Taurus vs. Rossi .38 cal.

P

Pistol Packer

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I would like to purchase a .38 for my mother who lives alone and would sleep better at night having a pistol for protection. I don't want to spend a lot of money, but want excellent reliability. I hear a lot about Taurus, but hardly anything on Rossi. Both have lifetime warranty and are moderately priced. Could someone please steer me in the right direction as far as reliability? All information greatly appreciated.
 
I have read several reviews and the Rossi seems to have a poor trigger pull. I would go with Taurus before Rossi. You might want to check your local gun shops and see if any have any .38 or .357 Smith & Wesson police trade-in revolvers. I paid $125 for a model 19, exterior condition was fair at best, but the bore, chambers and lock work were great! Wonderful double and single action trigger and very accurate. This was a gun that was worn a lot, little attention paid to the finish, and shot very little. Thinking about having it refinished.
 
I have heard of a lot of people reporting problems with both. I have also heard a lot of people reporting getting a gem from both companies. Personally, I would choose the Taurus. Either way, get one, run a few hundred rounds through it, and let her at it.
 
Taurus

Rumor has it that Taurus has lightened the mainspring on their small frame revolvers recently. This would explain why all the ones I've played with in the last 6 months or so have had such excellent trigger pulls.
 
Greeting's All,

Doesn't Taurus now control both companies?
I believe I read where Taurus took control
of Rossi Firearms. At any rate, my wife owns
a 2" Rossi .38 special in stainless steel
(either a model 68 or 88), and it's a gem.
It has an enclosed ejector rod (lug, if you
will), a feature not found on the vintage
S&W model 60. Fit and finish are definitely
first class.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
I have a Rossi .357 6 shot. Its trigger is better than the ruger sp101 I shot last week. Just as accurate, also. If you guy a new
Rossi you are getting the same gun as a new Taurus, they are
now made in the same factory I have been told. I have also
been warned by a couple of local gunsmiths (good ones) to stay
away from the Taurus Titanium series...bugs in the metal work.
I have thought about selling my Rossi and getting an sp101.
But after shooting a couple of Rugers..I like my Rossi just as much.
 
ut83/Tamara

"bugs in the metal work"? My wife carries a Total Ti in .38 Special.(And has shot a LOT of Nyclads down range.) I looked it over really good last night and, other than a few carbon marks around the "port holes", it looks as good as when it came out of the box.
If you can find out a little more what the bugs problem refers to, I'd appreciate it greatly. Sorry if this request causes you an extra trip, but hey! ANY excuse to go to the gun shop is generally good!

Thanks,
Kentucky Rifle


Tamara: Being a "gun shop type", have you heard anything about "bugs"?
 
I own a Rossi M88 that I'm currently carrying while waiting for my P-11 to get back from Florida (missed the UPS man by 12 minutes today:( ) My wife carried it for several years and we have thousands of rounds thru it. Easy offhand 3 inch groups at 10 yrds with Nyclads or my reloaded wadcutters. I love it dearly. But my brother bought an identical pistol from the same shop on the same day and it was a royal POS. Couldn't find a round that could reliably hit a torso at 10 yrds. Saw more keyholes than a locksmith. And to make matters worse, it had a nasty habit of dropping the hammer for no reason at all if you tried to shoot it single action. It wouldn't fire, but sure left you with an uneasy feeling.
 
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