How good are taurus handguns?

[eagle45]

M85 - older one bought in 1985. M617-7 shot 357 snubbie. 608-8 shot 357 with a 6" barrel. These three have been shot a lot with no problems to speak of.

851BUL - bought this one last December. I put about 200 rounds through this one so far, no problems with it either.

I end up carrying the snubbies a lot. I find them to be accurate and reliable.

 

[Shorts]

I have 200 rounds through my 85. When I first got it, it had lockup problems. I sent it back to Taurus to fix, got it back 6 weeks later. The gun works like it should. I'm still on the fence whether I really like it or not, but that is mainly due to it being a revo. Its different than shooting a semiauto.

 

[George S.]

I just picked up a new PT145 Millenium Pro .45ACP. A dealer at a local gun show had a NIB for sale at $315. I had fired a friends PT145 and it was pretty accurate and he said he had no problems with it.

I have about 200 rounds thru it right now, mostly Remingtom Golden Saber 185gr JHP and there have been no failures of any kind. If it will go another 200 rounds with the GS with no problems, I will be pretty satisfied.

With a 10+1 capacity, 22 oz weight and no wider than my 1911 even being a double-stack, it should be a decent carry gun.

 

[bbrown609]

I bought an ultralight stainless 85 several years ago. I was a little wary about buying a Taurus also, but the only choices for ultralight revolvers were Smith and Taurus. This was shortly after Smith sold out, and I refused to buy anything made by Smith and Wesson. I bought the Taurus, brought it home, and have had no problems with it whatsoever. Smith probably makes a more refined pistol, but my Taurus has gone bang every time the trigger has been pulled, and that is all I can ask for. Taurus does have the life time warranty which is a plus for them. From what I have heard, they will "eventually" fix your problems, it just may take them a while and a couple of tries. I have several friends with some of their larger revolvers, and they like them also. They make great boat and truck guns and are pretty tough. I have no experience with their semiautos though.

 

[BluesBear]

My three favorite CCW handguns are;

Colt Government .45 acp
S&W 29-3 3" .44 magnum
Taurus 445 2" .44 special

If I was to go back to carrying a Centennial or Bodyguard style revolver I would choose a Taurus instead of a S&W.


Just my tuppence.
YMMV

 

[Parallax]

Someone told me that Taurus uses an old S&W factory to make its guns, I have no idea if that's true though.

 

[joeyt]

Taurus

I have the Model 608 Taurus revolver in .357. I use this 8 round wheelgun for pin shooting. It has a very good trigger and is real slick in double action. I have never had a problem with it. It will shoot the 200 grain logs, using .38 special cases and Blue Dot powder, and does a pretty good job on the pins when I do my part. The problems that Taurus had years ago with metalurgy (sp) have long since been resolved. I have heard that they have a problem with customer service, but I have never had to find out. JoeyT

 

[mainmech48]

Parallax: It's not true. This is part of the continuing misconception that Taurus was once owned by S&W. It was not. Both were once owned by the Bangor Punta conglomerate back in the '70s. While some engineering and manufacturing data may have flowed both ways during that period, they did not use any of the same facilities.

I don't subscribe to the belief that Taurus started out as a 'cheap knock-off' of S&W either. To a great extent, function dictates form. That the lockwork of a Taurus would resemble that of a S&W should surprise no one, as they both perform the same function and innovation for its own sake is pretty poor engineering practice. They started a proven mechanical system, and adapted components in the interests of improved performance and efficiency of manufacture as the progress of their tooling and engineering art developed.

In the past decade or so, Taurus has come to be a leading innovator in the handgun field. When it comes to breaking new ground in choices of chambering, configuration, or use of once-exotic materials they are unsurpassed these days. IMHO.

 

[Big Gay Al]

Although not my first choice by a long stretch, I would trust a Taurus revo with my life. Not so with a Taurus semi-auto.

I've had a Taurus PT-92AFS since 1992. It has NEVER failed to fire, it has NEVER jamed or malfunctioned in ANY way. I would buy a Taurus semi-auto before I'd throw my money away on a Glock, Beretta, or even a S&W semi-auto.

Of course, that's just my humble opinion.

 

[denfoote]

I carry a Taurus!!!

My current carry is the first generation Taurus M85UL. (ultra lite)

It weighs 17oz.
At the recent THR Buckeye shoot I had occasion to put about 200 flawless rounds through the gun. Several of the others there shot it and were impressed. The accuracy, while not on par with my Smith 28-2, is good enough for the close in work the gun was designed for. Like any snub, my view is that it is,at best, a 10 yard gun. However, that day, I was shooting at 15 and putting rounds into the black. Yeah, I think the gun will put 'em where I want 'em to go!!

 

[ArmsAkimber]

My first revolver was a Taurus 605. My first semi-automatic pistol was a Taurus PT-92. Both were stainless. I never had any problem with either, except for a squib load which locked-up the 605 until I tapped it out with a dowel rod, and that can't be blamed on the gun.

Having said that, my next snubbie, for pocket carry, will most likely be a S&W with a shrouded hammer. I have a S&W 686 with a stock trigger that is amazing.

 

[SONICMASD]

i love Taurus, they are my favorite firearms company. They stick by their products with the lifetime warranty and are innovators in gun design. I would trust my life with many of their products and hold their products to be on the same level as FN, HK, and Beretta.

 

[Rickstir]

I have a Taurus 650 CIA 2" .357 magnum. It shoots where I point and goes bang everytime. What else could you ask of a CCW gun? It is my CCW gun 40% of the time as it is a tad more concealable than my 92FS. My wife has a .22lr in a 4" model 94 for use around the farm. She likes hers too.

 

[mjb]

In my experience, Tauruses are junk. I am a security officer, and four years ago I was issued a model 82. Needless to say, it is quite unerving to be on the range when suddenly and without warning the revolver locks up. We now carry S&W model 66's. I have also had their 9mm, .22 small auto, and the model 94. The revolvers lock up, and their autos are jam-a-matics. Junk.

 

[JimLally]

My first Taurus, a PT-92AF was purchased in 1996. NEVER a problem or failure.

Over the years I have also purchased a Taurus PT-945 (.45), a Millenium Pro PT-145 (.45), a model 617 revlover (7 shot, .357) and a model 651 revolver (5 shot, .357). The .45's have about 1000 round through each. The .357's have about 500 through each. Never a failure of any kind from any of them. The Millenium Pro is my main carry weapon.

I also have a .38 special that I inherited when my Dad died. I don't shoot that one much.

I always keep them well cleaned and oiled. I think that's the main reason I never have had any problems with any of them. Then, again, maybe I've just been lucky.

Either way, I love them all.

Jim

 

[Kurt S.]

Put me in the "Taurus is fine, even if they're not Smith & Wesson" column. As I sit here typing this my ported M85-CH-Ultralite sits in my pocket loaded with Mag-Safes. I have put at least 200 rounds of various types through it and not suffered any issues except that CCI .38-.357 shot cartridges don't quite fit in the cylinder.

I also have a PT22 that purchased kind of on a whim. I have fired all kinds of .22 LR rounds through it with zero failures, including Aguila 60 grain SSS rounds (however, they keyhole a bit).

 

[10-Ring]

I've purcheased aoucple Tauri handguns..sold the 380 (hated it!) but have kept the 22 wheelgun. I taught myself how to shoot DA revo's w/ this gun. The trigger was so bad that everything else since has been nice.
The ones I've tried have not been of the quality I now look for in a good firearm.