Taurus revolvers - anybody have and what do you think?

[BryanP]

I've owned 3 of their revolvers over the years. The 94, a 9 shot .22lr lived up to the reputation: reliable, decent SA trigger, horrid DA trigger. The other two were .357 magnums that ran just fine.

I've since sold them as I bought Ruger or S&W revolvers that filled the same niche.  I won't say the Taurii were as good as their Ruger/S&W replacements, but they did the job.

[lupinus]

I wouldn't bother with them. For me personally, just to many issues and while cheaper the value for the dollar just isn't there when compared to other offerings.

[geronimotwo]

IF you can get the same deal on a smith, take the smith. 

[280plus]

I bought a 4" bbl in .22mag and that thing is a piece of junk. Just sayin'.

[KD5NRH]

Put me in the (perhaps rare) category of someone who likes his four Taurus steel or titanium revolvers.  All of them have worked right out of the box; have great fit, finish and function; and offer excellent value for the money.

Yup.  My stainless 605CH was a great little gun, and I never worried once about whether it would go bang accurately when needed.  ("Accurately" within reason for a 2" snub, of course, but even still it was more accurate than I'd expected.)

[Grebnaws]

I have a 1986 Taurus model 96 .22 revolver. It has great bluing, hardwood target grips, case hardened trigger and hammer, adjustable target sights, a quite good DA and a very crisp SA. It's gorgeous and fooled quite a few people into thinking it was a S&W at the range. I let them fire it before telling them it was a Taurus and they called bullshit before looking at the fine print....

It was an early gun of mine and the firing pin broke due to dry fire. I hadn't actually done it more than few dozen times and and the revolver appeared to be very lightly used before me, but still my fault for dry firing a rimfire. I sent it to Taurus for repair. Paid shipping one way, repaired free of charge, and had it back in a few weeks. No complaints at all.

While the gun was in transit I found a S&W 617 available locally for an unbelievable price and paid the seller without hesitation. The Taurus 96 has been superseded by the 617 (which became the favorite gun in my collection) but the Taurus is really quite nice. It sits in the case for some future friend, child, or grandchild. It's far, far nicer than the sum a lowly Taurus could be sold for. Unfortunately I don't think a 28 year old revolver says much about the state of Taurus revolvers today.

On the semi-auto side my Taurus TCP .380 has been pretty good so far. The pistol has a very nice trigger (better than the Ruger LCR) which has been accurate and reliable with good ammo. Maybe 200 rounds fired so far. The reloads I bought for it haven't been reliable but the name brand ammo has been good. It will prove itself a bargain if things continue well. It's pretty nice for a cheap pocket pistol.

[geronimotwo]

one of the local gun shop owners has daily carried a taurus 9 round 22lr.  i guess that should say something for them.

[Matthew Carberry]

All steel '85 in '95(ish) bought new, had timing issues, sent it in and got a new one back. Ran fine for years after. Had a 85Ti Titanium in Spectra Blue in the mid-oughts, ran just fine out of the box, though the finish wore quickly. Picked up an 85UL for a buddy last year, it seems to be running fine. Picked up a steel 605 in .357 for myself a bit ago, ran just fine then I sold it.

You remember and hear about the negatives, not the ones that just run. Modern Taurii I wouldn't have much second thought about, though at the the same or close price I'd go with the Smith just for that extra 1% of comfort.

[mtnbkr]

one of the local gun shop owners has daily carried a taurus 9 round 22lr.  i guess that should say something for them.

It says he has strong hands?  The M94 22lr revolver I had years ago had the heaviest DA pull of any gun outside a Nagant revolver. 

Chris

[T.O.M.]

My brother had a 4"  Taurus .357, I think it was a Model 669.  About the sizemof an L frame Smith, with an underlug barrel and vent rib.  No matter what ammo we tried in.38 or .357, we could not get a group smallernthan around 3.5" -4".  Frustrating, though combat accurate.

[roo_ster]

My brother had a 4"  Taurus .357, I think it was a Model 669.  About the sizemof an L frame Smith, with an underlug barrel and vent rib.  No matter what ammo we tried in.38 or .357, we could not get a group smallernthan around 3.5" -4".  Frustrating, though combat accurate.

Back when i used to read gun rags the term combat accurate was a nice way to say it patterned like a cylinder bore shotgun.

[T.O.M.]

Back when i used to read gun rags the term combat accurate was a nice way to say it patterned like a cylinder bore shotgun.

Me too. That's why I chose the term.  When we talked to the LGS that sold it to him, the owner said there was nothing wrong with the revolver, and that it was combat accurate.

[KD5NRH]

My brother had a 4"  Taurus .357, I think it was a Model 669.  About the sizemof an L frame Smith, with an underlug barrel and vent rib.  No matter what ammo we tried in.38 or .357, we could not get a group smallernthan around 3.5" -4".  Frustrating, though combat accurate.

Move up to the 25 yard range; they aren't made for 1000 yard benchrest work.

[brimic]

Move up to the 25 yard range; they aren't made for 1000 yard benchrest work.

Still unacceptable- especially if a person bought it instead of a S&W Model19, ruger red hawk, or a Colt Python for a light deer/hog gun.

[Cliffh]

The current 4" model 66 is the second one I've owned.  Sold the first - didn't want to - and missed it enough to buy a second new one a few years later.

5' 0" DW likes it better than any of our other pistols/revolvers.  She only fires .38's through it, but does well enough to a passed her CHL/CCW twice with it.  We make quite a sight at the range, her shooting the 4" .357 & me popping off rounds with the 2" S&W .38.

There was a problem with the ejector, the rod got bent somehow (I've got a pretty good idea how).  Paid the shipping to Taurus, received it back in a couple weeks.  No hassle, no problem.