taurus opinions and price check.

[starmac]

What is a basically new 5 shot hammerless stainless 357 snubnose worth?

What is your opinion of them. I passed on one while ago, but probably made a mistake as I have been wanting a carry 357.

[NoZombies]

I've got a .38 special version of that. It's a DAO bobbed hammer SS gun. I have no idea the value, but I sure like mine a lot.

Lots of people have issues with Taurus guns. Some of that is in their heads, and some of it is deserved, I've never been unhappy with a Taurus gun that I was able to handle and check out in person, and I've rolled the dice on some auctions and been pleased as well. With that said, I have also passed on a few that I handled because they weren't up to snuff, luckily, I haven't had a lemon from an auction yet, knock on wood.

[Keyston44]

A Taurus like that around here goes for about $350. I know there are a lot of Taurus haters here but I like the 3 I have. I have two 7 shot 357's, one is a blue steel and the other one is the titanium flavor. I also have a 5 shot 41mag. All of them are great guns.

Key

[bobthenailer]

Although not a S&W ! it is a serviceable brand option for those on a tighter budget.
IMO save a little longer and buy the S&W.
I have one Taurus revolver a light weight SS 85 in 38 special im sastfied with it after some repair, I bought it i very good condtion used for $250 OTD a few years ago. i had to add some spacers & swedge the crane a few Thousands because the front of the cylinder was binding on the rear of the forcing cone of the barrel on a few chambers after firing a cyl full.. I also added a set of longer and better fitting Hoag grips and a Wolffe spring kit , it shoots to POA and is pretty accurate. I also have a S&W 637 with CT
laser grips that i bought used in excellent condtion this year for $450 OTD . if they were chambered in 357 mag i personaly would not like to be the one doing so.

[starmac]

I passed on this one for a bargain. It felt and seemed nice, but like mentioned a smith it isn't. My daughter carries the smith, and it for sure is pretty sweet.

[AlaskanGuy]

You already know that i love my taurus wheel guns for pure value... Good value, and being a fishing guide, if i lost it, i would not be sheeding as many tears as i would if i lost a nice redhawk or smith... Good value, and i use mine.... I has never seen the inside of a safe...

AG

[FergusonTO35]

Here in Central KY the value priced wheel guns aren't much of a bargain anymore. Taurus and Charter snubbies command only $30-40.00 less than their S&W equivalents and sometimes actually cost more than the Ruger LCR. I recently paid $399.95 for my S&W 642. The .38 Special Taurus and Charter guns in the same showcase were fetching $359.95-389.95. I would be happy to buy either one but not for that kind of price.

[starmac]

Yea ak guy this was a snubnose, strictly a town carry piece. It was not something you would just go shoot (not me at least). For the money I should have bought it I guess, and still can if I really wanted to, I loaned the money to a buddy to buy it, and he said either way I could keep it or he would. He TRIED to trade it to me for a chainsaw, that I have even less in, but replacement cost is more. lol

[paul h]

I bought a taurus 357 snubbie about 15 years ago, back then the new prices were very reasonable. I've never fired it too much over the years, somewhere between 500 and 1000 rounds and most of those closer to 38 sp levels than 357 mag levels and never a max 357 load. This summer my boys put several hundred rounds of wadcutter loads through it on a camping trip. About a month back at the range I was unable to open the cylinder. It turned out the piece you push against to open the cylinder had loosened up enough for the interior piece to get out of position. I had to remove the side plate (all three screws were loose) and remove all the lock work to release the cylinder. After a good cleaning I got the internals re-assembled and it seemed to function fine. Next range trip after a couple cylinders of ammo the DA wouldn't rotate the cylinder. I unloaded the cylinder, looked the gun over and it seemed fine and I have yet to have any functional problems.

I don't mean to disparage Taurus, but to me a self defense weapon needs to be 100% reliable and I simply can't trust the Taurus 605 I own in that role.

