# New to Tarus and wondering if I chose well?



## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

As the title states, I'm new to anything Taurus with the exception of the umbrella group "Braztech" in that I've owned several Rossi Coach guns as well as a number of 1892's in 357 and 44 and 45. Rossi was already picking up unwanted safeties in unwanted locations on their guns when they joined the conglomerate and picked up yet another one in the Taurus safety key safety. I'd rather that their guns would drop all of their safeties and if absolutely necessary, just keep the Taurus safety key thing. At least that one made sense even though it still looks ugly. It's relatively out of sight and effective in its operation and is not something that one has to worry about when hunting or competing. When you go out to shoot, just take the safety off and it stays off until you are done shooting and then and only then if you want to, you can re-apply the safety locking up the gun for no further use. All other safeties especially the automatic ones can and will mess you up if its a once in a lifetime shot at game or you are still straight and down to your last pair and the safety get switched on. You call "Pull" and then nothing. What a bummer. No exemption for forgotten safety and your down a pair making you not straight and sometimes out of the competition.

Well the gun I just bought (waiting on one final layaway payment and CA paperwork) only has the Taurus safety lock and I plan on keeping that bad boy off most all of the time. It doesn't count for "safe California" carry anyway so it's not useful in my state at all. Now here is where I get confused since I've seen a few guns that could be like the one I'm buying in the Taurus catalog. Mines a 44 magnum with a six and one half inch barrel, heavy lugged at that. It is ported with the holes drilled into a milled out cutaway of the barrel. I've seen others that just had holes drilled into the barrel. It has the newer red striped cushioned rubber grip and a set of all steel adjustable rear sights. One side of the barrel says "Raging Bull" among other indicators of make and country of origin as well as the US importer. I've also seen a model 444 something or other that also looks very similar. I've found what to me looks like the gun, but only in looks and not necessarily in model. For that I'm hoping upon the experts here to identify it and tell me if it's worth its salt? So here is what it looks like:










It's still going to be a couple of weeks yet before I get to pick it up. It was my default choice for a handgun. You see, us in California have until the end of the year to buy any automatic pistol we want. What dealers are doing is fitting sub-caliber barrels to the original barrel of the auto and thus converting it into a "single shot" pistol exempt from the State's Safety List Requirements. A new law wipes that loophole out come January one as well as makeing single shots subject to the Safety List. That doesn't matter either since auto's will also have to be able to stamp/imprint its serial number from the tip of the firing pin to the indent on the primer of each fired case. A technology that at present, does not exist. So no sales of semi-autos come January one. I almost had my life signed away and a second on the house and my daughter reminded me that what ever gun I bring home above the expected sales amount previously stated, would be the size of the imprint in the side of my head once my wife got a hold of me with it. So I moved on over to the more conservatively prices Raging Bull and hopefully all will be well at the homestead. I just knew that I'd be less likely to spend any more money on the gun since it is already ported, has great grips, and acceptable sights. I see nothing that I'd have an itch to change on the gun as it is made just as I would have requested a 44 to be made. Did I do good? Smithy.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

Well...I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Taurus has a crap name in firearms. That isn't to say you can't get a good piece, and most of the good ones are their revolvers. This is a good looking one, but I would advise staying away from their semi-autos.


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## high pockets (Apr 25, 2011)

:watching:


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## NGIB (Jun 28, 2008)

Taurus can be spotty, if you get a good one it's a good gun. I have had great success with their metal guns (PT92 & PT1911) and no success with the poly guns...


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

In the future it looks like any common law abiding citizen will not have the privilege to own any firearm. Good work California politicians and it's supporting constituents. What 2nd amendment? "we can easily get around that".:anim_lol:

Just depends on the Taurus, they have goods ones and bad ones. I shot a friends .40cal slim "I think it was called" and was impressed with the little pistol, the owner had no trouble with it in over 3 years of owning it. However, we also shot his raging bull 44 mag that seemed to be missing a strike on the primer in one cylinder. I believed it to be the transfer bar getting in the way, but who knows.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

This is correct! You may want to consider moving out of the state of California.


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## Scorpion8 (Jan 29, 2011)

ALL firearms have lemons and jewels, just like anything else that man makes. All of my Taurus's run just fine, round after round. But you're fighting a vocal minority. The Raging Bulls have a wonderful reputation. Enjoy it!


