Taurus - Never had one - Curious

[Guillermo]

Bikemutt,

after checking the gun twice to make sure it is unloaded, pull the trigger double action letting the hammer down gently. But do not release the trigger... hold the trigger back.

At that point there should be no rotational movement of the cylinder. Zero. Nada. None.

Until that point a little rotation is normal.

Good luck on that big boomer.

 

[Red Cent]

The inquiry sprang from being curious, not from an intention to buy. True or not, I have been influenced by the remarks made over the last forty years or so.
Back in the 60s and 70s, the attempt of Tauras to copy the Smith was looked upon as "cheap made imitations" and were prone to bad quality control. As I said, I have never owned one. All second hand information.
A comparison, I suppose, would the Dan Wesson. I own one. I use it in competition but it will never equal a K or L frame Smith. I have those also.

It is interesting to hear first hand remarks from the old timers and the young'uns.

 

[MCgunner]

Taurus gets beat up on the forums because when one is bad, it gets talked about but when they are good nobody really talks a lot.

In my experience, when I've bought a new or used Taurus and posted on how well it shot or how much I was pleased with it, all I got was a bunch of a**wipes telling me what a POS it is, as if they had shot it and it fell apart on 'em or something, internet know-it-alls probably never picked one up in the first place telling me my gun is crap.

So, I don't bother anymore except on taurusarmed.net. The boards are what they are.

 

[Triggernosis]

Taurus makes good guns, as does Rossi. They're just not typically finished as well as S&W's.

 

[Old Fuff]

So, I'm seriously considering a used Colt Anaconda I found at a rural gun store. The store says < 300 rounds through it. It does NOT lockup tight, it's more like my Smiths, Rugers or Tauri. I don't consider it loose per se, but it sure isn't like my Detective Special which is stupid-tight.

Should I pass on this one? He's asking about 20% less than what I've been accustomed to seeing.

No you shouldn't - unless of course I can get it.

Eventually the management at Colt's woke up and saw the light. Starting in 1969-70 they begain to introduce an entirely new line of revolvers that wouldn't require the precise handwork that they're older models that dated back to 1908 did. These - and the very fine Anaconda is one - are like Smith & Wesson's, Ruger's and Taurus guns in that the cylinder should have a little rotational wiggle when the cylinder is locked so that the chamber can self-align with the bore.

Your Detective Special should be "stupid(??) tight," but if you happen to know a gunsmith that has a range rod for .38 Special you might have him check to see if the chambers all line up with the bore. No disassembly is necessary, and it should take less then 5 minutes.

Also, if there are questions in your mind you can return it to Colt for a full inspection and tune-up. They charge, but it's worth it for the peace-of-mind.

 

[Onward Allusion]

bikemutt
So, I'm seriously considering a used Colt Anaconda I found at a rural gun store. The store says < 300 rounds through it. It does NOT lockup tight, it's more like my Smiths, Rugers or Tauri. I don't consider it loose per se, but it sure isn't like my Detective Special which is stupid-tight.

Should I pass on this one? He's asking about 20% less than what I've been accustomed to seeing.

<deleted>

Ahhhhhh - I just read OF's follow-up.... This is good to know......

 

[Onward Allusion]

evan price
Taurus gets beat up on the forums because when one is bad, it gets talked about but when they are good nobody really talks a lot.

But isn't this the way it works for most products? If they work as intended you hardly hear anything unless they perform in a stellar manner. If they don't then the bad news travels 10x over.

 

[Old Fuff]

Ahhhhhh - I just read OF's follow-up.... This is good to know......

Now wait a minute!! I get to steal it first...

This is not a perfect solution, but it generally works.

If you are looking at a Colt double-action/hand ejector revolver.

Go to www.proofhouse.com

Look for the name of whatever revolver you are interested in, and you will find a list of serial numbers vs. year manufactured.

If the starting year is 1908 but not later then 1970 it is probably one of the older style guns. If it is 1970 or later it is likely one of the newer models.

In doubt? You can always ask on The High Road.

