Taurus Brand Question: An Honest Question?

[SgtLumpy]

Go to a shop, Look at at one of each. Hold the smith, feel the cylinder and trigger. Look at the fit and finish. Now do the same for the T. Make your own decision. When I did that, smith was FAR better.

This ^^^ is exactly the approach I suggest.

"I had one and had no problems with it" isn't a good enough testimonial for me. I don't want a gun that is measured in "Had no problems". I want a gun that "Feels/looks/shoots great" TO ME, not someone else. It has nothing to do with brand loyalty or snobbery. I'm not interested in a gun that is "good enough, especially for what I paid for it".

Appreciating a Corvette doesn't mean you're thumbing your nose at a Yugo. But to suggest that the Yugo is "just as good" (or better) than the Corvette because you didn't have any problems with the Yugo, or that it cost $40k less, isn't my personal way of justifying my purchase of the lesser-mobile.


Sgt Lumpy

 

[blackpowder30]

I said it on another thread about cars, and I'll say it again. Everybody makes lemons, but some are better at it than others.

 

[carpriver]

I have owned 2 Taurus while they looked good as far as fit and finish went they both has some problems. The PT 1911 45 acp the safety lever broke off while shooting. I sent it back to be repaired it came back fixed but blowing powder back in my face, sent it back they said the fixed it. took it to the range the sear broke, send it back. it camee back fixed, started blowing powder back in my face. I sold it. I well say that the customer service was good and turn around time was fast. I had a 357mag revolver 7 shot 6 in barrel. the trigger was like dragging a file over the head of a nail. the front sight was bent and it shaved lead. It was sent back and I received a new gun. I have talked to people at the range that have had good guns with no problems and have used them to compete in IPDA. this is my 2 cents.

 

[kaaskop49]

In those areas where licenses to even own handguns, let alone carry, are very difficult to obtain, dealers are reluctant to carry the Taurus brand. This from NYC dealers. The above posters have provided the reasons why.

 

[Will Carry]

Taurus makes some very innovative firearms. I know many Taurus owners who are very happy with their weapons. I might consider buying a Taurus for a plinking gun but would not trust my life to one. That is from my own previous experience with them.

 

[captorquewrench]

I personally do not care for them.

My husband has a Taurus .45 (and an SHO in the driveway, but that's a different story). And he likes it OK but he carries one of my S&Ws.

I think that is all you need to know. Not so much what we think, but that a supposed Taurus fan doesn't carry his own gun he purchased for the purpose of carrying.

 

[Taurus627]

All I will say is I love my 3 Taurus firearms and everyone is entitled to an opinion.

 

[Harkrader]

My experience over several models has been nearly all bad.
In the '80s, my employer got a security contract from a Brazilian and he insisted we carry Taurus guns. My employer bought 12 Models 92. None worked. Some would keyhole, all had failures to feed, fire and eject. With a couple exceptions they wouldn't shoot an acceptable group. Our armorer took 12 Beretta 92s and adapted the grips from the Taurus guns and the contractee never noticed.

While overseas I was given a Taurus 92C. It had been well broken in and it has run like a freight train ever since. At the time, the Beretta 92C was in high demand and impossible to find. I was offered amounts in excess of what the Beretta cost; I turned them all down.

I was sold a like-new 431, .44-Special. The trigger was so crappy it was not possible to shoot accurately. We tried lightening the spring only to suffer failures to fire. The springs were replaced and the lockwork smoothed by a gunsmith to no avail. We sent it to Taurus twice without satisfactory result. I sold it after telling the buyer what he was getting into. He didn't bring it back.

Our three boys became enthralled by the .22Mag and I felt the S&W options were too much money. They saw the Taurus 941 and nagged me to death. A "famous gun writer" praised the 941. I bought them.
First time on the range our middle son says "Dad, I can't see the rear sight." Huh? That was because it had flown off. Another was keyholing and throwing the bullets all over the target. All three could not be fired more than 18 rounds before they locked up with crud. Gunsmiths, back to Taurus, dumped them.

