Taurus good bad or ugly?

[LtFrankDrebbin]

Hey there all, just spoted a Taurus 32S&W revolver. Any feed back on what they're like would be apreciated. Only plan to use it to punch paper and belt steel plates.
The gun looks like it could have fun written all over it, in particular lobbing those 32's over the 100 yard mark.

[Olevern]

If it's a new one I don't think I would buy it. If older, when Taurus had some quality control, might be o.k.

[bcp477]

Well, here we go. What a can of worms you've opened. You are (likely) to hear wildly differing opinions on this.....many with VERY strong statements.

First of all, you do need to understand a few things.

1) There is a dedicated bunch of "Taurus bashers" in various places on the net - these guys will say almost anything negative - for whatever reasons (I haven't yet figured out why they put so much effort into it). They will spread useless heresay, stuff they simply heard, just to bash Taurus guns. Heresay, as in "I heard from someone who heard it from someone else, etc." is USELESS information. NO way to tell what is valid and what is not - so it amounts to NOTHING.

2) Many, but not all of course, of the Taurus bashers have NO personal experience with Taurus.....or they had ONE, years ago.....and that forms the entire basis of the opinion they will proffer. Few of these guys are current Taurus owners/ users....and that should tell you something.

3) Conversely, there are many who will say anything good about Taurus.....perhaps because they happen to have one.....or again, just to spread heresay, etc. Again, personal experiences COUNT....heresay is c%$p.

4) Taurus HAS HAD problems over the years - no denying it. It is a fact that their quality control has not always been the best. They are NOT perfect - neither is anyone else. I see just as many horror stories about current production S&W's now, even on the S&W forums, as I see about Taurus. So, whatever ANYONE says, take it all with a grain of salt. There is NO perfection to be had, anywhere.


Having said all of that, all I can do, without engaging in heresay myself, is to relate my experience. Since you mentioned a .32, I assume that you are talking about a variant of the Taurus Model 85 series. If so, I can comment about them. I have a .38 Spl Model 851 myself, which is a standard 85, but with a shrouded hammer. I bought it new, about a year ago. I have, to date, put more than 1700 rounds through it, almost all of which were hand loads. The gun has functioned flawlessly - not one problem, except one. I had a momentary problem with the "bolt" or cylinder lock, at about 1200 rounds. It turned out that the works of the gun were just dirty - I hadn't cleaned the internals properly since new. After a proper cleaning, the gun has functioned perfectly since.

The quality of fit and finish are very good. I also have an older S&W for comparison....and the obvious aspects of the quality of workmanship on the Taurus are just as good. IMO, the bluing on the Taurus is better than the Smith. My Taurus certainly still looks almost as new.

Some will try to say that Taurus "uses inferior materials". Nonsense - they use the SAME stuff as everyone else, whether an all-steel gun or alloy. Personally, I don't care for alloy guns, whatever the brand....but that is not important here.

As for accuracy..... my Taurus will do just as well as my Smith, notwithstanding one point. The small-frame Taurus guns (mod 85 series) tend to have stiff trigger pulls....as do comparable J-frame S&W's. It is the nature of a small-frame revolver (less leverage because of the shorter internal parts = more effort required). But, my Taurus is just as SMOOTH as the Smith - just heavier in effort. It is also true that SOME examples from every manufacturer will have internal "rubs" of parts, which leads to rough trigger action. Some Tauruses DO exhibit this - then again, some Smiths do, as well. Unfortunately, this is characteristic of modern production methods, not limited to just one manufacturer. This is one reason that you should TRY any gun you are considering for purchase, before buying it. If you can't test shoot it, at least check it for function and smoothness, before money changes hands. This is valid for ALL brands and models.

Rest assured though that, almost all of the guns with a rough trigger pull as new, WILL become much smoother, after break-in. My Taurus had one hammer rub, which did not make the trigger rough (the trigger has always been smooth).....but break-in quickly caused this to go away. Overall smoothness has improved a lot, now that the gun is fully broken in. Break-in will be required with ANY new gun.

As to warranties, Taurus offers a lifetime repair policy. If the gun ever breaks or malfunctions, they will repair it for free. Within the first year of ownership of a NEW gun, they will also pay for shipping, both ways. After that, the customer pays for shipping TO Taurus, but never return shipping. So, Taurus offers a warranty as good as any other brand.

Lastly, a subjective point. Value. The Taurus guns, at least the Mod. 85 series, offer a good value when compared to others. They tend to be a bit cheaper - with comparable quality. For my money, at least regarding the specific models I like, I would have no hesitation in buying another Taurus.

[jh45gun]

I could say the same thing about Ruger Olevern and the Ruger fans would howl every one has their likes and dislikes and every gun company has had a lemon once in a while just like cars but The older 38 Taurus I have is great and I shot a friends judge one afternoon and it worked well with no issues at all.

[tuckerdog]

my experience with tarus is limited but has been positive, older 357 and a 24/7 pro ls in 4os&w

[dmize]

A big +1 to what bcp477 said. Seen more **** storms over Taurus guns than anything else. And most of the screamers havent fired one much less owned one.
I dont have a smaller Taurus,but I have a 480 and 454 Raging Bull and a PT1911.
They have all functioned flawlessly and trouble free. The 'Bulls wont shoot with the same degree of accuracy as my SRH's and I dont shoot them as hard.
But on the other hand as the owner of a VERY expensive Kimber Custom Target I am somewhat embarassed at the way the PT1911 shoots.

[pistolman44]

I own a handgun from about every manufacturer. I bought a 2 revolvers last year that were Taurus. The model 85 LW .38+P is accurate at 25yds. and the 22 mag is a 6 inch SS built on their 357 mag frame is also very accurate. To me they are well made and wouldn't hesitate to buy more.

[375supermag]

Hi...

I have some small experience with Taurus revolvers.
Some years ago, I purchased a blued .357Mag Taurus DA revolver from a co-workers son. Price was right and it had a pistol scope mounted on it and a nylon holster. Thought it might make a nice plinking gun. I never could get it to shoot accurately with factory ammo or handloads. Spit lead out of the cylinder gap. I grew tired of messing with it and traded it on another revolver. Swore I would never buy another Taurus.

Fast forward about 15 years...my teenage son and I are my friend's gunshop looking over the used handgun case when he notices a stainless 5-shot Taurus DA revolver in .44Special.
I hemmed and hawed for a couple of minutes, but my son is spoiled rotten(all his mother's fault) so I paid the $250 that he wanted for it and took it home. This has become a real favorite around here...it goes to the range just about every trip and has proven to be quite accurate and flawlessly dependable. How much do I like it? Well, maybe not quite as much as my son likes it...but I like it enough that sometimes when I carry, it is the gun that gets put in my coat pocket. It will never replace my SA 1911A1 in .45ACP that is my primary carry gun, or even my nickle Colt Combat Commander, but I am willing to trust my life and more importantly, my familiy's life to it.

[Guesser]

I have 17, 32 caliber hand guns, 1 is a Walther in 32 Auto. The rest are Colt, S&W, Taurus, Charter Arms revolvers. The Taurus revolvers in my stable are at the top of the pyramid for accuracy, quality and likeability. I traded away all but one Smith, I will definitely buy more Tauri, regardless of age; condition will rule my decision.

