Advice on Taurus Model 85 Ultralite

L

Logistar

New member
After having surgery on her left hand, (she is right-handed) my wife has problems with the slides on semi-autos so she has decided to buy a revolver.

She really likes the Taurus Model 85 Ultra Lite but has never fired one.

Would a .38 Special (or .38 +P) be powerful enough for a carry gun? Should she go for the titanium model or is it's recoil unpleasant?

ANY comments about his particular gun (or ANY suggestions for a small, light carry revolver) would be greatly appreciated!
 
I had a Taurus model 85 in stainless steel, and my wife hated to shoot it. The two finger grip made it jump around in her hand. It was quite a bit heavier than the ultra-lite you are asking about.

I bought a used Smith model 60. Room for all three fingers on the rosewood grip. Still small enough to put in my front pocket. Five shots of .357 Magnum if you want. That way I can be more flexible in choosing a load for it. My wife has no problem shooting it with .38+P. She can shoot .357 through it, but does not care to do it a lot. Right now I keep it stoked with Corbon .38+P+ 110gr.JHP with a velocity rated at 1300 FPS.:eek:

Not bad for .38 special. Not too bad for recoil, either.

The gun my wife settled on to carry is a Colt SF VI. Stainless six shot .38 special. Small, nice hard rubber grip. Good handgun. She shoots it a lot.
 
I have a standard M85UL. Also have a Smith model 60. I prefer the feel of the Taurus to the Smith. Also, for CCW, the Taurus is a tad lighter and also easier to concear (difference in grip design).

For the type of defense you are most likely to encounter, 7 to 20 feet, a .38HP should be sufficient. From the BGs perspective, anything you point at him will have a deterrent effect. If you have to fire, two quick rounds in the torso should slow him down or stop him in his tracks. If the BG is on drugs, even the magnums or much larger bore diameters may not have much of an effect.
 
GIRLIE GUN

Suggest 3" M60 in 38 Special, using bullets under 130g.

(My wife carries S&W M38; I trust the 38 cartridge.)
 
We have a Taurus 85 Ultralite (non-titanium) weighing in at 16 or 17 oz and a Ruger SP101 that weighs about 24 oz.

While my wife enjoys shooting our Glocks, for carry it is always one of the wheelguns. For her, shooting +P out of the Ruger is no problem but she prefers standard loads in the Taurus.

What your wife can tolerate as far as the recoil goes is a highly personal thing but most likely she will like a bit heavier gun if you are going to use +P loads.

The M60 suggestions are good. The Taurus 85 is also available in a standard steel model that is heavier than the Ultralite. Then there are the Taurus CIA models that I know nothing about. Bunches of nice snubbies out there.

For our wheelguns (somewhere, somehow they became ours instead of mine) we use 158gr, lead hollowpoint +P in the Ruger and standard Federal Nyclads in the Taurus.

H
 
Logistar

I don't know for sure, but I believe I've read that the 85UL is a bit lighter than the Total Titanium 85's. I'm not sure about how that would effect recoil. What I am sure of is that the Total Titanium 85 that my wife has with her every day has no more recoil than my all steel Chief's Special. Maybe even a little less. I feel that the porting is what accomplishes this bit of magic. The grips feel wonderful and the trigger pull is really sweet.
I'm in Louisville also, and I know for a fact that Tilford's has the best price on these pistols.

Kentucky Rifle
 
Really liked my Taurus 85 UC UL. It had a better trigger out of the box than my S&W 342PD. The porting HELPED alot! Another thing I think you can try is to order the 3 finger Taurus rubber grip that comes with their .357s. I think it should fit the 85 and gives a "full" grip vs. the 2 finger grip with the factory stocks.
 
I really like my M85UL. It a neat little gun. My wife really liked it until she shot it. To much of a pop for her. If feel with practice and the right load though, she'd fine. I don't know if I'd go the +P route. I question the benefit in such a short barrel. You probably burn a lot of the powder after it leaves the barrel - flash and blast.
 
I really appreciate all the information.

Her right hand is very strong. She has no problems at all with my .38 Special (6-in barrel though) or my small 9mm. Unless the recoil is REALLY bad, I think she would be OK. She really wants LIGHT but I am afraid the Titanium might be a little TOO light. (Ultra-lite - 17oz Titanium - 13.7oz) Otherwise she loves the way the Taurus feels in her hand. She also loves the trigger pull of the Taurus as well. She will use this gun for CCW.

I will check into the Smith Model 60 and the Colt SF VI. I AM sure she won't be shooting .357 Magnum though.

Kentucky Rifle, Tilford's happens to be about 4 blocks from where I work. They have consistently had the lowest prices I have seen in Louisville. In fact, I took his price on one handgun to another dealer who said there was no way he could sell it to me for that (despite his ad that says he will try to beat another dealers price). Seems like the best place in Louisville to buy guns. -At least based on price anyway.

Thanks again for all the advice! I'll let you know how it goes!
 
As many TFL members already know, I am a big fan of the Taurus 38 snubbies. :) I have two of the,. that have worked perfectly with no complaints whatsoever. One is Total Titanium, the other is Stainless Steel.

I think if I were you I would recommend the steel (blued or stainless) version. This one will recoil less than the Titanium and Ultralite models. However, the lighter models with the porting seem very managable to everyone (including myself) that I have talked to that has bought one.
 
Lightsped:
Since you know your way around Taurus snubbies, What do you think about the Taurus 606 and/or the 605 and/or the 650 CIA vs. the S&W 66 for CCW that is.
thank you

Carlos
 
Lightsped:

FWIW - I looked at the 650 for myself. Although the trigger pull on the Model 85 was very nice, I found the trigger pull on the 650 to be much too heavy for me. Being DAO, I would have a problem with it myself. (Then again, I am not a particularly BIG or STRONG person.)
 
While I haven't handled the S&Ws mentioned, I did get a brief chance to handle a Taurus CIA model and I liked it. It would be a great pocket gun.

While shooting DAO is a challenge at the target range, it is perfectly ideal for close up encounters, which is what the DAOs are designed for in the first place.
 
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