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I recently exercised my right to carry in Michigan and went with a few friends to take a CPL (Concealed Pistol License) class. I found the class very informative and helpful. After the class, I waited a few months due to finances, and then I finally applied for my formal CPL license. Once that arrived, I felt it time to buy a concealed carry pistol. With the seemingly constant growing civil unrest, racial tension everywhere, and fragile economy compounded by an upcoming election, I think it’s about time I started carrying.
With four very active and hungry children, one of the great paradoxes of parenting is the desire to protect my family and the lack of funds to properly do it. Naturally, with price point being a huge concern, the Taurus 709 caught my attention. Listed at a low $229.98 at www.webyshops.com, I started to do a lot of research. Most of the reviews I saw were great, with a lot of emphasis being the fact that the quality of the Taurus has greatly improved over the years. Also, the gun comes with a lifetime transferable warranty, so I felt it was a safe bet. This would be the second pistol I had ever purchased, and to be honest… I don’t foresee myself adding to the collection anytime soon. I wanted a common caliber in case it “hit the fan” and ammo was even more scare than it is now, so I liked how it is a 9mm. All in all, with my budget and goals in mine, and the fact that this is a “slim” model for carrying, the Taurus 709 seemed like a good choice for me. I don’t shoot a lot of pistols, probably wont own many more, and am by no means an expert. And… this is the first time I’ve ever written about a pistol. So… here’s my “rookie review” of the Taurus 709.
The first and most important thing for me to consider before bringing a pistol into my home were the safety options. I know, I know… a safety will just slow you down in the event of an emergency, but in order for me to sell the idea of carrying a pistol to my loving and concerned wife, she wanted me to make sure it had a quality safety. And boy… does it ever! Three of them in fact by my calculations. The first safety mechanism I noticed is the locking feature. The sight alignment tool also has a small Allen wrench on it. When used, this Allen wrench will lock the slide on the gun rendering it useless. The Taurus – like many – also came with a gun lock, which I consider safety mechanism number two. Also, the gun itself has a traditional thumb safety along it’s left side, just below the slide. Also, if a cartridge is loaded in the chamber, a small orange fin sticks up out of the slide indicating that it is loaded. I really appreciated all of the thought that went into keeping this gun safe. Since this is not my primary home defense weapon, when I store it at home, I “triple lock” it for peace of mind. When I carry, I load the magazine and chamber, and put the gun’s thumb safety on.
At first I didn’t quite understand the double action/single action claims. I did more reading and realized that the gun is pretty much always single action, where every time the slide cycles it cocks the firing mechanism. But, in the case of a hard primer that didn’t fire, the gun then becomes a double action, allowing for another chance to fire the same round without having to cycle the slide again. I’m assuming that in the case of repeated mis-fires, I’d just cycle the slide manually to eject the bad round. Fingers crossed it never happens!
When firing the gun, I really like how it all works out. The trigger pull is long and slight, helping me take accurate aim and fire, and the quick reset helps me to shoot really fast if I need to. It’s easy to load, holding seven rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Although I haven’t had to mess with the sight too much, the other option of the safety tool is a sight adjustment flat blade screwdriver for those who wish really dial this gun in.
I carry my Taurus 709 in a few different ways. I bought a nice versatile holster that easily holds the gun, and with a few adjustments, straps it in really tight as well. The holster also holds an extra magazine if necessary. I like the holster, but at the same time it isn’t necessary. I’m 6′ and 200 pounds and tend to wear baggy jeans, and this gun fits well in my pockets. Although I do need to wear a belt when I “pocket carry” so the extra weight doesn’t pull my pants down, it’s no big deal. I also like to holster the gun and just leave it in my truck console when I am traveling long distances. I read a book, Going Home by A. American, and it got me thinking. What if I were 300 miles from home, and an EMP struck? Since then I try to carry in my car on long rides. It’s more of just getting into the habit to be honest. I should be carrying every time I get behind the wheel.
Overall I love this gun. It came in a nice box, with a high quality cloth bag for storage, the security keys, sight adjustment blades, and a magazine. It also included warranty information and a bunch of helpful literature. If your needs are similar to mine, and you live under a constant limited budget, I recommend the Taurus 709. Please feel free to comment or ask questions and I’ll respond to the best of my ability and time. As always, be safe and have fun!
Comments (3)
Mark Jonessays:
May 1, 2016 at 7:02 pmYou don’t need to use the thumb saftey on the 709. It has a Glock style “safe action trigger”. The firing pin is manually blocked from touching the primer by a metal plate. The ONLY way the plate can be lifted is to push up on the plunger located in the slide. That is done when you pull the trigger. The gun cannot accidentally go off.
357 magnumsays:
June 25, 2017 at 9:20 pmBeing a southpaw I am not a big fan of semi-auto pistols but A friend was looking for a hi-point and I had one I bought about 2 years ago so I sold it to him and bought a 709 from Cabelas for $199.95 on sale in May of 2017.
The first trip to the range was VERY impressive.
I was shooting some Winchester steel case ammo ans never had a problem with it after 50 rounds. SO FAR SO GOOD
MaGuntersays:
October 22, 2017 at 8:45 amThe one thing I hated about this gun is the number of “safety” devices on it. This gun is my BUG and I carry it in circumstances where my Sig is too obvious. I’m a huge fan of DA/SA guns and the fact that Taurus made the 709 as a DA capable semiauto and then dropped a lever safety and a gun lock into it instead of giving it a Sig style de-cocker is sad. I get that in our litigation-happy Soviet (where everyone wants to avoid responsibility at all times) “safety” features sell. I just wish more shooters understood that it’s the shooter that makes a gun safe, not the “safety”. One day, you’re ARE going to forget to lock it before leaving it in the drawer, or to switch up that lever. When that happens, what keeps a tragedy from happening is your gun-sense and personal responsibility. Do you always remember it’s loaded and deadly and go to the trouble to keep it pointed in a safe direction? To keep the trigger clear of potential snags, even on your pocket? Have you thoroughly taught your children to respect weapons? Caution and training is the only effectice safety you’ll ever have.
That’s why I like my DA/SA Sig. It has no “safety”, just a de-cocker, but I will NEVER have to remember to switch a safety off in a critical instant before a bad guy unloads on me or my family. Just a harder trigger pull and I have 14 rounds of Hornady ready to blaze.
Overall, though, I like this 709 almost as much as I do my Sig. It points well, shoots well, feels solid, is reliable with good ammo, and conceals acceptably eithout hurting when I shoot it.