[williamwaco]

I have owned three Tarus revolvers. All were .38 or .357s. Two were "almost as good" as a S&W. Well worth the money and functioned flawlessly and were very accurate. The third was a piece of junk. The good news is that it was of visibly poorer qualilty than the others when I bought it. I don't to this good day know what possessed me to buy it except the prior good experience.

I would buy another today if a close inspection showed it to be fit and finished "almost as good" as a Smith and Wesson. If it was less than "almost as good" I would pass on it.

( That doesn't help much, does it? )

.

[Haggway]

Plus 1 BCP 477
No problems with Taurus here. With manufacturing things happen. Quality control goes back and forth as new investors take over. I find it funny that people bash Taurus, when they have the balls to offer a life time warrenty of the gun. Smith, Colt, Ruger, Remington and Marlin dont. Just take a close look at what your going to buy. This is like that damn debate of Ford, Chevy, Doge, or Rice Burner.

[lbaize3]

I can understand the fun of lobbing 32 caliber boolits at over 100 yards. I have a Taurus 327 Fed Mag snub nose that handles the same max loads I feed through my Ruger 327 eight shot single action. The snub has had no issues with the heavy loads and shoots my 32 H&R mag (light loads) accurately. It is a fun gun and easy to carry in the woods for general plinking. The price was not bad either.

[snowwolfe]

Tried a few over the years and all were quickly sold off except for a stainless, 6 inch, 22 mag which has been a shooter.

With Taurus, just remember one standard rule of life, you get what you paid for. Don't expect a high quality revolver and you might end up with a keeper.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Bought both my sons Taurus 357´s when they turned 18 (13 & 14 years ago). Both were fine shooters and one son still has his and is very happy with it.
I have a 41 Titanium and it is my favorite haul about revolver. Never failed to fire and is as accurate as most 4" 357 from any company I own. Big exception is my Dan Wesson 357..
Mike in Peru

[dubber123]

I AM a diehard Taurus basher. When I run into one that functions as advertised without breaking in short order, I will admit it freely. I did have 1 model 85 years ago that was a decent gun for the money, it sounded like a sack of nickles after about 3,000 rounds, but it still worked. A few of the Beretta copy autoloaders were very reliable, but so-so shooters. MANY of the others I have dealt with weren't anything that will ever occupy space in my home. I'm not talking about 1 or 2 bad examples, but many. Buy them if you want, and hey, maybe you'll get lucky.

[429421Cowboy]

Ugly. However ugly that works is beautiful to me:D I don't own one, i never have. But just from your description, if i wanted a cheap gun that didn't use much powder and lead for long range shooting, which is one of my favorite passtimes, then I wouldn't listen to people that had a problem with it because it isn't a Smith. I'm a diehard Ruger fan, just as many here are just as serious about S&W's, but that doesn't mean anything that doesn't have a red box is junk to me. If you can stand it and don't expect that your gonna get a gun that shoots like a million bucks if you only pay $200 for it (not that it can't shoot like a millon bucks if it wants to).

[Jim]

2007-
Bought a PT140. On the second magazine, the mag lock failed and the mag fell out in the sand. Sent it back. Took three months to get it back. A week later, the slide lock failed. Sent it back. Took two months to get it back. Sold it.

2008-
Bought a 4" 'all steel' Judge. Two months later, the cylinder fell out while firing. Sent it back. Took three months to get it back. Six months ago, the timing went south. Sold it.

2011-
Bought a 22 revolver. Accuracy was nonexistant and cylinder locked up. Sent it back. Got it back six weeks later. Accuracy still nonexistant, cylinder locked up again. Sent it back. Took two months to get it back. Cylinder not locking any more, but accuracy still nonexistant. Sold it.

I have said neither good nor bad, just shared my experiences with Taurus.

[JohnnyFlake]

Taurus Handguns are very well made, strong and reliable. Over the years, I have owned a Raging Bull .454, several .357/38, standard .38spls and a Beretta 9mm Clone. They all functioned flawlessly. Even at this time I still have 2 of the .38 spl with many hundreds of rounds through them and they still shoot very well. If you keep them clean and take care of them, they should be just fine.

For the price, they are a much better deal than the modern day S&W, which are way over prices and not nearly the guns they once were.

I have no seconds thoughts, about using a Taurus or even Charter Arms handgun, for personal defense.

[jh45gun]

2007-
Bought a PT140. On the second magazine, the mag lock failed and the mag fell out in the sand. Sent it back. Took three months to get it back. A week later, the slide lock failed. Sent it back. Took two months to get it back. Sold it.

2008-
Bought a 4" 'all steel' Judge. Two months later, the cylinder fell out while firing. Sent it back. Took three months to get it back. Six months ago, the timing went south. Sold it.

2011-
Bought a 22 revolver. Accuracy was nonexistant and cylinder locked up. Sent it back. Got it back six weeks later. Accuracy still nonexistant, cylinder locked up again. Sent it back. Took two months to get it back. Cylinder not locking any more, but accuracy still nonexistant. Sold it.

I have said neither good nor bad, just shared my experiences with Taurus.


I could say I have had as poor of luck with some Rugers yet when I mention it folks think BS saying no one could have that bad of luck with one product. I guess it happens, for you to get three bad ones is unusual but I guess it happens as you can see from this thread there are a lot of satisfied folks too and Taurus does have a life time warranty.

[454PB]

I'm a Ruger guy, but I own both a SRH and a Taurus Raging Bull in .454 Casull. The Taurus has it all over the Ruger for fit and finish. It is just as accurate as the Ruger.

Now the downside: After about 1000 rounds, the RB started releasing the cylinder in recoil. First, maybe once in 20 shots, then finally to the point that it was every shot and unsafe. Imagine having four loaded rounds dumped out every time it was fired.

I sent in in for warranty repair, that was on my dime (actually $55) and it took 3 months to get it back. Happily, the problem was corrected.

I have two other Tauruses that have performed flawlessly.....a 441 in .44 special and a model 66 in .357 magnum.

Yes, I would buy one again, but then I'm really a Ruger guy.

[dubber123]

Heres a few examples, all that I personally have had my hands on. A fellow bought an 8 shot .357, and a new Judge to my pistol shoot. With factory ammo, neither would fire in DA mode, he had to shoot them SA all day, he sold both. 2 weeks ago, a near new PT1911 broke a spring and stuck the firing pin out, tying up the gun. He ordered the part, and fixed it himself, rather than deal with Taurus' repair facility. 2 other PT 1911's lost their safeties. 1 went back for repair, and promptly did the same thing. An aftermarket safety fixed that one, but the guy won't bring it back to the shoot. The second one got sold for a loss.

A new Taurus snub was given away at our club banquet, and when the fellow took it home, he dry fired it twice at his kitchen table, and it locked up tight. My brother worked on that one, and said the fitting was so sloppy, parts just bound up. He got it working, but doesn't expect it will last. A friend bought a .357 snub, 1 round would tie it up with .357 ammo. He could get 2 rounds of .38's out of it before the same thing. I looked at it, and they had machined a recess around the firing pin hole that a primer could set back into. It was returned, (owners expense), and repaired. He tried to trade it in, but both shops told him "no Taurus guns on trade".

another friends 4" .357 will bind up in DA mode, and you have to wiggle the cylinder and play with the action to get it to free up. Another longer barreled .357 was bought to my brother for the same problem, he managed to get it working, but expects the same problem to return as the gun wears. This is by no means a complete list, but if you were 1 guy from a small town, and you saw this many bad guns, what conclusion would you draw?

