Heritage Manufacturing

Taurus Armas S.A.
Company type	Public company
Industry	Firearms, metal fabrication, plastics, protective body armor, helmets, civil engineering
Predecessor	Forjas Taurus S.A.
Founded	1939
Headquarters	São Leopoldo, Brazil
Area served	Worldwide, with significant sales in the United States
Products	Firearms (pistols, revolvers, submachine guns, rifles), metal fabrication products, plastics, protective body armor, helmets
Website	www.taurususa.com

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Heritage Manufacturing, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 28 November 2025

Taurus Armas S.A., previously known as Forjas Taurus S.A., is a Brazilian industrial conglomerate headquartered in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Established in 1939 initially as a forging facility for tools and dies, the enterprise has since expanded to encompass its firearms division, Taurus Armas, along with sectors dedicated to metal fabrication, plastics, protective body armor, helmets, and civil engineering.

In 2021, sales to the U.S. market represented 79.6% of the company’s overall revenue, reflecting a growth of 23.4%. That same year, Taurus commanded an estimated 61% share of the U.S. revolver segment, a notable increase from 41% in 2020. Firearms and related accessories made up 70.1% of its income within the American market.

History

The company manufactured its first revolver, the Model 38101SO, in 1941 and began exporting firearms to the United States in 1968 through various importing partners.

In 1971, Bangor Punta Corporation—then owner of Smith & Wesson—acquired a 54% stake in Forjas Taurus, enabling collaborative efforts in design and production. This relationship ended in 1977 when Taurus was sold to its present proprietors.

Following the completion of contracts with Brazil’s military by Italian firm Beretta in 1980, Taurus took over Beretta's São Paulo manufacturing facility along with its equipment and technical expertise for pistol production.

To boost its footprint in the U.S., Taurus founded Taurus International Manufacturing Incorporated (Taurus USA) in 1982.

In 1997, Forjas Taurus procured the rights and machinery to manufacture Rossi revolvers and currently produces multiple .38 Special and .357 Magnum variants at its São Leopoldo plant. The acquisition of Heritage Manufacturing occurred in 2012, with production subsequently relocated to Taurus’s Miami site.

Operations for Taurus USA were moved from Miami to Bainbridge, Georgia, in 2019.

Products

The company’s portfolio features steel-framed pistols, polymer-framed handguns, revolvers, and weapons designed for law enforcement use such as submachine guns and rifles, predominantly targeting the Brazilian market. Competitive pricing is achieved through low labor expenses and nearly complete in-house component manufacturing.

Taurus handguns received acclaim for their quality in 2010; however, a $39 million settlement was reached in 2015 following safety concerns that prompted a recall of close to one million handguns produced between 1997 and 2013.

Firearm model overview

Originally recognized for producing revolvers resembling those of Smith & Wesson, Taurus later expanded into larger frame models including the Raging Bull (.454 Casull) and Raging Hornet (.22 Hornet) revolvers as well as the five-shot Judge capable of firing both .410 bore shotgun shells and .45 Colt cartridges.

Among their successful semi-automatic pistols is the PT92, which is derived from Beretta's model 92 but incorporates an ambidextrous frame safety feature.

The most recent model introduced is the PT1911—a modernized version of the classic Colt 1911 chambered in .45 ACP—offering updated enhancements.

Semi-automatic pistols

Taurus Millennium series (Models 111, 140, 145, 745)
Taurus PT22 chambered in .22 Long Rifle
Taurus PT25 chambered in .25 ACP
PT 24/7
Taurus TCP 732 chambered in .32 ACP
Taurus TCP 738 chambered in .380 ACP
PT92 (Models 92, 100)
PT1911
Taurus Models PT809, PT809c / 840 / 845
Taurus Models PT638 (.380 ACP), 609 (9mm), 640 (.40 S&W)
Slim Series, including models 709 (9mm) and 740 (.40 S&W)
PT-2045
Taurus TS9
Taurus PT911 available in 9mm (15 or 10 round magazines)
Taurus PT909 and PT945
Taurus PT908 (9mm) with an eight-round capacity
Taurus PT51 chambered in 6.35mm
Taurus PT915 chambered in 9mm
Taurus PT917 chambered in 9mm
Taurus PT938
Taurus PT940 chambered in .40 caliber
Taurus PT838 and PT838c
Taurus Curve
Taurus Spectrum
Series G2C, G2S, G3, G3C, G3X, G3XL, G3 Tactical by Taurus
Taurus TX22 (16-round capacity of .22lr)
Taurus GX4
Models from the Taurus TH series (TH9, TH10, TH40, TH45, TH380)
THC series under Taurus (THC9, THC40, THC380)

Small frame

Taurus Model 327 – 6-round capacity chambered in .327 Federal Magnum
Taurus Model 431 – chambered for .44 Special
Taurus Model 405 – designed for .40 S&W
Taurus Model 445 – available in .44 Special
Taurus Model 605 and Model 606 – chambered in .357 Magnum
Taurus CIA (Models 650, 850) – concealed hammer revolvers inspired by the Smith & Wesson Centennial
Taurus Protector (Models 651, 851) – hammer-shrouded design modeled after the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard
Taurus Model 85, including Model 856 – chambered in .38 Special
Taurus Model 731 – uses .32 H&R Magnum
Taurus Model 73 – chambered for .32 S&W Long
Taurus Model 905 – designed for 9mm Parabellum
Taurus Model 94 – chambered in .22 Long Rifle
Taurus Model 941 – uses .22 WMR

Compact frame

Taurus Model 617 – seven-shot revolver chambered in [.357 Magnum]
Taurus Model 817 – seven-shot model firing [.38 Special]

Medium frame

Taurus Model 82 and Model 80 – chambered for [.38 Special]
Models 65 and 66 – designed for [.357 Magnum]
Taurus Model 689 – also chambered in [.357 Magnum]

Large frame

Models 607 (7 rounds), 608 (8 rounds), and 689 (6 rounds) – all chambered in [.357 Magnum]
Taurus Model 692 (7 rounds) – available in [.357 Magnum], [9mm], and [.38 Special]
Taurus Model 44 (6 rounds) – chambered for [.44 Magnum]

Series

Taurus Judge (Model 4510)
Taurus Raging Bull
Taurus Tracker series including Models 17, 425, 44, 627, among others

Rossi Firearms models

Multiple revolver models such as R971, R46102, R35102, R85104, R46202, R35202, and R97206 offered in [.357 Magnum] and [.38 Special]
Rossi Circuit Judge carbine available in both .410 gauge and .45 Colt

Submachine guns

Taurus SMT submachine gun

Semi-automatic rifles and carbines

ART556 rifle by Taurus
CT G2 carbine from Taurus
Taurus T4 series
Taurus T4SA semi-automatic rifle based on the AR-15 platform

Recall and settlement

In the year 2015, Taurus initiated a voluntary recall involving roughly one million pistols produced between 1997 and 2013. This recall encompassed nine widely used models: PT-111, PT-132, PT-138, PT-140, PT-145, PT-745, PT-609, PT-640, and PT-24/7. Subsequently, a class action lawsuit resulted in a settlement near $39 million due to manufacturing defects found within these firearms.

External links