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?

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

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S&W Accumulator

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...

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Jorge

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.

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.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

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.

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Have Gun Will Carry

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

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...

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.

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Dave

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……….

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

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

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

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...

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.

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I'm with the banned ...

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.

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

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.

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Ephesians 6 (Armor of God)

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.

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...?)

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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.

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.

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

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

I've owned a number of Taurus revolvers and semi autos and broke every one of them in normal use. I won't buy another.

I've had some issues with S&W revolvers ( 22s with aluminum cylinders that wouldn't eject spent cases without a hammer ) but nothing like the Taurus guns. BTW, S&W eventually replaced the aluminum cylinders with steel ones.

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I like Ike.

I tried a 44 Tracker. The answer to your question is yes they are that bad.

You may get a good Taurus. You may get an ok Taurus, but in my limited experience, I'm not considering buying a Taurus. Not saying I wouldn't if I could thoroughly check it before buying and price was right for a model that I might want.

I had briefly entertained purchasing a Taurus Tracker .357 for a plinker/range gun, but on researching it I found everyone who used one enough eventually had the lock work fail. One fellow decided to try using one as a competition revolver and the frame and crane became unserviceable after so many rounds. Taurus replaced the gun but, kinda like cheap scopes, I'd rather have a warranty on a product that doesn't need one.

I'd rather have a Charter Arms. They make a Pitbull in 9mm in a six shot that is a clipless gun with spring loaded extractors. The finish on the guns is rough, but they work well. I've seen a couple with ejector rods that have screwed loose, but that's an easy fix. It's just very hard to find.

Unless pitted that's a five minute fix and not something I'd send a gun back for.

Any gun can rust quickly if stored or maintained improperly.

The current production light weight 22s (43 C and 351 C) still use the aluminum cylinder. They weigh 11ozs.

How about Charter Arms if not Taurus then? Not a Smith, but better than a Taurus in my opinion.

If I really wanted 9mm wheel gun.
I would go Ruger convertible.
For a DA you can have a custom shop fit a cylinder to a S&W.

My .22 snub Taurus aggravation was to last a couple of months.
The gun was purchased used $300 OTD but never fired before.
At first 30% fired all ammo tried.
I was running out of brand options. CCI was 70% after tinkering a little.
I called and was to ship at my cost to Florida.
Well I hope the guy I traded had better luck.
My thoughts were the hammer hit the frame the same time the firing pin struck the rim on the 22.
I relieved the metal a bit and improved the reliability to about 90%
The trigger was terrible and spring kit made things worse in reliability so I removed it. More money and time wasted.
I traded it for an AMT 45 Backup. It works fine a BUG 100%
Just a bit heavy but then it is a 45.

So as to another Taurus, well if I see one at $200 or less OTD, I may risk it. On second thought never mind. I have better things to do.

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Have a blessed day ,
Bull

With Taurus you really have to inspect before buying, their QC is weak. I compare them Charter Arms in that respect. Get a good one, and it will be fine. I shoot a mod 94 snubby to keep mileage off my .22/32 kit gun.....it works great and holds nine shots. They get knocked for the heavy trigger, which is true, but they lighten with use and small rimfire revolvers aren't something you can buy anticipating sweet DA triggers.
In a 9mm revolver, you're pushing your luck finding both a good Taurus AND a good reliable 9mm revolver, as people have had problems with sticking cases and jammed cylinders with the tapered case combined with moon clips. Some folks have no problems, but some do.
It's a neat idea, it will be interesting to see if the new N frame 9mm comp gun works out, but I'm sticking with .38sp in snubbies, it'll do anything 9mm will do, offers heavier bullets and low pressure.

Sigh, I had 2 taurus revolvers. An 85 that went out of time with less than 100 rounds of standard pressure 38 special and a judge that from the factory could spin the cylinder counter clockwise with the gun at rest with your hand. Neither gun was abused and the judge had such a sloppy lock up that it was ridiculous. Both gone and I'll never buy another.

To be fair I've sent back my 642, but it was more of me wanting the b/c gap tightened. The gun didn't spit lead and was plenty accurate. But at least it wasn't anything dangerous like a freewheeling cylinder!

