Taurus Handguns worth owning or not [Archive]

C. Latch

03-21-2014, 08:40 AM

If Brand A produces 99 good widgets for every 100 attempts, and Brand B produces 85 good widgets for every 100 attempts, you'll still be able to find 70 to 80 and maybe even 90 satisfied owners for every 100 widgets sold (many people wouldn't recognize or be aware of defects in their widgets).

Those 70-80 or more owners will argue endlessly that their Brand B is just as good as the more expensive Brand A. They'll miss the point, of course - the point being that defects are more likely with Brand B - but they'll argue anyway.

If you get a good Taurus, you get a good one. I own one; it's an older model 85 that is boringly reliable, as a 5-shot .38 should be, but based on experiences I've seen with other Taurus owners (often seen with my own eyes) I would be highly unlikely to buy another one. But I won't argue with the guy who takes a calculated risk, buys a cheap gun, and gets 'a good one' and has good service from it.

greenwart

03-21-2014, 08:42 AM

The AGI gunsmithing video on the Taurus Revolver speaks very highly of them. If you can get a copy off of Torrents give it a viewing.

Bob

USAFrox

03-21-2014, 09:04 AM

I own 3 Taurus handguns. I have a 651 (5-shot snubby .357 Mag with shrouded hammer), a 627 tracker revolver in .357, and a PT145 .45 ACP compact. The 651 is one I wish I hadn't bought. It makes me bleed just about every time I shoot it. It's been back to the factory to try and figure out why it sends chunks and shards of metal in all directions, which inevitably end up in my arms and face, and it still does it. The 627 is awesome - no problems. The PT145 is a bit picky as far as nose profile of ammunition, because it is a compact and has a super steep feed ramp. But I can't complain too much. If I feed it a nose profile it likes, it does what it's supposed to.

opos

03-21-2014, 10:03 AM

I have owned 2 of the 92AFS 9mm pistols (still have one)...have never had any feed, jam or accuracy problems with either one...my current one was bought used from a man that is the chief range officer at a range near here and used it a lot for training purposes..it shoots like a dream. I have never owned a Tautus revolver or other Taurus pistols but based on my experience the 92 is a solid performer...My main "passion" in semi's is the CZ platform...own and shoot quite a few of them...Also Ruger single action revolvers (mostly "old model" ones)...I would not use the Taurus for a nightstand gun (I have a 357 GP100 loaded with +P Golden Saber's for that) as I feel the 9mm is smaller than I want if necessary..don't carry as this is not a permit friendly place for now.

enfieldphile

03-21-2014, 10:15 AM

I bought the very first PT 1911 to arrive in Lubbock Texas! I could clearly see my (ugly) reflection in the highly-polished fed ramp. Cast boolits slide up the ramp w/ ease.

It's been perfect all these years.

I later bought a stainless PT 1911. It too has performed perfectly.

dmize

03-21-2014, 11:44 AM

In another thread I explained my woes on this.
480 Raging Bull shot good until it broke.
Taurus customer service is what screwed the pooch with me.
Gun went back to them last May,finally contacted me back in December,Friday before Christmas. After much arguing they agreed on a replacement gun that would be shipped in 4 to 6 weeks. March 21st and no gun or word from Taurus.
HAD a stainless PT1911 that shot like a house afire.

69daytona

03-21-2014, 11:59 AM

I enjoy my model 85 357 snubby, its my carry gun, I bought it used cheap because there was a problem with the trigger and sent it to them and they put all new parts on the gun and sent it back in 5 days with emails detailing progress. Great customer service.

Moonie

03-21-2014, 12:05 PM

Only one I've owned is a PT1911, shoots everything I put through it, was low left until I replaced the sights, now it's perfect with the tru-glo ones I put on it.

AlaskanGuy

03-21-2014, 12:10 PM

I have been carrying a older taurus model 44 large frame day in and day out for over 15 years, and am super pleased with it... I shoot heavy loads using the lee 310gr and the lyman 429649 340's with zero troubles... I depend on it for safety as a fishing guide in serious bear country on salmon streams. It has never let me down.... I also have a 44 tracker that I dont shoot as heavy as it is not as large framed, but it shoots the Keith 240's all day long with no trouble.... I love the taurus wheel guns, and they are priced better then the ruger and smiths... If I loose one in the river, it wouldnt break my heart as much as loosing a $1000.00 ruger would... I think I paid around 450 for my taurus heavy model 44 about 15 years ago... Great value !!!!!

100121

100122

One of the things I really like about it for bear protection is that it is factory ported, so it give a good flash and makes a lot of noise.... Hopefully, makes a bear think twice when given a warning shot....

AG

hanleyfan

03-21-2014, 04:44 PM

If they are not any good they sure ask a lot for them, I can buy a single action Ruger black hawk for 470.00 new and now if you want a taurus you have to look hard to find a new one under 500.00, I seen a some of them going for as high as 700.00. To me thats too much for a Taurus.

Changeling

03-21-2014, 05:53 PM

Hey Latch, now you darned well know it's almost impossibel to find a really good "Widget" any more, what's wrong with you, LOL.

osteodoc08

03-21-2014, 06:45 PM

I had a 7 shot 66. I loaded pretty heavy 357 and eventually it start spitting a little. I enjoyed it while I had it but let it go down the road for a Ruger.

I wouldn't hesitate buying another if the price was right and it checked out ok.

tygar

03-21-2014, 06:50 PM

I started this thread to promote conversation backed up by facts instead of heresy. The Taurus hand guns/wheel guns seem to be getting mixed reviews. In the past they had a reputation for being a cheap piece of junk. In this thread I am hoping to obtain a list of these guns that are suitable for the average person to purchase and own. Like I mentioned in the past these guns are noted for being prone to malfunction and such.

In the last two years has anyone owned a Taurus? If so please state the model and if a defect was encountered.

Raging Bull 44 mag in stainless= hundreds of rounds thru it and it works fine.

I've had 4, .454 RBs & a 480. All have worked fine with NO problems. They also are easier shooting than the others. I had several Freedom Arms & Rugers in 454 & only have 1 Ruger left but 3 RBs.

