Taurus 608 locked up

[jimmyraythomason]

It is terribly naive to suppose that quality complaints are just internet hearsay BS.

And yet so much of it is. This very forum (not this particular thread) is replete with posts regurgitating brand/biases and quality control problems never experienced first hand by the poster.

 

[MCgunner]

Loosening the screw lets the crane have some more slack and should increase barrel/cylinder gap a tad. A gunsmith COULD cure this pretty cheap, I'm thinkin', but I wouldn't try messing with it yourself. There are revolver smiths and gunsmiths around that will work on it. I had a guy out of Florida machine me a dovetail black front sight (forget his address, name, details) on my M85 since REALLY like this little snubby and don't like stainless sights on carry guns. He did it for 80 bucks, a price I could live with. I bet whatever is ailing this thing is an easy fix.

Taurus should fix or replace it, though.

 

[skidder]

Take it to a reputable gunsmith and tell them what you know, this is your best chance of repair. I sent my Tracker in and they did absolutely nothing but cover it with black grease, finger prints, and tool marks. Sending it to Taurus is a crap shoot with not very good odds.

 

[MCgunner]

But I for one, have ceased to believe in brand loyalties

Me, too. S&W seems to carry the most brand loyalty with most of the bashing of other brands seeming (at least in revolvers) to come from them. I may be wrong, but it's how I've seen things. Me, I used to be a big Ruger fanboy. I still like Rugers, own 7 of 'em, but not to the exclusion of all else. Good guns, though, and so are Taurus and even Rossis are pretty decent. I have an old Interarms M68 that is fantastically finished and functions flawlessly. I've owned others I wouldn't say that about, but those were individual guns I ordered back when I had my FFL. I check the things out, now, before purchase, won't order a gun sight unseen.

As for new Smiths, I'd just look it over real close, but most of 'em are way more money than I can justify for the iffy quality now days. I'd not mind a 642 if I needed a snubby carry, but my 85UL is awesome. It needs no replacement. I'd buy older Smiths if I can check one out. I bought a 1917 once and it was pretty worn out, listed in NRA good as a good shooter condition. I had to have a smith work it over and he told me to take it easy on the old war horse. It was pitted and crapped out and looked like it'd been excavated from a WW1 trench when I received it. That one was back when I had the FFL, too. Ordering anything sight unseen is a crap shoot IMHO. I wanna look it over first, new or used.

 

[Jim K]

Well, you CAN enlarge the b/c gap with a file (I have done it), but I don't recommend it as getting an even cut is pretty hard. There is a special tool, sold by Brownells, that is made to work on the barrel both to adjust the b/c gap and cut the throat properly, but it is probably not worth buying for one job.

There may be some other cause of that lockup, but when dealing with the b/c gap, don't forget the heat factor. If the gap is too tight, a few shots can cause the cylinder to expand lengthwise from the heat and lock up. It is frustrating because it is something seldom considered and it comes (after firing) and goes (after the gun cools).

Jim

 

[Gato Montés]

Have you sent it in to Taurus yet? That seems to be the logical first step here.

And you should probably send that S&W back to the factory as well.

You know, instead of loosening screws and removing material BEFORE you even know what the problem is...

 

[dashootist]

I've been doing a lot testing for the last two days. I went to the gun range many times, and I removed the side plates several times to check the action. I believe I now know what the problem is. The fix is probably beyond my skill level. I've done one or two trigger job on S&W, so I'm intimately familiar with this type of action. I believe there's nothing wrong with the action. After firing about 100 rounds, I am sure the reason the trigger locks up is the back of the barrel is rubbing against the front of the cylinder. There should be something in the crane to stop the cylinder from sliding forward and touch the back of the barrel. But this Taurus doesn't. A little bit of powder residue results in too much friction for the hand to overcome.

 

[Old Fuff]

You are probably right, but be aware that Smith & Wesson's are made the same way.

 

[webfox]

I had the same problem with my Taurus .44 mag. This is my first revolver, and it was way too tight. Due to my inexperience, I didn't know that too tight was a bad thing.