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

California is a state that keeps on taking as we speak, : Assembly Bill 1609, also signed by Brown Tuesday, will place restrictions on firearms coming into the state and, according to gun-rights groups, will criminalize common firearm transactions. 

Beginning in 2015, it would require all guns coming into the state to first be transferred to a Federal Firearms License holder who would perform required background checks and observe state-mandated waiting periods before the gun could then be transferred.

Think about it? This law only hinders, confiscates, and un-arms gun owning law abiding citizens, do you really believe criminals will be handing over their firearms to the government at the state's borders? An Armed criminals haven and a gun owning law abiding citizens nightmare.

Secondly, California is systematically disarming law abiding gun owners within and at the borders. I suppose if you move to the state or visit and if the firearms don't comply with the smoke and mirrors gun confiscation scheme(i.e microstamping, approved list, etc..),

I would imagine the government would just confiscate anything you lawfully turned in if it doesn't meet it's draconian requirements. California's democrat run government to me, seems and is a very, very, dangerous government. Leave while you can or they may build a great wall around its borders trapping you in.

And last but not least, for those of you that argue against federal CCW reciprocity, this is a good reason not to.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

denner, the unfortunate thing about the gun control advocates is that they have bought into the crap that it is about making society safer. It isn't. It is all about control.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

Scorpion8 said:


> ALL firearms have lemons and jewels, just like anything else that man makes. All of my Taurus's run just fine, round after round. But you're fighting a vocal minority. The Raging Bulls have a wonderful reputation. Enjoy it!


It's just that some manufacturers have more lemons than others. Taurus does make a few products that are fine. But on the whole, Taurus is synonomous with trash by the overwhelming majority.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Smithy:
Why don't you just move to Arizona?


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

I can only speak with regard to my own experience with Taurus. I have only ever owned one (come to think of it, I still own one). PT22 that I bought used. Took it to the range, ran about 200 rounds through it and the firing pin broke. Great. I figure i'll call Taurus and have them send me a new firing pin, I can install it myself. Well come to find out, the firing pin is on a list of restricted parts that Taurus will not sell to the general public. They say send it back and they'll fix it for free. Fine, check UPS, $80 to send it back for a free repair on a used gun I only paid $160 for to begin with. Figure I'll try to find a firing pin somewhere else. Guess what? Cant find any anywhere. Gunsmiths don't have them because they can't buy them either. I can replace most of the parts in a handgun if I can get them, but this one experience soured me on Taurus. What good is a gun if you can't get the parts for it? Expensive paperweight, I guess. Yes, I can send it back but it's the principle. Why should it cost me $80 to fix their manufacturing problem? Just send me the GD firing pin and I'll install it myself. I won't buy another Taurus because of their warranty/parts policy. It stinks, imo. Hope if you buy one you never have to have it fixed.

btw, they recently fired the CEO. Guess he wasn't making changes that the Board and Stockholders felt were needed. I hope their stupid restricted parts policy is one of the changes they make. How ridiculous is it that a company that manufacturers a product won't even sell certain replacement parts to licensed, trained professional gunsmiths to make necessary repairs on their products. Do they think that everybody in the world is too stupid to fix their products other than their own staff? I've also heard from a professional gunsmith that he sent a Taurus revolver into them for repair (because he also couldn't get the parts from them) and has waited over a year for the repair and return of the gun. Now that is just plain unacceptable. He's threatened to report the gun to the FBI as stolen and missing and tell them that it was sent to Taurus for repairs and they can't find it. I don't know how that situation turned out, but their service is apparently pretty poor. As mentioned, I won't be buying any more of their products until they change their policies.


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## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

Gov. Brown is an idiot. The last four on his desk awaiting signatures got three signed and one vetoed. It's illegal to brink guns into the state as mentioned above. A BB gun is now a firearm and can only be a BB gun, if it doesn't look like any firearm, but then there is already a law that your guns have to look like guns in this state so dig a hole a bury all of your Daisy's, Beeman's, and the like as they're coming to get them. A horrendous one that passed is what I call the finger pointer law. If someone, anyone feels unsafe from a neighbor with guns and tells the police that they've seen way too many guns coming in and out of that house Mr. Smith lives in and I'm scared for my children's and my safety. The police is now duty bound to issue a restraining gun order against Mr. Smith. Meaning that not one, but every single piece of weaponry from Mr. Smith's home will be confiscated without reimbursement and that is good for a minimum of ten years if not life. Just how many of a man's say modest collection of 20 guns will be around to hand back in ten years time? That and he'd have to pay for background checks on all of his guns yet another time. Ten of those guns could have been bought prior to 1991 from a gun show and there's no paper on any of them: Until now that is.

