Taurus 445 Questions

[J.R.W.]

My girlfriend bought me a Taurus 445UL for Christmas. For those unfamiliar with it, it's a 5-shot, snub nosed, 44Spl. I've put about 200 rounds through it as of yet and noticed a couple things that I've never noticed in my high mileage SP-101.

First, when closing the cylinder, the cylinder face makes slight contact with the forcing cone. Not a whole lot, just enough to cut the finish off of the sharp edge.

Second, the cylinder stop notches have peened slightly. I realize this is somewhat normal wear but I wouldn't expect to see it at such a low round count, especially being one notch in particular.

Please, lets keep the Taurus bashing to a minimum. Trust me, whatever negative you may have to say has been said many times before by every keyboard commando alive. I wanted this gun as the pickings for a light weight 44 special are pretty slim. The reviews between the new Charters and Taurus make for a nice toss up. I'd appreciate any insight as to whether this is normal wear to a Taurus revolver.

EDIT: I'll try to get some decent photos later on to show what I'm referring to.

 

[righteoushoot]

Check the ejector rod to make sure it's not loosening up. I heard that can be an issue to keep your eye on. I have a 450 ss, so similar. I have heard its possible for the forcing cone cylinder gap to be too tight as well. Peening is common on many revolvers, so pics would paint a more illustrative picture than words, so to speak.

The forcing cone issue might require a trip south. On their dime if its not something simpler, like lead build up.

 

[J.R.W.]

righteous,

Good call! I just grabbed it to clean it again, just got some Kroil, figured I'd give it a go. Sure enough, the ejector rod had backed out almost a full turn. I cleaned all the oil off the threads and snugged it up good. I have a return tag from Taurus too. I'll probably shoot it this weekend and see if tightening the ejector rod sorted it out.

As to Taurus customer service, I had a very pleasant experience. The woman I spoke to informed me the gun was a '11 model and after explaining that it was purchased from Bud's just prior to Christmas, she offered to pay for the shipping.

 

[Jaymo]

I used to have a 431 and still regret selling it.

 

[righteoushoot]

Good luck with CS. Let us know how it works out and what the fix is/was. There is just something about those big bore snubbies that gives me the farm fuzzies. I reload, so I can play around with my loads. Not an expert at it by any means, kind of new to it, but having a good time at it. Reloading is something to consider.

 

[the Black Spot]

Check the thread on handloading and reloading called "44 special pet loads"

 

[BullRunBear]

No Taurus bashing here. Just got a Taurus 66 357 mag and received the same advice about the ejector rod. Easy enough to check periodically. This model 66 is one sweet shooter. Bet your 445UL is just as good.

Like Jaymo, I had a Taurus 431. Sold it years ago (don't remember why) and have regretted it ever since. Based on my limited experience, I wouldn't hesitate to get more Taurus revolvers.

Jeff