Our History

From humble beginnings and a commitment to achieving a vision often comes great success. Such was the case with Taurus Armas, S.A.—the parent company of Taurus firearms in the U.S. What started as a small pre-WWII machining operation founded as Forjas Taurus Ltda. (Taurus Forge) in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has now become one of the top five handgun manufacturers in the U.S. and one of the three largest small arms manufacturers in the world.

Since 1941, when Forjas Taurus created the company’s first revolver, the Model 38101SO, the company has steadily capitalized on newly available material and machining technologies as well as invested in the most valued resource of all—the recruitment and development of skilled local labor forces in both South America and in the United States. This forward-thinking, infrastructure-first approach to the design, engineering, manufacturing, and distribution of firearms has resulted in the company’s diverse portfolio of premium handguns, ISO 9001 certification, and has made Taurus a valued partner to the local communities in which the company enjoys operational and manufacturing bases.

Now, almost 80 years after manufacturing that first landmark revolver, Taurus stands as one of the major handgun brands in the world, with products serving professional defense forces, law enforcement, personal defense practitioners, competitive shooters, target shooters, and hunters alike. Furthermore, Taurus has earned coveted industry recognition with numerous accolades accepted for “Manufacturer of the Year”, “Handgun of the Year”, and “Golden Bullseye” awards from key industry associations and respected firearm media entities. In the last several years, especially, Taurus has further cemented its reputation for technology and design innovations with groundbreaking firearms such as the Judge, Taurus Curve, Taurus Spectrum, Taurus Raging Hunter, and the new Taurus TX22.

With a continual focus on the future and new ways to bring better products to consumers at competitive prices, Taurus announced in 2018 that it would relocate its U.S. manufacturing and business operations from Miami, Florida, where it had been located since 1982, to a new 200,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Bainbridge, Georgia. This move, completed in 2019, has provided the company with much-needed engineering and production expansion and further strengthened Taurus’ core manufacturing capabilities to meet ever-refining consumer expectations.

Bootstrap companies that successfully survive their early years tend to be the exceptions even in the best of circumstances. Those whose leaders and valued employees commit to a thoughtful, long view based on quality work and a consumer-first perspective are the ones with longevity counted not in years, but in generations. As Taurus moves toward its ninth decade of manufacturing excellence and innovation, the road ahead looks brighter than ever.