As a shooter not intimately familiar (my own fault) with the inner workings of revolvers, what specifically goes wrong with modern/current Taurus revolvers?

Is it mostly just poor QC?  Weak materials?  Bad design?

This is a legitimate question, not trying to stir anything up.  I had considered a 4” M66 until recently, but the noise around “50/50 or better chance you get a lemon” was just too much.

I’m genuinely curious as to what causes the issues folks have.

Bad QC.

I think the PT92/99 was the best pistol they ever made, I'd buy one without any reservation. Any other Taurus I'd have to check over very well before making a decision to buy.

I purchased a .38 Ultralite and it goes bang every time.

Be aware that when a few post up their's isn't exactly what they expected it gets examined under a microscope on forums, where the majority of posters are computer centric and have high expectations.

The average guy blasting rounds into a berm or badguy doesn't post up how satisfied they are with their's. And other influences prefer to see anecdotal stories spread as much as possible in today's internet environment when it supports their favorite brand or agenda.

Compare a reading of "all the Taurus that go bad" to those posts of $1,100 1911's which go back to the factory because. Nobody writes up their special gun as being junk, just makes it sound like it needs more special loving attention, after all, it's a race gun for carry and we can't demonize a special American company who provides an elite product for their high and mighty customer base.

But deplorables who pick up a cheap and dirty gun for self protection? Yeah, trash talk those mouth breathers. There is a very polarizing filter about guns on the internet - one dominated by ego.

These days you can't even admit to owning a Benchmade knife without the Character Police questioning your integrity. Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

My Taurus runs just fine on Hornady American Gunner. First revolver I've ever owned in a lifetime of shooting issue automatics, no complaints here. I carry it as part of a rotation as I like. I don't let internet egotists tell me what I can use. I find out for myself.

Oh that more voters would do the same and realize what a hateful veneer of news we have ongoing these days. I put Taurus haters in the same camp. They tear down others to promote themselves.

My daughter bought a Taurus .380 auto and it shoots fine, too. BTW, I owned a Ruger LCP which got the authorized recall and it wasn't any better after I got it back. So much for optics and actual trigger pull. But, nobody remembers what a farce that was.

I think most of the issues with the Taurus revolvers is due to lower QC levels.

Not saying that other companies don't have issues, however the issues I have seen with Taurus revolvers has been things like cylinder timing (i.e. Shaving lead), excessive B/C gap, issues with carry-up and cylinder lockup, and various machining issues. As was stated above it seems to go about 50/50 with them, the ones that are decent seem to be on par with Ruger, the ones that have issues, seem to have systemic issues.

I also wholly agree about the PT-92 guns. My PT-92 was the first gun I purchased and it still runs like a top. It has seen north of 20K rounds and always seems to go bang when it should.

I believe that most complaints come from internet browsers who never owned or used the product but  "heard" from so and so, that this item was junk, or the guy that thinks by spending 10 times more for an item makes it Tier 1 (what a moronic term) and everything else is sub standard.

I don't think they sell them anymore, but I had a Taurus .357 mag 5 round snub nose revolver in stainless steel that was flawless.  Wish I never sold that one, but I need the $$ at the time.

this is the case with virtually everything.  Trucks, Guns, tools...all of it.

Personally I've always had good luck with Taurus.  They're not as nice as Smith or Ruger, they're typically not my first choice, but every one I've had performed as it should.  A careful per-purchase inspection will usually disclose any obvious flaws.  Known a fair number of people who have also owned the brand without any issues.

I'm not afraid of the brand.

I had a six shot 357 Taurus in stainless circa 2000. It was a rough equivalent to a Smith Model 66. 2.5 inch heavy barrel. It was an EXCELLENT PISTOL. Very nice SA trigger, and a DA trigger around 6 pounds. And it was built heavy enough to hold up to a steady diet of HOT 357 ammo. Still wish I had that pistol.

