With all the Beretta love, a Taurus PT-92C question

[TORCH2J]

With all the Beretta love around here, and my love hate relationship with them, I recently started thinking about getting another one (again).

So at lunch, I'm browsing my local selection of pawn shops and gun shops and I came across a PT-92C...I know, I know, friends don't let friends shoot Tauri, but then I started thinking.

Frame mounted safety-check.
Compatibility with Beretta-check for the most part.
Cheap-$399.00
Reliability and durability-unknown (personal experience is mostly miss rather than hit across most Taurus models)
Accuracy-unknown

So, the question is do I drop the price of another Glock on it, and take my chances or...?

Anyone with an opinion or experience with these guns please weigh in.

Thanks

[KevinB]

Go back to the first part -- Friends don't let friends...

It's like a FOBUS holster or a Moped, it may get you from A to B, but it will not do it well, nor will it always work, and damn embarrassing to be seen with.

[Rich]

Are they really that bad of a pistol.

[LSP972]

I "handle" (examine & test-fire) anywhere from one to a dozen or more various Tauri every week here in the lab. It is an exceedingly popular brand amongst the thugs and Cleeti alike, because they look like a real gun and are inexpensive compared to the name brands (except for Glock, but I'll leave that one alone).

As you stated, quality is hit-or-miss. FWIW, the various Beretta 92 clones/PT series are among their better offerings, IMO, and generally work as intended. But we rarely do any extended shooting with any of them, with the exception of some structured tests intended to prove/disprove a particular point and/or theory for the AFTE Journal. The last one of those was a 500 round marathon, using one HiPoint C9 frame/barrel and five different slides, that was... educational. But I digress.

We all enjoy slamming Taurus, but truth be told some of their offerings are decent pistols. However, durability over the long term is always a question with this brand. IOW, if a PT92 was all I had, I wouldn't use it to kill myself in anticipation of it failing me... but I'd get something "better" as soon as I could. ;)

As for buying one... well, I could think of numerous other brands/models I would rather experiment with. For example, I examined a like-new Sig SP2022 this morning that was actually rather interesting. Either Sig has made some startling improvements, or my memory of one I handled when they first came out is clouded.

I dunno, you might be pleased over the long run with that PT92. But don't be surprised if you aren't.

.

[Chuck Haggard]

I had a PT99af years ago that I bought with my just back from basic training money, I couldn't afford a Beretta, and "just as good as"..... That gun was reliable over the course of thousands of rounds of ammo, including quite a bit of +p and +p+.

That said, almost every other taurus I have owned or shot has been a mess. Reliability issues, manufacturing defects, etc.

[Hambo]

IOW, if a PT92 was all I had, I wouldn't use it to kill myself in anticipation of it failing me... but I'd get something "better" as soon as I could. ;)


I'd put it a little higher than that. It's not Liberator .45 and you're trying to upgrade to something that shoots twice in a row, but I would be looking to make a real move up.

On the other hand, I have some experience with love/hate and firearms. It never got better no matter how hard I tried to like a popular brand of polymer pistols. Eventually, like fifteen of them later, I realized that it wasn't meant to be. If Berettas aren't your thing, drive on and don't look back.

[Rich]

I had a PT99af years ago that I bought with my just back from basic training money, I couldn't afford a Beretta, and "just as good as"..... That gun was reliable over the course of thousands of rounds of ammo, including quite a bit of +p and +p+.

That said, almost every other taurus I have owned or shot has been a mess. Reliability issues, manufacturing defects, etc.

I mainly was asking about the PT99. I've heard it was a decent pistol in the past.

[Stephen]

What do you want it for? I don't think many people would advise you to take a Taurus to a 2-day class or to rely on one for defense. But if its just a toy to mess with a little, its not such a big deal if it has problems.

[GardoneVT]

With all the Beretta love around here, and my love hate relationship with them, I recently started thinking about getting another one (again).

So at lunch, I'm browsing my local selection of pawn shops and gun shops and I came across a PT-92C...I know, I know, friends don't let friends shoot Tauri, but then I started thinking.

Frame mounted safety-check.
Compatibility with Beretta-check for the most part.
Cheap-$399.00
Reliability and durability-unknown (personal experience is mostly miss rather than hit across most Taurus models)
Accuracy-unknown

So, the question is do I drop the price of another Glock on it, and take my chances or...?