You could see where the forcing cone wiped through the fouling on the front of the cylinder after it was used. A few shots with it were okay when clean, but then it started to hang as it warmed up and the metal expanded. Double action was impossible after that.

Sent it in. They obviously filed the forcing cone at the back of the barrel. They got it back to me in seven business days. (Left on a Friday, back two Mondays later.) They paid for everything.

Haven't shot it yet. Will tomorrow.

 

[dashootist]

Sent it in. They obviously filed the forcing cone at the back of the barrel. They got it back to me in seven business days. (Left on a Friday, back two Mondays later.) They paid for everything.

That's it? I could have done that myself in 5 minutes. Alas I already drop it off at the Fedex this morning.

 

[skidder]

Sent it in. They obviously filed the forcing cone at the back of the barrel.

Fire several rounds through the gun before you claim they fixed it.

I sent my 44 in with 3 problems and 0 got fixed. It came back not fixed and with black grease, dirt, and finger prints from head to toe. I purchased it new in March and sent it in 4 days later. I was all when I got it back untill I opened the box up.

You people can defend Taurus all you want, but until you get burned by their lack of integrity, pride, and quality control, you will never know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the horror.

 

[webfox]

Well, they corrected what I surmised was the problem. I included a dirty gun with the signs of where the points touched. I also included a decent description of the problem. Since back I've filled it with snap caps and it works fine, but it's clean and cool right now. I'll let you know after tomorrow when I go to shoot.

Everyone's experiences vary, and that's unfortunate. Consistency (with a touch of excellence) is the key to any business surviving these days. Taurus did clean my firearm before returning it to me. I'm disappointed to hear that yours was returned in such a bad state.

I don't defend Taurus. I've thought about the situation as it stands. I have had to put a few hundred rounds through the firearm before a "breaking in" period can produce valid results in order to return it. I spent money on ammo, time and more money on reloading average magnum rounds (with a single stage press no less), time and money at the range with a weapon that doesn't function right, and I think after everything I'd have come out even by buying a Ruger or S&W that just works right out of the box. Then again, many Taurus owners get the same product that I bought and it that works right out of the box without issue.

I still love my firearm. It's accurate enough to make me look good at the range.

Again, I'll let you know if I see new problems or persistent old ones after tomorrow.

 

[MCgunner]

Without an inspection, I'd give Ruger a lot better shot at working out of the box than Smith and Wesson. Just imagine having problems with a gun you spent twice as much on. I inspect all my guns before purchase, though. Haven't had a problem, yet, with a taurus, but of course, I only have 3 of 'em.

 

[Old Fuff]

That's it? I could have done that myself in 5 minutes.

Yes you could, but if the cut was at an angle the barrel might have been ruined.

Also in the process of inspection they might find something else that is wrong.

 

[webfox]

I'm sure dashootist wouldn't bare knuckle his barrel on a bench grinder to fix his firearm. The warranty for the life of the firearm is too valuable to throw away.

 

[DWFan]

The Taurus and the S&W are not the same in the crane/yoke design. When the two companies separated, Taurus did not get the patented improvements S&W called the Endurance Package so the Taurus crane assembly is more prone to have problems.
http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/dec97IPSC.html
I am assuming this is why Taurus added the Dan Wesson-style forward latch when they created the Raging Bull series.

 

[dashootist]

Hey folks,

I just got the 608 back from Taurus Florida. The repair was lightning fast. They received it on Monday, and I got it back on Friday.

However, they didn't fix the problem!!! I can see that they increased the cylinder gap by a small amount. The trigger is not as tight as before. But it still will lock up after firing just a few rounds. The symptom is almost exactly like before.

Taurus two thumbs down

 

[earlthegoat2]

My money is on the forcing cone. The forcing cone has to be cut at the right angle for lead bullets. The chambers could probably be due for some straightening up as well.

Nearly every factory revolver sold these days needs a little tune up before it is ready for the REAL world.

 

[KevininPa]

I didn't read all the..........

