Read another thread elsewhere and this topic came up. I wondered how it would turn out this time. Basically, the way it always does. Bunch of S&W guys getting a bee under their bonnets....

Makes me wonder how many here actually realize the history between S&W and Taurus. As in ~ they were once under the same umbrella...sharing enginering and production info, etc....

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Non gratum anus rodentum

Yes.. they're cousins.

Doesn't change the fact that 60% of the stuff they put out now is pure ****.

An improvement over a few years ago when 95% of the stuff they put out was pure ****.

Don't get me wrong.. Taurus is good...

.... for those who can't afford the real deal the Taurus model is copying.

OR those who want a completely useless gun that shoots .45 lc or 410.


Seriously, as you can tell I don't like Taurus. All of the revolvers I've handled feel like total junk.

From about 1970 to 1977 Bangor Punta was the owner of both Taurus and Smith and Wesson.

Trom Taurus's website...

Quote:

"In the meantime, Smith & Wesson had been purchased by a conglomerate named Bangor Punta. In 1970, Bangor Punta also purchased 54% of Taurus. Thus, the two companies became "sisters". Smith & Wesson never owned Taurus. They were both independent companies. However, during the next seven years, a great deal of technology and methodology was passed between the two. What may come as a surprise to some is that more of what was "right" in Porto Alegre was sent to Springfield than was sent from Springfield to south of the equator."

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Non gratum anus rodentum

I can't find a Taurus Collector's Association or any edition of the Standard Handbook of Taurus anywhere.

Yeah, you like Taurus, we got that part.
Hope you enjoy paying the $90 shipping when you take advantage of their lifetime warranty.

Having sent a Taurus back 3 times before they finally replaced an obviously defective, visibly crooked barrel, I've had enough Taurus to last a lifetime.

I don't care what you buy. Do you get that part?

taurus=JUNK!!!!!!!!!! besides, buy american. but if you like taurus,please buy all you want. the catfish guys are always looking for trotline weights.

giz, looks like the bees are buzzin, LOL.

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Sure you did

I wonder who pioneered MIM first, S&W or Taurus?

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Non gratum anus rodentum

Ouch

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Sure you did

I own both. Never had a problem with either. I also own colts and rugers. never a problem there either.

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It is what it is.

A relative has a Taurus 38. Similiar in size and design to a Model 10 with a 3" tube. It is her nightstand gun.
I test fired it; trigger sucks, accuracy iffy, quality is best answered as "what-is-that?"
The pistol WILL fire six shots and will do the job at bed-to-window range which is all that it was bought for and being asked of it.
I WOULD NOT carry this CCW or anything else.
I keep it clean, oiled and maintained for her...and that's it.

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The Last Standing Knight

Did you ever see a really hot girl and her cousin is ugly? Well the same holds true for Taurus and S&W.

For the price of a Tauri, a person could own a very nice used S&W. In fact, we probably lose in the comparison. If it was between a new S&W, New Tauri, used S&W, used Tauri, in all probability the used S&W would be the best gun at the second best price. Used Taurus bring almost nothing if they sell at all. You can resell a used S&W, often for more than you paid.

But times do change. I still remember clearly over the last 20 years when you could score any number of Victory S&Ws for $100, sometimes less. Today they're all worth $300 or more. The free market seems to have the unique ability to allow worthy guns to increase in price.

I've had friends who want to argue guns with me. I decline, usually. But I always refuse to listen to their **** about it being the same gun with a different name, or almost as good, etc.

I even used to amuse myself by standing in gun shops listening to the sales staff promote the junk. I don't think Taurus is any better (or worse) than Jennings, Lorcin, or any of the other "ring of fire" brands. Its also on a par with Star, Rossi, etc. I agree they're better than a brick, but not much. I'd even prefer a Ruger to any Taurus. Coming from me, that's a huge concession.

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Dick Burg

I've owned some of them all. Colt, Ruger, Kimber, Taurus, Springfield Armory, Beretta, Smith & Wesson. Ask me which one of these I don't have anymore.

I wouldn't own a Tauras revolver, not when I can afford Smiths.

However, the Taurus fills a niche for the non-gun people who want a home defense piece and are sticker shocked when they see prices for some of the Smiths, Colts of nearly any category, used or new.

