I know Tauri provoke strong emotions. I’ve not had any experience until recently, when I bought this Model 85 for $135 as a potential car gun for my son. He used it for a while, then deftly swapped it out for a Model 37 I got cheap at a police supply place. So I guess its mine.

I’m surprised at how well it is made. The finish is well-done, the action is smooth, it has a neat front lock up, a “semi-target” hammer, and the nubby rubber grips are comfy. I took it to the range and it was adequately accurate.

It has earned a spot in the ceramic chicken on the china cabinet by the back door. It won’t fit in Homer.

Anybody else have one?

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Not a Taurus fan, but for the money you did good.

135?….did you buy from a guy behind a dumpster in the alley kinda transaction?

Nope, a Tactical Timmy gun store. They alway underprice revolvers.

Here’s another I got there.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I like my Taurus 605. $135 seems awfully low price. Where did you say that store's at?

I’m not a Taurus lover or hater …. But every single 85 (or similar) has been perfect mechanically and very nice cosmetically as well.

Now, there’s been a couple others that were bad and that can happen with any brand.

You bought that super cheap. Good for you!

Taurus 85 and Rossi 68 revolvers have always been great performers for me.

I've got a Taurus 85 Ultra-Light. It looks good, shoots well, and has never failed.

The Model 85 is the revolver that Taurus does best IMHO.

I’ve owned a couple of Model 85’s, only have one at the moment. It’s guarding the kitchen these days. The others all ended up with family or friends after I let them shoot one. Everyone I have had was a fine revolver, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another for a sane price.

All of mine were bought as used guns. I don’t think I ever paid more than $175 for any of mine, but that was a while ago. These days $135 is a screaming good deal. Here in southeast PA a decent used snub revolver, when you can find one, is usually $499 and up. The last Model 85 I saw looked like it was run over by a truck and they wanted $550. It sold in a few days.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

I believe there is a Taurus model that is a better bet to be -NICE- than an 85 — it’s the Model 431, the 3-inch, 5-shot .44 Special. I’ve handled a few of these and it’s hard to believe these are Taurus revolvers.

I buy every set of those Taurus grips that I can find in the bargain bin/s at shows, or LGS. Got to have them ready for any new J-frame that I may adopt, LOL. One need only to punch out the locator pin from the bottom of the S&W grip-frame. (It's located on a different spot on Taurus' guns.) But, not to worry, as the Taurus 'boot' grip has inner nubs that mate with one another, and there is no slippage.

Taurus turns out some lemons, so does S&W and Colt. Taurus firearms are not as finely machined and finished as many S&W and Colt firearms, but they usually work just fine and cost a fraction of a similar S&W or Colt. My only experience is with a Taurus Model 96, which was their version of the S&W Model 17. Mine works just fine, but does not have the fine trigger pull of the a S&W.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Never been a Taurus guy myself, but I’ve always held their revolvers in higher regard than their autos. I’d say you did well...

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Some Might Say.

No Taurus fan here either, but I could see that one as a useful tool! dont look bad at all

I had their Beretta 92 copy for years, ran fine, 3K rds had a few FTF but it was CCI 9mm junk.

A long time friend of mine just got out of rehab and informed me that he no longer has the hand strength to operate his Taurus 85 Poly revolver. He asked me if I had an easy to operate .38 special revolver.

I brought him a Rock Island 4" .38 to try and he could operate it in both single action and double action. He told me that he had $250 in the Taurus and I told him that I had $200 in the Rock Island. I gave him $50 plus the Rock Island and he was a happy camper.

The paperwork with his (now my) Taurus 85 showed a 2015 purchase date. The gun had been dry fired only.

I took the gun to my local range and fired 11 different types of ammo from 125gr through 158gr. All of the rounds printed over 4" left at 25 yards. 9 of the groups were good to very good.

Later, I removed approximately 1/32" from the inside right ear of the non-adjustable rear sight. The gun now has perfect windage with 10 of the 11 brands/types of ammo that I tested. An additional benefit of this modification is that I can now see light on both sides of the front sight blade when I am aiming.

i have owned Taurus revolvers since the mid-'70's and have never been disappointed with their quality or performance. Latest is a Model 605, which by direct comparison is fully the equal of any S&W being sold today.

