Taurus Model 80

[unclenunzie]

As I am sure many folks here visit pawn shops looking for what's "new", I too do this fairly regularly.

I recently found this Taurus model 80, blued 4" 38 Special. The asking price was $175, and after a routine inspection (all good) decided it would come home with me.




Taurus's serial number lookup says it is a model HG-M80-B4, produced in 1987. I confirmed it is 38 special only, no +P by calling customer service.

I took it completely apart and cleaned out what must have been 30 years of oil that had partially hardened into a varnish-like substance. Internally it has a rebound slide just like S&W K frames, and a hammer-block which is driven by a rotational gear or sprocket linked to the hand. The hammer spring is a coil like a J-frame. It has 5 screws, and the side plate forms a portion of the recoil shield and hand window in the frame.

It's no K frame, but the trigger is decent to me and overall seems to be of good quality. If necessary I will add some end-shake bushings because there's plenty - BC gap .006, and pressed forward the gap is .002, so .004 end shake. I do plan to shoot it this weekend though, just to get a feel for it.

 

[AZAndy]

Nice bluing on that! For 175, I'd have bought it too. I look forward to hearing how it shoots.

 

[bannockburn]

unclenunzie

Sounds like you got a good one there and at a decent price. I can remember when Taurus handguns first came to the U.S. market and were pretty rough looking with some really poor finishes. Not long after that Taurus got things together and made big improvements in their overall fit and finish.

 

[CajunBass]

I bought one of those a few years ago, complete with the original box and papers, never fired (outside the factory). I thought it was a pretty decent gun. I don't know if I ever fired it either before I sold or traded it for something else, but it looked exactly like the OP's gun.

I did have a Model 82, the heavy barrel version of the same gun many years ago. My second or third handgun actually. I think I paid something like 69 or 79 dollars for it. A Model 10 sold for 119.00 IIRC, so there was a big financial incentive to trying the Taurus in those days. The blue wasn't as nice as a Smith & Wesson, and the grips looked like they had been hacked out of a 2x4 by some guy with an ax, but it functioned just fine. I added a T-grip then put hundreds, maybe thousands of rounds of reloaded wadcutters through it. It was a fun gun, shot just fine, and hit where I aimed it, at least as well as any other gun I ever owned.

 

[GRIZ22]

I have two Taurus revolvers from 1988. A 4" 669 357 and a 2" 85, both bought new. I have thousands of rounds through each with no issues.

One issue I'd like to make note of though. Every K frame S&W I ever seen had flame cutting on the top strap even with moderate use of magnums. I've put thousands of magnums of all bullet weights through that 669 and there is no flamecutting. No flamecutting on any of my Rugers (Speed Six, GP 100, and Blackhawk) either.

I would have bought that Taurus at that price.

 

[Tallball]

Good buy. They made some solid revolvers around that time period. I have been pleased to own several.

 

[wnycollector]

I have a 1992 stainless Taurus Model 82 that I picked up a few months ago for $180 at a local Cabelas. The fit and finish on the revolver are excellent and it shoots as well as any of my S&W 38's.

 

[unclenunzie]

Put 50 rounds of 130 grain FMJ through my model 80 today, mostly single action at 14 yards. Works just fine, easy to hit with and feels good. Money well spent, it put a smile on my face.

 

[Gatherer]

I have two Taurus revolvers from 1988. A 4" 669 357 and a 2" 85, both bought new. I have thousands of rounds through each with no issues.

One issue I'd like to make note of though. Every K frame S&W I ever seen had flame cutting on the top strap even with moderate use of magnums. I've put thousands of magnums of all bullet weights through that 669 and there is no flamecutting. No flamecutting on any of my Rugers (Speed Six, GP 100, and Blackhawk) either.

I would have bought that Taurus at that price.

Greetings, all! New member here. Wanted to second what GRZZ122 has stated with regard to flamecutting on S&W K-frames. I have had this same phenomenon occur when using magnum loads in my K-frame .357s. This has never been the case with my Taurus 450 (obviously, an entirely different chambering, and not really comparable in terms of ballistics), even with Cor-Bon loads, although I have to say that the 450 is much newer (not sure what year manufacture) than the Smiths. Perhaps S&W had a metallurgical issue which led to the flamecutting and which has since been resolved. I will say that I never had this problem with L-frames.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Very nice!

Taurus has produced some excellent products over the years. Like you did, you just need to make sure it checks-out.

For $175, it was a much better deal than a bargain basement plastic auto-loader.

 

[MedWheeler]

I'm surprised the serial number lookup worked for you. I have a 66 in my safe from 1987, and a friend's 66 from about 1989 as well, and neither comes up.

I think you got a good revolver there, especially for that price. You're not out anything.