Got one on a "close out"
I bought one of the Taurus 2" .44 Mag Trackers at a gun show several weeks ago in Orlando, FL. The dealer had them marked at $379 show special! (His exclamation). He had a stack of about six or eight. I asked if he'd take $350 cash, got a permit, won't have to talk to me again. Yup, and home she went.
It has a orange fibre optic front sight, flat as opposed to the ramp style I remember seeing elswhere. The rear is just a notch. This gun is genrerally well made, and locks up tighter than a drum. Upon close inspection, there are some noticeable tool marks around the muzzle area. It shouldn't hurt accuracy as the actual crown is recessed about 1/2" inside the ported expansion area. The liitle spring latch on the crane sticks in the "in" position occasionally, but that doesn't seem to matter much.
At the risk of giving away my age, my first Taurus was in 1977. It was my last until the purchase of this gun. Way back when, the Taurus looked good and worked great...for a while. That first Taurus had such soft metal that after only moderate use the latching mechanism and pawl were just metal particles wearing away with each shot. At last, the gun came apart in my hands after it's final trigger pull. It was a .38 special, blued with a 6" barrel. I may have hand loaded it up a bit, but the metal was just soft and crappy.
Fast forward 30 years...the 2" Tracker in .44 mag is a whole different ball game. I'm not recoil sensitive as I shoot a .50 AE Desert Eagle that my wife bought me. (No, no sisters available). This 2" tracker is a heavier recoiler than the DE. With Gold Dot 230 grain "Deer Hunter" loads from Georgia Arms this little revolver will rock your world. You have to be a recoil freak (I am) to fire this baby. Maybe that's why the lower price move'em out atitude of the dealer was evident.
All in all, with the right load, I find myself carrying this often. Speer has a new load for short barrel guns, and the 230 grain version in .44 magnum is not that bad and is accurate enough for close quarters. The sound is very loud. The people shooting next to me at the range yesterday, waited until I took a break to shoot.
Only one negative except the minor tool marks: the rubber (ribber) grips snag on clothing when carrying concealed. I wouldn't want to try wood grips, so you just have to remeber to pull your shirt down and watch the snagging.
I can't seem to find the right speedloader yet. Anybody know which 5 round make/model is right?