Wanted - 9mm Snubby - Are Taurus Revolvers Really That Bad?

[HarrishMasher]

The thought of buying a revolver other than a Smith is frightening to me. I would be comfortable buying a Ruger because I know they are built like tanks, I have a couple of Single Actions and they are fantastic. But the aesthetics on the Ruger Double Actions are pretty tough.

What is the story with current Taurus revolvers? I heard lots of bad things in the past. Is that still the case?

I would really like to pick up a 2" 9mm revolver, but a used 940 is a small fortune. Even the used Ruger 9mm revolvers are outrageous. How bad are the Taurus 9mm snubbies?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Personally, based on personel past experience..........I wouldn't chance it.

 

[JJEH]

I have a new Taurus 85 in .38 Spl since 2 month and it shoots perfectly fine. I tried different loads and it's very accurate and controllable.

But it developed rust inside the trigger guard and the left side of the frame close to the rubber grip panel. It is with Taurus right now for warranty repair. They say it takes around 6 weeks to fix it.

Not sure if others have a similar experience, but I'm disappointed.

I don't know how the distributors store their stuff, but rust on a brand new gun is not building trust...

 

[Coaltminer]

Bought a Rossi Plinker 22 a few months ago. FO front sight, great trigger, very happy with it. Blue, 4", wider hammer than they had before, comfortable grips.

 

[H Richard]

The Taurus revolvers have very spotty histories. A few people have reported having very satisfactory experience with them. More have expressed problems with them. I would just save up a little more $, and wait to find a 9mm S&W. I would trust a Ruger, they are dependable, and a knowledgeable person can work the triggers over for a good trigger pull. But a 9mm Ruger revolver may not be too much lower than a S&W.

 

[Will Carry]

Have you ever heard of a revolver jamming? I used to own one. It was a Taurus M85UL. I sent it back to Taurus, they kept it for nearly six months and then sent it back saying that there was nothing wrong with it. After 13 rounds it jammed again, I had to use a wooden hammer to get the cylinder to swing open. I sold it. I now own a sweet little model 36. I highly recommend Smith and Wesson snubbies. Ruger makes a fine SP-101 but it's kind of heavy. I will not be buying a plastic revolver any time.

Before you buy a wheel gun you must know what to look for. Cylinder gap, firing cone, timing, lock-up ect. There are several articles on the net about how to look for a flaw in a wheel gun. I wish I had done it before I bought the Taurus. The lock-up wasn't very good. On one cylinder it was OK, two cylinders was a little sloppy and two were very sloppy. That is with the trigger pulled and the hammer down.

 

[bananaman]

Basically with Taurus, you don't know if you will get a good one, or bad.
Now, back up the turnip wagon..... I have a Taurus Tracker 990, .22 revolver. I bought it new, because it was on sale at local gun store. What an accurate, great shooter! So much fun to shoot! Would I trust a 9mm. Taurus to be that good? I am not going to spend the money to find out. If you get a lemon, you well may be stuck! Bob

 

[kaaskop49]

I've never forgotten the magazine review of the Taurus equivalent (model # unknown). to the Smith Model 10. After 500 rounds of standard pressure service ammo, the barrel/cylinder gap doubled in size...

 

[Wee Hooker]

As mentioned above, quality was a **** shoot. I've had a half dozen Taurus revolvers. ( All Pre-2005 to be fair.) Only two were problem free and of decent quality. The last blew up in my hand due to the lack of a proper forcing cone. So for me, Been there-Done That. I figure my eyes worth the extra few bucks for a better brand.
My advice. Look for a Ruger 101 if you can't afford a smith.


That said, I owned a SP101 in 9mm for some time before passing it on. To me the 9mm revolver is kind of like the red head mom next door. Something better to want than to actually have. If you do get your hands on one, it's somewhat of a let down.

 

[one eye joe]

I HAVE OWNED 3 TAURUS REVOLVERS, ALL JUNK ! ! ! I WASTED MORE MONEY TRYING TO 'SMITH THEM INTO ACCEPTABLE WEAPONS. NO LUCK THERE. I HAD TO SELL THEM OFF FOR LESS THAN 1/2 OF WHAT I PAID FOR THEM @ KITTERY TRADING POST IN MAINE, THE ONLY DEALER THAT WOULD TAKE THEM IN. MY ADVICE---SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A SMITH……….