So, back in the 1960s or 1970s people bought a Smith or Colt for home defense, shot it maybe once, and then put it in their dresser drawer. Hence so many Smiths and Colt in pristine to near pristine shape.

Now, today, a dealer can clinch a sale simply by offering the Taurus, knowing full well the person buying it neither knows guns, will read about them, or shoot them very much if at all. And the person has that peace of mind that now all is safe in the home.

And 30 years from now, brand new used Taurus will be up for resale at
a 20th of what the original owner paid.

I've never owned a Taurus. They do make some interesting gun configurations. There is a 5 shot .41 Magnum that I've seen that I really liked. Another long range gun in 218 Bee.

Watched them over the years. They are seemingly improving their product.

What bothers me more is when I see guns like the 1911 Springfields be marketed and nobody is mentioning they are being made in Brasil.

Sigh, times change...and move on. Me, I'm stuck in the past. On the plus side we can still buy some pretty nice old guns for less the the cost of some of these newer models...

Guess we can take some comfort in that ...

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Non gratum anus rodentum

During my brief check out guns for a local shop before sending them back to manufacturer. I saw more Taurus go out and come right back in with problems. I used to laugh and joke with the staff when they would call and say we have one for you to look at. I would ask What model of Taurus is it this time.

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SC Army National Guard

I'm fixing to start the TCA, and write the book.

Hey, it's uncharted waters...and I ain't got the cash to spend on Registered Magnums...wish I did though.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I see a lot of Taurus and Charter Arms in the gun shops around here. While standing in one of the shops I overheard the kid behind the counter (owner’s son I guess) telling a gentleman that was looking for a CCW that Taurus has a lifetime warranty. I immediately thought to myself "and yeah he will be using it too." I wanted so bad to pull the guy aside and give him more information, but I didn't want to make my local pusher angry with me.
I use it to my advantage. When a 940 showed-up there a few weeks ago I asked to see it. It was in great shape, but no original box or grips. Still for $377 otd, how could you go wrong? I like to think that it’s the difference between a collector (waiting for a good S&W to show-up) and a gun owner (buying any ole ****.) My husband calls me a gun snob.

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Deek

Brandy =- I have a pretty good idea which one(s) you don't deal with anymore....the ****** ones....

I used to own three Taurus revolvers, two semi autos, and one rifle. They ALL quit working before they were even broke in.

These day's I won't give any Taurus product a second look.

The novelty of a different gun, or the price is not worth the agravation.

No Taurus for me.

If you don't own a Smith, you don't own "JACK". Just like the song - "The one and only" .

I have an old Taurus 96 that I picked up for cheap, along time ago before I knew any better. Is it as good as a Model 17, which
it kind of imitates? No way, no how! Would I rather have a Model 17? Without a doubt! If I ever need parts for it, I'm SOL and
it isn't worth selling, so I keep it as my old beater gun. It still functions and it's even surprisingly accurate. Not the best gun
around - by a country mile - but still a hoot to shoot. So I do.

Over the years I've owned Smith, Colts, Sigs, and Taurus's. I've had good ones and bad ones from each. Not to be defensive of Taurus, one of the best pistols I still own is a PT99AF, I bought it in the mid 1980's. As for their new plastic toys that are striker fired, I just can't convince myself to accept them, same for Smiths and other suppliers. I want all metal with a hammer.

There is one thing that Taurus is currently famous for, that is extremely poor Customer Service. My impression is that it's so bad that I wouldn't even consider buying a new Taurus. However, I did recently look over a used Taurus Tracker in 17HMR and that paricular gun was in good mechanical condition and pretty well finished. If the price hadn't been too high, I would have been tempted to purchase it but only after testing it out for 50 rounds or so. In the case of a Taurus, it's probably safest to shop for a used one that works properly than take a chance on getting a new one that is a complete lemon.

As for Smith & Wesson, there was a time when I thought their wheelguns were a bit high priced. However, that opinion changed when I got one for myself. Now I have 4 and I think that every single one was worth every penny spent and some are a real bargain.

