[halfded]

Before I randomly burst into flames, allow me to say that my revolver knowledge is still growing, having been almost zero in January.

I bought a Taurus model 85 ultra-lite in stainless steel brand new in January. Got it home and noticed the star on the extractor that advances the cylinder was a little rough. Didn't think much of it. Learned how to check revolvers for proper fit and function and got a little uneasy with the side to side play. Not much but noticeable. I took the gun back where I bought it (Gander mountain) and had the gunsmith ( a yutz I later found out) check it out. He test fired it, and said it wasn't spitting lead so it's fine.

Flash forward. Ive gotten to like this little snubby and have gotten quite good with it. I carry it on a daily basis and love it. I was shooting it the other day and the cylinder locked up. Opened it and a little sliver of copper fell out, shaped like a halfmoon. No good. Took it to a gunsmith I have dealt with for a while, (for anyone around virginia combat solutions, formerly owned by officer Todd Barr, Fredericksburg PD, killed on duty. Great man, great store) and he said it was unsafe to shoot and needed to be sent in for repair. I called Taurus and the extractor is a restricted part for dealers and customers. Called gander mountain to see if the smith was in (yes, they have part time gunsmith :banghead:). As luck would have it, they just hired another one. Told him the problem and asked him to send it off as soon as possible as this was my carry piece. He said they'd look at it and seeif they could repair it there. I told them the part was restricted, already talked to taurus, etc. Then I asked him out of curiousity how much I'd get on a trade in for it. "We can't accept it because it's not in working condition". Toward the end of the conversation, he said that he'd let the other smith look at it and if it needed it they would send it off. This is right after he told me it wasn't in working order. So again I made it blatantly clear that I wanted it sent off ASAP, and that there was nothing they could do with it.

So I'm looking at 4-6 weeks without my carry gun. I'm considering buying another 85 to carry in the time being, but once I get mine back I will have no use for it. Kinda seems like waste to me.

Just wanted to relate this little experience with you guys to drive home the importance of the pre-buy inspection.

Just for fun let's add a poll. Should I buy another 85 (yes that's the only option) to later sit in my safe all the time, or just do without for the 4-6 weeks, suck it up, and continue my hunt for a single action .22?

[Nugilum]

Scout Motto. ;)
Be Prepared :D

[JT'sDad]

Definately buy another gun. Buy a gun you think you might like to own. If you get your 85 back in a month or two and you are flush with cash keep them both, if not sell one of them.

[mongo4567]

I would get another gun, but it would be a S&W, Colt, or Ruger revolver. I'm not a big Taurus fan... Maybe branch out and get something to fill another hole like a Keltec P3AT.

[Eightball]

Hmmm.....obviously, nothing could harm you in the next few weeks while your CCW piece is "out and about." So, ignore the fact that you're essentially naked and disarmed like all the sheeple, and go look for a .22.

Always have a piece, man. Rule #1 of a gunfight--have a gun. If you have the perfect CCW piece for you, but it's 6 weeks out......a lot of good that does you.

Two is one, one is none, and none is bad.

[Big Daddy Grim]

I would look for a different CCW I have 3 just in case;) but its nice to have a few options if you don't like it theres always a market to sell.

[halfded]

I'm thinking I'll just wait it out. Once this is fixed, I don't really see what else could go wrong that I couldn't fix. None of the other parts are restricted that are replaceable in the event of a failure anyway. Should be good to go after this I hope.

Anyone have the heritage arms rough rider lr/mag set? Looks like a nice little revolver to go with my new lever gun. :D

[larry_minn]

As said. "Two is one and ONE is NONE" You have just found that out. Your gun broke and it is months till you will get it back. (I assume it took a week plus to this point? (gun jams/first local smith/ Gander smith/2nd Gander smith/shipped off and 6 weeks).....
So a month after you get it back you get a squib rd when doing rapid fire and fire the next rd. (bulged barrel) and gun has to go back for new barrel? Buy a backup.
I had a S&W 39-2 start to "double" I still had a revolver I could use but I bought a 2nd S&W 39-2 to carry till my orig was repaired. Then carried my orig (still liked it better) till I switched to Glocks. :) Get a backup.

[PT1911]

buy the thing.. worse comes to worse.. you sell it.. I dont see the market for guns coming down any time soon.. if the price is good, then you will easily get your money back out of it if you price it close to reasonable.

[Walkalong]

You need at least two anyway. I don't know about another 85, but now you have a good excuse to get your second gun. :)

[halfded]

Let me clarify a bit. I have other guns in the house, just no other carry guns. Just found out the IRS bumped my refund back, again... so it's kind of out of my hands for now.

On a side note, here' s a little giggle for everyone. If inappropriate to the post or forum, my apologies, just thought this was funny:

A pirate walks into a bar with a ship's wheel

[Walkalong]

Very funny stuff.

[6_gunner]

If you have the money, get the second revolver.

Heck, if I could afford it, I'd buy a backup for every tool that I use on a regular basis. You only need one...until it breaks and you're screwed.

Recently, my old Smith M&P finally gave up the ghost, leaving me with only a .25 auto as a carry gun. I would sure feel better if I had a second revolver.

