With the open Taurus thread about all the bad online complaints, I wanted to ask for your thoughts on the small rimfires in particular. I'm looking at the 94/941 2" barrel. I want to plink and have something small. No defense or carry scenarios I am planning, I have others for that. Is the trigger really that bad? Seems there is no middle. I've read either it's just fine or they hate it and want to burn it. Any specific issues to those models I need to look out for? Any problems with either finish? Will I wish I had spent double and gotten a S&W 317 Thanks in advance.
your experience Taurus 94/941
- Thread starter oldcabin
- Start date
Aguila Blanca
Staff
94 here.
Yes, the trigger is that bad. In fact -- imagine the worst DA trigger you possibly can, multiply by a factor of three, and you're close. IIRC, mine scaled 20 pounds DA and 12 or so pounds SA when it was new. I've worked on it extensively and gotten the SA trigger down to around 6 or 7 pounds, but that's where most guns are before being worked on.
If I had it to do over, I'd buy a Charter Arms Pathfinder.
Yes, the trigger is that bad. In fact -- imagine the worst DA trigger you possibly can, multiply by a factor of three, and you're close. IIRC, mine scaled 20 pounds DA and 12 or so pounds SA when it was new. I've worked on it extensively and gotten the SA trigger down to around 6 or 7 pounds, but that's where most guns are before being worked on.
If I had it to do over, I'd buy a Charter Arms Pathfinder.
Most likely.oldcabin said:
Aguila Blanca + 1
Be Safe !!!
As in most cases, you should confirm this yourself. If you do a historical search in here, you will see many comments. I also could not live with even the SA trigger and changed the hammer spring. There is a limit as to how far down you can go that is not a problem with others, like the 317. It's sad that a basically very nice revolver has this "big" problem. You can get them working well for you but require some modifications and that's out of the box. At first I thought that mine was a fluke but not so. ......
Be Safe !!!
I've never owned one. I have worked on three of them, though. 1 each, brother and brother's girlfriend. Both misfired every cylinder. Replaced mainsprings both and the firing pin on one of them. Both were better but eventually exhibited misfires again. Both gone now.
Another 94, belonged to a cop who moonlighted as a CCW instructor and used it as a loaner for students. DA trigger bound so bad his students had trouble centering a B27 at 7 yards. We traced it to a battered cylinder bolt and replaced that. Within 300 rounds the new part was dinged up and the trigger got glitchy again. Gone now.
A friend of mind has one of the Rossi Plinksters, or whatever they're calling them. Rossi, I understand, is now part of Taurus. The only problem he's had was the ejector rod backing out and we fixed that with blue loctite. No more problems so far.
As to the 94, I don't want one.
Another 94, belonged to a cop who moonlighted as a CCW instructor and used it as a loaner for students. DA trigger bound so bad his students had trouble centering a B27 at 7 yards. We traced it to a battered cylinder bolt and replaced that. Within 300 rounds the new part was dinged up and the trigger got glitchy again. Gone now.
A friend of mind has one of the Rossi Plinksters, or whatever they're calling them. Rossi, I understand, is now part of Taurus. The only problem he's had was the ejector rod backing out and we fixed that with blue loctite. No more problems so far.
As to the 94, I don't want one.
Just bought a 941. Out of the box, the DA trigger pull is 16 pounds and the SA trigger pull is 4 pounds (Timney Trigger Scale). Pretty much the same as my LCR .22 magnum. I also have a 992 that has about 1,000 rounds through it - DA pull is 13 pounds and SA pull is also 4 pounds. I'm hoping the both the LCR and the 941 lighten up with round count like the 992 did.
Pahoo - I'd be interested to know what hammer spring you put in yours to reduce the pull.
Pahoo - I'd be interested to know what hammer spring you put in yours to reduce the pull.
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When I was originally looking for a 22 DA revolver a few years ago, I went to many gun stores and gun shows looking at every make/model I could find. I tried at least 3 or 4 of the Taurus 94s and didn't buy a single one because they all had horrible DA trigger pulls. I wound up buying a used JC Higgins (made by High Standard for Sears back when) that worked fine and eventually replaced it with a Charter Arms Pathfinder.