Oh darn!! I just found out the Anaconda isn't listed. The answer should be 1990

 

[againstthagrane]

i had a pt1911. that thing was a straight up piece of crap. i bought it before i knew better. stovepipes, rounds not feeding, barrel nut was hard as hell to rotate. finish would scratch if you drop a feather on it. save up an extra $150 and get a nice pistol. i have no experience with any of their othe models, but the one i got was a piece...

 

[MCgunner]

i had a pt1911. that thing was a straight up piece of crap. i bought it before i knew better. stovepipes, rounds not feeding, barrel nut was hard as hell to rotate. finish would scratch if you drop a feather on it. save up an extra $150 and get a nice pistol. i have no experience with any of their othe models, but the one i got was a piece...

No, it was a 1911, ergo piece of crap. I got rid of two, a AO and an AMT, and never tried it again. Actually, one got stolen and the insurance bought me a Ruger P90. I was and am happy, now.

 

[sixgunner455]

I have handled a number of Taurus firearms.

I have a friend who has had a 605 stainless for five years or so. He's not a high-volume shooter, but he's had no issues. It is surprisingly controllable with Magnum ammo, but he and his wife mostly shoot it with .38 Specials.

My father bought a model 85 stainless this summer. We shot the snot out of it while he was visiting. No issues.

edit to add: Oh, I just remembered a Taurus 9mm I shot a couple of boxes through when I was thinking about buying it. The Beretta copy. It was a good gun. Sights weren't quite on, but it was accurate enough and chewed through everything I fed it without fuss.

Another friend has one of the tip-up barrel .22 pistols. It jams a lot.

 

[Byrd666]

I own a Taurus 66B4- Model 66 blued 4" barrel 7" round .357mag - and love it. No problems with any ammo of any sort, from cheapest factory to cheapest reloads. Though it really likes Remington ammo of any sort for some reason. Now that the action has been broken in, the trigger is smooth in DA or SA mode. Its as accurate as my Smith and fairly comfortable in a hip holster when I'm out in the woods or out in the fields.

The semi autos on the other hand are hit or miss. Of the few guys and girls I know that own one, most have had nothing but trouble with them. The others just swear by them.

 

[dallascj]

The Old Fuff will try to correct a misconception:

Holding the trigger all of the way back on a Smith & Wesson, Ruger or Taurus double-action/hand ejector revolver doesn’t have any particular affect on cylinder rotational movement or “final lock-up.” The only American made revolver where this is true is on Colt’s made between 1908 and 1969-1970, with the exception of the Python and some D-frame snubbies that continued in production.

Smith & Wesson, Ruger and Taurus revolvers are deliberately made to have a very little rotational “wiggle” when the cylinder is locked so that a slightly misaligned chamber can align itself with the bore as a bullet passes through the chamber throat into the barrel.

The flashlight method of checking chamber/bore concentricity is flawed in that a light can cast a misleading shadow. Gunsmiths use a gauge called a “range rod” to determine concentricity, and on one of the aforementioned Colt’s this is a critical matter, while much less so with S&W, Ruger and Taurus products.

Perhaps a more common cause of cylinder/barrel misalignment is a sprung or bent crane (Colt) or yoke (S&W) caused by someone flipping the unlatched cylinder in and out with a flip-of-the-wrist, which is a Hollywood stunt that should always be avoided.

Occasionally someone will challenge my position, claiming that they’re particular S&W is indeed tighter when the trigger is held all of the way back. This can happen if the side of the hand is pressing against the side of the ratchet tooth, but the condition, if it happens, is not intentional and it’s seldom the case on all chambers. It is in fact detrimental of the chamber and bore are not concentric, and the cylinder can’t move enough so that they can be.

Old Fuff,
Thank you for all of that info. I have never heard that about cylinder lockup or concentricity before. I have experienced the shadowing when trying to look with a flashlight though.

 

[dallascj]

Another thing to keep in mind related to Taurus' history of poor quality control -- If you get a bad one that needs factory repair, it has to be shipped to the factor in Brazil. Factory repairs with Taurus can take a long time.

RNB,
Get your facts straight before spewing this kind of dis-information. All Taurus N. American repairs are handled by their repair center in Miami, FLORIDA!

 

[RNB65]

RNB,
Get your facts straight before spewing this kind of dis-information. All Taurus N. American repairs are handled by their repair center in Miami, FLORIDA!