[Duke of Doubt]

Let me get this straight: you bought a new Taurus, it turned out to be junk, and you want to buy another Taurus?!

Get a Smith. Or a vintage Colt.

[ArchAngelCD]

Let me get this straight: you bought a new Taurus, it turned out to be junk, and you want to buy another Taurus?
That's a good question...

[halfded]

The gun isn't junk, it was a manufacturing error and I didn't know enough about revolvers at the time to make the call that something was amiss. The gunsmith I talked to (not the one at gander mountain) said he'd never seen a taurus revolver come back for service, much less for something like that. The guy doesn't even sell taurus products so I know he's not trying to make a buck.

THe reasoning behind getting another one is because I really like the 85 I have, had no problems with it until now, and just wanted something to carry that I wouldn't have to readjust to, and then adjust back. Guess a DAO pistol would work too huh?

[Hoot Gibson]

Anytime you mention a Taurus, the 'haters' will come a calling...just the way it is.

Heck, if you need something cheap for Carry, get yourself a 9MM Hi-Point, that will get you through until the 85 comes back...plus it wil give the 'haters' something else to talk about, because the only thing they hate worse than a Taurus is a Hi-Point ;)

[halfded]

I don't think I'd carry a hi point if it was given to me. Look horrible, feel worse than they look, with that, it could be reliable as they come and it wouldn't matter. Just waiting out the taurus. Unless some good deal comes along and catches my eye.

[ArchAngelCD]

"Haters"??? How can you hate an inanimate object? I couldn't assign that emotion to a gun. :p

[hoptob]

I was shooting it the other day and the cylinder locked up. Opened it and a little sliver of copper fell out, shaped like a halfmoon.

I am not sure what happened to the 85. Was that halfmoon sliver of copper a broken part or was it a pierce of brass case that locked the cylinder? I didn't know there were copper parts in revolvers.

[halfded]

Hoptob, the piece of metal was the tail end of the copper jacket being shaved off by the end of the barrel. The star on the extractor wasn't machined right from the factory, got worse as I shot it, and the cylinder ended up out of battery ever so slightly. Copper piece got caught and hung up the cylinder. Waiting for it to come back from Florida now. Hopefully it brings me a souvenir.

[Guillermo]

Were it me, I would look at another carry gun, but not another 85. Perhaps a PM9 or an NAA Guardian...maybe the little Ruger Kel Tec rip off.

The reasoning is that a small revolver is great. I have one on my hip right now. But sometimes a nice flat auto is more easily concealed.

[Almond27]

I'm not a Taurus hater I think they make a good revolver for the price but I voted wait it out, I think you could find another nice carry piece to go with your 85

[hoptob]

Hoptob, the piece of metal was the tail end of the copper jacket being shaved off by the end of the barrel. The star on the extractor wasn't machined right from the factory, got worse as I shot it, and the cylinder ended up out of battery ever so slightly. Copper piece got caught and hung up the cylinder.

Halfded, something doesn't sound right in your description. What you're saying is that your revolver was badly out of time. We don't say "out of battery" about revolvers but that's just a term. It's a condition you described -- hammer drops (and revolver fires) before the cylinder and the barrel are aligned. Usually minor misalignments are not a problem -- forcing cone takes care of it. In your case it's a major misalignment if you get shavings off the jacket.

What I don't understand is how rough finish of the ratchet (star) relates to timing. Minor variation in the teeth hight should not have made any difference on a Taurus. Unless your ratchet was totally out of shape, gunsmith could have filed or stoned it smooth in a few minutes. It should not have gotten any worse after 1 month of shooting either. Better perhaps due to working in but not worse.

Did you or the store gunsmith check the timing, crane alignment and throats? You could have just bent extractor rod, especially if you are new to revolvers. Maybe gunsmiths here can set me straight, but I don't see how the ends meet in your case.

Mike

[halfded]

The grooves in the star were chewed over, which kept the hand (technical term?) from locking up the cylinder tight. So basically under full lock up the cylinder could move rotationally, misaligning the barrel and the cylinder. I knew I should have taken a picture before I sent it out.

[Floppy_D]

It would drive me nuts to not have my Model 85. :D

[halfded]

Aye, it's drivin' me nuts. :D

Wherabout in virginia are you located Floppy D? Around the Fredericksburg area myself.

[Thomas Garrett]

Halfed, What ever happened to you on buying the RIA .45?

[hoptob]

The grooves in the star were chewed over, which kept the hand (technical term?) from locking up the cylinder tight. So basically under full lock up the cylinder could move rotationally, misaligning the barrel and the cylinder. I knew I should have taken a picture before I sent it out. Thanks, Halfded. Yeah, I guess it wasn't just rough finish as I thought. Hope they'll make it right for you.

My vote - get a S&W 640. It's a nice piece for IWB carry; it will complement your 85 when it comes back.

Mike

[Big Bill]

Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!

You already made one mistake, don't compount it by making the same mistake again!

