Posted: 10/14/2008 1:52:28 PM EDT
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I want to purchase a revolver for conceal/carry. I'm looking for something somewhat small and lightweight and under/around $500. I checked out some Smith and Wessons but didn't didn't find something I liked in my price range. Taurus seems to make revolvers that fall within my price range but I know little about their products and quality/reliability. Thoughts? Also, a pal told me to make sure to get a .357 over .38 special. As long as it goes bang and has stopping power for predators of the two legged kind it will meet my needs. Thoughts and recommendations? Thanks. |
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I have used many Taurus revolvers and have never had a problem with them. A guy bought one from us and had a problem, but Taurus fixed it and sent a box of ammo back with it. I shoot a Taurus 44mag in the Titanium model and it is perfect.. Your buddy told you to get a 357 because you can also shoot 38's out of it. For smaller models just go with a 38 and use a good +P ammo |
Simple: buy a used S&W.  Taurus are ok guns, nothing special or anything. A good used S&W will be head & shoulders above a Taurus eight days a week, sir. |
While I posted positive for Taurus. I am not a revolver guy, nor have I put many rounds through mine. That said I shoot these better than any revolvers I have ever had. I also have spent alot of time dry firing these though, that may have something to do with it. |
Exactly the advice I just recently gave the young son of a friend who was about to buy a new Taurus .357, almost verbatim. |
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I just posted this in another thread. You can get new S&W Airweight revolvers that weigh about 15 oz with just short of a 2" barrel pretty darned cheap: Shrouded hammer model 638: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=113244538 Exposed hammer model 637: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=113244536 Enclosed hammer model 642: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=113244542 All are Buy Now for $367 plus $25 shipping from Bud's Gun Shop. I'm not advertising for them...just thought they looked like good deals. |
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It was my thread that darkwater posted in. (thank you again) Here is what I found out: I went into a buddy of mines shop and was talking to one of the girls that work for him. I asked if they had a S&W 637. She did but it was $499 + tax and bc.  So I told her about the one on gunbroker for $369 + $25 shipping. She said it was probably last years and they were cheaper. I asked what was different, she said "nothing". But they had paid alot more for these themselves. I always try to buy from them because he works with me and helps me out when needed. But I told her I could not pay another $130. She looked to see what else she had. She found another 637 that had been in layaway for over a year without being paid on. They had recently pulled it from layaway but not put it back out. She told me I could have it for $389. Which is what it was a year ago. Most likely I will pick it up on the way to work this evening. Moral of the story: LOOK! Darkwater gave you a great start. I also looked at the Taurus 85 ultra-lites while I was there. They were also about $375. No comparison on trigger pull. I'm sure the Taurus's are fine weapons, but for the same amount of money, I will go with the Smith. Terry |
Taurus makes good workhorse revolvers for cheap. I have a Model 605 .357 Magnum snubbie that I usually carry as a "beater" backup gun. It was cheap enough that I don't have to worry or feel guilty about it getting scratched up or dinged in my pocket, yet it goes bang every time I pull the trigger. I have plenty of high-end guns, but there's something to be said for a reliable, inexpensive firearm. |
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s&w for revolvers, taurus for semi autos. My 2 cents, which evidently, aren't worth anything these days. I wouldn't take a free Taurus semi-auto. The Taurus revolvers are solid guns, I've never had a problem with mine. A buddy has a 44mag that has seen it's share of hot loads and keeps on ticking. S&W is excellent but don't let anyone tell you Taurus doesn't make a good revolver. |
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My M85 Taurus had to be sent back for repairs. It is carried daily and usually on my ankle. It had some lint/dirt work its way into the cylinder lock and froze it up. Not really a failure, and most likely would have happened no matter what the brand was.
That said. I fully depend on it. I also have a SP101 with 3" barrel too. The Ruger is built like a tank but it also weighs as much too. The Taurus is the CHULT (Chopped Hammer Ultra Lite Titanium) and is very light and comfortable. You can't go wrong with S&W, Taurus, or Ruger IMHO. Good luck and practice with what ever you get. |
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I want to purchase a revolver for conceal/carry. I'm looking for something somewhat small and lightweight and under/around $500. I checked out some Smith and Wessons but didn't didn't find something I liked in my price range. Simple: buy a used S&W.
Taurus are ok guns, nothing special or anything. A good used S&W will be head & shoulders above a Taurus eight days a week, sir. +1 38+P is more than enough for 2 legged predators and you can purchase any of the j Frame 38 handguns for well under $500. You could also go with a Ruger SP101 in 357 for about $450-$500 and that gun will last a lifetime. |
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I bought a used Taurus 85 for $100. It's stainless steel, made in 1986. It had several scratches on it, but after taking some polish and 0000 steel wool, it looks brand new.
