Senegal's Security Forces Buy Taurus Carbines & SMGs

As Brazil’s Taurus Armas seeks to ensure its financial stability and expand its export sales they have announced a contract with Senegal’s security forces to provide 1,000 5.56x45mm T4 carbines and 200 9x19mm SMT9 submachine guns.

While the value of the Senegalese contract is currently undisclosed last year it is estimated that about 80% of the company’s revenue came from exports. This is a positive for Taurus as they are currently suffering a legal setback at home following legal action over malfunctioning weapons purchased by Brazilian security forces. Sunoresearch.com.br reported that Taurus has exported “more than US $300 million [worth of arms] per year since 2012. The main destination is the United States market, with growth in Africa and Asia.”

Salesio Nuhs, the company’s CEO, recently said “Taurus has been successful in its strategy of establishing itself as a brand that incorporates innovation, quality and reliability, while offering consumers options with attractive prices,” he continued, “this positioning has allowed the company to expand its participation in the foreign market.”

So what have the Senegalese security forces, the Gendarmerie Nationale Sénégalaise, purchased? The majority of the order is made up of Taurus’ M4 carbine clone, the T4. It’s unclear if the variant purchased by Senegal is full-auto capable and it has not been confirmed if the carbines have 14.5in or 11.5in barrels. The order also includes SMT9 submachine guns which are capable of semi, 2 round burst and full-auto fire. The SMT9 is available in various barrel lengths and there is also a .40 S&W variant available. It has ambidextrous controls, a full length 12 o’clock Picatinny rail and a SCAR-like folding stock. Other recent security forces to procure SMT9s also include Bangladesh police.

SMT9 Specs:

Calibre: 9x19mm
Feed: 30 rd magazine
Length (with stock folded): 47.5cm
Action: Blowback
Weight (unloaded): 3.35kg

T4 Specs:

Calibre: 5.56x45mm
Feed: 30 rd magazine
Length (with collapsed stock): 71.6cm
Action: Direct Impingement
Weight (unloaded): 3.05kg

Find out more about the T4 and SMT9 over on Taurus Armas’ site, here.

In other recent Taurus Armas news, the company has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with a Brazilian automotive company to explore the feasibility of joining forces on the manufacture of accessories and parts.