Can't comment on any other Taurus.
Tom

Bzcraig

03-22-2014, 01:21 AM

Have a 605 .357 snubby and a 92 that I like and have served me well. My opinion is they are cheaper cause they cut some corners compared to other higher priced guns but they shoot well and have been reliable. I do however prefer Rugers.

M-Tecs

03-22-2014, 02:52 AM

About five years ago I purchased a pair of Taurus Gaucho’s for Cowboy Action. Both had to go back for point of impact. They rebarreled one and indexed the barrel and bent the sight on the second. At about the 350 round count one locked up at half cock. That went back. About the time that one was returned the second ones locking bolt stopped engaging the cylinder.

Each one was sent back twice but for the POI they both shipped at the same time.

I own a fair number of handguns. Some I have put over 50K through without issue. The Gaucho’s were my first Taurus firearms and based on three returns they will be my last.

KYShooter73

03-22-2014, 04:25 AM

Only one I have had in the last two years was a PT 1911. It did just fine. It gave some light primer strikes initially (bought used), but that was no problem to fix.

6bg6ga

03-22-2014, 06:34 AM

I hope this thread continues a while longer because there is some good information flowing. I may be able to answer questions related to the Taurus brand when asked now. Simple answers such as the models that various people own and the approximate age will help in telling new shooters that want to get into the sport on the cheap something to look for. Not everyone is capable of dropping 1K or more for a gun purchase but still want to go out and learn and have fun. A long time ago the wife and I started with a cheap Dan Wessen Model 15 I believe. Not great by the standards back then as some cussed them and other swore by them. Unfortunately I traded the gun and now I wish I had kept it as I have a number of other guns.

randyrat

03-22-2014, 07:13 AM

Here is a link for some HISTORY of Taurus ....
http://www.taurususa.com/history.cfm

375supermag

03-22-2014, 08:37 AM

Hi...

I have owned two Taurus handguns.
One was a blued .357Mag, (a Model 66,IIRC) that was wildly inaccurate and spit lead from day one. In fairness, I did buy it used, so it may have been mistreated by the previous owner. It went away in a trade pretty quickly.

The other is a stainless .44Special with adjustable sights that has become a favorite of my son. He likes the big bullet and moderate recoil. The revolver is accurate and reliable enough that I have sometimes carried it in my jacket or vest pocket as a carry gun when making a quick run to the convenience store. It will never be my primary carry gun, but it has earned my trust.

I have had the .44Special for 6-8 years or so and I like it. Having said that, I have no particular desire to buy another Taurus...the huge engraved lettering on the barrels of their later offerings are a major turn-off for me. Typically, when I am in a gunshop (most every weekend) I don't even check out the Taurus or Rossi handguns. I gravitate toward the used Smith & Wesson revolvers or new and/or used Ruger or Cimarron revolvers. For semi-autos I mostly buy 1911-pattern models(no external extractors,please), although my next semi will be a Beretta 9mm...we need to support gun makers that stand up to gun bans like the one Maryland put in place that caused Berreta to move part of its manufacturing/warehousing capacity out of Maryland.

tek4260

03-22-2014, 10:14 AM

tek4260

03-22-2014, 10:35 AM

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a84_1395261848

Groo

03-22-2014, 10:40 AM

Groo here
I have one of the early 454 raging bulls ..
They must bulled them different as this one will hold its own with an N frame.

dubber123

03-22-2014, 12:04 PM

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a84_1395261848

Hi, do you know if this is a part of an active recall, and what models/calibers are affected? I have a friend with one, and would like to know. Thanks.

Guesser

03-22-2014, 12:06 PM

Tek4260: Good point, well said about it not being as good as the gun it is a copy of. I may or may not agree with that; but the gun it is a copy of isn't anywhere near as good as it used to be either.

tek4260

03-22-2014, 01:02 PM

Hi, do you know if this is a part of an active recall, and what models/calibers are affected? I have a friend with one, and would like to know. Thanks.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/09/26/brazilian-police-recall-98000-taurus-247-ds-pistols/

dubber123

03-22-2014, 01:38 PM

Thanks, I read through the first page of comments, and there still seems to be some confusion over whether this is the new or older 24/7 models. I will let my friend know.

tacklebury

03-22-2014, 01:43 PM

I've had no issues with mine and have actually had to return every Ruger revolver I've got for service. I know 4 people who had to have smith work to get their S&W revolvers to shoot or had to return it. I had an M605 .357 that was a heck of a carry cannon that I could hit a standard size can at 15 yards with. My wife's favorite carry gun is her PT22 which she can unload all 9 shots into under 6 inches at 7 yards. While not a man stopper, I don't want her shooting at me... Don't get me wrong, I love my Blackhawk now, but it was worthless as sent from the factory. Branding is elitism in my book. I buy the gun that fits my needs and all have worked, including Charter Arms, Taurus, Raven, Jennings, Phoenix and Cobra. There differences in design and quality, but brand alone doesn't give any guarantee.

Clay M

03-22-2014, 01:48 PM

I have a PT1911 and it is a fine gun. I haven't found anything wrong with it.Shoots great. The barrel on the Pt1911 is smoother than the barrel on my SR 1911.I do like the SR 1911 ,but I think they could have put a better barrel on it.All these guns need throating for cast bullets.

Keyston44

03-22-2014, 08:41 PM

I have a Taurus 617 Titanium 7 shot 357, a Taurus 415 5 shot 41 magnum and a Taurus 738 380. The two revolvers each have over 8,000 rounds through them without any issues. The 380 has only 3,000 rounds through it. I wouldn't hesitate to stake mine or my families lives on them.

Key

tazman

03-22-2014, 08:47 PM

jhalcott

03-22-2014, 09:22 PM

The club I belong to decided to have a pistol league shoot. One of the members is a dealer and got into a deal on the pt 1911 45 autos. About a dozen of us bought one (or more!) for the league. We found out they ARE NOT as robust as other 1911's. Only one of them had to be returned though! I would not use mine for competition where hundreds of rounds a week were shot. I do use it for casual plinking and target practice.

wrench man

03-22-2014, 10:52 PM

HAD a Gaucho, nice looking revolver, was a ***!, you couldn't get thru a whole cylinder full without having at least two light primer strikes!??, replaced it with an Uberti 1873 Colt, that's a FINE! revolver!!
My brother has a Raging Bull in 454, the scope mount (GENUINE OEM Taurus) comes loose after about seven or eight shots!??
I also have a Rossi 62SA, it's a "JAMB O MATIC"!!, I spend more time splitting the rifle in half to clear the jamb than shooting it!
NO! more Brazilian firearms will ever enter my safe!
Of 17 hand guns in the safe, 12 are Ruger's, one Uberti, one S&W, one High Standard, one Beretta and one Pietta, if I were to send another down the road it would be the Beretta.