[ebner glocken]

The above post is exactly what had been encountered in my house. Out of 5 tauri that have passed through my hands three have been great two have not. A 92 that's been in my hands since my teens has seen MANY thousands of corbon level loads before any repair needed, somewhere around 20,000 the locking ears sheared (fixed for free). My wife had a model 85 that has gave no problems what so ever in around 1,000 rounds. This small frame .327 federal I liked very much although my wife liked better and currently swapped it out for the 85.

On the downside we had two model 605s that had the same problems as the above poster. One jumped time the second cylinder shot through it. A small frame .357 will get your attention when it shaves lead. Both of these guns went back to Miami twice. Both returned and developed similar problems quickly. Neither would be trusted for a carry role. Both were traded off. My current summer snubbie is a 642 S&W that has had zero failures and has been shot quite a lot more than the average snubbie out there.

So, if it were my money one shouldn't be real quick to purchase a defensive gun from a company that has given you a 40% fail rate. They can put out a good gun, I just don't have much confidence in them. If it's only 40 or 50 bucks difference.....it's a no brainer for me.

Ebner

[osteodoc08]

Had a 66. It was serviceable and quite accurate. I shot the snot out of it. It eventually started to get a little loose on carry up and I let it go. Still functional.

It did have a few casting and tooling marks. The ratchet wasn't pretty. But it worked. More than I can say for my 586 I sent back to smith for light primer strikes.

[FergusonTO35]

Ebner, I just got myself a 642 and like it very much. Do you have any favored loads for it?

[ebner glocken]

3.7 grains bullseye under a 158 swc for real practice. 2.7 be under a 147 dewc for fun.

Ebner

[dubber123]

A friend bought one, a hammerless .357. It lasted exactly 1 round before malfunction. Sent back, repaired, and then traded off. He had a heck of a time, the first 3 shops he took it to refused to take it in on trade. Not many of the local shops will deal with them willingly.

[300savage]

i have not been real impressed with them over the years, every one it seems eventually developed some sort of issue if used very much.

[freebullet]

M85 in ss I had was a good gun. Think i paid 250$ for it years ago. I'd look for a ruger though.

[Lonegun1894]

I have dealt extensively with two of them. One was a 2" model 85 in .38 Spl that my mom had for a while, and I wish she had told me before she sold it because I would have bought it. Great little snubbie. BAsed on the experience with the first one, I bought myself a 605 2" SS "hammerless" .357. Well, I carried it for several years, and it was a great little revolver, very accurate and reliable. I put about 10K rds through it, with the vast majority being .38s. Well, one day at the range, it starter shaving lead, and then a couple cylinders-worth of .38s later, the cylinder wouldn't lock closed in the frame. I tried sending it to Taurus for repair, but they refused to do anything about it twice. Well, I finally got a local smith to fix it, and sold it to a friend for basically scrap-metal value with full disclosure and his promise to not carry it for defensive use. He was convinced he could fix it, and has got it done for use with .38s, but one cylinder of .357s and the gun locks back up and he has to "redo everything". I never asked what all he has to do to it. Anyway, I have since bought a Ruger SP101 and have several thousand rounds through it with no issues whatsoever. It is my full-time BUG, and I should have spent the extra it cost to get the Ruger over the Taurus the first time. However, that little Taurus was great while it lasted, so I would get another if it was for the sake of putting it in a tacklebox, or in a drawer somewhere so it would not be shot much. But I would not get another for heavy duty use.

[Lead Fred]

My opinion is that the one I used was the worse handgun Ive ever shot.

[Thundermaker]

In my experience, Taurus makes a good product. I've fired their 1911s and revolvers. The revolvers need some slicking work, but they shoot well.

[Budda]

I recommend them highly! Lifetime warranty? Done. Like ANY company they make a turd once in a while. But I love their wheel guns!

Garrett cartridges ranks their Raging Bull line with the Ruger Redhawk for Strength. Excellent value.