General consensus. How good are Taurus and Rossi revolvers? I was looking today at a model 66 (looks like a S&W 19) and a model? (Looks like a S&W 13) and a Rossi 88 (S&W 60 snubby).

All under $300. They all looked good, used but good. Are they durable? At the price range i dont care about collectability just about reliability

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I once owned a Taurus .357 magnum similar to a K-Frame, and a Rossi .38 equivalent of a J-Frame. Eventually sold them both but never had a problem with either.

I liken them to riding a big Kawasaki or Yamaha v-twin cruiser . . . they do okay, but it ain't a Harley.

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- Change it back -

Wondering about Taurus reliability also. Friend has a Taurus PT 24/7 Pro DS .45 that he wants to sell. I've read some things about redesigns to Gen 2 because of bad design in original 24/7s.

not trying to be rude or start a fight but they are S&W clones/rip offs and basically suk to put it bluntly. drop one on a cement floor and watch the hammer snap off. granted new S&W's are crazy expensive, the older ones are better and more reasonable $ imo. or get a Ruger.

Arik:

Consensus appears to be all over the place. Some absolutely hate the Taurus and Rossi offerings. I own a Rossi Model 720 (.44 Special) that is a bit of a cult gun. I haven't given mine any kind of a heavy duty workout, but it has always functioned flawlessly for me. I once knew an attorney who said he had successfully survived a number of home/office invasions. He had a habit of buying Rossi and Taurus .38 Special revolvers and stashing them in and about his cars, home and office. Though I asked, I could never get him to explain why he insisted on using Taurus and Rossi products, rather than S&W, Ruger, Colt, etc. Given the choice, I think for a little bit more money, and a bit more searching, you can probably find a better quality piece made by S&W, Ruger, or Colt. To me, a defensive handgun is like a parachute or a fire extinguisher - something you hope you never need to use, but if you do need it, you want it to work flawlessly. I think the old saying: "Quality costs just a little bit more" has been proven time after time.

Best of luck,

Dave

Never owned a Rossi....but IMO friends don't let friends buy a Taurus.

Only Taurus I owned was junk....I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

I purchased a Rossi model 88 back in the 80's.

It appears to be a model 60 clone.

The gun has never failed to perform, even when shot with reloaded ammo.

I really like the gun and trust that it will work every time.

I wanted a Charter Arms or a Smith but have no regrets about buying the Rossi.

It is what I could afford at the time. I won't be letting it go anytime soon.

Bruce

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I owned an old Taurus Model 65 .357, and for a while (when I was too poor to afford a Smith) carried a Rossi 88 Model 60 clone. Neither was quite up to S&W standards, but both were absolutely dependable and shot with all the accuracy I needed. The little Rossi was quite a nice gun for the money, especially after I had a good smith smooth and radius the trigger face, bob the hammer, and smooth the action a little. Which improved it but still left it a good deal less expensive than a Smith J-frame.

I hear very mixed reviews of recent Taurus products, but generally good opinions of Rossis. For the price, good value.

As for their being Smith & Wesson "clones/ripoffs", half the countries in the world have made copies of Smiths for a great many years. Spain especially has produced countless renditions of the hand ejectors and their descendants, some of them reportedly quite good. They copy the S&W guns because they're good designs and popular for reliability.

Being an imitator doesn't necessarily equal being junk.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I have 3 Taurus revolvers, a model 441 (44Spl), a Model 44 (44Mag) and a model 608 (8 shot 357) They are all large frame guns, but the last two are of the larger frame, and are the same frames, just different configurations. They are great guns. I have had very good, and not so good encounters with their service, but nothing as horrible as Browning. The 441 has the best out of the box double action I have ever experienced. I bought it from a man that had a bias for S&W's, and against Taurus's. Later when I told him about my shooting experiences with the gun he sold me for 200.00 (as new) he was dumbfounded. I like them. I prefer custom grips on mine.

Owned two different Rossi revolvers before getting my first S&W. They both had issues. I'd never even consider another one. Junk.

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'Merica!

My 605 Taurus has close to 1K of .38 and .357 through her without so much as a hiccup.She's not a Smith but I still trust her enough to be our nightstand HD firearm.

I've had far better luck with Rossis than with Tauri. Four Taurus revolvers, of which two were okay, two were not. Two Rossi 44 Specials have been just fine, one I let go to a friend and one I still have, the aforementioned Model 720. I love it. YMMV.

