I know that I posted a question about this awhile back. Here's a brief refresher. I want a .38 snubbie for concealed carry/home defense (well, I really have a remington 870 12 gauge for the 2nd purpose , but a lil' .38 doesn't hurt to have either ). I've tried both the taurus 85 and the ruger sp-101 and i actually like the taurus better. I know, I know, all of you ruger fans are in disbelief. But believe it or not, the timing of the cylinder, the trigger pull, the external finish (no machine marks), the sights, and the overall externall appearance of the 85 beat the ruger. I was pretty much set on getting the ruger, especially after reading the negative taurus posts. I spoke w/ the sales clerk who seemed very knowlegeable and wasn't pushing me toward either gun, who said that their is nothing wrong w/ taurus revolvers. He says in his lifelong experience selling guns that taurus' line of revolvers has improved considerably since their 1st debut. He highly recommends them and actually thinks that they are machined better than most new revolvers produced today. Now, was this guy just feeding me a line, or does anyone know if he is correct? I'm more inclined to think he is telling me the truth because the ruger costs 100 bucks more than the taurus. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.