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

[7shooter]

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.

 

[ben1]

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

 

[jack the toad]

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.

 

[Rick_A]

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.

 

[Rick_A]

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...

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.

 

[HarrishMasher]

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.

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

 

[MTPioneer]

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

 

[ibewbull]

9mm revolver

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?

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.

 

[Otreb]

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.

 

[Boogsawaste]

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!

 

[westy39]

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

 

[badge 851]

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.

 

[gwpercle]

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

 

[Otreb]

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.

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.

 

[625 Shooter]

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.

 

[Harrydale]

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.

 

[SteveG.]

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


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[B's640]

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.

 

[NZshooter]

After 500 rounds of standard pressure service ammo, the barrel/cylinder gap doubled in size...

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

 

[Hans Gruber]

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?

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!