Taurus 942 .22 Long Rifle

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mec

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CAPACITY 8 rds.
HEIGHT 4.64"
WIDTH 1.34"
WEIGHT 23.60 oz.
Single Action Trigger 5 pounds center of trigger.
Double Action Pull 15 pounds.
BARREL LENGTH 2.00"
OVERALL LENGTH 6.60"
FRONT SIGHT Serrated Ramp
REAR SIGHT Screw Adjustable For Windage
SAFETY Transfer Bar
MSRP $391.67
Central Texas ...Before Tax: $339.95
t942.jpg
Introduced at the 2020 SHOT show in .22 LR or .22 WMR. Finish to be Stainless or matte blue. The Manual says that variations will include Alloy Frame - Ultra Lite and both two and three inch barrels ( though gun experts) are denying that there will be a 3-inch). Internet search of the usual on-line dealers come up with OUT-OF-STOCK giving the impression that none have been shipped. This is bolstered by the absence of print or e-reviews except those by people who have Not Seen The Items.
This one turned up at the Texas Retail Outlet of a major South West Distributor. He said that the "matte blue" long rifles are in the pipeline and are getting easy to get. He expect the stainless version to come next. The matte version is an attractive item with hefty 23+ounce weight and the overall profile of the Smith J-Frame. The intro-pictures from Shot are what peaked my interest and the appeal survives direct observation.
Timing/ cylinder carry up is optimal, the Double Action trigger is smooth and heavy enough to crack CCI rimfire primers..every time. The BC gap admits a .004-inch leaf but stops a .005 short of full insertion. This value remains the same for each chamber.
The 942 fits my J-frame and Sp 101 belt and pocket holsters.
rear-sight.jpg
The grooved front sight and the windage adjustable rear offer a very good sight picture. Elevation was right on for my loads and the rear sight was in perfect register centered over the frame. A grooved top strap would probably do but this arrangement is Way Neat.

Range:
It shoots like every other small frame snub revolver with good grips and my results were much the same. These grips are ambidextrous with the hint of a palm swell on both sides. They afford a solid (medium-to-large hands) grip and have no tendency to "print" under my wardrobe.
Starting at three yards and working back to fifteen shooting rapid pairs, i was able to keep all double action shots inside the 9 ring of the b-27 target. My shooting more or less fell apart at 25 yards but shots were still inside the 8-ring. Shooting one-hand slow fire-Single Action from 15 yards, I kept eight rounds on the 5.5-inch NRA Timed and Rapid bullseye and all eight Double Action shots on the head of the B-27 with deliberate and stagy Double action /isosceles.
Untitled.png

The CCI 40 grain rn clocked 901fps 46 fps spread (10)and 17 standard deviation
CCI 27 grain Short Mini-caps got 628/48/17 -They will go all the way through 3/4" seasoned pine board and bury to the base in the second.one
The Mini-Mag HP did better than I expected-1006/57/20 I've had some 6 inch revolvers that got similar velocities and would get reliable expansion on small game and varmints. Not knowing that they were at or over expansion threshold, I had opened the hollow points with a slightly larger bit and stressed the cavity with a small Phillips Screw Driver.

mmhp.jpg
T
hey went through a slab of pork ribs and 2. inches of raw beef before stopping in the first and second gallon water jugs behind. The center and right one hit bone. The perfect mushroom -probably not.

Taurus
I've had excellent results with Taurus revolvers and semi-autos over the past couple of decade. According to my distributor, the out-the-door quality has continued to improve and the customer service department at Taurus USA is now staffed with knowledgeable people
 

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The big question I have on this gun is:
How is the trigger? I have a Taurus 94 and the trigger is very heavy. The hammer is very difficult for my wife to pull back as well. How is the 942?

We have a Rossi snub (made by Taurus) that is the same size as a model 85, and the trigger is fine. I am hoping the new model is close to this one.
 
