New to handguns. Is Taurus really that bad?

her hand starts bleeding and she keeps on shooting.
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Yep, one tough girl. Some surgical tape on the grip should stop it from biting into the web of the hand. That is a very small grip. Maybe a Houge handy-all would help.

Jim
 
Not in my experience ... I've owned three or four, still have two revolvers, including my first ever handgun, a model 85 which I've owned for about 25 and have had zero problems with. I also still have a 617, which did need a bit of 'smithing to smooth out the trigger. love that gun, 7 rounds of .357 goodness, stashed in the living room just in case ... had one of the little .25 semiautos, sold it only to eliminate a round from my storage and wish I had it back ...
 
They're not really that bad, but they're not really that good, either.

There are better choices available.
 
There are problems with every brand of gun. A failure rate of 1%-5% is expected depending on the industry - hopefully closer to 1% with firearms. When I am on a forum like this and someone says a taurus gun stove piped, users usually blame taurus's spotty QA that we all hear about (if thats even true). When a glock stove pipes, everyone blames it on the user. Moral of the story - people dont like to diss their brand and some brands have a huge cult like following. Taurus guns are low price so people who spend double on a pistol want their more exp pistol to be better. Is it? IDK. In some cases it probably is and in some not so much. Regardless, I wouldn't trust any gun from any manufacturer until I have put it through the grind personally. And even then, if someone gave me the same model from that same manufacturer I again wouldn't trust it until I put it through the grind. All companies will have that 1% failure rate and I will test each gun given to me to make sure its not mine. If taurus had like a 10-20% failure rate with a model that they sold a lot of they would probably be finished. Its very difficult to recover financially from a high failure rate like that. Having said that, their recall might have dire consequences on their company if it actually goes through. If you arent aware, the recall is that some older model of the MP can still be fired with the safety on...
 
I was in a pawn shop when a woman came in to sell the Taurus revolver she bought new at the pawn shop.
She had an emotional melt down when they told her how little they would pay.

I have the 357 mag Taurus 650 revolver that has issues with chamber size, shape, and finish manufacturing defect so it only shoots 38 special without jamming. That cost me $200 in 2008. Not worth sending it in on the lifetime warranty. I don't like 357 mag out of a snub nose anyway.
 
Due to this thread, I subjected the model 80 that I mentioned earlier (one that was passed down to me from my dad, purchased in the 1970s) to the used revolver checkout described in the sticky, and it checked out fine. Mind you, that is a sample size of one, and the problem with Taurus seems to be one of inconsistency; it kind of illustrates the idea, though, that if you get a good one it will be pretty solid.
 
I offer what I always offer on this topic. The Mrs. has 2 Taurii, both stainless model 431 .44 Specials (3 inch-barrel, which she prefers). Other than both needing a drop of Loctite on the cylinder release latches, each has plowed through several hundred rounds through the years (obviously they are carried a lot and shot but modestly) with no malfunctions. 'Taint much of a sample size, but there it is.
 
I have MANY Ruger and S&W revolvers. Very very few have had any issues, either used or new.

But I have owned a few Taurus products and good friends others. The quality of Taurus is not up to S&W or Ruger. Just ain't folks.

Sometimes you find a good Taurus, but ofter not so good.

Overall you get what you pay for.... sometimes.

Right now I own zero Taurus products with no plans on getting one.

Deaf
 
I can only base my opinion on one. PT1911 in 45 ACP. Now while I have not shot it near as much as most here, I do have well over 6000 rounds down it now.
Never so much as a glitch yet. I can say it does not like SWC bullets at all. Shoots them just fine ( and very accurate I must say), But they don't chamber reliably for me. I had a guy look at it and he say's all I need to do is polish the feed ramp, but I don't buy SWC anymore so I just left well enogh alone.
Did I get lucky? Hard saying, but I know I would not sell it or trade it in for anything else. It has a proven track record of flawless function for me.
 
