Carry revolver for the wife

[ldlfh7]

I recently got a taurus model 85 .38 special from a guy who owed my money. I was thinking about giving it to my wife as her ccw firearm. Anyone have experience with Taurus revolvers? Are these reliable enough to use for personal protection or should I sell it and spend the extra on a smith or colt?

 

[Paladin7]

First question... how much do you love your wife? Just kidding... ; )

Personally, I wouldn't let one of my loved ones carry a Taurus. Main issue is spotty QC with Taurus products. I'm sure there are plenty of people who have no issues with them, but there are loads of folks who have (just do a search on this forum and you will find a lot of info).

For something that a loved one may have to bet their life on, I'd strongly suggest a S&W or Ruger product....

YMMV...

 

[critter]

My wife carried that very firearm for quite some time. Absolutely NO PROBLEMS with it in any way and she shot it quite well.

Then I purchased a Ruger LCR (.38 special) and she 'adopted' it due to its light weight. Still carries it and loves it.

The Taurus will do quite nicely if she likes it. Go with what she likes and wants.

 

[luvit]

other than it's not made in the USA... it's a good revolver.
i've been recommending that model for folks that may have less access during these times or are on a tight budget.
i assume you don't have the ultralight version which may be only 4-6oz lighter.

 

[22-rimfire]

Shoot it and make your own judgement.

 

[Poppaj78]

My wife just bought the Ultralite. She likes it. Haven't shot it much to tell how it will hold up. WILL SEE

 

[BYJO4]

Before making any decision, I would have her shoot it and see how she likes it in terms of handling and recoil.

 

[dawei]

My wife carries one daily; she loves it!

 

[KentuckyBlue]

My wife's selection is a S&W 642. She is taking the concealed carry class next week. Took her to the range yesterday to use her new gun. 49 out of 50 in the silhouette! I am so proud of her, and she loves her J Frame.

 

[returningfire]

carry revolver

My wife had the Taurus 85 lite, and loved it, traded it for a LCR, carried and loved it, traded that for a S&W Bodyguard revolver (with the laser) loves it. Come too think, she trades as much or more than me. Anyway, the Taurus is fine, if it shoots and she can hit with it, no worries. Just personal preference I guess.

 

[bluetopper]

Sell it and get her a Ruger LCR 38 Special.

Try one and you will agree.

 

[hardluk1]

ldifh7 You need to handle and feel any firearm to see how it works. It does not matter if its a s&w custom shop special as they tend to produce some turds there too.

I have a old 1st year taurus 85SS that I carried for 20 years. It is atleast as good as any s&w j frame ever made. Still looks good all these years later .

New revolvers from most worry me today , You really need to look them all over. No matter the maker. Older used I would trust more.

 

[Ky Larry]

I'm not a Taurus basher but I have to agree with Paladin7. I had a very nice Colt Det. Spl. Then I got married and it became my wife's gun. If I'm good, I get to shoot it once or twice a year. I feel better knowing she has that Colt than a Taurus. YMMV.

 

[strange246]

My wife carries a Taurus 605 which is the same gun as the 85 but in .357mag, its fired hundreds of .357's and thousands of .38's, never had a single issue, cheap ammo, expensive carry ammo, clean or filthy dirty its never failed, locks up like a bank vault and is accurate...Hmm same goes for my model 617, 608, 94....

 

[jeepnik]

My wife has been carrying and regularly using a Model 85 over a decade. It's as accurate as a 2" is going to be, and hasn't had any reliability isues. While I've put a few +p's thru it, she doesn't like the added recoil and sticks with regular pressure rounds.

 

[Pointshoot]

I own two Taurus revolvers currently - a 454 and a 41. Both are good guns. I've had problems with Taurus revolvers that I've owned in the past. As others have said, their QC can be very spotty. If I found a good deal and was able to check the gun out first in person - I might consider a Taurus as a plinking gun and maybe for a hunting gun. Personally, I would not trust one for personal defense. YMMV

 

[loose noose]

I own Taurus, S&W, Colt, and a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog as well as Ruger Revolvers. Never had a problem with any of them, however the Charter Arms is the only one I would be very skeptical of using in a personal defense weapon. It just doesn't seem to have the quality of the others mentioned here. As far as my wife is concerned she carries my Colt Detective Special with Pachmeyer grips and can hit center of mass 5/6 shots fired rapid fire at 7 yards, which is good enough as far as I'm concerned. As far as your wife is concerned take her out and see how well she likes the gun, and how well she can shoot it, then make up your mind.

