Buddy of mine is willing to spend $600 on a 44 mag. revolver. Looking around the best option seems to be the Taurus. Are they any good? Only experience I have with Taurus is with a 1911 and that was a piece of junk. Are the revolver the same?

I highly respect the opinions on this forum and would appreciate any feedback. Thanks in advance.

My personal opinion is he would be better served buying an older Pre-Loved Mod 29 than a brand new Taurus. Taurus are fine for occasional use, but the quality to stand up to more frequent use isn't there, and the accuracy has never been there.

I'm sure others will have differing opinions, but this has been my experience 3 or 4 Taurus .22, .22Mag, and .357 over 25+ years.

Another option is a Ruger, which does have long term ruggedness, and quality. It will probably need a trigger job, but otherwise a good gun.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I've never owned a Taurus and probably won't. They may be fine guns, but why not spend a little more and get an S&W? They retain value better and are far more desirable when it comes time to sell or trade.

I totally agree with you but we all have our owe circumstances with have to contend with. His max is $600 and trying to find a Smith for that is pretty slim. Ruger could be a better option.

Some have very strong feelings and emotion on this. There are enough models and brands to go around, so I try to think and buy practically. What I have found, in general, with Taurus over the years is...

Many of their semi-autos have been hit and miss. Mostly a big miss. I wouldn't buy one. Although, the older PT-92 Beretta copies were quite good.

Many of the traditional 6-shot revolvers, like the model 66 were built very well. I still have a stainless model that shoots as reliably and accurately as my K-38, and that's saying a lot. My model 741, chambered in 32 H&R is their small frame (model 85 type) offering. That 741 is one fine revolver. Same with my model 992 Tracker. Beautiful blue, fit, finish and function are excellent. Many, many thousands of .22LR downrange without a hiccup. The 'Brazilian hardwood' grip era revolvers worked very well for me.

Some say the newer, large capacity revolvers have timing issues. Don't own one, so I am not sure.

Of course, I consider money spent on Smiths to be a much better investment if the time comes to sell or trade.

Sometimes it's a matter of saving up/waiting just a little longer and investing in an S&W. Other times, like with the 741 .32, it was a no brainer and I couldn't be happier.

Just my own experience.

Whatever your buddy gets, hope it works well for him.

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Best Regards,
Mark

I own a few Taurus guns. I've sold more than I currently have. For the most part I find their revolvers O.K. but I wouldn't buy one sight unseen. I currently have a .38 with oversized throats. Other than that it's great.

You want to inspect it carefully. Throats, lockup, timing, gap. This is one occasion when you should go through the revolver inspection drill completely.

Most of their problems come from their poly framed autos. In my experience their metal framed autos are the best guns they've made. I have (or had) 92's and 900 series guns. I have no experience with their 1911's. The revolvers are almost as good with older ones being better than newer ones.

The poly guns can be good (mine are/were 600 & 800 series) but it seems most of the complaints are about these. I've only ever had to send one back for repair which was handled quickly and properly. But since then their Customer "Service" seems to have deteriorated and service is slow and communication non-existent. But if you need a repair it'll get done eventually....like months later.

If you buy a new one shoot it a lot and be fast about it. If it's gonna break it should happen quick but they'll only pay the freight back for the first three months or so I think. They used to go a year.

You can buy a very good gun at a reasonable price with Taurus. You can also buy a very large headache. I've found close inspection sorts them out. Putting up with all this requires the price to be right.

I know a lot of new shooters are uncertain and don't want to spend a lot on the first gun. This is a mistake in my view. New shooters need a good gun to build confidence. With an inexperienced shooter and a questionable gun you have a harder time telling where the problem is.

An experienced shooter knows how to deal with faulty functioning, ****** triggers, unregulated sights, accuracy problems, and often has other guns to enjoy while dealing with any issues.

If new shooters only gun has problems soon after purchase and then is gone for months in repair they tend to get a bit bent. They start blaming equipment for everything.

If that's all he can afford, he just needs to be aware of the risks. It'll all work out O.K. in the end but it might take a while.

I have had a couple of S & W 29's. I still have 3 Super Blackhawks=tell you anything? One is a 1976 NM, one is an OM, and the third is a REEDER Black Widow in 454. The 454 is one of my bear guns. The mothers are a Glock G20 and a OM Blackhawk (my personal recommendation). I live in grizzly country and fish Alaska.

