Heavy Metal 1
New member
I have a 357 and have never had a problem with it. Cast DEWC in 38spcl are very accurate. I am less accurate with the 357 loads because of the recoil. I am very satisfied it.
Reliability Taurus revolver vs Taurus.
- Thread starter Ronn82727
- Start date
figure out what model and caliber is most desirable for you, then look at the actual end consumer reports on the very large online retailers. keep in mind that ALOT of people do not bother putting out a review if they haven't had issues, so you need to factor in that there will be a slight biased toward the negative when analyzing the average users experience.
i am a fan of Taurus and their ability, and even their desire, to stay a viable "budget" firearms manufacturer. Most companies working in the price ranges of Taurus would simply stamp out close copies of already known workable and popular pistols on the market, but Taurus still takes on the expenses of large R&D projects to mix things up, and have employed some really innovative a unique designs, whether they end up good or not is another story, but at least they take chances that many would never try.
again, et a feel for the largest samples of customer reviews gv you can find, check out HUGE retailers like Buds, Impact etc and form a basis of criteria that is comfortable for you. Taurus makes some really great pistols, even ones that cost so little it's scary, like the newer 9mm G2 and their old stand-by PT-92. I will also say that they apparently put out some real stinkers and never really address them, like what i see from reviews of the 905 9mm revolvers and many of their small-bore stuff. like i said, i keep buying Taurus firearms, and i keep on being a satisfied customer. but i understand what buying a budget product could entail, and i do very diligent research before buying any Taurus product. It does seem that they are living up to their promise of revamping the company and making QC and thorough testing a bigger part of their business model. most current reviews(within lst 5 years) are mostly 75% or more on the positive side even on most of their models, but they still sneak a couple out before they are ready for market, even though that seems to be getting better as every year passes. they have a loyal customer in me, that is until they give me a reason to drop them, hope that day doesn't come.
please ignore the reviewers/commenters on forums that simply say any Tauus is a crap firearm and could never be trusted for self-defense, despite most of these reviewers having not owned a Taurus for two decades and many not at all. they make some great pistols, but they are budget without a doubt, and that deserves to be discussed and research should be done if considering owning one to protect your loved ones and yourself.
i will happily buy another Taurus and kely very soon, and many more if my experience stays anywhere near mu current history with them. look at actual purchaser reviews, and take those good/bad/meh percentages and compare to other reviews of different manufacturers that have a similar product to the one you are contemplating purchasing.
i am a fan of Taurus and their ability, and even their desire, to stay a viable "budget" firearms manufacturer. Most companies working in the price ranges of Taurus would simply stamp out close copies of already known workable and popular pistols on the market, but Taurus still takes on the expenses of large R&D projects to mix things up, and have employed some really innovative a unique designs, whether they end up good or not is another story, but at least they take chances that many would never try.
again, et a feel for the largest samples of customer reviews gv you can find, check out HUGE retailers like Buds, Impact etc and form a basis of criteria that is comfortable for you. Taurus makes some really great pistols, even ones that cost so little it's scary, like the newer 9mm G2 and their old stand-by PT-92. I will also say that they apparently put out some real stinkers and never really address them, like what i see from reviews of the 905 9mm revolvers and many of their small-bore stuff. like i said, i keep buying Taurus firearms, and i keep on being a satisfied customer. but i understand what buying a budget product could entail, and i do very diligent research before buying any Taurus product. It does seem that they are living up to their promise of revamping the company and making QC and thorough testing a bigger part of their business model. most current reviews(within lst 5 years) are mostly 75% or more on the positive side even on most of their models, but they still sneak a couple out before they are ready for market, even though that seems to be getting better as every year passes. they have a loyal customer in me, that is until they give me a reason to drop them, hope that day doesn't come.
please ignore the reviewers/commenters on forums that simply say any Tauus is a crap firearm and could never be trusted for self-defense, despite most of these reviewers having not owned a Taurus for two decades and many not at all. they make some great pistols, but they are budget without a doubt, and that deserves to be discussed and research should be done if considering owning one to protect your loved ones and yourself.
i will happily buy another Taurus and kely very soon, and many more if my experience stays anywhere near mu current history with them. look at actual purchaser reviews, and take those good/bad/meh percentages and compare to other reviews of different manufacturers that have a similar product to the one you are contemplating purchasing.
Waspinator
New member
I agree. I picked up a 1989 model 669 .357 mag with 6" barrel for a really low price at the used counter of one of my stores I shop at. I never owned a Taurus before and I figured I would take the chance, considering the low cost.
