Buy a new Taurus Model 85 for $219?

[GatorFarmer]

A local retailer is having a Father's day sale. This being Wyoming, that means a sale on guns. New in box blued 2 inch rubber gripped Taurus Model 85s are marked down to $219. This puts one at half the price of a J frame.

I last owned a Taurus Model 85 around 20 years ago. It lasted about 85 rounds too before locking up. Cost at the time was $169. A friend of mine got one the same day, his lasted about 600 rounds.

Normally, I would not look at a Taurus, but I have need of a new small auto or revolver and the price is tempting.

Should I chance it?

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I have no idea how to answer that.......

 

[younggun22]

You might as well set that $219 on fire.

At least it will keep you warm for a short while

 

[BigBill]

Auto?? Go for a Czech-82 in 9mm makarov it's around $210 + or -.
It will last you forever.

Now we have throw away guns. That's trashy.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

My first revolver purchase after turning 21 was an 85. I shot it quite a bit (didn't keep track of the round count but owned it for 5 years). I shouldn't have traded it away but there was another gun that called my name and I had picked up a S&W 640 in the meantime. Several years ago, I picked up an 85TI which I still have and have put about 300 rounds through it. I'm pleased with it, though I should have bought a plain 85 instead, but I wanted something different.

Also have a Taurus 650 that I just decided to try b/c of the price. It's not as tight as my 640 but it gets the job done. Not very comfortable shooting .357s out of it, though.

 

[Fishinfool]

You would think I would know better, but I have owned my share of Taurus firearms, and have been disappointed with each, in one way or another. That said, the price is not bad, and it is a model that has been in production for a long time, so the bugs should be worked out?....

IF you can handle it, and make sure it is up to snuff, might not be a bad deal for the $$. If it turns into a dog, you can probably sell it for close to what you paid.

Larry

 

[hardluk1]

Guess you have to use the common sense you were born with to decide if it feel right and tight . I carried a first year stainless steel 85 for 20 years as my CC . Its a great little snubby with a even better trigger pull and has many thousands of rounds thru it .

Mine came with wood grips and those were replaced quickly for a set of hogue rubber grip . Been used by my girls and several friends to get there CC in the last few years .

http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l444/hardluk1/107_4231_zps2fa7a2b5.jpg?1433451793895

 

[Wishoot]

After reading yet another thread (on another forum) about the crappy customer service and crappy guns Taurus produces, I'm 99.9% certain I would never buy a Taurus. Even at that price.

You're half-way to buying a S&W J-Frame or an LCR. I'd say, save your money and put it towards something else.

 

[Otreb]

Odds are if you inspect before buying, and the gun has good strong lockup and minimal to no play at both ends, strong bolt engagement, etc....you'll be happy with it. Most issues I hear of of crappy revolvers from anyone involve guns bought sight unseen or not checked over first.
Taurus puts out a lot of garbage, but they also put out some very decent guns, most of the time you can discern which just by looking it over before buying.

 

[Jdavis]

I usually don't respond to threads like this but, I am constantly amazed by the internet experts who acquired their vast knowledge through the internet rather than actual experience.
IMHO, I think I would buy one if it was what I needed. Taurus has changed over the years and is currently under new ownership. They have a lifetime warranty so you should have little to worry about. I have only owned one Taurus revolver (990 .22LR). It has been a great gun that has developed a nice smooth action, shoots anything I feed it, and hits what it is aimed at. My experience has been very positive. Perhaps I got a good one and some others didn't. I see complaints about practically every make on the forums. Seems that folks don't report on the good ones as much as the problem guns.

 

[JaPes]

Odds are if you inspect before buying, and the gun has good strong lockup and minimal to no play at both ends, strong bolt engagement, etc....you'll be happy with it. Most issues I hear of of crappy revolvers from anyone involve guns bought sight unseen or not checked over first.
Taurus puts out a lot of garbage, but they also put out some very decent guns, most of the time you can discern which just by looking it over before buying.

^^^ This.

I've owned Tauri that were outstandingly good and outstandingly awful. Inspect the M85. If it passes, then it should be good to go. I will say that Taurus CS has become much better.

I bought a used PT92 that was originally manufactured in 1999. The trigger bar was out of spec and turned the gun into a sometimes DA/SA and sometimes DAO pistol. I followed the instructions on Taurus' website for sending in a warranty repair. It took Taurus 11 days total (including transit back and forth and a weekend) to get it back.

Not only did they replace the trigger bar, they went through the entire pistol and replaced all the wear items. They even installed a new set of factory grips and brand new grip screws.

 

[Golddog]

I wouldn't buy any Taurus, even for $2.19. Owned a couple, and both were inoperable after five rounds.

 

[Bobbysixkiller]

I had a tauras 357. Don't remember the name of it. It shot ok. Never have trouble. But.. It felt cheap. I sold it after a half box of 38s. You get what ya pay for.

 

[BigBill]

I picked up a Taurus 94 for the misses first revolver. It did surprise me. I never went after anymore of there guns. I figured a snubbie in 22 mag.

The only other brand I own is the CZ auto. There a quality gun. And the CZ75 is the choice of the Russian special ops.

 

[MOONDAWG]

The Spousal Unit's circa 2005 .38 Spl. Titanium Taurus M-851 has way surpassed the 2,000 round mark way back with zero problems.

It's finish has held so well it still looks brand new.

 

[Ahab]

I have the 85 and The Ti .357 both in excess of 12 years, both have had uncountable rounds through without a problem. I would buy another no qualms. You need to examine any gun carefully before purchase no matter what manufacturer.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Apparently a number of people found them worth it, the store running out before I could get there. None are expected in for the remainder of the sale which was stock on hand.

Not that $249, the regular price, is much higher...but still.

So I ordered a conversion cylinder for my 1858 Remington clone and called it a day.

A .380 Bodyguard was 299, but I just did want a .380 again. So I will forego the small to medium size medium caliber and substitute...the archaic.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Some might say you dodged a bullet.

 

[rz625-8]

My Taurus rep came to our shop this week with revolvers that are t and e guns.I test fired the .38 m85 matte stainless and the m65 in .357 and compared to my S&W m65,the Taurus held up better with the 125 grain Hornady Critical Defense in .357 than the S&W did. So,I ordered 20 of the 85 and 65s from Taurus. I was amazed how these 2 revolvers held up. and their ils lock does not lock up the gun when shooting them.

 

[Otreb]

Apparently a number of people found them worth it, the store running out before I could get there. None are expected in for the remainder of the sale which was stock on hand.

Not that $249, the regular price, is much higher...but still.

So I ordered a conversion cylinder for my 1858 Remington clone and called it a day.

A .380 Bodyguard was 299, but I just did want a .380 again. So I will forego the small to medium size medium caliber and substitute...the archaic.

I really wanted to like my BG380, but after a trip back to Springfield for light strikes and the laser crapping out, it came back only slightly better and the laser still didn't work....not that it was big deal to me. I'm just not confident in tiny .380s.