Taurus Revolver Opinion

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kannonfyre

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I visited a gun store for the first time in my life today and asked to see the apparently rather limited selection of revolvers in stock.

For my rather meager budget, the owner took out a stainless steel 6" barreled .357 magnum taurus revolver and quoted me a price equivalent to US$479. I checked the box and the apparently, it said that this was a Model 66I.

Having just checked the taurus website, they don't list that model number but it resembles the model shown below but with a 6" barrel and in stainless format.

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=66B12&category=Revolver

Assuming that the 66I is a discontinued model version, does anyone have any opinions about the reliability and accuracy of the 66I? If I can get a discount and lower the price to US$450, is this a reasonable buy?
 
I have no idea what revolver prices are like in your area of the world, so I cannot comment on the price.
I can tell you that all Taurus guns have a lifetime repair policy, and they stand behind their products.
I own 2 Taurus revolvers, and I am happy with both.
It would seem that you could find a used S&W model 10 for much cheaper than that, but in your area of the world, maybe not.
Good luck,

David
 
I can tell you that all Taurus guns have a lifetime repair policy, and they stand behind their products.
Click to expand...

That doesn't necessarily mean they have a repair shop in the Philipines. Just something to check.
 
okay, if we put price aside for the moment.....

......what I've heard about Taurus ranges from good to bad. In particular, I've been told that they have improved on quality control in recent times but that quite a few lemons were produced in earlier years. Given that the model 66I (in S&W style wood grips nonetheless) is probably discontinued, what is the probability that I might be getting a mal-performing POS? :barf:

The shop owner keeps on insisting that the gun is of decent quality and that for the purposes of regular handgun training (about 500 or so rounds of .38 LRN/month) it should serve me well.

What do you guys think?
 
I can tell you that all Taurus guns have a lifetime repair policy, and they stand behind their products.
Click to expand...

To clarify that repair policy a little, thats the lifetime of the gun, not the owner. That means every used Taurus you buy is under warranty, and I think that is excellent.

As far as the quality goes, its just my opinion, but I have become a very enthusiastic fan of Taurus pistols. From what I have shot, from what I have owned, and from what I can see in comparison, they offer the best value on the market. Further, from my own experience, they are made with the same eye towards quality that Ruger and S&W have.
 
That is a pretty steep price for a Taurus. As for the gun, I own a 627 and I have to say it is a wonderful gun. No problems at all.
 
I really like Taurus revolvers. The price does seem a little high but may reflect the market in your area. Is there somewhere else that you can check to compare prices?
 
I own an M-44 (44 mag), which I've put thousands of round through, and I love it. Quality, fit and finish are all good. Same for my 651B (357 snubbie). Excellent fit, finish (blued, like the M-44), and surprisingly accurate. Both were purchased new within the last couple of years, and I'd recommend a Taurus revolver to anyone.
 
I own a Raging Bull in .454 Casull, haven't had a problem to date. It's eaten everything from light 240 gr loads to some 360 gr hardcast stuff that I loaded up.

Customer service and the warranty are the first things to look at in my opinion, if both of those are top notch I wouldn't worry. From what I've heard, Taurus is good in both departments.
 
Very High

Seems a VERY hight price to me.

For the same money you can get excellent to ANIB examples of the S&W m19/m66 or M586/686 which are the absolute top of the line in revovlers.

To me comparing a Taraus to a S&W is like saying a Bentley and a Yugo are both transportation... I'll go for the S&W every time.

FWIW

Chuck
 
I think Taurus revolvers are a great value in general, and have several. But that doesn't mean this one in particular is priced well. Do some searches for checking out used revolvers here or other gun boards - seems there's a sticky on that somewhere, and check www.gunbroker.com , www.auctionarms.com , and www.gunsamerica.com to see what prices are being asked. Then cut it by 10 to 15% off the buy-it-now price for what they will realistically get at the auction, for comparison. I think you can get NEW Tauri revolvers for that price.

Hey .50 shooter, ever have the cases stick in the cylinder on your .454? Mine did the first cylinder full of hornady 240 gr hps, and I had to tap the ejector rod on the wooden bench to get them out. Any other suggestions on what to do in that situation besides said banging?
 
