Details
With the 740 SLIM, Taurus has really made a push to claim the leadership role in concealed carry handguns. The single stack .40 S&W handgun is very easy to conceal, and weighs only 19 ounces, making it darn near the perfect pistol for discreet carry by the armed citizen.
The 740 feels good in the hand, and has significant texturing molded into the polymer frame, ensuring a solid grip even with sweaty hands. No doubt, the .40 S&W cartridge is a stout round to fire in a such a small package, but the gun is surprisingly accurate and controllable. Even though it is almost as small as the current crop of .380 pistols, the 740 offers the added firepower of 6+1 rounds of the police favorite .40 S&W.
Another feature of the SLIM pistols is the inclusion of real sights! Unlike the bump and ditch called sights found on many small pistols, the Taurus 709 has a very visible front sight with a fully adjustable rear. Sights are set up in a three-dot configuration.
If you are looking for a concealed carry pistol in a major caliber, and want the utmost in concealment, take a close look at the Taurus 740.
The 740 comes with two 6-round magazines and an integral locking system. Like all of their firearms, Taurus backs this pistol with a lifetime warranty.
The 740 feels good in the hand, and has significant texturing molded into the polymer frame, ensuring a solid grip even with sweaty hands. No doubt, the .40 S&W cartridge is a stout round to fire in a such a small package, but the gun is surprisingly accurate and controllable. Even though it is almost as small as the current crop of .380 pistols, the 740 offers the added firepower of 6+1 rounds of the police favorite .40 S&W.
Another feature of the SLIM pistols is the inclusion of real sights! Unlike the bump and ditch called sights found on many small pistols, the Taurus 709 has a very visible front sight with a fully adjustable rear. Sights are set up in a three-dot configuration.
If you are looking for a concealed carry pistol in a major caliber, and want the utmost in concealment, take a close look at the Taurus 740.
The 740 comes with two 6-round magazines and an integral locking system. Like all of their firearms, Taurus backs this pistol with a lifetime warranty.
Additional Information
| Manufacturer | Taurus International |
|---|---|
| Cost Per Round | 0.0000 |
| Condition | New |
| Caliber | 40 cal |
| Manufacturer SKU | 1740031 |
| Capacity | 6+1 |
| Sights Included | Adjustable |
| Action | Recoil Operated |
| Finish | Blued-Steel |
| Color | Black |
| Length | 6.24" |
| Weight (empty) | 19 oz |
| Barrel Length | 3.2" |
| Safety Type | Thumb, Trigger |
| Frame Type | Polymer |
| Detachable Magazine | Yes |
| Magazines Included | 2 |
| Trigger Operation | Single-Action / Double-Action (SA/DA) |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 |
| Case Included | Yes |
| Firearm Size | Sub-Compact |
| Series | Taurus 740 |
Customer Reviews
- Excellent in form, fit and function. - Review by Avalon
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Over 200 rounds and no issues. Easy to conceal, accurate and I obtained this pistol as a replacement for a TCP 738 that could not be repaired. This demonstrated Taurus commitment to customer satisfaction. (Posted on 1/1/15)Performance Value Quality - Problem with trigger pull. - Review by Penny
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The trigger pull is awful. I shoot with my husband's 45 and the trigger pull is alot easier than the Taurus 740 Slim. I went with this gun because it fits my hand very well.Performance Value Quality
But I am going to have to trade it in because of the tirgger. I shot about 50 rounds
and my finger killed me. (Posted on 2/28/13) - No Problems at all! - Review by Doc
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Purchased the Taurus 740 last week. Ran 40+ rounds through it the next day. Got use to the recoil quickly, and it fired dead on with no adjustments of sights. Have to grip high on the pistol , helps with control. Love all the safety features, although it did take a while to get used to the trigger pull. Wife checked for concealment, behind hip, and it was a no-see answer. Great gun at a great price. (Posted on 12/11/11)Performance Value Quality - The best ccw pistol on the market - Review by Camshaft
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I have this gun in 9mm and in .40 this is the best shooting gun I have never any kind of failure with either one with any kind of ammo the 9mm shoots smooth and the .40 is a little snappy but manageable great self defense gun (Posted on 2/6/11)Quality Performance Value - Taurus 740 Slim - Review by DNAMichael
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Size for concealment, Perfect. Trigger travel and smootheness, Perfect.Quality Performance Value
Kicks like hell and one must use a "death grip" to hold it with two fingers. Great for 30/50 rounds at the range, definitely not comfortable shooting more. It is absolutely perfect as a personal protection carry sidearm which is the intended purpose..