Then I was given a Model 100, .40S&W, because the owner said he could not get it to hit the broad side of a barn. Sure enough, threw bullets all over. Crappy trigger, failures to feed. I sent it back to Taurus, three times. After the 3rd they said it met specs and not to send it again. HOWEVER, I noted the barrel had been replaced and the lockwork looked new. Now it is very accurate and reliable. I'd never trust if for self-defense, however.

Lastly, a friend raved about his Raging Bull. He bought the shortest barrel and loved the bark and bite. I didn't. In any case, just to humor him, I bought one with the 6" barrel at a great price, solely because I thought it looked cool next to his. *sigh* Shoulda known.
The crane locking block and latch were so badly made, and of soft steel, that they don’t always lock and are difficult to unlock. Note to readers: DO NOT FIRE IT IF THE CYLINDER WON'T LOCK UP! If we had been able to tell, we would not have. Surprises are NOT fun. Attempting to dress the block, the gunsmith stopped because the soft steel just melted away. He tried replacing springs with the result that it wouldn't fire or even turn the cylinder.
The cylinder stop pin was bent in a ripple and the spring was so weak it wouldn't raise the bolt reliably. The axle for the cylinder yoke looks as though it was fitted with an ax from 20 feet.
I am not going to bother sending to Taurus. Not worth going to the FedEx office. Maybe I'll weld it up and mount a mailbox on it.

 

[franzas]

Over the years I've only heard negative things about Taurus.

From one guy at a LGS "Taurus makes good copies of guns. "
Buy the "real thing."
From my uncle "It's a good substitute for a Smith, but it ain't a Smith."
Buy the "real thing."

Personally, I've coveted (ya, ya, I'll go to confession) Smiths for years before I was 21. Now that I can purchase handguns, my fetish for Smiths is only getting worse. They are beautiful guns (I'm talking about revolvers, I don't care much for semis). The triggers are excellent and the firearms are more accurate than me. I never felt any gun company had the beauty and reputation of S&W. Rugers are durable, but not pretty. Taurus is neither.

Long story short, Smiths have a long history of fit and finish. I haven't heard anything about Taurus that would put it in the same ballpark. Needless to say, I won't ever buy one. I love my Smiths. Why would I change?

 

[franzas]

They aren't S&W or Colt quality, but they are a great value IMO.

IMO I wouldn't sacrifice quality for price when it comes to firearms. For small stuff, hunting gear, boots, car parts, etc. maybe. I've done it and learned my lesson. I wouldn't think about taking a chance on a firearm. 2 reasons: I don't want a lemon (a Chrysler Jeep is enough) and I don't want the trouble of trying to repair or sell a lemon. 3rd reason- a firearm is a federally-regulated, potentially deadly device. I'd rather not take that chance.

(Not to sound like a pro-government, gun control hippie. I just believe in function over price, especially when it comes to something potentially deadly)

 

[Whitens Moss]

I shot a Rossi .357, a Taurus product, and the trigger pinched my finger every time in single action. For not much more you could buy a Ruger and get a lot more gun.

 

[ruger-p94]

I have a model 85 stainless and would put it up against any j frame or ruger. It has worked flawless and has done what it was supposed to do for half the price.

 

[Jdavis]

After reading through this thread, it is so much like every similar thread on every other forum. Ruger buyers complain about lack of Q.C. as well as S&W buyers. Everyone loves the brand that they own and will downplay others as not being up to the standards that they demand. The fact is, you can and do get problem guns from any and all manufacturers. Taurus has had problems in the past but they are taking steps to address them and are making strides. During the recent "panic", S&W and Ruger guns have been difficult to obtain at our LGSs and they filled the void with the Taurus guns that they could get. They both have stated that they have been pleasantly surprised with quality of the new Taurus line. I purchased my first Taurus revolver (990,4", 22LR) from one of them. It has the Taurus lifetime warranty plus the Davidson's free replacement warranty. It has been great after countless rounds. Just my $ .02 FWIW.