If I were him get a Super Blackhawk!

Caveat Emptor.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

You make a good point. As long as the buyer is aware of potential drawbacks already mentioned in this thread and elsewhere, a Taurus might be a good choice. I'm not up on current prices of S&Ws or anything else.

Discounting a Taurus across the board is a safe and easy approach that saves time, hassle and frustration, so it’s a solid choice to simply do that. It isn’t the absolute best choice, but it is the safe and easy choice.

The fact is that Taurus has made lots and lots of great handguns, and the best way I’ve found to bring a Taurus in to your life is if a buddy owns one and he wants to sell it and he’s willing to let you interview it.

If you can shake that sucker out at home with a very careful eye and lots of hands on… and then you can get a range day with it to ensure that it does what you want it to do, you can absolutely end up with a darn good handgun.

I’ve owned half a dozen over the decades and they ran the gamut from junk to fantastic. I have a PT-99AF that I bought new in 1994 that is a runner and I had a seven shot, 6-inch Model 66 in .357 that was not only a great revolver, but it was good looking and crazy accurate also. That one was sold to a friend who wanted to give a good gift to his Dad on a budget — that was probably 6-7 years ago and his Dad still has it and enjoys it.

Taurus made a 5-shot medium frame 3” barrel .44 Special also and I owned one for half a minute and I’ve handled a couple others and these suckers are FAR better than the Taurus name suggests.

With all that said, if you go to a shop or show and throw money at a new or used Taurus, you could end up with one of the worst gun-owning experiences of your life. Taurus touts a lifetime warranty but that is almost a pure SCAM because they force you to pay shipping to them and then turn-around time is counted in months and never in weeks, and it seems like half the folks that send guns back to Taurus eventually get the gun returned to them with the same problems. So their warranty has nearly zero value.

But yes, they can make good guns, the trick is to find them.

Uhh, OP

You lost me at "the best option seems to be the Taurus".

Simple solution. Buy a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag...............It will still going strong long after you are not.

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S&W Accumulator

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the Ruger Redhawk as a suitable alternative.

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Release the Kraken

I've been looking at them but they're in the $800 and up range. So is the 44 Super Blackhawk. Now the Ruger Single Six 357 is in the ballpark.

Since you specifically asked about Taurus I will say that I have owned many offerings from Taurus (I have one now) and all have delivered as advertised.

I attach no stigma to them.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Tell your buddy to save his money, have patience and buy a Smith or Ruger. Buy once, cry once.

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Thread Killer.

Not going to find a used older 29 for $600 unless it’s broken or pretty rusted.Advise him to hold until he has more money and but a new one

I’ve owned several Taurii. Currently running a 1911 of theirs that is very nice in fit and finish (for what it’s worth) and came with all the bells and whistles i would have wanted to add anyway.

I will add a 856 of some flavor some day.

Honestly, their revolvers are really pretty decent.

Unless he just has to have double action for some reason, I'd go with the Super Blackhawk before I put the money in a Taurus.

I trash Taurus every chance I get. I owned a PT-145 that I dearly loved. I kept it after the first catastrophic break down; a few years later it had another breakdown that put it out of commission, yet I kept it because I liked the look and feel. Finally, it broke again (each break was serious enough to preclude the use of the gun until fixed); at the third break-down, I had it repaired (the plastic trigger mechanism just fell apart) by Taurus. They had me pay for shipping both ways. I took it to a big LGS and traded it in on a Springfield Armory XDS which I've now had for years with not a single malfunction. My recommendation is to NEVER BY TAURUS just because I'm annoyed ... seriously.

J.

65Whelen, What's your buddy going to use the gun for? $600 doesn't buy much of a 44 mag revolver unless you know someone that's hard-up for cash.
If its hunting I would say have him save a few more bucks and get a S&W 629, or a Ruger Super Redhawk, Super Blackhawk.

I have owned a few Taurus pistols and a few more revolvers. And as an
instructor I have observed a lot of students with Taurus pistols and revolvers.
In my experience it is the Taurus pistols that seem to have the
problems. Of course a few revolvers too from time to time, but the great
majority seems to be semi-auto pistols.

