I had promised a range report on my new Taurus model 85 "Police" multi-alloy snub.
Fired about 100 rounds today -- all standard .38 loads, not +P. Also fired a Ruger SP101 with 3" barrel and custom magnaporting for comparison.
As compared to the Ruger, recoil was slightly more noticeable, but not uncomfortable at all. The muzzle flash from the factory porting on my 85 was not noticeable. The whole reason I chose the 85 (and .38 as opposed to .357) for for quick recovery and the ability to quickly reaquire the front sight and put multiple rounds on target fast. I was not disappointed. At both 15 and 25 feet I was able to deliver 5 shots in about 3 seconds to a 4" group or so with the occasional flier that still stayed in the shillouette's cemter of mass. I then got cocky and tried a string of slow fire at a small bullseye target at 25 yards. One in the black, one outside the black, and 3 off the target somewhere. Oh well -- what do you expect with DAO in a 2" snub?
All in all, the gun was flawless in operation and shot better than expected. A great carry gun that I recommend without hesitation.
Fired about 100 rounds today -- all standard .38 loads, not +P. Also fired a Ruger SP101 with 3" barrel and custom magnaporting for comparison.
As compared to the Ruger, recoil was slightly more noticeable, but not uncomfortable at all. The muzzle flash from the factory porting on my 85 was not noticeable. The whole reason I chose the 85 (and .38 as opposed to .357) for for quick recovery and the ability to quickly reaquire the front sight and put multiple rounds on target fast. I was not disappointed. At both 15 and 25 feet I was able to deliver 5 shots in about 3 seconds to a 4" group or so with the occasional flier that still stayed in the shillouette's cemter of mass. I then got cocky and tried a string of slow fire at a small bullseye target at 25 yards. One in the black, one outside the black, and 3 off the target somewhere. Oh well -- what do you expect with DAO in a 2" snub?
All in all, the gun was flawless in operation and shot better than expected. A great carry gun that I recommend without hesitation.
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