Taurus 431 (.44spl w/ 3" barrel)...pros & cons?

[kmrcstintn]

I'm currently sitting on a Taurus 431 in layaway...stats:

.44 spl, 5 shot sylinder, blued, 3" barrel, fixed sights, edges on bluing worn that indicates holster/handling wear, lock up good for its condition, original grip replaced with Pachmayr gripper, asking is $250.00

with this being an older Taurus design...am I looking for trouble?!?

pros & cons?

buy or cancel layaway?

 

[s&w 24]

I have had a 441 4"(OLD) and a 445 2"(NEW) they both shot well and work
as long as you cleaned them once in a blue moon. Of the two the old one gave me the least trouble. I traded them off because I didn't like the factory carry ammo choices and lack of after market parts and holsters.

 

[Biggfoot44]

The good news - More closley resembles K fr than later Taurus.
The bad news _ More closley resembles K fr than later Taurus.

441 better as a field and belt gun. 445 beter as pure concealment. Of course I routinely conceal k frames, so that isn't a real problem. When 441 were current, then were considered ok for 240/ 7.5 Unique, but was tops.
Yes, I would be glad to pick up a 441.

 

[rtl]

I'd certainly buy one on site if ever I came across one. If nothing else, this would be a great truck gun.

 

[BluesBear]

Taurus has always made a very nice .44 Special.
I just wish they'd make them again.

 

[jjohnson]

Good Deal.

Yeah, I have a 441 - four inch, maybe ten years old. Solid, reliable, handles very much like a Smith, very handy, shoots well. And yeah, compared to, say, a .45 M1911A1, they're concealable. Sort of. It's a good compromise if you may have to carry it once in awhile, since though it's not a .44mag, it's way more potent as a pocket pistol than, say, a .38 special (duh). Handy as a truck gun, yes. Handy for snake loads while fishing, yes. Sidearm while hunting, yes. Target pistol, well, no. It will make you much happier than, say, a .38 snubnose UNLESS ultimate concealability is the issue. Everything else you might want to attempt with a .38 in a similar config it will outdo, with the exception I guess of playing with cheap 148gr wadcutters. A.44 Special round with 200+gr semiwadcutter will please you at the gun range and the 'defense' factory ammo is fairly impressive for serious work. I like mine and it's not on my list of stuff I'd trade away readily. PS - I also have Pachmayr grips on mine, and like them, so factor that into your good price of $250. Good luck.

Jeez, forgot to mention. Yeah, they LOOK like S&W and they handle alike, but don't use S&W disassembly diagrams. They're NOT copies on the inside. Well made, well designed, just not samesame.

 

[Photoman]

Nice guns. I've owned a few. Just watch the screws and ejector rod as they like to come loose with shooting. Not the quality of the current guns but still good and $250 is a decent price.