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In Omnia Paratus

My Taurus 605 revolver and PT 92 have been flawless. My Rossi (Does that count?) 357 rifle, not so good.
I would buy a 44 but not something like a 380.

I've had a couple of Taurus revolvers over the years and they were fine. I didn't love them enough to keep them.

I had a Super Redhawk which I sold in time of need. I loved it enough that I jumped on a chance to replace it.

I'd suggest adding to that $600 over a month or 3 and get a Smith or Ruger. But then I have other guns to shoot.

It's a tangent, but those Tisas 1911's for $400 to $600 have great reviews, if you can find one in stock. I bought one and I'm salivating for another.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Nobody has brought this up, but if all he can afford is $600 for the pistol, he sure can't afford to shoot it . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I don't buy into that. I've had save and scrip over the years to get that one particular gun that I lusted after..........But I've always had ammo.....Even if I had to make myself.

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S&W Accumulator

I have a Taurus 1911, a Taurus Mod. 80 revolver, and a Taurus G2S pistol. All have been fully reliable through several hundred rounds. I had an older 609 Pro pistol that I put (well mostly my son put) 20,000 rounds of 9mm through. The only issue it ever had was a broken extractor. It was one of the "settlement" guns, and Taurus refused to replace the extractor. Instead they insisted on replacing the gun. That's how I got the G2S.

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Taurus if one tickled my fancy.

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Or something like that . . .

My GS2 and Raging Bull (454) were both good and reliable. Sold the 454 when I got my custom Reeder and wife fell in love with the G43, so the GS2 went bye-bye!

Decades ago, I had a Taurus revolver in the shop for evaluation. While they look like S&W, the internal parts are entirely different. The entity that submitted the item for evaluation was apparently looking for a S&W substitute and assumed (!) the internal parts would interchange. Not hardly.

I can't speak to the reliability/service life of the revolvers. Back then, their version of the Beretta seemed to do fine.

I have a fair number of Ruger handguns and rifles, about 40 or so and I like them. Still, of late I haven't had much luck with their handguns. An SBH wouldn't reliably cock and lock up. An SP101 worked in SA mode but not double. Forcing cone crack on a little used GP100. Fit and finish across the entire line has fallen to economizing. The difference between Ruger and Taurus, I may be stretching things a bit, is that I know Ruger can build good guns but has chosen lower QC, but I don't know that Taurus can consistently build good guns. As a result, I limit myself to buying only what I can handle in person from either company.

If Taurus upped its QC and did some "overbuilding" as Ruger does, instead of making parts and springs and pins "just enough" and looser tolerances I'd be more comfortable buying revolvers from them.

Taurus internals are more like Ruger than S&W. Taurus uses a transfer bar and lacks a rebound unit. Which makes the Taurus a bit easier to clean up and set for an easier trigger pull while still getting trigger reset. The cylinder bolt set up and spring reminds me of the old High Standard Sentinel line. Works fine but again, Taurus having a spring that's just barely strong and a flimsy cylinder locking bolt - it's symptomatic of what they miss the boat on.

What's his intended use? Does he need or just want a .44mag?

Don't have much exposure to the T.... I'd opt to save up for a few more months and go S&W or Ruger.

As to revolvers made in the last 10 years or so, my observations and experience has been that Taurus produces the superior product, on average.
Smith & Wesson has apparently made the decision at the corporate level to make the customer the final inspector in the assembly process.

That is a very good point.

Model 29 Smith & Wessons for $600 or less, in any condition are unobtanium. Just not going to happen.

Intended use, is a side arm for time spent the woods of northern WI. Black bear and wolves are a concern.

Taurus is like any other company, hit or miss.



My early 90s PT-92 AF is a heck of a gun that rivals my Beretta 92FSs. But the current batch of 92s from Taurus is a pale imitation of their earlier works.





Their current PT-92s for example are nothing like what was advertised back then.

In a lot of ways, they're like S&W. Resting on their laurels of yesteryear and making crude copies of what they used to make.

At least the PT-92 is like that. Their revolvers have been through ups and downs. Right now, they're on the way up since they're making guns without the lock.

