Powered Up Pocket Pistol

Taurus is a major player in the North American Arms industry. The Brazilian company is able to field high quality pistols and revolvers at competitive prices due to inexpensive labor, total in-house production of parts and a favorable trade and currency balance. Taurus’ competent innovative development has inspired major domestic manufacturers to copy a number of the designs and the current level of quality assurance is second to none.

Consumers are particularly receptive when compact, major caliber handguns are dead-reliable, shooter-friendly, retail reasonably low, and are often found on sale. Taurus’s comprehensive selection of striker-fired pistols with polymer frames meets the criteria handily. The 24/7 family, promoted as personal protection arms for all times and seasons has now, in its second generation, arrived at the apex of development within the Taurus line up. They are multi-mode totally ambidextrous arms available in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP, ranging from full-sized service pistols to compact models.

Our 24/7 Compact with its attractive appearance and sterling handling qualities is more than just another plastic pistol. It encompasses a variety of safe-carry options. Inserting the magazine and chambering a round sets the pistol in double-action mode. The DA trigger pull on our sample is 9 pounds, 10 ounces, with 1 inch of trigger travel. The first double-action shot cocks the striker and reduces trigger weight to 8 pounds, 12 ounces, with 1/2-inch of travel. Unlike others in its class, the 24/7 has double-strike capability should a primer prove recalcitrant.

In loading, put in a magazine and rack one into the chamber. The 24/7 goes right back to double-action-trigger. Firing it cocks the striker and the trigger resets at about half the distance, and fires single action with 0.5-inch less travel and a pound off the pull-weight. The frame-mounted safety immobilizes the slide and functions in the same manner as traditional Browning-designed SA pistols. The thumb safety also serves as a decocker. The thumb safety is very positive and I did not encounter any tendency to accidentally push it down into the de-cock mode. The addition of a center-trigger-swiveling frame-block safety working in concert with the relatively long and heavy SA pull means the 24/7 is no more or less safe than other pistols using this as the primary carry mode. The 24/7 is drop-safe by virtue of a passive trigger-actuated striker block. There is also a tactile loaded chamber indicator on the top of the slide behind the port.

With its 3.5-inch barrel and 6.6-inch overall length, the 24/7 compact is among the very smallest of full-power compacts. Magazine capacity is higher than most. The standard .40 S&W mag houses 11 rounds and the extended mag holds 15. The benchrest accuracy of the available loads is right in line with the expectations from the most refined and expensive concealment arms of similar size. This example—completely reliable—handled all loads on hand and was at its most accurate with the 155- and 180-grain bullets. The Black Hills 155-grain JHP, the Remington Ultimate Defense 180 and the Hornady American Gunner in the same weight produced groups of 2.2 inches from a sandbag rest at 25 yards.

Sight adjustment is somewhat tedious due to the small slotted adjustment screws but the final settings are positive and the unit appears to be rugged. The 3-dot sights offer ample light on either side of the front post making the sight picture easy to pick up. The very lightweight Taurus handled recoil well. Muzzle rise, back thrust and torque from the bench or standing are unremarkable. The two loads using the 140-grain Barnes bullet are quite sedate, apparently with the purpose of providing markedly less recoil and possibly faster repeat shots.

In my shooting the limiting factor for rapid repeat shots was the long and heavy trigger pull in both double- and single-action mode. I did the bulk of my shooting with the striker set for the SA pull. Single action, the trigger pull is long and stagy. Double action, the trigger is longer and stagier. In both modes, the weight stacks toward the end. I got my best results using it like a 2-stage trigger pull in the single-action mode, producing a very decent 5-round group at 25 yards of 1-inch wide by 3 tall. At more reasonable defensive ranges of 3, 7 and 15 yards, well-centered hits at reasonable speed are the rule.

The sights, though highly visible, are low profile with the front dovetailed into the slide and held fast by a screw. The rear sight is likewise securely mounted. The tight, closely fitted slide travels smoothly on the frame rails and the barrel arrives at secure lock-up fore and aft. Nothing rattles. The extractor is massive and every thing about the 24/7 suggests a long and trouble-free service life. The magazines, like the rest of the gun, are made in Brazil. Strong springs promote reliable function, but make loading quite a chore. A loading tool is included and seems to be usable with 9mm, too.

Disassembly

Basic takedown for cleaning: 1) Remove the magazine, unload the pistol, ensuring the chamber is unloaded, and lock the slide back. 2) Depress the takedown lever (on frame above the trigger) and allow the slide to go forward. 3) Pull the trigger and remove the slide and barrel assembly off the front of the frame. 4) Remove recoil spring assembly and barrel. Reassemble in reverse with the large recoil spring to the front of the slide.

The Case For The .40 S&W

In the 1990’s and into the third Millennium the .40 S&W cartridge was riding high as the standard North American police cartridge. It met the performance criteria developed by the FBI around the longer 10mm (.40 caliber) being ballistically superior to both the 9×19 mm and the SAAMI-standard .45 ACP. Housed in the smaller 9mm frame and delivering manageable recoil, it was more suited for training and varying carry modes than the 10 or the large .45. Magazine capacity is higher than a .45 of equivalent frame size.

The 1994 Assault weapons ban with restrictions on magazine capacity took considerable shine off of the very popular high-capacity 9mm pistols. Ten +1 rounds of 0.400-inch projectiles promised better results than the same government mandated maximum of 0.355’s. The AWB encouraged larger caliber handguns and also prompted the States to pass a deluge of shall-issue concealed handgun licensing laws. The .40 S&W proves quite compatible with the downsized handguns demanded by several million legally armed citizens.

In recent years, all of the Big Three auto pistol rounds have remained popular among the shooting public. The .45 has a solid following not much diminished by the successes of either the .40 or the 9mm. Presently, the 9x19mm is garnering renewed interest with law enforcement agencies and civilian shooters. Magazine capacity limits are off the books and bullet designs have advanced to the point they approach “barrier-blind” performance—even in the sub-compact pistols. The century-long distrust of the 9mm as a “stopping” round seems to be evaporating in the public consciousness. Still, the belief “Bigger is Better” retains validity for a lot of shooters and the .40 delivers an unarguably bigger bullet.

24/7 G2 Compact
Maker: Taurus Int.
16175 NW 49th Avenue
Miami, FL 33014
(305) 624 1115
www.taurususa.com

Caliber: .40 S&W (tested), 9mm, .45 ACP
Action: DA/SA, striker-fired, semi-auto
Capacity: 11 (standard), 15 (extended)
Length Overall: 6.57 inches
Barrel Length: 3.5 inches
Weight: 23.5 ounces (.40), Sights: 3-dot, fully adjustable
Finish: Blue or stainless over black polymer

Get More Carry Options content!

Sign up for the newsletter here:

Purchase A PDF Download Of The GUNS Magazine February 2017 Issue Now!