anyone own any of these ? I saw one a 720 for 350 local and got me thinking. ..1/4 the price of a 696 and I heard they actually built these right. even seen you can get some decent wood grips for em. I like the idea of 44 special with a lead hollow point or Speer gold dot.thoughts?
Rossi 720/ Taurus 431?
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I have a Rossi 720. One the earliest ones with the unfluted cylinder. The 720 preceeded the 696 by several years. Mine's accurate and initially I kept a round count to see when it would die.......Stopped counting at around 740 rds..They have a good set of adj. sights and the grip feels good too. I don't shoot it much any more as other specials have taken its place. $350 is way more than they cost new but that was a long time ago........as far as the Taurus.....you couldn't run fast enough to give me one.
300whispertc
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My 720 is a great gun the interarms guns where built on the old smith machines ,can't tell you about the Taurus 431.
I actually have both. In the 431 a blued 3" and the 720 is the fixed sight DAO fluted cyl model.
Both guns have good lockup with the Rossi being slightly more tight, but the taurus actually has stronger bolt engagement and the better sights between the two. The Rossi also has the best DA trigger, in fact it's right in there with a good K frame S&W. It has the better trigger profile vs the wide serrated trigger on the Taurus- but the taurus might be favorable for SA shooting.
Both shoot pretty well, my hunch is the Taurus is more accurate and has better chamber throat dimensions vs the Rossi, which I believe are slightly oversized.
At any realistic range, the Rossi is plenty accurate, but I can't hold the kind of groups I can with the taurus shooting DA or SA. The Rossi favors lead cowboy type ammo whereas the Taurus is less particular and will shoot cowboy stuff about as well as Gold Dots...and it's done well in the snubby match with gold dots.
Both guns chrono 800-850fps with the Blazer Gold Dot 200gr, but the Taurus is consistently 30-40fps faster, even though they have same bbl lengths. Nothing crazy there, it's normal and variation like that isn't unheard of between two identical model bbl lengths, etc.
For a carry gun, I'd lean slight toward the Rossi since it's slightly thinner and has the better DA trigger (at least on my DAO gun), the Taurus might be the better all rounder or range shooter.
Both guns have good lockup with the Rossi being slightly more tight, but the taurus actually has stronger bolt engagement and the better sights between the two. The Rossi also has the best DA trigger, in fact it's right in there with a good K frame S&W. It has the better trigger profile vs the wide serrated trigger on the Taurus- but the taurus might be favorable for SA shooting.
Both shoot pretty well, my hunch is the Taurus is more accurate and has better chamber throat dimensions vs the Rossi, which I believe are slightly oversized.
At any realistic range, the Rossi is plenty accurate, but I can't hold the kind of groups I can with the taurus shooting DA or SA. The Rossi favors lead cowboy type ammo whereas the Taurus is less particular and will shoot cowboy stuff about as well as Gold Dots...and it's done well in the snubby match with gold dots.
Both guns chrono 800-850fps with the Blazer Gold Dot 200gr, but the Taurus is consistently 30-40fps faster, even though they have same bbl lengths. Nothing crazy there, it's normal and variation like that isn't unheard of between two identical model bbl lengths, etc.
For a carry gun, I'd lean slight toward the Rossi since it's slightly thinner and has the better DA trigger (at least on my DAO gun), the Taurus might be the better all rounder or range shooter.
Double-O-Dave
US Veteran
I also have a Rossi Model 720 - mine looks just like the one that Otreb has in his photos. There are two different versions of this revolver - one has adjustable sights, SA/DA, and has an exposed hammer spur. The other is the "Covert" model, and has fixed sights, de-spurred hammer, and is DAO.
Both have a real following as they are no longer made, and they are actually, very decent little revolvers. Both are 5-shot, chambered in .44 Special. J-frame grips will fit on them, and they have a coiled mainspring. I like to think of them as having a J-frame grip on a K-framed revolver.
I bought mine probably 8-9 yrs. ago, and paid $300.00 and a old H&R .22LR revolver, and I think I got a good deal. Whenever we shoot it, my son and I both giggle like little kids when we open the cylinder and see the huge .44 caliber charge holes in the cylinder.
By the way, if you haven't already heard this, PLEASE - no dry firing, unless you want to break the firing pin on the hammer.
Best of luck,
Dave
Added photos of my Rossi Model 720 - sorry for the crappy photos, I'm better with a gun than with a camera.
