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Thread: Taurus 63

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Taurus 63

    How close is the Taurus 63 to the Winchester 63? This would include quality, functioning, and so forth.

    Given the rather large price difference, unless the Taurus is a pure piece of junk, it seems that it would be good enough to relieve the itch to own a WIN 63.
    When it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark.... and brother, it's STARTING TO RAIN!!

  2. #2
    Boolit Master arcticap's Avatar
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    The Taurus 63 certainly works. 1957Shep made video reviews about both the Taurus 63 and the Winchester 63 that was made in Japan by Miroku.
    He did like the Winchester better.

    Taurus:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpoCoP1V-zI

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orUVSqZ51a0 (7 second shooting video)

    Winchester:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fazHcEvqSeU

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Somewhat rough inside and the barrels are variable, some good some bad. I have had 3 in the shop and two were just fine albeit not real smooth and the third wouldn't shoot a 4" group at 40 yards. Barrel off center and a bad crown. I wouldn't buy one again unless I could test fire it first.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master arcticap's Avatar
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    For the most part, you get what you pay for.
    But a person can pay $2000 for a brand new gun by a reputable maker and still get a lemon.
    Sometimes it's the luck of the draw.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by arcticap View Post

    Sometimes it's the luck of the draw.


    Yeah, but IME the odds are stacked against you if you choose a Taurus.


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  6. #6
    Boolit Master arcticap's Avatar
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    I know what you mean, some companies and models will statistically have more defects per every 100 guns that they make.
    And yet another popular [un-named] US gun maker has had more than its fair share of recalls.
    But that doesn't sour me on all of a company's guns.
    Most all companies have their ups & downs and history of product failures and successes.

    I'm not a big Taurus fan either.
    But I do have a late model Taurus 9 shot .22 revolver that was nearly new when I bought it and I have no complaints.
    I wish that I could say the same about every .22 that I've owned.

    One of my sons has an old Rossi .22 DA 6 shot revolver and the trigger is slicker than grease.

    I know about at least one Taurus semi-auto model that's an inexpensive Beretta clone that is well known for being an accurate & reliable shooter.

    Every model is different, and I agree that it's best to do as much research as possible before buying.
    If a person doesn't like a company for whatever reason then I support them staying away from that company's guns and not buying them.
    Last edited by arcticap; 09-17-2018 at 04:59 AM.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    I was fortunate enough to score a real, early 1950's 63 last year, and it is in fact a peach. It's kind of staggering to think that we had a time in this country when a major gun company would put that level of workmanship into an open-sighted plinker that had no provision to mount optics. No foolin' - they put MILLED magazine tubes in those things. They were NOT screwing around!

    I've not shot the Taurus, but have handled a couple. I've got to say I'm a little conflicted on how I feel about it. The original 63 is such an excellent gun that it SHOULD be copied, but the reality is that the level of quality Winchester was pouring into the old 70, the 52, the Model 12, and the 63 cost them dearly in the market and was the Genesis for all the "Post 1964? YUCK!" discussions we have today. As you'd expect of a copy of an old flagship Winchester at a 10/22 price point, the exterior fit, finish, polish, etc... is nowhere close, so if that "pretty" is a major aspect of why you're chasing a 63, the itch is not likely to be fully scratched.

    A concern I have with Taurus as the maker is that they have (or at least had) a reputation for not being real great on customer support. Coupling that with the reality that they do seem to have a slightly higher dud percentage would have me a bit tentative.

    On the other hand, how many can say they're making an all-steel, autoloading .22, and are selling it for the price of a 10/22?

    Then again, I can't honestly say that other than that awesome fit and finish of the original, the gun is miles beyond a 10/22 in terms of actual performance. Without that fit and finish, the 10/22 is probably more of a sure thing for the same price.

    Like I said, I'm conflicted on it. Probably best if you can set up a test drive.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master


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    I got a Taurus model 94 in the early 90's. It was part of a trade. A 9shot version of a S&W 63. It had the roughest chambers of any gun I've owned or even fired. I did everything I could to clean & polish the chambers. To no avail, turned it over to a gunsmith that polished it so well the cases all split when fired. I was lucky enough to palm it off on to a unscrupulous gundealer.
    Never bought another taurus anything.

    Saw a friend fight with a 92 & a .357MAG of some sort. I think it was called a model 66. He wasn't much of a shot but even I couldn't keep 6 shots inside 4"at 50ft. And the 92 jammed at least once per magazine.
    Rod was a sweetheart of a guy, but a lousy reloader and a worse shot. Thank the Good Lord he always loaded light.
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  9. #9
    Boolit Master arcticap's Avatar
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    I realize that you're not sure about the model numbers, but a quick look at Bud's user reviews shows that the 66 [4 inch] has a 4.8 star rating and the 94 [4 inch] has a 4.3 star rating.
    Yes, their quality is spotty and some reviews are more in-depth than others.
    Yet some folks are very satisified.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy Black Prince's Avatar
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    This is the last one made in 1943 and there were only 25 made that year due to Winchester's production being devoted to war time needs. It was made in a time when American manufacturing was the best in the world because the Harvard Business School model of cutting quality and using unskilled labor to improve margins had not yet taken hold. Most Winchester employees had been with the company a long time, were proud of their skills, and the Winchesters that came out of the factory showed it. All of that changed in 1964.

    Model 63's are still available and many are in surprisingly good condition given their age. I have seen them go in the mid 600's, but most push the 1-K mark and those with grooved receivers go even higher. Many people refuse to pay that and seem to think they can find cheaper rifles with plastic and aluminum parts and still be as good as an original Winchester 63. They are wrong. As my grand mother used to say, you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

    Remember that “Good equipment isn't cheap, and cheap equipment isn't good.” The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It cannot be done, though many seem to think that it can.

    Here is the results of an ammo test with the Model 63 Winchester:





    I shot three different brands of 22 ammo at 50 yards during a winter gale with winds of 25 MPH and 37 degree temperature. It was the only day I could get to the range, so I had to go then or not go at all. I shot 40 grain CCI Mini-Mag, Remington 40 grain Thunderbolt and Federal 36 grain HP. I shot those as they came out of the box and after I used the Hanned Line tool to file a flat point on them. (Small Game Bullet as it is sometimes called.) I shot the regular rounds on the left target and the flat point SGB bullets on the right target.



    The black circles are one inch and the squares are two inches across. The wind blew my target stand over twice before I put two more steel target bases on my target base to hold it. It was quivering and shaking in the wind the whole time I shot. The CCI flat points put 7 out of 10 inside the bullseye. The Remington Thunderbolts with flat points put 6 out of 10 inside the bullseye and the regular Federal 36 grain HP's put 6 out of 10 inside the bullseye. Given the shooting conditions, I think I can kill a squirrel with any of those.
    Last edited by Black Prince; 01-10-2019 at 08:12 PM.
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BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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