Taurus 85 . . A good buy?

R

Right to bear arms

New member
I'm sorry but I occasionally use the forums to evaluate a purchase. I know there is a lot of information here about all aspects of gun use and I try to read them. A friend of mine has offered me a 1990's vintage blued 2" Taurus 85 for $200. It has less than a box of shells through it and it is in mint condition. Two questions. Is this a fair deal? and would this make a good carry or CCW gun for when I am prospecting for gold in some pretty sketchy areas in rural North Georgia? Any opinions would be appreciated.
 
I would say if its in good condition then yes. I would buy it in good condition for $200.00 and you could always offer $175.00.
 
If you get a good one. Take someone who knows revolvers with you or read the stickies on how to check it out yourself. Taurus made some pretty good ones but they also made some pretty lousy ones.
 
I have a 85 Taurus, In the stainless...Paid 280 for it with 5 rounds run through it,

Tried to sell it for 200 with less than 50 run through it and got no buyers
That was two years ago...I never took to it, But still throw it in the truck from time to time, I figured if it got scratched up I really didnt worry,

It shoots ok, When I did try rapid fire with it, It seem to lock up when it got hot, Maybe just me.....

Would I buy another no...I would not..Just not a Taurus fan..
If you live in south florida, I'll make you a deal.....lol
Jim
 
I have an 85 and the 357 version of that same revolver. Both shoot well, but the 85 tries to lock up if you short stroke the trigger at all. A good range toy at 175-200, but I wouldn't want to rely on it for SD.
 
A friend of mine has offered me a 1990's vintage blued 2" Taurus 85 for $200. It has less than a box of shells through it and it is in mint condition. Two questions. Is this a fair deal?
Click to expand...

Good price. If it passes the revolver checkout procedure stickied at the top of the revolver forum, get it.
 
I have a 1994, & 1997 Taurus® Mdl 85B2 revolvers with over 10K rounds through them w/o a single hiccup of any kind. Additionally I have a 2007 Mdl 85SS2UL with about 5K rounds down the barrel with flawless performance. With Taurus® you have a lifetime warranty even though the gun is used!
 
Problem with taurus is there qc is non existant. With a smith or ruger or other reputable company you have a high likely hood of getting a functioning gun right out of the box. With Taurus that is not the case at all. My first semi auto was a NIB taurus pt945, every time i fired a round out of it, the magazine plate would fall off and all the ammo would come racing out of the guns mag well.

Also the sights would get dirty as hell after a few rounds due to the placement of the porting mine came with. They were angled improperly. Couldnt get it to work with certain ammo either. Was picky as hell.

Back then you couldnt get mags at the gun dealers, and i didnt have internet, nor did i know you could order them on line.

Honestly do your self a favor, save up a few more months, and get a smith and feel confident your gun will function when you need it..
 
I'd buy it especially an older one like that.

$200 is a good price for a barely shot one especially if he will let you take it to the range and try it out first.

I own a much newer Model 85 Ultralight that shoots great and has never given me any problem.

One note though,as soon as I got it-used-I took off the sideplate,sprayed it clean with spray gun cleaner and lubed it up well.

Been a great gun and I do trust my life with mine.
 
I have seven Taurus® revolvers.
• Mdl 85B2CH 38 Special - 1994
• Mdl 669SS4CP 357 Magnum - 1996
• Mdl 85B2 38 Special - 1997
• Mdl 617SS2 357 Magnum - 2003
• Mdl 605SS3 357 Magnum - 2006
• Mdl 85SS2UL 38 Special - 2007
• Mdl 605SS2 357 Magnum - 2010

All have performed superbly and I continue to shoot them all almost every week.

I have only encountered these problems.........
• Mdl 85B2CH broke a firing pin (part# 19) after 11,000+ rounds. I replaced the firing pin & it's still going strong.
• Mdl 85SS2UL had the cylinder stop (part# 44) wear down after 10,000 rounds. Called Taurus® and they shipped the part right away. Installed new cylinder stop and now the gun works fine.

I have zero complaints with Taurus® customer service. The one time I had to send a gun in they fixed and returned it when they said they would. Specifically.....................
• Mdl 617 developed excessive cylinder to forcing cone gap (.011") after almost 6,000 rounds. I sent it to Taurus® and they replaced the cylinder (part# 8) and adjusted the yoke (part# 9) I've since put 3,000+ rounds through it and it's still going strong.

I will not hesitate to buy additional Taurus® revolvers. They are an outstanding value.
Here is a wealth of Taurus® information..........

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php
 
Taurus makes me nervous.

Since he's your friend, that makes for an opportunity to test fire the pistol. If it checks out, you might as well.
 
Advice that is worth exactly what it costs you:

Anytime a "friend" offers to sell you a gun (or a TV, car, boat, etc.) ask him why he isn't keeping it. If he tap dances, thank him for thinking of you and respectfully decline the offer.

Jim
 
Shoot a box or two of ammo thru it with friend before you commit.
If it works for 100 rds... might be good to go. Probably be fine. Mine are.

If it balks... your call.

Good enough price tho'.
 
for $200 I would buy it and keep it as a extra gun in the car.

You can buy Taurus 85's for 275-350 normally. An older one IMO would be better. I heard newer stuff have some problems. I like the older ones anyways, grips are different.

I seen people try to sell Taurus 85's with like 10 rounds through them, and even some other guns like LC9. I question that because why would you sell a gun after the first few shots? did it break on you? lol
 
I seen people try to sell Taurus 85's with like 10 rounds through them, and even some other guns like LC9. I question that because why would you sell a gun after the first few shots? did it break on you? lol
Click to expand...

Probably stung their hands more than they were expecting.
 
I have a mid 90's Taurus 85 2" SS that I bought new for $235. I have shot about 1K rnds threw it with zero problems, I would not trade it for a new S&W J frame :( I have a S&W m-36 no dash that I would choose over the Taurus, but they are close in function.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top