Michael....... (Posted on 1/8/11) - Finally a single stack in .40 S&W - Review by OSUCop
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I am a Glock fan, but could never find a way to carry my Model27 comfortably. The Taurus PT740 is exactly what I wanted for concealed carry. It is comfortable in an IWB holster and you don't constantly need to check to see if you are exposed. It shoots "snappy" with 155 gr Gold Dot JHP ammo, but it is manageable to handle when you consider the firepower you are able to deliver with it. The Glock type design was a big plus making the gun exactly what I wanted! (Posted on 12/26/10)Performance Value Quality
Blog Posts
by: Richard Johnson of GunsHolstersAndGear.com
The Taurus 740 is the latest in a line of sub-compact pistols made specifically for concealed carry. The prior model, the 709, was chambered in 9mm, and was a resounding success for the company. Building on the popularity of the 709, Taurus introduced the 740 in .40 S&W.
This review of the Taurus 740 is on a production model gun sent to me by Taurus. No payment was made or offered to do the review, and the opinions are my own. And, unless I pay for it, I do not get to keep the pistol.
On to the review...
Specs, Nuts, and Bolts
The Taurus 740 is a sub-compact, polymer framed pistol. As noted before, it is chambered in .40 S&W and comes with two, six-round magazines.
The pistol uses a single action/double action (SA/DA) trigger, as opposed to the DA/SA found on many semi-auto pistols. This means that the first, and every subsequent shot, is single action. However, if the round ever fails to fire, the gun reverts to a double action trigger pull, allowing a "second strike" on the chambered round.
According to some people, most rounds that fail to fire the first time will fire on a second strike. Therefore, pulling the trigger a second time may be a faster way of getting a gun back into the fight when compared to the tap-rack-bang drill.
While I don't subscribe to this theory, I certainly understand its potential value. As it turns out, I had a chance to test this feature while on the range (a Winchester White Box round failed to fire), and the double action (second strike) worked as advertised. The round went bang, and it was quicker than a tap-rack-bang.
The sights on the Taurus are three dot sights with a fully adjustable rear. The sights are dovetailed, and easy to replace if you so desire. As it turns out, I have a LaserLyte rear sight for the 740 I will be reviewing later. Sight replacement was exceptionally easy.
This Taurus has a manual thumb safety. While small, the safety is quite useable, and functioned exactly as advertised.
The 740 has an internal lock, which allows the shooter to completely disable the pistol when stored. For what it is worth, the Taurus 740 has a loaded chamber indicator.
The Taurus shipped in a nice plastic case, and included two magazines, two sets of keys for the sight adjusting and internal lock, and assorted paperwork.
caliber - .40 S&W
capacity - 6+1
sights - adjustable, three-dot
overall length - 6.24"
weight - 19 oz (empty)
barrel length - 3.2"
A Brief Note About the .40 S&W
The .40 S&W cartridge has been praised by some, and decried by others. Detractors frequently state that the .40 is a "Short and Wimpy" version of the 10mm, offering no tangible benefit over the 9mm.
I'll avoid any serious debate on whether the .40 is "better" than the 9mm, but I will point out two things. First, the .40 S&W is the most popular police caliber in the USA. So, even if it isn't more powerful, ammo and components will certainly be found for many decades to come.
Secondly, I have seen the have seen the results of a .40 S&W 155 grain Gold Dot, and I can testify they are quite effective at "making the bad man stop." Magic bullets? Nope. But very effective as handguns go.
Initial Impressions
I immediately liked the feel of the Taurus in my hand. The polymer frame felt good, and the aggressive texture provided a sure grip.
As with most sub-compact pistols, my pinky does fall off of the bottom of the pistol. While not ideal, that is one of the trade-offs of having a pistol that is so easy to conceal.
The exterior of the gun looked very nice, with no obvious blemishes, burrs, or machine marks.
Field stripping the pistol is identical to the 709, and should be very familiar to any Glock owner. After removing the magazine and triple checking the chamber to ensure no live ammunition is in the weapon, point the gun in a safe direction and pull the trigger.
Pull the slide back slightly, while pulling down on the bar that runs from one side to the other on the frame above the trigger guard. With the bar pulled down, the slide can then run forward and be taken off of the frame.
Once the slide is removed from the frame, remove the captive recoil spring and barrel from the slide. And that is it.
The interior of the firearm has a few sharp edges, and did not appear to have the same level of cosmetic finish that the exterior had. But, lets face it, this gun isn't made to be cosmetically beautiful in the places no one will ever see.
The rear sight is adjustable using the included screwdriver. I discovered that out-of-the-box accuracy was dead on with my 740, so I did not need to adjust the sights.