Is this a fairly recent change? I have a buddy who has had to send in 2 Taurus wheelguns for warranty repair. Both time, he was told that it had to go back to the factory in Brazil for the repair and each one took a good 3 months before he got the gun back.

 

[duck911]

I own a 685 (8 shot ported .357). It is the smoothest shooting .357 I have ever shot and it has a GREAT trigger. I have put enough rounds downrange with the firearm that at this point I would trust my life to it.

--Duck911

 

[bikemutt]

I own a 685 (8 shot ported .357). It is the smoothest shooting .357 I have ever shot and it has a GREAT trigger. I have put enough rounds downrange with the firearm that at this point I would trust my life to it.

--Duck911

^^^ what said, X2.

 

[weregunner]

Just as an aside. I do own two Taurus PT-22s.
Like a lot of other small guns and this is true for all .22lrf firearms, there these are picky about the ammunition used.

My two,old and very new, both like CCI Mini-mags and Remington Golden Bullets. No problems.

Firing these takes some practice with the trigger, the proper solid grip,and dedication to it. So do other mini semi-autos.

Proper techniques go along way to having the gun be reliable.

Do not fire hyper velocity rounds through the PT-22. The same goes for the Beretta version, the 21A.

I also second McGunner's points.

 

[weregunner]

Red Cent. Go ahead and read the links given above. You might be surprised by what you see. Informed as well.

Also be advised that many of us who own Taurus own many other brands,makes, and models of firearms.

For example, in handguns I own Beretta,Ruger, Springfield, and SIG products.

The choice to buy a Taurus was with a critical eye and inspection of the firearms in question. It was to get the most bang for the buck and what the firearms meant to me and it's use. I would not settle for anything that to protect my life and the lives of others on a whim or something flawed. if these guns did not were not durable and reliable we owners would not buy those. For the price the Taurus line fits the bill for most of us.

Yes, there are some exceptions. All the gun makers have their slip ups. I can bring many pages of links from here,TFL, and from another gun forum if needed.

The Raging Taurus and Tracker line were built to last and for hard use. This they do.

Do some research here.

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/taurus-revolvers/

You can peruse the links,do research, and ask the actual owners about the various models if you wish. Yes, this takes time, but anything that is worthwhile does.

There used to be a Taurus Talk Forum, but MSN saw fit to end their forum for obscure reasons.

Some times it takes a specific forum for a specific type or brand of gun to be a source. I do that for Ruger (two forums for that), when I wanted a Springfield XD the I went to the XD Talk Forum, when I wanted a Beretta I went to the Beretta forum. Same went for the SIGs I own. Yes, I used this forum as well, but I researched the firearms to a high degree before the purchase. I even read up on them in publications. That includes police and tactical journals. Annual or otherwise.

Taurus has been recommended in the Gun Digest Books for police use where they have had to buy their own arms. These were authored by Mas Ayoob and Chuck Karwan over the years and decades.

Taurus has been documented for saving police and civilian lives in these books as well. That includes Marshall and Sanow books as well.

These picky police and civilians would not have used these handguns if they were flawed.

So pick what you will as far as a firearm goes.

What's being offered is facts. Not "conventional wisdom" that is not wise.

 

[Guillermo]

Starting in 1969-70 they begain to introduce an entirely new line of revolvers that wouldn't require the precise handwork that they're older models that dated back to 1908 did

whoa...hold your horses there bucky (specifically your Colts).

was not the Anaconda lockwork just a larger, beefier version of the Trooper IV?

 

[Dogguy]

Taurus makes a lot of different models and they sell them fairly cheap compared to the competition. They are very popular as bargain guns for lots of people. Dealers sell a lot of them and dealers like them a lot for that reason.

What you don't see is a lot of police officers carrying Taurus handguns. You don't see a lot of military agencies using Taurus handguns. You don't see a lot of competitive shooters using Taurus handguns. Not that you won't find "some" cops, military or competition shooters using them, but you won't see "lots" of them.

Gun writers praise in print every firearm made. You are unlikely to see Massad Ayoob or Chuck Karwan actually carry a Taurus handgun.