[jh45gun]

Should we start in on Rugers Now

[dubber123]

Should we start in on Rugers Now

Not from me. Rugers usually work, and when they don't, they get fixed right, the first time. :smile:

[jh45gun]

For every complaint you can come up with for Taurus I can come up with just as many for most any other gun company and that includes all the major brands.

[dubber123]

For every complaint you can come up with for Taurus I can come up with just as many for most any other gun company and that includes all the major brands.

If you can come up with as many Rugers, S&W's etc. that you personally have had dealings with, not just internet reports, I would indeed be surprised. I've had bad Smiths, and got 3 bad Rugers in a row. The Smith got traded, the Rugers returned, and correctly repaired.

Of the 40+ S&W's I currently own, and the fistful I owned in the past, only that 1 was a lemon. (limited edition gun too). Lots of Rugers in the family, and many owned by friends. Other than needing an action job, never a problem. I dunno, if you truly have that good of luck with Taurus, buy all you want, I won't fight you over them.

[LtFrankDrebbin]

WOW, I did not expect such a response. Thanks to you all.
Not sold on the gun yet it will be a risk buy if I go for it, meaning it's the other side of the country (big country at that) and I can only go by pictures on the net.
But at the bargin price I realy don't expect a 'Rolls Royce'. Just as long as it locks up and the timings good thats the main concern.
Mainly looking at a cheap shooter for the range, primarily for my partner (she likes shooting now) and for training new shooters. I kind of cringe at others using my Colt Diamondback 38.

[.5mv^2]

Here is my experience with Taurus wheel guns
44 mag ultra light: One side of the barrel only had trace rifling. Loose lockup intermittently.

38 snub: Accurate and reliable.

357 4" Old: Good shooting but one cylinder is tight, many loads don't fit in that one cylinder.

17hmr: Cylinder was oversize, blew out brass. Returned to Taurus, they said it was fine. 3 of 8 holes in cylinder were not fine. I included the exploded brass when I sent it in.

IMO it is a **** shoot, better to get a used Smith than a Taurus. I have learned my lesson. I have had some semi auto taurus stories but that wasn't the question.

[bcp477]

Well, OK. I wondered if you had experience with revolvers. Obviously, you do. I understand your caution - I endorse caution with ANY gun purchase that cannot be handled and examined very closely at the point of sale - no matter what brand.

What you SHOULD find, IF you do decide to get a Taurus (and if it checks out OK, of course) is a good, serviceable revolver. Not a Diamondback - but then, I'm sure you weren't expecting that. But, considering price, they tend to be good guns. Certainly, there is nothing whatever wrong with them, as regards DESIGN. I am an Engineer and I do understand mechanical devices - certainly well enough to judge whether basic design factors are correct. As I said before, materials are NOT an issue. Finish is really not an issue - honestly, every Taurus I've seen is as nicely finished as most anything else of the same grade (though, I'm sure a step below a really high-end S&W or Colt Python, Diamondback, etc.).

The real question is "execution of the design" - that is, fit of the internal parts - and thereby, FUNCTION. Unfortunately, due to cost considerations, everyone is short-cutting the fitting process these days. Taurus, despite lower labor rates, is no exception. Some manufacturers have tried to get around the issue by design - Ruger, with modular design of it's current line of SA/DA revolvers (GP100 and SP101). Others, probably most, in fact, have gone to MIM parts - to cut machining costs. In any case, the good thing is, even "bad" examples can usually be made to work fine - with enough care and effort. The bad thing is, there are far too many "bad ones" leaving the factories, in the first place. A calculated risk, on the part of the manufacturers. The individual example from any brand that cannot be made right by remediation is rare - this is true of ALL brands - despite the stories, VERY few such guns are so bad that they cannot be fixed. However, who wants to go through that process ? No one, of course.

So, in this day and age, it is somewhat of a "c$#p shoot", when one plunks down hard-earned cash for a gun - any gun. That is why, perhaps especially in the case of guns, it is so important to be an "educated consumer" - and to know what to look for. As you can see from the responses to this thread, many of us have had positive experiences with Taurus. Some not. That is the way of things these days - much as I hate to say (wouldn't it be nice if ALL guns were carefully hand-fitted, as in the "old days" ?). That is just no longer realistic, at the prices currently charged.

Anyway, whatever you do, best of luck with it. Whatever you get, I hope it is a "good one".


PS - Oh. by the way, I would like to personally thank all those that posted - for sticking to facts and reasonable conclusions, etc.......and skipping the hyperbole and BS heresay. IMO, THIS is the way such threads SHOULD go......

[David LaPell]

Here's what I know about Taurus guns, while I have never owned one, I know several people who have. One had a brand new 1911 that after less than fifty rounds the safety (the manual one on the left side of the frame) broke in two rendering the gun inoperable. The finish also came off his gun quicker than anything I have ever seen before or since. Then I had another co-worker who bought a brand new Raging Bull .44 Magnum. After six rounds, just six the rear sight broke. Didn't come loose, broke. The screw that held the sight sheared in half apparently under recoil. I saw this gun, I know the owner and he is a very responsible shooter. He showed me the gun and the sight. But the best part is both owners contacted Taurus and were both told that neither was waranteed and they would each have to pay for the parts to replace them. THAT is why I will not own a Taurus. I saw both of these guns, and to see major parts break with such little use makes me wonder about the rest of them.

I have had dozens of Smith & Wesson revolvers. Literally dozens. I have only ever had one issue with any Smith revolver and that was a Model 19 in 1996 and it was a quick fix. My Smiths included over the years are a Model 25 Mountain Gun, two Model 29's, two Model 27's, a slew of Model 10's, two Model 36's, a Smith 22A, a Model 34, an Outdoorsman .38-44, a .38-44 HD, a Model 28, a K22 and I know there are a few more. I shoot my guns alot. I have owned lots of Rugers, and I have never had any issues with any of my Rugers, that includes two Single Sixes, a Security Six, five blackhawks, a Bisley, and a Vaquero. I have had a couple of Colts and I think I only ever had an issue with one. While I have heard of some issues with the new Smiths and that might be true, I know of people who have taken Taurus revolvers apart and seen the parts and how well they are fitted, and I have been told by gunsmiths they will not carry a Taurus for personal defense. Period. I know shops that have stopped taking them in on trade because of all the problems. Sure every company has an "oops" slip out from time to time, but they usually fix the problem. Taurus seems to have an issue with fixing their mistakes and not believing the owners of the gun when they have a problem. I don't like that and I won't own a gun by any company when they have such bad customer service.

[Judan_454]

To me this sounds like the Ford vs Chevy debate or American vs Import. I had a 1992 Chevy Truck that had the tranismission go out in it 3 times when it was time to buy a new truck I bought a Ford and never went back, and Chevy trucks are probably great now. I think its the same way with guns, if you had a bad experience with one of your guns your going to think they are all bad. I have a Taurus Raging Bull 454 and I would put it up to aganist any SW's or Rugers in accuracy and reliablity. All I want as a consumer is the best gun for the amount of money that I have to spend.

