Bashing Taurus

At one time I said I'd never own a Taurus, but that was before I purchased a 445. Maybe I got a good one but I like this gun. Not sure if I'd own another but what I got works well.

As to why the .44 Spl isn't popular I can only say ammo is hard to find and expensive.
 
phenson said:
how many LEO's carry Taurus products as their primary service weapon?
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I've seen them in the holsters of some of the smaller police departments in the area. Personal weapons..not issued.
If I remember correctly, Taurus products are not authorized by the larger agencies. When I was in the police academy, we were told what would happen if we even attempted to bring anything made by Taurus or Rossi to the range for qualification in a somewhat blunt, dramatic, and unpleasant way!

I have a relative that owns a Taurus .38....same size and design as a Model 10...I have tested it, fired it, and cleaned it. Trigger sucks, accuracy is good for a bedside gun (about eight feet), and it will get off six shots. IMHO that's about all that I can say good about it. I would never CCW it or carry it into a dangerous situation.

After examining the more modern ones which can be found in as great a number as Glocks at the gunshows around here, I'll save my hard earned $ for a real revolver or pistol.

Do NOT get me started on their pink, gold, or creepy looking products or "The Judge."
 
4306 said:
While bashing Taurus revolvers is common, I find their products, while not as refined as S&W's, to be perfectly viable.
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Having owned over a dozen Smiths through the years I never thought much about Taurus until I saw a used 96 in a shop a few years ago. I thought it was a Model 17 at first until I saw the $249 price and then the grips which were not Smiths. The revolver looked almost new.

The shop knocked off another $10 and I decided to take the chance. My first range session started with a bang , then click , then click , bang again and so on! I thought , now I see what the bashing is all about and I'd been had!

Later I discover the coil mainspring actually has a tension adjustment nut. A few adjustments and no more misfires! The 96 turned out to be a much more accurate revolver than my the 617 I owned which was not a shooter in the least. The Taurus does not have that crisp glass rod break SA trigger pull of a Smith but for the price I'm glad to have it.
 
I own 2 model 85's, one a SS and one UL. I own 2 J frames, both aluminum frame and believe it or not, I find them to be pretty comparable.
I also have a Tracker in .17HMR and find the trigger to cheap and unpleasant.
I would buy a small frame Taurus in .44spl if I ran across one. When you get to k frame size and larger the S&W and Taurus can't even be compared to each other.
 
As bad as I detest plastic semi autos, for the most part they work every time you pull the 12 lb trigger. The same cannot be said for Taurus products. Yes the classic days of S&W and Colt are gone because in part the quality costs too much to produce these days, but for me, as long as I can still find quality used S&W's, Taurus products aren't even a consideration. I'm not a LEO, I am a person who appreciates finely made functional things.

The Last Standing Knight said:
If I remember correctly, Taurus products are not authorized by the larger agencies. When I was in the police academy, we were told what would happen if we even attempted to bring anything made by Taurus or Rossi to the range for qualification in a somewhat blunt, dramatic, and unpleasant way!

"
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Taurus like any well made firearm is OK for a casual shooter, I find the problem to be quality control. I have owned Taurus revolvers in the past. I found that after 1000 round or so things start going wrong, Where the S&Ws I have some having as much as 7 or 8 thousand rounds, No problem. I no this is only my personal experience But with the price of the two brands not being all that far apart. (with the exception of the every thing is collectible crowd) I always go for the S&W.
 
I'm shooting my Taurus 431 five shot 44Spl and loving it.

My S&W 21-4 six shot 44Spl is in the hospital (S&W) .

Is that reverse bashing??
 
taurus is like driving a VW and the S&W is like driving a Porshe. You can't even say they are in the same group, Since this is a Smith & Wesson site everyone is getting our floors dirty with this taurus BS. You need to take it to the lounge area where it is a bottomless pit area.
 
Bullseye Smith said:
taurus is like driving a VW and the S&W is like driving a Porshe. You can't even say they are in the same group, Since this is a Smith & Wesson site everyone is getting our floors dirty with this taurus BS. You need to take it to the lounge area where it is a bottomless pit area.
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Yes sir! Either tow the party line or off to the Gulag with you.
 
Recently picked up a model 85, Ultra-Lite in a .38sp. I find it functional and carry it at times going to the local "shop & rob"....Not crazy about the DA pull, but found most revolvers, including my S&W's to be about the same...Certainly not a range gun, it stings!!!!
 
A few weeks ago, I took out my 442 and a friend took out his girlfriends j-frame equivilant Taurus. Aside from the Taurus being woefully neglected(oil was more like syrup, probably from sitting in a truck in too many New Mexico summers) it shot fine. Trigger is a bit gritty compared to my 442, but it seemed like with a good cleaning it would be a perfectly serviceable self defense weapon.

