I must have owned at least a dozen Rossi and Taurus revolvers over the past 40+ years, and to be honest I have never been the least disappointed with any of them. Don't get me wrong -- the difference in quality of build and finish between them and Smith & Wesson was usually pretty obvious. but they always worked well and represented good value for the little money they cost. I've heard horror stories from folks about these guns, and I don't doubt their reports, but my experience has always been at least satisfactory.

Well, last week I ran across a Rossi Model 462 (actually Model R46202, the stainless version). Dirty as heck but lightly-used, and the price was, for a working medium-frame stainless 6-shot, too low to ignore. It came home with me, and I spent an evening doing a badly-needed deep clean. I finished that up at about 11 PM, and if I didn't have neighbors I would have stepped out and fired it right then -- the trigger was SOOOO good, SA and DA, and the action soooo smoooth...

Next morning I shook out an assortment of ammo ranging from low-end .38 plinking loads to factory 125 and 158 gr. JHPs of various brands and everything in between. Several days and 200 rounds later I still have a big grin on my face.

This is a fine a DA snub as I have ever shot. The action is absolutely smooth. SA and DA triggers are just about perfect for my tastes. From four feet away you will mistake its bright finish for nickel; it's highly-polished, and done well. The accuracy, whatever the load, has been superb, and the rubber combat grips, ugly as as sin to be sure, do a great job of making magnum rounds comfortable.

It's a shame these are no longer being imported. This example is as good as anything S&W has put out in the past 40 years, and better than more than a few I've seen -- and used or new, almost 1/2 the S&W price.

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Pisgah

To each their own. I have not had a bad experience with Taurus, but for me I have seen too many who have had problems with Taurus semi-autos. It may be user error. On the other hand, I have heard many swear by their PT1911's. It seems to be a matter of personal taste. Somebody is buying Taurus guns. Enjoy your revolver!

Years ago I bought a older Rossi j frame sized 5 shot 38 spl I think a model 68 it was back when they were based out of Washington DC. It had no finish and busted plastic grips but for $70 I figured what the heck. I reblued it Blue Wonder and found a set of Smith grips for it shot like a dream. I sold it a few years later after I got a S&W model 37 I think I got abot $250 for it wish i still had it.

My SIL has an older Rossi snub nose .357. Guess you'd call it a clone of a S&W model 66. It does go bang every time. The ejector rod tends to unscrew itself so need some Loctite to fix that. The trigger is really, really bad, not in pull weight but it has some kind of catch about halfway through. Not sure if that is common on this year Rossi or what but I'd imagine a gunsmith could help it out with out breaking the bank.

The only other issue is the grip/frame size. The ****** finger groove stocks fell apart last time he had them off and the gun isn't the same as a S&W K frame or any other S&W so he found a NOS pair of stocks to replace the trashed originals. Not great but the are new and crack free stocks.

It was way cheaper than an M66 snubby but I'm not sure I'd carry it at all let alone the way it is.

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BCCI Life Member #2068

I think a lot of folks get hung up on brand name. There are quite a few folks on the Colt forums that talk down S&W's, Rugers, Springfields, etc, anything that isn't a Colt. Most I imagine have never owned or fired another brand. I have a Rock Island 1911 that gets shot as much as any of my other handguns, works every time like it's supposed to, not as pretty but shoots fine. Folks that limit themselves to only one brand are missing out on a lot of fun. JMO.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, as far as Taurus quality goes, reports of them having rampant issues seem to be dated, based largely on an old reputation that they just can't seem to live down, and will likely remain forever, regardless of how good their QA becomes, because everytime a bad egg slips through the cracks and ends up in the hands of your average homeowner who doesn't bother to function test/examine the firearm prior to purchase nor clean out all the packing grease before taking it to the range and subsequently experiences a malfunction will propagate Taurus' negative reputation by taking to the internet in search of help, finding mostly tales of how cheap/shoddy Taurus firearms are, instantly accepts it as fact, then goes on to recount their negative experience while adding that had they only known of Taurus' reputation beforehand, then they would have never bought one in the first place.

Furthermore, I often wonder if the malfunction of Taurus firearms is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy among those who purchase their firearms, aware of their reputation. My basis for this belief lies in how often I've seen folks subjecting their Taurus to levels of neglect/abuse which clearly exceed their usual handling of other more expensive brands like Smith & Wesson. Obviously firearms which aren't thoroughly cleaned/cared for are far more likely to malfunction than those which are treated with great care. Just saying, there are a lot of folks who are more likely to do things like neglect to clean/lube a Taurus after a trip to the range than there are those who would do so with a more expensive firearm with a pedigree to its name.

Between my family and I, there are 5 Taurus brand firearms in our household, all of which have worked flawlessly so far. YMMV.

My model 65 from the early 90's has been rock solid but I'll admit it really is low mileage. I just can't bring myself to trust anything they make today.

My only Rossi has been great.
I've seriously considered one of their model 461/462 snubs. 6 shots of 357 in a Colt Detective-sized package is pretty sweet.
I just hate their molded rubber grips, and as others have said, other options are very few and far between.
FWIW, my Taurus guns have been just fine.
But I'm sure GKC will be along shortly.