Anyone with an opinion or experience with these guns please weigh in.

Thanks
No.

Buy yourself a police trade in Glock/S&W/Beretta, and dispense with this Taurus nonsense. They make airsoft pistols which are confused for and thus sold as actual weapons.

[TORCH2J]

Gents,

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm trying to decide whether to jump back into shooting TDA again, and so far Beretta really is the go to gun for me. I'm not a big Sig fan, they don't fit me very well and as much as I've tried to retrain my SH thumb to not ride the slide release, I have not been able to spend the time to do so properly.

So since I've been toying witht the idea of shooting more TDA, I've been thinking of picking up a 92A1, and then I stumbled across the subject of this post. It made me think that a small investment (with the caveat that I'm pretty clued in to the various issues that Tauri can manifest) may not be such a bad idea. It's a Taurus after all, I won't change anything in it (well maybe the hammer spring), but really, as a gun to get me used to shooting TDA again, I thought it might not be such a bad idea. Especially since it will not be anything other than a range toy.

I really miss being around Benning. You could pick up a gently used 92FS for around $350 quite frequently there as little as two years ago.

[GardoneVT]

Gents,

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm trying to decide whether to jump back into shooting TDA again, and so far Beretta really is the go to gun for me. I'm not a big Sig fan, they don't fit me very well and as much as I've tried to retrain my SH thumb to not ride the slide release, I have not been able to spend the time to do so properly.

So since I've been toying witht the idea of shooting more TDA, I've been thinking of picking up a 92A1, and then I stumbled across the subject of this post. It made me think that a small investment (with the caveat that I'm pretty clued in to the various issues that Tauri can manifest) may not be such a bad idea. It's a Taurus after all, I won't change anything in it (well maybe the hammer spring), but really, as a gun to get me used to shooting TDA again, I thought it might not be such a bad idea. Especially since it will not be anything other than a range toy.

I really miss being around Benning. You could pick up a gently used 92FS for around $350 quite frequently there as little as two years ago.

A PT99 may look like a Beretta, but in my experience its way too different to be used as a training aid to a Beretta 92.The safety is different, the grip is different as Taurus still uses the old school 1970s grip design which Beretta has since changed, and the trigger in DA is inferior both in weight and feel to a factory 92FS. Single action isnt bad, but again Taurus uses a different trigger design which negates building transferable experience. Given that in some places a Beretta is only $10-50 more then an equivalent new PT92, theres no economic or logical reason in my view to pick the Brazilian gun.

[JTQ]

Given that in some places a Beretta is only $10-50 more then an equivalent new PT92, theres no economic or logical reason in my view to pick the Brazilian gun.
I haven't seen them that close in price, but certainly less than $100 different for sure, at least for a 92FS. I would also pay the premium for the Beretta.

As mentioned above, the Taurus grip is different. I think the front strap is more square than the Beretta, and the newer Beretta's have the dished out back strap that really is a big improvement for me.

It seems to me, if you have a bunch of money laying around, and you want to get back into TDA pistols, and you want something to abuse, the Taurus would probably be a good choice. As previously mentioned, the Taurus PT92 series is widely regarded as Taurus's best offering. I'll assume you do understand, at some point it will bug you that you bought the Taurus and you'll end up buying a Beretta anyway. Save the money on what you'd pay for the Taurus and buy the Beretta up front.

[HCM]

I mainly was asking about the PT99. I've heard it was a decent pistol in the past.

I think that was a gun magazine fantasy. I bought one in 1989 based on a positive write up by Ken Hackathorn and multiple "just as good as" articles- It was ball of suck.

You can find used berreta 92's for $450 ish or less- it's worth the effort.

[jetfire]

I had a PT92 that ran just fine. I sold it for a Beretta, which ran better.

[LSP972]

If Berettas aren't your thing, drive on and don't look back.

Ah… I was referring to the Taurus.

.

[TORCH2J]

. Save the money on what you'd pay for the Taurus and buy the Beretta up front.

You know, that is a very true statement. Thanks. Now I'll have my LGS order a 92A1 for me. Maybe I'll wind up keeping this one instead of trading it away on yet another Glock.:o

[45dotACP]

If you want a cheap TDA gun, I'd go find a 3rd gen smith, Sig sp2022, or a Ruger P89 or P95. They don't have lifetime warranties, but then, you won't be using the warranties for the rest of your lifetime so there....