It weighs around 26 ounces, and it's solid. I have the Hogue grips on it, and shoot 158 grain bullets thru it. Never had any problems with it. It's my main carry gun. It's got enough weight that it doesn't hurt when I shoot it. I don't know if I would be able to shoot a lightweight revolver as well. With that said, I wouldn't trade my Taurus 85. |
| The idea that Taurus auto pistols are good and the revolvers are bad does not hold up to everything I have seen. I would be more willing to say the exact oposite. Gun test magazine has had horible ratings for the Taurus autos that they have reviewed. The revolvers have had decent reviews. The only auto that I might consider is their 1911. I have not heard anything bad about them. I have owned a couple of the revolvers and never had any problems. Right now I have a model44 that runs like a dream. I have a friend that has the 357 tracker for years and he loves it. CB |
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Man there are a lot of haters on here. I will admit that I to dabble mostly in the high end spectrum of gun manufactures because the fit and finish tends to be a lot better, but that is not saying that manufactures like Taurus don't make a quality weapon. Lets get serious here and try to put our biases aside. When I was a young man I didn't have the money to drop on a new $500+ handgun. I could however afford to pick up a Taurus or other $ comparable handgun. Every Taurus I have owned other then a PT22 has been a quality 100% reliable weapon. Granted the fit and finish is not the same as your top tier manufactures but it isn't bad either. Lets also keep in mind that a revolver is probably the most simple handgun design other then a Derringer. Point blank, it hard to screw one up during the manufacturing process. screw ups can happen but like with anything humans touch, there is a possibility for failure. Hell the most unreliable weapons on the market right now are the ones that have been tinkered with by a trained gunsmith. You guys trip me out when you start bashing a gun just because it doesn't come with a hefty price tag. You need to get over your false beliefs and put in your ear plugs before ever enter the gun shop. I'm almost certain that you are picking up your misinformed knowledge from the idiots behind the counter.
P.S. I currently own a customized Stag Model 2, Smith and Wesson M&P Tactical, a customized AK-47, Remington tactical 870, Remington 700 SPS tactical .308, 2 Glock 23s, and of course my daily carry, a Taurus M85. |
| Short of carrying it in snake country what is the advantage of the Judge? It is a BIG revolver and for defense against anything that doesn't slither I wouldn't trust any .410 (no, not the 3" either) so you end up with a really BIG 5 shot .45 Colt. I just don't get it, you can get snake shot for regular calibers (CCI sells them) and have something that handles better and is easier to conceal... |
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I like the Judge a lot. Solid piece, pretty light. I bought my mom a Nightcourt Judge and a couple boxes of 000 .410 buckshot to keep on her nightstand. People say that .410 is inneffective as a self defense round but I beg to differ. I personally know someone who shot and killed an intruder who met him at the rear entrance of his house wielding a screwdriver with .410 buckshot. He dropped like a sack of potatoes and started running in circles on the floor.
The main advantage of the Judge IMO is the same as the advantage of a shotgun. Your aim doesn't have to be perfect and 3 .38 caliber lead balls going into you per trigger pull probably equates to pretty good stopping power. Also you can mix and match loads. For instance maybe a round of regular shot to pepper/blind any would-be assailant followed by buckshot or .45LC hollowpoints. A lot of people talk down to about the Judge and call it a gimmick and such, but I think that's just hive mentality. |
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I'm glad the person you know survived the intruder, that is a bad situation no matter what kind of weapon you have. That said I'm just not convinced .410 is good enough to bet my life on. If I have a shotgun I would much rather have a 12 ga. and as far as handgun performance goes I submit The Box O Truth vs. the Judge. Anyhow if your mom practices with it and is confident in it that is something, I don't buy the "you don't have to aim well" part though. Is a single pellet going to reliably stop an attacker? For Mom's sake I hope so, I really do wish her the best.
