I Only Went to Buy Ammo......

W

Waspinator

New member
How many of you have said those words? lol


Anyway,

I really did just go to buy ammo today after work. Of course, I did the mandatory walk through to look at all the guns. Now, all my handguns are stainless. I've been itching to buy a .357 blued gun just for range use (all my other handguns are stainless). All my carry/home defense needs are met at this time, so my next purchase was going to be just for kicks.

So, I've been eying up some blued GP100's and some S&W 586's. The S&W 586 are just fantastic, but really.. I'm not ready to put that kind of money on the table for just a range gun at this time. The GP100's are nice, but I hate.. I repeat, Hate those grips that come on them. I would end up having to go and buy some Eagle grips or something for another $80 or so. Also, the blue on the Ruger was kinda... flat. I love Ruger revolvers and own two SP101s (22lr and .357) But, I wasn't sure about the Blue GP100.

Then I walked by the used counter.... Yeah, those darn used counters are like a money black hole. There always seams to be something there that catches my eye. Most times I can walk away, but today I seen something that was interesting.

It was a 1989 Taurus Model HG-669 with a 6" barrel. It looked to be in excellent shape, locked up tight and seamed to function properly. The trigger felt super nice in single action and the double action pull felt smooth. They were asking very little for it.

So.....

Yeah.. I bought a Taurus (Gasp!). Seems to be a nice gun. It felt like it was built much better than the newer models I handled while there. The fit, finish and the way it felt in its' operation was much better then the newer models they had there. At least in my opinion.

I don't know much about this model or if the guns made by Taurus in the late 80's were any good, but I decided to take a chance since it looked to be a good gun , in nice condition and for little money out of pocket. I'll be taking it to the range next weekend to try it out.

Here are a couple of quick pictures. I haven't had a chance to clean it properly yet. I'm no photographer and I couldn't get a good shot of the gun without reflection. The finish looks very nice and shiny in person. I don't know how you guys take such good photos of your blued guns, lol.






Anyone have any info on this model Taurus from this era?

Thanks
 
I purchased my model 66 in 1992, 4 inch barrel. It is a very good friend, always reliable, never had a failure, ever. Although I've compiled a small collection of guns, I will never sell this one. It was my very first purchase and has never given me a moment of doubt.

You made a good purchase.

Have fun. Be safe.
 
Good buy!

Looks just the way (IMhO) a revolver should look. I have no prejudice against Taurus, if you found one that looks good it probably is good.

Looking forward to your range report. Do you plan on feeding it hot loads, target loads or some of each?

Oh and for everyone that doesn't intend to buy a gun but always 'looks anyway' my advice is to carry an empty gun case in your vehicle. My LGS will make you buy a case to get the gun out the door. The gun has to be in a box or a case unless you have a concealed carry permit.
 
I know that there are a ton of Taurus haters out there, but I don't really know why. I only own one and maybe that's the problem, my lack of experience with them, but I gotta say that my stainless model 83 is a jewel. The fit and finish is exceptional and the DA trigger is as smooth as any I've fired with zero staging, far better than any other that I own. It was a mid 90s production I believe when I looked it up once on their site.
Congrats, she's a beauty.
 
My Taurus Model 84 from the 70s is tight and accurate. Despite the Taurus haters, I was impressed enough to buy a new semi-auto that I also like.
 
Thanks everyone.

The only experience I have with Taurus was when I was looking for a 22lr about a year and a half ago. I tried out a few model 94's from Taurus, but found them to kind of ruff around the edges (sticky cylinders and gritty triggers). I didn't really handle any of the other models back then because most people online say to stay away from them. I ended up buying a used SP101 22lr I found (nice gun). I pretty much havent looked at Taurus since then. But, this one just cuaght my eye and I was surprised how smooth it was. Considering the price tag, I figured I would give it a shot (pun!) to see if it would work out.


DaleA Wrote:
Looking forward to your range report. Do you plan on feeding it hot loads, target loads or some of each?
Click to expand...

For the first trip, I'll just going to load up some .38 specials and put it through its' paces. I really was there to buy ammo, but bought the gun instead.. so I didn't buy ammo, lol. I do have about 6 boxes of 158 grain jackted round-nose .38 specials sitting in the safe... so I'll use that first, then go for the .357's later.
 
You do realize that on your next trip to the LGS, you're going to say to yourself, "you know, I really need a 357 lever to go with my new magnum."
 
MarkGlazer Wrote:
You do realize that on your next trip to the LGS, you're going to say to yourself, "you know, I really need a 357 lever to go with my new magnum."
Click to expand...

Well, This one was to be a range companion for my .357 2.25" SP101 EDC. I shoot my SP101 every trip, but figured I would like a slightly larger gun with longer barrel for range time (Also wanted to get that classic Blue/wood fix).

But I can totally see the progrssion to the lever action. I looked into them a while back. I really liked the older Marlin .357 lever actions, but they were pricey for sure. ;)
 
I have had two Taurus 357's very similar to yours. One was excellent, but was stolen. One is still excellent and still in my possession.

You done good! :)
 
I was dead-set on getting EXACTLY that revolver and at exactly the time you say that one was built. First gun I ever bought, but when the time came, I decided to go the extra bit and I ordered a 6-inch 686 instead. As much as anything, I wanted the stainless and at the time, Taurus only offered the brushed satin nickel and I'm not even sure if the 669 was offered in the nickel.

I remember the model vividly, because my step Dad (not at all a gun guy) asked me why I went for the S&W instead... and asked me if maybe that 669 was a decent buy for him, simply to have a solid handgun around the house. I agreed that indeed it was, and he ordered it!

Mom still has it. It has gotten some range time but it is not a gun that has seen a lot of use. A little less refined than my S&W revolvers, but totally capable.

I am curious at how you knew, or maybe how the shop came to know that it was specifically from 1989? Knowing nothing else, I would totally have to agree; it looks just exactly like Mom's.
 
Sevens Wrote:
I am curious at how you knew, or maybe how the shop came to know that it was specifically from 1989?
Click to expand...

At the store, I did not know. I could tell it was surely an older model, but I wasn't sure the age. The sales guy who sold me the gun... eh.. to put it nicely,was no help.

I came home and wanted to know the year and found this on the Taurus website.
http://www.taurususa.com/find-model.cfm
Just add your serial number and it tells you the full model number and year of your gun. I don't know how far back that will look up, but it is at least as far back as 1989 for sure.
 
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