If you want a good TDA gun, Beretta is where it's at. But I'm biased.

[Clobbersaurus]

The Turkish 92 copies would be better buys IMO. I think they are called ATI AT 92??

Anyway, parts are interchangeable with Beretta. Most Turkish clones I've seen up here in toqueland are only marginally cheaper than a decent used Beretta, which makes owning one a big mistake vs a used Beretta......considering that most people don't put enough rounds through their pistols to even consider the term "used" as broken in yet.

[SecondsCount]

My first centerfire handgun was a PT99AF and so was Todds.

Back then I was lucky if I shot 50 rounds a month but I never remember it giving me any issues in the four years I had it. I think Todd said the rear sight fell off on his. Anyway, the price is too high for a used one. Probably should be closer to 350. One thing I remember is that the stock trigger on mine wasn't as nice as a stock Beretta.

The recommendation to get a SP2022 is a good one. That is a lot of gun for the money.

[1986s4]

Keep looking. You'll find a good used Beretta for a decent price. When I was looking a few years ago I actually found a 92G for a great price. Not sure the magazines are interchangeable between the Taurus and Beretta?

[Kyle Reese]

If you want a cheap TDA gun, I'd go find a 3rd gen smith, Sig sp2022, or a Ruger P89 or P95.

The 2022 is the best of the bunch, hands down.

[TORCH2J]

The 2022 is the best of the bunch, hands down.

I have a couple of 3913s, the 2022 fits me like a bag of hammers and while I want to appreciate the P89 and P95 for what they are, they just don't feel good in my hands, despite having pretty decent triggers on the samples I saw.

[momano]

What about the CZ offerings?

[45dotACP]

I have a couple of 3913s, the 2022 fits me like a bag of hammers and while I want to appreciate the P89 and P95 for what they are, they just don't feel good in my hands, despite having pretty decent triggers on the samples I saw.
Have you tried the different grip sizes? The extra large grip was always my preference, but I'm definitely a minority in that.

[ReverendMeat]

I've had good experiences with The Taurus PT92 and PT1911, but I wouldn't use either as anything other than a range toy. If you're looking to get into TDA but aren't sure if you want to invest in a new Beretta (and you said SIGs don't work for you so the SP2022 is out) I'd be looking at CZ, either the 75/75 compact or P-07/P-09, which can be found new in the mid $400 range.

[LHS]

Granted it was only a sample size of one, but I was not at all impressed by a 90s-vintage PT92 that I handled. I was lusting after some of the single-action Berettas, and lacked anywhere near the cash to acquire one, so I thought the Taurus might fit the bill. A buddy had one, and let me handle it. The gun rattled, and had more sharp edges than the Iron Throne of Westeros. I pretty much gave up on the model right then and there.

[TORCH2J]

I ordered a(nother) 92. Again. Le sigh. :o Freaking enablers.

Seriously all of you who responded. Thanks. I'll go slap myself now for entertaining the Taurus idea.

[JTQ]

Good for you.

Now you don't have to spend weeks/months saying, "man, I should have bought that Beretta."

I suspect you'll never find yourself saying, "gee, I should have bought the Taurus."

[Clobbersaurus]

I ordered a(nother) 92. Again. Le sigh. :o Freaking enablers.

Seriously all of you who responded. Thanks. I'll go slap myself now for entertaining the Taurus idea.

Punching yourself in the face would be more suitable corporal punishment. Glad we could talk you off the ledge. :D

[SecondsCount]

Just to give some pricing perspective, CDNN has Taurus PT-92s on sale for $369.

ETA: Top Gun has the Sig Pro/2022 for $399.

[jetfire]

I can get you a 5906 for $350. With free shipping.

https://gunocracy.com/shop/smith-wesson-5906-used-g5906au

[Alpha Sierra]

What about the CZ offerings?
Better than anything that has been mentioned on this thread. The CZ 75 (and its derivatives) is incredbily accurate and extremely easy to shoot fast.

You could not give me a SIG for free.

Well, you could, and I would sell it right away.

[ReverendMeat]

You could not give me a SIG for free.

Well, you could, and I would sell it right away.

Why is that?