TAURUS: A No-Bull History

Forjas Taurus ("Taurus forge") began as a small tool manufacturer in Porot Alegre, Brazil back in the 1930s. The company produced its first revolver, the Model 38101S0, in 1941, combining elements from several manufacturers of that day, including Colt, Smith &Wesson and certain Spanish brands.

Taurus soon became a major factor in the South American market and entered the U.S. market in 1968, employing the services of a succession of U.S. distributors over the next several years. Their efforts met with only marginal success and marginal acceptance by American shooters.

In the meantime, Smith & Wesson had been purchased by an international conglomerate named Banfor Punta, which later purchased 54 percent of Taurus. Thus, the two companies became "sisters" (neither ever owned the other), and over the years a great deal of technology and methodology were passed between the two. In fact, due to efforts to upgrade Smith & Wesson's factory, more technology and manufacturing know-how passed from Brazil to Springfield, Massachusetts, than vice versa.

Many of Taurus' young engineers did extended tours of duty at Smith & Wesson as part of that process. One of those was Carlos Murgel, who in 1977 , put together a group of investors that bought back Bangor Punta's 54 percent of Taurus outright. Dr. Murgel has since passed away, but the ownership structure continues today.

The change sparked a quest to improve overall quality of Taurus guns as well as an expansion program. Taurus eventually bought a factory that Beretta had built as part of a Brazillian government contract. Along with the purchase came tooling, machinery and a very experienced work force.

In 1982, Taurus opened Taurus USA, in Miami, Florida, to increase the firm's visibility here. Over the next several years, the company introduced guns such as the Raging Bull .454 Casull double-action revolver, the polymer-frame Millennium autoloader series, the 24/7 duty and service pistol family, the world's first all-titanium revolver line and also became the first company to offer its customers an unqualified lifetime repair policy.

Copied from Guns & Ammo Handguns (August/September 2008).