by John Boch
The Truth About Gun Reviews
Gun reviews, in almost all publications, are driven by advertising dollars or at the very least, product samples provided by manufacturers seeking positive publicity about their new offerings. The pressure to get positive reviews about new stuff in particular is intense.
Here is a little ditty that's been making the rounds on the Internet for years. The author is unknown.
CQB MK-V Tactical Destroyer review
Instruction From The Editor To The Journalist
Frangible Arms just bought a four page color ad in our next issue. They sent us their latest offering, the CQB MK-V Tactical Destroyer. I told Fred to take it out to the range to test. He’ll have the data for you tomorrow.
Feedback From Technician Fred
The pistol is a crude copy of the World War II Japanese Nambu type 14 pistol, except it’s made from unfinished zinc castings. The grips are pressed cardboard. The barrel is unrifled pipe. There are file marks all over the gun, inside and out.
Only 10 rounds of 8mm ammunition were supplied. Based on previous experience with a genuine Nambu, I set up a target two feet down range. I managed to cram four rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. I taped the magazine in place, bolted the pistol into a machine rest, got behind a barricade, and pulled the trigger with 20 feet of 550 cord. I was unable to measure the trigger pull because my fish scale tops out at 32 pounds. On the third try, the pistol fired. From outline of the holes, I think the barrel, frame, magazine, trigger and recoil spring blew through the target. The remaining parts scattered over the landscape.
I sent the machine rest back to the factory to see if they can fix it, and we need to replace the shooting bench for the nice people who own the range. I’ll be off for the rest of the day. My ears are still ringing. I need a drink.
Article Produced By The Journalist
The CQB MK-V Tactical Destroyer is arguably the deadliest pistol in the world. Based on a combat proven military design, but constructed almost entirely of space age alloy, it features a remarkable barrel design engineered to produce a cone of fire, a feature much valued by Special Forces world wide. The Destroyer shows clear evidence of extensive hand fitting. The weapon disassembles rapidly without tools. At a reasonable combat distance, I put five holes in the target faster than I would have thought possible. This is the pistol to have if you want to end a gunfight at all costs. The gun is a keeper, and I find myself unable to send it back.
Earlier in 2014, Remington introduced their new R51. Several magazines with large advertising contracts with Remington wrote glowing reviews. It was only when others began accurately describing the gun's (many) shortcomings that word got out that the new Remington offering was a flea-infested dog. It was so bad that Remington pulled the R51 from their inventory, deleted any mention of it on their website and then they asked purchasers to send in their guns for repair.
Enter Taurus.
Check out their sales pitch for their new "innovative" product:
Your body has curves, so why aren’t pistols shaped to match? That’s precisely the question our engineering team challenged themselves to answer-and the results are unlike anything you’ve seen before. Introducing the Taurus Curve™, the world’s first and only curved firearm. Engineered to fit the unique contours of your body with no visible printing, the Curve is easily one of the most groundbreaking firearms ever conceived. An extreme departure from your typical compact .380, you’ll find the Curve takes form and function to an entirely unprecedented level. With its patented, snag-free design, the Curve boasts the industry’s first-ever light and laser built right into the frame. Exceptionally accurate and extremely lightweight at just 10.2 ounces, the Curve is one ultra-comfortable, ultra-reliable personal defense handgun.
This new gun isn't innovative.
Instead, it's dangerous. It's a gimmick. It's got the potential to get you sued or killed.
By all appearances, it seems to be a striker-fired double action semi-auto. It comes with an integral belt clip and can be stuffed right inside the waistband in the appendix, inside-the-waistband carry mode. That kids, is dangerous.
Yeah, it does come with a kydex "holster" which covers the trigger assembly. Do you see most people, especially novices, troubling themselves with using it?
We don't either, especially as Taurus recommends just slipping it in your pants Mexican-style. Oy.
Would you stuff a loaded Glock down the front of your pants, sans holster, for everyday carry?
You could, but you would be a fool. Should something get into that trigger guard and move that trigger back, the gun will fire and at best you'll get powder burns on your privates. More likely though, you'll blow your femoral artery. Then you'll have a minute or two at most to reconsider the error in your ways before you bleed out.
It's also unsafe in the sense that it has no iron sights. None. It's got a (non-intuitively activated) laser and a flashlight, so you can waste precious time activating and the locating the laser on the bad-guy's shirt (assuming it's not bright sunlight and he's wearing dark clothing) before pulling the trigger.