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Pisgah

I have a similar Taurus , but stainless steel , 45 acp and ported barrel .
100% satisfaction ... if they ever come out with one w/ a 3" barrel w/ adjustable sights ... I'll be all over it .
Mine is a model 455 and extremely accurate ... it's spooky accorate and this one is never leaving me ... it just shoots too well !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

I got a stainless Model 85 a few years ago when Taurus had a big sale on them. Awesome shooting little revolver. Shoots just as nice as any Colt or S&W .38 in my collection.

If I was going to complain about anything it would be that the usual HK speedloader doesn't work very well with the small Taurus

Congrats! Nice 85 and excellent price!

Nothing at all wrong with the Taurus wheelguns I have purchased through the years.

I had several 85s and they've served very well. The old (Brazilian hardwood) 66 is still an amazingly well built revolver. It's been my nightstand gun for 20, 30 years or so and just keeps eating whatever 357s I feed it. Not only is it as good, but better than my Smith 65 in trigger and fit/finish.

I try not to buy Taurus unless a good deal, because we all know resale price just isn't there. But, if you get one at a bargain and want a shooter, they're hard to beat.



Model 741 bright stainless


Model 85 bright stainless

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Best Regards,
Mark

I have a 2” Model 85 Ultra Lite in .38 Special I bought 20 years ago and it is one of the best revolvers I have ever owned.
Quality and double action trigger pull is better than any of the S & W’s I have.

I had an older 605. No complaints. Seemed "looser" than my Smiths, but made for a nice truck gun.

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Because of the metric system?

I've had two Taurus 85's in the past. Don't have one now. Both were reliable and I had no issues with either in firing several hundred rounds. Not as smooth as a Smith, but still a solid piece.

In 1996 I bought a Taurus Stainless Model 85 for 130 dollars as best I recall, only Taurus I have ever owned.

I bought it from a lady who kept it in a divorce and then decided she was afraid of guns. I polished up the somewhat rough internals and it is now has an action as smooth or smoother than any J frame I own.

With all stock springs the double action pull is between 8-9 pounds on my trigger pull gauge.

For me it is has given good service.

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I've never owned a Taurus revolver. But it ain't because I have anything against them. Its just that I already own more than enough S&Ws to fill all my needs.
However, a late friend of mine was very fond of them and owned quite a few. I've shot many of his guns and liked them all. I think that for the money, they're excellent revolvers.
For years I've wanted to find a nice Taurus medium frame .38/.357 cheap and just proceed to shoot the snot out of just to see how well it does hold up. But with the current ammo situation, I guess that'll never happen.
I don't need one, but if I was to come across a nice Taurus at a good price, I wouldn't pass it up.

I've owned 3 of the Ultra Lites over the years, only one was reliable...

My Taurus 85UL. I’ve owned a number of Taurus revolvers , and may be I’m lucky, but have not had any issue with them. I’ve had this one for close to twenty years now. Reliable and accurate for its intended purpose.

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"Your other right........."

I own two Taurus revolvers both stainless steel. One is a model 85 with a 3in barrel, chambered for .38spl and the other has a 4 inch barrel and is chambered for .41mag. I'm guessing it too is a model 85. Regardless both are fine shooters and I'd have no problem dispatching some jerks problem child should such problem child decide to invade my space.

I’ve had a few over the years and they’re very reliable!

My 85 has a double-action factory trigger that I do not think is achievable in an S & W J frame, even from a custom shop ( and still fire reliably ).
Must be some difference in the lock-work design.

How did you accomplish this? Needle files? I've been taking material off one side of the front sight on my 605. Thought about doing what you said but haven't.

Bought a used 85 several years ago when my wife wanted a nice easy revolver. It's been a great pistol and heavy enough for handling any .38 rounds we've shot. It has a beautiful blue finish and probably was NOT shot much at all by the previous owner. You got yours at one helluva price as I paid $100 more for mine back in 2015.

