My LGS has a used Taurus .38 Special revolver for a very low asking price. I have heard numerous horror stories about Taurus reliability, but do not know for sure if these stories are related to newer products or older products. The gun in question is in great cosmetic shape and appears to function properly. The shop stated that it was most likely manufactured in the early 1980's. Were Taurus products from that era generally reliable, or was this one of the company's lower periods?
Older Taurus Reliability?
- Thread starter wmg1299
- Start date
I think the older ones have a better reputation reliability wise. How much that comes from gun forums not being around back then I don't know. 
Personally I would give it the revolver checkout listed at the top of this page.If it passed and as you say had a very low price I would go for it.
Personally I would give it the revolver checkout listed at the top of this page.If it passed and as you say had a very low price I would go for it.
I had an old Taurus Model 83 that I bought back in the early 80's. I put a pile of 38 Wadcutters through that gun with not a hitch. The only complaint I had with that gun was the grips, which looked and felt like they'd been carved out of a 2X4, with a chain saw. There weren't any replacements for a Taurus, or if there were, I'd never heard of them, so I just added a T-grip and went on about my business.
Of course that was before the internet, so I didn't know how bad they were.
Of course that was before the internet, so I didn't know how bad they were.
Waspinator
New member
If I remember it correctly , In the early 70's Taurus and Smith & Wesson were owned by the same parent company. During that time there was a lot of shared information, machinery and technology between the two companies. Actually, there was quite a bit of manufacturing methods that Smith & Wesson adopted from Taurus at that time. In the early 80's, Taurus opened up its USA Miami affiliated company.
The guns coming out of Taurus From the 70's and 80's were some of their finest and are on par with Smith and Wesson's from the same time period. I know people will argue against that, but I stand by it.
I currently own a late 80's Taurus Model 669 .357 Mag /6" barrel. Blued with wood grips. Very solidly build and I would put it up against any S&W 586, I should know. I went in to buy a new 586 , but saw this Taurus in the used case for almost 1/4 the price. Build like a tank, no MIM anywhere on it and no lock either. Was not a hard choice to make and never regretted it. The gun is accurate as all get out too.
If it looks good, everything is functioning properly and at an agreeable price, then I say have at it. Those older Taurus revolvers are way better than today's offerings, so much so that it is almost like from another company.
The guns coming out of Taurus From the 70's and 80's were some of their finest and are on par with Smith and Wesson's from the same time period. I know people will argue against that, but I stand by it.
I currently own a late 80's Taurus Model 669 .357 Mag /6" barrel. Blued with wood grips. Very solidly build and I would put it up against any S&W 586, I should know. I went in to buy a new 586 , but saw this Taurus in the used case for almost 1/4 the price. Build like a tank, no MIM anywhere on it and no lock either. Was not a hard choice to make and never regretted it. The gun is accurate as all get out too.
If it looks good, everything is functioning properly and at an agreeable price, then I say have at it. Those older Taurus revolvers are way better than today's offerings, so much so that it is almost like from another company.
HistoryJunky
New member
I own an older blued Taurus 66 .357 and it is very tight and shoots well.
Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
Reliable and Accurate in my opinion
I bought a new 686 in 1995 and have used it ever since for hunting and silhouette shooting. It's extremely accurate and has been totally reliable for thousands of rounds. I have a 2X Leupold scope on it and changed out the original wooden grips to Hogue. The original wooden ones were very rough on the hand and not sized right for me. The trigger is great and have never had it tuned. No need. It's perfect in both single and double action. My experience with Taurus revolvers has been very positive, but this particular model is no longer available, so can't offer an opinion on any newer models. If you purchase one for a reasonable price you might be pleasantly surprised at the quality and accuracy.
I bought a new 686 in 1995 and have used it ever since for hunting and silhouette shooting. It's extremely accurate and has been totally reliable for thousands of rounds. I have a 2X Leupold scope on it and changed out the original wooden grips to Hogue. The original wooden ones were very rough on the hand and not sized right for me. The trigger is great and have never had it tuned. No need. It's perfect in both single and double action. My experience with Taurus revolvers has been very positive, but this particular model is no longer available, so can't offer an opinion on any newer models. If you purchase one for a reasonable price you might be pleasantly surprised at the quality and accuracy.
223 shooter
New member
Not centerfire but I picked up a used Taurus 96 22lr about 10 years ago and it turned out to be a hec of a shooter! Although at first I thought I bought a lemon and there were a lot of mis-fires. Took the grips off and to my surprise there was actually an adjustment nut on the mainspring to adjust tension. After increasing spring tension the revolver worked great.
"...in the early 1980's..." When they first came to Canada, it was a case of there being heavy tool marks left on 'em.
