NYPD in AZ said:
Being you have a close association with Bob Morrison, what's the word on a "hit the shelf date" for the PT709? When I've spoken to reps at Taurus all they seem to robotically repeat is "4th quarter, 4th quarter".
When I tease Bob about this (and all the rest of the new 2008 guns Taurus has announced), he robotically repeats, "4th quarter, 4th quarter," <g>.
Real-world, this is pretty much normal for new-product introductions from all gunmakers (I'm talking about "real" new guns, not just diffferent finish cosmetics, or an additional barrel length, or another available grip variation, on an already-existing product).
Most manufacturers announce and/or demonstrate pre-production samples of new products each year at SHOT Show in January/February. This allows them to assess interest/enthusiasm/acceptance for the product, and to take orders from distributors/dealers (which gives them basic info about the quantities of different models that need to be put into their production schedules). They also take the feedback they receive back to their engineering departments, and design modifications are frequently made made on this basis before the products are actually sent to production. Actual production quantities then start coming off the assembly line and moving thru shipping channels mid-year at the earliest (it usually takes longer with Taurus, due to the realities of being an overseas manufacturer, with all the added layers of shipping time and customs/import red tape that implies).
The SHOT Show announcements also allow manufacturers to get the ball rolling in generating editorial coverage in firearms publications to spark consumer awareness. It generally takes at least five/six months from the date a new product is announced for a real performance evaluation (as opposed to mere press-release summaries) to be generated and appear in the magazines (unless the writer has already learned about it in advance or been consulted in the development process, ahem).
The main drawback of this system, from the consumer's point of view, is that press releases, internet coverage, and early magazine articles about new products frequently appear well before the actual products are on dealer shelves (particularly when post-SHOT design changes are made), which generates frustration and even anger (at the manufacturer, and at the magazines, for telling people about products they can't yet get). At InterMedia Outdoors, we get a LOT of letters/messages from irate and resentful readers of Guns & Ammo, Shooting Times, Handguns, etc. because we've run an "exclusive" review of a great-sounding new product that they can't get for several months. However, selling magazines is what pays our salaries, and being the first to cover an interesting new product gives us a real advantage over our competitors in terms of newsstand sales. So we'll keep on doing it whenever we can.
Some manufacturers try to avoid this situation by delaying announcement of new products until they are ready to ship. When Ruger introduced its new SR9 9mm pistol platform last year, it kept the entire project totally confidential, did all its testing in-house, and put the gun into production; and then issued its PR announcement and released guns for review by writers and shipped the first production run to dealers, all on the same day. Unfortunately, in spite of the fact Ruger had done EXTENSIVE product prototype testing, once the SR9 got into users' hands a problem became apparent that resulted in virtually the entire first-production run being recalled.
Would this have been avoided had Ruger done it the "old-fashioned way" and involved gunwriters and outside expert firearms consultants in the development/review process before actually finalizing and producing the SR9 design? Who knows?
Myself, even though I may be frustrated that I have to wait eight months after I reviewed the pre-production prototype PT709 before I can buy a real one, I appreciate the fact that Taurus jumps through every inside and outside hoop available to make sure the gun is right before they release it. It's one of the reasons that Taurus under Bob Morrison's leadership as CEO has moved from the company it used to be to the company it is now (yes, I'm also a Bob Morrison fan). When was the last time Taurus had to issue a blanket product recall?
Dick Metcalf