Will it be around to give to your great grand kids, like a Smith, no. But will it do its basic job, yes.

And for the price:

Taurus 851 Protector .38 Spl+P 2" Stainless $286.00 SHIPS FREE

286

Smith & Wesson Model 438 38Spl. 2" Matte $367.00 SHIPS FREE

367

A lot of people will go cheap. I did not say value because when you buy a Smith, its an investment, the Taurus seems to be a commodity.

I like the Beetle/Porsche arguement!
 
While this is a Smith and Wesson site I think discussing other competing manufacturers products is perfectly acceptable. S&W products do not exist in a vacuum. The innovation shown by Taurus is quite unique, and when it actually influences our beloved Smith and Wesson products, it should be recognized. The S&W "copy" of the Taurus Judge says something about Taurus.
 
Taurus

While my primary focus is S&W I do own one Taurus ,
An older Model 79 in 22lr that is just too nice to consider getting rid of.
(center)
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Trigger spring is a coil but actually quite light and pleasent ,
Fit N finish is better than current production Taurus but still a step down from S&W IMO.
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Much heavier barrel profile when compared to Model 17 S&W
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Cylinder face is similar in appearance to Colts
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They seem to be priced about $300 to $400 which is well below the Model 17 which sells between $500 and $700 in my neck of the woods.
If you have a chance to pick one up I highly recommend it.
 
I bought a Taurus M85ULSS when I first got in to shooting and concealed carry. Out of the box the cylinder was loose. When it was locked up one chamber was tight, two were kind of loose and two were even looser. It shot OK but after 150 rounds the center pin on the cylinder would get stuck and the cylinder would not lock into the frame, making the gun inoperable. I sent it back to the Miami and 6 months later it was returned saying that nothing was wrong, I must have been shooting dirty ammo and it got into the cylinder pin. After 15 rounds, the center pin got stuck again. I then freed it up, cleaned it up and traded it for a S&W model 36 of a 1978 vintage. The model 36's cylinder did not have much play, it locked up tight all the way around and the trigger was superb.
I do not hate Taurus. They are always coming out with new impressive designs. I would buy a Taurus again because NOW I know what to look for in a revolver. Cylinder play, lock up, Cylinder gap ect. I like their New 9 shot 22 magnum but it weights 55oz (more than a 454 raging bull 51oz) and the DA trigger is horrendous.

I have shot their 44mag Raging Bull and was impressed with it. BUT that M85 was very poorly built.
 
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I just picked up a used taurus model 94 in 22lr w/4 or 5'' barrel i believe. I wanted something for my misses and sons who are getting there CCW permits to pratice with. My misses shot it the other day at the range and i think i lost this revolver to her now, she says its hers now. I laugh and say its ok with me. I got her hook on guns after 38 years of marriage finally. The taurus 94 is a great 22 revolver but its lacking on the length of the grips. The grips need to be about 1/2'' to 3/4'' longer so it will fit a man sized hand better. My pinky finger has no spot on the grips. Other wise the misses has an awesome 22 revolver to shoot and play with. Bill
 
The OP spoke of it being common to "bash" Taurus.......well the reason so many people bash Taurus is because they are poorly made and have been poorly made from the beginning.

Apparently, management at Taurus is content to continue to manufacture an inferior & cheaply made product knowing that "cheap" sells to a certain segment of the buying public that is unwilling to pay extra for quality. :rolleyes:

I've personnally owned one Taurus (that was one too many) and have shot a lot of others..........virtually every one them was inferior to any S&W, Ruger, Colt, Walther, Browning, SIG, Glock, etc, etc,..........the only thing attractive about a Taurus is their "cheap" price.

I don't go out of my way to bash Taurus, but I just roll my eyes when someone defends them on quality or tries to favorably compare them with a S&W, Ruger etc........it just makes me think the person doesn't have much experience with good quality firearms or maybe a Taurus is all they could afford (certainly nothing wrong with that), but please don't try and tell me how good a Taurus is.........we get enough BS slung at us by politicians.
 
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I have owned Taurus revolvers. Still keep a Model 94 in .22-LR for plinking. It has thousands of rounds through it. No complaints. I had a Taurus 85 UL for years and had no problems. Only reason I switched to S&W was a good price was offered by a local dealer. Never had to return any of three Taurus revolvers to the factory.

Much as I like S&W, I cannot say they are perfect. My current EDC has been back to the factory twice. It is a Model M&P340 and had its barrel come loose and a firing-pin spring break. So, S&W do break, they do need repair, just like anything mechanical. I just wonder how a revolver gets out of the factory with a loose barrel? It had but ten-rounds fired through it before I noticed the loose barrel.

Chevy cars run good, Ford cars run good. Own one, bash the other. Same goes for firearms.
 
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