Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Any Other Taurus Millennium Owners Here?

By now, you've probably seen the information about the liability suit Taurus lost affecting 9 different models of their "PT" series Millennium guns.  Bob Owens at Bearing Arms had it on July 28

If I may clip text out and summarize it more,
Forjas Taurus SA has agreed to a $39 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging some of the company’s most popular semi-automatic handguns can discharge when dropped and have a defective safety that allows the gun to fire even when it’s engaged.

According to court documents filed May 15 in a U.S. District Court in Florida, the company has agreed to pay up to $30 million to owners of nine separate handgun models who opt to send their pistols back, with owners receiving anywhere from $150 to $200 for their pistols depending on how many choose that option.

“The Taurus Companies do not admit liability in connection with the settlement,” the official told Grand View Outdoors. “If anyone has one of these pistols, we are happy to inspect it under the warranty and suggest that they send it to us so that we can do so.” [NOTE: Taurus has apparently extended the warranty to any age gun, and is happy to do the work on a gun I'm not the original owner of - SiG]
The suit covers:
  • 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
I own a PT-145 Millennium Pro, the .45ACP version, which I bought in a FTF sale back in '11.  Of course, I've never experienced the failure, but I've never dropped it.  In general, I think recalls tend to be done when defects are relatively rare.  Still, I did the online customer service chat with them and inadvertently referred to this as a recall, asking how I could tell if my model was affected by the recall.  I was informed there was no recall, but they would look it over to make sure it was OK.  They emailed me a FedEx mailer to return it.  If they're offering to take a look at it, I'm game.

If you're waiting to be contacted, I didn't get the impression they were going to do that.  At least not yet.  Maybe it was just the Instant Messenger-style chat I had, where it's easy to lose nuance in conversation, but I didn't get that impression.  If you own one and want to be involved, I'd contact them through customer service.  I suspect it will take a while to work through what has been estimated to be 100,000 guns. 

The way I read that news article (essentially, Bob Owens copying Grand View Outdoors entirely), they will either repair or offer to buy your old gun from you.  Not sure which way I'd go.  There's nothing wrong with the Taurus.  On the other hand, if I took the money, I could take my "refund", add some cash and buy something better!

My Taurus, left with my XD subcompact in 9mm, from the post when I got the Taurus. 


6 comments:

  1. I have the pt 111 but the gen 2, which I just bought recently. so there is no recall on it, but for the 200 that I paid for it, it is a really nice gun, much better than the hi point 9mm I have.

    Good luck with your older Taurus. I know many people hate on them, but I think you will find that with almost any pistol that doesn't have a price tag that starts at a grand.

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  2. I have the pt 111 but the gen 2, which I just bought recently. so there is no recall on it, but for the 200 that I paid for it, it is a really nice gun, much better than the hi point 9mm I have.

    Good luck with your older Taurus. I know many people hate on them, but I think you will find that with almost any pistol that doesn't have a price tag that starts at a grand.

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  3. I have a PT-111 that's affected by the settlement, but I won't be sending it in. For a start, it's never malfunctioned. On the principle of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", I'll leave it alone. Second, if I send it in and Taurus says there's something wrong (whether there is or not - they're bound to be in ass-covering mode, legally speaking), will they return it to me, or hold on to it no matter what? They may say that they'll give me $150-$200 for it, but I won't be able to buy an equivalent pistol at that price point. I'll have to put in at least as much again to replace it.

    No, I think I'll keep my PT-111.

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  4. Hi 'Beard,
    I'm with Peter......'Got a 111Pro in 9mm and "I like It Just the way it is!!!!" A "Firearm" is a piece of machinery!!! Parts move, work in conjunction with one another and are subject to the whims of the weakest link, the person behind it!!!! 'Just wonderin' about the "Piece" in question!! How old was it, how many rounds have been thru it, What kind(s) or rounds (store bought or home rolled) how often was it cleaned...maintained??? Just for starters??? The Problem in question brings more questions to my mind than those dealt with!@!!! Something just doesn't pass the "Smell Test" here for me. Taurus tossed in the towel at the 39mil marker without admitting fault......If there really is a "Fault," why didn't the "Gundropper" reject the towel and continue the suit!!!!!!! Nothing is settled!!
    Got 111Pro!!!!!
    III%,
    skybill-out

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  5. Had a PT145 Millennium Pro that I bought used for $350 from a deputy sheriff, who had carried it as a backup. He had only put around 50 rounds through it, then his department changed their list of approved backups. Took it to the range to try it out after buying it. Trigger fell off while shooting it at around 50 rounds through it. Sent it to Mami for warranty repair. They fixed it. Second trip to range, the trigger fell off it at around 100 rounds. Sent it back to Miami for warranty repair. They fixed it. I sold it at the next gun show in 2011 in Melbourne, FL. I won't have a pistol I cannot trust. I was out over $75 just for next day shipping for its two trips to Miami. I sold it for the same price that I had bought it for. Examination of the trigger pieces showed stress cracks in the exact same location on the trigger assembly each time.

    Reloaded the brass, and it would not chamber in my Springfield GI 1911. Turns out the PT145 does not fully support the case head, stretching the case head.

    I won't buy another Taurus, ever. YMMV.

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  6. You guys are great. Excellent comments.

    Anon 2250 - By strange coincidence I bought my PT145 at the Melbourne gun show in 2011. November, I think. It was also relatively new. Not 50 rounds, but not 500 either; still too tight for that. I bought 200 rounds at the show to break it in and it was fine through all of that. After those 200 rounds it was noticeably looser than before them, so it was a pretty new gun.

    At the time I had two friends that had a PT145; one was perfect, never did anything wrong while the other guy's story was like yours. Back to Taurus twice. After the second trip to Miami it was fine and he kept it.

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