So the law the Brown vetoed? Was the one that would have banned a person legally making their own firearm. It's legal Federally and I guess Brown was scared of the Fed's? Go figure.

I'll keep my fingers crossed on the Raging Bull: Sounds like a majority think it's crap. Same opinion I had about the Bersa pistol (still do by the way), but I read all the time folks having great times with theirs. I had an FFL years ago and bought a couple along with six others the co-workers wanted and ALL without exception failed to fire the last round or even chamber it so you ended up on an empty chamber with the hammer cocked and one more round in the magazine. Stinks right? I figure that eight in a row is telling me something about that company.

And yes I'd love to get out of California. Got a brother in Texas which would be just fine indeed, but finances and health problems got me locked into place. I have a doctor for each and every body part a fellow has. (complications of 38 years of diabetes). It would just be too difficult to go. I would like to see another Arnie tack over like has happened before? Maybe some one will grow a pair and run for office? Smithy.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

:smt1099


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

The Raging Bull has one of the better reputations among Taurus products and chances are you will be just fine. Give us a range report when you can shoot it. I've heard owners rage about it "no pun intended" and comparing it in line with S&W and Ruger on how accurate, well built and comfortable it is to shoot.


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## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

I'm starting to feel warm and fuzzy now. Love hearing that the "Raging Bull" has one of the better Taurus reputations of all of their guns. Even though I wasn't a big fan of all the bolt safeties on a 125 year old design (the model 1892), a little Nate suggested work on the innards and some of his trick parts and off you'll be going to a fun and accurate gun. I can't remember just how many folks when they heard that I'd just started shooting SASS that I should have gone to several matches and bummed a bunch of guns and ammo to try out everyone else's guns to see how I like them prior to any such purchase. Well, when I started SASS I'd had been an active shooter for over 35 years and had owned over a half a dozen Rossi 92's by that time. I was familiar with that gun and it was a very comfortable gun to shoot for me. I knew the gun inside and out and it was really easy to work on. And I figured out a nifty way to eliminate the bolt safety to where you'd never know that there was a safety there in the first place. I later found out that Nate was doing a slightly better job at hiding the safety and it didn't involve welding so it was much more safe in practice.

Just like my shotgun days: I had always shot ATA trap and wasted loads of ammo each and every week at the trap range. I remember seeing some old coots at the neighboring skeet field having a blast and asked around about the game. It was suggested that I go over and give it a whorl since they'd be more than happy to show me the ropes. I started with a Remington 1100 with a 28 modified barrel. First round of 25 I shot 4. Second round a gent loaned me his Perrazi tubed set in 12 gauge and I shot a 16. I was hooked. That next week I got out my trusty hack saw and cut the barrel to the closest even rib post and ended up with a 21" barrel and I also took off about 1.5" of the stock. I've always liked a shorter length of pull, even though I'm 6' 1" and now pushing 300 lbs. It was just easier to move the gun about and get the shot off. I was laughed at the next time at the skeet filed. "Good grief, what on earth do you have now?" was bantered about. I asked "Didn't you folk say I need a shorter barrel and a more open choke?", "Well that's exactly what I now have." My next round I shot a 23 and for the rest of my time in the NSSA I was always in the twenties. Also in the skeet fields, it was taboo to use a Ruger Red Label since it was way to heavy. Yet I got me an all weather (the short time that they were being made) and shortened the barrels and the stock filling the synthetic stock with Brownells Acraglas. So an all stainless synthetic stocked bobbed off barrel and stock shotgun of a frowned upon make of gun on the skeet fields. I shot just fine with it. I never gave the top shooters a run for their money, but that wasn't what I was trying to do either. I just wanted to have some fun and did. Same with my SASS shooting. I was extremely happy if I got a stage in under a minute

So I'm going to shoot basically some SASS blooper loads out of my Raging Bull. Stout enough that I'll know that I've shot something, but mild enough to not break my wrist in the process. Smithy.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

The full size revolvers from Taurus are probably their best made products... i've shot a few including the Raging Bull and it worked fine. I still want a Raging Judge... just have one since it's so ridiculously enormous, lol.









