Note: A website had been set up for people to find out information about how to return their pistols. The process, however, is pending a judge's final ruling on a settlement. The judge is to rule in January.
To read about the website and a new lawsuit filed against Taurus by the father of a boy killed by a Taurus pistol go here.
Original story: Firearms manufacturer Taurus has agreed to a voluntary recall of nearly 1 million pistols as part of the settlement of a lawsuit that alleges nine handgun models had defects, including one that caused some to inadvertently fire when dropped.
'This is not an anti-firearms lawsuit. This is a defective product lawsuit,' said Birmingham attorney Todd Wheeles, co-lead counsel representing plaintiffs in the 2013 federal lawsuit. 'This hopefully will help save lives by taking defective firearms off the street.'
The settlement affects customers who bought the following models sold between 1997 and 2013 in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam: PT-111 Millennium; PT-132 Millennium; PT-138-Millennium; PT-140 Millennium; PT-145 Millennium; PT-745 Millennium; PT-609; PT-640; and PT-24/7.
Despite the voluntary recall, Taurus denied in a statement Friday night that there are any design defects in the models.
'Neither the settlement nor the allegations in the case include any of the popular Taurus G2 model pistols,' according to the Taurus statement.
Details concerning the nine pistols and how and when to submit a claim will be provided in the near future, according to the Taurus statement. 'Claims will be handled by a Third Party Claims Administrator (TPA). Once the Claims Period opens, the Taurus Companies will provide notice through digital and print outlets. All claims should be made through the TPA.'
As of early 2013 the nine models were no longer manufactured and distributed in the United States. The company is headquartered in Brazil, but it has operations in Miami.
A federal judge in Miami on Thursday preliminarily approved the settlement that calls basically for Taurus to do three things for customers:
- Provide an enhanced warranty to allow any owner - even if it isn't the original owner and for the life of the pistol - to submit the handgun for inspection and repair, if possible. If the defects can't be repaired Taurus will offer to replace the pistol with a similar new one. Normal inspection and shipping fees and labor costs will be waived.
- Produce on-line safety training videos for those customers who bought the pistols to show them how to handle and carry the pistols to avoid dropping them and how to ship them for warranty repairs.
- Allow customers who bought the pistols to send their pistols back for cash payments. The payments will vary up to $200, depending on how many pistols are returned.
The lawsuit alleges that there were safety defects in the nine models that caused them to fire when the trigger is pulled even though the safety in the 'on' or 'safe' position and others when dropped or bumped, a notice that will be published and sent to customers states. The alleged defects are attributable to the lack of a 'trigger safety blade' within the semi-automatic pistols, the lawsuit claims.
Under the settlement total cash payments are capped at $30 million. According to court documents, the plaintiffs' attorneys also are seeking up to $9 million for fees, costs and expenses.
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The federal judge is to hold a hearing in January to determine whether to give final approval to the settlement. In the meantime the judge has set out deadlines for the company to publish notices and the safety videos.
Wheeles estimates that with the cash payment cap, repair and replacement of guns, and attorneys' fees, the cost to Taurus will eventually total more than $50 million.
Efforts to reach a Taurus spokesman or an attorney for the company were unsuccessful Thursday evening. But the company has denied there were any defects in those handgun models.
'The Taurus Companies stand by the Class Pistols and vigorously deny all allegations of wrongdoing and liability,' a notice that will be sent to customers states.
History of the case
The lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit is Chris Carter, a sheriff's deputy in Scott County Iowa who had a PT140 Millennium PRO pistol, according to a summary of the complaint in Thursday's order. He alleged that on July 29, 2013 while serving on a narcotics detail he pursued a fleeing suspect. As he ran, his pistol fell from his holster, hitting the ground and discharging a bullet that struck a nearby unoccupied vehicle.
Wheeles, who had handled more than a half-dozen lawsuits about the alleged Taurus defects, said he was contacted by Carter, who later came to represent the class of customers who had the gun models. 'It kind of fell in my lap,' he said.
Wheeles, of the Birmingham law firm Morris, Haynes, Hornsby & Wheeles, said he then got with David L. Selby , II and his firm Bailey & Glasser, LLP. That firm has handled a number of class-action cases. Selby is also co-lead counsel in the class-action lawsuit.
The firms later worked with the law firm Leesfield & Partners, P.A., and attorney Angelo Marino , Jr. in Miami where the lawsuit was filed.
Wheeles said his first lawsuit against Taurus and defective handguns involved an Etowah County man, Adam Maroney, who was awarded a $1.25 million verdict by a jury. The company later settled for an undisclosed amount.