6bg6ga

03-23-2014, 06:52 AM

Clay M

03-23-2014, 08:03 AM

The PT 1911 weighs the same as my other 1911's ,but for about the same money I would by the Ruger SR1911. The only reason I didn't was because they had not come out with it at that time.

6bg6ga

03-23-2014, 08:08 AM

The PT 1911 weighs the same as my other 1911's ,but for about the same money I would by the Ruger SR1911. The only reason I didn't was because they had not come out with it at that time.

I would have to agree with you because I don't like the big Taurus name stamped on the slide. I'm sure they are proud of what they make but the size is carrying it to far.

6bg6ga

03-23-2014, 08:10 AM

My son picked up a PT1911AR and its looking like the parts are interchangeable with other 1911 parts so how can it be any less robust?

I think I figured it out..... Its the big Taurus name stamped into the frame. That loss in metal accounts for the "less Robust" account.

Clay M

03-23-2014, 08:10 AM

I took my SR1911 Commander out last night and was hitting steel plates every shot with it at 25 yds. I really love the size of the Commander. I think it will be my favorite 1911.

6bg6ga

03-23-2014, 08:16 AM

I got to play with the commander and its a nice piece. I'm still stuck on my colt officers for playing with steel plates. Any difference in accuracy between the PT and the SR?

Clay M

03-23-2014, 08:31 AM

6bg6ga

03-23-2014, 08:35 AM

As far as accuracy ,about the same, but the SR comes with a 5lb trigger, the PT is about eight or nine. I am not sorry I bought the PT, because I will use it a lot for practice, and keep the ware off my Kimbers and Colts.

I will have to agree 100% with you once again. The trigger pull is quite heavy on the PT and the SR is comfortable. I don't own a Kimber yet, good gun but I have found good accuracy with my sig 1911 except the trigger pull is heavy. The colt officers I have has a 3.25-3.5lb trigger pull and spoils me for shooting anything else after I shoot it first.

Clay M

03-23-2014, 08:51 AM

I won't buy any more Kimbers,I don't like their customer service,and I think they are somewhat overpriced.To me The Ruger 1911 is the best 1911 out there for the money. I paid $629 for the Commander.

sandman228

03-23-2014, 08:56 AM

ive had good and bad luck with different Taurus/rossi firearms over the years. right now all I own with there name is a r-92 357 mag wich seems to be ok as long as I don't try to run a round nosed bullet in a 357 mag case through it and a Taurus pt100 (beretta design) and it runs like clockwork and shoots great.and I think about the only Taurus I would even be half way interested in if I ran across right now would be a raging hornet . I had 2 first generation 24/7 pros a while back 1 in 9mm and the other in 45 acp both of them performed great and did everything they were supposed to do they were both bought on impulse and if I was as selective then as I am now I probably wouldn't have bought them for the simple fact they didn't have ambidextrious controls. they were decent shooters though my biggest prob with the 45 was I had to drape a tarp becide me when I shot ,if not guy 4 tables down were getting hit in the head with my brass while they were trying to shoot. ive also had mod 66 Taurus revolvers in 357 mag that were ok , not good not bad just ok in my opinion. now for the bad I had a r 92 in 44 mag that had some issues, a 22 tracker that was a *** new out of the box and I had a judge that I wasn't real happy with either . I didn't mess with any of them I just made them go away . I almost forgot my wife has a pt101 in 40 s&w that cant hit the broad side of a barn at more than about 10 feet ,ive shot it a time or 2 I needed to aim about 6 inches low and 6 inches left to hit center at 10 feet to hit center. as far as quality I think Taurus is very hit and miss its not model specific it can be with anything they make . ive heard there customer service leaves allot to be desired too .like I mentioned earlier about all they have I would be interested in would be that raging hornet if I could find 1 . but if smith or ruger made the same I know I would rather have theres

Clay M

03-23-2014, 09:06 AM

My son has the Taurus .380 knock off of the Ruger pocket pistol. I have to say it is the most accurate .380 I have ever shot. No jams and tight cluster at seven yards with Winchester white box. I would own that pistol.
It did have a problem when he first got it and he sent it back. They fixed it with no more problems.

6bg6ga

03-23-2014, 09:36 AM

I won't buy any more Kimbers,I don't like their customer service,and I think they are somewhat overpriced.To me The Ruger 1911 is the best 1911 out there for the money. I paid $629 for the Commander.

Before the price went up on these I purchased a new Sig Tacpak 1911. It shoots every bit as good as my Colt National Match Gold Cup. The down fall is the trigger. While crisp it requires a llttle more effort. Its a keeper.

Clay M

03-23-2014, 09:39 AM

I use to have an old Colt series 70 Gold Cup.It was a great shooter,and like a fool I traded it off. Don't get me started on all the great old Colts I let slip through my fingers in the past thirty years. It will ruin my day.

HangFireW8

03-23-2014, 11:10 AM

The AGI gunsmithing video on the Taurus Revolver speaks very highly of them. If you can get a copy off of Torrents give it a viewing.

Bob

Whatever you think of AGI, I wouldn't advise violating their copyright.

GL49

03-23-2014, 10:03 PM

Why do Taurus owners find it necessary to tout how good their inferior product is? It is in no way as good as the gun it is a copy of.

I suppose I'll be labeled a Taurus hater, but I saw way too many with troubles at my dealer and a vast majority of the ones that were actually shot were returned to Taurus.

I suppose folks are just cheap to the core. It didn't matter if my dealer told them that they would probably have to send it back for repair, they still chose to accept junk and save around $100.

No, not a Taurus hater, just one with different experiences than me, and probably different needs for the firearm. I've got two Taurus handguns and two Rossi/Taurus lever actions and another on the way. The rifles, with a little elbow grease, can be made to work pretty slick.