Recently I've been doing some long range bench shooting with my 610 and 617. I'm still working on my techique, but holy smokes these guns are accurate. Right now 4 inches at 50 yards without sandbagging the gun is duck soup, with sandbags I suspect that either one will group under 1.5 inches. When you start shopping for a handgun that will group under 2 inches at 50 yards, those old fashioned wheelguns from S&W start looking like a real bargain.

My taurus hasn't failed me. But I heard that their wheel guns don't have nearly as much problems as their autos.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

Far from being an expert on Taurus , I will say that the only one I own is the snub COP 357 model.
So far so good! It works like it should and can keep 5 rounds under 4" at 25 yards.
And while the grips are small (only two fingers fit on them) the design is good enough that full power 158gr. loads are not bad at all.
Would I rather have a S&W 60? "YOU BETCHA!"
But at the time I bought the Taurus I didn't have the $500++ for the Smith.

The Taurus PT 1911 is a very nice, tight accurate pistol. I realize Taurus bashing is something of a sport but my PT 1911 has functioned flawlessly with any ammo I've put through it and it is very accurate. A good buy for the money.

I'm a member of two Taurus forums that show the company's reputation is improving because they've made improvement part of the manufacturing and customer service goals.

You must of had this one in mind when you said that!

In the last 15 years I have had five Taurus revolvers and haven't had a problem with any of them. I don't have any experience with their auto's or customer service. The revolvers I had appeared a little less refined in fit and finish. They aren't my first choice, but a good second choice for me.

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USMC 83-92, NG 97-08

I have never owned a Taurus, got a bunch of S &W's. My take is that the Taurus is a less refined and less finished knockoff. That said, I have fired a friends Raging Bull 454 casull on several trips to the range. It is a good hunting handgun and I have thought of buying one several times. With the changes in S&W engineering (MIM, Locks, Barrel Sleeves) how much longer can one say that the S &W is the better made gun?

Bangor Punta was a "holding company" with no real interest in S&W other than profitability. I've seen some really piss poor examples of Smith CC during the later years of Bangor Punta. I have not seen any of these poor 70's examples for sale in recent years. It could well be that most "bad guns" have since been reworked or replaced by S&W over the years. A word to the wise would be give a BP era gun a second look before purchasing.

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SOS USA

Now I love S&W's but I gotta tell ya I just recently bought my first Taurus, one of their new 709 autos in 9mm. It is beautifully finished and I think it should be a great carry gun. I really don't think S&W makes anything quite like the sweet 709. Maybe I'll have to post a pic....Shoo

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"Get Hammered By a Shooboy!!"

I own both S&Ws and Taurus'. The older Tarus revolvers I have I like, they are not as good as the older S&Ws I have, but they are better than Rugers or Colts that I've shot or own(ed).

It all depends on the time frame for both companies. I wouldn't pay a nickel for either one of their products made today. The only newer Taurus revolver I have is a pre-lock 445, what a disaapointment.

I can only speak of two Taurus revolvers, I bought an original model 44 in 8 3/8" for deer hunting somewhere around 1990. The thing served me pretty well for 12-15 years but I started to notice the clylinder was loosen up from shooting my hunting loads. I shot somewhere around 200 of those rounds through it's life with me. Swapped the Model 44 in January and was a bit sad to see it go but I didn't want fix the thing. I bought a model 94 22lr revolver in 2008 to give it a try for a fishing revolver here in snake country, after the first cylinder ful the hammer had a quarted inch chunk of the so-call finish missing from it. The thing misfired 15 shots out of the box of ammo I was shooting-- so I tried other brands with roughly the same results. Well I went to sell it outright to me local pusher when I saw he had an old flat latch 36 in carried condition just begging for a new home, well guess what I have now. I don't love the new Smiths with the lack of fit and finish, lock, and the fake classic line but they are way better than anything coming from many of the other manufacturers.
Buy the way, my models 57, 28, 629, and 29 have had almost nothing but hot loads though them and not a hint of loosness.

Bought 1 went bad they replaced it...second one different problem they replaced it 3rd went bad they gave me my money back all in 30 days time.

An addition to my previous post.
When my relative (who is NOT gun savvy and HATES guns) purchased it...it was used and inexpensive. I went with her when she got and made sure it was in good shape and got her some proper ammo for it.
I hope that it is NEVER used. The only time it has been fired recently was when I tested its capabilities at the range.

