Taurus M431 44 Special

[Dave T]

Stainz,

The HKS #CA44 speedloader I had would not feed in the 696 I owned at the same time. The Smith cylinder was enough bigger than the Charter that the rounds splayed out and bound. By the time I fiddled and jiggled them enough to finally release I could have hand loaded 5 rounds from my pocket. YMMV!

Dave

 

[averius]

I dont own a single revolver and think that its time to get one. A dealer that I buy from appears to have decent prices on Taurus models. How do Taurus revolvers compare to Smith & Wesson in terms of overall quality/reliability?

 

[Baba Louie]

How do Taurus revolvers compare to Smith & Wesson in terms of overall quality/reliability?

A notch or two beneath S&W typically, but still and all, if you get a good Taurus that goes bang every time and hits the target, who cares?
Now, customer service... that might be another story altogether w/ S&W CS being several tiers above Taurus CS... or so I read on the net. None of my Taurii or S&Ws have needed CS to date. Always remember...

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is gone.

Not that I'm saying one or the other is poor quality, just buy the best you can afford, even if it means saving a little bit more for an older pre-lock Model 10/19/64/65 or whathaveyou. But that's just my take on things. None of my Taurus products have ever given me pause to worry (but then again I shoot my smiths a whole lot more often than my few brazilian bulls)

 

[averius]

notch or two beneath S&W typically

\

What about Ruger revolvers? how do they rank, second to S & W or on par?

 

[Stainz]

I have to admit, the HKS CA-44s I bought right after my 296 & 696 purchase have only carried the Speer 200gr GDJHP bullet, either in Blazer Al-cased form (then) or GA Arms Starline brass (now). The nicely rounded forms slip into the chambers as if on a tractor beam. The 696 did get 240gr LSWC bullets in short .44 Russian cases on several occasions with no problems. I am sorry for your trouble with them, Dave T. I guess I'll just have to 'try' them again with my 696... have to take it to the range... how horrible will that be?

Oddly, in my ongoing attempts at besting my pitiful performances in SPC, I practiced with my 696 years ago. It was fine - I never missed - five for five plates. At my only competition, they introduced the sixth stop plate for shoot-offs - I was sunk - had to reload! I hadn't prepared for that - and recall fumbling. I now use a moonclip fed 627 Pro... still not besting the times of that 696. BTW, those spindly rounds are slow to reload, especially if you are accustomed to .45 ACP ball ammo in 'clips and a 625.

I'll try the CA-44s again with my 696 - a range mission!

Stainz

 

[joed]

The .44 Spl has a cult following but I don't think it's getting any more popular. If you believe it is go to the store and look for ammo one time. I have a few specials and like them but I'd never pay a premium for any of them.

 

[Stainz]

That's a poor indicator of popularity!

For example, check the availability now of .380 Auto ammo... by your standards, no one has a .380! Oops!

In reality, you are correct. S&W let the centinnial come and go several years ago without a commemorative model - and it was their caliber (.44 S&W Special!). Of course, it never sold well. I still like it...

Stainz

 

[Walkalong]

A Taurus 441 is on my want list. I will get one one of these days.

 

[unspellable]

Tuarus 5 hole 44 Specials

I've had three of the Taurus 5 hole 44 specials on the medium sized frame.

1st was a titanium snubbie. Had issues with chamber to barrel alignment. (I've had the same problem with two Rugers as well. Also a S&W, but in the case of the S&W the misalignment was minor.)

The 2nd is a six inch with adjustable sights and traditional square butt wooden grips.

The third is the snubbie above, but this time in blued steel.

The latter two seem to have no problems.

 

[496 polara]

Here is mine in 6".I have the matching partner in .357 as well.

 

[karlkcfi]

I have a 4" 431 Taurus. Great gun, adjustable sights. I just need to get some speedloaders and a good holster for carry.
44 special has always had a place for me. I used to own a smith 29 that only got fed 44 special because it was so darned accurate with my reloads.
Now, I just need to find a good load for this one...

 

[orionengnr]

Wow, a thread resuscitated three separate times from the dead.

That has to be some kind of record.

 

[Slamfire]

Wow, a thread resuscitated three separate times from the dead.

Giving life to the past, continuity to the future, why not?

The wooden grips that came on my 431 were uncomfortable. So I was able to find a Pachmayr gripper set. Life is much better.


Early on I found that my 431 shoots to point of aim at 25 yards with 200 grain bullets. Obviously Taurus meant this to be used with the advanced 200 grain self defense loads on the market. My normal 44 Special loads with 240 grain bullets shot quite high. I was able to purchase 200 grain LSWC bullets, at an advertized brinell hardness of 13.

I used Unique as that is an exceptionally flexible powder, a powder I normally use in 44 Spl, and Unique did not let me down.

I got light leading at 6.0 grs Unique.That load shot to point of aim with excellent accuracy, and it is the lightest recoiling of the test sequence, this is now what I use in practice. I suspect I was pushing the pistol with the heavier loads.

[SIZE="3"]Taurus M431 3" Barrel	
			
240 LSWC 5.0 grs Red Dot  thrown, Midway Brass CCI 500
			
Ave Vel =	684.1		
Std Dev =	17.11		
ES =	57.84		
Low = 	654.1		
High = 	712		
N =	16		
		Shoots way high

			
					
205 LSWC 6.0 grs Unique  thrown, Midway Brass WLP		
				T = 54 °F	11-Dec-04
Ave Vel =	789.6				
Std Dev =	27.18				
ES =	96.54		 		
Low = 	724.1				
High = 	820.6				
N =	30				
Accurate, shoots point of aim, light leading. 
					
					
					
205 LSWC 6.5 Unique  thrown, Midway Brass WLP		
				T = 54 °F	25-Nov-04
Ave Vel =	866	 	 	 	 
Std Dev =	16				
ES =	52				
Low = 	839				
High = 	891				
N =	11				
Elevation good, but left; more leading		
					
			
					
205 LSWC 7.0 grs Unique  thrown, Midway Brass WLP		
				T = 57 °F	25-Nov-04
Ave Vel =	906				 
Std Dev =	16				 
ES =	56				 
Low = 	876				 
High = 	932				
N =	15				
 elevation good but left: worst leading 	 	 	 	
		[/SIZE]