My Mother, unbeknownst to me, went and bought a Taurus Judge several years ago (b4 the new CEO). 1st or 2nd year of production. On a visit to see her, she showed it to me. It was abysmal in re cylinder lockup, endshake, and general fitment SLOP. The gun was unsafe due to the slop. Took her and the gun back to the shop where she bought it, explained the situation to the owner, and he graciously refunded her money. A few weeks later on another visit she bought a stainless Taurus 38 special. It has been her carry gun ever since. And she CAN SHOOT IT VERY WELL.

I picked up a G2 about 3 years ago that has been an outstanding performer from day 1. Yes, I have made some upgrades to it for the sake on longevity, but even without those upgrades it has been a great pistol.

3 out of 4 guns from Taurus have been top shelf, spanning the time frame from 1999 to the present. Not bad as far as I'm concerned. Had I been there when she bought the Judge we'd be 3 for 3. ymmv.

i have a blued one. model 605

When I ran a LGS, we sold a lot of Taurus firearms.  The incidence of them having to go back for repair was slightly higher than average for certain models, but not appreciably so.  The quantity sent back was higher because of the overall volume of distinct firearms sold by Taurus is higher (for example, their 1911s, rifles, revolvers, etc; almost anything manufactured has a Taurus version thereof, as opposed to manufacturers who focus on a specific type of firearm).

There are plenty of Taurus firearms I would be fine with owning.  A few models I would like to look over before buying, but their revolvers were generally OK.  Some of their semi automatic pistols aside from the 92 clones, I would likely not purchase without inspecting in person if they were used.

That 3" switch-cylinder 9mm they make has caught my attention.

Thanks for the responses.  It seems like most revolvers from the lower to mid-priced brands are a crapshoot these days.  I really just want a range/woods gun in .357.  We’ll see what happens.

The problem with Taurus isn't that they can't make a quality gun, it's that they can't make two of them in a row.

Never had a problem with my 605. I would buy it again.

What is wrong with Benchmade?  My issued AFO is the finest knife I ever saw.

I’ve owned;

Model 85- perfect
Model 431- hit 16” high at 25 yards as I recall
Tracker #1-out of time right out of the box
Tracker #2-cylinder rotated backwards under recoil(this one was repaired and is now a favorite 2.5” .44 mag of mine)
Raging Bull- barrel apparently unscrewed while shooting

I feel like I’m forgetting one of them.

I had a hammer less one.  Was that still the 605 model?  You could shoot either 38spl or .357 mag with it.

I've had a model 85 for 20 years and never had an issue.
Even modified the spring to give the trigger a lighter pull since it was a monster when I bought it used

I've had a few other models through the years and found them to be good, reliable shooters. Nothing fancy and affordable

I bought my son a blued model 94 22 LR revolver for his 21st birthday.  The cylinder was dragging on the forcing cone so we cleaned it up with a file.  Rear site blade windage adjustment screws requires tightening and loosening both screws to adjust which is different from most revolvers.  Ended up loosing the rear sight blade and Taurus only sell the whole rear sight assembly.  I ended up using a Ruger Mark I style rear sight blade and fixed it.

I bought a used SS model 94 and on single action had an occasional failure to fire.  On double action  it would fail to fire on three or four chambers.  Cylinder was not machined square.  I had my gunsmith send the revolver to Taurus and they replaced the cylinder and has been gtg since.   Repair order said springs had been replaced and made no mention of replacing the cylinder.   The revolver had the original springs.  I think they were trying to CYA.   Regardless the revolver shoots fine now.

My SinL has a blued 3” model 85 and it has been gtg.

Serious answer.

Take the cost of a cheap iffy quality gun.  Add the cost of 200-500 rounds of ammo to decide if it is reliable or not.  You now have the cost of a higher quality firearm more likely to work out of the box in the first place.

L.L.Bean, circa 191X:  ”Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.”