Be a fun gun to own with no practical purpouse for me. Just a guilty pleasure.


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## Lee Hunter (May 25, 2011)

Due to personal experience, I've gone from Taurus supporter to Taurus skeptic. For various reasons, including safety, I sold my 38S, PT-99, and .22 pump.

My wife still owns her early edition 24/7 DAO pistol, which functions well, even though it has always suffered from a weak recoil spring and striker spring.

I would avoid Taurus snubbies. My sister-in-law bought a lemon, and so did a fellow I've gone shooting with.

Also, I discovered that Taurus CS can't compete with S&W CS.

Incidentally, the new CNC manufacturing equipment Taurus USA is using was made in Europe. Something to think about. :yawinkle:


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## Hauptmann (Aug 2, 2014)

*Happier in Texas*

We moved from California to Texas in '97. Never been happier. People seem nicer. It's less crowded. Traffic is not as bad. Property is cheaper. Gas Is cheaper. Utilities are cheaper. New cars cost $60 to register. Taxes are MUCH lower (no state income tax). If you get stopped for speeding, you usually get off with a warning. Running late thru yellow light costs $75, not $465. If that ain't enough, The handgun is the State Flower of Texas.

We still visit relatives and friends in Cali several times a year (we fly free), but live there again? Not in this lifetime.


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## MoMan (Dec 27, 2010)

I can speak from my own experiences only here. I have 3 Taurus forearms, all are revolvers. I have a Raging Bull, in 454 casull, with a 6 1/2" barrel and love that gun, the trigger is as good as any of my S&W, or Colt revolver. I also have a Tracker with 22lr/22mag cylinders, it shoots great, the trigger is a little grainy in DA, but great in SA. I have a model 94, 22lr, it's a handy little pistol. The trigger is tough as hell in DA, but as expected it is fine in SA!
I have not ad any troubles with any of those handguns. I have never had a Taurus semi-auto, and probably never will. I own too many others to even think about it.
As for the Bersas, I have a Thunder380, and a Thunder22, both are very reliable handguns.

Just my $.02!!


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## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

Well MoMan, it's just as things go I guess. My very first handguns on my 21st birthday were a security six and a redhawk both in stainless. I've not had a bum Ruger from those two onward and that's 35 some odd years ago and too many Rugers to count. I've owned everything Ruger has decided to put out with rare exception like the oddball entries (Hawkeye comes to miind here and the 44 carbine as well as the lever actions). Not a single bad one in the bunch, but I read on line a number of folk that have had nothing but bad luck when it came to Rugers? Likewise I had eight in a row of nothing but trash in the Bersa 380 department, yet you have had nothing but great luck with the very same guns? All through SASS I heard nothing but the 92 was a bad choice and you didn't amount to a thing unless you carried a model 73 (or maybe the 66), yet I ran with 92's the whole way through never once having a problem and I didn't have to spend 500 bucks on top of the cost of the gun to get it "race ready" like the owners of the 73's do. To each his own and I'd say unless you have direct proof that a gun is a "bad gun", then go ahead and give it a try. That's the only way you'll know for sure. My first years of registered skeet were spent using a 28 inch modified 1100 12 gauge that I'd sawed off from both ends. Then I advanced to an over and under. This was a Larona (Italian I think?) competition trap gun with 30 inch full and full barrels that I also sawed off at both ends and ended up with a 21 inch cylinder and cylinder skeet gun. I never had a finer skeet gun than that one and it lasted me around 20 years before I had to take it apart for major cleaning on the internals. Smithy.


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## MoMan (Dec 27, 2010)

Smithy, it's funny how things happen! I think a lot of the so called problems with different manufacturer's may come from the fact that a lot of new gun owners gravitate to certain brands because of cost, availability, etc. Often times these new shooters do not realize you have to clean a new gun before you shoot it the first time, be sure not to limp wrist, etc. When they have problems the first thing they do is jump online and spray the old; "this manufacturer, or that manufacturer is a piece of crap!!". A perfect example is the Bersa Thunder series, when it is assembled it is critical that that spring be put on in a certain direction. 
I must be really lucky, as I really have had no problems to speak of with any of my 14 handguns. All various manufacturers, and platforms. I do keep my firearms clean and properly lubed. I also pretty much shoot just reloads I put together for every caliber I shoot except 22s.


