The Taurus PT92 is manufactured by Taurus in the former Beretta factory in São Paulo, Brazil. It is a double action/single action, 9x19mm Parabellum, double column magazine, semi-automatic, short recoil action pistol.
Design
The Taurus PT92 is a licensed reproduction of the Beretta 92. Forjas Taurus bought the Beretta plant in São Paulo after the Brazilian military had finished their purchase of 40,000 pistols, making way for the PT92. It comes in a variety of finishes with a variety of grip styles. The Taurus PT92, in comparison with the Beretta 92, utilizes the open-slide design where the upper portion of the slide is cut away exposing much of the barrel itself. For the most part, the first PT92 model was exactly like the first Beretta 92, though it had a squared trigger guard feature for supporting the index finger of the opposite hand while firing the pistol. This feature was introduced to the Beretta 92 with the 92SB-F (92F) model in 1985.
The PT92 has evolved to the model PT99, which has an adjustable rear sight and a taller front sight, the compact PT92C model, and the PT100 and PT101 models. The PT100 and PT101 are .40 S&W models of the PT92 and PT99.
The Taurus PT92 has went under many changes in design since it was originally produced in the mid-1980s. Early PT92s and PT99s did not feature the third safety position decocker that is now standard; it was added to the early-1990s models. This included the three-dot sights found on the Beretta 92F. A third revision in the late-90s changed the grip and slide design allowing fewer grooves in the rear. In 2005, Taurus has begun manufacturing the PT92 with built-in accessory rails on the frame, a feature found on the Heckler & Koch USP and third generation Glock pistols. Taurus now manufactures 17-round magazines for the PT92 in order to give it comparable firepower to the Glock 17. It originally held 10-round and 15-round magazines.
Variants
- PT92, with fixed sights, with 10-, 15- or 17-round factory magazines available;
- PT92 AFS, As described above but with 3 dot fixed sights, stainless steel slide, and anodized aluminum frame
- PT99, with an adjustable rear sight, compatible with PT92 magazines;
- PT92C, a compact version with fixed sights, with 10- or 12-round factory magazines available, though it will accept standard PT92 magazines, which will protrude from the butt;
- PT100, a .40 S&W version with fixed sights, with 10- or 11-round factory magazines available;
- PT101, a .40 S&W version with an adjustable rear sight, compatible with PT100 magazines.
- PT917, a discontinued compact version with 4-inch barrel, alloy frame, 3-dot fixed dovetailed (front and back) sights; 17- and 19-round factory magazines available. The 19-round magazine extends 1 inch below the grip. It will accept standard PT92 magazines. Ships with both a 17- and 19-round factory magazine. Available in both blued (C variant) and stainless (CS variant).
Users
The standard sidearm for the Brazilian Army is the PT92 which is also known as the M975.
External links
- Official United States site
- Official site (in Portuguese)
- Taurus Forum
- IMBEL (Indústria de Material Bélico) - Produces weaponry, ammunition and assorted equipment to the Brazilian Army