Taurus PT92
Taurus Holdings, Inc. · Pistol · In Production · 1983
Also known as: PT-92, PT92AF, Taurus 92
Overview
The Taurus PT92 is a Brazilian-made full-size 9mm semi-automatic pistol that is a near-direct copy of the Beretta 92, produced legally without licensing fees after Beretta's patents expired. Forjas Taurus acquired the original Beretta factory tooling in São Paulo in 1980 when Beretta's Brazilian Army contract ended, allowing Taurus to manufacture the design with one significant improvement: a frame-mounted ambidextrous safety/decocker that permits cocked-and-locked carry, unlike the Beretta's slide-mounted decock-only lever. It remains in continuous production and is one of the most popular 9mm pistols in the Americas.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 960 g (33.9 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 1180 g (41.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 216 mm (8.50") |
| Barrel Length | 127 mm (5.00") |
| Height | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Width | 41 mm (1.61") |
| Sight Radius | 158 mm (6.22") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Double Action Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 17 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 380 m/s (1247 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 535 J (395 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1800 m (1968 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Ambidextrous Frame Safety, Decocker, Firing Pin Block, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Open Top Slide, Frame Mounted Safety, Ambidextrous Controls, Cocked And Locked Carry Capable, Double Stack Magazine, Tilting Block Locking System
Variants
- Taurus PT99 — Adjustable Sights
- Taurus PT92C Compact — Compact
- Taurus PT100 — 40 Sw Chambering
- Taurus PT92 Stainless — Stainless Steel
Service history
Operators
- Brazilian Armed Forces · adopted 1983
- Brazilian Federal Police
- Argentine Armed Forces
- Connecticut State Police
Conflicts
- The Troubles (1968-1998)
- Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990)
- Brazilian Drug War (ongoing)
Production
Production years: 1983-present
Continuously produced for over 40 years; total production likely in the millions. Exact figures not published by Taurus.
Origin
Country of origin: Brazil
Designer: Forjas Taurus engineering team (based on Carlo Beretta and Giuseppe Mazzetti's Beretta 92 design)
Notes
Distinguishable from the Beretta 92 by the frame-mounted safety lever. Available in blued, stainless, and gold-accented finishes. Variants include the PT99 (adjustable sights), PT92C compact, and the PT100 chambered in .40 S&W.
Background
When Beretta's contract to supply the Brazilian Army expired in 1980, Beretta sold the entire São Paulo factory, including the tooling and machinery, to Brazilian gunmaker Forjas Taurus. Because the original Beretta 92 patents had also expired by then, Taurus suddenly found itself the legal owner of both the means and the right to clone the iconic Italian pistol, with no royalties owed.