Point is, the triggers are terrible on the 94s, and because if this there are many used and new 22 DA revolvers on the market that are better. Some with a similar price range.
Point is, the triggers are terrible on the 94s, and because if this there are many used and new 22 DA revolvers on the market that are better. Some with a similar price range.
kilimanjaro
New member
The three I have are all fine. Try before you buy, I guess.
Might look at the S&W Model 36 or 60 in 38 Special. Not plinkers but good defenders.
Might look at the S&W Model 36 or 60 in 38 Special. Not plinkers but good defenders.
oldgunsmith
New member
There have always been cheaper, lower quality guns and higher quality, usually more expensive ones. There have also always been those who want to believe the cheap ones are as good as the good ones. We've all heard of Taurus's that perform flawlessly, but not everyone has actually ever seen one. Relatively poor materials and workmanship compared to Colt, S&W, or Ruger.
Heres what I own. Taurus 94-2". Charter Arms Pathfinder, new 8 shot model-2", Ruger LCR-22-2", S&W 317-3", Ruger SP101 22 8 shot-4", S&W 617-4".
What everyone says about the Taurus 94 is true, The trigger in DA is unusable. Single action is actually decent. Mine has a cylinder so badly machined that it spits lead everywhere out the sides when firing it. The lockup is terrible, and very inconsistent from chamber to chamber. It has 2 that are tight. it has 4 that are loose, and 3 that are so sloppy, its comical. I cant believe it hasnt blown its self apart. I dont shoot it anymore.
The LCR-22 is a nicely made revolver, surprisingly accurate and fun to shoot. The fixed sights are perfectly set at 10 yards with Blazer bulk. The trigger is decent for a rimfire revolver.
The Pathfinder is a nice revolver. The lockup is exceptional. The DA trigger is very good, almost as good as the LCR. The SA trigger is supurb. The accuracy is very good. The fixed sights were way off. So much so that I sent it back to Charter and they had it for a month. It came back with the front sight almost completely milled off, and now it shoots to point of aim. To Charters credit, they paid shipping both ways, no repair cost, and replaced the firing pin, and honed the chambers. Again, a nice little revolver.
Of the three above, the LCR and Taurus were almost the same cost, the Charter was $70 less.
The SP101-22, 317 AND 617 were all much more expensive, and really dont enter into the same category. Those three are certainly a step above the Taurus 94, Pathfinder, and LCR.
If you are looking for a new 22 snub, Check out the Ruger LCR, or Charter Arms Pathfinder. Forget the Taurus 94, or save up a few more dollars($2-300) and buy one of the others I listed.
I think dollar for dollar, the Pathfinder is a great deal. If you can find one of the 4" models with adjustable sights, I would grab it. Charter has a lifetime warranty, and seems very eager to put out a quality product, and are very responsive to fixing any issues that might occur. If you buy the fixed sight model, just be aware that there might be issues with Point of Aim, and Point of Impact not lining up. This isnt really a quality issue, as it can happen with any fixed sight gun. Mine wasnt even close, but Charter did fix it, free, and quickly.
What everyone says about the Taurus 94 is true, The trigger in DA is unusable. Single action is actually decent. Mine has a cylinder so badly machined that it spits lead everywhere out the sides when firing it. The lockup is terrible, and very inconsistent from chamber to chamber. It has 2 that are tight. it has 4 that are loose, and 3 that are so sloppy, its comical. I cant believe it hasnt blown its self apart. I dont shoot it anymore.
The LCR-22 is a nicely made revolver, surprisingly accurate and fun to shoot. The fixed sights are perfectly set at 10 yards with Blazer bulk. The trigger is decent for a rimfire revolver.
The Pathfinder is a nice revolver. The lockup is exceptional. The DA trigger is very good, almost as good as the LCR. The SA trigger is supurb. The accuracy is very good. The fixed sights were way off. So much so that I sent it back to Charter and they had it for a month. It came back with the front sight almost completely milled off, and now it shoots to point of aim. To Charters credit, they paid shipping both ways, no repair cost, and replaced the firing pin, and honed the chambers. Again, a nice little revolver.
