Taurus 709 Review: Part 1 - Introduction, Specifications and Summary

Taurus 709 Slim Pistol Review
Part 1 - Introduction, Specifications and Summary
December 29, 2015

Each year I try to pick up some review items at various Black Friday sales. Thanksgiving 2015 I was looking for a bargain on a couple of single stack 9mm pistols and found what I thought to be a great bargain on the Taurus 709 Slim pistol at one of my local gun stores (Cherokee Gun & Pawn) just north of Atlanta. Their sale price was $200 which amazing (my thoughts) for a pistol which typically sells in the $250 to $280 range, so I picked up two of them. My intent is for these two pistols to be carry pistols for my kids.

Since many of my review items are also personal purchases (like these), I always do a little research myself before I buy and I was very impressed with the performance of the Taurus 709 Slim based on the July 27th, 2015 article done by Guns & Ammo (G&A), "Guns & Ammo's Single Stack 9mm Shootout (Updated)." G&A came to the conclusion that the Taurus 709 Slim pistol "proved to be this test's best value", it "printed the single best five-shot group of this entire test" and it was one of the three pistols that they took to the end of the test firing 1050 rounds without issue. This was more than enough information to convince me to give the Taurus 709 Slim a try and I highly recommend you taking a look at their article if you are considering purchasing any single stack 9mm.

The Taurus Slim series (700 series) is made up of four pistols. They have a carbon steel (black) and a stainless steel slide version offered in both 9mm (7+1 capacity) and .40 S&W (6+1 capacity). You can see the two 9mm versions below. Taurus designates the 9mm versions as the 709 model and the .40 S&W as the 740 model and uses the letters "FS" and "SS" to identify the slide style as Finished Steel (I think) and Stainless Steel, respectively. The MSRP on these two pistols is $301.52 for the black (FS) and $316.67 for the stainless (SS) versions. For the review, I purchased the black version because that was the only version offered in the sale. Personally I like having a stainless slide, but I feel that when it comes to concealment, a black pistol has the advantage for blending into your wardrobe and being less flashy.

Figure 1 - Model 709FS Figure 2 - Model 709SS

You can see a video version of this part of the review by clicking on the video below.

During my reviews I like to compare my results to the manufacturer's claims where possible so the following text in colored italics was taken directly from the Taurus website on 12/13/15 or taken from their Instruction Manual and the information gives an Overview, Key Features and Specifications for the Taurus PT709 Slim Pistol. The , and are my way to keep up with details that I have covered in this review with either photos, commentary or both.

Overview

"SLIM" is the name of this suave new entry into the Taurus line.
Elegant in Blue and Stainless this small, single-action-only could be found under a cummerbund or a pair of bibs.
It's what you have been asking for!
No revealing lumps or lines makes concealed carry easier than that larger capacity gun you already have.
Cool, neat and ready to go-the Taurus Slim will be your companion for a long time to come.

Key Features

New Unique SA/DA Trigger System
The PT24/7 Pro Trigger system solves the double action/single action dilemma once and for all. When a round is chambered, the trigger sets in single action mode with the trigger traveling freely to the crisp break point. The trigger resets to DA mode until another round is chambered.

Specifications

Model: 709FS
Finish: Blue
Caliber: 9 mm
Grips: Checkered Polymer
UPC: 7-25327-61066-3
Capacity: 7+1
Weight: 19 oz. and 22.2 oz. with eight rounds of 115gr ammunition
Barrel Length: 3" at website and 3.2" in Instruction Manual, review pistol measured 3.26"
Frame: Compact
Action: SA/DA
Front Sight: Fixed
Rear Sight: Adjustable for Windage and Elevation
Length: 6" at website and 6.24" in Instruction Manual, review pistol measured 6.20" in length
Width: 1.04" review pistol measured 0.97" across the frame and slide and 1.07" overall
Height: 4.52" review pistol measured 4.54"
Order #: 1-709031FS
MSRP: $301.52

This review is broken down into multiple parts with this page providing links to each part along with an overall summary of the specifications, pros and cons, and my final "bottom line" comments. Make sure you take time to checkout the other parts of the review because they contain many photos and lots of commentary. Also, there is an extreme amount of detail in those parts which is not covered on this page.

Taurus 709 Review: Part 1 - Introduction, Specifications and Summary (this page)
Taurus 709 Review: Part 2 - What's in the Box (10 photos and 1 video)
Taurus 709 Review: Part 3 - External & Operational Features (41 photos and 3 videos)
Taurus 709 Review: Part 4 - Disassembly & Internal Features (27 photos and 1 video)
Taurus 709 Review: Part 5 - Range Test (7 photos)

As you read these Pros and Cons below, keep in mind that it is hard to keep my particular preferences from creeping in the equation. Therefore, it is important that you take the time to look at the other parts of this review so you can decide yourself on items which may be more of a personal preference.

Pros:

The rear sight is adjustable in both windage and elevation which is not a feature on all compact pistols.
I found the grip to be very comfortable in my hand and it had a really nice feel even without the use of a magazine extension.
Overall I think the trigger pull was good coming in at 6.2 pounds in the single action mode and it has a short reset.
Very simple to disassemble for cleaning and reassembly is just as easy.
The Taurus 709 Slim pistol proved to have good accuracy potential for a compact handgun and it proved this with all the ammunition we shot with a total 8-shot group average of 1.76" at 7 yards.

Pro/Con/Comment (you decide)?:

Both the front and rear sights seem to be made from some type of polymer material.
Taurus advertises the magazine release as a "reversible magazine release" and comes configured in right hand configuration, although they don't give you any instructions on how to switch the sides.
It would have been nice for Taurus to include another magazine and at least one grip extension for those with larger hands.
The handgun seemed sensitive to the the steel case Tulammo 115gr ammo but had no issue with the premium ammunition. It is hard to really say if this was the ammo or not.

Cons:

I wasn't overly impressed with the feel of the elevation sight adjustment screw, but it seemed that once I got it sighted in that it should hold the zero.
I'm a fan of the three dot system, but it seemed like something was out of proportion with respect to dot location, height front sight and depth of rear notch. I know this sounds a little nit picky, but if you align the top of the sights you get one point of aim and if you align the dots you get a slightly higher point of aim.

Bottom Line:

The Taurus 709 Slim pistol proved to have good accuracy potential for a compact handgun and it proved this with all the ammunition we shot. The handgun seemed sensitive to the steel case Tulammo but had no issue with the premium ammunition. Overall I think the trigger pull was good and the sights seemed to adjust without issue. It takes a little getting acquainted to the long initial pull of the trigger before it gets to the single action mode, but when you get the feel of it, follow up shots can be on target and quick. Overall I'm pleased with the Taurus 709 Slim and think it makes a great value compact handgun.

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