Taurus GX4 Pistols Plagued with ‘Life-Threatening’ Drop-Fire Defect, Class Action Claims

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action alleges a defect in Taurus GX4 pistols can cause the firearms to unintentionally discharge when dropped, placing the handler and bystanders at risk of serious injury or death.

Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.

According to the 30-page case, defendants Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc. and Taurus Holdings, Inc. have known since at least April 2022 that the pistols suffer from an alleged “drop-fire defect,” which causes the trigger to move rearward when the firearm is subjected to an impact or dropped.

The plaintiff, an Arizona resident, says he has filed the suit not to disparage consumers’ Second Amendment right to bear arms but rather to hold Taurus accountable for designing, manufacturing and continuing to sell pistols that he claims are “unreasonably dangerous and unfit for their intended use.” 

The complaint alleges that although Taurus is aware of multiple instances in which individuals have been seriously injured and even killed as a result of the drop-fire defect in the Taurus GX4 pistols, the manufacturer has failed to issue an effective warning to the public or a recall of the products.

In one such instance, a Taurus GX4 pistol allegedly fell from waist height and hit a tile floor in an Arizona convenience store on May 8 of this year, the lawsuit relays.

“When it struck the floor, it fired a round without the trigger being pulled and the round struck the user in the neck, causing her death,” the case says. “The entire event was captured on a video system in the convenience store, removing all doubt as to how the incident occurred.”

Per the complaint, Taurus admitted on its website later that month that “[s]ome GX4 pistols assembled and sold only in the United States may, under certain circumstances, discharge when dropped” and instructed customers to find out whether their firearm was subject to this notice by entering its serial number. The company stated that, if so, it would “inspect, repair, if necessary, and return your pistol to you as soon as possible, FREE of charge,” the suit relays.

However, the filing argues that Taurus’ “safety notice” was “inadequate” since it was not a recall and failed to provide consumers with complete relief. As the case tells it, “repair is not possible given the nature of the defect,” so consumers who return their pistols to Taurus must have them destroyed and are owed full cash refunds. 

Additionally, the company has made no other substantial efforts to warn the public of the defect and its “sometimes life-threatening consequences,” the case says. As such, Taurus has “deliberately” and “fraudulently” concealed the drop-fire defect in violation of state law, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands or Guam who owns any series or model of Taurus GX4 pistols. 

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.