I have a Taurus 357 snubby and a Rossi 44 mag snubby. They both have worked flawlessly since I bought them and I conceal carry them both. The Taurus is stainless and the Rossi is blue. The bluing on the Rossi is better looking than any new S&W I have seen lately.

I bought a Taurus Model 85 way back in 1992.

Still got it, no intentions of getting rid of it.

If I was to purchase another handgun, it would be a Smith, Ruger or the new XDS. Would also consider the Berreta or Sig (bit too pricey).

I see no Taurus offerings that interest me. But I don't see me selling the little 85.

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Wake me when it's over...

I would imagine it was because he would rather have one of those stolen or held as evidence rather than a nice Smith or Colt.

I have 2 of the Taurus 44sp revolvers. 4" blue and 3" stainless. Shoot the **** out of them and they never fail. I did replace the factory mainsprings on each and never looked back.

IMHO, well worth the money.

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Slim, U.S. Army, Ret.

I have a few friends who know that I'm into guns, and with the current mood they picked up a gun. When they start talking it up and show me its inevitable is a low end budget gun. I have shot my friends Tauri and Rossi revolvers and they hit the paper, they were ugly but they worked. I own a Rossi Overland Coach gun, it's rough around the edges, it's no Greener but then it was one tenth the cost.

It seems as though Taurus and Rossi are filling the niche of the entry level budget revolver with Ruger and S&W being the next tier Korth filling the luxury market. HiPoint fills the niche for a budget semi automatic, and Savage and Ruger fill the budget bolt action rifle niche. I don't blame noobies for buying budget guns. They don't know what that $2-400 difference in price is about on two guns that look the same. Nor do they know what to look for in a good used gun, they would not have the first clue about important things like timing or push off. Convincing them that old holster worn, police trade-in Model 10 beats a shiny new Taurus or Rossi is not as easy as it should seem. I'ts downright impossible to convince budget rifle buyers that the old sporterized Mauser is actually the better made rifle than a new plastic stocked bead blasted budget gun.

As for quality of the budget arms, things must be sacrificed to keep cost down and keep the price point low. Things like fit and finish are secondary, bead blasting matte finishes and flat black paint cover many ills. Combat accuracy is all that is required, these folk are not looking to win an IDPA match, hit paper at 7 feet and send it out the door, tweaking the fit for one hole groups and smooth triggers that break like glass, and rich bluing that looks ten feet deep takes time and money. Do you remember Colt?? They took all that time to make their wheelguns down right perfect, in doing so they pretty much priced themselves out of the market.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I've owned about a half dozen Taurus revolvers over the years and have never had an issue with them. The finish isn't usually as nice as a Smith & Wesson, or a Colt, or even a Ruger, and the triggers usually aren't as good, but that doesn't mean they're bad. Just not as good.

The ones I've owned all worked just fine. Now all the ones I've bought were older ones. Let me see I've owned an 80, 82, 85, 66, and an old 94. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

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John 3:16 .

Over the years I have owned three Taurus revolvers. All broke within 50 rounds of standard factory 38 special. The first model 85 was sent back for repair; got it back in about 3 months and then the firing pin broke on the very first round. I won't own another one. I'll only own S&W or Ruger revolvers.

I've owned three Taurus revolvers and still have two of them. I've had good luck with mine but as said no S&W either. They did make some nice models you just can't find elsewhere like the snub .41 mag I have. Some nice .44 Specials too.
I did have a Model 608 8 shot .357 that I actually got more from a dealer when I sold it than the $200 I had into it. I just didn't have a need for it and did hear they sometimes develop timing issues.
The other is a .17 that I bought on a whim. I tried to trade it once and dealer wasn't interested in taking it in.
They don't usually have much resale value but are cheaper to start with too.

SOOO AGREE, been trying to get young and old newbies to see the light without much success. for the same price, or less as a new lesser quality clone you can have the original. seems a no brainer to me. any old pythons diamondbacks or even a trooper laying around?

Though both companies are owned by Taurus , I'd take a Rossi revolver before a Taurus any day.
I've had far too many unpleasant experiences as a dealer with Taurus revolvers.

