Tired of trying to find a S&W m-696 in .44 spl.

[44and45]

Years ago I found a S&W model 696 in a sporting goods store, price was near $500 back then...today they can go twice that much depending on condition. (should have nailed it)

Of course we are talking about the neat little L-frame in .44 special caliber.

Well, guess what! I found what I consider as just as good if not better...the model 441 Taurus three inch barrel .44 special in SS.

I've handled both and can tell in an instant the Taurus is a winner...real quality for a gun made back in the 1990's.

The only draw back is the beautiful walnut grips, too wide for my short thick fingers...but I plan on some custom made grips in either ivory or some exotic wood. Something more like the S&W magna grips but not too thick.

I'm extremely well pleased with the deal I got on this gun, it came in just over $300.00 and that is registerd with the state and FFL.

Jim

 

[Snubster]

Congrats on your new Taurus. I've never handled/shot a Taurus before but have been tempted to try one. Is the 441 also a 5-shot? I have a 696-ND but I don't shoot it much because I haven't started reloading yet.

 

[44and45]

Thanks, the only other Taurus I own is the Tracker in .45 Colt and its a five shot as well as the model 441.

What is so neat about this Taurus .44 special is the petite size in relation to the Tracker or the S&W 696...yet it seems quite heavy even when empty.

As much as I like my Tracker in .45 Colt, this .44 special is of even better quality...truly on a par with any S&W I've seen being made today. I know this will bring on hoots and taunts, but check one out and see if I'm blowing smoke.

They are not easy to find, but come in three, four and six inch barrels. The same gun can be found without the target sights and its called a model 431. They also were made in blue or SS.

Please remember these guns were made in the 1990's.

Jim

 

[461]

I bought one of the 431's when they first came out as it was a gun I had thought would be darn near perfect for me. The gun was gorgeous and the grips were the nicest looking wood I'd seen on a factory gun. I never had much luck with the gun, it was plenty accurate and worked well but I screwed it up. I say I, but in reality I mean Taurus.

I'd already had it Mag-Na-Ported and wanted a slicky custom action on it so when I saw an ad for the new "Taurus Custom Shop" and they were doing an action package for I believe it was $69.00. I jumped all over it and sent it in, this was my first ever gun to have any custom work done and I was very excited to be having a "Custom" gun. I got it back and rushed out to the woods to try it out only to be rewarded with about three misfires per cylinder due to light strikes. I called them up and they said to send it back after a very long drawn out conversation that had to get a bit heated on my part. Hell, I could have clipped a few coils off the mainspring to lighten the trigger and ruin the reliability.

When I received the gun back the second time it was still giving me light strikes on every brand of primer I tried. I called again and was told they could put factory springs in it but I wouldn't have that nice trigger pull anymore. I was floored that these were considered "Custom Shop" employees. I had them send me the factory springs and put them in myself after giving the action a little fluff and buff and ended up with a pretty darn nice trigger. The whole experience got into my head and every time I shot that gun I got mad. I ended up selling it and can't bring myself to buy another Taurus.

I guess I'm a hater now, but I really liked that gun and hope you enjoy yours.
Just don't send it in to the "Custom Shop" if they even still have such an animal.

 

[44and45]

461, thanks for your imput on your 441 experience. I think we can all very well learn something from your nightmare trip with the custom shop. BTW, what year did that experience happen???

If they can only come up with lightening the hammer spring they are indeed poor gunsmiths.

Sounds like you got it perking again, a shame you became disinchanted with the 441 and sold it...but pissed is pissed, I understand that.

My Tracker .45 Colt came with the factory barrel porting, and its OK but nothing that really winds my clock. After all, these calibers in .44 spl. and .45Colt are not magnum status and don't really need porting.

I only plan on shooting pussy cat loads through mine, want it to last a long time.

I understand that Wolff Springs has replacement springs that are probably better than the Taurus stuff.

I'm not sure if Taurus even has a Custom Shop anymore, you can't hardly get didily from them in the way of parts.

Jim

 

[461]

That would've been around 1994 if my memory serves. I had it ported just because at the time I thought it was cool, you're right though, the .44spl isn't a high enough pressure round to get anything out of porting and I've not bothered with it since. Pain in the rear to get the lead out of the ports when shooting cast anyway. I remember at the time trying to get some Wolff springs for it but they didn't offer them yet.

I'm sure you'll have a good time with yours. I do remember mine as a neat package, but once I get disenchanted with a gun I'm much better off getting rid of it.

 

[Majic]

There is no way I would try to tell you how to spend your money, but you do know what a custom set of Ivory stocks could run?. Those stocks could easily cost you 5 to 6 times the price of the revolver.