Their reputation had nothing to do with reliability though. It was decidedly poor customer service. At least, it was up here. Taurus' customer service had yet to be determined one way or the other in the 80's.
Their reputation had nothing to do with reliability though. It was decidedly poor customer service. At least, it was up here. Taurus' customer service had yet to be determined one way or the other in the 80's.
Only complaint
My only complaint with my 94 is the trigger in double action. That's not a Taurus issue, all the J frame size .22's either have a heavy double action trigger, or they have unreliable ignition due to someone "fixing" them.
The issue is the healthy whack required to kick off .22 ammo and the geometry that is a function of the frame size. The J frame .22 Smiths have the same issue.
I just shoot it single action for accuracy.
My only complaint with my 94 is the trigger in double action. That's not a Taurus issue, all the J frame size .22's either have a heavy double action trigger, or they have unreliable ignition due to someone "fixing" them.
The issue is the healthy whack required to kick off .22 ammo and the geometry that is a function of the frame size. The J frame .22 Smiths have the same issue.
I just shoot it single action for accuracy.
I never liked Taurus, when at the range someone offer me one to try. The actions felt gritty and were very rough. And you also hear complaints about Taurus on the internet.
But, about 10 years ago I bought a Charco Bulldog from a friend that owned an LGS. Against his advice I wanted the gun and told him to order it. It was a horrible gun that the action would bind on when fired, it shaved jackets and was so inaccurate that I realized the best you could do for self defense was to throw it at your attacker. The Bulldog was so bad that I sold it on consignment after the range trip.
About 1 month later my friend called me on the phone and asked me to stop in his shop. I stopped and was presented with a Stainless Taurus model 445 that he took in to sell. It was similar to the Bulldog being a .44 and was ported. The action was smooth and light and I could not come up with one reason not to buy it. I paid $240 for Taurus. It became my truck gun for 8 years, I really liked it. Never a problem, it was accurate and just worked well. If I had one complaint it was the price of ammo, not the gun.
In stupidity I sold it to a friend that begged me to sell it to him. To this day I regret that sale.
I would buy another Taurus in a heartbeat. But, I would want to handle it and feel the action first.
But, about 10 years ago I bought a Charco Bulldog from a friend that owned an LGS. Against his advice I wanted the gun and told him to order it. It was a horrible gun that the action would bind on when fired, it shaved jackets and was so inaccurate that I realized the best you could do for self defense was to throw it at your attacker. The Bulldog was so bad that I sold it on consignment after the range trip.
About 1 month later my friend called me on the phone and asked me to stop in his shop. I stopped and was presented with a Stainless Taurus model 445 that he took in to sell. It was similar to the Bulldog being a .44 and was ported. The action was smooth and light and I could not come up with one reason not to buy it. I paid $240 for Taurus. It became my truck gun for 8 years, I really liked it. Never a problem, it was accurate and just worked well. If I had one complaint it was the price of ammo, not the gun.
In stupidity I sold it to a friend that begged me to sell it to him. To this day I regret that sale.
I would buy another Taurus in a heartbeat. But, I would want to handle it and feel the action first.
I have eleven Taurus® revolvers.............
• Mdl 85B2CH 38 Special - 1994
• Mdl 669SS4CP 357 Magnum - 1996
• Mdl 85B2 38 Special - 1997
• Mdl 617SS2 357 Magnum - 2003
• Mdl 605SS3 357 Magnum - 2006
• Mdl 85SS2UL 38 Special - 2007
• Mdl 605SS2 357 Magnum - 2010
• Mdl 605SS2 357 Magnum - 2012
• Mdl 425SS2 41 Magnum - 2012
• Mdl 85SS2UL 38 Special - 2012
• Mdl 992B4 22LR/22Magnum - 2013
All have performed superbly and I continue to shoot them all almost every week.
I have only encountered these problems.........
• Mdl 85B2CH broke a firing pin (part# 19) after 11,000+ rounds. I replaced the firing pin & it's still going strong.
• Mdl 85SS2UL had the cylinder stop (part# 44) wear down after 10,000 rounds. Called Taurus® and they shipped the part right away. Installed new cylinder stop and now the gun works fine.
Anytime I had to send a gun in they fixed and returned it when they said they would. Specifically.....................
• Mdl 617 developed excessive cylinder to forcing cone gap (.011") after almost 6,000 rounds. I sent it to Taurus® and they replaced the cylinder (part# 8) and adjusted the yoke (part# 9) *I've since put 3,000+ rounds through it and it's still going strong.
• Mdl 605SS2 Locked up after 5,500+ rounds. Sent the gun in and Taurus said the problem was not repairable. Taurus®, in turn, sent me a new gun.