Taurus earned a reputation for roughly machined firearms way back in the day. I think it was in the 1980's that they started to turn out revolvers that were better finished. I have a Model 96, which is almost identical to the S&W K-22. The trigger action is not as nice as a S&W, but it is a nice revolver and a good shooter and cost much less than a K-22.

But that's not to say that Taurus, or any other manufacturer, does not produce some lemons. When it comes to a product with problems, it is how the manufacturer resolves the problems that becomes the important aspect of their reputation.

You know what's funny? My Taurus Judge Magnum is actually finished more nicely than my S&W PPK/S.
Seriously, when I first got my S&W PPK/S it had sharp edges all over it, whereas my Taurus Judge Magnum was only sharp on the crane.

This one is a keeper. Bought it before they stopped importing them. Rossi model 851 38 special, great fit and finish, smooth as silk action, very accurate too. What's not to like.

Never owned a Rossi but have Taurus. The .22 semi thats was like a berreta first one blew apart 1st day at range. LGS gave me another that day 2nd blew with in a week. Took back and have been done with their semis. I do have a .22 in wheel .It works

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Spin The Wheel

As long as the gun shoots well and goes bang every time, I don't think price & name mean anything, IMO, except competition shooting (not me, for sure!) I just bought a new Ruger Security9 and it is a very smooth gun. Total $330.00. (BTW, the Bulldog size 8 holster fits it just fine to just carry.)

I bought a used Rossi .22LR Plinker several months back at an LGS that had a "couldn't-ignore-it" price on it. Fun gun and surprisingly accurate---my first Rossi. I have owned a total of 5 Taurus guns---all revolvers---and none have given me a lick of trouble. I still own a 431 .44 special and a newer model 85 in .38, which will probably go to my son as he has developed an affection for it.

The only Taurus we have.



.45. Always works, shoots to POA at 7 yards with all bullet weights. It is currently in one of the kitchen cabinets and within reach when in the kitchen.

I have 3 Taurus revolvers, and I am fond of them all, but my 441 5 shot 44 Spl is my favorite. Like you said, the out of the box action is incredible-best double action I have ever fired-makes me look good! The bluing is excellent as well. The one change I made was adding some rubber insert wood grips (Packmeyer) that are custom for this frame-that made the gun for me. The other 2 are large frame revolvers-the same frame, but one is a 44 Mag, and the other is an 8 shot 357 mag, both wear custom grips-both great guns. I think all of the bad comment on Taurus guns stems from a bad period of poor service in this country that has long been straightened out, and; this really isn't the place to talk about your Brazilian S&W's!!!

I wasn't planning to comment, since the last lecture I got...but since you called me out, I'll just say that I hope that everyone has nothing but the best of luck with whatever gun(s) they own, regardless of make, model, and/or caliber.

My most recent Taurus purchase is a 617Ti
7 shot 357 magnum in the same frame as your 5 shot 45.
The Ti stands for Titanium - it weighs just over 19 ounces.
It came with the same grips as your 45 too - but I wanted to carry it so I got some slimmer ones.

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That wasn't calling you out man, it was just a little good natured "poke". I just forgot to add the WINK smiley

I have a Taurus PT-145 that is a spectacular gun IMO. It has fired every round I've put in it except one that was clearly a bad round from the factory. It fired on the second strike. The fact you can do a second strike with a semi-auto is enough reason to like the gun. But that was the only problem it's had through 5000 rounds.

It fits my hand better than any pistol I ever picked up, it will hold 10+1 rounds in less space than many single stack pistols take up. It's an inch and a quarter wide. I can conceal it in just one hand if I want.

It recoils like a dream. Follow up shots are crazy easy for a .45. I never have to re-aim because it sits right on the target as long as I keep shooting. I once timed how long it took me to draw the gun and empty it. I shot 11 rounds into an 8" target at 20 yards after drawing in 10 seconds. I could never do that with my Sig P220. The Sig is more accurate at longer ranges but at 25 yards that pistol will compete with any gun. I've been known to shoot empty shell casings at 20 yards with that pistol and I never missed. It's spooky accurate.

There is a design flaw with that pistol though. They discovered it can fire if you drop it even if the safety is on. They have a buy back program or a program where they fix or replace it which will mean replace it. But I don't want to let go of it. I won't carry it as a CCW anymore but it sits where I can get it quick at night. It has a laser on it that has remained zeroed for about 10 years now.

I just can't imagine a pistol working better than this one. It is simply amazing. I also have a G2 9mm but it isn't as accurate. It is just as reliable though and I still carry it sometimes. It's a fine pistol but the PT-145 is just on another level.

I was looking to buy a Glock when I bought that pistol. I couldn't find any Glock that fit my hand at all. A LGS owner suggested the Taurus. Like most people I had second thoughts about that. But I went home and did research and found that almost everyone that owned one loved it. I went back to the shop and the owner offered me a 30 day no questions asked trial period because I was still iffy on it. I couldn't pass up the deal he gave me. $325 and a 30 day trial was just too good. He knew I would never bring it back. I knew the first day I shot it I would not be taking it back unless it failed to fire a lot. It has been close to me ever since. There aren't many pistols that are better than it is.

