Finally!
All the bugs have been worked out. Taurus doesn't list factory magazines on their website, so I bought four Mecgars from CDNN. They are very finely finished with stainless followers and hold the standard nine rounds. When the weather broke, I loaded up all six mags with Aguila 130-grain +P ammo and went out back. Accuracy is outstanding. I have a railroad tie-plate that I can easily hit at 35 yards off-hand. The trigger is crisp and light. The Novak sights are easy to find. Brass was ejected to an unspecified location, or perhaps it simply melted upon contact with the ground.
As far as the magazines- all fed great. The Taurus mags would lock the slide back after the last round, but none of the Mecgars would. I sent off for a package of 10-round conversion kits, consisting of polymer followers and Wolfe springs. I figured that a differently shaped follower would catch the slide stop better. Nope. All worked when cycling by hand, but not when the slide was powered by the fury of the Mexican ammo. Mikey suggested the slide stop. I had an observer at this second outing and we were able to find much of the empty brass waaay behind where I was standing.
He was right! I checked the Brownell's catalog and, lo and behold, Wilson Combat makes caliber-specific slide stops. I ordered one, and as long as I was paying postage, I ordered a fifteen-pound recoil spring, and some of those little rubber shock buffers. Everything works as advertised, now. Brass only flies half the original distance, but all the magazines work.
The only other problem I had was with the ambidextrous thumb-safeties switching to "fire" when I snapped the retention strap on my holster. I found a DiSantis Viper that allows room for the safety legs and I'm pretty comfortable with the gun on.
The Taurus is a pretty nice pistol. The problems I had were easily corrected, but should have been handled before the guns ever left the plant. Or, they could offer magazines. When we are forced to hit the aftermarket, it's a little like leaving third grade and trying to figure out which bus to get on. All I need now is a way to keep the lawn from eating my brass!
Bitterroot
