Taurus has long been a name that's synonymous with the revolver—with models like the company's Tracker and Raging Bull, in particular, striking a cord with hunters. I don't mean to knock the company's semi-automatic offerings, though, by any means. The Taurus Curve, which has been reviewed extensively by our friends over at American Rifleman, has already left its mark on the industry—company representatives report they're on pace to sell more than twice as many Curves as originally forecasted.
That said, Taurus made its name marketing wheelguns and affordability, both of which are attributes that the hunting community can embrace. But there's a lot more to say about the company's 70-plus years of history. Below you'll find 10 (potentially) little-known facts about Taurus' history.
The information was put together with a little help from the team at Taurus USA, among other sources. Feel free to post any little known facts that I may have missed in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Let's get the ball rolling.
10. We'll start with an easy one. I say that because, if you've ever purchased a Taurus, you already know it. Taurus provides a free NRA yearly membership with the purchase of any of its firearms. Just fill out the provided card and your first year is on Taurus—if you're not already a member, that is.
9. Like I said, Taurus sports a fairly long history. The Model 38101SO—a revolver, naturally—was produced in 1941. By 1968 its wares were reaching the U.S. market.
8. Brazilian-based Taurus opened its United States-based office in Miami in 1984. Though the company had found some success in importing its wares to the American market in the years prior, it sought to make a more direct impact. Taurus USA was born.
7. Yes, Taurus opened its U.S. location to provide easier access to the nation's marketplace. What fewer folks know, however, is that three of the company's brand models come from the Florida factory: the TCP, PT 22/25 and the new Curve.
6. Most companies in the firearms industry have been linked, at one time or another, to one of their peers. Taurus is no different. For a brief period in the 70s, the majority share of Taurus was owned by the same parent company as Smith & Wesson. The shared parentage lasted until 1977, when Taurus' rights were purchased by another group. Precisely how much technology and knowledge was shared during the intervening years will forever remain debated, but there's no changing that the two were "sister" companies for some time.
5. Smith & Wesson isn't the only industry titan that Taurus shares history with, though. Taurus actually owns a few Beretta firearm designs. In 1974 Beretta won a contract to produce small arms for the Brazilian Army. The contract required Beretta to build a Brazilian factory and use Brazilian labor. When the contract ran out in 1980, Beretta sold the plant to Forjas Taurus, which gained ownership of everything that had once belonged to Beretta, including drawings, tooling and machinery. Being in the pistol business, Forjas Taurus put its new assets to use, resulting in the PT-92 and PT-99.
4. We'll wrap up our tour of the industry with one final note: Taurus acquired the rights and equipment to manufacture Rossi brand revolvers in 1997. If you've purchased a Rossi revolver since then, Taurus had a hand in it. That said, Amadeo Rossi still produces its own rifles and carbines.
3. It's hard to say if the company truly was the first to make such a claim, but there's no denying that in 1984 (at the SHOT Show, no less) Taurus was the first company to loudly boast it was offering consumers an unqualified lifetime repair policy.
2. Earlier this year, Forjas Taurus and Taurus Holdings, Inc. were acquired by international ammunition company Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos, more commonly known as CBC, headquartered in Brazil. CBC already owned the ammunition brands Magtech, Sellier & Bellot (S&B) and MEN prior to bringing Taurus under its umbrella.
1. 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of Taurus' most well-known offering, the Judge. The versatile wheelgun created a whole new category of firearm upon introduction, and over the past decade Taurus has thoroughly expanded the Judge's attributes to several different platforms. As you might imagine, a number of turkey hunters across the nation have found ways to put a revolver capable of firing a .410 shotshell to use.
Looking for past installments of our "10 Things You Didn't Know" series? Hit the links below!
• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Benelli
• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Beretta
• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Remington
• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Ruger
• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Smith & Wesson
• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Weatherby
