eight" sights (night sights optional on some models) that use 2 vertical dots rather than the typical 3-dot horizontal sights found on most handguns. This is beneficial as the brain is more quickly able to align objects vertically than it is horizontally allowing for faster target acquisition. The handgun also comes with a ribbed, soft rubber overlay for the grip that Taurus has dubbed the "ribber." The overlay prevents slippage even in damp environments and feels extremely comfortable in both small and large hands. Like many Taurus firearms, the 24/7 has the Taurus Security System (TSS) which is an internal locking system where the turn of a key renders the gun inoperable for secure storage while still allowing the key-holder instant-ready defense capability. With the TSS engaged, the gun cannot be fired, cocked, and the manual safety cannot be disengaged. The 24/7 also comes standard with a visible/tactile loaded-chamber indicator and a picatinny accessory rail allowing for many accessories such as laser sights or tactical lights to be easily attached.
The Taurus website offers 24 models of the pistol, which won the NRA Handgun of the Year award in 2005. Both long slide (133 mm, 5.25" barrel length) and regular models (102 mm, 4") are available in either blue or stainless steel. This pistol is now also available for purchase in a "compact" style. It is essentially just the fullsize model with a shortened barrel (at 85 mm, 3.33 inches, it is slightly longer than Taurus' renowned Millennium Pro) and shorter grip. The 24/7 Compact comes with one 10 round magazine (in all calibers) that fits flush with the shorter grip allowing for better concealability and one high capacity mag with grip extension that gives the gun the same grip length and ammo capacity of the fullsize (or as an option common to all models 2, 10-round magazines to comply with some state's handgun capacity laws). Taurus also has an OSS model with a longer barrel (133mm, 5.25 inches) and currently available with a desert tan grip. The OSS model was originally designed as a .45 military service pistol for special forces that exceeded all the latest USSOCOM requirements set in 2005. The OSS is also available in .40 and 9 mm variants.
Some early production Taurus 24/7 handguns in .45 auto have experienced failure to feed with the cartridge "submarining" and hitting the feed ramp. Taurus has resolved this issue with some new magazines for the weapon. The magazine on the left is the new replacement factory magazine. The one on the right is the one that came with the handgun. Note the subtle differences in the upper right hand side of each magazine in the picture