The trigger is ' smooth" but not light. It feels lighter that the measured weight- both double and single action but neither are target releases. Go too light with a rimfire and you get light-strike failures to fire. Some people will probably find it hard to cock.

Overall, I like it a lot but I have others that are more suitable for bullseye shooting.it's a quality item and very useful against COV(etc) cabin fever. There are a number of other things I can explore with it to keep myself amused.
 
Is it about the same size and build as the Taurus 85? The old 94 I have is on a smaller frame, which I think is part of the problem.

The Rossi is a near spitting image of an 85.
 
Had 94, cylinder seized up. Back to the shop. Got it and the adjustable sight fell off. Sold it. YMMV.
 
Is it about the same size and build as the Taurus 85? The old 94 I have is on a smaller frame, which I think is part of the problem.

The Rossi is a near spitting image of an 85.
Not sure. They call it "Small Frame" and is suspect they are pretty well standardized now.
 
Excellent, I've been waiting to hear from others on these. I'm waiting for the aluminum frames to show up, I have no need for a 25oz .22 snub revolver. Hoping the 3 inch barrels come as well, I'd prefer the little extra sight radius and with the lighter aluminum these would make a for a nice kit gun.

Trigger seems like the usual fair for .22 revolvers.
 
I rarely buy NIB firearms from my LGS. I was about 2 hours away from my home visiting a friend when on a whim I decided to check a hole in the wall and very cluttered pawn/gun shop. When I seen the all stainless 3" new for 2020 Taurus 942 in 22lr for only $327, it was a no brainer that I had to pick one up... It's the first new firearm that I've purchased from a LGS since 2013. It's a very nice revolver for the price. I literally just purchased it 3 hours ago, so I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet; however, the fit and finish along with everything else is nice. I never knew these existed until a few hours ago. I don't even see the 3" version listed on Taurus's site or current catalog. The 3" models seem to be unicorns at the present moment.

I also like that the rear sight is held in via screw and the front is pinned, so they can eventually be switched out...

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Excellent, I've been waiting to hear from others on these. I'm waiting for the aluminum frames to show up, I have no need for a 25oz .22 snub revolver. Hoping the 3 inch barrels come as well, I'd prefer the little extra sight radius and with the lighter aluminum these would make a for a nice kit gun.

Trigger seems like the usual fair for .22 revolvers.
What is a kit gun? I see that term used on different sites but don’t know what it means.
 
What is a kit gun? I see that term used on different sites but don’t know what it means.
I had to Google it myself...

Kit guns are multi-purpose utility handguns, intended to be used for small game hunting, plinking, pest control, even self defense. They are generally small, lightweight, .22 rimfire revolvers, designed to be easily packed in a hunting, camping or fishing "kit".[1] They are ideally suited for shooting snake shot at snakes, rodents, birds, and other pest at very close range. They are also commonly used to euthanase animals or provide the coup de grâce by hunters and fishermen....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_gun
 
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What is a kit gun? I see that term used on different sites but don’t know what it means.
Besides the textbook definition, it's a small, light revolver that uses a low power ammo (that itself is also light weight) for small game, self defense, etc.
 
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I was thinking heavily about getting the .22 wmr version when it comes out. i looked up some You-tubes on the Hornady 22 mag critical defense and the Speer Gold Dot which are promoted as "short bbl defense" rounds. Dude was shooting them in a 2.5 -inch bbl NAA mini revolver and getting velocities a little faster what I was reading with the CCI-Mini Mag lrs- though with 40 and 45 grain bullets. None of the recovered magnum bullets had expanded at all. I looked up something I had done on the NAA prototype Top-break revolver (pre-ranger II) and saw that the only round that would expand a bullet in water or meat was the CCI TNT. It' has a 30-grain bullet.
I'll likely stick with the long rifle and have ordered some Winchester-Browning 40 grain large cavity hp loads that clocked 1400 fps from a ruger 10-22 and 1180 from a 4 3/4-inch Ruger 22-45.