[Guesser]

My worst manufacturer contact experience was with Ruger, 1979, took 9 months to resolve, sent me a gift certificate after 3 tries to make a gun work. My worst personal failure and hardest feeling toward a manufacturer is toward S&W. Gave up trying to get them to work and traded them away. Have called S&W several (6) times and have been promised a call back each time, not once did it happen. My inventory of Smiffs is the lowest it has been since I started with hand guns in 1956 and probably will continue shrinking, my Taurus line up is growing slowly, seems a suitable trade off to me. My contact with Taurus has been satisfying every time, phone and email contact only, I've never had to send a Taurus in. I own Rugers, Colts, Brownings, Charter Arms, Taurus, oh and a small number of Smiffs.

[bcp477]

Here's what I know about Taurus guns, while I have never owned one, I know several people who have. One had a brand new 1911 that after less than fifty rounds the safety (the manual one on the left side of the frame) broke in two rendering the gun inoperable. The finish also came off his gun quicker than anything I have ever seen before or since. Then I had another co-worker who bought a brand new Raging Bull .44 Magnum. After six rounds, just six the rear sight broke. Didn't come loose, broke. The screw that held the sight sheared in half apparently under recoil. I saw this gun, I know the owner and he is a very responsible shooter. He showed me the gun and the sight. But the best part is both owners contacted Taurus and were both told that neither was waranteed and they would each have to pay for the parts to replace them. THAT is why I will not own a Taurus. I saw both of these guns, and to see major parts break with such little use makes me wonder about the rest of them.

I have had dozens of Smith & Wesson revolvers. Literally dozens. I have only ever had one issue with any Smith revolver and that was a Model 19 in 1996 and it was a quick fix. My Smiths included over the years are a Model 25 Mountain Gun, two Model 29's, two Model 27's, a slew of Model 10's, two Model 36's, a Smith 22A, a Model 34, an Outdoorsman .38-44, a .38-44 HD, a Model 28, a K22 and I know there are a few more. I shoot my guns alot. I have owned lots of Rugers, and I have never had any issues with any of my Rugers, that includes two Single Sixes, a Security Six, five blackhawks, a Bisley, and a Vaquero. I have had a couple of Colts and I think I only ever had an issue with one. While I have heard of some issues with the new Smiths and that might be true, I know of people who have taken Taurus revolvers apart and seen the parts and how well they are fitted, and I have been told by gunsmiths they will not carry a Taurus for personal defense. Period. I know shops that have stopped taking them in on trade because of all the problems. Sure every company has an "oops" slip out from time to time, but they usually fix the problem. Taurus seems to have an issue with fixing their mistakes and not believing the owners of the gun when they have a problem. I don't like that and I won't own a gun by any company when they have such bad customer service.




Well, obviously I spoke too soon. I withdraw the "personal thanks". Gee, I know several people who own Mercedes cars, but that doesn't make me knowledgeable about them, does it ?

[jh45gun]

Yep I have had two Taurus a 357 I should have never gotten rid of it shot great and was a nice gun I traded it for a Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag that shot terrible. I had a Blackhawk in the past that I sold off because the ammo was expensive and at that time I did not reload that gun was a shooter the second one was not I got a bad trade on that one. I now currently own a 85 ultralight and I love it. Easy to carry for CC and it is accurate, good trigger well put together. I have owned Smith and Wesson handguns (Still own a 22A) Ruger Handguns and I own a Uberti handgun. I see the same thing with the Uberti folks that never owned one but bash them because they are not a Ruger or other SSA brand. I have seen the same thing with Henry products. ( I own one of them in a 22 mag Nice gun and a tack driver) If ya have had the product and had issues I can see you have a legit complaint. But for those that say I never owned one BUT I would say you have no dog in the fight.

[tek4260]

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=127734

My feelings towards them still hasn't changed...

[David LaPell]

I think I am going to find the copy of Handloader magazine where they tested out a Taurus Gaucho, but before they could get it to work they had to take the gun down to the bare frame to get a burr off so it would function. Again, I have never owned a Taurus, but I see enough experiences from other people out there that makes be buying one unlikely.

[bcp477]

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=127734

My feelings towards them still hasn't changed...




No one is trying to change anyone's feelings. Your feelings are your business. Feelings are NOT facts, however. Neither are mere OPINIONS. Evidently not everyone here understands the difference. All (most of us) are interested in is a "fair hearing". That means facts - and direct, personal experience. Not trying to pass off some blather about what somebody ELSE did or said as some kind of direct personal knowledge. That is NOT a valid argument - it is HEARSAY - and therefore, BS.

[Mooseman]

With Taurus it is a roll of the dice...But after seeing the insides of new ones with less than 100 rounds thru them That failed that were brought in for repair , jammed or broke and dealing with Taurus for Parts , I can say I will NEVER own one , and I wont trust my life to one ...


Rich

[bcp477]

With Taurus it is a roll of the dice...But after seeing the insides of new ones with less than 100 rounds thru them That failed that were brought in for repair , jammed or broke and dealing with Taurus for Parts , I can say I will NEVER own one , and I wont trust my life to one ...


Rich



OK. Now that is a statement of personal experience..... NOT hearsay (excepting, perhaps, the "roll of the dice" part). That is what I'm talking about.

Just out of curiosity, what did the "insides" of these failed guns look like ? Were the parts broken ? Crumbled into dust.....from being made of compressed corn meal ? Or, did they have burrs, which interfered with their function ? I ask because I hear so many stories about "unrepairable" guns.....but almost never any details to back up the claims. Being a mechanical engineer, with a good deal of knowledge about industrial processes, I am interested to know. Any specifics would be helpful - such information would help us all qualify (and quantify) just what the true defects are in such guns. Further, have you ever seen similar issues with any other brands ? Or, just Taurus ?

As for the issue of dealing with Taurus regarding parts..... their policy is to do the repairs themselves. That, they clearly state (it's not a secret). Since they offer a lifetime repair policy, they are not forthcoming with parts supply to "outsiders"....because they would then have no control over the quality of the work (a big and obvious factor when offering a "lifetime" warranty).

[tek4260]

No one is trying to change anyone's feelings. Your feelings are your business. Feelings are NOT facts, however. Neither are mere OPINIONS. Evidently not everyone here understands the difference. All (most of us) are interested in is a "fair hearing". That means facts - and direct, personal experience. Not trying to pass off some blather about what somebody ELSE did or said as some kind of direct personal knowledge. That is NOT a valid argument - it is HEARSAY - and therefore, BS.

I've worked on several Taurus revolvers. Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if it was in the neighborhood of 50. Most were the 9422's, as people always wanted them based on price and actually shot them. Maybe 10 of them were Judges. I assumed that most weren't shot much since 45 and 410 factory loads are a bit spendy compared to 22's. Pull the sideplate off your Taurus and honestly tell me that there is anything in there that resembles quality. Heck I even bought a couple of the 9422's based on price and that is what got my dealer to ordering them. Everyone liked the looks and wanted one. Most came back with issues.

I can't comment on the accuracy. I never fired either of mine. The first one I opened when I got home had a problem with the latch hanging up in the frame. I fixed it and traded both back in the next day without ever opening the box on the second one.

So are my "feelings" BS, or based on experience?

[kenyerian]

I think that it is ironic that after years of being copied by Taurus S&W came out with the Govenor. Having said that over the years I have had Taurus, colt , Browning, Ruger, S&W, High Standard and Springfield and the old saying that you get what you pay for generally holds true. I've been looking at trying a Glock 37. Before I retire I would like to get a BFR.
Several of my friends have the Judge and all of them like them. I prefer my contender with the 410 barrel. It patterns much better than the shorter barrel judges.