I will not hesitate to buy additional Taurus® revolvers. They are an outstanding value. Here is the best resource for Taurus® information on the net...
• Taurus Gun Forum - TaurusArmed.net/Taurus Firearms
• Mdl 85B2CH 38 Special - 1994
• Mdl 669SS4CP 357 Magnum - 1996
• Mdl 85B2 38 Special - 1997
• Mdl 617SS2 357 Magnum - 2003
• Mdl 605SS3 357 Magnum - 2006
• Mdl 85SS2UL 38 Special - 2007
• Mdl 605SS2 357 Magnum - 2010
• Mdl 605SS2 357 Magnum - 2012
• Mdl 425SS2 41 Magnum - 2012
• Mdl 85SS2UL 38 Special - 2012
• Mdl 992B4 22LR/22Magnum - 2013
All have performed superbly and I continue to shoot them all almost every week.
I have only encountered these problems.........
• Mdl 85B2CH broke a firing pin (part# 19) after 11,000+ rounds. I replaced the firing pin & it's still going strong.
• Mdl 85SS2UL had the cylinder stop (part# 44) wear down after 10,000 rounds. Called Taurus® and they shipped the part right away. Installed new cylinder stop and now the gun works fine.
Anytime I had to send a gun in they fixed and returned it when they said they would. Specifically.....................
• Mdl 617 developed excessive cylinder to forcing cone gap (.011") after almost 6,000 rounds. I sent it to Taurus® and they replaced the cylinder (part# 8) and adjusted the yoke (part# 9) *I've since put 3,000+ rounds through it and it's still going strong.
• Mdl 605SS2 Locked up after 5,500+ rounds. Sent the gun in and Taurus said the problem was not repairable. Taurus®, in turn, sent me a new gun.
I will not hesitate to buy additional Taurus® revolvers. They are an outstanding value. Here is the best resource for Taurus® information on the net...
• Taurus Gun Forum - TaurusArmed.net/Taurus Firearms
Heavy Metal 1
New member
1980s vintage
I have a 669 357 and have never had a problem with it. The trigger break in single action mode is as great as any Colt Python I have handled. The double action is heavy, but smooth. It is way more accurate than I can shoot (I am not a great handgun shot) I have had better shooters than I fire it and it is capable of great accuracy.
I have a 669 357 and have never had a problem with it. The trigger break in single action mode is as great as any Colt Python I have handled. The double action is heavy, but smooth. It is way more accurate than I can shoot (I am not a great handgun shot) I have had better shooters than I fire it and it is capable of great accuracy.
I have a model 80 .38 special from the early 1970s. It belonged to my dad, and he gave it to me a year or so before he died. It's actually a pretty nice revolver, nice fit and finish, and mechanically sound. He never shot it a lot, and I don't either, being more interested in it as a keepsake than anything else, but there have been no problems. Taurus was pretty well respected back then, but I don't advertise myself as a Taurus owner these days.
If it is something you are interested in and the price is right, it is probably worth the chance, coming from that era.
If it is something you are interested in and the price is right, it is probably worth the chance, coming from that era.
Ironic that since my first comment in this thread, I've found another of those old Taurus revolvers at a very reasonable price. I think I said the one I had previously was a Model 83...I was wrong, it was an 82, which is what this one is. The only difference is this one has a 3" barrel, rather than the 4" previously.
This one has a few dings and scratches, and let me tell you, it was filthy. I don't think it had ever been cleaned. I did a couple of light buffings with Flitz polish, followed by a couple of coats of Renaissance Wax, and it is at least presentable.
The grips on this one are nicer than the ones I remember, but the T-grip feels great. The missing screw has been replaced. Finding the part was no trouble. Numrich sent one in a couple of days. The trigger is heavier in D/A than would have expected, but it's not awful.
Judging by the groves in the cylinder flutes, it was likely manufactured in the mid/late 70's. I think the grooves went away in the early 80's, but don't quote me on that. What purpose the groves served, I have no idea. Anybody?
I'm looking forward to getting it to the range.
This one has a few dings and scratches, and let me tell you, it was filthy. I don't think it had ever been cleaned. I did a couple of light buffings with Flitz polish, followed by a couple of coats of Renaissance Wax, and it is at least presentable.
The grips on this one are nicer than the ones I remember, but the T-grip feels great. The missing screw has been replaced. Finding the part was no trouble. Numrich sent one in a couple of days. The trigger is heavier in D/A than would have expected, but it's not awful.
Judging by the groves in the cylinder flutes, it was likely manufactured in the mid/late 70's. I think the grooves went away in the early 80's, but don't quote me on that. What purpose the groves served, I have no idea. Anybody?
I'm looking forward to getting it to the range.
