My Fifth Taurus Model 85

[Tallball]

They're nothing fancy. It's kind of odd that I've owned so many. I realized this morning that one or another of them has been among my regular carry pieces for more than 30 years. I bought the first one NiB in 1990 or so because it was what I could afford. It was my second carry piece after my Makarov.

They are just a little knockoff of the S&W j-frames, but I've had good luck with mine. They've all gone bang every time. The average cost was $200 apiece, or not much more. The first two were NiB. The others have been used.

I carry my LCR and 642 more often, but I like having a steel-framed 38 snub to practice with, and it will get carried every once in a while just because it's sitting there ready.

1990-2000 steel frame, hammer spur, original wooden grips, great trigger, stolen in burglary

2000-2018 aluminum frame, I ground off the hammer spur, original black soft plastic grips, pretty good trigger, given to my FiL when he lacked a decent CC piece

2018-2018 steel frame, DAO, horrible trigger, traded away for what I had in it

2019-2022 steel frame, removed the hammer spur, excellent trigger, gave its life protecting me from my friend's defective handloads

2022-? steel frame, DOA, pretty good trigger, hope to keep it a while

The latest one was made in 1996. It has the kind of grips I prefer. The trigger is smooth but slightly stiff. I ordered some Wolff springs for it. It's already DAO, so I won't have to grind off the hammer spur. It has some finish wear and has been shot a fair amount, but it locks up tight and the barrel looks good.

I will occasionally use it for back pocket carry when I know I won't be sitting down (a Desantis pocket holster).

Has anyone else owned any of these "ubiquitous" little snub 38's, and/or have a little story to tell about one? Any favorite holsters or ammo?

Taurus Model 85 38 special DAO

• Tallball
• Feb 12, 2022

 

[ontarget]

My 85UL has been my CC every single day for about 6 years now.
Very reliable, and believe it or not it has the best trigger in my collection. That includes about a dozen Smiths. It still has the hammer spur but I can't remember if I've ever fired it in SA.
I also have a nickel plated steel M85 that resides in the safe but hasn't seen any range time in quite a while.

 

[RKRCPA]

Mine has been in the carry rotation since 1984

 

[wcwhitey]

Bought one in 1987, very nice blue and wood. Great little revolver. Sold it off to fund my Model 15 and Model 10 2” for job purposes, lean times. Would gladly own another. Enjoy!

 

[LaneP]

We bought the one on the far right for the wife to EDC in about 1991. She carried for over 20 years. But when the 13 oz .38 LCR came out that was it, she wanted the lighter pistol. It has been 100% reliable over the years, no issues whatsoever.

 

[Tallball]

Mine has been in the carry rotation since 1984

View attachment 1059358

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What kind of grip setup do you have there?

I really like the looks of it.

 

[Tallball]

My nicest/best revolvers are my good Smiths. My nicest/best service pistol is a Sig. I own more Rugers than any other kind of firearm.

I'm not a Taurus fanboy, in that I don't care for most of their semiautos, and their revolvers can have stiff triggers.

But, if I'm short on cash and want/need a revolver that will do its job by going bang every time, the Taurus K and J frame knockoffs have worked for me.

I've had good experiences with their medium-sized Model 82 and Model 66 variants, and their small Model 85's.

 

[Buck13]

Heh. I misread the title of this thread as "My filthy Taurus model 85." Thought I was gonna see a photo of a revolver provocatively coated in powder residue.

 

[RKRCPA]

What kind of grip setup do you have there?

I really like the looks of it.

That is a Barami Hip Grip in combination with a Tyler T Grip. Old school to the max, it disappears under a t shirt in the summer.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I have two, one "regular" one DAO. No complaints at all.

 

[commygun]

I have a ‘90’s 85CH and it’s a beaut. They were at the peak of their game then, revolver-wise. I wish I would have kept all of the half dozen Taurus revolvers I bought in the ‘90’s. Great guns for the money.

 

[kennedy]

I had a 850, hated the dao, I did not shoot it well, or any double action only handguns, so I sold it a couple of weeks ago for $300 with box

 

[357smallbore]

I have 2 model 85's.
SS 3in built in 1994 and a SS 2in made on 2004.
Love them, true shooters, reliable, accurate for what they are used for. Easy to carry IWB. They are in my ccw rotation.

 

[Tallball]

I have 2 model 85's.
SS 3in built in 1994 and a SS 2in made on 2004.
Love them, true shooters, reliable, accurate for what they are used for. Easy to carry IWB. They are in my ccw rotation.

How does that 3" shoot? I am looking for a retirement gift for myself soon.

 

[MedWheeler]

I only have one, a kinda-rare three-inch stainless gun made in 1995. It's a very handsome gun (I think of it as a "poor man's SP101") and shoots quite well. I carry it fairly often. The 85-series is one line Taurus pretty much got right from the beginning.

Charter Arms Undercovers are the five-shootin' snubs I have multiples of. Bought the first one in 1987, the day I was sworn in on the job. Inherited my dad's gun, made in 1966 (my birth year) in 2010, and picked up a stainless 1985-ish one maybe four years ago. Last month, it was an old Undercoverette six-shoter in .32 SWL that came home with me.

 

[357smallbore]

How does that 3" shoot? I am looking for a retirement gift for myself soon.

Its awesome. I shoot 158 swc out of it for target that I roll. Use HST 130 hp and Federal 148 full wadcutters for self defense.

 

[Agsalaska]

I have told this story on here before, but I have a Taurus 85 all steel exposed hammer, circa 2000 or so, that is the most accurate snub nosed revolver I have ever owned. Much more accurate than it is designed to shoot. I have had many friends shoot it and even out to 25 yards or so it holds its own against full size 9mm pistols. Craziest gun I own.

I don't carry it much anymore because out of DA it is pretty stiff and I shoot others better in a defensive situation. But out of SA it is nails.

 

[lgjhn]

I have told this story on here before, but I have a Taurus 85 all steel exposed hammer, circa 2000 or so, that is the most accurate snub nosed revolver I have ever owned. Much more accurate than it is designed to shoot. I have had many friends shoot it and even out to 25 yards or so it holds its own against full size 9mm pistols. Craziest gun I own.

Ditto. Mine’s a mid-90s vintage and has the same story as yours. Waaaay more accurate than the expected and/or designed for. It’s crazy.
But I still do use mine for conceal carry rotation.

 

[Cornhusker77]

We have 2 of them at our house, one a DAO, the other she bought because "it's pretty"
Both have been good guns

 

[jstert]

my first personal handgun was a taurus 85 that i bought gently used in florida in 1985 for $200. it was my only firearm for the next 25+ years as i transferred around to many anti-gun locales. while it mostly was secured at home i carried it religiously for two years in haiti. its display with intent once got me safely out of a riot there. it is mostly retired now, for sentimental reasons. i got a newer 85 3-4 years ago that is in my ccw rotation, but i prefer the feel of the older version. some taurus handguns may have issues but taurus does 38sp revolvers right.