Maroney had alleged that his holstered handgun fell out of a pocket and fired when it hit the ground. A bullet struck him in the upper thigh and ended up in his left lung, Wheeles said.
During the Maroney trial the president and CEO of Taurus testified that drop tests were not conducted on the guns, Wheeles said.
Below is a video of drop tests conducted by an expert for the plaintiffs.
Updated 9:40 a.m. Aug. 1 with statement from Taurus
Jump to navigationJump to searchSociedade Anônima | |
Traded as | BM&F Bovespa: FJTA3, FJTA4 |
---|---|
Industry | Defense |
Founded | 1939 |
Headquarters | São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul , |
Key people | Dennis Braz Gonçalves, (CEO) Luis Fernando Costa Estima, (Chairman) |
Products | Firearms |
Revenue | US$342.1 million (2012)[1] |
US$20.4 million (2012)[1] | |
Number of employees | 3,150 |
Subsidiaries | Amadeo Rossi |
Website | taurusarmas.com.br (Brazil) taurususa.com (USA) |
Forjas Taurus is a Brazilian manufacturing conglomerate based in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul. Founded in 1939 as a tool and die forging plant, the company now consists of Taurus Armas, its firearm division, as well as other divisions focusing on metals manufacturing, plastics, body armors, helmets and civil construction.
- 2Products
- 2.3Revolvers
History[edit]
Taurus produced its first revolver, the Model 38101SO, in 1941. Beginning in 1968, it exported revolvers to the U.S. market through a series of importers.
In 1971, the Bangor Punta Corporation, then the parent company of Smith & Wesson, purchased 54 percent of Forjas Taurus, allowing the two firearms manufacturers to easily share information regarding design and manufacturing. In 1977, Taurus was purchased from Bangor Punta by its current owners, 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.
In 1997 Forjas Taurus purchased the rights & equipment to manufacture Rossi brand revolvers. They currently manufacture three .38 Special models and four .357 Magnum models under the Rossi name, manufactured in São Leopoldo, Brazil.
Products[edit]
The current product line includes steel-frame pistols, polymer-frame pistols, revolvers, and law enforcement weapons (submachine guns and rifles), the latter intended for the domestic Brazilian market. The company manufactures and sells its firearms for generally less than other manufacturers due to low labor costs, as well as having the facilities available to build virtually every part themselves.[2]
One writer said in 2010 that the '[q]uality of Taurus handguns in the modern era is second to none'.[3] In 2015, Taurus settled a lawsuit for $39 million and recalled nearly one million handguns produced between 1997 and 2013 due to 'safety defects'.[4][5]
Firearm model overview[edit]
Taurus was originally known for manufacturing revolvers similar in design to those offered by Smith & Wesson.[6] The company moved away from this realm by offering larger framed models such as the Raging Bull (.454 Casull) and Raging Hornet (.22 Hornet) revolvers as well as the Judge 5-shot revolvers (.410 bore and .45 Colt).[7]
One of Taurus' most successful semiautomatic 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.[3]
The most recent addition to the Taurus pistol lineup is a copy of the Colt 1911.45 ACP pistol, the PT1911. This slightly redesigned and updated design offers many features.[8]
Semi-automatic pistols[edit]
- Taurus Millennium series (Models 111, 140, 145, and 745)
- Taurus PT22.22 Long Rifle
- Taurus PT25.25 ACP
- Taurus TCP 732.32 ACP
- Taurus TCP 738.380 ACP
- PT92 (Models 92 and 100)
- Taurus Model PT809, PT809c / Taurus Model 840 / Taurus Model 845
- Slim Series, 709 (9mm) and 740 (.40 S&W)
- Taurus PT9119mm (15 or 10 round)
- Taurus PT 909, PT945
- Taurus PT 908 (9mm) (8 round)
- Taurus PT 51 6.35mm
- Taurus PT 915
- Taurus PT 938
- Taurus PT 838
- Taurus PT 838c
- Taurus Curve
- Taurus Spectrum
Revolvers[edit]
Small frame[edit]
- Taurus Model 327 6 shot .327 Federal Magnum
- Taurus Model 431 .44 Special
- Taurus Model 405.40 S&W
- Taurus Model 445.44 Special
- Taurus Model 605.357 Magnum
- Taurus Model 606.357 Magnum
- Taurus CIA (Models 650 and 850) - Carry It Anywhere. A concealed hammer revolver based on the Smith & Wesson Centennial