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I'm glad the person you know survived the intruder, that is a bad situation no matter what kind of weapon you have. That said I'm just not convinced .410 is good enough to bet my life on. If I have a shotgun I would much rather have a 12 ga. and as far as handgun performance goes I submit The Box O Truth vs. the Judge. Anyhow if your mom practices with it and is confident in it that is something, I don't buy the "you don't have to aim well" part though. Is a single pellet going to reliably stop an attacker? For Mom's sake I hope so, I really do wish her the best. "Reliably" has more to do with shot placement than caliber, and if you get hit in the chest with even a single pellet your chances of living aren't too great if you don't get help immediately, and if it hits elsewhere it will probably slow someone down long enough to squeeze of off a more well placed shot or 4. As far as staking your life on a .410, .410 000 buckshot is every bit as effective as 000 buckshot out of a 12 gauge, the only difference being the capacity of the shell. What I'm saying is that the .410 is just as powerful as a 12 gauge in terms of velocity. It will shoot the same shot (up to 000, as bigger will not fit in the shell, of course.) at the same velocity as a 12 gauge. People look at the small size of the .410 shotgun shell and think "Oh 12 gauge must be so much more powerful" but this is simply not the case. The only advantage 12 gauge offers in terms of stopping power is capacity. And honestly, my mother isn't terribly well trained as far as self defense. She qualifies on a .357 revolver once a year for the prison unit she works at, but this of course isn't sufficient in my opinion. Even if she was I still think the Judge would be a good choice for anyone in a home defense situation. You never know how you're going to react in a high stress situation like a home invasion until you're in one unless you train for it every day. If she has to pick something up and start squeezing off rounds at someone she can hardly see at 3am from across the room I'd like for her hit probability to be as high as possible. I don't believe that shooting at milk jugs is an accurate way to decipher what a particular load will do to a human being. You can miss someone by an inch with a conventional revolver and miss completely, if you miss someone by an inch with a .410 revolver firing 000 buckshot you've probably still hit them once or even twice. If I thought it was a gimmick I wouldn't have bought it for her. I wouldn't suggest using it with birdshot for serious social encounters, but I'm sure with 000 it will kill you just as dead as anything else. |
| It trips me out how hard headed people be can be. HELLO!! Its called BUCK SHOT for a reason people. Its meant to be used on deer. The average sized man falls between 170-200 pounds. Thats not much different then a good sized buck. I guess the best way to teach these idiots that a .410 will get the job done in a hurry is to shot them with it. I'm just joking but I am getting sick of peoples idiotic thought process. " I .410 wont work" come on man!! |
| I'm not saying it won't work, there are numerous documented cases where a suspect was hit with just one pellet of buckshot and was incapacitated or killed immediately. If the Judge works for SKS_Lover's mother I am happy she has a system that works for her. Out of a regular barrel I agree a pellet of buckshot is a pellet of buckshot regardless of what gauge it comes out of, I wonder how much velocity you are loosing out of the Judge compared to an 18 inch shotgun... My concern is whether you will get enough penetration to reach vitals on a big guy, a side shot that goes through the arm or through heavy clothing. That said I would assume if the intruder isn't killed (or even hit) by the first shot seeing the flash that thing must have will probably be a big deterrent and I don't see them sticking around. I guess the point is that I am not saying it won't work, heck folks have been using .22s for home defense for years (sometimes with good results, sometimes not so good), I just prefer something that will give better penetration. YMMV |
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It was my thread that darkwater posted in. (thank you again) Here is what I found out: Moral of the story: LOOK! Darkwater gave you a great start. I also looked at the Taurus 85 ultra-lites while I was there. They were also about $375. No comparison on trigger pull. I'm sure the Taurus's are fine weapons, but for the same amount of money, I will go with the Smith. Terry I just bought a new model 85 for $285 at the gun show. |
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Taurus builds revolvers that are VERY hit or miss in my experience. They often have timing issues and even point of impact issues. I've owned several and all but one had to go back to Taurus to fix problems that made them unservicible. The one that has always worked well is a very early M85. It has been flawless. The only Taurus I own now is a medium frame 44 Tracker. It went back when it had a timing issue from day one. It runs great now though and is a gun you just can't get anywhere else.
I also find the Taurus lock to be a much better design than the S&W lock. I'd actually take an equivalent Taurus revolver over a new S&W with the lock. I can fix the Taurus' mechanical problems, but the S&W lock is just a dangerously poor design I think. |
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i have an older model 65 in 357 magnum and have around 2,000 rounds through it just myself...perchased it used so who knows how many it has through it..rifling is still nice, VERY accurate..nice and tight in the right places..never had a problem with it.
wouldnt trade it for a S&W..have owned S&W's still own a 1889 model 3 top break that was handed down to me and shes still a beauty but i hold MY taurus right up there with any S&W i have ever owned or handled..if it aint broke dont fix it =] they make great guns...if you find a good deal go for it, no need to spend extra money on a smith becuase someone says a friend of a friend of a friend had a problem with theirs |
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Buy a Smith Model 638 Bodyguard (Airweight) and shoot Speer Gold Dot 135 grain +P(short barrel) ammo in it.
It has a shrouded hammer that allows you to shoot it from inside a jacket pocket, but a hammer that can still be cocked when you want to fire single action. It's going right now for about $400 bucks with a $30 rebate. |
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Taurus makes a quality revolver. I own S&W, Ruger,and Taurus revolvers. If you have to stretch your dollars and prefer new go with a Taurus product.
That said- a Ruger is amost indestructible and a S&W will tend to have a smoother trigger pull and handle more dynamically. |
| I've owned 3 Taurus revolvers, they were all junk that would fall apart or lock up the cylinder. That's why I carry a Colt 1911 or a Ruger revolver. I wouldn't hesitate to carry a S&W though. The simple question I believe is how much of a chance do want to take with your life if you need a gun? Nuf said. |