That's why I buy S&W, resale makes them a fair investment.

Not looking to insult anyone, but the only opinion I really trust is my own. I've had almost as many screwed-up high-dollar firearms as cheap ones, which is to say very few but darn near equal across all of them. Heck, I had a Python that had the out of time problem, and a Taurus that would pretty much lock up if I failed to allow the trigger to completely reset. I have a Model 67 that's fails to carry up on two chambers and a couple trips to the gunsmith haven't fixed it.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with my own experiences and as long as I can examine a gun before buying (which should be done no matter what brand) I wouldn't hesitate to buy Taurus again.

I've only owned one Taurus, a very used Model 65 which looked like crud but shot just fine. Sold it to buy a Smith 469, which I wish I had kept.

The only Rossi I've owned, a Model 88, was a Model 60 clone. Cost me $188 NIB. It was a fine little snubby despite not being a Smith & Wesson. Fit and finish were nice, almost Smith quality. The DA triggger was very smooth, and improved still more with a bit of polishing of the innards. I had the same smith who did the polishing bob the hammer, and I pocket carried the gun for a couple of years before I could afford to buy a 640. I wish I had kept the Rossi as backup to the Smith. It was a terrific bargain for the money.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Yikes! Do you have any pictures of either of these exploded pistols to share?

I have both a 462 and 461 that I bought new a couple years ago. Brightly polished with great fit and finish. My only issue with them was that the faces of the triggers were too wide and flat for my taste. That was easily fixable in the basement. They are 26 ounce guns chambered for magnum loads. Recently I picked up the new 6 shot Taurus 856 chambered for 38 Special. At 22 ounces it would seem to be a nice carry gun. I also have a 23 ounce Kimber K6s.

I like these alternatives to S&W so much I have sold off all of my 5 J-frames over the last year and a half or so. Still have my K-frames though.

I've had a couple of each make, Rossi and Taurus, (revolvers, no autos) and had no problems at all. In fact, a Taurus 689 that I owned about 15 years ago was one of the most accurate revolvers I've owned. I'd buy another one today if the price was right.

Not a fan of Taurus autos, however.

I have owned 3 Taurus revolvers so far but the pinnacle of them is this 454 raging bull. The high polish bluing on it is really something to see. While I can't speak for anything recent this specimen from 1998 is the best bluing I've ever seen. Could you imagine how much a Smith or Ruger revolver that looked this nice would cost?

It's a real shame that Taurus did away with bluing in favor of the terrible black oxide finish they're using now.

Seriously, it would be one thing if the new finish was actually durable/corrosion-resistant, but no, it's equally as durable/corrosion-resistant as it is aesthetically appealing. (i.e. minimally so)

Nowadays your best bet is to buy one of their bead-blasted matte Stainless Steel models and a can of Durablue if you desire a glossy black finish.

As I said in the other thread, I have 3 Interarms Rossi's 720 (44 sp) 515 (22mag, 22lr) and 513 (22lr might be wrong on the model number) . They are great kit sized guns and the .22s have better triggers than my SP101 .22 or a J frame .22.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Nowadays with CNC machinery,it is relatively easy to reproduce(read copy)good designs.The Chinese are doing that constantly.I came across one of my shooting buddy a couple weeks ago at the range,he was shooting a Norinco in .45acp.He said he bought it for a little less than $400 and after trying it,sold his Gold Cup.I found that hard to believe.He let me try it and guess what?Now my Gold Cup is up for sale(probably won't and buy the Nork anyway;I only want the little wife to think I'm trying hard to sell it).
Taurus and Rossi have been in the business long enough to clean up their act.While I still cling to my S&Ws(and my DWs),I probably wouldn't pass up a good deal on one of them even though they don't bear the familiar logo on them.

20+ years ago I had my heart set on a SS Chief's Special for carry. With money in hand i went to my dealer to buy it. The salesman said "why not look at this too?" It was a Taurus 85 SS. With the 2 side by side the Taurus had a better fit and finish, had a transfer bar and was $75 cheaper. I bought it - still have it.

Nearing retirement I now own the Chief's Special as well, but I can't say anything bad about the 85.

I've owned two Taurus 9mm autos (the Beretta clones) and a 6'' .357 revolver (can't remember model #) back in the early 90's.

Honestly they were all good guns....I put a gazillion rounds through one of those autos and it did great. Completely reliable and fairly accurate. No complaints from me.

I'm not afraid to say I absolutely love my Taurus 441. K frame sized 5 shot 44 Special, adjustable sights, 3" barrel, lustrous high polish blueing, smooth combat style trigger and SA/DA pulls which rival most of my Smiths. It satisfied a want that no other manufacturer at the time could fulfill. I admit I hate the rear sight and changed out the Pachmyer grips it came with for a set of factory (Uncle Mike's) rubber boot grips which just transformed the gun for me. I have been formulating a plan to convert it into my EDC platform. I have never seen anyone who has owned one, or the 431 fixed sight varient, badmouth this model. Did I get uber lucky with my one and only Taurus purchase? Possibly but I'm more than satisfied.