I bought mine used, and asked the correct questions before purchasing, (except for one which isn't here yet) and have had no problems. Are they the Cadillac of firearms? Nope, no arguments there. Do mine go bang every time I pull the trigger? Yes. Do mine shoot as accurately as needed? Yes. Do I feel bad when I stuff my DAO 605 in the back pocket of my Levis and spend the day in the woods and find when I get home that my pocket had gotten filled with dirt when I slid down a steep hill on my backside? Yeah, but not near as bad as I would if it had been my M29 Mountain Gun or my 686. When I take my M29 or 686 out to shoot, and pull the trigger, is my smile a bit bigger than when I shoot the Taurus? OH, YEAH.

Do I really like the quality of my S&W s, or the ruggedness of my Rugers over the Taurus? Sure. And my old Winchester lever actions sure feel better than the newer M92 Taurus/Rossi clones. But mine still work. I guess I got lucky.

I drive an old '87 Escort hatchback for a "work car". There may be uglier cars in the parking lot, but I haven't seen them. I don't mind loading the back with my old dirty work tools and coveralls, carry parts in the back, or load it with a couple of buckets of WW's in the back, and a third in the passenger seat to take home. The guys at work tease me all the time about the piece of junk I drive, but it gets 36MPG, and it'll get there a whole lot cheaper than their $35,000 crew cab pickups. It just runs. Am I cheap to the core? Maybe so, but it does what I need it to do.

I guess the bottom line is this: if you find a good one, it'll work. Not as fancy or nice as your neighbor's Lexus, but it all depends on what you need and how you'll use it. If you have the cash to spend, you can definitely get better, but if you pick the right Escort to drive, it'll do fine for what you require of it. This isn't a brag about Taurus, I've read the horror stories, but mine work.

GL49

03-23-2014, 10:09 PM

Edit: One problem, I did have to apply a teensy bit of blue loctite on one of the side plate screws on my stainless 605, it kept coming loose.

wnmGng

03-24-2014, 11:40 AM

My only experiences with taurus were a 24/7 pro 45, a 605 in 357 and s pt1911 45.

The 24/7 was one of the worst handguns I've fired, consistent FTF, stovepipes, and the worst trigger I've pulled, reset took days and it felt like it was lubricated with sand.

The 605 was a polished stainless j-frame in 357 that was great when shooting about 10 rounds at a time, but only 38s, if I loaded with 357 something would come loose in the action and trigger wouldnt engage, hammer would be stuck below half cock but not completely down, and the cylinder wouldnt open, trigger was better than the 24/7, but couldnt hold a candle to a S&W.

The 1911 was the only decent taurus I've experienced, a couple FTF (probably mag related) and the trigger was good for a taurus, but not great for a 1911. If it was $400 I might buy one.

The 24/7 was sold, the pt1911 was a friends, and I tried to send the 605 back to the manufacturer twice, but their CS was horrible and nothing got fixed. I swear they took it out of the box, buggered up some screws and sent it back saying they fixed it. 10 rounds later it was locked up again.

lar45

03-24-2014, 08:03 PM

I have a Raging Bull in 454 and a Judge. When I first bought the 454 factory ammo would get stuck in the chambers. They would extract about 1/8" then get stuck and had to be pounded out. The chambers were egg shaped a little bit. I sent it back, they put on a new cylinder and gave it an action job. I was incredibly smooth with a very crisp trigger when it came back.
I also bought a Ruger Redhawk in 45 Colt that had the same problem with the chambers.
The Raging Bull has proven to be accurate with several different bullets, I can normally have 3 shots touching at 50 yds.
The only thing that I don't like about it is the factory scope mount. It holds the scope in place, but the small metal bars that go through the vent rib just seem kind of cheesy.

My first real handgun was a M29 with the 10 5/8" bbl and 4 *** front sight. 2 weeks after I bought it the trigger pin broke and had to be sent back to the factory. You never wanted to stand beside it as it would spit lead most of the time.

The Judge is fun to shoot with buckshot loads, but I haven't shot it very much yet.

revwitha9

03-24-2014, 09:20 PM

I owned a Taurus 85 back in the early 80s. I wasn't at all displeased with it. I sold it because a workmate wanted more than I did! I have a snubby as a carry piece now. I'm again, not unhappy with it; but will be happy to let it go if somebody else can't live without it.

tek4260

03-24-2014, 09:21 PM

Here is a pretty good quote that relates to Taurus:

The Bitterness of poor quality remains,long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

tek4260

03-24-2014, 09:22 PM

Another quote from a gunsmith:

Its easy to fix a Taurus! Throw it in the creek,if it floats its a good one,if not,not.Easy!

Guesser

03-24-2014, 10:04 PM

Tek: I get the impression that you are not happy if anyone is satisfied with their Taurus. I'm really sorry to picture you so bitter.

tazman

03-24-2014, 10:56 PM

It doesn't matter what brand of firearm you use, somebody out there is going to insult it, and you for using it. There hasn't been a pistol made yet that didn't give some one problems.
I've had my share of Smiths, Rugers, and Colts that refused to work and had to be sent back to the factory.
The next Taurus I buy may be the one to give me trouble. If so it will be the first one I would need to send back. I love the 3 I have.

rintinglen

03-25-2014, 01:49 PM

I've only owned three: a PT-92 9mm, an 85 38 and my 44 Magnum Tracker. All have been decent, reliable guns, though I have to confess there is no likelihood of me wearing out the Tracker with 44 Mag Loads. That gun, loaded with full bore magnums, will stop anything--all you have to do is get them to pull the trigger. It does make a great 44 Special Woods gun loaded with Skeeter Skelton loads. I do not trust their automatics:when a gun dealer with both on the shelf pushes the cheaper Kel-tec over the TCP, I take his word.

DxieLandMan

03-25-2014, 02:05 PM

I've had 2. 9mm and .357. Both of them are fantastic guns! Owned them for 20+ years and never had any kind of problem at all. I had the 9mm first and liked it so much, I got the .357 shortly afterwards. To me, they are great guns.

sgtbear

03-25-2014, 02:37 PM

Taurus 92: had one in 9mm and got poor accuracy with cast boolits was not accurate at any load that would cycle such a light load. Replaced the old taurus barrel with a new chromed GI surplus Beretta M9 barrel, problem solved.