[bcp477]

I've worked on several Taurus revolvers. Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if it was in the neighborhood of 50. Most were the 9422's, as people always wanted them based on price and actually shot them. Maybe 10 of them were Judges. I assumed that most weren't shot much since 45 and 410 factory loads are a bit spendy compared to 22's. Pull the sideplate off your Taurus and honestly tell me that there is anything in there that resembles quality. Heck I even bought a couple of the 9422's based on price and that is what got my dealer to ordering them. Everyone liked the looks and wanted one. Most came back with issues.

I can't comment on the accuracy. I never fired either of mine. The first one I opened when I got home had a problem with the latch hanging up in the frame. I fixed it and traded both back in the next day without ever opening the box on the second one.

So are my "feelings" BS, or based on experience?



Only you know that for sure.

You've worked on "several".....oh no wait, it was 50. Hmmm.

So you've never actually fired a Taurus. Hmmm.

It seems that you've never actually owned a Taurus for any length of time.....and actually used one, at least enough to "break one in". Hmmm.

I've had the side plate off of my Taurus. Given that the internals look more or less the same as any other revolver, including my older Smith, what exactly do you mean about "anything resembling quality ?" Are you asserting that the parts are made of plastic.....or wood.....or compressed dirt perhaps ? Broken parts commonly found ? The dreaded "MIM" parts....which S&W, among others, happens to use almost exclusively now ? Or, are you referring to burrs ? .....which is usually the issue with guns that have problems from new. Every manufacturer is trying to save on machining costs (as well as labor) .....unfortunate, but there it is. So, lots of new guns (all brands) have burrs. Since no one, except expensive "custom" makes do any real "hand fitting" any more.....that is an unfortunate fact of life. So, how is Taurus any different ? Facts, please.

I am not prepared to call your "feelings" anything but just that...feelings. It does sound as if your hands-on experience with Taurus might be a bit lacking, in some aspects. Regardless, I'm sure you understand the thrust here - that facts are facts - and opinion is not trustworthy. Especially if the one proffering the opinion has some agenda, hidden from sight. As I said, only you know for sure.

[jh45gun]

Seems at one time Taurus and Smith and Wesson were Sister companies and both shared info.

http://www.taurususa.com/history.cfm

[maglvr]

Life is far too short to own junk guns ;)

[jh45gun]

Life is far too short to own junk guns ;)

You did not add that you can get a JUNK GUN from most any company non of them are exempt!

[Mooseman]

OK. Now that is a statement of personal experience..... NOT hearsay (excepting, perhaps, the "roll of the dice" part). That is what I'm talking about.

Just out of curiosity, what did the "insides" of these failed guns look like ? Were the parts broken ? Crumbled into dust.....from being made of compressed corn meal ? Or, did they have burrs, which interfered with their function ? I ask because I hear so many stories about "unrepairable" guns.....but almost never any details to back up the claims. Being a mechanical engineer, with a good deal of knowledge about industrial processes, I am interested to know. Any specifics would be helpful - such information would help us all qualify (and quantify) just what the true defects are in such guns. Further, have you ever seen similar issues with any other brands ? Or, just Taurus ?

As for the issue of dealing with Taurus regarding parts..... their policy is to do the repairs themselves. That, they clearly state (it's not a secret). Since they offer a lifetime repair policy, they are not forthcoming with parts supply to "outsiders"....because they would then have no control over the quality of the work (a big and obvious factor when offering a "lifetime" warranty).

What I found... The internal parts were soft , as if they had never been heat treated, parts of the trigger mechanism/hand were bent/or fell apart in DA revolvers that made for jammed up , non functioning guns. The internal machining looked like they used a broken bit , it was rough and gouged. These were NEW guns ( several were Titanium models) that had never been touched since they came from the factory. Since Taurus owns Rossi now I have had several of those come in with the same issues.
Sights also had a tendency to fall off after shooting from poorly fit dovetails.
It took me 9 months to get a 92 rear sight from Taurus...I had to tighten the dovetail to hold the sight in when I finally got it.
Some of the new autos are so rough when operating the slides , its like a gun out of a sand pit...not good QC .
In comparison to other guns other than RG's , and cheap saturday night special .22's and .25 autos , Taurus was the highest number to come in...broken that is.
Next was Star and Sauer and Sohn guns.
Sure, I repaired Smiths and Colts, and a Ruger or 2 , but most of those were from a lot of wear and tear from thousands of rounds, or someone lost a Cylinder pin or broke a firing pin or weak springs that needed replacing.
Over 35 years of Gunsmithing Talking here...
Rich

PS...several of my customers who used Taurus Repair waited long periods to get their gun back only to find it was still messed up...
Most have dumped them now for better guns.

[maglvr]

You did not add that you can get a JUNK GUN from most any company non of them are exempt!

I also forgot to add, that "junk guns" includes anything with a built in lock, MIM parts, plastic frames and/or slides, and generally, most anything made in the last 25 years, from any mfgr. ;)

[dubber123]

Mooseman had worded his experiences better than I did. And I don't buy the arguement that if I personally didn't buy it, my observations don't count. BS. If I had my hands on it, like I always have to at my pistol shoot, and I get to see what parts broke and fell off, such as the 2 1911s, or I get to see the internals while my brother tries to fix them, such as the last few revolvers, why does that not count?. The revolvers by the way were very hard to fix, as the parts were so sloppy, they move around and bind. Too tight or burred, sure you can fix that. Too sloppy out of the box, well it's hard to fix tolerances that are already too loose.

His views on their repair facility is spot on in my personal experience also. The last Taurus I bought was a Thunderbolt pump. Out of the box, it looked like the rifling cutter had broken, and ripped a section of the bore to shreds. It would rip a patch off a jag when pushed through. I paid around $600 for this gun. I sent it back with a nicely worded, precise letter. I waited months, 4 I believe. It came back with a big dent in the crescent buttplate, a nice scratch down the side, and a letter stating it was found to be within spec. A few others I have spoken to got the same letter.

[Jim]

This target was shot from a rested position. I do understand that every rimfire has it's own taste in ammo, but I think that at least one choice would shoot decently. This is the revolver I sent back twice.

http://jgcphotos.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/p10100011-e1329824612192.jpg

[tek4260]

Well, it seems I have struck a nerve.

FWIW, I have owned 4 Taurus products:

A Raging Bull 454. Got it when I decided to start handgun hunting. Traded into it at a gun show. Nothing particularly wrong with it that was apparent. My Vaquero in 44 out shot it, so it went down the line. Only fired it maybe 30 rounds.

The 2 22's mentioned earlier.

Last, a 44 Tracker. Loved the idea of a 5 shot K frame size 44. I fired exactly 2 cylinder fulls throuth it and the target looked like it had be shot with buckshot at 50 yards. So it left as well. I still like the idea of the revolver. For now, my Smith 329PD will have to do.

I am not the type of kid who thinks my toy is better than yours just because I own it and it doesn't take me long to realize the stench I am smelling is from the Taurus in my hand. The OP was asking about quality, I gave my experiences. I am glad you like yours and I won't be bidding against you on one.

Yes, I have worked on about 50 of them. My dealer sold tons of them even though he would tell the customer it was junk and could usually point to a couple on the shelf behind him waiting to go back. Some people base their purchases on price reguardless of quality. It is reflected in every aspect of life it seems.

In the end, I'll keep working on them and you will keep liking yours.

