Is a new Taurus model 85 worth buying?

my first self purchased handgun was a then gently used, stainless steel taurus model 85 purchsed in the mid 1980s for $200. i swapped out the wooden grips for pachmayr. it has been an accurate, easy, reliable shooter with enough heft to absorb recoil nicely. it works well enough that i dont feel the need to shoot it alot to remain comfortable relying on it.

are newer or lighter 85s different in quality? or a rossi clone of a taurus clone of a s&w? i dont know, but im quite happy with my old 85.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
moosemike said:
I've heard a lot of bad about Taurus revolvers though and am leery. Should I be?
Click to expand...


I've own 4 S&W revolvers, 3 of which where the 642 .38 special and I'm sure the trigger on that Taurus can not be any worst, one was so bad I could not pull the trigger at all with my weak side hand. And if I can't shoot a handgun one handed and from both sides it is of no use to me. And I should not have to spend extra to get a decent trigger.

I've been tempted to go your route or a Charter Arms in the past because that price you show is almost half of a 642. But like you have read to many stories of problems.
Life time warranties mean nothing they are gimmicks. And the stories I read are people sending their guns back not once but multiple times, that gets old and if you only have one to begin with it leaves you then defenseless.

I suppose the answer to your question is or would be it's a hit and a miss with probably more junk than good. But they suck you in by that price and the that gimmick warranty, even S&W is now offering that gimmick, the day I see Ruger doing it I will then know they too have no confidence in their own product.
 
A few years ago I was given a Taurus Model 85 when a friend's father died and she found it in his closet. It had the worst trigger of any revolver I had ever shot, inspected, or handled. The SA/DA was terrible and the timing was off so much it occasionally would not lock up. I took it to a gun show and sold it to the 1st guy who made me an offer at the front door. I gave the money to the friend who gave it to me. She was happy and I learned a lesson. I have never been tempted to buy another Taurus.
 
Taurus guns have a basically good design. what kills them at times is poor execution (a quality control failure which can happen to anyone just happens to them more often), and the real deal breaker is poor customer service for warranty/repair work.
 
I've got an 83 with zero issues, a 431 with zero issues, and one of the 85s suffering from thalidomide syndrome, (the No-View View), again with zero issues.
All are good fit and finish that function flawlessly with very good triggers.

I do have one 608SS purchased used with possible issues that I've replaced the recoil and trigger springs and the transfer bar in.
That one will sometimes skip a chamber when cocked aggressively in SA, but functions correctly in DA.
It will likely take a trip back to Miami some day soon.

I purchased three new Ruger revolvers in a twelve month period recently.
All three had problems for which two were replaced, and one was sidestepped as being the way it was designed.

That has not been the norm for Ruger in my experience, but my luck in the last handful of years of purchasing revolvers, Taurus is kicking Ruger's butt.

If Taurus were as bad as the bias and anonymity of the internet allows them to be proclaimed to be, they would not still be making and selling revolvers.... just sayin.
 
It's not a model 85, but my model 94 works just fine. Yes, it has a heavy trigger pull, but so do other 22lr revolvers. I wouldn't have a problem with buying a model 85.
 
I have a model 80 that my dad bought back in the early 1970s. It hasn't been shot heavily, but it hasn't been put away and forgotten, either. Fit and finish are pretty good, trigger is heavy but reasonably smooth, and lockup is good. It seems to me that QC has waxed and waned a couple of times with Taurus, perhaps depending on ownership. Reputation has a bit of momentum of its own, though; it takes a while for improvements to be reported and circulated. I would like to think they are improving again, but reports on recent guns seem to be inconsistent.
 
I have a model 84 made in the mid 70s that still feels and shoots like new. I traded a Hi-Point for it to see if the gun snobs were as wrong about Taurus as they were about Hi-Point. Because the gun snobs were so wrong about both Hi-Point and Taurus, I have bought both a new TCP and a PT111 G2 that are both accurate and reliable. I would not hesitate to buy another as I am 3 out of 3 with Taurus. The old model 84 was imported before Taurus started importing them so it is not covered by a warranty of any kind.
 
I have had many Taurus revolvers through the years. I still have a number of their revolvers. They are all older and not current production. Thankfully, I've never had any issues with revolvers. Semi-autos are another story...

With that said, I really don't have much faith in the quality control of current Taurus production. Take a look at these two recent stories.

Brazilian LE agencies shopping abroad for pistols
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/02/15/brazilian-le-agencies-shopping-abroad-pistols/

How Defective Guns Became the Only Product That Can’t Be Recalled
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...ecame-the-only-product-that-can-t-be-recalled
 
I have two,so I say they are worth buying.I own seven Taurus revolvers & pistols. I just don't understand the hate for the name Taurus.
 
I have 2 Taurus 85's. A stainless ultralite and a protector polymer. Both are worth the less than $300 I paid for them. Both are accurate and have never given me any issues. I also bought and carried a PT-145 Pro for many years also accurate and trouble free. I sold it after carrying it for 7-8yrs and started carrying a Glock 43 which I still carry. People say they are hit or miss and they must be but Ive never had an issue with the three Ive bought shot and carried over the last 16yrs.
 
I bought a model 85 has to be 15 years +. I have shot some +P out of it and a bunch of 38 special. Never a problem. I'll admit for the most part it stays in the wife's nightstand. I like the gun. Maybe I got lucky.
 
I have the following Taurus® revolvers...
85SS2UL 38 Special 2007
617SS2 357 Magnum 2003
605SS2 357 Magnum 2012
425SS4CP 41 Magnum 2012
992B4 22LR/22MAG 2013

All continue to shoot and work fine.
 
I’ve only owned a couple Taurus revolvers over the years with so-so experience but after reading thread after thread of user experiences with Taurus handguns, I marvel that they continue to function and survive as a company.
 
I have three Taurus Revolvers. A M65 that was my first handgun that is 30 years old and has about 20K through it. A M85UL that is about 15 years old and has about 5K through it. A 905 that is 3 years old and has about 1K through it.

No issues or problems with any of them. Most of the rounds on all three are mild target loads, but the M65 has about 2K of full power .357 Magnum through it. The 85 and 905 each have about 500 full power defense loads through them.

I would certainly buy another Taurus revolver if it met my specific needs. I have .41 Magnum and 10mm S&Ws and they are of course much better revolvers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top