The small frame Taurus 94 cal 22 are poorly finished, I have looked at new Taurus 94 22 cal revolvers that look as if the barrels were installed with a pipewrench and the muzzles and forcing cones finished with a cement drill. Have a 627 tracker that I am very happy with.

tazman

03-25-2014, 06:41 PM

Taurus 92: had one in 9mm and got poor accuracy with cast boolits was not accurate at any load that would cycle such a light load. Replaced the old taurus barrel with a new chromed GI surplus Beretta M9 barrel, problem solved.

I had the same problem. Mine would shoot ok with j-wrapped but poorly with boolits.
Same solution. New M9 barrel. Now it shoots everything well. The rest of the pistol functions flawlessly.
You and I are the only ones I have heard of using that solution but there have to be a few more.

dubber123

03-25-2014, 08:08 PM

I had the same problem. Mine would shoot ok with j-wrapped but poorly with boolits.
Same solution. New M9 barrel. Now it shoots everything well. The rest of the pistol functions flawlessly.
You and I are the only ones I have heard of using that solution but there have to be a few more.

I never realized they were that close of a copy until I read your post last week, it's good info. If I recall correctly, they had a barrel recall in the early 90's. Not sure how you could find out if a particular gun had been repaired or not. If in doubt, a new Beretta barrel sounds like a good solution.

dragon

03-25-2014, 10:43 PM

I just traded off a PT 709. Had to stop by the range on the way home the day I got it and had a couple of FTFs. Found the firing pin had lots of packing grease in it (a good thing really). I had it for two years and had no problems once it was properly cleaned. It ate everything I fed it including cast. Sold my spare mags to a friend who bought one after playing with mine. He has had no problems either.

It was my first pistol and I never got real attached to it. No problems with the pistol, and it fit the purpose for which I bought it well... Since it hadn't grown on me and after shooting others' at the range I decided that plastic guns just aren't for me. They just seem lifeless. I decided that I wanted something with a bit more character and history. I am starting to feel the same way about a couple of my long guns in plastic as well. They are great tools, but much more enjoyable once they are wrapped in some wood.

Dragon

tazman

03-25-2014, 11:20 PM

I never realized they were that close of a copy until I read your post last week, it's good info. If I recall correctly, they had a barrel recall in the early 90's. Not sure how you could find out if a particular gun had been repaired or not. If in doubt, a new Beretta barrel sounds like a good solution.

There are many parts that will interchange. BUT Taurus has made enough improvements(safety moved to frame for one) over the years that a good many won't work any more. If you do a search for parts interchangeability you can find lists. The barrel was a simple drop in replacement that required no fitting at all.
Taurus has a search engine somewhere on their web site that let's you plug in your serial number and it tells you the manufacture date of your firearm. Some one on this site posted the link. I should have bookmarked it. Anyway mine was built in late 2012. It can only prove that one couldn't have been included in the recall. You would need a list of models and serial numbers to be certain if one fell into that range.
The problem with my barrel turned out to be the lands were too narrow and not tall enough to grip the cast boolits properly. The Beretta barrel lands were twice as wide and much taller. I got the barrel cheap, so it wasn't a big deal money wise.

6bg6ga

03-26-2014, 06:23 AM

Here is a pretty good quote that relates to Taurus:

The Bitterness of poor quality remains,long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

If you have a model of Taurus you wish to talk about then go for it otherwise lets keep the personal comments out of the thread. I started this thread as a basis for information and comments on models that work or don't work.

6bg6ga

03-26-2014, 06:26 AM

I had the same problem. Mine would shoot ok with j-wrapped but poorly with boolits.
Same solution. New M9 barrel. Now it shoots everything well. The rest of the pistol functions flawlessly.
You and I are the only ones I have heard of using that solution but there have to be a few more.

Do you have any pictures of the old and new barrel to share? Is the new barrel a drop in or is there work needed to make it fit?

dubber123

03-26-2014, 07:04 AM

There are many parts that will interchange. BUT Taurus has made enough improvements(safety moved to frame for one) over the years that a good many won't work any more. If you do a search for parts interchangeability you can find lists. The barrel was a simple drop in replacement that required no fitting at all.
Taurus has a search engine somewhere on their web site that let's you plug in your serial number and it tells you the manufacture date of your firearm. Some one on this site posted the link. I should have bookmarked it. Anyway mine was built in late 2012. It can only prove that one couldn't have been included in the recall. You would need a list of models and serial numbers to be certain if one fell into that range.
The problem with my barrel turned out to be the lands were too narrow and not tall enough to grip the cast boolits properly. The Beretta barrel lands were twice as wide and much taller. I got the barrel cheap, so it wasn't a big deal money wise.

Thanks, I was working at a gun shop back then, and the owner had a 92, (9mm). He told me the recall involved barrels failing. He refused to send his in, as he said it shot too good. So there is at least one left out there.. :)

tek4260

03-26-2014, 09:21 AM

If you have a model of Taurus you wish to talk about then go for it otherwise lets keep the personal comments out of the thread. I started this thread as a basis for information and comments on models that work or don't work.

I have personally owned 4. 2 of the M94 22 revolvers with 4" barrels and 2 of the Tracker 44 Magnums. All were poor quality and not up to my standards. I was hoping the 22's would be a cheap alternative to a Smith and the 44's seemed like a fine gun in theory being a K frame sized 5 shot 44 Magnum.

I stand by my statement that any Taurus revolver you buy is junk compared to what it is a copy of. You would be better served to buy a Smith and Wesson if you want a 38 or 22 DA revolver, and now that Smith has came out with the M69, there is no reason to buy a Tracker 5 shot 44. Pull the side plate off and look at the internals as compared to a Smith.