Regards,
D
Both have a real following as they are no longer made, and they are actually, very decent little revolvers. Both are 5-shot, chambered in .44 Special. J-frame grips will fit on them, and they have a coiled mainspring. I like to think of them as having a J-frame grip on a K-framed revolver.
I bought mine probably 8-9 yrs. ago, and paid $300.00 and a old H&R .22LR revolver, and I think I got a good deal. Whenever we shoot it, my son and I both giggle like little kids when we open the cylinder and see the huge .44 caliber charge holes in the cylinder.
By the way, if you haven't already heard this, PLEASE - no dry firing, unless you want to break the firing pin on the hammer.
Best of luck,
Dave
Added photos of my Rossi Model 720 - sorry for the crappy photos, I'm better with a gun than with a camera.
Regards,
D
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I've got a 431. I haven't had it long, but have put 100, 150 rounds through it in the short time I've had it. They've all been "cowboy" type loads but have shot just fine. The fit and finish are excellent, the grips are some of the most comfortable I've ever used. More hand filling than Magna's, but not as bulky as most target grips.
I paid about $350.00-375.00 for it.
And although it's not a 720, I bought a Rossi 851, 38 Special a week or so ago. I've only put 50 rounds through it, but it seems to be a good shooter too. Nice looking gun that seems to me to be a little smaller than a Smith & Wesson K-frame. That may be my imagination though. A HKS speedloader for a -frame works just fine, and it seems to fit K-frame holsters.
Fit and finish are on a par with most other guns I've owned. Price was quite a bit lower.
I paid about $350.00-375.00 for it.
And although it's not a 720, I bought a Rossi 851, 38 Special a week or so ago. I've only put 50 rounds through it, but it seems to be a good shooter too. Nice looking gun that seems to me to be a little smaller than a Smith & Wesson K-frame. That may be my imagination though. A HKS speedloader for a -frame works just fine, and it seems to fit K-frame holsters.
Fit and finish are on a par with most other guns I've owned. Price was quite a bit lower.
Frizzman
US Veteran
I have a pair of 720c Rossi .44 Spl revolvers. They are the type with spurless hammer and fixed sights and DAO actions. I bought one in the early 90s and the other a few years ago when I saw it in the used case at a local gun shop for a good price. I have had good service from both. The actions are very smooth and the first one I got has had a good many handloads and factory ammo ranging from slow crawlers to fairly hot stuff without any problems. The other one hasn't been fired as much but has been without any problems too...Looking at the fit and finish both internally and externally, they appear as well made as any Colt, S&W or Ruger I have had. They make excellent concealed carry guns for those who appreciate the good qualities of the. 44 Spl...I am very picky about what I carry to defend myself. I have had some bad experiences with another brand made in Brazil and avoid those but I am quite happy with the two Rossi revolvers that I have.
riversalmon
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I have been shooting, loading and tuning Smith& Wesson as well as Taurus revolvers for many years. My Smith's are my primary go to shooters and have served me well for over 40 years. My experience with Taurus has been excellent as well. Both .357 and 44spl. guns have performed out of pace with their cost. A 3" model 66 was as accurate as any Smith I have encountered. Two 44 spl.s, one a 4" 441 and another one in stainless have likewise been very accurate guns. In addition I have owned a Taurus Tracker 4" in 45colt on par with any wheelgun in it's caliber. Taurus guns have proved the need to be tuned as any Smith proves to be. The Taurus guns have proved to be superior in one particular facet of "Pack'in" . Their 5 shot portability as a constant carry gun are favorable to the limited offering by Smith & Wesson. Availability and price speak loud in today's shooters market and I have not returned any Taurus to the manufacturer for repair. I shoot on average 100 rnds a week of tempered cast reloaded ammunition.
Ummm - maybe a couple....
Two Taurus 431 in different configurations, a Charter Arms Bulldog and a couple of Rossi 720. Total cost, about what Fugate would ask for a S&W Model 696 on Gunbroker. (I do also have a 696, not shown.)
Tex1001
Member
CDNN has Pachmayr grips for the round butt 431. I bought a set for each of mine. They are wood/rubber and brown. I thought that they were a little long so I trimmed the bottoms. Everyone that sees them think they look great. I will try to get photos.
See this thread:http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearms-knives-other-brands/442756-taurus-431-round-butt-stocks.html
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I think they are no-name grips that I bought from CDNN a few years ago. So they were probably some kind of closeouts that they may not have anymore.
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