hi all

im mike from erie,pa.
i know this should be under "new to the site" but i thought id kill two birds with one stone.no pun intended.
im almost 40 and have been around handguns most of my adult life.ive only owned a browning semi-auto 22 but recently have found myself looking to purchase a taurus pt-99.
this comes from the fact that just last week a couple was held at gunpoint and robbed no less than a block from my house.
while i live in a safe(or so i thought)neighborhood,i feel that the two dogs we own are just not enough to deter a would be assailient from entering our home.i need to protect my family.
ive done some research on this gun and while you should be able to find anything on the net,ive found very little on this peticular handgun.its current owner is a very close friend of mine.i think the gun is probably 15 yrs old or so but looks brand new.he says hes fired it numerous times and has had no problems with it.stamped on the slide is
"taurus pt-99 afs-d 9mm para".
can someone tell me what this means?im thinkin afs is automatic firearm single?or would the -d mean double?it has a laser sight as you can see in the pic.
ive shot my uncles 44 mag with the 10" barrel and that gun has a mammoth kick.im sure this is far from that but i havent had the chance to fire it yet as i live in the city.we were supposed to head out to my cousins today who has land in the country but the plans fell through :smt076
i was really looking forward to firing this too.
thanks for havin me and i hope to learn more from you guys.
one last thing...if i dont purchase this gun,i would be looking at a .45 cal.the .45 might be a little easier for the wife to learn on?
thanks for your time.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...c/stuff001.jpg

The 9mm would be a much better gun to start with, as opposed to a 45.

1) Less recoil
2) Half as expensive to shoot.
3) 90% as effective for self defense in in-home distances.

JeffWard

Welcom aboard!

I used to own a PT99 very similar to that one, though mine had the earlier safety type. It was an excellent pistol, and I would have no qualms about relying on one for defense. It is a BIG pistol, though, so I can see why your wife might have an easier time wrapping her hand around a .45 with a single-column magazine.

If the price is reasonable, you should consider the Taurus if it appeals to you. If you want something you and the wife can both handle, especially if she isn't an enthusiast, you might look at some medium-framed revolvers or possibly a smaller 9mm.

Maybe one of our resident Taurus enthusiasts can chime in on the meaning of the alphabet soup on the slide?

what do you think a resonable price for a used gun like this would be?im pretty sure he said it was like 15 yrs old.
thanks guys for the responses

AFS-D Alloy Frame Stainless-Decocker. The serial number (K), indicates 1992 manufacture.

sweet.thanks
any other info on this fine firearm?

Sure. It is one of only a very few guns (plus the entire series) that allows for safe Condition One carry (Cocked and Locked). It has an enormous appetite (eats most anything). Is fun to shoot, (kinda heavy). Has a lifetime waranty (to the gun, any owner).
Here's the web site for Taurus. You can also download the owners manual, if needed. http://www.taurususa.com/main/index....TOKEN=51178536
The manuals are listed on the home page, also. (PDF file)
Also join us, or just lurk for a while at: http://www.taurusarmed.net/ You can run a Search, or just look for the thread: "Other Taurus Pistols".
Note: We're kinda biased, but for pretty good reason.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by loki

what do you think a resonable price for a used gun like this would be?im pretty sure he said it was like 15 yrs old.

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www.gunsamerica.com shows PT92s and PT99s running anywhere from $350 to $550. The laser will add some value, also.

Personally, I think anything over about $450 is way too much for one of these guns. You can buy a new, real-deal Beretta 92FS for about that much, and the Taurus is basically just a Beretta copy.

thats good info.thanks.ill check these other sites out as well.
peace.