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Jim

Just my thoughts my Taurus revolver shoots fine, I have a Taurus .41 mag snubby made in 2000. It is an absolute kick in the a## to shoot. I have shot factory loads as well as hand loads. I don't load anything "HOT" I just like to shoot and boy does this revolver bark. It is just fun to shoot so I say Yes, give Taurus a try, and maybe like me you will find one that is "just right". I would like to get a Smith in .41 mag but I have two teens to feed and raise sooooo another gun will just have to wait as my kids are more important to me than any gun could be... Be safe all

At present I have eleven Taurus® revolvers.............
• Mdl 85B2CH 38 Special - 1994
• Mdl 669SS4CP 357 Magnum - 1996
• Mdl 85B2 38 Special - 1997
• Mdl 617SS2 357 Magnum - 2003
• Mdl 605SS3 357 Magnum - 2006
• Mdl 85SS2UL 38 Special - 2007
• Mdl 605SS2 357 Magnum - 2010
• Mdl 605SS2 357 Magnum - 2012
• Mdl 425SS2 41 Magnum - 2012
• Mdl 85SS2UL 38 Special - 2012
• Mdl 992B4 22lr/22Mag - 2013

All have performed well and I continue to shoot them all every few weeks.

I have only encountered two problems.........
• Mdl 85B2CH broke a firing pin after 11,000+ rounds. I replaced the firing pin & it's still going strong.

I have zero complaints with Taurus® customer service. The one time I had to send a gun in they fixed and returned it when they said they would. Specifically.....................
• Mdl 617 developed excessive cylinder to forcing cone gap (.011") after almost 6,000 rounds. I sent it to Taurus® and they replaced the cylinder and adjusted the crane and yoke. I've since put 2,000+ rounds through it and it's still going strong.

Additionally I have several Ruger®, and S&W® revolvers and they also give yeoman service.

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David
CW3 USA (Ret) 1968-1990

I purchased a Taurus 455 in 2005. 5 -shot, stainless steel, 2 inch ported barrel, 45 ACP. No problems. Very accurate. Throats , chambers and barrel all sized properly. It is now my favorite 45 ACP and I own a Colt , AMT Hardballer , and a Star mode PS in 45 ACP. I like it and will never sell it. Small, compact and powerful. My daughter has one in 44 special, I think it's called the 445, with no problems . I would buy another Taurus based on my and my daughter's experience.
I have seen a lot of S&W problems and complaints so I don't believe S&W is immune for glitches.
The reason I bought it was S&W had no small frame, concealable 5 shot 45 ACP revolvers that I liked or could afford. The Taurus 455 fit my needs perfectly. Two thumbs up!
Gary

My experience with taurus is similar. I've had...
PT22
PT58
PT92c
85ch
85tt
66
44-10 (Pre judge)

And present day ...
Mod 94 2"
Mod 431 3" (.44sp)

None of them gave me trouble, though to be fair, the autos saw light use. The total titanium 85 saw about 2000rnds in my hands ( bought used) before the ball detent wore smooth and needed replacement, front lockup became loose.
I do think their QC is in need of major improvement, as I sorted through several 94s and 3 431s before finding samples that were 'right' in lockup and action.
As with most things Internet, you tend to hear the gripes far more than endorsements. I'll give Taurus some credit for being capable of making solid guns and offering what the consumers want. If they could shore their QC and CS, they would be tough to beat.

I am your classic "champagne taste/beer pocketbook" kind of guy.

But when it comes to DA revolvers, I'll wait and save for a S&W every time.

Perhaps it depends upon your intended use. But even if intended for light usage, I would still recommend, wait, and save for a S&W.

For carry, I've heard guys say they bought an inexpensive brand X because if it gets confiscated (after a necessary shooting encounter, for example), they're out less money. As a rule, I disagree with such logic; IF repeat IF a necessary shooting encounter ever happens, I want the best quality handgun! So what it may be held by the cops?

