Bought a Taurus .41 Magnum. Model 425, 4" stainless steel. This is my first experience with .41 Magnum, my second with Taurus. Put 60 rounds down range today and this is what I think so far.
The revolver, at $360.00 plus tax, is about what I expected. The external finish is nice, but I do have two complaints. The markings on it are all laser-engraved, and are not very nicely done. I noticed when I got home that the front sight blade, wich has a orange highlight on the sighting edge, was missing a little chip of color. I picked at it a little, and the next thing I know I am pulling off a piece of orange paper with sticky on the back! Now I have a front sight that is all black. The nice part of this is that the blade has a shallow rectangular well milled into it so the guy at the factory doesn't have to guess where to put the peel-and-stick. So, I grabbed some flourescent orange paint and a fine brush and fixed it in about thirty seconds.
The trigger was gritty and catchy, so I popped the side plate and spent about an hour polishing everything except the hammer-trigger engagement. Most of this was done with a cordless drill,felt polishing tips, and coarse rubbing compound, but I did have to take an emory board to a few parts. The trigger is still heavy, but it is crisp in SA and smooth as butter in DA.
I would be happier if they would have done these things at the factory, but it didn't take that long, and I would have disassembled it to clean and lube it before I shot it anyway. I'm sure I would not have done these things to a Smith and Wesson, which I would have preferred to buy, but that will have to wait untill the current controversy clears up.
Sighted it in at the range and it performed flawlessly. I took my 8" Colt Anaconda .44 Magnum along to compare the calibers. As for the .41 magnum, my first thought was "whoa, Mama!"
Big Boom. Lots-a-kick.
I sighted it in and then shot some .44 Magnum to provide a mental reference. The .41 Magnum was definitely louder and the felt recoil was greater. The Taurus is smaller, lighter, and ported. I am sure this has a lot to do with the perceived violence of shooting it. The recoil seemed to push the gun more straight back, as opposed to rolling up, as the Anaconda has a tendency to do. The net result is that it pounds the palm of my hand and my wrist. Fun to shoot, but in small bites!
I'm not sure, but I got the impression that the PMC .41 Magnum 210 Gr. TCSP was at least as hot as the Blazer .44 Magnum 240 Gr. JHP. It would be interesting to see a comparison of velocities and power factors.
Anyway, the caliber is a hoot to shoot, and the new gun is welcome, if not perfect. As for the Taurus, I knew going in that it was not top of the line, but I think it will prove to be a nice handgun.
The revolver, at $360.00 plus tax, is about what I expected. The external finish is nice, but I do have two complaints. The markings on it are all laser-engraved, and are not very nicely done. I noticed when I got home that the front sight blade, wich has a orange highlight on the sighting edge, was missing a little chip of color. I picked at it a little, and the next thing I know I am pulling off a piece of orange paper with sticky on the back! Now I have a front sight that is all black. The nice part of this is that the blade has a shallow rectangular well milled into it so the guy at the factory doesn't have to guess where to put the peel-and-stick. So, I grabbed some flourescent orange paint and a fine brush and fixed it in about thirty seconds.
The trigger was gritty and catchy, so I popped the side plate and spent about an hour polishing everything except the hammer-trigger engagement. Most of this was done with a cordless drill,felt polishing tips, and coarse rubbing compound, but I did have to take an emory board to a few parts. The trigger is still heavy, but it is crisp in SA and smooth as butter in DA.
I would be happier if they would have done these things at the factory, but it didn't take that long, and I would have disassembled it to clean and lube it before I shot it anyway. I'm sure I would not have done these things to a Smith and Wesson, which I would have preferred to buy, but that will have to wait untill the current controversy clears up.
Sighted it in at the range and it performed flawlessly. I took my 8" Colt Anaconda .44 Magnum along to compare the calibers. As for the .41 magnum, my first thought was "whoa, Mama!"
Big Boom. Lots-a-kick.
I sighted it in and then shot some .44 Magnum to provide a mental reference. The .41 Magnum was definitely louder and the felt recoil was greater. The Taurus is smaller, lighter, and ported. I am sure this has a lot to do with the perceived violence of shooting it. The recoil seemed to push the gun more straight back, as opposed to rolling up, as the Anaconda has a tendency to do. The net result is that it pounds the palm of my hand and my wrist. Fun to shoot, but in small bites!
I'm not sure, but I got the impression that the PMC .41 Magnum 210 Gr. TCSP was at least as hot as the Blazer .44 Magnum 240 Gr. JHP. It would be interesting to see a comparison of velocities and power factors.
Anyway, the caliber is a hoot to shoot, and the new gun is welcome, if not perfect. As for the Taurus, I knew going in that it was not top of the line, but I think it will prove to be a nice handgun.