If the day come and it has to be used and is taken by law enforcement...wellllll...it's an old Taurus and NOT a high dollar Colt, Smith and Wesson, or Ruger nor a sentimental H&R. It wouldn't be anything to pick up rocks in the yard and beg forgiveness from the bugs underneath for loosing a "major" piece.

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The Last Standing Knight

I have a Model 85 semi-concealed hammer steel revolver that I purchased a long time ago. The fit, finish and function is good and I have no complaints. It goes bang every time and has been shot several hundred times and shows no looseness or excessive play. Maybe I was lucky and sure I would rather have my Smith & Wessons but for what I paid and how it has performed I am happy with it.

Jellybean, could you please elaborate on your experience with the 445?

I'm taking that Taurus didn't fix that lol

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

When S&W can make somethin' this purdy I might buy it. I hope it shoots as nice as it looks. This will be my new carry most of the time gun if it will run well, haven't had the chance to shoot it yet, Shoo

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"Get Hammered By a Shooboy!!"

Scout, I've never had a problem with it operationaly. It shoots just fine and has never failed to shoot or extract. My problems with it are the way it feels and the poor craftmanship that went into it. I took the grips off and opened it up to work on the springs and the quality of craftmanship was awful. I also don't like the grips that are on it and can't find anyone who makes replacements. I haven't looked in awhile so there might be someone now, I'll have to take another look. There were also some sharp corners on the exterior that had to be filed down.

I have carried it off duty and have kept it by the bedside, it's not a bad gun and I wouldn't worry if I had to use it for self defense.

I think the biggest problem was the difference in quality between it and the older Taurus revolvers I have, and even the older autos for that matter. They were much better made before, but then so was S&Ws.

I own one older Taurus. It is a Model 85 and is a dang close copy of the Model 10. Tight gun that shoots just as good as a Smith & Wesson. A week or two ago I was at a out of town shop that had a few older stainless steel Taurus that like my Model 85 were very nice smooth & tight revolvers.

Working in a gun shop for the past two years I have seen and checked out the current Taurus revolvers and autos. They are all just plain junk, more so the revolvers. We had sold a number that the have come back after breaking the first time out at the range. The Judges and PT 1911's have a better track record so far. Bottom line is I wouldn't own a current made Taurus. The price is good and that is why we sell many but the quality is not worth the price. I would own a older revolver but am happy just having the one. I trusted it so much I loaned it to my Brother as a home defense gun. The older Smith's I have are just fine.

I'm a sucker for any shiny blued revolver. My local dealer had a Taurus M 94, 4" in the case.

The blueing is as nice as any other revolver I own. At $250.00 out the door I thought what the heck.

The trigger is awful. While grilling on the patio one day I had a K22 and the M94 out plinking. My wife comes out and shoots each, and while holding the Smith says " I like this one alot better".

This coming from a woman that doesn't know a 12ga. from an AR. but could tell the obvious difference in the action.

I have looked in my safe for one of these so-called Tore-*** guns. Could not find one...BUT IF I DO...I AM GOING TO SHOOT IT!!!

My two "carry pistols" are a S&W 340PD for summer or "dress up". My other pistol, and my first "bottom feeder" is a Taurus PT145. The PT145 is relatively concealable and has 10 +1 as opposed to 5 rounds in the 340. So far I have been pleased with the Taurus and have have actually had more problems with the 340 at the range--rounds walking out and striker not setting off primer.

Oh yeah, I also carry my M22/1917 when riding horses--lanyard and longer barrel.

I'm going out on a limb here... I own a Taurus PT1911 and I haven't had any issues with it. It functions well with all types of ammo and is accurate. I do own several other firearms such as Glock, Steyr and lets not forget the many Smiths that I own. I am about to join a club not far from where I live and this will probably be the gun I use.

I have a 2 year old blued Model 605 Taurus .357 2" that shoots great, feels great...So far. Not my "main squeeze" though...it's actually my main squeez's main squeeze.

That seems to be the most common experience with the PT1911. I know it is with me. No limb required.

Thanks for the positive comment.