How long does it take a bad guy to cover 21 feet?
1.5 seconds, at the most.
But how many bad guys initiate their attack from 21 feet? Statistics show us that a majority of deadly force encounters occur at about six-feet or less.
How long does it take a bad guy to cover six feet? How long will it take you to draw this gun, activate the laser as a sight and find the little red spot on the bad man's chest?
A lack of sights will also likely lead to errant rounds – and you're responsible for those missed shots in a deadly force incident.
Despite all these obvious shortcomings, Guns and Ammo wrote a glowing review about Taurus' new turd.
Upon reading it, we couldn't help but think back to that fictional CQB MK-V Tactical Destroyer review and wonder if a similar discussion took place between Guns & Ammo executives and the writers. "Hey man, Taurus has inked a huge ad contract with us for the next few months to promote this new pistol they've come out with called 'The Curve'. Can you take it out and write something up as a feature article to go with the cover photo we're going to do for them?"
As we at Guns Save Life receive zero dollars in ad revenues from Taurus USA, we're going to call a turd a turd.
We also love the creativity of blogger Jennifer Hast, who writes a rather entertaining take on this new Taurus offering at "In Jennifer's Head".
Be thinking the melody from Meghan Trainor's new hit tune "All about that Bass".
I guess they’re:
All about that bass, ’bout that bass, no safety.
All about that bass, ’bout that bass, no safety.
Yeah, it’s pretty clear, they ain’t got a clue
But they can sell it, sell it
Like they’re supposed to do
‘Cause they’ll put that boom boom straight down your right thigh
All the loud noises in all the wrong places.
Yeah, my salesman he told me don’t worry about the sights
He says, “Bad guys only come after booty at night.”
Don't buy this Taurus turd.
Friends won't let friends buy this Taurus turd either.
UPDATE:
Got a little message this morning from Guns & Ammo’s Online Shooting Editor, via Facebook! Seems they aren’t real pleased at us calling them out for their puff-piece on Taurus’ new turd of a gun, the “Taurus Curve”.
I must say, I’ve been threatened with legal action plenty of times before (I think this makes number ten), this one is the first threat delivered via Facebook!
To Whom it May Concern,
Regarding your website’s illegal use of our photography and slanderous statements about our publication (Guns & Ammo), you have until Nov. 21, 2014 at 8 a.m. CT to remove all content from your website that was stolen and/or improperly quoting our publication.
https://www.gunssavelife.com/?p=14719&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taurus-turd-guns-ammo-loves-taurus-new-taurus-curve-a-curved-380-pocket-pistol
If the material is not removed by that time, we will seek legal action immediately.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Regards,
——————————-
Dusty Gibson
Online Shooting Editor
InterMedia Outdoors
2 News Plaza
Peoria, IL 61614
Office: (309)-679-5098
Mobile: (630)-618-0253
Dusty, you can call me John.
He said to call with any questions, so I did. I called him to get some specifics of how I slandered them in calling their story on the new Taurus gun what it was: a puff piece.
Dusty’s reply: “I’m going to have to defer to my publisher on that.”
Fair enough, Dusty.
Frankly, that G&A story was a disservice to their readers. I stand by what I wrote. Taurus’ new gun is dangerous and liable to get users killed or sued.
Little did I know Guns & Ammo would threaten to sue us for reporting the truth.
I told Dusty the piece wouldn’t be coming down now or tomorrow or anytime after that.
Guess I won’t be writing for Guns & Ammo anytime soon. Oh darn.
UPDATE #2: It's over.
Todd Smith, the VP of Content Development for Intermedia called from New York this morning around 9:30am or so.
I suspect he's Dusty's boss.
He had a much more conciliatory tone than Dusty's initial threat-laden demand. In fact, he was pretty nice.
Mr. Smith said there would be no legal action taken against Guns Save Life.
In the spirit of trying to rebuild some goodwill, I asked if it would make them happier if I killed off their photos in our blog post. He said it would. So, we've replaced the Guns & Ammo story photos (which can be found here) with new photos from Taurus USA. Easy enough, right?
In the course of our conversation, I asked if Mr. Smith knew why Guns & Ammo execs in their headquarters city of Peoria, Illinois had never come to a Guns Save Life meeting in the couple of years we've been holding monthly meetings there. You know, if nothing else, but to put a face to the company and promote their publications in person while supporting the fight for gun rights in Illinois. He didn't know but would forward the information back to the Peoria crew.
We look forward to seeing them at our meetings.
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