Taurus PT92

Lore & Background

In 1974, the Brazilian army issued a large contract for the Beretta 92, leading Beretta to set up a factory in São Paulo, Brazil. After the contract expired, the factory was sold to Brazilian gunmaker Forjas Taurus in 1980. Taurus then closed the factory and transferred the original Beretta tooling to its factory in Porto Alegre, using it to produce its own pistol—a copy of the original Beretta 92 design, which was no longer being produced in Brazil. Because the patents for the design had expired, Taurus adopted Beretta's design without needing a license or royalty payments.

The PT92 utilizes the open-slide design where the upper portion of the slide is cut away, exposing much of the barrel. The model has undergone many revisions since it was originally produced in the early 1980s, yet it retains many design elements from the original Beretta 92, such as the shape of the trigger. More recently (as of 2005), Taurus began manufacturing the PT92 with a thicker trigger guard hook and built-in accessory rails on the frame, features found on the newer Beretta M9A1. Taurus also started equipping 17-round magazines for the PT92 to match that of the Glock 17.

Reader's Guide

The Taurus PT92 represents a direct lineage from the Beretta 92, produced using the original tooling from Beretta's Brazilian factory. Its significance lies in being a legally unencumbered copy of a widely adopted military pistol, made possible by expired patents. The PT92 has seen service with various military and police forces, including the Brazilian Army (designated M975), the Buenos Aires Provincial Police, Carabineros de Chile, and Peruvian Army Special Forces. It has also been used by non-state actors such as the Provisional IRA. Over time, Taurus introduced variants including the PT99 with adjustable sights, the compact PT92C, and .40 S&W versions (PT100 and PT101). The addition of accessory rails and 17-round magazines in later models kept the design competitive. The PT92's legacy is that of a durable, cost-effective alternative to the Beretta 92, produced in Brazil and exported to multiple countries.

Did You Know?

• The PT92 is manufactured using the original Beretta tooling from the factory in São Paulo, Brazil.
• Taurus did not need a license or royalty payments because the Beretta 92 patents had expired.
• The PT92 is designated as the M975 in the Brazilian military.
• Taurus later equipped the PT92 with 17-round magazines to match the Glock 17.