[halfded]

The RIA slid by the wayside when the dealer I was supposed to order it through jacked the price on me because I didn't order it at his convenience. Not a matter or money, but of principle. You make a deal, you stick by it, that's my philosophy. By the time I find one online, order it, and have it transferred it's above my price range and I refuse to order it through that scam artist of a dealer. Another thing that influenced it's move to the back burner is that total lack of 45acp in my area. None whatsoever. I don't order ammo online either before anyone suggests that. The prices on ammo in town are cheaper than online with shipping, and I'm usually not here when the UPS man stops by (signature required). I will still have my RIA, just might have to wait and find it in my stocking this year.

So many guns, so little money.:(

[Thomas Garrett]

Halfed, Sorry to hear that on the RIA. I know (watching) Gunbroker, and other On-line Dealers the prices are being (jacked-uo) on the RIAs'. Demand is crazy for the "tacticals". The GI's are even $10-$40 more than a month or so ago. Bellshire hardware in Nashville is the one to talk to. Shipping and the transfer fee will still keep you under $550.00. Call and ask for Phill. He handles the internet sales. (great guy). And you are closer than me to Nashville. He even covered shipping for mine to North Florida. (like "buy now" price) Just a option. Good Shooting and Good Luck ! :) Tgar

[halfded]

Yeah, I guess word's finally leaked out about them. I went to the gunshow over the weekend and prices on them, where I could find one, had gone up on average about $30. I'll remember the Bellshire hardware though for when I do buy one. That won't be til the ammo's back on the shelves though, I don't believe in safe queens, probably cuz I can't afford anything worthy of being one. ;)

[rainbowbob]

Should I buy another 85 (yes that's the only option)

Let me get this straight...

You bought a Taurus 85 that crapped out on you in within two months of purchase...your thinking about buying a spare while waiting for the first one to be repaired...you can't wait to get your defective 85 back...and buying anything other than a Taurus 85 is out of the question...

May I ask why?

[Thomas Garrett]

Halfed, personally, send in the Taurus, get you the RIA, when the Taurus comes back, un-load it! .45 ammunition is even at Walmart's, or even K-Mart. Get the RIA while you can save "some" money on the purchase. Even if you go to a "Gunstore" to buy ammunition, you'll be much happier than "relyiny" on a Taurus. I have nothing "bad" to say about Taurus's, Only that it's the same as a Rossi. My wife had one about 5 years ago. Well it's as accurate as a baseball bat at 5 yards against a barn door. Yea Right! (Sold it!) once again, send it in, forget about it, get you the RIA, and when the Taurus comes back, lick your wounds and Un-load it! In the meantime you'll understand a decent (even a CCW) low priced, well made handgun. Remember the word is out on them. I see RIA's going to the $600-$700 range before long.

PS. I a'm not affiliated with any handgun manufacturer, Just a Shooter.

[rainbowbob]

What's an RIA?

[halfded]

Ok guys, let's read the entire thread before we ask questions or make statements. The 85 didn't "crap out" on me, the extractor was machined wrong and I was told by a competent gunsmith (as I stated in a previous post) that he's never seen an 85 come back for repair, especially for something like that. The gun shoots great, is accurate for it's intended purpose and doesn't break the bank. I hear all these people crying about Taurus being bad quality, cheap, etc. Are these informed customer reviews, or opinions based on the status of your ego as you stare at your $800 gun that will shoot just the same as mine?

I've never had a problem out of any Taurus firearms that I have owned (3). While they may not have been the right fit for me, they were never mechanically defective. The reasoning behind getting another 85, besides having a pair, is (again stated earlier) because I like the 85 and don't want to have to get used to something else, only to go back to my revolver again.

Mr. Garrett, you say "I have nothing bad to say about taurus", then proceed to bash them, why? If you don't like my choice of firearm I'm sorry, move on to another thread. I don't need to "experience" a decent firearm, I've owned my share and have found that buying an expensive gun is like buying an expensive pair of shoes. They both serve the same purpose, but you end up paying for a name. I said that I'm putting off the RIA (Rock Island armory) until I can find ammo on a regular basis, which probably means that I am coherent enough to check the local sprawl-mart, and k-mart is a joke. The anchor that will drag sears to the murky bottom.

I've ignored the gun snobbery and condescending attitudes here for a while. It has become apparent that one cannot ask a question and get an answer in a respectable fashion without being looked down upon for not being all knowing. The purpose of forums is the spread of knowledge and information. Not my toys are better than yours.

You guys can keep buying your $1k toys and stroking each other's egos, I'm going back to being a lurker, pick out the info I need and be on my way. I joined this site to learn about firearms and maybe have some good conversation, instead I spend my time reading snide comments and inside jokes. Bad form.

Good day gentlemen,
Halfded signing off.

[sohcgt2]

Good for you halfded, we need to be reminded from time to time why we came here.

[halfded]

I found a picture of the problem; look at the star on the extractor. In particular the notch that is closest to the "X" on the cylinder.

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt332/halfdedsphoto/039-1.jpg

Looking at older model 85s, it appears that Taurus redesigned this particular part. The older design looks much sturdier.

[Virginian]

Drive down to Green Top on US1 in Ashland, pick a used revolver from their selection, and carry that until your 85 comes back.