I have owned hundreds of firearms and spent way too much time in the gun shop tinkering on them not to have some level of experience. I would appreciate you not questioning my integrity and honesty just because my experience differs from yours. Seems petty and trollish at best.

[jh45gun]

You have not struck a nerve with me but it proves the old addage that an opinion is like a ***** every one has one and those of us that have Taurus and have no issues will wonder about your post. Ever since I have been on the internet I have heard folks Bash Henry Rifles, Hi Point Pistols Uberti Pistols and now Taurus Pistols and I am sure other makes .I have had issues with Rugers but that is not saying all Rugers are bad. I have a Hi Point that is nothing wrong with it I am gonna sell it not because it is bad but I have a friend that wants a pistol so I am gonna sell it to him CHEAP just so he can have a pistol. I am gonna buy a Rock Island 1911 but the Hi Point is accurate and it just plain works nothing wrong with it. I have a Henry Lever 22 Mag Great gun and very accurate again nothing wrong with it I am very satisfied with it. I have a Uberti 45 Colt again great gun in my estimation. Gun smiths can be opinionated My friend who is a gun smith agrees with you he does not like Brazilian guns but he does not like Savage guns either will not work on them so go figure. The 85 I have works great. Now it is an older one so maybe I got lucky but not every one online is bashing Taurus a lot of folks have had no issues at all. And like I said I have had issues with Ruger too though some swear they never have, so it is a two way street.

[jh45gun]

Just talked to an other gun smith from Gander Mountain and he said why would any one even work on one? NOW the reason he said that is because he does not have to he said with the Taurus warranty they will either fix it or replace it and since it is a life time warranty he has had no issues with Taurus honoring that warranty. He said they get the occasional one back but he also said that they get that with any gun brand. Some thing I pretty much have said on this thread.

[Walt]

Here is a FACT I would like to add to this thread. I work part time at a friends gun shop. It is a good sized store with 1500+ guns in stock. Taurus revolvers are more likely to be returned for warranty issues than any other brand of revolver in the shop.

[Guesser]

All the aforementioned data considered, including my own posts; I'm always looking for those Tauri that others have cast off. The prices are great and they work just like the advertisements say they should. I've never owned a new Taurus, never needed to, the used ones are flawless; have only been able to say that a few times with other current manufacture brands, including Ruger.

[jh45gun]

Not saying ANYONE is a liar here, but I have learned to take some internet advice with a grain of salt. If I had listened to the naysayers I would not own a Henry now I really like or my Uberti or my Taurus. Or a Hi Point. The thing is lots of folks portray themselves as something they are not on the net and who would know? I could say I am what ever and who would know you do not. If I had listened to every one who bashed the above products I would not have those guns which I have found to be good guns and values. And even if you say you are what you are that does not mean its gospel its just your opinion.

[Walt]

My earlier post is a Fact. Not biased, not gospel, not an opinion, a FACT. Anyone who doesn't take what I said as a simple FACT is indeed calling me a liar.

[Aunegl]

Fact : I own a Taurus Model 441, 44 special, which I bought new in 1991. I've had no problems or issues with this accurate revolver. I guess I must be livin' right.

[jh45gun]

The local gun shop does not sell Hi Points here. Why the only reason I can think is that they do not make enough profit on them. So they bash them say they will not sell them. The Hardware store that has a gun counter in it 30 miles away has sold over 500 Hi Points they are a good seller for them and they have had only a few returns. Again Hi Point has a life time warranty as does Taurus.

Walt, Your saying it is fact ya got proof to back it up? I have heard so many naysayers that bash certain guns I take every thing with a grain of salt now. Even my dislike for the bad Rugers I had I realize I was unfair as there are good Ruger guns too. There is not a product out there that does not have some bad examples. That does not mean they are all bad.

[Tazman1602]

Oh boy, Ford vs. Chevy all over again.

I have a small shop and am an experienced rifle guy with a lot of 1911A1 experience thrown in. I own several Taurus handguns and have NEVER had an issue with any of them. ALL are accurate and reliable.

I also own Smiths' Rugers and a few assorted oddballs. I like them all when they go 'bang'

Now that being said, J&G sales has a bunch of used M82's from Brazilian police and military trade-ins. I bought 12 of them...TWELVE.

Out of the bunch I had ONE that had cylinder lockup issues, sent it back to J&G and they immediately shipped me a new one, had it within the week.

To date I have taken six of them down to the frames to clean and lube, four of those, two for wifey and I and two for a relative have gotten new Wolff springs and ended up with 3.5lb triggers on them. Some were dirty, dry, had pitting under the wood grips, and all had a goodly amount of holster wear on them. I'm still working on the other six I have for sale.

The internals on these guns are fine. Good quality steel and built like a tank. All four that I've setup shoot fine groups at 10 yds with my handloads and cast bullets and I haven't even slugged a barrel yet.

Now on the other hand I've owned some Taurus semi-autos.....OK only ONE in 9mm and that was ENOUGH of that, never again but the revolvers are just ducky.

Someone mentioned that Smith and Wesson had some hand in the Taurus design, matter of fact they helped Taurus setup the revolver plant in Brazil sometime in the 70's I think and Berretta helped them setup the semi auto plant. If I recall right Smith actually had a 49% stake in Taurus before they bailed sometime in the 80's or 90's can't recall right now.

Gotta say it, I'm with BCP on this issue..............

Art

[Walt]

The local gun shop does not sell Hi Points here. Why the only reason I can think is that they do not make enough profit on them. So they bash them say they will not sell them. The Hardware store that has a gun counter in it 30 miles away has sold over 500 Hi Points they are a good seller for them and they have had only a few returns. Again Hi Point has a life time warranty as does Taurus.

Walt, Your saying it is fact ya got proof to back it up? I have heard so many naysayers that bash certain guns I take every thing with a grain of salt now. Even my dislike for the bad Rugers I had I realize I was unfair as there are good Ruger guns too. There is not a product out there that does not have some bad examples. That does not mean they are all bad.

The proof I have is that more Taurus revolvers, percentage wise, have been returned and continue to be returned, for warranty work at my friends gun shop than any other revolver he sells....Ruger, S&W, and Charter Arms included. I don't really care if you think I am liar or not. It does however seem to me that your refusal to accept simple FACTS about Taurus revolvers make it less likely anyone will buy your biased opinions though. BTW, Hi Points are rarely ever returned for service.....you got that one right. :)

[MaxEnergy]

i think every manufacturer turns out a lemmon now and again. i had a taurus 454 and it was ok but i prefer the feel of rugers more. i keep reading lots of complaints about taurus on the internet though and often where theres smoke theres fire

[drhall762]

I have had a small shop for years. I have gotten Taurus handguns in for repair but in no percentage more than any other brand. I can say that whenever I have contacted Taurus for parts they get them to me fast.

I have also owned several. Only one ever gave me a problem. It was a revolver and the headspace was a little tight. It would bind on SOME rims, not all. Could have fixed it with a few strokes of a stone I am sure but as it was a new gun I sent it to Taurus for repair. Gone for about 4 weeks and back. Not a hiccup since.

I am sure everyone has their own experiences. I just haven't seen any of the more mainstream companies have severe problems. They sure aren't Bryco.

[gunfan]

I just picked up a Taurus Model 74 (manufactured sometime between 1971 and 1978). This nickel-plated revolver is chambered for the .32 S&W Long cartridge and seems to work just fine. (This revolver was patterned after the "J" frame S&W Revolvers, as it was manufactured by the tooling that S&W had sold to Taurus, and shipped to Brazil).

