taurus m85 snubbie

[mr e man]

hello !

Anyone have experience with taurus m85 2"? I can get one used for about 100$ wich is very cheap in norway no matter what the condition... (it looks to be in good condition) and I always wanted a snubbie. It will be for fun shooting , but it has to be reliable, (as I will use it for ccw occationally)
Are they usually? and when they brake, what parts? I have NO experience on wheelguns and hope for your input.

have a good one...

thanx...

 

[hawk0484]

I own one

I bought it used in 1995. It is reliable and concealable, especially since I changed the grips on it. The trigger is a little stiffer than a similar S&W I have, but it is my opinion that it would be $100 well spent.

 

[10-Ring]

I have experienced 2 kinds of Tauri. The well made, good shooting worth every penny spent kind & the can't wait to sell it off kind. As long as you can inspect the gun (look at the thread re: used revo's for help) before you buy it & it meets your standards, it should be fine.

 

[JohnK]

I've owned 2 M85 Taurus, one I sold to a co-worker the other I still own. Both solid performers that I'd buy again. I think I paid $165 for the second one (used), a CH model.

 

[Jim March]

Yes, definately do the checkout:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1430

...FIRST thing. But if it passes, sure, should be a decent gun.

 

[P95Carry]

I have had an M85 for a year or so .. and it is my summer carry piece ....... paid a bit more for it used than your price .. but got small holster with it. About $175 I think ...... and it was very little used. Now it has attrocious holster wear but .. it is a working gun and not a show piece!!!

It performs very well IMo ..... D/A is to be honest as good as many a Smith ... and all I did extra was make some mahogany grips ... to improve the hold for my largish hands. Got a couple of H&K speedloaders for it .. and that is why the left side of grips is so cutaway .. for access by speedloaders and to better dump empties.

If the one you seek is average to good .. grab it! I really doubt you will be disappointed. (I do also have a M66 4" .357 taurus too .. and find that a very good value gun ..... tho not quite in the class of my M27 Smith!)

 

[mguffey]

I am a Taurus M85 owner and enthusiast of this firearm. Hence my page at http://thearmedcitizen.com/gunpages/model85.htm

 

[P95Carry]

Useful page Mguffey ..thx. Have you tried those Maxfire speedloaders at all?? Any good.? Seem quite interesting.

 

[BLiTzNicK]

and when they brake, what parts?

You'd just better pray you never need any parts.

I've been waiting for a grip screw and bushing for a PT92 since sometime in January. They WILL NOT send you parts. They will lead you on, and tell you everytime you call that the part will ship by the end of the week, but you'll never get them. I had to order the parts from an outside source, which cost me a butt load, for a screw and bushing.

I traded the PT92 off, and haven't talked to Taurus since. I don't really care if they ever send me the parts, since I no longer, nor will I ever own another Taurus product.

I had a model 85 that functioned fine, but the star was rough, and the cylinder notches were getting dinged up from a timing problem. It wouldn't be long until it needed work. This was a new gun, not a used one. GONE!

I also had a PT22, which was complete crap. It jammed on everythng, except Winchester Wildcat. It wasn't worth the trouble, and I got rid of it.

If you can pick one up for $100, and it's what you want, go for it. Just be aware that many of their products have problems, and their customer service is the WORST in the business.

 

[mr e man]

I'll take it.. thanks for the reply's, great links!

have a good one....

 

[sctman800]

Taurus sent me parts.

I have a Taurus 415, stainless steel .41mag. I bought it used but never fired last May. It developed a problem with the pin that locks the rear of the cylinder to the frame, it would bind up, spring couldnt push it out to lock in. Called Taurus, gave them modeland serial nos. that I had bought it used and explained the problem. They said the turn around time was about 4 weeks or they would send the parts in about 10 days, no charge. Cool, send the parts, spring and pin got here in about 2 weeks. After I got off the phone I took it to a local gunsmith who said it was probably a burr, two days and $20 later He had it all cleaned up for me, put in the origonal parts. Few weeks later it did the same thing, this time I had the new parts, went back to GS, this time he put them in no charge. No more problems, but I did notice the old pin was stainless steel and the new pin was hardened carbon steel. Makes me think this must have been a problem with more guns than mine. I have heard other people complain about their customer service, but I can't complain about them or my local gunsmith. Jim.

 

[gbelleh]

I have a Taurus 85UL that has been great. No problems with it at all. Check it out before buying, if all is well, $100 is a great price.

 

[Mannlicher]

I bought two Taurus 85CH Stainless steel DAO snubbies at a gun show back in '97. Together they cost me $300 cash.

I have been very pleased with them. They use the same Safariland CH7 speedloaders as my Smith snubbies. I kept the smooth factory wood stocks on both.

Accurate, totally reliable, and both have great DAO triggers. I actually carry one of the Taurus 85CH guns more often than I carry a Smith.

They both performed so well, my Son wanted to try one. Hmmmmmmmm that was 5 years ago. I wonder if he will ever bring it back.

Or the AR HBAR he borrowed..........or the Mossberg shottie, or the........
Excuse me, I have to make a phone call. lol

HEY, my Bulgarian AK is missing too!!!

 

[mguffey]

I bought several sizes of the speedloaders asked about above. This afte seeing them used on American Shooter by a champion shooter.

They take getting used to. So I use them at the range only and continue to use the Bianchi speed strips when carrying a snubbie.
(The HKS are just too stiff and bulky and wearing a speedloader carrier kind've gives up stealth carry.)

On getting parts from Taurus...
I have had different, better, yet somewhat similar experiences. I needed parts for a discontinued gun. I got the parts. But not right away. In the interim, they said they had no record of my order and my payment. About the time I gave up, the parts arrived. So, this part of Taurus remains broken.

I have owned three Taurus firearms and still have two. I regard the overall quality of the weapons well above average but realize, as with other manufacturers, 100% of the guns made, not all will work flawlessly. The parts I needed were replace grips and a spring suffering from wear.

 

[Lightsped]

I have two M85s. A stainless steel model, and a titanium model. Both have been 100% in both functionality and appearence. I recommend them.

 

[Kahr carrier]

$100 Thats a great price ,Buy it.

 

[MiniZ]

I have been very happy with my 85UL. I was prepared for problems(you get what you pay for, so to speak), but mine has been a great shooter.

$100 sounds good to me.