Noticed what Taurus have done with their 4 & 3/4" barreled Gaucho?...>

D

Doogle

New member
...after waiting for this new SAA clone to emerge as a possible alternative to those available from Uberti, Beretta & Ruger, I noted with dismay that Taurus had shortened the ejector tube on their 4 & 3/4" barreled versions. See the pic below, from Taurus website.

​

I'd always thought the 4 & 3/4" SAA models looked best, with the ejector tube matching the length of the barrel. The way Taurus have done it makes the revolver look more like a longer-barelled model.
 
Looks kinda......

I dunno. I've always liked Taurus. I usually find their offerings pretty handsome and well made.
This one looks cheap. Instead of the sleek, seamless appearance of original and good repro 1873 single actions, this one sports screws everywhere. Not flush or coutersunk, just stickin' out there. The shorter ejector rod is different, but not really too crappy. The finish has the high shine of cheap nickel, and looks like any scratch or scrape (which cowboy shooting is sure to provide) will stick out like a turd in a punch bowl. The grips, surely meant to duplicate the original hard rubber, just look like plastic. The whole thing bears remarkable similarity to the toy ones I played with growing up.

The 1873 is one of the few handguns that requires lots of consideration in the "looks" department. Original (and GOOD reproduction) SAA's look like works of art, and each has a look of uniqueness. This one looks like what it is, an assembly line utility gun.

Taurus may have no doubt created the most affordable of the SAA clones, but it is a far cry from an accurate reproduction. It just doesn't exude the spirit of the old "Prancing Pony" that Col. Colt created so long ago.
While I have no doubt that it is a functional peice, and that the price will make it more available to the mainstream than some of the other reproductions available, I'll just save the extra bucks for a better looking shooter.
 
Apart from the ejector tube, it looks pretty standard...>

...for a SAA to me. It has the same screws as any other clone, and from other pics I've seen they are countersunk as normal for these guns. The finish on this model is polished stainless steel. They also offer the Gaucho in blued models. Those hard plastic grips also seem pretty common on some clones. Uberti offer wood grips as standard, (although with pretty lacklustre grain from the examples I've personaly seen), and Ruger also offer them on some models I believe. I'm not overly keen on the hard plastic either, but there are plenty of good replacements available, (assuming they would fit the Gaucho properly).

I have no issue with the Gaucho's quality as I just haven't heard much about that yet. The one review I've read (Gunblast) praised the revolver, (but I've noted that site doesn't often say too much bad about any of the weapons they review). My own experience of the finish on Taurus polished stainless revolvers is that they are well done, (I have a Model 689, and have seen quite a few other examples). I don't know how well Taurus blue their guns. Unfortunately, too many manufacturers these days offer poor blueing. It seems the process of obtaining nice deep blueing has become too costly.

It is simply that this was the first time I'd gotten a look at their 4 & 3/4" model. This is the type of SAA I was considering getting, and was surprised to see that Taurus had chosen to depart from the standard design. For me, at least, that in itself may exclude the revolver from consideration.
 
Picture.

Maybe I'm just being too hard on the picture.

I can't comment on it's quality either as I haven't fired one yet, just it's looks based on the photo.
Once the local SportCo gets one in, I'll probably drool over it like all the rest :D
Even the Rugers and Ubertis seem a bit lackluster when comapred to Taylor's and Co. or the other semi-custom repro's.

To be honest, I will probably own one shortly. It looks like it would serve well in a utility role, and I definitely need that.

Or I could just be a hard a$$ :D
 
Yeah, it's always best to see them in the flesh...>

...and see what the quality (at least externally) looks like. I recently had a good look at some Uberti Cattleman SAA revolvers and found them to look a fair bit less well-finished than their pics would indicate. So, it can go either way. I'll still consider the Uberti though, as the price is good, they are a close copy, and have a reasonable reputation. I haven't seen their new stainless SAA version. For some reason they aren't importing those into Australia.
 
Have not seen it yet, but based on the pic. you're probably right on 38splfan. It would have looked allot better with fire blued screws and wood grips...I think...? :rolleyes:
 
I have no issue with the Gaucho's quality as I just haven't heard much about that yet. The one review I've read (Gunblast) praised the revolver, (but I've noted that site doesn't often say too much bad about any of the weapons they review).
Click to expand...

That's because the Quinns don't waste webspace writing about the junk. They follow the "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything" style of gun reviewing... :cool:

I'm interested in handling one of the .357 versions. And I'm eagerly waiting for a .357 Lightning pump rifle to go with it, too... :D
 
.38 Spl Fan. I believe the Taylor's for the most part ARE Ubertis...just as most of the Italian clones out there now are Uberti-made (Cimarron, Navy Arms, EMF, etc.) Including the safety-bar'd Beretta--the two companies now corporately linked), though there are still a few Armi's floating around out there. Some, perhaps like Taylor and Cimarron, have their Uberti's finished to their "exacting" specs that may fancy them up a bit more, but they're Ubertis nevertheless. I've noticed this shortened ejector rod approach on some other gun (otherwise SAA clone)--the name/model escaping me. An odd thing for a manufacturer to do, given the sensitivities (as stated in this thread) to "looks" on the SAAs.

I think some of the "foreign" SAA copy makers oddly do not look at the detail to the nth degree sometimes; it's like "95%--Taurus a case in point here, as well as the likes of Armi Sports, otherwise fine historically accurate guns, but whose front sight on their new 92 Carbine is front-barrel band mounted (like the older Rossis--as if they used one of those as the "historically accurate" research model! Or just assumed the 92s--new to them--were the same as the 73s. Note: Rossi 92s (EMF, LSI, etc.) now have it correct, just behind (aft of, looking forward) the barrel band). It's so easy just looking at the originals (Colts, Wins, etc.), but esp now with computers, CAD, etc., to get it "exactly right" you sometimes wonder why even the minor mis-steps.
 
38Splfan

38Splfan, I think you explained yourself further -- re Ubertis/Taylor's--with your "..semi-custom repros" description; my apologies!
 
I like it! One of many mods that I always perform on my SA revolvers is to shape and angle/bevel the ejector rod housing. I bevel the cylinder also. It provides for smoother drawing and reholstering. I always adjust the front sight for my loads too. IOWs, it isn't going to rmain stock for long anyway. Beveled cylinder entry edges, 11 degree forcing cone, reamed cylinder and chambers polished are the first things I do. Internal polishing, angle checks and stoning of the frame are normal. Spring replacements and other enhancements are done before I worry about plastic grips. I would probably bead blast the finish anyway for reduced glare. I suggest buying the C&S screwdriver set and ordering a few sets of screws. The Taurus Gauchos are going to be a great economy entry revolver.
 
They managed to make an even uglier barrel billboard than Ruger, by putting TAURUS in huge letters on the side of the barrel? At least on the Ruger its hard to see from a distance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top