Burned Buying Taurus M94

[MkgReloader]

I had a 22 cal. SS Taurus Ultralite M94 with 2 inch barrel for years and put several thousand rounds through it before transferring it to my daughter in law earlier this year. I decided to replace it with a 5 inch barreled SS version in March. Went to the local gun shop and they had 2 of them, one used “for only one month” for $269 and a new one for $339. I decided on the used one and bought it.

Went to the range and found out it would only reliably fire single action! When I tried to shoot it double action the cylinder lock would usually bounce right back up locking the cylinder before it could rotate to the new cartridge.

Took it back to the gun shop and they found the same problem. So, they let me upgrade to the new SS Taurus 94 by paying the difference.

Went to the range and tried 5 different brands of 22 cal. ammo. It “failed to fire” one to three times out of every nine for all five brands of ammo. The firing pin seems to be misaligned and is only partially hitting the rim of the cartridges. (Compared to my 2 Walthers, it looks like less than 1/2 of the firing pin is actually hitting the cartridge.)

Went back to the gun shop with fired cartridges and ftf’s. The owner loaded one cartridge and fired it – wouldn’t try a full cylinder like I suggested. He then told that they would send it in to Taurus for me for repairs, but couldn't exchange it for a gun that would actually work. They were losing too much money after taking the first one back and sending it to Taurus for repairs. The owner called it “the luck of the draw” since other people had bought 94's that apparently worked.

So they're going to mail it to Taurus on Monday and they'll “call me in 6-8 weeks” when it comes back. To say the least, I'm not happy. I bought six handguns from this guy last year, plus all sorts of odds and ends, but won't be buying any more.

Is this common practice in the firearms business? Is it expecting too much to get a new revolver that actually works without having to wait 2 months for repairs?

P.S. If you're thinking of buying a Taurus 94 you might want to take some fired cartridges with you, load it up, pull the trigger double action 9 times, and check the firing pin impressions before you pay for it.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

If you search threads/posts on Taurus Customer Service & general shooter satisfaction you'll find that at least some first-time Taurus buyers...become one-time Taurus buyers. I am among them. Sorry for your bad luck. Sorry for your FFL's decision & response. My question is, if he's losing money dealing with Taurus, why does he keep selling them to his customers?!?

 

[coyotehitman]

Taurus quality.

 

[Ruodo]

This post kinda worries me because I was thinking about getting one of these next week. Dunno about that now though.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

To be honest, I've never owned a Taurus revolver. But just one try with a centerfire autoloading pistol was WAYY more than enough for me. I know there are folks 'round here who swear by 'em. I just got tired of swearing at 'em.

 

[oldFred]

Let this be a lesson, STOP buying "rimfire" 22 revolvers!

 

[Duke of Doubt]

My new SS Taurus 94 was a disappointment. Looked and handled great. Shot for ****.

My new SS Taurus 431 had a couple very minor problems (internal spring fell out, but stayed put when I replaced it; timing seemed VERY slightly off) but served long and well as a HD gun. Still, put it up against a Smith Model 29 and there was no comparison.

I don't do Taurus anymore.

 

[cerberus65]

Let this be a lesson, STOP buying Taurus "rimfire" 22 revolvers!

There. I fixed it for you.

My S&W .22 revolver works just fine.

I pick up a weekly "newspaper" that is all classifieds. I usually only look through the guns section. There are always lots of Tauri for sale. I always skip right over those listings. I guess I've just never been the gambling type. There are some folks who get great ones and other folks that have horrendous problems. My brother seems to have gotten a good one. Good for him and whoever else is happy. I prefer to spend a little bit more for brands that historically have a little better happy/unhappy customer ratio.

 

[PinoyInFL]

This is the reason why I buy smiths and colts.

 

[bigdavep]

I have heard the ultralite models have this lite strike problem.. but the standard weight ones don't.

I bought the .22 magnum revolver, M941, a few months back, and it hasn''t failed to fire on me yet. I got the heavy steel, 4" barrel, not the superlite... and the trigger pull from double action is seriously FIRM.. But the hammer comes down hard and the ammo goes off...

my wife has a Smith airlite 317 in .22LR, and it has had one or two litestrikes... I think it's about the weight of the parts...

good luck with this, let us know the resolution...

 

[JWJacobVT]

Sorry , but you bought a taurus. I had one once. My EX has it now. I kept my Smiths. I think that was a fair settlement in the divorce. A few years ago the company I work for issued taurus 38s, we always hoped we didnt have to use it on the job. Why because on qualification day, most of them jammed. Yes revolvers jam. Now we have Ruger GP100s, not a Smith but better than the taurus. The GP was the third one out of the box before I found one that would fire more than 12 rds without a problem, #3 isn't perfect but dry firing has helped. Still better than taurus.

 

[Claude Clay]

buy a Taurus

every one is entitled to make a mistake--once

 

[Eagles6]

My experience with Taurus has been good, others haven't had such luck. I have a 94 which shot fine. I gave it to a friend of a friend who has a shingle out as a "gunsmith" for a trigger job. It's heavy DA trigger pull was a bit much for some family members. Needless to say he trashed the weapon at the cost of $100.
I tried to fix it, no go. Took it to a police armorer, same story. Sent it back to Taurus with an explanation and asked them to fix it and bill me. They completely rebuilt the weapon, reinstated the warranty all at no charge.

 

[jad0110]

I owned a Taurus 94 for a short time. Not a fun experience.

First off, a lot of people have nice, dependable Taurus 94s. And I don't mean to bash Taurus, as I used to own a very nice Model 66. Over time though, I have read enough bad things about the 94 that it is one of the few firearms that I steer people away from.