Shooting the Taurus 740
I discovered several things shooting the 740. First, it is a very accurate little pistol. Five shot groups of 2" or less at about 12 yards were routine. I really credit the sights with much of the accuracy success. They were easy to pick up and use to keep shots consistently on target.
Second, the pistol generates a lot of bang. Felt recoil is fairly stout, and requires a very firm grip. While I had no trouble accurately shooting the 740, it became decidedly less pleasant after the first 100 rounds. For all but the most seasoned shooters, I would suggest practice sessions running no more than 100 rounds at a time to prevent any unpleasant feelings associated with the gun.
Third, a firm grip is mandatory for 100% reliability. With all pistols, the smaller you make them, the more difficult it is to maintain reliability. The good news is with a solid grip, the 740 ran fine. The bad news is with a less than ideal grip, the shooter can induce malfunctions at a rate greater than I find in full size pistols. Keep a solid grip, and you should be fine.
Lastly, I found that ammunition performance was generally good, but with a much greater velocity spread than in the "control" pistol.
I ran seven different loads through the pistol, and shot the same ammo through my Sig P226 to see what kind of velocity differences might exist due to the shorter barrel. (See the table below.)
In the Taurus 740, velocity spreads were much wider than with the P226. Based on the averages, the Taurus definitely lost velocity, but due to the spreads, the averages don't give a very clear picture.
For example, the 155 grain Gold Dot showed the Taurus lost very little velocity as compared to the Sig P226. However, the extreme spread in the Taurus was more than 200 fps, while the Sig was less than 50 fps. I ran that load through the chrony on three different five shot strings, and all of them showed very similar results.
Conclusion
I found the Taurus 740 to be a well-built pistol that was far more accurate than I expected. The trigger was smooth, and the sights were very easy to see and use.
The only concern I have about this pistol is that some people may think it is a great little gun for someone (like a wife or girlfriend) with little shooting experience. Extended range time isn't fun, and the recoil may be a bit much for someone that is already recoil sensitive. While I wouldn't describe this as an "expert's" gun, I would say that it is not a gun for the novice.
For most shooters, though, this is a great concealed carry pistol. Packing 6+1 rounds of a serious caliber, yet maintaining such a slim profile, makes for a nearly ideal carry piece.
The Taurus 740 is the latest in a line of sub-compact pistols made specifically for concealed carry. The prior model, the 709, was chambered in 9mm, and was a resounding success for the company. Building on the popularity of the 709, Taurus introduced the 740 in .40 S&W.
This review of the Taurus 740 is on a production model gun sent to me by Taurus. No payment was made or offered to do the review, and the opinions are my own. And, unless I pay for it, I do not get to keep the pistol.
On to the review...
Specs, Nuts, and Bolts
The Taurus 740 is a sub-compact, polymer framed pistol. As noted before, it is chambered in .40 S&W and comes with two, six-round magazines.
The pistol uses a single action/double action (SA/DA) trigger, as opposed to the DA/SA found on many semi-auto pistols. This means that the first, and every subsequent shot, is single action. However, if the round ever fails to fire, the gun reverts to a double action trigger pull, allowing a "second strike" on the chambered round.
According to some people, most rounds that fail to fire the first time will fire on a second strike. Therefore, pulling the trigger a second time may be a faster way of getting a gun back into the fight when compared to the tap-rack-bang drill.
While I don't subscribe to this theory, I certainly understand its potential value. As it turns out, I had a chance to test this feature while on the range (a Winchester White Box round failed to fire), and the double action (second strike) worked as advertised. The round went bang, and it was quicker than a tap-rack-bang.
The sights on the Taurus are three dot sights with a fully adjustable rear. The sights are dovetailed, and easy to replace if you so desire. As it turns out, I have a LaserLyte rear sight for the 740 I will be reviewing later. Sight replacement was exceptionally easy.
This Taurus has a manual thumb safety. While small, the safety is quite useable, and functioned exactly as advertised.
The 740 has an internal lock, which allows the shooter to completely disable the pistol when stored. For what it is worth, the Taurus 740 has a loaded chamber indicator.
The Taurus shipped in a nice plastic case, and included two magazines, two sets of keys for the sight adjusting and internal lock, and assorted paperwork.
caliber - .40 S&W
capacity - 6+1
sights - adjustable, three-dot
overall length - 6.24"
weight - 19 oz (empty)
barrel length - 3.2"
A Brief Note About the .40 S&W
The .40 S&W cartridge has been praised by some, and decried by others. Detractors frequently state that the .40 is a "Short and Wimpy" version of the 10mm, offering no tangible benefit over the 9mm.