 

[Usmc5811]

I have an early 90's taurus m44 4" compensated barrel that I bought off of a mentor of sorts who was an U.S.M.C armorer in the fifties. He tuned the action to where it is as smooth as a Smith and accurate also. It was his carry gun when he worked for the Va. Game Dept. trapping and tagging black bear. This pistol has close to 2000 rounds through it at least. He reloaded, and when I purchased the pistol for $350 it came with a little over 500 rounds loaded up for bear that have since been shot up. And I have never had any problems at all with it. I also have a taurus 617 that has not given me any problems so far, it is fairly new. But what little I have shot it I like it, mostly 38s though.

 

[GKC]

The fact is, you can and do get problem guns from any and all manufacturers. Taurus has had problems in the past but they are taking steps to address them and are making strides.

This is very true...the difference is, when you have a problem with a S&W, Ruger, or Springfield Armory gun, the company will send you a shipping label so you can send it to them at THEIR expense, not yours...and they will usually return it in a short interval.

Taurus does indeed have a lifetime warranty, which also follows the gun, and isn't limited to the original owner, and they have made some improvements on their CS...but from everything I've read, it's still not what most would call good, and Taurus doesn't pay for shipping (after a short initial period.) I just won't buy a new gun from a company that won't pay for shipping it back to them for warranty repairs. After all, when they advertise "repaired at no cost to you" and I have to pay $70 to get the gun to them, I hardly think of that as "at no cost to me."

 

[STCM(SW)]

I have two Taurus revolvers, M431(.44 Spl) & Rageing Hornet.
Both are OK. The 431 is not anyware as good as my M696, but was less
then half the price.
The two 1911's worked great, .45 ACP & 38 super SS.
Hit or miss it looks like to me, I got lucky....

 

[Brian41]

As I already mentioned I've had three of their revolvers with no real problems. Sold off two as I had no need for them and still have a 41 mag snub. If S&W made one like it though I'd replace it too with one.
What I haven't seen mentioned here was the people with limited funds and can't afford spending more for a gun. Surely poor people have a right to defend themselves too and I think Taurus, Rossi and other cheaper priced guns fill that niche. I've advised people in that situation to buy a used S&W or Ruger instead but some insist on buying new and I have then suggested Taurus. One buddy in such a situation has carried a Taurus snubby J frame size for years now with no trouble and yes he does shoot it too.
A pet peeve of mine is the high cost of obtaining a CCW permit out of reach for many poor people that need it most but that's another topic.
Personally I'll be sticking with S&W guns except for models they don't make or are just priced too high for me.

 

[Maximumbob54]

This is very true...the difference is, when you have a problem with a S&W, Ruger, or Springfield Armory gun, the company will send you a shipping label so you can send it to them at THEIR expense, not yours...and they will usually return it in a short interval.

Taurus does indeed have a lifetime warranty, which also follows the gun, and isn't limited to the original owner, and they have made some improvements on their CS...but from everything I've read, it's still not what most would call good, and Taurus doesn't pay for shipping (after a short initial period.) I just won't buy a new gun from a company that won't pay for shipping it back to them for warranty repairs. After all, when they advertise "repaired at no cost to you" and I have to pay $70 to get the gun to them, I hardly think of that as "at no cost to me."

That "short initial period" is a full year from date of purchase. It seems reasonable enough to me to shoot the gun enough in the first year to discover if there is any reason for it to need to go back or not. And not covering the shipping fee's down the road helps keep the price in check. You aren't buying a premium product and they aren't charging you a premium price. Not everyone loads on a Dillon and has a chest full of Snap-On tools. Many of us are low to middle income and pretty much get in where we fit in and Taurus allows for that while still giving you some level of protection.

 

[Old cop]

I recently purchased a Taurus PT-22 on a whim and found it to be 100 % reliable w/every kind of 22LR I had on hand. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.

 

[jack the toad]

My limited experience with Taurus is mostly handguns and wasn't good. Other Taurus I've seen wasn't inspiring either. Not that they are all bad but bad enough that I don't want one. Years ago I would make the local gun show circuit and back then there were more folks walking the aisles wanting to unload (sell/trade) their Taurus products than any other brand of handgun. Things may have improved but I'm not ready to try it.