My five Tauruses

I have a 22 rimfire Taurus revolver I bought in the '70s that is mighty fine. Double action trigger pull a bit heavy, but a LOT lighter than my two Ruger SP101 22s. Not as accurate as my 6: Dan Wesson 22, but what gun is? The DW is a fine piece.

I have two 9mm Tauruses, a 99 and a 92. Both function perfectly, feed and are adequately accurate. My Taurus PT145 semi-auto ticks along, feeds every bullet shape I have tried (Round nose, Semi-wadcutter in lead and plated, and hollowpoints, too). No jams, ever. Accurate to the point of embarrassing my Colt Gold Cup. Will not best it, but comes close if I am attentive.

I just this week bought a Taurus 45 ACP revolver. Encouraged by my friend's Smith & Wesson Performance Center 625, I fell in love with how easy those moon clips are to use. So, when I saw the Taurus at one-third the price my friend paid (His S&W PC 625 was new and my Taurus is lightly used) I bought it. I am a Ruger fan and like the lockwork inside them. I am not fond of the delicateness of the lockwork inside Smiths and have not taken the sideplate of my Taurus 45 yet, so cannot comment on its innards. But I could not pass up the price and the cursory inspection I gave it in the gun shop was satisfactory.

The trigger in double action does not "stage" like the Smith does, but some people do not like that. Instead, it stacks up smoothly, like my Colt Trooper. Some people prefer that.

The Taurus 45 ACP revolver (in single action or in double action) groups about twice the size of my friend's Performance Center Smith 625. But even so, the grouping is about as good as my Rugers (Security Six, Redhawk, Super Redhawk and GP100s) and about 50% larger than my Ruger Mk IIs.

While I am not a Taurus fan (call me a Ruger fan for the count of the revolvers in my stable), I can find no fault with them except the reputation that (some first-hand, but most often, second-hand) testimony gives them. I am satisfied with all my Taurus handguns so far. The only problem I have had with ANY of them is the 45 ACP revolver won't chamber a batch of my reloads. But examination of the cartridges reveals that I did not bell the case mouths enough and some of the copper plating scraped up and interferes with the headspacing (I am embarrassed to admit this, but it does indicate that the chambers in the cylinder are nice and tight on SAAMI specifications.). My Dan Wesson .357 is like that. Nice, tight chambers that reject rounds that fit in my Rugers. But that DW .357 is super-accurate.

Go forth and joyously spend lead.

Lost Sheep
 
For those of you who have rough chambers, get a little Flitz or other good polish and hand-smooth those chambers.

If the chambers are truly out-of-round, send it back to Taurus during your off-season time.

Rather than grumble over a poor tool, tune the thing up. You do that for your car, right? A dog that is poorly trained can be taught proper manners. A gun that won't shoot straight is no different. Respect for your guitar, your car, your dog, your saw, your lawnmower, your gun demands you take care of these tools properly.

It is a poor workman who keeps a dull axe. (or something like that)

Lost Sheep
 
No problems here

I purchased a Taurus PT-99 around 1992 or 93. I stopped counting the number of rounds I've put through it. Although my firearm is not a revolver, I felt compelled to mention I have not experienced any problems with my Taurus.
 
MINSH101 said:
I purchased a Taurus PT-99 around 1992 or 93. I stopped counting the number of rounds I've put through it. Although my firearm is not a revolver, I felt compelled to mention I have not experienced any problems with my Taurus.
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Yea I love my PT99. Between me and my friends, god knows how many trouble free rounds we've put through it.
 
Clark said "I shoot 357 mag handloads in all my 38 specials. But in my 357 mag Taurus I shoot 38 special level handloads, so the cases will not get stuck in the rough and out of round chambers."

I have a Taurus 605SH2 which is a 16-ounce titanium 357 mag. When I got it, one chamber would stick on 357 loads but it was OK on 38 Spl or 38 Spl +P. After polishing the chambers it's OK on 357 mag or 38. Try polishing your chambers and you should be fine.
 
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