I'll avoid any serious debate on whether the .40 is "better" than the 9mm, but I will point out two things. First, the .40 S&W is the most popular police caliber in the USA. So, even if it isn't more powerful, ammo and components will certainly be found for many decades to come.
Secondly, I have seen the have seen the results of a .40 S&W 155 grain Gold Dot, and I can testify they are quite effective at "making the bad man stop." Magic bullets? Nope. But very effective as handguns go.
Initial Impressions
I immediately liked the feel of the Taurus in my hand. The polymer frame felt good, and the aggressive texture provided a sure grip.
As with most sub-compact pistols, my pinky does fall off of the bottom of the pistol. While not ideal, that is one of the trade-offs of having a pistol that is so easy to conceal.
The exterior of the gun looked very nice, with no obvious blemishes, burrs, or machine marks.
Field stripping the pistol is identical to the 709, and should be very familiar to any Glock owner. After removing the magazine and triple checking the chamber to ensure no live ammunition is in the weapon, point the gun in a safe direction and pull the trigger.
Pull the slide back slightly, while pulling down on the bar that runs from one side to the other on the frame above the trigger guard. With the bar pulled down, the slide can then run forward and be taken off of the frame.
Once the slide is removed from the frame, remove the captive recoil spring and barrel from the slide. And that is it.
The interior of the firearm has a few sharp edges, and did not appear to have the same level of cosmetic finish that the exterior had. But, lets face it, this gun isn't made to be cosmetically beautiful in the places no one will ever see.
The rear sight is adjustable using the included screwdriver. I discovered that out-of-the-box accuracy was dead on with my 740, so I did not need to adjust the sights.
Shooting the Taurus 740
I discovered several things shooting the 740. First, it is a very accurate little pistol. Five shot groups of 2" or less at about 12 yards were routine. I really credit the sights with much of the accuracy success. They were easy to pick up and use to keep shots consistently on target.
Second, the pistol generates a lot of bang. Felt recoil is fairly stout, and requires a very firm grip. While I had no trouble accurately shooting the 740, it became decidedly less pleasant after the first 100 rounds. For all but the most seasoned shooters, I would suggest practice sessions running no more than 100 rounds at a time to prevent any unpleasant feelings associated with the gun.
Third, a firm grip is mandatory for 100% reliability. With all pistols, the smaller you make them, the more difficult it is to maintain reliability. The good news is with a solid grip, the 740 ran fine. The bad news is with a less than ideal grip, the shooter can induce malfunctions at a rate greater than I find in full size pistols. Keep a solid grip, and you should be fine.
Lastly, I found that ammunition performance was generally good, but with a much greater velocity spread than in the "control" pistol.
I ran seven different loads through the pistol, and shot the same ammo through my Sig P226 to see what kind of velocity differences might exist due to the shorter barrel. (See the table below.)
In the Taurus 740, velocity spreads were much wider than with the P226. Based on the averages, the Taurus definitely lost velocity, but due to the spreads, the averages don't give a very clear picture.
For example, the 155 grain Gold Dot showed the Taurus lost very little velocity as compared to the Sig P226. However, the extreme spread in the Taurus was more than 200 fps, while the Sig was less than 50 fps. I ran that load through the chrony on three different five shot strings, and all of them showed very similar results.
Conclusion
I found the Taurus 740 to be a well-built pistol that was far more accurate than I expected. The trigger was smooth, and the sights were very easy to see and use.
The only concern I have about this pistol is that some people may think it is a great little gun for someone (like a wife or girlfriend) with little shooting experience. Extended range time isn't fun, and the recoil may be a bit much for someone that is already recoil sensitive. While I wouldn't describe this as an "expert's" gun, I would say that it is not a gun for the novice.
For most shooters, though, this is a great concealed carry pistol. Packing 6+1 rounds of a serious caliber, yet maintaining such a slim profile, makes for a nearly ideal carry piece.
Product Question and Answer
Q: Are both front and rear sights adjustable ?
Posted On: 4/22/14 By: Pete
A: Hello Pete,
Only the rear sight on the Taurus 740 Slim is adjustable. The Taurus 740 makes a very nice carry gun.
Q: I have big hands and the .380 grip is not enough to get a good feel for or control of the weapon. Is the 740 slim grip length more than most .380 calibers? Thanks for any info.
Posted On: 3/30/11 By: Sgt. Brian E. Gibson
A: I'm afraid the Taurus 740 grip is probably about the same as many 380 pistols. You may want to take a look at the Kahr CW9 or CW40 which are still a very thin pistols, but with longer grips.