Gunslinger1911

03-26-2014, 09:55 AM

I have 2. A 454 Raging Bull and a Tracker 17 mag (yea, strange gun - but fun). Good quality, no problems. The Tracker is just strange lol 8" bbl, 4x scope, gets lots of comments. The 454 is a cannon, lots of hot loads through it, gtips are fantastic !!!! Wish that kind was available for other guns (I think they would be great on a S&W 500)

tazman

03-26-2014, 10:27 AM

Do you have any pictures of the old and new barrel to share? Is the new barrel a drop in or is there work needed to make it fit?
Here are your pics.
100556
100557
100558
100559
The stainless barrel is the original. If you look closely at the second picture you can see the differences in the rifling of the barrels. The last 2 pics are of the pistol in it's current configuration.
I wanted adjustable sights so I purchased a pt99 slide. That explains the difference in the frame and slide colors.
The barrel was a drop in replacement in this pistol with no fitting required. It was listed as a Beretta m9 barrel.

tazman

03-26-2014, 10:40 AM

I have personally owned 4. 2 of the M94 22 revolvers with 4" barrels and 2 of the Tracker 44 Magnums. All were poor quality and not up to my standards. I was hoping the 22's would be a cheap alternative to a Smith and the 44's seemed like a fine gun in theory being a K frame sized 5 shot 44 Magnum.

Could you elaborate on the issues you had with the model 94 22 revolvers please. Mostly interested in possible accuracy problems or failures to function. I am not overly concerned with perfect fit and finish.

tek4260

03-26-2014, 11:23 AM

Could you elaborate on the issues you had with the model 94 22 revolvers please. Mostly interested in possible accuracy problems or failures to function. I am not overly concerned with perfect fit and finish.

On the first one, the pawl was too short and caused it to be out of time. I managed to take a hammer and punch and peen the pawl to lengthen it and it corrected the timing issue. I had light strikes due to the hammer spring being weak so I decided to part with it. I later bought another that spit pretty bad and when I used my alignment tool only 2 of the chambers were in line with the barrel at full lockup. Somehow Taurus managed to only bore 2 chambers right and the rest were off so far that I couldn't have got it to align without moving the location of the latch a few thousandths and stretching the pawl. Both went down the road and I fell weak to the idea of the 5 shot 44 Tracker. I had hoped they would be better but a quick group showed that there was no hope for the level of accuracy I expect.

Here is the group from the Tracker

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/DSCN0816.jpg~original (http://s292.photobucket.com/user/tk3945/media/DSCN0816.jpg.html)

I am sure I have owned others over the years before I got serious about accuracy. I have also worked on several of them over the years at my dealer.

tazman

03-26-2014, 11:31 AM

I have read that the 94 had a reputation for either being very good or very bad depending on your particular copy. Thanks for the reply.

JonB_in_Glencoe

03-26-2014, 11:49 AM

I have owned 3 different PT24/7 Taurus pistols (two in 40 and one in 45). I really like them, I don't buy factory ammo anymore, so I can't speak to that...But they have cycled my handloads very well.

These guns are light, and because of that, the 45 really spanks my hand with my typical full load...but tamed down loads feel fine. I still own two of them, I sold one in 40 to a friend for his Wife to carry...They had issues with the Mag falling out of the gun during firing, (it never happened to me?) We never figured out why, He thought it was junk and traded it on another brand...he is now a Hater of Taurus, I did have to make it right with him on our next trade :(

Another friend bought a PT1911 in 38super. He really likes it so far. I don't think he has shot more than a couple hundreds rounds...so time will tell, it has worked well so far. He is just starting to reload, he's loaded 9mm and 223 so far and next is the 38super...so it'll be interesting to see how that goes.

destrux

04-04-2014, 02:10 PM

My cousin has a PT111, after around 1,000 rounds the slide has worn to the point where the striker will not properly engage and the gun will not fire unless you press down on the slide... which is not something I'd be willing to do with live ammo in the gun of course.

I have a Taurus (Rossi) 62SA pump action .22LR... it would not feed or eject properly till extensive filing and polishing was done to the internal parts. Everything was so roughly machined from the factory that it would just hang up every time you pumped it. They also eliminated the parts of the original Winchester designed feed mechanism that allowed shorts, longs, and LR to all feed. So now the rifle with only feed LR, and only LR that is very close to a certain OAL. However, it was fixable and the rifle was a gift (and the price my dad paid was not unfair for the quality of the rifle), so I'm not complaining here.

Also had to recrown it because the crown was cut crooked at the factory.

I still love that rifle though, with the right ammo in it and now that it's been "fluffed and buffed" it's really a nice looking and sweet shooting rifle, and I'm sure my son will enjoy it in a few years when it's his.

Would I buy another Taurus/Rossi product? Not a semi auto pistol or revolver that was designed by them, but anything they make that's a replica seems to be just fine after some tuning.

TCStehle

04-04-2014, 11:44 PM

I just got a 9mm Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 today and took it straight to the range from my FFL. Ergonomically probably the best handling compact handgun I've got. I personally think it feels better in the hand than the Glock 26/27, S&W Shields, and S&W M&P c. I put 100 rounds (50 reloads/50 factory) through it today without a single failure of any kind! Granted 100 rounds is not a long term endurance test but I think for $351 out the door ($20 FFL transfer fee included) with 2 - 12 round magazines it's hard to beat.

hornady308

04-05-2014, 08:59 PM

I've owned two Taurus revolvers: a 44 Mag with a 6" barrel and a .454 Raging Bull. The 44 was very accurate at 100 yards in single action, but the double action was very gritty. I sold it only because I picked up a S&W 629 that is sweet. But the Taurus was certainly a great deal for the money. I wouldn't hesitate to own another. The Raging Bull is very well made and equally accurate with Cu jackets or the Lee 452-310-rf cast. Still not quite a S&W, but I like it.

oldfart1956

04-05-2014, 11:46 PM

The other weekend I picked up my first Taurus. Grices Gun Shop had the Taurus 1911's on sale for $399. so I had to try it. Their website still has the ad up to verify the price if need be. Cost out the door was $428. Right now I've only got 200rds. thru it but by Sunday afternoon I hope to have that up to 500 or more to get a better take on it. So far so good. Nothing broke or fell off. It's the only 1911 I have (of 3....others are a Springfield and a Remington) that shoots the H&G swc clone without issue. I had one jam that was probably my fault. I felt the round hit the edge of the die on the taper crimp and probably nicked the case mouth. Once I get the round count up I would be interested in doing a hands on review if there's any interest. Something like "Under $400. 1911's?" Only two nit-picks so far. I think they welded the rear sight in place along with the firing pin stop. Can not move these two items at present. Looking for the 32oz. Estwing framing hammer I used to move the sights on the Kahr right now. Audie....the Oldfart..

