Taurus, despite the statements of some, is NOT an American Company. Very little manufacturing is done here, and that is only of recent vintage. They operate out of Brazil, and have a different business model, different laws, and, of course, the importation dog and pony show of the BATFE and State to make it through.
I'm a little curious, but why would anyone expect a company to provide postage for a Lifetime Warranty? I've owned a number of guns that were covered under Warranty, and only SOME of them covered shipping, for ANY reason. My Ruger Mk.II recently visited the factory for a loose upper/barrel assembly. I paid for the shipping, but not for the repair, which was covered by Ruger. As the gun was 31 years old, that would, to a normal human, be perceived as a Lifetime Warranty. Should I, therefore, "run away from" Ruger?
I own a stainless 3" Model 66 Taurus, bought new in the 1980's. It has seen at least 10K of .357 through it, and has never failed. It still looks great, and has a trigger that rivals my ex-wife's Model 19 S&W.
I'm getting older now, and won't worry about another 10K of rounds in the next 30 years, as I doubt that I'll be shooting too many Magnum rounds at 100 years old. So, for me, that gun has easily been as good as anything else could be.
I also owned a 6" Ruger GP100, and a 4" Security-Six. Never had any trouble out of either through thousands of rounds of .357 magnum.
I do NOT consider the GP100 the standard bearer for a .357 any more than I'd think a Model 27 was a standard bearer. Both are larger than the usual Duty Guns of the revolver era, weigh more, and should be capable of lasting longer than smaller framed guns. It's like comparing the capabilities of a one-ton truck against those of a mini-truck.
How many people actually shoot tens of thousands of .357 magnum rounds through one gun every year? Practically speaking, how many gun owners even shoot tens of thousands of rounds TOTAL, every year?
In reality, most guns see several hundred rounds a year from an active shooter in the sport. many see far less from those who go out once a year to make sure that they can still hit what they aim at.
Talking about how reliable a gun is, or how tough it is, becomes less and less a point of actual interest, and more and more a point to brag about in the abstract.
I own an older PT92 that has a recorded 25+K through it. This includes standard, +P, and +P+ loads. I change the recoil spring every 5K, and keep it clean. It's still on the original locking block.
Inspecting a gun prior to purchase would reduce the issues people complain about. So would cleaning it prior to shooting. Maybe something as mundane as reading the Owner's manual as well. Seems like many of the complaints about the SR series Rugers emanated from those who "knew" how to shoot, neglected to read that Manual, and dry-fired the gun without a magazine in it. That was NOT a manufacturing defect. That WAS a mental defect on the part of the buyers.
Despite the vitriol of anecdotal third and fourth hand stories, most owners of Taurus products seem quite happy with them.
My first revolver and first Taurus. Bought it in the mid(?) to late 80's. I'm sure I still have the original receipt filed away somewhere. Don't suspect I paid over $200 for it. It's been one of my favorite to shoot. Never had any issues with the firearm. I've only bought one other Taurus since then. My personal feeling is that Taurus quality control is no where near what it used to be. This 66 is a keeper.