Boy, am I glad I purchased this revolver. The trigger is very nice on it and everything works as it should and goes bang every time. Pretty accurate as well. I always read on forums how bad Taurus is, but I'm perfectly happy with mine.
here is a target from 30 feet out with the above Taurus (shooting 158g .38 specials).
I think any survey of revolvers will find that the vast majority will say their guns are 100% reliable. I think it is because there is less room for problems due to user error, they have proven technology that has been used for decades and they are shot less frequently than many semi-automatics.
I shoot my revolvers far less than I do my semi-autos because of the convenience factor. I have several magazines for all 4 of my semi-automatics and I generally wander out to the back door and empty all I have of the semi-auto. I am shooting and then go back inside until the next time I want to practice. When I take one of my 2 revolvers, I can only shoot 6 rounds at a time before I reload. I might reload two or three times before I go in. The plus side is that I use far less ammo when I shoot my revolvers.
I shoot my revolvers far less than I do my semi-autos because of the convenience factor. I have several magazines for all 4 of my semi-automatics and I generally wander out to the back door and empty all I have of the semi-auto. I am shooting and then go back inside until the next time I want to practice. When I take one of my 2 revolvers, I can only shoot 6 rounds at a time before I reload. I might reload two or three times before I go in. The plus side is that I use far less ammo when I shoot my revolvers.
only have 1 Taurus revolver a DA only 2 inch .38 spl. and never had an issue with it. My brother has a taurus .357 in a 4 inch it shoots well and hasn't had any breakdowns but the cylinder has one chamber miss bored and is to tight to load. It is a range toy for him so he just plugged the bad chamber with a dowel rod and uses it as a 5 shot revolver.
If you were in sunny south Florida through the 80s, you may recall a gun store on Biscayne Blvd. near Tropical Chevrolet. That is where I worked as one of the gunsmiths.
What I found among both Taurus and Rossi products in those days was extremely crude internal workmanship, and improper heat treating for parts, making them either too hard (replaced/fitted/timed lots of broken internals) or too soft (wore out prematurely).
The one thing I did like about Taurus was the design for the trigger return.
You can take a chance on a Taurus to save a few bucks now, but I foresee you that you will become the annoyed one, if you have to get something fixed, as their customer service is..., shall we say, less than stellar..
Many have bought Taurus products, and love them. Then there are those (and it seems to be a disproportionate amount compared to other brands), that have many "tales of woe' concerning their Taurus.
It is entirely possible that Taurus has come up in the world with their QC, but what I saw when I was working was enough to convince me that they are not a serious contender for me. There are better guns in the world, and, generally, you get what you pay for.
As always, YMMV.
What I found among both Taurus and Rossi products in those days was extremely crude internal workmanship, and improper heat treating for parts, making them either too hard (replaced/fitted/timed lots of broken internals) or too soft (wore out prematurely).
The one thing I did like about Taurus was the design for the trigger return.
You can take a chance on a Taurus to save a few bucks now, but I foresee you that you will become the annoyed one, if you have to get something fixed, as their customer service is..., shall we say, less than stellar..
Many have bought Taurus products, and love them. Then there are those (and it seems to be a disproportionate amount compared to other brands), that have many "tales of woe' concerning their Taurus.
It is entirely possible that Taurus has come up in the world with their QC, but what I saw when I was working was enough to convince me that they are not a serious contender for me. There are better guns in the world, and, generally, you get what you pay for.
As always, YMMV.
My first handgun was a Taurus M65 that is now 27 years old and has close to 40K rounds through it, about 10K are magnums and the rest .38 SPL. Also have a M85SS2ULFS that is about 10 years old and a M905SS2 that is not yet a year old. All have been 100%. I have 3 larger framed S&Ws and yes, they are better in terms of fit and finish, but the same on reliability.
I have a hard time believing there are many, if any revolvers that Taurus has not been able to fix. I had a friend with a lemon and they replaced it and the new one is still running. I have never seen a documented case of Taurus not being able to fix or refusing to replace a defective revolver.
I have a hard time believing there are many, if any revolvers that Taurus has not been able to fix. I had a friend with a lemon and they replaced it and the new one is still running. I have never seen a documented case of Taurus not being able to fix or refusing to replace a defective revolver.