ravelode

04-06-2014, 12:16 AM

I have owned one Taurus, 1911 with rails, steel frame. It would only fire 47-48 times out of a 50 rd. box, the firing pin strike was so near the edge of a large primer case that I doubt it would have fired small pistol primed cases. I sent it in ($50 through a FFL) and got it back 6 weeks later, they had replaced several internal parts and test fired one magazine of ammo. After taking it to the range it would fire 49 times out of 50, still had primer striking near the edge of the primer. shooting the second box of ammo the firing pin stop fell out during recoil and the firing pin hit me in the cheek. I found all the parts, put it back together and sold it a month later, with full disclosure of the problems I'd had to a willing buyer at a loss. I will NEVER own another Taurus.

silverado

04-06-2014, 09:04 AM

Had a Taurus 1911 that functioned just fine but would gall up when field stripping. I always used rem oil or break free clp to oil it. Took it to the gunshop and they had the same problem. Ended up trading for a s&w 637 and don't regret it one bit although you could say the 637 cost less than that taurus 1911.

FergusonTO35

04-06-2014, 07:20 PM

Their revolvers seem to do pretty good, those are the only ones I have experience with. I really doubt I would buy one new though, simply because they are only $20-30.00 cheaper than Ruger and S&W around here. The excellent service I've received from both of them is well worth the extra cost. You can get very good deals on used Taurus revolvers though. I'm waiting for a 3" model 82 to cross my path.

TCLouis

04-06-2014, 10:12 PM

431 44 SPL
AND Special it is.

Too heavy for the Carry gun I planned it to be, but FUN to shoot the 200 grain Lee RNFPs out of

GRid.1569

04-07-2014, 06:03 AM

Better than nothing... in the UK...

even if it does look like this....

101653

Guesser

04-07-2014, 10:13 AM

In 2013 I purchased a 41 Magnum Tracker and a 44 Magnum Tracker. I've had Smiff and Ruger 44s and somehow they got traded away several times over the years. I think they were just too big and heavy to carry, great shooters tho. I decided I wanted a 44 revolver, the Tracker is the right size. It handles full power hand loads well and is easy to carry. I have to say that they are great guns and fall into my Taurus family of revolvers with the same fit, finish and reliability I expect and have never failed to receive from over 20 years of Taurus revolvers. Great guns; in every respect!!!

johnh9411

05-02-2014, 06:27 PM

Dont know about wheel guns but I have a 9mm PT1911 and I would not buy it again the gun shoots good and all but many parts are proprietary and its hard to modify them which is why I wanted a 1911 to start with. Cant find adjustable sights for them anywhere you have to machine the slide. very picky on trigger internals also. I have a 24/7 pro that is a good gun though would buy it again.

crowbuster

05-02-2014, 10:06 PM

Only taurus i have ever owned are the 2 380 tcp's i bought last year. Love em, they eat everything from critical defence to cast, all accuratly.Dont even know they are in your pocket.

Treeman

05-04-2014, 09:50 AM

The arguments can and will go on. It is indisputable that Braztech has had some serious Quality Control and Customer Service issues in recent years. They HAVE shipped some duds. OTOH I carry a Taurus TCP daily because I have found it to be the best of the compact .380s. I have owned and shot several Taurus and Rossi Revolvers. I don't know if Rossi lockwork has changed since coming under the Braztech umbrella but the older Rossi revolvers had essentially pure S&W lockwork. The Taurus revolvers have a "simplified" lockwork. Simple can be good. Simple CAN be better. In this case I think it does qualify as good but NOT better. Most of my Taurus revolver experiences have been positive-Reliable with good trigger pulls. However IF a couple of pieces of that simplified lockwork are assembled a bit sloppily you can wind up with a revolver that functions...but with intermittent binding and hiccups. The design is such that good triggers are easily attainable barring those sloppy assembly problems but truly great trigger actions are more the domain of S&W. Some individual Taurus units are junk, The majority are good guns. I like them...But aside from the TCP in my pocket most of my favorites are other brands.

BigAl52

05-04-2014, 08:47 PM

Like many others I have all brands in my safe. Just bought a Ruger sp101 4 inch in 357. It has a bad part in it that needs replaced. I have Taurus 608 6 inch 357 and a 22 tracker with the 22 mag cyl that goes in with a push of a button on the frame. I like both the Taurus revolvers and havent had any issues with either. They may not be my favorite but I still enjoy shooting them. There are many things we buy that are copys of another manufactuers products. Some are good copys some arent. I didnt buy the 608 because it was cheap I bought it because I liked the 8 round cylinder and the looks of the gun. Im not fond of the square barrels on the guns that there a copy of. Al

Tackleberry41

05-06-2014, 08:38 AM

I have never owned a Taurus. Considering Taurus and Rossi are pretty much the same company, and my personal experience with Rossi has been pretty poor. I tend to do research before putting money down on anything. Was looking at a 380 pocket gun, the Taurus reviews did not fill me with confidence, so ended up with a S&W body guard. Was in the market recently for a 357, LGS had a Taurus mod 66 in the case, price was good, longer barrel than I wanted but could live with it. But again, I got out my phone and did some research. Being hit or miss guns, tends to mean I will get the miss. I really dont like putting good money on a gun that I will have to mess with to get it to work right, or worse send it back, or just take the loss and get rid of it. That mod 66 may have been a great gun..but might not, so I ordered a new blackhawk.

Now if Taurus reviews began to improve, I might be willing to take the risk on one of their guns. Again since Rossi is Taurus, doubt they will be getting any of my money soon.

Maximumbob54

05-06-2014, 12:22 PM

Oh wow, another thread trying to bust Taurus' balls by several unhappy people. First let's try to get beyond the recall issue.

S&W recalls:
https://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_791654_-1_757978_757978_image

Here's one of the Ruger recalls:
http://www.ruger.com/LCPRecall/

Big Green forgot how to make a 700:
http://www.remington.com/pages/news-and-resources/press-releases/2014/firearms/remington%20arms%20announces%20voluntary%20product %20recall.aspx

And Colt forgot how to make 1911's???:
http://www.colt.com/CustomerServices/RepairRefinish/RecallRequest.aspx

Let's not leave out high dollar Sig:
http://www.sigsauer.com/CustomerService/Product-Alerts.aspx

What??? Even Kimber???:
http://www.kimberamerica.com/safety

And let's not forget the Chuck Hawks article from S&W's history:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/smith-wesson_dark.htm

I'm sure if I keep typing in brands followed by the word recall I can dig up several more. But woe unto Taurus to have to issue a recall and not be smeared.