What was wrong with mine? It had such a heavy, extra crunchy DA trigger that it was not useable. There was a pretty bad hitch in DA about 1/3 of the way into the pull that usually made me throw my shots. The SA pull, in fairness, was decent, and it was nicely finished. And the gun was capable of respectable accuracy.

Then again, the cylinder would bind every 100 rounds or so at first. Note that I always eject the empties straight down to avoid lead build up under the ejector star. I tried cleaner shooting CCI Stingers. I even attempted cleaning the gun every 50 rounds. It would still bind. The cylinder gap appeared to be in spec, that wasn't the problem (looking back, perhaps the hand wasn't fitted properly?)

So I sent it back to Taurus. After 6 weeks I got it back in the exact same condition with a note to clean it more often . Mkay, you mean like, after every 4 rounds? So I had the same problems, except I noticed the gun had turned into a lead spitter. I always wear safety glasses; I was reminded why by this 94. When I heard chunks of lead bouncing off my glasses, I put the gun down and never fired it again. I sold it, disclosing my troubles and have never looked back.

Unlike the 94, the Taurus 970 Tracker seems to have a much better reputation, though I think the shortest barrel length you can get is 6.5".

After I sold the 94, I bought a S&W K-22 M17-0 and it is an absolute joy to shoot. And when I paid for it back in Nov '06, it cost only about $100 more than a new Taurus 94.

They completely rebuilt the weapon, reinstated the warranty all at no charge.

Just curious, when did this occur? I ask because Tauri's customer service used to be very good, but back in the '05-'06 timeframe it started turning to crap.

 

[floydster]

Buy a Ruger single six---don't look back!!

 

[PT1911]

i own several taurus guns and I am more than happy with each of them... they outshoot smiths, springfields...etc...

 

[Lovesbeer99]

Don't be too hard on the gun shop owner. He is in a bad spot also. I Bought a new Taurus 905 and it was out of time right from the box. I sent it in for repairs, but i eventually sold it.

Never buy Tuarus again.

Never buy Taurus again

Never buy Taurus again.

But I didn't fault my gun shop. Taurus just sucks.

 

[mongo4567]

I have owned three Taurus pistols and sold them all. They actually functioned, but I've been spoiled by Smith and Colt. I expect too much in regards to timing and smoothness in a revolver. I will not likely own another unless it is just way too cheap to pass up.

 

[Landric]

I recently ordered a Taurus 327 in 327 Federal Magnum because I wanted to try it out. I would have ordered a SP101, but Ruger is having problems with the 327 SP101s and they are not available. That basically left a very expensive S&W (fine for a serious gun, but I just wanted one to play with and I didn't want to spend $800 to play), the Charter Arms Patriot, and the Taurus 327. I went with the Taurus.

The gun arrived several days later. It was out of time, had rough spots all over, and the trigger would lock up in DA mode and keep the hammer from moving about one in six pulls. It was bad enough that the dealer returned it no questions asked and ordered me another. I picked it up Monday, but I won't be able to get it to the range until next weekend. The second 327 seems a lot better, much better fit and finish, its in time, and it doesn't lock up for no reason. Hopefully that trend will continue once I start shooting it.

My Taurus experience has been mixed. I had a 669 that was total junk, an 85CH that was great, and I have a 431 that is also excellent. The first 327 was awful, the new one seems like it will be good. I have a friend whom I bought a 85UL for his birthday several years ago. It has been perfect and is his daily carry gun.

I won't say they are all junk, they are not. However, it really is hit and miss. If I had it to do again, based on my recent experience with my Bulldog Pug, I'd buy the Charter Arms Patriot.

mongo4567 said

I will not likely own another unless it is just way too cheap to pass up.

That is how I ended up with my 431. It was cheap enough that I could sell it at a profit without any problem. However, its a good one. Wonderful finish, well timed, accurate, reliable, and has a great trigger. I have a thing for .44 Specials, especially fixed sight .44 Specials, so I figure the 431 is a keeper even though its a Taurus. I much prefer S&W (and Ruger come to it), but every once in a while another company gets it right. Perhaps one day I'll try a Colt revolver and see how those are.

 

[jad0110]

However, it really is hit and miss.

Taurus is capable of making great guns (I had a 6" Taurus 66 that was excellent, but sold it when I got my even nicer S&W 686 4"), but they do seem to have more than their fair share of rotten lemons. Sad, really, as their product lineup is quite expansive at usually very reasonable prices. I recently saw a gorgeous, used 2.5" Taurus 66. Lockup was tight, and the DA was fairly good, about equal to my Smiths with just a touch of stacking.

However, my hopes were deflated when I looked at the price tag ... apparently the dealer had been smoking crack and was asking $425 for it . Crap, you can get a nice used S&W Model 66 for not much more, or a Ruger Security Six for a less! If it had been $250ish, I might I purchased it.

 

[Taurus_9mm]

I really love all my Taurus firearms too and am intent on adding many more to the collection.

www.taurusarmed.net

 

[ultradoc]

good luck

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

Nothing but luck with Taurus here. I had a PT1911 that worked perfectly, my daughter's 85UL hasn't failed her yet, and I just bought a like-new 44SS6 that's been great for the 60ish rounds that I've fired so far.

 

[Lex]

I've owned ONE Taurus (PT140) and will never, ever buy Taurus again!!

The gun was a POS and the Customer Disservice was terrible!!!


They do have some neat looking models, but after my experience with the need for a warranty repair....no more!!

 

[Byron]

I have the lite weight and standard weight.At first they would not fire anything but CCI Mini Mag, misfiring all other brands. After awhile, the standard weight started firing the Federal Bulk ammo at Walmart. The lite weight will still only fire CCI. Both are very accurate. Byron