I've written of this before:
I realize some people have had good results from Taurus guns, but I find they make poor door stops and wouldn't use one for anything else.
In the '80s I worked for a security firm. The boss was big on the Beretta 92. Then he got a client from Brasil who demanded we carry Taurus guns. The boss bought 12 Taurus 92's.
Not one would work. Failure to feed, failure to extract, some couldn't hold a four-inch group at 50 feet and some had fliers over a foot off point of aim. Sent 'em all back to Hialeah FL, came back with same problems. Sent back with note that time was urgent. Came back with letter saying they met spec. We tested them and found the same problems. The armorer took the Taurus escutcheons off the grips and cobbled them onto the Berettas and told everyone to keep them out of sight. Customer never noticed.
Then, a Big Name Gun Writer said Taurus had overcome all their quality control issues and were making great guns. I had taught my children to shoot from age 5, buying them their own Ruger 10/22's at age 10 and then letting them shoot any gun I had. They all (3) wanted their own .22 Mag revolvers and the Taurus got these great write-ups and the price was right. I bought 4. We went to an indoor range (winter in 'Sconsin) and started banging away. A few shots into it, middle son, age 12, says he can't see the sight. Hmmm. I check the gun. Rear sight has flung itself to parts unkown. I gave him mine. Less than a dozen rounds later each boy is saying he can't fire double action. I check each gun. The action is so tight even *I* can't turn the cylinder double action. I hit 'em with Action Blaster, relube with CLP, hand 'em back. Two cylinders through each and the problem returns. I tell them to just shoot single-action. After 18 rounds the guns cannot be cocked any more. Range session reverts to ever-reliable Ruger Single Six's.
I sent them back to Florida. Twice. Got that 'They're up to spec' letter. Took them to a local gunsmith once. No help. Over the years I sold them to people who knew about them. I just can't sell them to someone who doesn't. Still have one I can't sell. Kinda like a troll in my safe.
THEN, you'd think I'd learn, I bought a Taurus .44 Special five-shooter from a colleague for lunch money. The trigger was awful. Not possible to hold a group due to extreeem grittiness, creep, required pressure. Wouldn't fire one of every 10 rounds; light primer strikes. Off to Florida. Back with new spring so light one out of five rounds would not fire. Had local gunsmith install spec spring, clipped one coil, worked over action. It's better, still fails to fire one out of eight. Makes a poor doorstop. I have too much $$$ in it. Recently sold it with full disclosure.
In the '80s I was working oversees when a colleague offered me a Taurus 92C with five magazines. I said ---deleted---- He lowered the price to peanuts. I bought. It is one of the best guns I've ever had. Fired first time, every time, accurate, no malfs of any kind. I turned down Beretta Compact prices for it.
With that happy experience I accepted a Taurus 100 .40S&W with trepidation. Shore 'nuff, failures to feed and eject, and wouldn't hold eight inches at 50 feet, fliers further. Sent to Florida. Came back WORSE! Back with a really really really nasty note. Came back with new barrel and some unspecified new innards. It's a beaut. Wouldn't trade it. Won't bet my life on it. Great for training.
A couple years ago a friend bought a Raging Bull with the puny barrel. He said he loved it, kick, blast and all, and that it was accurate and reliable.
To humor him I bought one with the 6” barrel. Beautiful gun. Accurate.
BUT:
First time at the range:
Closing the cylinder still allowed the cylinder to rotate up to 4 chambers clockwise until the bolt slid into a bolt slot in the cylinder and locked it.
The cylinder bolt spring was very weak compared to other Taurus revolvers. We were not able to find a spring that had a bit more power. Either they were too big to fit or exerted too much pressure, preventing the action from working. A slightly stronger one was shortened and fitted. Various ones had to be tried.
The front cylinder lock would not latch on its own; it was so badly fitted it wouldn’t snap into place in the frame detent. It had to be pushed up to lock. Even so, it would unlock when the gun was fired. The cylinder could be opened without unlatching the front latch.
The roll pin holding the latch to the cylinder yoke was mangled and bent. We replaced it.
The top of the tongue that would slide into the frame was roughly filed, probably to make it fit at all. The finish was gone.
The tongue that slid into the detent in the frame had an obvious step machined or worn into its outer face. In attempting to reface the part we found the entire latch is made of soft steel. Just touching a stone to it took a lot of metal off. It will likely be battered by shooting until it causes problems again, and probably soon. Filed down, lubed and then operated a couple dozen times seems to have helped, but only temporarily. The steel is just too soft.
We also fitted a stiffer spring that pushes the front latch up into the frame detent.
The cylinder axel was very roughly hand-filed to fit inside the cylinder, with some of the finish filed off. The end-shake bushing was also very rough and the finish was worn off, and it had to be pushed hard to go onto the cylinder axel. The cylinder had to be coaxed off the axel.
The trigger pin was badly burred and rough. We had to polish it to get the assembly off and on.
Accuracy was fine. We bounced tennis balls out to 75 feet.
So, my suggestion, don't buy a Taurus unless you're paid to take it 'cause you'll need the money to get it fixed or dump it. Used S&W .38s and .357s abound for around $400, and a GP100 can be had for less. Or get that .327 Magnum from Ruger. All work first time every time. I just bought a S&W 586 on Gunbroker for $360, $380 delivered. Can't beat that. Finish shows holster and duty wear, conjuring up lovely images of past lives, and it is a bit loose but accurate.
Or try a Bersa. When I was working security the Bersa was very popular. VERY "El Cheapo," but that meant less pain when they had to be surrendered at borders. They had crappy triggers (something to think about for a anyone who doesn't train to overcome them), felt like junk, concealed well, were light weight, and worked. I give 'em a "buy" rating with note that Wife will want to work at it to be able to use the trigger.
-Backpacker33