"Besides the textbook definition, it's a small, light revolver that uses a low power ammo (that itself is also light weight) for small game, self defense, etc."-TTV2
Thumbs Up!
The term was originated by Smith And Wesson when they reduced the barrel length of their "
Bekaert" target revolver -named after the California gun shop/owner who had ordered them. Full name was 22-32 Kit Gun with 4- barrel. At that time, the 32 frame was larger than the standard .22 frames though light by later target revolver standards. Interestingly, though well made, the Smth kit guns were not particularly accurate. The one I had showed indifferent accuracy with most loads and grouped best with a brand of .22 short. Massad Ayoob in his book The Greatest Handguns of the World-volume 1 wrote that he had seen Taurus model 94s consistenly out-group the Smith.
 
I would consider that 3" stainless version,,,
It looks very serviceable.

It's exactly the pistol that my older sister needs,,,
She won't shoot anything but a .22,,,
And likes shiny things. :D

Aarond

.
Yea, Taurus has some really nice, affordable, and reliable stuff coming out. People who hate and refuse to buy their products because they're stuck in the past are really missing out. They even have a 6 shot 38 special revolver coming out this year that ships with an Amerigo front night sight and I believe G10 VZ grips for around $330 +/-...

But yeah, the 3" 942 does look to be very serviceable. The front and rear sites can be replaced, it should fit other 3" jframe holsters that are already on the market, and the Pachmayr, VZ, Hogue, and Altamont grips that have been on the market for Taurus revolvers should also fit the 942...
 
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Would have added to the initial post but the edit option has expired. The Winchester/ Browning 40 grain HP BPR rounds did just over 1400 fps as advertised from a knock off of the Ruger 10-22. Five shot group went 1.5 inches at 50 yards- double what I got with several target loads and CCI mini-mags but probably worthwhile because of the extra vel/erg. The did 1180 rom a Ruger 4 5/8-bbl 22/45 while the CCI MMHP were in the low 1100s.
I had high hopes for this load out of the 2"bbl taurus but at 991 fps it was 10 f-s slower than the Mini-Mags.WORSE the extreme spread was 92 fps for 8 rounds with a high of 1040 and low of 948. Sandard Deviation 27 fps.
Still WORSE- Firing pin strikes were very faint and there were a couple of failures to fire. 9 I had one out of half a box or so from the rifle too0
The poor consistency could stem from it being, much like 22 rimfire magnum loads= developed for rifle-length barrels but there is absolutely No Excuse for fielding .22 round that is unreliable as documented by many of the reviews on the Cabela's site.. CCi Aguilla and others ignite reliably in this revolver and other arms so writing it off by saying it's "just a 22 and they aren't as reliable as centerfires" won't hunt either.
ccibrown.jpg
 
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CAPACITY 8 rds.
HEIGHT 4.64"
WIDTH 1.34"
WEIGHT 23.60 oz.
Single Action Trigger 5 pounds center of trigger.
Double Action Pull 15 pounds.
BARREL LENGTH 2.00"
OVERALL LENGTH 6.60"
FRONT SIGHT Serrated Ramp
REAR SIGHT Screw Adjustable For Windage
SAFETY Transfer Bar
MSRP $391.67
Central Texas ...Before Tax: $339.95
View attachment 918945
Introduced at the 2020 SHOT show in .22 LR or .22 WMR. Finish to be Stainless or matte blue. The Manual says that variations will include Alloy Frame - Ultra Lite and both two and three inch barrels ( though gun experts) are denying that there will be a 3-inch). Internet search of the usual on-line dealers come up with OUT-OF-STOCK giving the impression that none have been shipped. This is bolstered by the absence of print or e-reviews except those by people who have Not Seen The Items.
This one turned up at the Texas Retail Outlet of a major South West Distributor. He said that the "matte blue" long rifles are in the pipeline and are getting easy to get. He expect the stainless version to come next. The matte version is an attractive item with hefty 23+ounce weight and the overall profile of the Smith J-Frame. The intro-pictures from Shot are what peaked my interest and the appeal survives direct observation.
Timing/ cylinder carry up is optimal, the Double Action trigger is smooth and heavy enough to crack CCI rimfire primers..every time. The BC gap admits a .004-inch leaf but stops a .005 short of full insertion. This value remains the same for each chamber.
The 942 fits my J-frame and Sp 101 belt and pocket holsters.
View attachment 918777
The grooved front sight and the windage adjustable rear offer a very good sight picture. Elevation was right on for my loads and the rear sight was in perfect register centered over the frame. A grooved top strap would probably do but this arrangement is Way Neat.