Of the three above, the LCR and Taurus were almost the same cost, the Charter was $70 less.
The SP101-22, 317 AND 617 were all much more expensive, and really dont enter into the same category. Those three are certainly a step above the Taurus 94, Pathfinder, and LCR.
If you are looking for a new 22 snub, Check out the Ruger LCR, or Charter Arms Pathfinder. Forget the Taurus 94, or save up a few more dollars($2-300) and buy one of the others I listed.
I think dollar for dollar, the Pathfinder is a great deal. If you can find one of the 4" models with adjustable sights, I would grab it. Charter has a lifetime warranty, and seems very eager to put out a quality product, and are very responsive to fixing any issues that might occur. If you buy the fixed sight model, just be aware that there might be issues with Point of Aim, and Point of Impact not lining up. This isnt really a quality issue, as it can happen with any fixed sight gun. Mine wasnt even close, but Charter did fix it, free, and quickly.
I have a 94 22lr 9 shot with a 2 inch barrel.
Da is heavy, but there are no real hang up so you can smoothly revolve the cylinder to get the shot off. Again, heavy, but not bad. It is about the same as a PT22 PLY I used to have, and very similar to the beretta in the initial double action pull. It is not butter smooth, but it really is not bad. Single action it is crisp, almost no creep, and very little over travel and light as can be expected for a rimfire.
No of course these are my opinions only, and I am not a trigger "expert", but for a DA revolver, it is not outside of what I would consider reasonable. Some of these guys on here should try a Polish Radom P64 if they are interested in a heavy trigger. This little revolver is no where near that stiff.
I like the gun a lot. Accuracy is good from such a small light revolver. It is a ton of fun. Makes me smile, and for as little as I paid for it, it is worth it. Recoil is effectively zero even in the lightweight gun. Mine is strictly a plinker too, and has never failed to bring a smile.
Da is heavy, but there are no real hang up so you can smoothly revolve the cylinder to get the shot off. Again, heavy, but not bad. It is about the same as a PT22 PLY I used to have, and very similar to the beretta in the initial double action pull. It is not butter smooth, but it really is not bad. Single action it is crisp, almost no creep, and very little over travel and light as can be expected for a rimfire.
No of course these are my opinions only, and I am not a trigger "expert", but for a DA revolver, it is not outside of what I would consider reasonable. Some of these guys on here should try a Polish Radom P64 if they are interested in a heavy trigger. This little revolver is no where near that stiff.
I like the gun a lot. Accuracy is good from such a small light revolver. It is a ton of fun. Makes me smile, and for as little as I paid for it, it is worth it. Recoil is effectively zero even in the lightweight gun. Mine is strictly a plinker too, and has never failed to bring a smile.
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Two years ago, I bought a new, 5" Model 941 .22mag (RH gun, below), which side-spit junk back into my face from shot/cylinderful #1.
Even though the trigger was okay, it was apparently badly out of time, right out of the box.
Since I refused to deal with Taurus' burdensome warranty system (long turnarounds, unfixed issues anyway, etc) - I returned it to my selling FFL for a credit on another gun. (I'm a GOOD customer
)
I already had a Dual Cylinder Charter Pathfinder, so I glommed onto a 1970's Charter .22 Mag-only Pathfinder (below) the FFL happened to have, which shoots like a dream.
(I also switched out the stainless pathfinder's issue rubber bumpers for earlier walnut Target grips)
.
Two years ago, I bought a new, 5" Model 941 .22mag (RH gun, below), which side-spit junk back into my face from shot/cylinderful #1.
Even though the trigger was okay, it was apparently badly out of time, right out of the box.
Since I refused to deal with Taurus' burdensome warranty system (long turnarounds, unfixed issues anyway, etc) - I returned it to my selling FFL for a credit on another gun. (I'm a GOOD customer
)I already had a Dual Cylinder Charter Pathfinder, so I glommed onto a 1970's Charter .22 Mag-only Pathfinder (below) the FFL happened to have, which shoots like a dream.
(I also switched out the stainless pathfinder's issue rubber bumpers for earlier walnut Target grips)
.