 

[Muss Muggins]

The thought of buying a revolver other than a Smith is frightening to me. I would be comfortable buying a Ruger because I know they are built like tanks, I have a couple of Single Actions and they are fantastic. But the aesthetics on the Ruger Double Actions are pretty tough.

What is the story with current Taurus revolvers? I heard lots of bad things in the past. Is that still the case?

I would really like to pick up a 2" 9mm revolver, but a used 940 is a small fortune. Even the used Ruger 9mm revolvers are outrageous. How bad are the Taurus 9mm snubbies?

In answer to the title of post, one word: "Yes"

 

[silentflyer]

Have one Taurus I keep in my fishing tackle box loaded with shot shells for snakes, if it goes over board and is lost, my feelings wouldn't be hurt as much if it were one of my S&W's or Dan Wesson's...

 

[mc5aw]

I took a chance on a used Taurus DAO Model 445 a few weeks ago ... it is a wonderful medium sized .44 Special snub, and everything S&W should be offering in a dedicated L-frame CCW revolver.

You might look into Charter Arms. QC can be iffy, but a good one will be a good one.

 

[STCM(SW)]

I have two Taurus revolvers.
A Rageing Hornet, not that bad at all.

A M431 SS .44 Spl.


It had been dropped and needed repair and finish polished.
It's just OK at best but I CC my M696 as the action is so much better.
Would I take a chance on another Taurus, maybe in a calaber/barral length S&W does not make.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

The only 9mm revolver I'd take interest in at the moment is the Ruger Blackhawk 357mag/9mm convertible. Just saw one at a shop lnib for $500.

 

[younggun22]

When I worked at a gun store (around 12 years) I have sent more Taurus' back than any other 2 manufacturers combined.

Just my .02 cents.

 

[Owly]

So you're considering a Taurus revolver... likely for concealed carry, correct?
Well, I own exactly one (1) Taurus revolver, so I consider myself somewhat of an expert on the subject. I can tell you from personal experience, they are a LOUSY concealment choice.

(perhaps they make other models... not sure...?)

 

[hangnoose]

ARE TAURUS REVOLVERS REALLY THAT BAD?

From people that own them, HECK NO, from people that do not own one HECK YES. People that have or still sell them, have a lot to say about the #'s of them they have had to return for repair. I came close to buying the Taurus clone of the S&W 617, but am glad I held out for the real deal. The $ difference on a used S&W vs a new Taurus was not a great deal. A S&W 9mm revo is gonna be hard to find and expensive, I think I'd look for a Ruger before a Taurus. JMO. Put some preparation H on that raging hemmaroid, should be good to go in a few days, LOL.

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

I have 3 Tauri: a 450, 2.5" in 45 Colt with a couple of HKS 44 speed loaders opened up a little; excellent handgun shoots POA/POI at 20 meters with factory loads. Got a 17 Mach II 9 shot revolver, and bought a couple of cases of ammo for it, 9 of those rounds will absolutely get your attention over anything else(except maybe the .45 Colt), and a .380 5 shot revolver-yeah that's right a .380 ACP wheel gun. Smaller than an M36, and will shoot the newer high velocity 380s with no problems. Only problem I had with any of them was the adjustable sight on the .380 was a little loose, soldered it tight, no more problems.
I bought them so that if I ever used a gun in a HD/SD situation the gun that will sit in an evidence drawer with a bunch of other seized, corroding guns would not be a heart breaking loss(likewise with my Kel-tec P3AT and PF9).
I would buy another Taurus if the same reason came up again, and I needed a gun with that purpose in mind. I bought all of them after careful examination. The .45 Colt is my favorite, all SS, shoots a big slug and is a littler smaller than a K frame snub. The .380 was just for fun but the fast reloads with moon clips make it usable. But of course the PF9 is a better SD weapon, or the P3AT for that matter. They do have a place, and mine have worked just fine.

 

[WC145]

I had a Taurus 905 once, it was junk, save your money.