The Sad Tale of Two Taurus Pistols

I didn’t have any plans of picking up a new semi-auto pistol, especially in a caliber other than those I already have on hand. While I used to have a stock of ammo in some calibers for which I had zero guns, I have not had any in years. I sold it all off a couple of years or so ago and stocked up after the sale only on calibers for the guns I own.  Over the past ¾ of a year, just as a few examples, I’ve bought a good amount of 9mm, 45 ACP, and 35 Remington.

One of the reasons I picked up 45 ammo was that I was looking forward to getting a replacement pistol for my Taurus PT145 – Millennium Pro. I sent that pistol to Taurus in August 2015 due to a recall. They told me they would replace it instead of repair it and that the whole process would take a few months from when I sent it to them.

 

In October, I contacted Taurus to check on the status and was told that the pistol would be replaced with one of two specific models, they would send a PT 24/7 G2 in 45ACP or a PT 845. I asked that they assure it would be a model with a ten round magazine because of the NY SAFE Act. I pointed out to them then that the PT 24/7 G2 45ACP Comp (compact) fit that bill. The rep, in October said he requested the compact model. 

 

In December, when I checked on the status of the replacement I was told it would take up to six months to accomplish and that time would be counted from the date they had notified it would be replaced which had been in October. That meant I should get the new one in about April 2016. Somewhere in there, I sent them the info they needed for my local FFL dealer.

I bought a good deal of 45 ammo with that in mind, more than I would have bought otherwise because I only have one other pistol in 45 Auto. I did not bother calling them about it again, until today, because of how long they said it would take. I only got in touch with them today because I thought of it while getting ready to head to the range for some shooty goodness. I figured there was an off chance it would be ready early, so I’d shoot them a message via online chat. I was just a bit surprised when the rep told me it had already gone out and been delivered under my name to my dealer. Then the rep sent me the tracking info according to which it had been delivered on January 19. I told the rep that I could not believe neither they nor the dealer had contacted me about it. I also told her I would call my dealer to see if he actually had received it and get back in touch. I thought that ended the online chat.

 

I called the dealer and he said he had it. Again, I was not only amazed but flabbergasted that neither Taurus nor the dealer had let me know it had shipped or been received. I informed the Taurus rep, who was holding the chat open, that the dealer had it and again mentioned my surprise no one from Taurus had sent me a notice that it had shipped. The rep told me they do not send notifications and recommend that people check with them periodically. They ought to have sent a heads up and you can bet I am going to let them know so in a letter to their CEO here in the US.  I also figured the dealer should have advised me he received it.

I headed over to my dealer to arrange the transfer. He showed me the paperwork they sent him with the pistol. It had my name, the store’s name and address and pistol info. That was pretty much it; there was not one iota of contact info on the form relative to me. Taurus dropped the ball on this one. I guess it would have been nice if the dealer had made a note to himself that a pistol was going to be delivered for me from Taurus, so he could have dug up my number and called me; then again, maybe he did and had it filed under the month of April – the expected delivery month as per what Taurus had indicated.

As we were talking about it, I looked down and saw the box was damaged on the outside. A quick inspection showed the box had even more extensive damage inside and that the manual was oil stained because the pistol was slathered with oil; however, the pistol looked okay. What also was somewhat of a surprise was that it was in a cheap cardboard box; the one I had sent in for the recall had come in a nice hard plastic case but not this replacement. Then I glanced at the gun's papers and spotted another surprise – a really big and bad one that I truly was not happy about. The pistol was in .40 S&W!

I got right back in touch with Taurus via online chat. I told the rep that it sure would have been nice had someone told me it would be in a different caliber than the one I had returned. The rep said that I had been previously told that they had to send me the PT140 Millennium G2.

The Taurus PT140 G2, aka Millennium G2, comes in both 9mm and
40 S&W. Only the 40 cal version has 10 round, single stack, magazines.

The rep explained it was the only pistol they currently manufacture with a 10 round magazine and that is all they can legally send to NY. The rep also said the one I had asked for in October was a 12 round model. That's odd because the other rep in October did not say the one I wanted had a 12 round mag and in fact it is shown on the Taurus website here as coming either with a 12 or 10 round magazine. That rep
requested then the one I wanted after I had explained I needed a pistol with a ten round magazine. Besides me seeing on their site that it was a ten rounder, the rep requesting it for me seemed to confirm it by requesting it. (Edited on 03/29/2016 to add: In addition, I subsequently checked the Taurus 2016 product catalogue and the model I asked for was listed therein on page 32 as coming in both a 10 round and a 12 round capacity.)

 

Well, I thought about this headache  development for a bit and, based on the Taurus representatives statement to me that the one I wanted was not available and only came with 12 round capacity magazines, I figured if what they sent is all they currently manufacture with a ten round mag, what the hell, what else could I do but accept it or be out a gun. I had already done the transfer paperwork so I guess it was a done deal anyway. Then I went to the county PD, for more paperwork after which I headed back to the dealer and picked up the pistol. That process cost me $40 for the FFL transfer, $10 to remove one pistol from my license and another $10 to add the new one. I just had spent $60 on a pistol in a caliber I never wanted or expected in the first place. Then I went home with it and checked on the price of 40 S&W ammo – ouch! It will be another $375 to $400 or so for the least expensive case of JHP .40 S&W ammo that I could find and that is not my preferred brand.

Since sitting here and starting to write this, I checked my records. I have copies of all my chats with Taurus.  The truth is they had not told me before today that my PT 145 Millennium Pro would be replaced with a PT140 G2 Millennium in 40 caliber. They never ever hinted at it. In fact, in October, as I said above, the rep back then said the model I asked for had been requested and that was a compact 45. No one ever mentioned, hinted, suggested, wrote or indicated in any fashion whatsoever that it would be a PT140 G2 in .40 S&W.

 

My bet is that they ran out of the PT24/7 G2 45ACP Comp (the one I had asked for) due to this recall or temporarily discontinued them to send cheaper replacements for the recalled pistols, but those are just guesses. So for now, I am stuck with a gun I did not want nor expect nor that I think is anywhere near comparable to the one I sent in due to the recall. It is of a caliber for which I have no ammo; ammo for which I will have to pay big bucks that I cannot currently afford if I want to shoot it and why bother having it if I will not shoot it. Instead of a nice hard plastic case, the replacement came in a cheap and damaged cardboard box and the manual is oil stained because the gun was essentially soaked with oil.  I'm out $60 for transfer and license fees due to the recall, money that Taurus will not reimburse (already made clear prior to today). I am also out many hours of my time, because of this recall, and out gas money going to and from Fed Ex, my dealer and the police department. I have an excess of 45 ACP ammo on hand because I anticipated a 45 pistol as a replacement for a 45 pistol and bought that caliber.  I also missed my planned range trip today to get the transfer done and to have the new gun put on my license. This all has amounted to a major pain in the neck and a financial and time consuming burden.

 

I am not only going to complain to them but also to the court that ordered them to replace the recalled pistols. Maybe the lawyers can make some more money trying to get Taurus to make it right and send comparable replacements. Better yet, if Taurus wants to send me a voucher for 2,000 rounds of high quality 40 S&W JHP ammo, I’d settle for that. My worst (or would it be the best) case scenario is that if none of that works out, I will sell the pistol, accept my losses and forever be done with Taurus.

 

All the best,

Glenn B