First Gun Review

We have all heard a friend of a friend who has a horror story about Taurus semi-automatics. That reputation in their older firearms was hard to deny. Now they have a new generation of small frame, concealed carry pistols that are a new breed. This short review is on the Taurus PT709 Slimline. Not exactly a new gun but one that I consider a sleeper in the "concealed carry size, full size power" carry pistol. At first glance it is kind of blocky and a little less that stellar in it's shape and form. Don't let the "narrowed block" design get the better of you. It has amazing ergonomics and is actually a comfortable, manageable gun to shoot. The controls are all simple and easy to manipulate. The sights are 3 dot white standard but easily visible and adjustable for windage AND elevation. The 709 has a few safety features that make it a winner as well. It has a visible and tactile loaded chamber indicator and has an *gasp* external manual safety! It also gives you multiple strike capability in case of a bad primer. The trigger pull is a bit long but is smooth with a clean break that can be improved by a good gunsmith. Break down is easy with a simple Glock type slide lock lever system. Maintenance is a breeze and a minimum is required. On the range we were able to get easy 3" groups at 21 ft. using a multitude of 115, and 124 grain range ammo. Recoil is felt but not nearly as powerful as you would expect in such a small package. Using +P ammo the recoil was easily manageable for very fast follow on defensive shots. All in all this little sleeper surprised me quite a bit. But why take my word for it..one of mu customers has run it through a real world combat scenario gauntlet. Here's his email to me about it... "Matt, It is good to hear from you! My team and I are sitting in Dubai waiting to head back to Afghanistan tomorrow morning. I threw some pics in because you wanted em. OH! by the way...that Taurus Slim 9mm I bought from you is the best compact I have ever owned. It's better than any Glock and it has a safety. John Reid". That from a private military contractor in Afghanistan that hunts terrorists for a living.