I have a friend who has two Taurus handguns. One works well and has been 100% reliable for him. I like it enough that I would like to have one like it. The other Taurus he owns is a disaster. There are so many things wrong with that particular gun I would trust a slingshot over it for self defense. That seems to be the case with Taurus--one gun off the production line is perfect and the next one off is scrap metal. It leaves me with the opinion that buying a Taurus handgun is a crapshoot. I personally prefer better odds.

 

[Old Fuff]

was not the Anaconda lockwork just a larger, beefier version of the Trooper IV?

Yup. On that point you are correct. But the Trooper Mk. V didn't originate in 1908, and therefore didn't have the "bank-vault-door" lockup.

Trooper Mk. V = 1982 to 1986

 

[RatherNotSay]

Had a 24/7 oss and will never buy another tuarus again. Their warranty is cool and all but their motto is "well we don't build it right so keep sending it in till we fix it." Do a search on how many police/military use ANY of their stuff. I would trust my life with a baseball bat before I picked up a taurus.

 

[weregunner]

What has a 24/7 got to do with this? This thread is about revolvers. Not pistols and 1 case does not make a whole brand,make, or model bad.

20 typed pages of 24/7 owners links who find those just fine can be brought forth if needed. And you have what?

In the links I have provided is the case that S&W has had numerous recalls and problems with revolvers, pistols, and rifles.

With what is in the link it could ascertained that all S&W is junk and I will never by one because of that. Yet anyone foolish to buy into that would be an idiot. We all know that S&W normally makes good stuff.

It's in the OP's best interests to go and examine for himself and actually see and make the judgment for himself.

 

[weregunner]

Just for the record Taurus just broke into the military and police market here in the last year or so. They have a tactical division in the U.S.A..

Also as far as police go:
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/i...-used-by-south-american-police-military-.html

As far as the military goes:
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/2...armed-forces-did-n-t-buy-taurus-tactical.html

Quote from another thread:

.

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07-27-2011 01:57 AM#14




jwc007




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PT92's and all variants are on the approved lists of many USA Police Agencies that do not issue a standard handgun. I know of two Police Officers that currently carry a PT92 as their primary duty handgun. Also, the PT92 is standard issue for some Philippine Military and Police agencies.


Last edited by jwc007; 07-27-2011 at 02:00 AM.












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07-27-2011 11:00 AM#15




redjeep




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A few years ago I was in an army surplus store in Fort Wayne , Indiana. In the back they had tons of manuals on guns that our armed forces used and there must have been 500 or more manuals on the Taurus 92 model. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. Our military must have considered the Taurus around the time they were looking at the Berretta and maybe someone jumped the gun ( no pun intended, well maybe) on printing field manuals for them.














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07-27-2011 03:47 PM#16




JR




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Large Military and Police Orders usually REQUIRE that the guns be manufactured in the country using them. Note that Beretta built in Accokeek, Md. after they received the bid. Glock is assembled in Smyrna, Ga. Sig located a plant in New England before they became American owned. FN is also in the same boat. They received a bid award for M4 barrels, and are now in the Carolinas.

Taurus has, so far, successfully fought off building the majority of it's guns outside of Brazil, and military and police orders suffer because of that. Many Brazilian LEOs carry Taurus weapons. Same with several sections of the Brazilian military. There have been small orders to police in the Middle East, Africa, and other South American countries.

End of quote.

So there are actual reasons why Taurus is not in the police and military markets until know. That is in large numbers.
It's also apparent from the LEOs who've been there and done that that Taurus are in American police holsters and being used as backup guns. Maybe not like some brands, but this puts things into perspective.

People seem to be speaking out of ignorance or on things they know little or nothing about.

I am using these examples to show that Taurus products of various types do make it into military or police use more than some seem to know about.

Revolvers have been on the down swing as far as police and military use for years now. That for the U.S.A.. I've seen a lot of revolvers in small city or town police holsters. So trying to tie Taurus to the police or military now is not an issue as pistols are now "cutting edge".

Let's stay on topic. No offense to mods here.

If you have something on Taurus revolvers,fine. That's the topic the OP was shooting for. That being the case then it would help everybody.

As stated before it would be a good thing if the OP were to get and get some hands on experience with the all the various models and see for himself. If he liks them fine. If not then that is his call for himself.