- Taurus Protector (Models 651 and 851) - Shrouded hammer based on the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard
- Taurus Model 85 (includes Model 856) .38 Special
- Taurus Model 731.32 H&R Magnum
- Taurus Model 73.32 S&W Long
- Taurus Model 9059mm Parabellum
- Taurus Model 94.22 Long Rifle
- Taurus Model 941.22 WMR
Compact frame[edit]
- Taurus Model 617.357 Magnum 7 shot revolver
- Taurus Model 817.38 Special 7 shot revolver
Date Gun By Serial Number
Medium frame[edit]
- Taurus Model 82.38 Special
- Taurus Model 65 / Taurus Model 66.357 Magnum
- Taurus Model 689 .357 MagnumTaurus revolver 689 6-cylinder, 6' barrel
Large frame[edit]
- Taurus Model 608 8-shot .357 Magnum
- Taurus Model 689 6-shot .357 Magnum
- Taurus Model 44 6-shot .44 Magnum
Families[edit]
- Taurus Judge (Model 4510)
- Taurus Tracker (Models 17, 425, 44, 627, 970, 990, 991, and 992)
Rossi models[edit]
- Rossi Model 971.357 Magnum
- Rossi R46102.357 Magnum
- Rossi R35102 .38 Special
- Rossi R85104 .38 Special
- Rossi R46202 .357 Magnum
- Rossi R35202 .38 Special
- Rossi R97206.357 Magnum
- Rossi Circuit Judge.410ga/45lc (carbine)
Submachine guns[edit]
Rifles[edit]
- Taurus T4SAAR-15semi-automatic rifle
Recall and settlement[edit]
Nine of their more popular models manufactured between 1997-2013 have been issued a voluntary recall in 2015. This is around one million pistols and includes the following models.[9]
Jun 2, 2013 - Hello to all of you! The Ghost includes 2 versions: 32 bit and 64 bit machines you fit it. Download Ghost Windows 7 Professional Sp1 x64. Jan 30, 2018 - Ghost Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 32 BIT All Programs & All Driver พร้อมโปรแกรมอัพเดทใหม่ๆ ปล่อย24 Hrs. ครับ - Download Software For Free. Jan 19, 2018 - Download Ghost Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit Full Drivers. Issue #23 new. Jul 25, 2014 - ตัวนี้เป็น Ghost Windows 7 All Driver 32 Bit โปรแกรมที่ติดตั้ง. Baidu PC Faster 7-Zip WinRAR. Adobe Flash Player Adobe Reader XI CyberLink. Jul 19, 2017 - Technician League, GHOST, WIN7, SP1, 32 bit, 64 bit version of V2017.04. 1, update system patches and Office2007 3in1 all patches to 2017-04. The number of driver support 7 and other details of the optimization and. Ghost win 7 64 bit all driver.
- PT-111 Millennium
- PT-132 Millennium
- PT-138-Millennium
- PT-140 Millennium
- PT-145 Millennium
- PT-745 Millennium
- PT-609
- PT-640
- PT-24/7
A class action settlement has also been agreed to which amounts to almost 39 million dollars due to the defective models.[10]
See also[edit]
- IMBEL- another Brazilian firearms manufacturer.
Taurus Firearms Serial Numbers
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Company Profile for Forjas Taurus (FJTA3:BZ)'. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^Heard, Brian J. (17 August 2011). Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics: Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence. John Wiley & Sons. p. 346. ISBN978-1-119-96477-3.
- ^ abAhern, Jerry (15 September 2010). Armed for Personal Defense. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 48. ISBN1-4402-1643-6.
- ^'Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case'. 27 July 2015.
- ^'Taurus pistol recall: Firearms company voluntary recalls nearly 1 million pistols'.
- ^Sweeney, Patrick (3 December 2009). Gunsmithing - Pistols and Revolvers. Gun Digest Books. pp. 228–230. ISBN1-4402-0389-X.
- ^Radielovic, Marko; Prasac, Max (31 August 2012). Big-Bore Revolvers. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 55. ISBN1-4402-2856-6.
- ^Campbell, Robert K. (2 March 2011). Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to the 1911. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 188. ISBN1-4402-1894-3.
- ^'What you Need to Know About the Taurus Pistol Recall'. Gun Reviews Handgun Testing Rifle Shotgun Reports | GunCarrier.com. 2015-08-05. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
- ^'Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case - Grand View Outdoors'. Grand View Outdoors. 2015-07-27. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
External links[edit]
- Taurus USA(in English)
- Taurus France(in French)
- Taurus Export(in English)