David Ozlo
New member
Really interesting to see the Taurus vs S&W reliability polls are almost even T-75% S&W-77%
My first handgun was a Taurus 82. I bought it right around the year 2000 or so, and I bought it used (it was a trade-in from a security company). I'd guess it was made in the late 80's or early 90's. It wasn't the most sophisticated gun, but it worked every time (back then, .38spl was pretty cheap, and for a while it was my only handgun, and I visited the range a lot my first few years of shooting, so I put well over 100 rounds a week through it in the 5-6 months I had it). I sold it when I got my S&W 65LS (my 3rd handgun) because back then I thought I'd only own 2-4 handguns at a time and they were too similar to keep both (medium frame revolvers).
Just over 10 years ago I had a Taurus 605. It was a good gun, decent fit and finish and 100% reliable. However, I did not enjoy shooting magnums out of it, and since it was a couple ounces heavier than the 85 I didn't see the point of using it as a .38spl. So, I sold it after about 500 rounds.
Just around 10 years ago I bought my Taurus 85CH. It was used, made in 1991, so I have no idea how many rounds have been though it. I have put thousands through it in the time I've owned it (I haven't counted, but it has gone through quite a few boxes of the 250 round box Ultra-max reloads as well as quite a few boxes of other brands, including hundreds of +P). It hasn't given me one issue and for a DAO revolver, the trigger is exceptional (and definitely much better than my S&W 442).
About 2 years ago I bought a Rossi 461. Taurus bought Rossi several years back, so it is not a Taurus design, but it was made by Taurus. It had an issue with binding with .357mag when I first got it. It never caused me a problem shooting .38spl. I'm not sure if the problem worked out after break-in or if it was just with the one brand of .357mag because I haven't had the problem in a long time, but I haven't returned to the brand that had been causing problems. Out of curiosity, I should try a box of the ammo that caused problems at first to see if it is the brand or if it was break-in. Anyway, worst case on that, it is 100% so long as I avoid the one brand/loading of ammo that it doesn't like.
So, I have owned 4 Taurus made revolvers. All but one has never caused me an issue, and that one resolved itself (though I'm not sure if it was a break-in issue or one particular brand/loading that was the problem).
Autos, I've only had one, and it was great for a while, but I'm now retiring it due to problems (I had one "minor" problem when the rear sight fell off, I had one major problem when the firing pin got stuck in the engaged position, and now there is a safety recall on the PT140 Millennium Pro)
Anyway, my point...Taurus does make some nice handguns. They may have some QC issues so you may have a higher chance of a lemon than with S&W or Ruger, but they also have a lifetime warranty. From my limited experience, and most of what I read online from those who own them, you can be taking a chance with their polymer pistols, but their revolvers are very good guns, and from what I see online so are their alloy framed autos.
Just over 10 years ago I had a Taurus 605. It was a good gun, decent fit and finish and 100% reliable. However, I did not enjoy shooting magnums out of it, and since it was a couple ounces heavier than the 85 I didn't see the point of using it as a .38spl. So, I sold it after about 500 rounds.
Just around 10 years ago I bought my Taurus 85CH. It was used, made in 1991, so I have no idea how many rounds have been though it. I have put thousands through it in the time I've owned it (I haven't counted, but it has gone through quite a few boxes of the 250 round box Ultra-max reloads as well as quite a few boxes of other brands, including hundreds of +P). It hasn't given me one issue and for a DAO revolver, the trigger is exceptional (and definitely much better than my S&W 442).
About 2 years ago I bought a Rossi 461. Taurus bought Rossi several years back, so it is not a Taurus design, but it was made by Taurus. It had an issue with binding with .357mag when I first got it. It never caused me a problem shooting .38spl. I'm not sure if the problem worked out after break-in or if it was just with the one brand of .357mag because I haven't had the problem in a long time, but I haven't returned to the brand that had been causing problems. Out of curiosity, I should try a box of the ammo that caused problems at first to see if it is the brand or if it was break-in. Anyway, worst case on that, it is 100% so long as I avoid the one brand/loading of ammo that it doesn't like.
So, I have owned 4 Taurus made revolvers. All but one has never caused me an issue, and that one resolved itself (though I'm not sure if it was a break-in issue or one particular brand/loading that was the problem).
Autos, I've only had one, and it was great for a while, but I'm now retiring it due to problems (I had one "minor" problem when the rear sight fell off, I had one major problem when the firing pin got stuck in the engaged position, and now there is a safety recall on the PT140 Millennium Pro)
Anyway, my point...Taurus does make some nice handguns. They may have some QC issues so you may have a higher chance of a lemon than with S&W or Ruger, but they also have a lifetime warranty. From my limited experience, and most of what I read online from those who own them, you can be taking a chance with their polymer pistols, but their revolvers are very good guns, and from what I see online so are their alloy framed autos.