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GOA FL Dir. & Nat. Spokesman

My experience with Taurus firearms has not been good. That said, a friend has a Taurus "Raging Bull" revolver, blued, in .454. It is highly polished and well finished, tight lock up, very accurate, and reliable. I have shot it some, and it is a nice gun. The only Taurus product that has impressed me.

If he is set on one, inspect function and fit carefully before buying. Me? I would look a little harder for a Ruger Super Blackhawk. They are out there for $600 or less.

Unless that used Taurus is a clean and tight Raging Bull?.....Then maybe, based on my friends gun.

Larry

Currently have two T's in 44 mag, a Tracker(havent shot it yet) and a Raging Hunter. Had a 44 years ago, 6 inch, blue, worked well for a number of years but toward the sell off sometimes would lock up. The Hunter shoots well and looks to be well built. At 600 dollars if not pressed I would look at used Rugers as an option. If bears and wolves are an issue, perhaps a Rock Island in 10mm, just a thought.

While I understand that their overall quality has improved over the years, I wouldn’t own one, too much of a roll-of-the-dice. And revolvers are usually a bit tougher to fix properly than an auto loader.

I know many folks opt for them because a S&W is slightly out of reach financially, but if you have to have a .44 Mag, I’d say save for a S&W or buy a Ruger SBE. YMMV.

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Some Might Say.

Soooooo, he values his life at $600? IDK, if it were me - this might not be the area I’d be looking to budget shop for items with questionable reputations for reliability.

I mean, I like my PT111 and all but …

I have heard a lot of bad and some good. But, all I know for sure is I have a Taurus 431, a blue 5 shot 44 special with a 3" barrel, that is as smooth and functional as any S&W I own. Might be some that are smoother I guess, but then they do have it far out numbered.

Looking at GB completed auctions, it seems that these days M629’s can be found around the $900-$1,000 ballpark.

I’d advise your friend to save up a bit more before purchase.

nope

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NRA Life
USPSA/IPSC

Two things. A: This doesn't appear to be a "lusted after" gun." and 2: I've got $5 and a bag of Jack In The Box tacos that says you are a much more serious accumulator than the OP's buddy, which then belies your ammo and reloading argument.

I bought two .44 Special handguns last year after the beginning of the Great Ammunition Panic of 2020, both of which I may or may not have "lusted after," but I certainly wanted to accumulate. They were my first .44 Special pistols. A 24-3 Lew Horton, and a Son of Sam Charter Arms Bulldog. When I bought the first, I had no ammunition. A year later, and I have about 300 rounds. The OP's buddy is in a pickle . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Just got an unfired Forjas/Taurus .32 small frame revolver dating back to 1968 for half the cost of a 30/31 but am not expecting the same quality or smooth trigger as a Smith. It will go bang and hit the target and save my 30 and 31 for another day and if I am pleasantly surprised that will be even better.

I have two Taurus revolvers, a .38 model 85 and a .41 Tracker snubbie which I keep in a bugout bag. I like both but if I had a choice (and I do) it will be S&W which I believe to be a better revolver. Mind you I got my Smiths at bargain prices The M-85 and the Tracker were both given to me because of my assisting the owners with other problems. I'm not unhappy with either gun but I prefer my Smiths.

I bought a used S&W 629-6 that shoots as good as any gun I own, better than most. The price tag was $750, but it's a 6" barrel. But a 5 year old S&W with zero problems seems like it'd be worth saving a few hundred more dollars instead of a "hit or miss" quality revolver (according to quite a few posts up there.)

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Waiting For The Sun.

With current pricing finding a good 44 Magnum for $600 is likely impossible.

Have your buddy save more so he can buy a good gun. If he's that budget conscious how does he think he can afford to feed his new 44?

My 2 cents on Taurus is... I have heard that you need to stay away from them UNLESS ITS THE RAGING BULL. I own a raging bull 8 inch barrel 44 mag. love the gun. I have had it for years and it is a shooter,with an old bushnell holo site on it I shoot paper plates at 100 yrds. some say it will wear out, I don't think so I have hundreds of rounds thru it and it is easy enough with the muzzle break to shoot all day with full power loads. I will challenge anyone to to shoot as many rounds in a single sitting with their red hawk, black hawk or S&W.
it was my first handgun and it will never get sold...