Taurus Millennium series
Encyclopedia
The Taurus Millennium series is a product line
of double action only (DAO) and single action/double action hammer
less, striker
-fired, short recoil operated, semi-automatic pistols
manufactured by Forjas Taurus S/A (Taurus Forge)
in Porto Alegre
Brazil
.
The Millennium line was designed to contend in the civilian concealed carry Firearm
s market
, and to be sold as backup weapons for Law Enforcement officers.
Taurus Millennium series pistols are manufactured
with injection molded polymer
frames, and blued
carbon steel, stainless steel
, or titanium
slides
.
Available cartridge chamberings
include .32 ACP
, .380 ACP
, 9mm Parabellum, .40 Smith & Wesson, and .45 ACP
. Magazine
capacities vary between 6, 10, and 12 rounds depending on model and caliber. The Millennium line includes several innovative safety features including a positive firing pin block as well as the "Taurus Safety Latch", a transfer bar safety which prevents firing of the pistol unless the trigger is pulled. Together these safeties assure that the pistol will not fire if it is accidentally dropped; selected models have been certified as satisfying the California Drop safety requirement. All Millennium models also include a frame-mounted safety lever.
and visually pleasing
design, but retaining the double action only trigger system. The 2nd series also introduced the 'Taurus Security System' (TSS), the Taurus version of an Integrated firearm locking safety system
, as well as the enhancements Taurus categorizes as the Millennium ‘Pro’ package. The 3rd series added single/double action triggers on several models in lieu of the double action only of the first two series. Additionally, the grips of 3rd generation pistols are available in various different colors and the grip stippling is altered; tactical or Picatinny rail
accessory mounts are also an option.
Product lining
Product lining is the marketing strategy of offering for sale several related products. Unlike product bundling, where several products are combined into one, lining involves offering several related products individually. A line can comprise related products of various sizes, types, colors,...
of double action only (DAO) and single action/double action hammer
Hammer (firearm)
thumb|150px|Hammer with an integral [[firing pin]] on a [[S&W Model 13]] revolver The hammer of a firearm was given its name for both resemblance and functional similarity to the common tool...
less, striker
Firing pin
A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...
-fired, short recoil operated, semi-automatic pistols
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
manufactured by Forjas Taurus S/A (Taurus Forge)
Taurus (manufacturer)
Forjas Taurus is a manufacturing conglomerate based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Beginning as a tool and die manufacturer, the company now consists of divisions focusing on firearms, metals manufacturing, plastics, body armor, helmets, and civil construction.-History:Taurus produced its first...
in Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
The Millennium line was designed to contend in the civilian concealed carry Firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
, and to be sold as backup weapons for Law Enforcement officers.
Design features
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
with injection molded polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
frames, and blued
Bluing (steel)
Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust, and is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. True gun bluing is an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface...
carbon steel, stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
, or titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
slides
Pistol slide
The slide is the part of the weapon on a majority of semi-automatic pistols that moves during the operating cycle and generally houses the firing pin or striker and the extractor, and serves as the bolt...
.
Available cartridge chamberings
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
include .32 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 ACP , also known as the .32 Automatic is a pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol...
, .380 ACP
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP pistol cartridge is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt, and has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since...
, 9mm Parabellum, .40 Smith & Wesson, and .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
. Magazine
Magazine (firearm)
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines may be integral to the firearm or removable . The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action...
capacities vary between 6, 10, and 12 rounds depending on model and caliber. The Millennium line includes several innovative safety features including a positive firing pin block as well as the "Taurus Safety Latch", a transfer bar safety which prevents firing of the pistol unless the trigger is pulled. Together these safeties assure that the pistol will not fire if it is accidentally dropped; selected models have been certified as satisfying the California Drop safety requirement. All Millennium models also include a frame-mounted safety lever.
Series
Three distinct series or generations of Millennium pistols have been produced. The 1st series featured double action only triggers and a 10 round magazine capacity. The 2nd series resulted from a complete redesign of the 1st, offering a less ergonomicErgonomics
Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as follows:...
and visually pleasing
Attractiveness
Attractiveness or attraction refers to a quality that causes an interest or desire in something or someone. The term attraction may also refer to the object of the attraction itself, as in tourist attraction.-Visual attractiveness:...
design, but retaining the double action only trigger system. The 2nd series also introduced the 'Taurus Security System' (TSS), the Taurus version of an Integrated firearm locking safety system
Integrated Locking System (firearms)
The Integrated Locking System is designed so that individuals who desire to protect themselves, their family, or their business can do so without the concern of the firearm discharging and causing harm to an innocent individual...
, as well as the enhancements Taurus categorizes as the Millennium ‘Pro’ package. The 3rd series added single/double action triggers on several models in lieu of the double action only of the first two series. Additionally, the grips of 3rd generation pistols are available in various different colors and the grip stippling is altered; tactical or Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
accessory mounts are also an option.