Cheapshooter
New member
My Taurus Judge Public Defender Poly has been 100% reliable, and surprisingly accurate. Both 45 Colt, and 410 buckshot rounds shoot to point of aim, and group well.
98 220 swift
New member
I bough a new model 94 stainless in 22lr snub nosed about 6 years ago. The trigger was ok but not great buy any means but usable and got a little better over time. I bought it for a around the yard and woods gun for shooting mice with birdshot and other vermin including the occasional squirrel. It shot accurate enough. but after a few hundred rounds it started tumbling the bullets. I looked at the barrel and saw no rifling. The barrel was so leaded up you could not see any rifling. It took for ever to clean but I finally got it clean. Then I noticed the terrible machine marks in the clyinders and the barrel. The forcing cone was signifigantly larger than the one on my S&W model 17. probably to due with the fact the one of the 9 holes in the cly was off a little because it always spit lead on the hole. it did the same thing again after a few 100 more rounds. I sold the pistol to a friend that new about the problems with the leading but wanted it anyway. A few months after he bought it we was shooting it when the action locked up tight. Hammer would not cock just locked up. He sent it in and the fixed it as far as I know. I have not seen it since he got it back. I told him to tell them about the leading problem as well. Don't know if they did anything to that. Because of that revolver and its breaking and terrible machine work I don't believe I could buy another Taurus product. Call me a snob but that is the way I feel.
Cold Steel
New member
It's All in the Tolerances
In the 80s, I bought a number of Taurus, Charter Arms and Rossie revolvers, and every single one of the Taurus revolvers was a disaster. The most beautiful was the stainless Model 66 .357. The steel was polished, the wood grips fit well, the action was crisp, the sights were easily seen and the balance was right on. Where they failed was in their tolerances. I had three and not one of them was capable of hitting the proverbial broad side of a barn! The cause wasn't difficult to find. The chambers, it seemed, had been drilled straight through without there being any significant throats! It was like shooting a gun with no rifling in the barrel. There also were headspacing issues, but I experienced no failures to fire. I had three Model 66s, and all had the same problem. I also had a Model 85, and that also was a gorgeous gun. But it had some timing and binding problems, but it was so close to being a keeper. I considered sending it back to Taurus to have it repaired, but instead returned it for a refund. I had a Rossi M88 .38 w/ a 3-inch barrel. It wasn't as polished or as beautiful as the Taurus 85, but it was functionally perfect and the sights were better.
The Charter Arms also were a bust. With its solid frame I thought it would be strong. My .38s never failed, but they also tended to bind easily while dry firing. While firing it, it also tended to bind when it got hot. I despised it. The .44 Bulldog was better and I almost kept it because it was attractive and intimidating, but I got a shot at two Ruger Speed-Six .38s with 3-inch barrels at a good price and sold it so I could buy the Rugers. Still wish I had the CA's .44Spc, but happy to have gotten rid of the Taurus revolvers.
The Taurus 9mm Beretta clones are a different story. I love them.
In the 80s, I bought a number of Taurus, Charter Arms and Rossie revolvers, and every single one of the Taurus revolvers was a disaster. The most beautiful was the stainless Model 66 .357. The steel was polished, the wood grips fit well, the action was crisp, the sights were easily seen and the balance was right on. Where they failed was in their tolerances. I had three and not one of them was capable of hitting the proverbial broad side of a barn! The cause wasn't difficult to find. The chambers, it seemed, had been drilled straight through without there being any significant throats! It was like shooting a gun with no rifling in the barrel. There also were headspacing issues, but I experienced no failures to fire. I had three Model 66s, and all had the same problem. I also had a Model 85, and that also was a gorgeous gun. But it had some timing and binding problems, but it was so close to being a keeper. I considered sending it back to Taurus to have it repaired, but instead returned it for a refund. I had a Rossi M88 .38 w/ a 3-inch barrel. It wasn't as polished or as beautiful as the Taurus 85, but it was functionally perfect and the sights were better.
The Charter Arms also were a bust. With its solid frame I thought it would be strong. My .38s never failed, but they also tended to bind easily while dry firing. While firing it, it also tended to bind when it got hot. I despised it. The .44 Bulldog was better and I almost kept it because it was attractive and intimidating, but I got a shot at two Ruger Speed-Six .38s with 3-inch barrels at a good price and sold it so I could buy the Rugers. Still wish I had the CA's .44Spc, but happy to have gotten rid of the Taurus revolvers.
The Taurus 9mm Beretta clones are a different story. I love them.
