Taurus GX4 Recall ... just got my pistol back. Something that stuck me as I opened the package.

[GBExpat]

After the FedEx guy handed me the box, I tilted it as I turned and I felt something heavy slide to the bottom of the FedEx box.

I thought, "I sure hope that they properly secured the pistol inside the inner box ... just as they should have secured that inner box".

The inner box is a new, old-style, corrugated (as opposed to the new blow-mold versions) Taurus-logo'd black pistol box. My GX4 was loose in the inner box with not even a simple plastic or paper wrap, just sliding & banging around during its return to me.

Now my almost pristine flat-black slide has noticeable "character".

The additional free "character" doesn't bother me as I like each new piece to accumulate some so that future OOPS marks don't matter as much, y'know? I am, primarily, a milsurp collector so I like firearms with "character".

I have been around online gun forums for decades. I have read posts of a LOT of folks that have felt Taurus to produces poor products. Low quality control & attention to detail. More recently, I have also read that Taurus is working hard to reverse such attitudes.

Over the past couple of years I have acquired (NIB) 5 new-mfr Taurus handguns (856, two G3c, 605 and GX4) and have found their design and mfr to be very good, especially when considering the prices.

The way my GX4 was shipped leaves me thinking that, perhaps, Taurus still has some work to do relative to exhibiting respect for their own products.

Not a Biggie, just something that struck me as I unboxed this pup ... and thanked the stars that I sent it in without sights. <chuckle>

Still a Taurus Fan, btw.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

That is pretty lame of them. A little bubble wrap or an inexpensive gun rug isn't too much to ask for something they had to recall.

 

[patmccoy]

Did you notify Taurus? They can't fix problems they don't know about.

 

[GBExpat]

Did you notify Taurus? They can't fix problems they don't know about.

I will be sending them a copy of the OP.

 

[.38 Special]

Good lord. I've had reasonable results from Taurus, but I'd be pretty annoyed with that.

 

[LiveLife]

Good lord. I've had reasonable results from Taurus, but I'd be pretty annoyed with that.

Me too.

My GX4 was loose in the inner box with not even a simple plastic or paper wrap, just sliding & banging around during its return to me.

Now my almost pristine flat-black slide has noticeable "character"

Not acceptable. Someone obviously failed to pack the pistol properly and I would let Taurus customer service know ... Likely ask for person in charge so they could find out who may have packed the pistol.

 

[Speedo66]

That’s irresponsible, bordering on negligent.

Some might consider returning the item for a refinish.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Soooooo....if it broke through the cardboard and stuck out the box.Some employee of the shipping company has a new gun ,you have a box,and you have to do all the paperwork for stolen gun.No not just about scuffs at that point.Absolutely get someones attention on this.

 

[jmorris]

The additional free "character" doesn't bother me as I like each new piece to accumulate some so that future OOPS marks don't matter as much, y'know? I am, primarily, a milsurp collector so I like firearms with "character".

Sounds like my Grandfather, he would back the old truck up to the new one and throw the stuff from the old bed into the new one.

Told me the first scratch was the hardest…

 

[dogtown tom]

Soooooo....if it broke through the cardboard and stuck out the box.Some employee of the shipping company has a new gun ,you have a box,and you have to do all the paperwork for stolen gun.No not just about scuffs at that point.Absolutely get someones attention on this.

I don't think you actually read the OP.

 

[dogtown tom]

My GX4 was loose in the inner box with not even a simple plastic or paper wrap, just sliding & banging around during its return to me.

Now my almost pristine flat-black slide has noticeable "character".

You would be shocked to see how many gun manufacturers routinely ship their handguns using nothing more than folded cardboard to keep the handgun "in place".
Ruger, Taurus, S&W are just a few. Now they SHOULD be in a plastic bag, but rarely is it bubble wrap.

 

[Ks5shooter]

I don't think you actually read the OP.

I did poor packaging can lead to that scenario. I have received returned firearms with the barrel sticking out so it can happen.they need to be told before the worst case scenario happens. Some one is not doing their job.

 

[dogtown tom]

I did poor packaging can lead to that scenario. I have received returned firearms with the barrel sticking out so it can happen.they need to be told before the worst case scenario happens. Some one is not doing their job.

We all know a barrel can break through the box..........but no where in the OP is that mentioned. You invented your own scenario: "Soooooo....if it broke through the cardboard and stuck out the box...".

Clearly not soooooo.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Yup but could be so. Sooo Taurus needs to be notified. Ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure I know I definitely would notify them if something was packed that terribly. Gun gets in the wrong hands someone gets hurt it's a horrible thing just because somebody won't do their job.

 

[doubleh]

I would have already contacted Taurus about it. A scruffed up gun from poor packing is unacceptable.

A footnote is I have owned six Taurii guns over the years and none of them ever gave me a problem. I still have two and only traded the others off because I grew tired of them and wanted to try something else.

 

[dogtown tom]

Today I received a brand new Beretta 80X Bronze $1200 pistol. It came in a leather briefcase with custom cutouts for the pistol and spare magazine.
The leather case was in a cardboard box which was in another heavy brown shipping box with bubble wrap.
Looks like this:

(not my photo)
When I open the box the spare magazine is underneath the pistol and the pistol was rotated 90degrees from where it should have been.
If you look at the box you can tell why that happened. Beretta built a beautiful case but friction is the only thing keeping the pistol and spare mag in place. When closed the interior padding is so shallow that it allows the pistol and mag to be dislodged if the box is dropped, thrown or treated roughly.

Thankfully the gun was not damaged and the customer was happy.

 

[hemiram]

Even the worst surplus guns I've bought were wrapped in bubble wrap (One had about 12 layers of it around it), or were in a pretty close fitting box. I guess that's because of the ridiculous shipping charges they get for selling online?

 

[Yo Mama]

Did you notify Taurus? They can't fix problems they don't know about.

Bwahaha! If you think they don't already know, and that's their problem, then I have some beautiful swamp land to sell you.

 

[GBExpat]

UPDATE:

A fortnight has passed and I have received no response from Taurus. <shrug> I am not surprised by this, just providing a final report to the Thread.

If they had responded I would simply tell them that I am OK with it and ask that they consider (at a minimum) laying in a small stock of inexpensive "ZipLocs" for use with future pistol returns.

 

[AlexanderA]

Taurus is capable of producing good packaging. However, it's luck of the draw as to which gun gets which case.

 

[Gun-Reck]

Amusing anecdote:

Sent an old Glock compact (G23) back to the mothership for refurbishing.

Field stripped it and boxed it up into the size of a paperback book.

Glock - refurbished and returned the pistol, gratis, in a new Glock clam-shell box.

It was packed in the center slot of a 5-pistol shipping box, about the size of a dorm refrigerator.

 

[hemiram]

My CZ75 came in a bright orange Flambeau made slide locking case. Not bad, but the foam inside was way too shallow and it allowed the gun, which is solid steel, to slide around inside. No damage, and I had a hunk of foam that I just cut out and put under the foam already in it to make the case usable. I have several of those cases, in black, and they had enough depth of the foam to keep any gun from moving around.