Training and Tech

Taurus Moves to Bainbridge Georgia

By Frank Melloni

This massive 205,000 square foot factory floor will be producing all of the firearms that are currently being made in Miami, Florida. The additional space means shorter backorder times and an array of new products.

For nearly 10 years Taurus Manufacturing has been considering a big move with big things to come. Earlier last year they decided that that time is now and that place will be Bainbridge, Georgia. With the move will come 200 more industry careers and more than 100,000 square feet of additional production space. Making the jump from a 100,000 square foot factory to a 205,000 square foot factory could only mean several new products were in the works. That being said Taurus decided to get together some of the biggest names in the firearms media industry (and myself) for a sneak peak at some of the conceptual firearms, as well as a tour of what will soon be their brand new plant.

Known for their quail hunting and hospitality, the Southwind Plantation served as home base for the Taurus media event. Here more than 50 members of the outdoor media exchanged information and debriefed after each day.

All of this was held right in the backyard of the new plant, on their brand new range. Day one started with check-in at the Southwind Plantation where writers gathered, reconnected and obtained their assignments. After some paperwork and a briefing we reported to the firing line for a shoot-off involving the Rossi line of rimfire rifles. Each shooter had five rounds to hit as many face-down playing cards as he could in the offhand position. The best hand would win a gun at the end of the event. Yours truly hit 4 out of 5, however the only thing uglier than my hand was the look on my face when I saw it! The night ended with dinner, introductions and a good night’s rest as we were in for a long day on the range the following morning.

The party started with a media showdown for a free gun. Here the author takes his first shot with the Rossi RB22W bolt action .22 Magnum rifle.

Day two began with a range safety briefing followed by an overview of the five stations that we were going to rotate through. At each station there were guns that, unfortunately, we cannot talk about yet, but you better believe we are going to cover them in great detail once we are given the green light. If you read between the lines you may even get a good idea of what is soon to come. In groups of three we scattered to get hands on some of the new gear and be the first to test fire them on Taurus’s amazing “backyard” range.