Having said that, I freely admit I have very little experience with Taurus. But the examples I have handled/shot were not impressive to me.

I have never owned a Taurus and never will. But what I do know about a Taurus is that they are made in Brazil and they seem to just copy S & W with many of their guns. For those reasons I urge you and anyone else who is looking at buying a gun to at least try to buy an American made gun from an American based company.

Smith or ruger . There is a reason law enforcement don't use Taurus.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Is Taurus so bad? I think it mostly depends on how much you'll be depending on it, and how much you care about the value of what you get for the money you spend. I too am one of those yahoos that pipes in on this topic without ever owning a Taurus. I studied what many folks had to say regarding revolvers in general before I purchased my first DAO revolver. I learned that many folks have had problems with S&W revolvers, but there are more good reports than bad for S&W. Colt is much the same. When it comes to the lower priced revolvers, it could seem that not only is the assembly QA a wildcard, but the quality of materials, i.e. the steel used to build them from is marginal. Meaning that there appears to be an inconsistency in the grade and hardness. I have no proof of this to offer, but I think the preponderance of reports to this end is significant. So what difference does it make anyways? Well for me....if the revolver's intended use will be to RELIABLY function as designed to protect love ones, I will put much weight into these factors. However, if I simply wanted a cheapo throw-away piece to keep in my tractor tool box for shooting varmints, well there's a lot more room for compromise, i.e. risk of malfunction matters much less. Let me add that I do not fall into the mindset of preferring a throw away gun as a primary defense arm because of the financial risk. I feel that losing a replaceable $1500 1911 to the cop’s evidence room is a very very small price to pay for reliably defending my family in a life or death struggle.

Lastly, no matter who's platform you go with, I highly reccomend that you study up on what to look for in checking one over if you don't already know; and only buy one you can inspect first. At the very least only buy from a source who will accept returns after several days for inspection. Even high dollar NIB pistolas can come from the factory needing to go back.

Holy smoke that is BAD!!!!!

You know the saying... buy once cry once (instead of trying to save a few bucks spend a few more for the Smith first time around, you'll spend less in the long run). I spent a small fortune on ruger single actions trying to squash my desire for a freedom arms... guess whether or not I now own a freedom arms

Buy the Taurus and find out for yourself!
The LAST thing you want to do is limit yourself based on HIGHLY BIASED comments on any on-line forum!

I agree with this completely. You can have a good or bad experience with ANY manufacturer. I had a Colt Python made in 1964 that would lock up. A Colt series 70, 1911 that wanted to stovepipe at least once a magazine full. Still have a Smith Classic 1917 with a casehardened frame that wants to rust if it is not wiped down with oil once a month. A Marlin 39A that never cycled well.

Most of my firearms are great and I use them all the time and CC a few. I currently have in the group a Taurus PT 1911 that has gone 10K rounds and a 454 Raging Bull that has taken a deer and a few hogs. So I say try what you want then shoot it until your ammo budget runs out!

Taraus is not as bad as the internet haters say. But it is also true they have higher % of returns than "name brand" guns.

Other than QC in general , their problem is being too inovative. They will introduce new designs and new materials very quickly before adaquate testing and working the bugs out. And then half of them get discontinued by that time, so lots of orphans floating out there.

Specifically : The M92/100 family they've been making forever , and have figured out. The steel M85's they've been making forever, and have figured out. Several gunsmiths I trust have given thumbs up to PT1911's ( one of them a notorous Taraus hater of everything else they make).

If I could have found a M431 in person , I would have bought it.

The M445, M450, and M455 are great concepts , and don't have any comparitive counterparts from other mfgs. Likewise a .41Tracker is an intreguing unique concept. The friend of friend who had one had no problems, but let it go because he primarily loaded cast bullets with longer noses, and the Taraus cylnder is strictly for SAAMI spec COL.

So if you have a steel frame Taraus revolver in your hands , and know how to inspect a revolver, don't rule it out. But I probably wouldn't buy one over the net sight unseen.

