From Shooting Industry magazine January 2002 “Industry News” column:

Taurus Offers 2,000 Handguns To Pilots

Taurus International is offering to outfit airline pilots with FREE
(emphasis added) handguns to provide a deterrent to hijackers. The company
announced the offer Nov. 16, the day congressional lawmakers approved a
provision allowing airline pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit.

“This is great news and I hope that airlines move quickly to allow their
pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit,” said Bob Morrison, executive vice
president of Taurus. “Just the thought of having armed pilots on an
aircraft would be a tremendous deterrent to anyone thinking about hijacking
an airliner.”

“If trouble arises on a flight, pilots would be able to defend themselves
and their passengers. We at Taurus have offered to provide firearms at no
charge to pilots who choose to carry firearms on flights and have passed the
necessary safety and training requirements.”

Morrison said Taurus has offered 1,000 handguns to the two major pilots
groups, the Allied Pilots Association and the Air Line Pilots Association.
The cost of the 2,000 handguns, depending on the model selected, would run
between $250,000 and $500,000, according to Morrison.

“The guns will have special serial numbers to provide traceability if
anything happens to them,” Morrison said. “We’re offering the pilots our
CIA model, but will give them anything they’d like to carry.”

While the offer was made in mid-November, Morrison said the company had been
working with Congress for weeks on the offer.

“Every Senator had the proposal before the vote, because the big question
when any new law is passed is ‘who is going to pay for it?’” Morrison said.
“The fact that the guns were already paid for seems to have helped pass the
bill 100 to nothing.”

The idea to supply airline pilots came after Taurus employees asked what
they could do following the Sept 11 terrorist attack.

“Our employees wanted to do something to help,” Morrison said. “When we
proposed this to Mr. (Carlos) Murgel in Brazil (Taurus’ president and CEO),
he didn’t hesitate a second. He said, ‘I would be proud to give the pilots
our firearms.’”

Morrison is encouraging other manufacturers to consider similar programs.

“This is not a Taurus exclusive. I sure hope we’re not the only company in
the firearms industry to do this,” Morrison said.