As to revolvers, consider yourself a beginner.  Everything useful on this site gets lost so the same questions can up the click count every new but same old topic for the 1000th time.  Read this archived thread.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Handguns/Beginner-s-First-Handgun-Selection-Increasing-the-Likelihood-of-Satisfaction-Photos-Re-Linked/4-182668/

I've only owned two Taurus products...so it's all I can talk about.

I had a PT1911 that I bought back in 2007 (I believe). It had two main issues, first off, the black finish began rubbing off the gun in many places. That wasn't enough to kill the thing in my mind, but the slide literally eating the frame was. It was slowly sheering off metal from the frame slide guide rails. A coupe years of ownership and a good 1000 rounds or so and the damage was becoming very apparent, so I got rid of it.

I bought a new M44 in 2010, while the fit/finish was ok on it (and I do mean ok), it was it's failure to lock the cylinder on SA that got me. I did not notice this at the store when I bought it. When you cocked the hammer back, the cylinder would not lock up, at all. I didn't even shoot the thing, I took it back and traded it on a Super Redhawk.

I won't buy another one again, if I want a revolver, I'll stick to S&W or Ruger...or maybe the two cheap Charter Arms revolver I have.

Poor quality control and my experience with their customer service sucked.

mine has a hammer but is chambered in .357mag and you can shoot .38spl in it

Yeah, I saw that and sort kinda wanted one.

When it comes to the major parts of a revolver, Taurus makes them just as well as anyone else.  In fact, when a Taurus is built right, Taurus gets their frame and barrel so right that they will give any S&W or Ruger a run in the accuracy department.  If it's one of the "Raging" Taurus revolvers; well, I'm not aware of any factory revolvers that are more accurate.  That dual lockup seems to work very well, because those revolvers are very accurate.

Now, on to their smaller parts.  For whatever reason, this is where Taurus has issues with their revolvers.  There seems to be a higher incidence of inconsistencies in their smaller internal parts.  Couple that with the fact that often the people who are assembling a revolver don't actually understand how everything works.

When they're built right, I have found Taurus revolvers to be very good.  I have owned a number of Taurus firearms, and I have always felt I got my moneys worth.

Thanks again guys.  I’m still on the fence.  Their CS is the real concern.  Months of waiting if there is an issue.

I don’t like the visuals of the GP100 as much, but I know Ruger will fix things quickly if there is a problem.

I do find it sad that almost all the major affordable revolver makers have several documented issues.  I know WHY they do, it’s just disappointing you can’t buy much these days without the fear of having to send it in to be made right.

The best thing is to go to a shop, bold and compare them
Trigger pull, timing, lockup.  Pick up a S&W, Ruger, Taurus and see which one feels the best to you

I have a Taurus PT92.  Looks like a Beretta and it shoots fine
If you pick up a Beretta and rack the slide and the Taurus and do the same thing you will notice a difference
The Berettas I have are smooth. The Taurus’s are tougher.

Buy it through Davidson's Gallery of Guns.  If there's a problem, you send it to Davidson's and they give you a new one.

I have a M85 38 Snubby. Great little pistol. I had an older 357 years ago that was a copy of the SW Mod 66. It was a great gun. Sold it to a friend hes had it close to 30 years now.

16 week turn around time to fix a 5 minute issue. Condition of my revolver looked even worse. This was an unfired revolver lol. Fuck Taurus. They didn't even screws other issues I had such as the Cylinder notches peening prematurely. It's almost like my cylinder wasn't properly heat treated. Lock up got looser and looser just from maybe 50 dry fires

Spend extra money on a SW or Ruger. Their repair service is gtg, it's worth the difference.

I love them, and have had good luck with them, but I agree that overall the finish is rough.

But that's why I love them: they clean up excellent.

Polish the internal parts, Wolff springs, and take some of that damn lettering off the frame and you'd be surprised at how nice they look.
The price is right, and if you're going to learn how to work on a revolver, Taurus is the right one to start on. Lot's of video how-to's on YouTube.