GGB,
I haven't had cases get that stuck, did you try putting a section of a cleaning rod into the brass and try tapping it out? Other then that your method sounds about right, just tap gently. How dirty was your cylinder? Might of had some grime that was holding up some of the cases.

I did have a factory case split on me, talk about a fireball in your hands! Just glad I didn't drop the pistol.
 
Sounds high to me, do you really want a 6" barrel? One of my carry guns is a Taurus 445 -- a stainless 2" 44 special. I like it a lot. Only probs have been fouling when working up reloads and using a powder not optimum for the short barrel, changed powder, problems disappeared.
SatKong
 
Are you sure it was a 661? I do know of a 669 model though as well as a 689. I think some model guns are sometimes only for the non USA market though like Glock 25.

Taurus revolvers can be OK, but I've had more problems with them than with S&W or Ruger.

In your situation, if you can afford it and it can be located, I have no idea what Rugerss ell for there, I'd get a Riger GP100 in stainless.

Will last you a lifetime and if you are only going to have one, I'd want it to be a Ruger probably in your situation.
 
I have 2 Taurus revolvers, a 44 and a .38 and they both run flawless and accurate. But that price sounds way too high. My 85UL ran $289. and the 44mag was $400 OTD, both new. Both bought within the last 2 years. For that price, I too would be checking out the Rugers.
 
Way high price aside, for that kind of change, I too would have to say go with a good GP100. I bought my first GP back in 91 or 92 used for 280 out the door. I just picked up my second used GP for a few bucks over 250 last weekend.

Nothing will ever stop the GP100, its heavy and bulky but its built like a tank. Also the warranty and service from ruger is far better than taurus in my experience.

Best
Bill
 
Here, you can get a new Ruger GP-100 4" blued for 400.00. I would check around. A used Smith & Wesson would be on my list too.....
 
To Lee N Field, Master Blaster and all stand-up THRers,

Many thanks for your frank opinions. I live in Singapore and the ACTIVE civilian shooting community numbers perhaps no more than 350 out of a population of about 4 million.

Correspondingly, the gun market here is a closed one with limited choice and strict controls. Heck, even if one purchases a personal arm, the authorities require that the shootin' iron be stored at the armoury of the gun club.

I kinda knew that the price quoted to me would be high but the original reason for this post was to check that I was not being CONNED or COMPLETELY ripped off. I am prepared to pay MSRP if I have to.

As mentioned earlier, the revolver choices in my budget are slim over here. Heck...the dealer told me that all he had in his liscensed vault were Sig Sauer P226s, various sized Glocks, a Tangfolio or 2 and a selection of Taurus Revolvers. He was prepared to bring in a S&W Model 67 in for me but his quoted price was the equivalent of US$830. :uhoh:
 
What they are asking is a little less than full retail, so considering your location, and the fact that they probably slap an import duty on it, its not too bad a price.

As far as quality goes, while its not a Smith&Wesson, my taurus 94 bought in 1998 has had several thousand rounds of .22lr through it and its a great little revolver, the right size for a 9 shot .22 accurate good trigger pull, and reliable. The lockup on it is still tight as the day I bought it and its the gun I use to introduce new shooters to hand guns at the range.

I just bought a Taurus 455s which is a 5 shot .45 acp, Sunday I put 150 rounds through it and its very nice as well. If you are going to have a problem with a Taurus it seems to show up right away when its NIB within the first hundred rounds, so check it out good at the store per the revolver check out instructions on this forum.

Good luck
 
taurus 650 cia 357. mag. 5 shot revolver s/s

i had one i sold "do to i was firing it at the range and the trigger froze up"
i was like what the heck so i tried the allen key the gun came with for the internal lock thats back by where the grip is and turned it and it unlocked so the internal lock failed and locked up during firing wow i was shocked now if that had been a life or death situation i would have died plus if i didnt have the key on my ring the day i was at the range i would have been screwed considering its about a 25 min drive there. i know taurus has a lifetime warranty but still i just got rid of it and got a ruger sp101 that doesn't have a internal lock that could fail
if i needed it in a life or death situation so just figured i would pass this onto
others and let them know about the taurus 650 cia 357 i had however my friend has one loves it but thats his own deal :uhoh: best wishes to all
 
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