Posted: 11/26/2006 12:25:02 PM EDT
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A brand-new Taurus M66 or a used Smith and Wesson 686, which should I get? The Taurus is brand-new with a factory warranty (and one more shot in the cylinder) whereas the Smith is a Smith. Both are in a 4" profile. Both are at a local shop for the same price. I'm torn between brand loyalty to S&W and my desire to own a brand-new piece of iron. People have told me that Taurus triggers "suck," but holding each revolver in a hand and dry-firing, I really can't discern much of a difference. The Taurus' trigger is a bit stiffer than the Smith's, but they're functionally the same regarding length of pull and the position at which the hammer drops. In single-action, both triggers have an identical pull and drop-point. Discuss. |
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This would boil down to the individual weapons. The condition, finish, and triggerpull of the smith makes the difference between the clear choice to buy and a clear choice to avoid. All things being equal, I prefer the Smith. Three years from now, both will be used, and a used Smith has a lot more going for it as a shooter or a seller than a used Taurus. |
| You also may want to look into a Ruger GP100. Single action on the Smith is slightly smoother, but the Ruger is sometimes 100-150 dollars cheaper. I looked at the Smith when I bought my GP. May still go back and pick up the 686+ 7 shot with the 2.5 inch barrel. It's just a neat looking gun. |
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Some years ago I purchased a Taurus .44 magnum revolver. At the time, I had the money to get either a Smith 629, a Colt Anaconda but I went with the taurus because it was 100 bucks cheaper than either of the other two. Fast forward and I'm still kicking myself for not buying the anaconda. Now i'm looking for one and it's going to be about twice what I would have payed new back in 92. The taurus is probably worth about a hundred bucks LESS than what I paid for it, if I had not have gotten sick of it several years ago and sold it at a loss. Get anything but the taurus. Get a ruger, a used smith with no lock, or a used colt. Taurus should be a distant last. |
ostly cause its a brand new gun.as far as quality of a modern day Smith and Wesson vs the Taurus well its a wash!
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I bought a brand new Taurus with the most horrible rifling ever....not impressed. I sent it in, waited almost 5 months and got something that wasnt much better. Just recently bought a Smith model 10 that was made in 1965.....this gun has a worn finish but guess what, perfect rifling and mechanicals. I own both and will take an old Smith over a spanky new Taurus every time. |
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For me the biggest single item that controls how well I shoot any gun is the trigger. This is twice as importaint in a double action pistol .Most any S&W has a very good trigger from the factory and with a $15 spring kit and some slight polish work on the inside can be downright wonderfull . I will admit that the newer Taurus guns I have handled have been good compared to some of the older nightmares but they are way behind the S&W guns. Don't even think of buying an aftermarket grip or holster for the Taurus unless it happens to be the same size as the S&W. The lock feature is stupid but when you get the gun home just throw the key into the back corner of the safe and it becomes a non issue . S&W has a great reputation for top service on any S&W gun be it brand new of used . If none of these arguments work for you the resale value of the S&W vs Taurus should be the deal breaker against the Taurus |
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I have a Taurus Tracker in .41 rem mag and absolutely love it. The trigger is fantastic, it is accurate and I have never had a glitch, even firing STOUT hunting loads... With that said, some of the finish machining on the exterior of the revolver is rough, it is not near as "polished" looking as even the newer S&W I've seen. Bottom line, unless it was abused, the fact that a S&W was used shouldn't affect its functionality (hell they are designed to be shot). It probably has better fit and finish, and it will definitely have better resale. However, I completely undestand the desire to have a NIB, un-molested revolver, and in my experience, a Taurus has worked well. |