 

[willsnipe]

$450 696

Those Taurus 44s are nice. I had exactly the opposite thinf happen though. Looked at a Taurus several times in the local shop, finally decided to bite the bullet at $350...too late! Last month I tripped over a 696 at a show for $450 and about tore off my pocket gettin' my wallet out! I knew I'd scored at $200-250 less than the going rate, then saw this http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=80496195 Hard to believe! Now I can hardly enjow shooting it!

 

[44and45]

Majic, in fact of such reality you are right, I will probably go for some imitation ivory...or, some really nice wood better shaped to be fit my paw.

Willsnipe, Hope you got your britches pocket sewed back on, but you got a bargain on the 696 at $450. I told you fellows about my passing one up years ago at nearly the same price...now they're going for more than twice that amont. There is no sanity in the gun culture fraternity...

I've got a line on another 441, its a four incher and in the blue. Not sure yet if this one is coming home with me, its a long way off and communication are not great.

Jim

 

[Tom Servo]

I lucked into a 696 a few weeks back, and I've fallen in love with it. There's something really nice about the size of the gun and the ballistic performance/low recoil combination.

Quick question: I met a guy who's got a Rossi in the same configuration (.44sp, 3" bbl). Is it the same gun as the Taurus? They look quite similar.

Let me know how you like it, as the supply of 696's has pretty much dried up, and the folks I've let shoot mine want something similar

 

[stormspotter]

Taurus 441

You might check and see if any stockmakers can make you a set of grips out of American Holly, You can buy a piece off ebay.

Also check out CLC grips. They show holly grips for single actions and they look just like ivory.

 

[44and45]

The Taurus model 441 has the best double action trigger pull I've seen on any big bore revolver. Had to fire off a cylinder full off my front porch to get the expanded cartridge brass to send to Lee Precision Inc. to have a seater die made up for some bigger .44 caliber bullet diameters. My gun has rather unusal oversize cylinder throats.

My regular RCBS or Lee .44 spl./magnum dies can't seat these bigger bullets of .4335 diameter without squishing them below those specs.

But I'm real happy to see this gun is going to be great for double-action shooting. It'll also make a great carry gun if this stupid state's rotten politicians ever stop hindering our Constitutional rights and allow us CCW.

More later after the new dies show up...probably be a couple of weeks or more.

Jim

 

[James T Thomas]

good, bad and ugly

"461:"

There is an old German proverb that roughly translated goes something like this.

Once upon a time there was an archer who had a wonderful bow made for him. It was strong and shot true.
However, the archer needs be had it beautifully carved so that it became graceful to behold and handle.
The archer strung it up and pulled back the string. It snapped in two!

Now, I don't need to tell you the moral of the story of the plain good bow, but "Popeye" sang a song that went like this.

"Leave well enough alone, toot, toot, leave well enough alone, I know mee stuff, and I'm sure enough, leave well enough alone."

 

[shooter429]

1 question

Why not just get a nice, compact .44 Magnum in which you shoot .44 Spl. ? There are 2 1/2" and 3" N-frames from the SPC as well as the SRH.

I guess having read Keith, and calling the .44s my favorite caliber, I always wanted the option of taking the .44 Spl. up in performance from factory fodder, which has been really anemic as long as I can remember. So I load everything from 180 LFPs at 600 to, well, you know the Keith loads.

Curious

Shooter429

 

[Walkalong]

A fellow THR member picked up a 696 dash one for $300 at a shop near him. I told him to put me 1st in line if he grew tired of it. He did not care for it and sold it to me for the same amount to help finance something else. Mighty nice of him. He could have gotten more if he wanted to offer it up to whomever. 696 prices have gone out of sight. They are nice, but not that nice.

shooter429 has a point. You can pick up a short barreled .44 mag for less than what some 696's are going for lately.

 

[44and45]

I shot a cylinder full of rounds off my front porch double action, it was so sweet and smooth. I've never been a fan of DA shooting, but that may all change now.

Gun has oversized cylinder throats, waiting for new set of reloading dies to handle those bigger bullets...as accuracy would be effected.

Jim

 

[Slamfire]

I have a Taurus M431, 3" Barrel, five shot stainless. Mine was made in Sept 1993 per the factory. .I consider it to be as large as a M66 K frame Smith. I replaced the skinny wooden grips with a set of Uncle Mike’s grips, did not like them, and ended up with Pachmyr Gripper grips. Which feel good and don’t hurt my hand. The revolver shoots to point of aim with 200 grain bullets.