Enjoy it and keep it...don't see many used 85s in LGS either.

I think Homer would prefer the Chicken point the muzzle in another direction

3" stainless 85 I bought in 1979 for $90 at the LGS. Having spent it's first two decades as a camping and fishing companion, it's spent the subsequent decades in my wife's nightstand drawer, loaded with match wadcutters.

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And I have a pair of them.
A 2 1/2" blued round-butt and a 3" stainless square. They really are nicely polished and finished and shoot quite well. I found both on GB within a month of each other for something in the vicinity of $400 per. They are similar in size to a K-frame and fit all my K holsters. They use the Charter Bulldog .44 speedloader, too. Mine are both from the 1990s and don't seem to have been carried or shot much if at all.
I don't have an 85, but I do have a newer 905, the 9mm Chief-sized 2". It, too, is very nicely made, not an S&W of course, but nothing like what many detractors envision is coming from Brazil or their new factory in Georgia. To be honest, I got it because I really wanted a 9mm revolver to try out but couldn't find a 940 that I could afford. Sending a cylinder to TK Customs was an option, but I figured that for a very, very small amount more than TK costs, I could get the whole Taurus. For my purposes, that turned out to be the right choice.
Anyway, I'm not ashamed at all to admit I like them!

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In the past I've owned several Taurus revolvers with no bad experiences. Several Rossi, also, and I didn't regret buying any of them.

We tend to forget that these, for the most part, are decent enough revolvers for people on a budget.

It just goes to show you that you can't believe everything you read online. Companies change hands, come under new leadership, and the next thing you know, what may have been accurate last year is no longer accurate, but because some folks had bad experiences last year that they'll go on reciting for as long as they live, the reputation sticks, and you end up with a negative feedback loop.

Taurus has been steadily improving ever since their former CEO Anthony Accitelli left them some years back. Accitelli had previously worked for Colt, then went on to become the CEO of Remington after he left Taurus. Now I'm not saying that all of Taurus' problems were related to him, (obviously they've had spotty QC long before he hit the scene) but it really says something about his leadership capabilities when both other companies he worked for had their quality decline and eventually go bankrupt while he was working for them.

I've owned a Taurus Judge Magnum since 2017 and not only has it been 100% reliable, but it's also far more accurate/effective downrange then what I had heard folks saying about it.

Besides, I still think that Taurus' reputation has more to do with having poor Customer Service than overall Quality Control, which seems to be roughly on par with Ruger, except they have some of the best Customer Service in the industry. So my theory is that their reputation comes more from the overwhelming amount of dissatisfied customers who received a lemon then had to jump through hoops and wait a long time to get it repaired/replaced than it does with their QC as a whole.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

My LGS owner, a Smith fan and respected gunsmith, considers the Taurus G3/G4 series to be highly reliable, best budget 9's available.
I keep a G3 in the truck with 5 magazines for just that reason.

My late father in law, carried a G3 (He lived in Miami and had his Concealed Carry licence). He was very happy with this pistol, we put maybe nearly 1500 rounds through it (Federal, Winchester, Sellier & Bellot, Wolf, Privi Partisan, Aguila), no problems, no jams. Nice gun.

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"lets be careful out there"

I haven't owned as many Taurus revolvers as I have Smith and Wesson but it's been pretty close. I've owned 80, 82, 85, 66, 65, 94, 96, 431, and a few others I don't remember most likely. I've found them to be at worst servicable, and at best they rivaled the "high price spread." I remember a 431 (fixed sight, 5 shot, 44 Special), and a Model 65 (fixed sight, 357 magnum...think Model 13.) that were just beautiful guns. I had a 7 shot Model 66 (Sort of a K-frame) that the only thing that kept it off that "just beautiful" list was the rubber stocks. The other two had wood. They not only looked great, but they shot very well also.

These were from the 80-90's I suppose. About the mid 90's they started to replace the wood stocks with rubber, and stainless steel started to take over. Those might be good, but the blue ones always catch my eye.

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John 3:16 .