This revolver has a 3" barrel and I have no misgivings about owning it. Buy the early model, shoot it and enjoy it! The .32 S&W Long has a long, colorful and storied history. (Teddy Roosevelt bought over 100 Colt revolvers chambered for the cartridge and issued them to the street cops of the NYPD in 1903).

Enjoy.

Scott

[Jkallen83]

I never liked Taurus before, but couple years ago i bought a Taurus PT709 Slim for concealed carry...this gun had performed FLAWLESS...less than 1" thick is easy to conceal, but its still bigger than a ruger or keltec so it fits my hands better.

no matter the brand, research them, look at them urself and make a decision.

[jh45gun]

And then there is Tazman I tend to believe his assessment as a honest assessment. I cannot comment on a Taurus Semi auto because I never owned one but I am on the Second revolver and both have not given me issues.

WALT your saying fact I am not disputing that some guns may have been sent in for warranty work over a period of time, but What is the Percentage 10% 30% % 50% More? Like has been stated other brands get sent back for warranty work too. Fact is a lot of us are happy with these guns so that is fact too!

[jh45gun]

Good Post Dave Good to see the other side of the coin.

[dubber123]

Percentages for me? (personal guns), 1 good one, 2 bad, thats what 66%? Of the 3 PT 1911's to show up to my shoots, 3 bad, 100%, all failed. Of the DA revolvers that showed up to the shoot and would not function in DA mode, 3, 2 Judges, 1, 8 shot .357, don't remember the model number. Thats 100% failure rate. Oops, forgot the .357 snub, thats 4 for 4. Of the new guns raffled at our clubs yearly banquet that would not function out of the box, 1, and guess who made it? I wonder how many of the satisfied customers really shoot their guns alot. I don't mean a box or two a year, I mean alot?

[Walt]

And then there is Tazman I tend to believe his assessment as a honest assessment. I cannot comment on a Taurus Semi auto because I never owned one but I am on the Second revolver and both have not given me issues.

WALT your saying fact I am not disputing that some guns may have been sent in for warranty work over a period of time, but What is the Percentage 10% 30% % 50% More? Like has been stated other brands get sent back for warranty work too. Fact is a lot of us are happy with these guns so that is fact too!

jh,
I don't know what the exact percentage of Taurus revolvers requiring warranty work at the shop in question is. I didn't say that I did. My point is that the percentage is way out of proportion to S&W, Ruger and even Charter Arms. Since semi-autos have been brought up I might add that Taurus also has a very poor showing in that catagory. I ASSUME any large shop will have the same experiences. My friend doesn't have the bad Taurus market locked up. :mrgreen:
Walt

[jh45gun]

Percentages for me? (personal guns), 1 good one, 2 bad, thats what 66%? Of the 3 PT 1911's to show up to my shoots, 3 bad, 100%, all failed. Of the DA revolvers that showed up to the shoot and would not function in DA mode, 3, 2 Judges, 1, 8 shot .357, don't remember the model number. Thats 100% failure rate. Oops, forgot the .357 snub, thats 4 for 4. Of the new guns raffled at our clubs yearly banquet that would not function out of the box, 1, and guess who made it? I wonder how many of the satisfied customers really shoot their guns alot. I don't mean a box or two a year, I mean alot?

I find it odd that folks own these guns and come to a shoot you sponsor and all their guns fail. Must be voodoo LOL

[Guesser]

I'm just shooting in the dark here, and using a Taurus to do it; but somewhere I saw some sales figures that had Taurus sales well past the "twice as many" mark compared to S&W. If failure ratios were the same that would mean that twice as many Taurus were sent back as S&W. Maybe that accounts for the "bloat".

[gunfan]

Hey there all, just spoted a Taurus 32S&W revolver. Any feed back on what they're like would be apreciated. Only plan to use it to punch paper and belt steel plates.
The gun looks like it could have fun written all over it, in particular lobbing those 32's over the 100 yard mark.

Is this a revolver chambered for the .32 S&W Long or .32 S&W? It seems to me that Taurus never manufactured any revolvers chambered for the "original" .32 S&W.

If it is a revolver of relatively modern manufacture, it would follow that decent handloads would make it perform reasonably well (in the upper-end of the .32 S&W Long load data). While not a magnum, they can be loaded to levels that can be quite useful when it comes to killing small (and quite edible) game.

Please clarify.

Scott

[H110]

My 2 cents.

I love my Ruger's. I acquired a Scoped Taurus Raging Bull in 45 Colt, 6-1/2 Ported Barrel. I have tried to dislike this gun I guess because it's a Taurus, however it shoots just as accurately as my Ruger 45's and so far just as reliable. Recoil is more manageable on the Tarus, fit and the polished finish are great. The only thing I am concerned about is will it eventually shoot it self loose. The throat's are over sized and therefore requires .454 cast. Hell I will admit it, I like it. When I have guests over and they want to see my gun collection, they will always pick up the Taurus first it just looks menacing.

[CLAYPOOL]

I for one would like to see the Bound Book where guns come in and out of your shop listing the models and details that ALL legal gun shops are required to use with a F.F.L. That would give actual numbers for this argument....we have bought several this past 3 years and to this point no failures. But none of the other guns have either..we do like what they are for the money.. I did swell a Glock .40 in the middle...so be carefull of some one elses RELOADS..made aq nice BLUE Fireball at night...

[bcp477]

Not too much to add.....but I will add a few bits.


One: Thank you Moosman, for the SPECIFIC information. That is the kind of thing I wanted. Mind you, it does run counter to my experience, but my experience with Taurus is limited to one gun. So, I will take this under advisement. Since I am having really good service from my Taurus, I'll not toss it into the bin. But, I am listening and I do accept that Taurus has had (and probably still does have) problems with some of their guns. SOME, not all.

Two: To TEK (and everyone else) ...... questioning anyone's integrity is NOT my purpose here. If anyone feels offended by my comments, well then, I'm sorry. I do not, however, withdraw anything - other than the inflammatory tone (such as it was). My purpose here is simply to drive home the point that, on issues such as this, verifiable data is what is important, not feelings. Specific information that makes sense (and sounds reasonable) is the thing.

Wild sounding claims, such as "EVERY Taurus is bad.....or EVERY Taurus used in a particular event on a given day failed, etc."....just does NOT sound plausible. Nor does a claim that someone has serviced and repaired lots and lots of Taurus guns.....and a ridiculously high percentage were bad, or "unrepairable", or had substandard parts, etc. The odds of such a concentration of "bad guns" happening to fall into any one person's lap are beyond astronomical. As such, we can't trust such statements - they sound too much like hyperbole - or the result of a hidden agenda. Surely everyone here can understand that.

Nor do I think that the old saw (that some seem to fall back on regularly)....that Taurus owners (who've had positive experiences) don't shoot much and thus are merely lucky that their Tauruses do not fall apart in their hands or explode......holds any water, either. That is disproven many times over and thus is simply nonsense. Self-serving rationalization, actually.

The same would hold true if anyone made equally wild claims that virtually all Tauruses are perfect......or that Taurus guns are the "best" of all guns, etc. That would be equally ridiculous and subject to doubt.