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## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

Yep I was quickly introduced to the spring deal with the Bersa, but I think at that time it was simply a case of bad magazines. Now maybe Bersa was using a third party to produce their magazines? I don't really know. I have found out that a major sight manufacturer (I had an order in for several months without receiving anything) relies upon a third party for a major portion of the sight assembly. So they collect these third party produced parts and then basically become the assembler and finisher of the sights. You'd have never guessed that looking at the products this company makes and that their sights are chief among them. So if Bersa was relying upon third party magazines (two came with each gun) they could have easily received a bad batch?

What I did to fix my two Bersa's was to acquire some cold rolled steel the same diameter as a loaded 380 round and cut it in half lengthwise and then cross cut them the same length as a loaded round of 360. These half cylinders of steel were then rounded in front and shaped to approximate the shape, look, and size of half of a profile view of a 380 round. I then silver soldered this piece to the top of the follower. what this did was to lift up the last round in the magazine so that it would chamber. After that last round was fired, then the half round soldered on did not interfere with the slides ability to hold open after the last round was fired. The problem was then totally fixed albeit a little crude in design, but I did blue the modified follower. Also no round loss occurred during all of this. The magazine still held and shot the number of rounds it was supposed to and my half round did not interfere with that either. A couple of the other buyers chose to have me fix their magazines the way I had done mine, but most chose to send their guns back to the factory and the factory worked on the guns themselves and claimed that some of the work was NOT covered by the warranty? How they could do that I will never know. Smithy.


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## Chris3425 (Feb 22, 2013)

I have two friends with Taurus handguns a Model 92 and PT1911, they have 1000+ rounds each through their guns with no issues.


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## RobSettle (Oct 5, 2014)

I have a Taurus model 82 ss revolver in .38 sp. I love shooting it and have never had any trouble out of it.


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

Scorpion8 said:


> ALL firearms have lemons and jewels, just like anything else that man makes. All of my Taurus's run just fine, round after round. But you're fighting a vocal minority. The Raging Bulls have a wonderful reputation. Enjoy it!


Yeah. I have read that the Raging Bull is a pretty good revolver. Don't own one personally. I did have a model 85 for a number of years, and it ran fine for me.


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## 44magFMJ (Aug 14, 2006)

I think most members here are adult enough to discern if a Taurus firearm is a worthwhile buy for them without all the juvenile type snide remarks about them that others here choose to post.

I say if you don't like Taurus firearms why bother to post anything here? I doubt if Taurus owners, and fans, are interested in how much someone else hates what they already own or like.

Try that on the Smith or Ruger topics on this forum & watch the reactions you get.


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## DirtyDog (Oct 16, 2014)

44magFMJ said:


> I think most members here are adult enough to discern if a Taurus firearm is a worthwhile buy for them without all the juvenile type snide remarks about them that others here choose to post.
> 
> I say if you don't like Taurus firearms why bother to post anything here? I doubt if Taurus owners, and fans, are interested in how much someone else hates what they already own or like.
> 
> Try that on the Smith or Ruger topics on this forum & watch the reactions you get.


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it might be because when you make a post asking for opinions on a gun, or a car, or pretty much anything else, then you're going to hear both positive and negative opinions. And that's how it should be. Otherwise, the forum is nothing more than an ad. That doesn't mean we can't act like adults while voicing our opinions, of course. Personally, an intelligent, well thought out and expressed opinion (and yes, that includes spelling and grammar...) will carry more weight than one that sounds like it's being expressed by a marginally literate 12 year old.

That being said, let's return to the OP.
Like any company, Taurus has produced good and bad products. Their reputation is better for revolvers than semi-autos. However... I personally own a Taurus PT111 G2 as my EDC. It's light, easy to carry and conceal, very reliable and has features way beyond what I expect in a $300 gun.

The stippling is very aggressive, resulting in an excellent grip. All corners are rounded, and the sights are low profile, both of which make catching on clothing or holsters during draw less likely. The sights are fully adjustable. The two 12-round mags it came with provide ample firepower. The trigger is crisp and draw weight is right on at 5lbs.

I've put about 1500 rounds through mine, so far.I've run everything from cheap TulAmmo, Aluminum CCI Blazers and Wolfe steel case ammo up to Hornady Critical Defense, Glaser blue, MagSafe and such at the high end.

I've had exactly zero malfunctions. At 17', I consistently shoot 3-4" groups rapid fire. On a good day, I can put all 12 rounds in a 2" group, aimed, slow fire.


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