Taurus .38 Snub experiences?

L

LH2

New member
Looking at one of these lil' guys for CC. Taurus' website lists the regular M85 at 21 oz, with some lighter alloy models at 17 oz, and a couple ultralight alloy/Ti models at 13.5 oz.

Anybody own one of these, or spent enough time shooting one to form an opinion?

Since it's for carry, should I shell out the extra cash for the lightest possible model? But I'm also thinking *too* light won't be any fun to practice with as far as +P carry loads. Is a difference of 4 oz really noticeable in a CC piece?

Have not ruled out a S&W, I like the M37... Or the SP-101, but that's on the heavy/bulky side for pure CC.

Here in the desert it's shorts & T-shirts practically year-round, so bulky guns won't work.

Thanks!
 
Don't have the model 85, but the 357 equivelent, the 605. I personally would rather have the regular model 85 in stainless. The extra weight will tone down the recoil. And they are very good guns with an excellent track record.
If I recall, there are also some ammo restrictions on the titanium models. Check the online owners manual on taurus' web site. You can download it as a pdf.
 
i had a taurus 605, (.357 snub stainless).. nice looking piece, but couldnt hit a darn thing past 7 yards with it. at least with full-house .357's.. so maybe i was trying to push it past what it was designed for. liked it, but compared it to a glock .27 with 9 rounds of .40, easier to shoot and conceal and.. well.. the taurus got sold...

also.. a guy at work has one as his issue carry gun... just took it to the range.. could not even come CLOSE to hitting the target... after a little examination.. found a bent barrel. how you bend the barrel on a 2" snub, i'll never know...
 
I recently bought a M85SHC (all-titanium model). Yes, it is very light, and yes, you are correct about the weight (or lack thereof) influencing the kick. This thing is a bit wearisome to practice with a lot. Nonetheless, I like it for carry. As fas as the +P issue, Taurus recommends the titanium models for +P use, so there is no problem there.

I have also found that this little gun is fairly accurate (even at 25 yards!).
 
It's funny you say that about the 605 not being accurate. I have found that short slug hollowpoints fly all over the place. But long slug hollowpoints, like the PMC Starfire round are accurate to about 40ft. Go Figure. I think the fact that it's chambered for 357, you need "long" bullets for accuracy.
This is why in the future I will stick to guns chambered for 38spl+p.
 
I liked my friend's 851 so much, I went out and got me a S&W M38. ;)

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Taurus, though, as I've known a few and haven't yet had anyone complain about them.
 
LH2,

I posted this last month:

"I've had three Taurus snubs since `85. My first, a Model 85, blew up with department issued reloads in `94 or `95. Taurus replaced it free even though I told them about the ammo used. As soon as the replacement arrived, I traded it, unfired, for a Taurus Custom Shop Model 605.

After a few thousand rounds, the hammer strut broke. Taurus replaced it, also at no cost. When the replacement arrived, I immediately took it to a local shop and traded it, unfired, for a Smith Model 649. That was 7 or 8 years ago.

Taurus service was great but I'm not too impressed by the products. I still have the 649 but my "always" gun is now the "beast", my Smith 340SC,"

When I'm shopping for a new toy, I don't even consider Taurus.

The Model 85 was accuarte enough for up close and personal distances but I was not really impressed by it. The Model 605 was more accurate but not as accurate as the 649, which I still have,

John
 
SA at 25 yards, this Taurus 85 is very accurate. The DA trigger is a little long.
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I'm gonna go check out some S&W and Taurus snubs over the next couple days. I kinda like the bodyguard shrouded hammer approach. Then if you *need* to fire SA to check the gun you can, but it's pretty much a DA gun.

I like the traditional spur hammer, and probably will carry with a fanny pack, Galco has a nice one. Is a spur hammer on a snub just asking for trouble when you need it least? :eek:
 
I prefer hammers. I have had some great Taurus steel revolvers. M82 through M66s. I tried a 5" Tracker in 480 Ruger, not for me. The blued snub, M85 is an excellent revolver. I would take one over my S&W 637 anytime.
 
I bought a previously owned Taurus 851 ssult titanium snub for $300 out the door. It's one sweet little revolver. At 17 ounces, it's a handful with Corbon 125 grain + p ammo. I'm glad it's not a .357 mag ! It has a shrouded hammer that can be cocked or decocked manually. That's really why I bought it. With my 750 fps reloads it's fun to shoot.
 
I have bought a Taurus M85 and a S&W 731PD in the last month. After many trigger pulls with snap caps, the 85 is getting smoother and my wife evne enjoys it.
The S&W on the other hand, has one of the worst triggers i have ever felt. I read enough to realize it most likely is the trigger return spring and i have replacements on order from Brownells but out of the box, it sux.
I carry a P3AT in front pocket or a PT145 IWB but have fallen love with the snubbies. And i really like the .32H&R
YMMV
 
I own and occasionally carry a Taurus 85, 2 1/2" barrel. Simply put, it is a great revolver. +P rated, accurate, holsters and draws like the wind. The price point is comfortable for me.

I can easily achieve a 3" group @ 7 yards. Buy one today.
 
Looked at a couple snubbies today. I liked the S&W 442, but the DAO trigger was terrible.

They had several Taurus .38's, but no hammerless or shrouded hammer models. :mad: The Ultralight with the Ti cylinder was insanely light. Great to carry I'm sure but I want something I can shoot too. ;)

I think the 2-1/4 SP101 is looking pretty good. Real tame with +P ammo, and it's comfortable. I think it'd lend itself to more practice than an ultralight model.
 
Bought a 85 ultralite about a month ago, 200 rds. fired and I really like it. While they do hop with +p's thier not uncomfortable. But if your set on it, you can't go wrong with a Ruger.
 
I carried a 651 for a couple of years, and the wife still carries one. Both have had thousands of rounds thru them with no problems. They can't shoot with my target pistols, but they shoot more than adaquately enough for their purpose. I load these things HOT for carry and practice with the carry load quite abit. Haven't noticed any undue wear on either.
 
I have a blue model 85. I have shot thousands of rounds with it, mostly Fiocchi 158 gr. FMJ in practice. Carry with Federal PPD. Never a misfire with any ammo. From sandbags at 50 feet it shoots into 1.5 inches. The trigger slicks up after about 500 rounds. Grip is very comfy for me.:)
 
J-frame size ,alloy -framed snubbies will carry easy but shoot hard, especially when using +P stuff. I find my S&W 642 to be a very unpleasant revolver to fire when using +P, but worth the pain to enjoy the pleasure of its light and inconspicuous CCW advantages.
 
Taurus - lower quality parts?

A gunsmith told me S&W uses higher quality metal in the internal parts, and Taurus uses softer parts. Anybody heard anything about this?

I always kinda thought the extra cost of S&W was mostly for the name... Maybe not?
 
Taurus Snub

I have the Tauus Model# 605CH,SS, .357, 2 inch. I like to shoot it, 38 spec., 38 spec +P, .357 and it was different, .357 lots of smoke and fire, 38+P, not too bad and 38 spec. were fun. I can control most of the double taps and stay on target. sure I don't want to run 1,000 rounds at anyone time.
 
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