 

[wnycollector]

My wife started with a S&W M36 and HATED IT (poor trigger and excessive recoil). She moved up to a larger revolver (Ruger Security Six 2 3/4" .357) and found out that it fit her much better even with a slightly hotter round (speer short barrel 135gr .357 vs FBI +P .38 load).

 

[Jaymo]

Ignore the gun snobs. They're blinded by their hatred of anything not made in Massachusetts.

Given the problems many have had with new Smiths, the same claims of spotty QC could be made for them, too.

I love my J frame, but I've never had a single problem with any of my Tauri.
I've owned 3 85s, and my wife owns an 85 Ultralight.
All 4 have been 100% reliable, and more accurate than me.
All 4 have had better factory trigger pulls than any J frame I've ever shot, including my own 31-1.

I like Colts, Smiths, Rugers, AND Tauri.
If the gun works correctly, there's NO reason for your wife NOT to use it.
My wife's Ultralight actually has a little lighter trigger than my 85s.

 

[tomrkba]

How proficient is your wife at shooting? The snub nosed revolver can be very difficult to shoot because of the short sight radius, heavy trigger and recoil. If she is not someone who practices and will not attend defensive handgun courses, then this gun may not be the right gun for her skill level.

Read this regarding Taurus internals: http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/no_taurus_work.html

 

[easyg]

The snub nosed revolver can be very difficult to shoot because of the short sight radius, heavy trigger and recoil.

This ^ is spot on.

I've seen way too many women who have great difficulty shooting a revolver double-action with any accuracy due to the heavy trigger-pull.

I would let her shoot it first....and then go and get her a Ruger SR9c.

 

[Bourbon n Cigars]

I've always been of the mindset that whatever works dependably best for the shooter, trademarks aside, is the weapon best suited for that particular person. Several of my handguns have been Taurus and still are. With that said, my wife's been carrying and shooting her Taurus 605 for a long time, now, without a single hiccup. She also owns a smaller snubby...same deal and just as lethal with both. Both handguns, however, took some range time in to set the partnership on a good path. That and not forgetting to take it out and stretch it's legs is something many don't but should do when handling a new-to-you weapon. IMO of course.

 

[oldfool]

Shoot it and make your own judgement.

only smart thing to do, any make/model

"Before making any decision, I would have her shoot it and see how she likes it in terms of handling and recoil."
better yet, and essential
I would limit enthusiasm for hot loads, absent some introductory practice stuff on the "mild" side, but that's really up to her, of course

I have more enthusiasm for some Taurus models a lot more than other Taurus models, though not a lot of recent vintage
but the series 85 has always been one of their very best offerings
I would not shy away from one, absent demonstrated reason to do so with the individual piece
do not own one, but have shot 'em; own more S&W and Ruger
but the same caveats apply to those as well, or any brand flavor
you own it, shoot it, find out.. her vote is the only one that really counts

 

[Martel]

Semi-auto>revolver

I've shot Taurus revolvers and they seemed fine; their owners usually have good reports, but it seems like they make more lemons than Ruger, Smith or Colt.

If my wife were bent on carrying a revolver, I'd probably try to talk her into one that had a longer barrel. She shoots a 4in .22 decently; as others have said, shooting snubbies well is a skill that needs practice to attain (same as any gun, but the short sight radius, long trigger etc make it hard esp under stress).

That said, how does your wife feel about semi-autos? An SR9c or glock 26 is a much better option. Longer sight radius, more powerful round (yes, a 9mm is significantly more powerful than a .38, esp out of a teensy barrel), easier to reload, cheaper to shoot, more prolific ammo (normally...), and some would argue easier to carry. Plus, with the slide absorbing recoil, precieved recoil is less for the same ft/lbs out the barrel.

Some ladies just like the cool factor of the snub, and I have no problems with that. Certainly in most situations it will be enough.

Bottom line, any gun is better than no gun. A gun your wife is comfortable with is best; just do a little legwork to find what that is. Shoot the Taurus and if it seems workable, use it. Just my .02

 

[luzyfuerza]

My wife had two 85CHs; both had mechanical problems and had to go back for repairs. I'm not one to say that I'd never buy a Taurus again, but I would say that her experience with those two guns didn't make a favorable impression.

Her current carry gun is an LCR in .38 special. She likes the trigger pull better than my S&W snubbies. She likes to shoot it, practices, and hits what she aims at. That's good enough for me.