I am very happy that the windage is centered, wish the pistol shot to POI with 240’s. I like my 240 grain loads in 44 Spl. I was able to purchase several thousand commercial cast 205 LSWC’s and ran some testing with Unique. Unique has worked very well in the 44 Spl with 240’s and shot very well with these 205’s. The main problem I have had with 205 LSWC’s is that I have been unable to push them very fast before I get leading. I get the bullets from the same caster who makes the 240’s I shoot, and I can push them faster without leading. I suppose that is one of those mysteries of life.

Anyway I found that 6.0 grains Unique gave me good accuracy with only a little leading. When I up the charge to 6.5 and above the leading got worse. These 205 grain bullets shoot very well indeed in this three inch pistol. My Taurus has an excellent trigger pull, shoots to POI, and is accurate. To date it has gone bang each and every trigger pull. Unlike the much lighter Charter Arms Bulldog the Taurus is pleasant to shoot.


205 LSWC 6.0 grs Unique thrown, Midway Brass WLP
11-Dec-04 T = 54 °F
Accurate, shoots point of aim, light leading
Ave Vel = 789.6
Std Dev = 27.18
ES 96.54
Low 724.1
High 820.6
N = 30

 

[44and45]

Slamfire1, I will have to try that 6.0 Unique load, sounds pretty good to me.

What is the model number of those Pachmyr grips they look good, are they very fat in the palm swell, I don't like thick grips with my short thick fingers. Could you please show a photo from the rear on those grips, like to see how thick they are before buying them.

I plan on shooting 200 to 205 grain lead bullets in my model 441, but being its got the adjustable sights may experiment with 210 grain as well.

Recoil is nothing with velocity below 800 fps.


Jim

 

[Starter52]

I bought a 696 back in 1999, sold it in 2004 and bought a Model 29. I agree with Walkalong. The 696 is a nice gun, but the prices nowadays are nutz.

 

[Tom Servo]

Why not just get a nice, compact .44 Magnum in which you shoot .44 Spl. ? There are 2 1/2" and 3" N-frames from the SPC as well as the SRH.

Because not everyone likes the N-Frames

The 696 has the same ergonomics as the 686, and it's a much more comfortable gun for me.

 

[Slamfire]

I took the grips off and examined the markings with a magnifier. "IR-G" or "TR-G" "Fits Taurus Revolvers" And I have the box it came in, it states "Decelerator" "Taurus New .357 SB". Back of box "fits all "alpha" prefix serial numbers, fits 3" and 4" models 65, 66, 80, 82,83, 86,95,669, 689, 431, 441. Does not fit 2.5" barrel versions. Does not fit round but versions"

My revolver is a square butt

Maybe pictures later. But I have short fingers and this grip is very comfortable. If a K frame smith gripper grip feels good to you, this will also.

Incidentally, the Uncle Mike grips that I took off, "59009, fits Lg frame Taurus post 89"

 

[zeke]

Recently picked up a Taurus 445 (2 incher). Made the mistake of dry firing it too much to smooth up the trigger, without snap caps. This collapsed the firing pin spring, but Taurus sent me 2 new ones, free of charge. The 445 owned has the tighter chamber throats, and is quite accurate (as far as i can tell , with a DA only trigger) with 200 grain bullets. However there is a major problem with complete extraction , with the severely shortened ejector length. Overall the fit and function of the revolver is impressive, especially for it's price.

Really like 3 in 44 specials, especially with 200 gn lead bullets around 800 fps. Am using harder lrnfp's. These closely match the POI with the handloaded 200 Speer GDHPs @ 900 fps. Breaking in the barrel and smoothing up the forcing cone almost totally aleviated any leading, with the 696's owned.

 

[44and45]

Thanks, Slamfire1, on the grip information...

Quote:

I took the grips off and examined the markings with a magnifier. "IR-G" or "TR-G" "Fits Taurus Revolvers" And I have the box it came in, it states "Decelerator" "Taurus New .357 SB". Back of box "fits all "alpha" prefix serial numbers, fits 3" and 4" models 65, 66, 80, 82,83, 86,95,669, 689, 431, 441. Does not fit 2.5" barrel versions. Does not fit round but versions"

======================================================

I be looking for some of those Pachmyr Decelerator grips. Have some on my Colt Anaconda but expect they are a wee bit bigger than your 431.

My Taurus 441 also has the square butt grip handle. I like the looks of the factory wood grips, but they are too thick at the middle and bottom. If I could find another pair of that type, might try and whittle them down to fit my paw...maybe rechecker them as well.

Jim

 

[brasskeeper]

nice looking gun. I thought about buying one myself.

 

[steelhead]

Get some Hogue grips.