But the part no body has asked yet , are you really sure about a 9mm DA revolver ? I own a M940 , and have to say that at best DA 9mm revolvers are a very niche item. Yes , they have a better expansion ratio than .38/.357 snubs. Yes if your employer restricts you to issued ammo only , and that happens to be Cmm , a small revolver does have advantages as a BUG.
If the chambers are reasonably close to spec , they are very ammo sensitive. I don't mean just accuraccy , but even chambering , or going bang. I'm guessing the current Tauri have generous diameter chambers and throat , because none of the reviews mention chambering issues. But the quoted group sizes at 7yd sound like group sizes fired at 20 or 25yds.

So unless you have a specific reason more compelling than simply owning a 9mm semi , I'd recomend a .38 instead.

I can't speak of the revolver but I had a 380 years ago and is did all right. My neighbor bought a compact 9mm simi auto a few months back when there were zero hand guns in this state (nc) ironic that was the only one in stock IMO. It has been junk. No matter how clean or what brand ammo he gets 3 shots max and it jams or ftf.

Whew! Lotta haters out there. My guess is that the most of those folks have never owned a Taurus or much less one that was from recent production. Brand loyalty affects opinions as does hearsay which one would expect on a specific gun forum.
Would I choose a Taurus over a Colt, S&W, or Ruger? If I had the funds at my disposal...probably not. But...Taurus had made some strides under their new CEO in the last few years. They are not the same company that they were in the past and the quality of their product has improved as has customer service.
I have only one Taurus, a 4" 990 .22LR and it has performed as well as any of my revolvers and better than some. The action has worn in well and it's smoothness rivals any J frame S&W. With a lifetime warranty, free one year NRA membership, and an attractive price point, I might be a willing buyer again.

Both of mine were brand new, with the 85 being the "oldest". I bought that one less than 2 years ago. The judge, more recently. Both were steel frame revolvers and both have been around long enough to get the bugs worked out. And both failed me. I was not a taurus "hater" at all. In fact the judge was very recent. However I will never pick up another one after losing $$ on them both.

Funny that I was at a local show last month and handled an ultralite judge that was also new. Where the barrel met the frame was an easy 1/16" gap on the bottom, only! Don't know how that made it through qc. And if their quality has gone up with their new CEO, I would hate to see it before! So yeah, I've owned them and this has been my personal experience. YMMV

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Jim

Trying to keep an open mind and it's true a majority of my bull experience was some time ago when I was on the selling side of gun show tables, but at that time people at those shows had Taurus handguns (both revolver & auto) they were looking to sell/trade, more so than any other brand. And this was by a large margin. I don't recall ever buying or trading for one but when asked why they wanted shed of the Taurus, most allowed there was nothing wrong, they just wanted something else. As to why this was, I can't confirm.

It doesn't stand to reason that there is a conspiracy of gun owners against the products made by Taurus.

Read a lot. Search a lot. Talk to people who have owned and shot a Taurus. The answer will show itself to you.

Not sure what you are referring to concerning the Taurus revolvers quality. My carry gun has been a model 605 357 cal. Taurus for years and I have never had one problem with the gun.

I happen to prefer the Taurus over the Smith & Wesson.


Some of the comments we are hearing could be because this is a Smith & Wesson Forum don't you think?
And I do have 2 Smith & Wessons an 4506-1 and a 637-2.
djh

If I bought a Kia because it seemed to be dependable and affordable. It will work and get me from point to point, but when my finances permit, I want trade it for something that I perceive as a better more desirable vehicle that has greater status. Perhaps Taurus provides an entry into the hobby for some who otherwise might not buy a gun. As can be seem from the comments in this thread, there is a negative impression about the brand by some. All manufacturers seem to have problems (look on any gun forum). Even on this forum I have seen negative comments about S&W current offerings. Any of the three makers mentioned in the OP can and do have issues of one type or another and as responsible companies will stand behind their products.
If the OP had asked this same question on a Taurus forum would you think that the responses would be different?

I would never own a Taurus, ever ! So glad Taurus and S&W are not of the same mold !

The only alternative I can say is worthy to get my business is the GP-100. March Champion I own. Built like a tank and more refind than any other Ruger I have fired!