Now let's talk about some of the other goofy things I've heard over the years like they pay unskilled workers to use out of date tooling to make sub par products or whatever. There is a brilliant thread filled with pictures on the TaurusArmed.net forum showing this to be completely untrue:

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/taurus-armed-news/60557-taurus-international-mfg-inc-factory-tour.html

Notice the volume of material they have ready to ship in those pictures. Also, I'm happy to read that they are at least trying to improve their customer service unlike some places. (cough, H&K, cough) Yeah, they have been guilty of not fixing it the first time. I'm not even going to bother to link to other forums complaining of the same issue by other brands. I've posted enough links to bother with that now.

And I feel I should mention that none of my Taurus guns have ever given me serious issue. The worst is I bought an older M66 that needs a new cylinder stop. The 444 snub .44 special is awesome but I wish there was a wood grip option I could find. That's not much of a complaint as much as a wish. The 92 I wish I hadn't of sold to a friend but he loves it. I keep thinking of buying another one. It shot lead bullets just fine. And the Beretta 92FS Inox I have has the typical of the model super wide bore that if you shoot a .356" sized lead bullet you will have a smooth bore in no time. It will only shoot well with lead sized to .358" and it better be at least Lyman #2 for hardness.

If I really had to issue a serious complaint against Taurus I would say I wish they would at least offer models without porting as I don't feel the need for it. I would buy several more of their revolvers if they weren't ported but many models are only offered with porting.

P.S. - The only gun I've ever had break was a S&W M637-2 that the frame split under the barrel. In their defence they did send me a shipping label for free and gave me a brand new frame and barrel with my old parts back again. And I've bought another S&W since then.

Powder Burn

05-06-2014, 06:01 PM

I own 2. Purchased both of them in 2007. Taurus Judge and Raging Bull in .44 mag w/6" barrel. I use the .44 with a red dot scope for deer hunting when the critters are within 50 yds. or less. Both are great to shoot and haven't had a bit of problems with them. Da Judge is the only handgun the wife will shoot. Don't know about other Taurus designs (semi-autos), since I am more of a Walther nut. It's a sickness really.

Cornbread

05-06-2014, 08:01 PM

I have owned five of them over the years:
357 w/ 6" barrel - bought new
357 w/ 2" barrel - bought used, like new
454 w/ 6.5" barrel - bought new
454 w/ 2.5" barrel - bought used
45 auto 1911 type of gun(I don't remember the model)

The 6" 357 I got when I was around 14. It was what I learned to reload with. I put that gun through h3ll learning to reload and I ran everything through it you could possibly imagine and it shot great. I could hit a jack rabbit at around 100 yards with it. I shot it so much it was like an extension of my hand as a teen. I must have put better than 50K rounds through it over the years. I sold it about 12 years ago to a guy who had a teenager who wanted to learn to reload. His son still owns it and it still shoots great.

The 2" 357 I got as a concealed carry gun and general fun gun. I never did carry it concealed much but man was it fun to shoot! My oldest son is still upset with me for selling it off. I sold it when I moved to Montana in 2009 and didn't need a 357 anymore. It never had any issues either, was really accurate for a snubby.

I bought the 6" 454 really soon after they first came out with them. I was still in the Marines and I got a local gun shop in CA to order it for me when I came back off deployment. It ended up arriving after I had gone out of active duty a few months later and I was in Oregon going to college so they shipped it to an FFL up there for me. I have had it ever since. I shot my first blacktail buck with it at 80 yards with open sights. One shot, bang flop. I have never scoped any of my pistols and this one is no exception. I have better than 10K rounds through and it eats whatever I feed it and keeps on ticking. Several of my friends have borrowed it for backpacking in grizzly country and all of them have liked it as well. It has been a flawless performer for me since the day I first got it.

The 2" 454 I bought used from a guy in Oregon before I moved to Montana. I use it as my carry gun when I am bowhunting because we have grizzly issues where I hunt. I have no idea of its history before I got it but it has been used quite a bit I would say from looking at the barrel and cylinder wear. It is super accurate for a snubby just like my 357 Taurus snubby was. It eats whatever I feed it and I reload like a madman for it and the other one. They both like a steady diet of anything. They are both just a ton of fun to shoot, especially the snubby.

The 45 auto was a nightmare. I hate autos anyway and this one was no exception to why I dislike autos. I want to shoot a gun not tinker with it to get it to fire and feed correctly. It got sold off right away and I haven't owned another auto since. My wife has the only auto in our house, it a Springfield XD in 40 short and weak.

So of my 5 only one had problems and it could have simply been my intolerance for having to fiddle with a gun to get it to work for me. This is honestly why I don't buy Rugers either. If I wanted to tinker with something constantly to get it to work I'd buy a Harley. Every Ruger I have ever owned needing something done to it to make it work right or be accurate. I loathe that in a gun. Some people love it and I am sure my couple of Rugers I have owned may be the exception to the rule given they way people rave about them but they frustrated me to no end. The last one I had was a 22 revolver with an extra cylinder for 22 mag, I forget the model. I sold it to my brother for 50 bucks because the cylinders never aligned properly to get good accuracy from it. My brother likes to tinker and enjoys the gun. Last I checked he had the 22lr cylinder working correctly and accurately but the 22 mag was still giving him fits. He'll get it eventually I am sure and more power to him. I was ready to rip my hair out with that thing though.

So would I own another Taurus? No, probably not but NOT because they aren't great guns. The reason I wouldn't own another is I really love the 454 Casull caliber, hands down it is my favorite thing to shoot, so I want to try other makes and models of them. My next purchase will be a BFR in 454 Casull and after that probably a Freedom Arms in 454 Casull. So the reason I will probably not own another is that I want to try other brands and I haven't won the lottery yet so I have to save up for my purchases and by the time I get done trying the others I want, I'll probably be too old to remember to buy another Taurus :)