I have never owned either a Taurus or a Rossi. But I have spoken with many folks who have and of course made many holsters for the Taurus models. The consensus from my observation is that 99% of gunleather orders from our shop are for S&W, Ruger, Colt, Sig Sauer, Beretta, Charter Arms. Taurus accounts for perhaps 1%? We have Taurus dummy guns that just collect dust.

Now that may be due to Taurus' modest cost, folks buying cheap gun don't usually order expensive accessories. I have heard negative comments from many Taurus stocking dealers regarding warranty repairs, guns having to be returned repeatedly to repair issues, and very frustrated customers.

On the other hand, as previously stated by other forum members, you may acquire one of those that are entirely reliable. I'd be more comfortable with an older S&W revolver, personally. Hope you have the very best of luck!

Cheers;
Lefty

The singapore police force replaced a S&W revolver with Taurus's........... poor guys.

On the other hand I have a model 85 from the late 80's that Ive personally put a few hundred rounds through.

Do any of you fellas that hate Braztech like berettas?

Taurus grew to fame in 1980, after purchasing a firearms plant from Beretta. With Beretta's machinery, designs, and workers, Taurus was able to create the PT92, based on Beretta's model 92 line. Just a little tidbit of info most people dont care to know.

I've picked up some of the Brazilian guv reject Century imports revolvers.

Two model 82 Taurus's and a model 841 Rossi...

The model 82 Taurus's are completely different generations of revolver despite sharing the same model number...one being an ancient battered abused gun from the 70's/early 80's..the other being much newer..less used..and pretty much the same as you would buy new today.

These shoot nice...I really like the older Taurus..despite being a battered/used klunker I had to repair..it's a superbly accurate revolver! The Taurus double-actions definately ain't in the S&W class as far as smoothness...but they shoot fine. I had owned a three inch model 82 years back and it was about the same..perfectly servicable.

The Rossi 841 I bought is the first Rossi handgun I've owned...and for a battered and abused gun..it has really impressed me!! I'm not sure just when the Rossi was made..I'd guess maybe the 1980's. All I had to do for this revolver is clean the lead from the bore and laborously manufacture a tiny sideplate screw...otherwise it came to me working well mechanicaly. Also has a better action than the Taurus revolvers...the lockwork is similiar to the Taurus as far as having coil mainsprings...differs from Taurus in the hammer-block style...both Taurus and Rossi are similiar to S&W otherwise..however at least to me the Rossi is closer to the feel of a S&W product than the Taurus revolvers(which are Rugery feeling)...anyhow the Rossi is a nice feeling good shooting revolver...I wish I had one just like it that was new!!

You see a lot of complaints about Taurus and Rossi...you see some complaints about S&W right here in these forums too. Personaly I think everybodys 'QC' has devolved into 'QA'

I always own at least one Taurus. They are as reliable as S&W wheelguns but just not built as well. They DO work but the gun snobs will pimp you.
Not much experience with Rossi.

I live in the people’s republic of upstate NY, which just passed the so called “safe act”. Ammo and most all handguns are gone from dealer shelves, new ones or good shape used come in and they are sold immediately. With that said 3 gun shops I frequent seem to have a bunch of Taurus product available for sale most any time.

I went in one last week and saw a nice used .45Colt DA in the used gun section. I said wow did I just get lucky as I want a gun like that... Moved a bit along the counter to get a better look and it was a Taurus. Said to the dealer I was interested till I saw who built it, his reply ”yeah I could have sold that gun about a couple dozen times in the last few days if it was a Smith”

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

As others have said, they ain't nothing fancy, but they do work. Good choices for the budget minded buyer.

There was a bit on here awhile ago about how the Brazillian Govt (Nat.Police?) just bought a whole bunch of brand new S&W's.

That oughtta tell ya something!

I have a Taurus 85 UltraLite (the J frame clone) that is 100% dependable. I trade off with it and a J frame as carry guns. I would not rule out another Taurus.

About 30 years ago, my sister had a Rossi pump .22 (I believe it was a copy of the Winchester pump .22s). If my memory serves me correctly, the action slide bar was attached to the metal mount in the forearm by a spot weld (or two) that broke. I welded it back for her and she never had a problem after that. I'd like to have one of those; fun rifles.

I never trusted Taurus polymer guns because there are plenty of documented horror stories about them. And i knew they bought the machinery from Beretta to make the PT92 but that doesnt make it equal to a Beretta 92. Stuff like metal quality and heat treatment cant be felt or seen.

