Taurus 709 Slim Review... Now With Pics!

[24/7dude]

Thought I might throw out my 2 cents on this pistol as a previous thread on the Slim ended with disappointment because the owner gave it up before shooting. I picked it up on Friday and have not had a chance to shoot it until this afternoon. My first impressions with this gun were that it felt very comfortable in hand even though I could not get a full grip on it. The finger/ thumb indents and the memory pad help a lot with getting a good quick grip on the pistol as well as adding to comfort for such a small gun. The sights are standard three dot with the front sight being noticeably bigger, but not huge, than the rear two. I like that. The trigger is not a DA/SA like I know some people have thought. It is a single action only with a second strike capability in the event of a bad primer I guess (yeah, I know tap, rack, and bang). The trigger guard is huge for a sub-compact handgun. I'm all about this, as it not only gives you more room for your booger hook, but it also makes the transition from the memory pad to the trigger smooth and fast. The trigger itself is not bad. It isn't as smooth as a Kahr in DA, but you're shooting the Slim in SA and the pull is very short with a crisp release and reset every time. My big disappointment with this gun is that the safety (which is also very slim as the slide release) does not function as a de-cocker like on the 24/7 OSS. That would have been nice to have but it wasn't something that turned me away to a Kahr PM9 that costed twice as much. The size of this pistol is somewhere in between a Kahr PM9 and a Kahr P9. It is less than an inch widthwise and is very lightweight and concealable. I know there are lighter sub-compacts out there, but I can't even notice the Slim when I'm carrying it, so why would I need something lighter than that? I came with two factory 7 round 9mm magazines and both functioned flawlessly at the range. I shot about 150 rounds of mixed WWB, Blazer, and two mags of Hornady personal defense, as that's what I'll be carrying. No failures whatsoever, even when rapid firing. Less recoil than I expected for such a small pistol and I was able to hold my groups in a soft-ball sized circle at about 10 yards. Good enough for me. A big downside is that this pistol just came out not too long ago so there isn't really any accessories for it. I picked up a Blackhawk size 5 IWB holster for $10 and it fits perfectly in it, and is also very comfortable. Overall, it's a great pistol for the money IMO. It was kind of an impulse buy, but If I could do it all over again I'd pick the Slim every time!

Here's some pics of it (sorry, I'm no photographer, I know):

709 Slim


In Hand


Width


Holster- Blackhawk #5


IWB uncovered


IWB covered

[gunman724]

Just purchased my Taurus slim 709 in Stainless. Removed from box and cleaned and took it out my back door to try it out. This pistol was everything that I hoped--reliable and well designed--fits like it was made for me!
I have reaf in other posts that recoil was about the same as a ruger LCP, I would say that is a bit optimistic as it is a 9mm and has the 9mm recoil. The only thing I noticed that was a little different is I received a bit of muzzle blast back in my face. All in all, a nice gun that I will be carrying.

[Glockman]

I shot the 709 last night. It is wonderful. we shot it side by side with a 2 inch aluminum framed S&W J frame. M642. The sights were much better. The trigger was unusual but excellent. Long super light first stage followed by a short crisp second stage. Once learned it can help you shoot tiny groups. Much less recoil that the revolver. Much easier to shoot well.
Holds 8 rounds and flat enough to be a true pocket revolver. Give this a serious look.

[24/7dude]

Dang, didn't think I'd see this thread again!

I've since sold the Slim I had a while ago and cleared it's pics from my photo bucket account (obviously). Nice gun, but then I swapped it for a Ruger LCP and since sold that too with .380 ammo prices it wasn't worth it. I've probably tried every type of sub compact single stack out there now, lol. Now I have a Kahr PM9 which is a lot like the 709 but with a MUCH better trigger, fit and finish, and is a little more accurate. Now that one is going too though.... not for another gun this time, just to pay some bills. I did like the 709's grip and ergos much better as it was a little bit more hand filling and had a larger trigger guard.

My only big beef I ever had with the Slim after putting some rounds through it was that Taurus should have made the trigger double action only. When dry firing DAO with snap caps it just felt right, whereas the single action trigger took a little getting used to, but still good. Overall a great gun for the price, would definitely shell out another $50 for one over a Kel-Tec PF9 if I was in the market for another slim 9mm.

[tripletap]

You obviously have serious issues --- you are just ONE OF THOSE people that are impossible to please, stick to buying bubble gum you get a pack and you can spit it out at will...

It's his cash, he can do what ever he likes with it! ~PAFOA Staff

[keystoneman 85]

Some of us don't have the luxury of having ranges that rent firearms close to home. I'm the past 2 years I bet I've bought over 45 guns, and currently only have 12. Why? Because I had to buy them and try it out to find out if I liked it enough to keep.

[ByAnyMeans]

Personally I love people who buy a gun, shoot it a bit and then sell it. That's where I get all my guns from.

[rey]

I'm one of those guys that buy a gun shoot it one time, clean it and put it away. Quite a few of them get sold when I realize that I want something else. Having said that, I still have the 709 slim I bought when they first came out. It had extracting issues when I first bought it but after a trip to Taurus iit has been perfect. I don't think I will be selling it.

[Zman3265]

Quick question,
I just bought a 709 Slim and took it to the range. Upon loading the mag, I went to shoot it and the weapon fired full auto! Loaded and tried again and full auto again. Buddy of mine said I might not have cleaned all of the cosmoline out of it and the firing pin is sticking. Any ideas?

[extremewattage]

I haven't fired my 709 yet, just picked it up last week. But I did clean it, and it was packed with so much Taurus white grease and dirt, that I'm sure it would have failed. The insides of this gun look surprisingly similar to a block, make sure you clean out the channels around the striker mechanism well, mine was pacKed and even had machining shavings in the grease. Won't have a range report until later this week, but it seems like its going to be a good carry piece. Cancer has made me six one and I'm now down to one hundred twenty pounds, so I'm not able to conceal my cz75 as well as I could when I was 200 lbs. I'm hoping that this will be a good carry piece, won't know until I get to the range though.