The Taurus Slim, also known as the Taurus 709, is a sub-compact, lightweight DA/SA pistol.
Though Taurus 709 is a highly preferred concealed carry gun due its slim width (less than 1 inch) and affordability, it encompasses some problems, which should be kept in mind before buying it. These problems are as follows –
- Sharp edges on the inner slide that may inflict injuries
- Poor grip owing to small frame length
- High recoil and low accuracy
- Low pressure holding capacity; not suitable for high-quality ammunitions
- Abnormal trigger pull
- The slide lock often doesn’t depress after the last round.
- Sometimes, the entire system gets jammed after firing 2-3 bullets
- Frequent breaking of rear sights
- Dissatisfactory customer support services
- Difficulty in reloading
Poor Grip and Recoil
Since it’s a sub-compact gun with a short frame and small grip, the user generally experiences pinky curling under the gun instead of any real grip. It can be a severe concern, especially for those with beefy hands.
On top of it, due to the poor grip size, the user experiences a very high recoil with a sharp muzzle flip that ultimately hampers the accuracy with every subsequent shot.
Slide Issues
The front of the slide has many sharp edges that may tear the holster (if carrying inside it) or injure the carrier’s leg while carrying it in the pocket. Further, due to its slim shape, it doesn’t have the required slide mass to fire the full power rounds.
Not suitable for High-Quality Ammunition
Though the manufacturer has labeled this model to support +P ammunition, in reality, neither it is much used so, nor it should be.
A +P ammunition is a small arms ammunition that produces a high internal pressure for the bullet to have a high muzzle velocity. Since this pistol has a small frame with a low pressure holding capacity, the +P ammunition is not advisable to use. And if used, then there are chances that either the round won’t eject or it’ll come out of the magazine, damaging the firearm substantially.
Further, due to high muzzle velocity, the +P ammunition generates a high recoil, which is very difficult to handle from this pistol’s small grip.
Lastly, this model has also been observed to misbehave while using a Remington Standard Velocity JHP.
Poor Quality Magazine
The quality of the magazine has always been a concern with this pistol.
Sometimes, the slide lock fails to depress after the last round of the magazine is fired. It’s because the yellow follower of this pistol rears backward after that round and tilts the leading edge upwards. As a consequence, the follower misses the tab that depresses the slide lock, and the user is not warned when the magazine runs out of ammo.
Its consequences can range from annoyance to fatality. It may also lead to dry firing that may substantially deform the firing pin and the rolling pin.
Besides this issue, for reloading, the user needs to press the slide release from one hand and get the magazine out from the other, which is a very tedious task. It not only hampers the accuracy but can also be life-threatening sometimes.
Performance Malfunctioning
One of the core issues with this pistol is that its extractor often fails to pull the empty cartridge case out of the chamber. As a result, it often jams while firing, and the bullets stop ejecting.
It’s unlikely that its magazine gets empty without this issue, which can be fatal.
Also, if one reassembles this pistol, its slide sometimes gets hung up in the barrel, and the entire system jams.
Other Issues
Besides those discussed above, some other issues may include – an abnormal higher trigger pull (of 12lb), case bulge, frequent breaking of the front sights, dissatisfactory customer support service.
Final Thoughts
Taurus Slim has some serious performance and safety issues. These came to light when Taurus settled a lawsuit by recalling its approx 1 million handguns on account of these issues. So, if one is looking for a sub-compact 9mm pistol with the same features as this Taurus, Walther PPS M2 and Glock 43 are some better alternatives.