My dilemma was /is i wanted to add another 357 and i like the looks of the model 19 and 66 and here were two copies. Both older, blued with clear holster wear around the cylinder and barrel. Triggers were good but i dont know about steel quality. Could they handle hot(er) loads? +p? Or are they strictly standard load only?

At any rate i'll probably just keep an out out for a good priced smith

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Greetings, All,

I only own one Taurus, the M415, 5-shot .41 magnum compact pistol. I have had it for around 15+ years, and the only problem I ever had was when it was new. One chamber in the cylinder was a bit tight. But, I sent it back to Taurus and they fixed it right away and returned it. Been working like a champ ever since. Whilst I do not think that most Taurus offerings are as well made a Smith, my 415 is a very nicely made little powerhouse. It's fit and finish is far better than I expected, and it's trigger is very nice, indeed, nice and crisp, with no creep whatsoever. But, the biggest + for me is that it was made for the .41 magnum, my most favorite handgun cartridge! Yes, I dearly love my Freedom Arms .454 Casull (the most accurate pistol I've EVER shot!!), and, have a love for my S&W .44 mag, too. But, if the chips were down, I'd probably take my .41's over the lot of the others, unless I was backpacking in Alaska, and then the .454 gets the nod!! My little Taurus, however, is compact enough for concealed carry, should I wish to do that, and does not weigh down my belt like my 3" Smith .41 does. All that having been said, the Smiths are more accurate than the Taurus, but the M415 is plenty accurate enough for it's intended purpose, and that's just fine with me! So, for what it's worth, count me as one who very much enjoys his Taurus, and feels it is a very nice, powerful, and reliable gun for the price I paid. Nothing else on the market was offered in the same caliber, size, and price, back then, as my little Taurus boomer, and it's been a faithful friend ever since! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

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Honor God, above all.

Let see where to start....let's do positive/negative on them:

What is positive about Taurus:

• They are located in a gun friendly state (Florida) and about as far south of the Mason-Dixon as you can get
• They give free NRA memberships with every purchase.
• They do have a full lifetime warranty, and will issue a shipping label to send guns back
• They make some products that our favorite company, just won't or don't want to fool with
• They are innovative, whether you like them or not
• They've got a lot of different products to fit about anything anyone wants.
• They've got a gun lover in charge now that knows what he's doing

Negatives:

• They haven't been around forever
• Reportedly, they've have had a spotty track record in the past
• Some folks just don't like them, and will never convince them otherwise

I now own two Judges that I've customised, and really like them. I thought about one of their 9mm revolvers and a 992 with the interchageable cylinders (something S&W should have done, but won't) but I haven't had the spare cash to spend, nor found one at a price to convice me to buy it. I've got several Rossi's- mostly carbines in .22 and .357, and all have been flawless. Athough, I changed the sights on all of them. I've even got a Heritage .22/.22 Mag 9" barreled revolver- probably a quarter century old, but it works just fine.


My pocketbook is far smaller than my eyes, nor do I have anyplace to put them. I guess I'll just stick with my air rifles since I lost all my guns in the last boating accident.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

There's a reason why Taurus has a transferable lifetime warranty. And I consider Rossi to be in the same category.

For the record, I've owned several Taurus guns. All were treated as well as any other gun I own. All broke with normal use. The savings don't justify the frustration.

I buy guns for self defense and pure enjoyment. I can't defend myself with a broken gun and there is no enjoyment in sending one back to be repaired. I realize that any brand can have problems but Taurus seems to get it wrong more often than others.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Between '68 and '77? controlling interest in both Smith snd Taurus was owned by Bangor Punta. A company whose only interest was making money and not so much in quality control. During that period a lot of metallurgy and engineering was traded between companies. I've had a Taurus mod 65 2.5" that was the spittin image of a Smith 19 and Mod 66 3" (that I wish was mine still) and both guns were very nice fit and finish wise and no complaints on performance. But, they both had in frame FP's and parts are hard to find. I don't like the DA trigger on Tauruses cause it's very much unlike a Smith or Colt. My opinion is Taurus revolvers of recent production are not up to the standard their price dictates. Their lifetime guarantee I believe does not include the cost of transportation to and from the repair center (pretty costly). I recently purchased a Taurus PT25 that is now gone from me and I pretty much think all their autos stink with the exception of the PT92 (OF 10 YEARS AGO)

I've owned 3 Taurus semi's and they were JUNK, JUNK, and JUNK Picked up a J frame like Taurus at LGS. The hammer dragged the frame and the cylinder was turning on sandpaper. After 3 tries I am out.
BTW Taurus owns Rossi

I've never had a Taurus, but I've had a couple of Sables. Pretty good cars, IMO.