Range:
It shoots like every other small frame snub revolver with good grips and my results were much the same. These grips are ambidextrous with the hint of a palm swell on both sides. They afford a solid (medium-to-large hands) grip and have no tendency to "print" under my wardrobe.
Starting at three yards and working back to fifteen shooting rapid pairs, i was able to keep all double action shots inside the 9 ring of the b-27 target. My shooting more or less fell apart at 25 yards but shots were still inside the 8-ring. Shooting one-hand slow fire-Single Action from 15 yards, I kept eight rounds on the 5.5-inch NRA Timed and Rapid bullseye and all eight Double Action shots on the head of the B-27 with deliberate and stagy Double action /isosceles.
View attachment 918784

Loads
bpr-sml.jpg
The CCI 40 grain rn clocked 901fps 46 fps spread (10)and 17 standard deviation
CCI 27 grain Short Mini-caps got 628/48/17 -They will go all the way through 3/4" seasoned pine board and bury to the base in the second.one
The Mini-Mag HP did better than I expected-1006/57/20 I've had some 6 inch revolvers that got similar velocities and would get reliable expansion on small game and varmints. Not knowing that they were at or over expansion threshold, I had opened the hollow points with a slightly larger bit and stressed the cavity with a small Phillips Screw Driver.
I was optimistic about the high velocity load that Winchester is putting up for Browning. They do 1400 fps from a rifle and high 1100s from a 4 5/8-inch bbl 22/45 From this revolver, they are a non-starter. Reading was 991 fps Extreme spread 92 and Standard deviation 27. Firing pin strikes were light and I got a coupl of misfires out of the first dozen or so.

View attachment 918779
T
hey went through a slab of pork ribs and 2. inches of raw beef before stopping in the first and second gallon water jugs behind. The center and right one hit bone. The perfect mushroom -probably not.

ccibrown.jpg

Taurus
I've had excellent results with Taurus revolvers and semi-autos over the past couple of decade. According to my distributor, the out-the-door quality has continued to improve and the customer service department at Taurus USA is now staffed with knowledgeable people
 
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3 inch black 942’s are on gunbroker right now for 299 plus shipping no tax. But they are the 25oz ones.
 
aarondgraham writes:

I would consider that 3" stainless version,,,
It looks very serviceable.

It's exactly the pistol that my older sister needs,,,
She won't shoot anything but a .22,,,
And likes shiny things. :D

Same for my wife. ;)
 
The 94 had the wrong combination of heavy trigger and lightweight hammer. In contrast, my Smith and Wesson 63-3 has a heavy hammer, and a lighter trigger. The energy packed by a snapping hammer with more mass makes up for the lighter trigger in ignition reliability.

As someone mentioned, the 94 hammer can be difficult to thumb-cock, due to both its shorter length (hard to get good purchase on it) and the heavy mainspring it must overcome. My 2014-ish 94 is very accurate and fun to shoot, but it's hard to extract empties in all chambers. I'm guessing the chamber diameters may be too high, allowing fired cases to swell into them. Never bothered to send the gun in, though, because I like having it here.

I also have a three-inch stainless 941, from around 1999. Darn pretty gun I got maybe a year ago, but haven't shot yet.

I need to add a 942, but only in that stainless, three-inch like the one above.
 
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