It certainly would be quite a different matter if the majority of us have had predominantly bad experiences with Taurus guns. However, reading through the various posts in this thread......that is clearly NOT the case. So, what are we to do ? Toss all of our Taurus guns in the bin......on the word of those of you who insist on making hyperbolic claims (which, as I said, many of which sound like exaggeration anyway) ? Would YOU do that ? I strongly doubt it.

I, for one, come to these kinds of forums primarily for information.....and to discuss matters of importance to all of us. Misinformation, or having to wade through obvious nonsense to get at the facts, is both a distraction and frankly, disgusting. I don't come here to listen to drivel.....and I try not to proffer such myself. Serving up such is a definite disservice to the less experienced (and newcomers) among us. It also is a disservice to people like the OP, who merely asked a question - deserving of some precise, reasonable responses.

As for myself, I accept that some here have had rather bad experiences with Taurus guns. I also accept that Taurus may well have some poor products on the market. Whether this is true of their current production, or more a thing of the past - I don't know. At the end of it, however, I can only fall back on MY experience with MY Taurus - because that is the ONLY concrete information I have.
MY experience has been quite positive. MY Taurus always works - and works well (1700 rounds and counting). If yours does not, well, I'm sorry.

[dubber123]

I have never once said in here that ALL Taurus' were junk. MOST I have run into had serious to major problems. As much as some refuse to believe my claims, the same few will only listen to those who have good luck. Yes, the numbers seem really skewed, and THAT is my point! Maybe all the bad ones are sent to the Northeast... If the local shops prefer to not take them in on trade, that tells me something. If within 1 year, our newest shop won't stock ANY, and will only order 1 if requested, that too should tell me something. Maybe these people who make their living selling guns just don't realize how good they are... Uh huh.

I have never seen a Taurus 92 in either 9mm or 40 malfunction. I've only dealt with 3 or 4, but thats still 100%. I put 3,000 rounds through a Taurus 85 in little over a summer, and other than getting loose and rattly, it still worked, and shot well. Even 50/50 are not odds that I would play, and it's WAY off of that. As far as them breaking during my shoots, if you want to break a gun, shooting it alot and shooting it fast are good ways to do it. I haven't even stretched the truth a bit in my postings here. If you wish to play the odds with Taurus, it's your money. If someone asks me my experiences with them, they will get the same story they got here. Ask me again in a year, the facts won't have changed.

[jh45gun]

Well said BCP477

[Mooseman]

Honestly...
This is what we call a seesaw thread...it will go up and down.Back and forth.
Are all Taurus guns Bad ? No. Are there Quality control issues ? Definitely !
Is their steel the best ? No. Will their guns loosen up over shooting lots of ammo ?More than likely.
Will internal parts fail more than other guns ? yes from what I have seen.
Are Taurus guns Cheaper ? Yes and thats the selling point.
Do you get what you pay for ? Sometimes....sometimes less.
There are Taurus lovers and Taurus Haters...any forum on the Internet it runs the same about 50/50 for or against.
Some of the early Taurus guns were well made...some of the more recent mass produced ones not so much.

Monte, (Rest his soul) the Best pistolsmith in Alaska and I had a running joke about a Bad Taurus guns being built on a Monday or Friday. Jose had a Hangover on Monday and was getting better by Tuesday. On Friday he was thinking of the weekend and getting paid so he could get drunk again. The Guns made on Wednesday and Thursday were the better ones made.
LOL

Hence My statement buying a Taurus is a Crapshoot...You may hit Boxcars , you may hit snake eyes...

[jh45gun]

Any gun will shoot loose if you shoot it enough.

[dubber123]

Any gun will shoot loose if you shoot it enough.

That is absolutely true. However, if they start out loose, which was the issue with the last few revolvers I helped my brother with, you will get a greatly reduced service life. As tolerances loosen, it gives the parts more and more running room to pound against each other. You have to start out decently tight, or it's gonna be over in short order.

I think I will bow out of this one. The two sides are never going to come to an agreement. If someone different asks, I will relay the same info, and they can make their own decision. If they get a good example, they will be happy, if they don't, hey, I tried.

[GRid.1569]

http://www.gunstar.co.uk/images/Gun-Images/Taurus-Long-Barrelled-Revolver-A9003.jpg

Good - YES, when it's the only thing available

Bad - YES, Well it's still a Taurus after all...

Ugly - That depends on how you feel about clothes hangers... :-)

This is just about all we can get in the U.K. following the Dunblaine Handgun ban...

[LtFrankDrebbin]

gunfan,
yep 32S&W long, would hand load and cast for it for sure. Hunting or self defense? in this country no way! Huge penalty's if you use a hand gun for such here. Will be on the range only plinking, practice and the occasional ISSF CF match.

Thanks to you all for the feed back, no way did I expect all this. If I buy the gun I'm looking at I think I will keep quiet unless it gives me a good run.:smile:

[pdawg_shooter]

I could say I have had as poor of luck with some Rugers yet when I mention it folks think BS saying no one could have that bad of luck with one product. I guess it happens, for you to get three bad ones is unusual but I guess it happens as you can see from this thread there are a lot of satisfied folks too and Taurus does have a life time warranty.

I was a dealer for 24 years and sent more Rugers back than any other firearm I sold. No, I did not sell Taurus. The problem with sending Rugers back is most come back with a note that said it was "within specs". That meant ME fixing the thing to keep the customer happy. I guess I ended up loosing money on more than half of the Rugers I sold. Would I buy a Taurus? Sure, after looking it over carefully. Would I buy a Ruger? Nope, not on a bet!

[gunfan]

gunfan,
yep 32S&W long, would hand load and cast for it for sure. Hunting or self defense? in this country no way! Huge penalty's if you use a hand gun for such here. Will be on the range only plinking, practice and the occasional ISSF CF match.

Thanks to you all for the feed back, no way did I expect all this. If I buy the gun I'm looking at I think I will keep quiet unless it gives me a good run.:smile:

Glad to hear it. The .32 S&W Long has, in recent times, been decried as "underpowered and useless". Yeah, right. I cannot even begin to tell you how many bad guys and small game have been either laid to rest or put on the table with the "underpowered and useless" cartridge.

The accuracy of the .32 S&W Long cartridge is legendary. It is more accurate than nearly any handgun cartridge extant. Enjoy.

Dear Brother, I am sorry that you live in a "slave" country. Perhaps you could move here. People such as you are more than welcome in my part of the world.

Scott

[Atakawow]

I recently came across a used Taurus 669 for $200. Though not a Smith, it does have a beautiful finish. I thought for $200, it's worth a shot.

Took it out to the range last week and put 200 rounds of a variety of .357 mag loads. I did not have any stoppage. The gun function perfectly. Lock up was tight after the firing session. Accuracy was decent, was able to keep the shots in a 2-inch ragged hole at 12 yards. Trigger was smooth and breaks nicely in SA.

Overall, my first Taurus experience has been satisfactory. It is still fairly early with the gun. Time will tell.

[gunfan]

I recently came across a used Taurus 669 for $200. Though not a Smith, it does have a beautiful finish. I thought for $200, it's worth a shot.

Took it out to the range last week and put 200 rounds of a variety of .357 mag loads. I did not have any stoppage. The gun function perfectly. Lock up was tight after the firing session. Accuracy was decent, was able to keep the shots in a 2-inch ragged hole at 12 yards. Trigger was smooth and breaks nicely in SA.

Overall, my first Taurus experience has been satisfactory. It is still fairly early with the gun. Time will tell.

Good for you! I hope it serves you well.

Scott