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Insert short witty words here

I got one of the Rossi Model 511's back in the eighties. It is a copy of the Smith Model 63 which a) I couldn't find at the time and b) couldn't have afforded if I had.

It was quite accurate and accounted for a good number of rabbits in the bed, as well as some pest control/plinking, etc. It never was able to fire a full cylinder double action regardless of ammo. It also developed a nasty habit of lead spitting, so a timing issue there.

I think Rossi/Taurus revolvers are OK substitutes for the Smiths they are cloned from, but they will never equal them. If you doubt that, take the sideplate off one sometime and notice how roughly "finished" inside they are. They sell at those prices for a reason. I think if you are handy (and careful) with a stone they could be greatly improved, at least to a point.

My son had one of the Taurus Model 92 pistols for a good while, maybe still does. To my knowledge, he never had any problems with it, but that seems to be normal for that particular model.

I had one of the .40 Millennium pistols for a short time. I started reading reports of the triggers breaking off of them and got spooked. Traded it (at a good price) with a little scratch for a Glock 27 and never looked back.

I HAD a Tarus 85 snubby with ported barrel and golden accents that I acquired in a trade. Must have been a special run, as I've never seen another like it since. The fit and finish were quite good for the price, and the bluing was deep and pretty too. It handled and shot similar to some of my smaller J frames. No it wasn't a Smith & Wesson, but my son picked that gun from my safe to be his and is completely satisfied with it. Hasn't missed a beat.
Dave

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mr mom
Fire Chief, Retired

Doc-

Is that a Bianchi Model 111 holster? If not, what?

Thanks,

T-Star

Having owned KZ, Honda and HD I'm not sure that was a good analogy if you were trying to imply something about reliability. ;D

Hey, T-Star,

Excellent call! Yep, it's an old Bianchi #111 Cyclone holster, which I bought many years ago, to go with a brand new Ruger Speed Six, 2 3/4" .357 Magnum. Got both new from the same dealer at the same time. Later, when seeking a good holster for my M415, I dug out the old Bianchi, and hey, it works! The fit is not perfect, but it's very good, and the little Taurus seems to like it. It's secure, offers a very quick presentation, when needed, and looks nice, too. I later bought a newer Bianchi holster, which was made specifically for the M415. But, I don't like it as well as the old #111. Good eye, T-Star!! Originally from Odessa, myself, some I'm Texas born and bred! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

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Honor God, above all.

I'll tell you what I know of Taurus guns. A friend of mine bought a 1911 and the safety on the left side snapped in half, broke right where it contacts the frame. Another friend owned a Raging Bull in .44 Magnum and after six shots the rear sight broke internally, you could no longer adjust it. Another guy had a Judge, before the first cylinder was empty the front sight fell off. I had a brand new Rossi rifle, one of their single shots similar to the H & R Handi rifle in .17 HMR. The groups at 25 yards with factory ammo were about 8-9 inches with whatever ammo you used, open sights and with a scope. No I think I will stick with my Smiths and Rugers.

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Vaya con Dios

I have had very bad experiences from Taurus. I will not be doing business with them ever again. Their quality control is a joke. They send out bad handguns with the good trusting in their lifetime warranty to sort out the rejects. That is unfair to the customer to have to send their guns off to be repaired. They had my model 85 for almost 6 months and then sent it back saying they could find nothing wrong with it. 11 rounds later it locked up again. Their customer service guy was arrogant and condescending.

Save up and buy a Smith and Wesson. If you can't afford a Smith then get a poor man's Smith. A Ruger.

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Have Gun Will Carry

After looking and handling about ever revolver made my wife decided on a Rossi 352, 38 special. She used it for her CC course and hit ever shot in the middle. It has performed perfectly and she likes it and that's what counts.

have had both as revolvers. functioned as expected with no issues. well made all around. however, have had issues with the newer Taurus semi-autos (1911's). the old beretta copies were fine though.