.......posts but I feel your pain. I have a Taurus 605 that I had the same problems with. Sent it to Taurus CS. At the time I felt I knew the problem and told them what I thought the problem was. Bad mistake. They fixed what I thought the problem was. Wasn't it. Here's what you do. Down load their problem sheet and fill it out. If it's a new gun, take it back to the dealer and see if they'll cover it (shipping). DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT tell them what you think the problem is, just tell them the symptoms. That way they have to go over the whole firearm. Expect them to have it for four to eight weeks. If it's used and you got it from a private sale, you can mail it yourself. I don't go this route myself. If it goes through a dealer it costs you more but it is strictly tracked. I went this route. Just feel more warm and fuzzy this way about myself. My 605 shoots great now. Good Luck. It's a time consuming process, but you'll be happy in the long run. Remember, SYMPTONS ONLY! Be vague as possible so they have to give the firearm a complete once over! I've been down this road and mine went back twice because I tried to be helpful, DON'T DO WHAT I DID! Again, good luck. They're actually not bad to deal with contrary to some posts. I've had good experiences with them on my 605.

 

[roaddog28]

dashscootist,
Save yourself some frustration and take the revolver to a gunsmith. My experience with Taurus service is they don't no how to fix handguns. Taurus could never fix my Tracker and I finally traded in on a S&W 28-2 4 inch. Never looked back.
Howard

 

[jojo200517]

Just out of curiosity have you tried FMJ bullets thru it to see if you have the same issue? I'd try a couple different brands of jacketed bullets and see if that worked for you. If your having this much leading maybe the barrel is kinda rough inside and needs to be honed down with some FMJ fired thru it.

 

[webfox]

Dashootist, when it locks up, can you see light between the forcing cone and the cylinder? Obviously, if you can't, then the gap is still too small. If you can see light, then there's something inside that's binding. I had the binding happen once in a while, but I cleaned mine inside completely more than once, muscled it through with snap caps when it resisted, and the problem gradually seemed to go away.

I still haven't shot my .44 yet to find out if it's been truly fixed yet. Sorry for not getting back to everyone.

 

[dashootist]

I shot a box of Federal jacketed ammo, and the gun didn't lock up. As soon as I shot 10 or so of my own lead ammo, gun locks up.

So, I took the gun to a gunsmith. He thinks the cylinder gap is too tight for shooting lead bullets. He is going to increase the gap.

 

[JR47]

Gee, and after all the crappy advice about Taurus. Perhaps they all missed the fact that you were shooting your re-loads, and that factory ammo worked fine in it. That is, after all Taurus fault, I'm sure.

The Taurus and the S&W are not the same in the crane/yoke design. When the two companies separated, Taurus did not get the patented improvements S&W called the Endurance Package so the Taurus crane assembly is more prone to have problems.

Where do the posters get this from. Bangor Punta owned S&W and Taurus for a short while. According to both S&W and Taurus, there was little, if any, transfer of technology between them. Sort of like saying that a Buick used technology from Pontiac in their engines in 1968. They were all owned by GM, but had their own engineering staffs and the engines weren't anything alike beyond the V-8 indicator.

I own 14 Taurus pistols and semi-autos. Some are approaching 25 years old. I actually shoot them regularly, not wax poetic over a safe queen S&W. I've used Customer Service once, when I deliberately shot a non +P rated Model 85 CH loose with a steady diet of +P and +P+ rounds. I sent it in, along with an explanation, and, in six weeks, had a rebuilt, and re-blued, revolver in my hands. FREE.

I also own S&W (broke on first shot Model 625-3), Sig (cracked the slide in less than 75 rounds P229), HK (shot 8" groups at 15 yds. until barrel replaced USP), Colt (Series 80 with rear sight dovetail cut way too wide to hold sight in place), SA (Loaded Model 1911 that wouldn't feed anything), and a host of rifles and shotguns that didn't perform as their Internet fan-boys assured everyone that they would.

Brand loyalty requires the reverse, that the Brand be worthy of loyalty. Constantly referring to Models built 20 years ago isn't loyalty, it's ignorance.

 

[webfox]

Just got back today from the range. They fixed my .44 correctly. After 7 cylinders of double action, it functioned perfectly. (I was rusty, but the gun was fine.)