Taurus 85 ULSS and +P ammunition

S

Southern Shooter

New member
I know this is an old topic but I just want to ask the question in a slightly different fashion.

I have a Taurus 85 ULSS (the aluminum frame with stainless cylinder) .38 special. It was manufactured January 2002. I know that the Taurus website says that it is +P rated for duty use. But, as I have wondered and others have questioned on this site...does that mean practice with standard load and "carry" +P on duty status? I know that a number of you have never had problems with this revolver and +P ammo and am glad to hear that because I personally like Taurus revolvers. But......

The main question is this: Who, if anyone, has personally witnessed/experienced structural or mechanical failure in a Taurus 85 ULSS due to +P use?
 
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Southern Shooter

I too, wondered about this same thing having the UL with blued steel cylinder and after studying the differences on the surface here is what I found that I had posted on another thread:

Interestingly, it looks like there are basically three variations of "lightweights".

There is an "Ultra-Light Titanium", the "Ultra-Light" like ours, and a total "Titanium".

The lower cost UL (ours) has an "alloy" (aluminum) frame and barrel wrap over the barrel liner.

The mixed UL + Titanium (which happens to be +P rated with no mention of "duty use") still uses the same alloy frame, but the cylinder and the barrel wrap is titanium.

The total titanium has a titanium frame + cylinder and barrel, etc.

Bottom line - looks like the only difference between the UL and the UL with titanium is the cylinder and outer barrel with the frames being the same.

Ours (UL) has a standard steel cylinder (or stainless steel) which is strong enough for +P, just not as light as the titanium cylinder. So basically, we have the same piece as the mixed ULT, just with a heavier standard steel cylinder. The outer barrel shouldn't make alot of difference considering ours (UL) has a stainless steel liner in it, which is strong.

My fear was that the frame wouldn't take the +P's extra power being that it's "alloy" rather than steel, but like I said the mixed UL + Titanium model doesn't mention the "+P for duty use" comment, yet has the same frame! It must be a marketing tool.

Unless the titanium cylinder holds up better than the tried and true steel cylinder ours has, the two are functionaly the same except for the weight savings on the pricier cylinder. Of course a standard steel cylinder shouldn't prematurely "wear out" with an extral 100 fps in +P. It might go all at once though, and blow apart, but it wouldn't be some gradual degredation. If it had a possibility of "blowing apart" with a +P, then Taurus would have never even mentioned ANY, or even limited use of +P for this UL model.

Other than some big difference in their short 2" barrels, I don't see any practical difference in their strengths. It was a weight savings above all for the higher priced ULT, and the only way left to improve on the standard UL was to lighten the cylinder and maybe get a few grams out of the barrel with titanium.

Afterall, you can't make the cylinder out of aluminum to save additional weight, but apparently beginning with the aluminum frame must have been o.k. for both models.

I feel more confident now to go ahead and put some +P through it now.

Bill
 
Ahhh.
The obscure term "DUTY USE".
Taurus has been using this term for years and nobody has a concrete definition of the meaning!!!

The definition I have always used was: standard pressure rounds for practice and +P for carry. This was the advice of my family gunsmith some time ago!!
Short of calling Taurus and asking them, this is the best explanation I have ever heard!!

I'm surprised that after all these years, nobody has thought about asking them directly!!
I'd do it myself, but we dropped our long distance carrier for the house phone, and I'm not interested in ramping up my cell phone bill!! :rolleyes:
 
Hell, shoot it till it breaks....They will replace it, right? I got the 85CHULT and I shot 10 +P loads each range session with it then go to lighter stuff. Not because I am scared if hurting the gun, but scared of hurting my hand!
 
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