# Thinking about a Raging Something or Other?



## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

Not new to handguns (revolvers specifically), but am totally new to Taurus handguns. Thus far I have not ventured very far at all from my favorite gun (Rugers and then Smiths). The couple of others I have ever had experience with have not been that promising at all with the exception of Walther PPK and PPK/s and one Sig 1911. I take it back as I've also had very good luck with Magnum Research's Desert Eagle, but they've cost me out of participation now. Anyway, Taurus is the gun in question and I'd just run into one that I liked how it looked and functioned just handling it at the gun shop.

Not sure of the exact model number of this gun, but it was entirely made of stainless steel and had a fairly long barrel on it, maybe 6 to 7.5 inches long? The barrel was oval in cross section and unique to Taurus. It had the normal Taurus lock in the hammer with the key operated pin that popped out and prevented the hammer from being drawn to the rear thus inactivating the gun when placed in safe mode. It was in 44 Magnum and had two locks to tie the cylinder into the frame. The one (straight from S&W that we are all use to and another one ahla Dan Wesson on the crane itself). The barrel had a milled channel at the muzzle on both sides of the barrel and within the channel there were five or so ports that went all the way into the barrel. It sported the newer ATI type of grips of black rubber with a section of red rubber on the backstrap of the grip.

What all do any of you know about this gun or this gun series? Can this gun be had in say a four or five inch barrel that's hopefully also on CA's Safety Roster List? Even though the model I looked at had target rear sights, the gun would be perfect if it had a shorter tube anywhere from 2.5 to 5 inches in length. I already have a Ruger Alaskan in 44 magnum, but it also is ported and has full coverage engraving including my signature. Not meant as a safe queen as I do take it out a fire it a lot, but I'd love to have a Taurus version of it that I really could shoot the pudding out of. That is unless there are others with varying reasons to stay away from this gun or models like it? That is why I'm here to ask the question is this worth my hard earned dollars? Or should I just stay happy with the Rugers that I already have. Mind you, I don't need much of a reason to "Need" a brand new handgun. Smithy.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Sounds like the Taurus Raging Judge... it has the dual cylinder locks and the black rubber grip with the red stripe on the backside of the grip. Comes in a 3" or 6" model and accepts 3 calibers.


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## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

Boy do I wish, but alas I live in California and those two guns are a big no-no in the State. No, this gun that I saw was chambered in 44 magnum and had adjustable sights (although I'd prefer fixed sights). If you shortened the cylinder of the first picture with the ammo in the shot, that'd be just about how the gun looks. I love the idea of the dual locks and it doesn't take any more maneuvering than normal since your off hand is there anyway to pop out the cylinder as you push the one or two cylinder release(s). Ruger chose to do theirs automatically, but that cost them the offset ejector rod and a bunch of tiny parts to support it. Looking at the Taurus that second crane lock is the simplest in design with just a couple of extra parts. Smithy.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Taurus Tracker only has a single cylinder lock but has the other features and chambered in .44 mag.







The only Taurus revolver i've seen or heard of with the double cylinder lock/release is the Raging Judge due to the 454 Casull round that can be used.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

Personally, I would stay away from Taurus. Stick with Ruger and S&W. They are much better quality guns than anything Taurus makes, pistols or revolvers.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

I agree... but i'd still like a Raging Judge, just because of it's ridiculous size, lol. Be cool to have one.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

True...just so you can say my gun is bigger than yours. Same for the DE .50...can you imagine actually carrying one of those things? You'd have to get a good swing going just to be able to raise it!


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## MoMan (Dec 27, 2010)

Smithy,
I believe what you saw was a Taurus Raging Bull. 









I have one in 454 casull and it has been flawless! I know there are a lot of Taurus bashers out there, but personally I buy what I want after doing my research, etc.! I don't think I would ever own a Taurus semi-auto, but I have not had any troubles with their wheel guns! The trigger on my Bull is smooth as anything out there. I do have Smiths, and Colts so I do have something to compare it to!
I use this revolver for whitetail deer hunting in upstate NY, it is all that is needed.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Taurus revolver! I do have a couple of their 22lr revolvers, now that double action trigger is TOUGH!!


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## BigT (Jun 20, 2014)

A good friend of mine has a Freedom arms revolver,
its one fine piece of artillary, i havent found anything else
to compare it too. Refined, smooth, accurate and a behemoth
. i havent heard too much about them on this forum.


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## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

Big T: I also had a BFR quite a few years back and it's no Freedom Arms for sure, but still it's a very nice piece of work and a behemoth in itself. Mine was chambered for 45-70 (a mode I was in at the time including a couple of derringers in the same caliber). I didn't exactly want to venture very far off my current list of calibers however and will be sticking with three magnum calibers: 22 mag, 357 mag, and 44 mag. The only exception to this may be the 45LC? Not sure, but if I can get a hold of a rather short barreled 45LC that didn't also have the "/410" as a part of its caliber description (Living in CA and all), that's what I'll be after. However, with these rather large revolvers, a four or five inch gun for them is a short barrel. Being such a Ruger nut, my dealer suggested that I might as well start thinking about getting another Alaskan in the 454. Can anyone tell me the mother of all calibers that not only chambers its own caliber, but a couple of in-between ones down to finally 45LC. I can't remember if that was a Smith idea or a Ruger one, but I'd love to have it so I could shoot the 45LC most of the time and when the urge struck me I could go deaf and bust my wrist for a month or two (Just kidding, but you know what I mean.). Smithy.


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## MoMan (Dec 27, 2010)

Smithy,
The Raging Bull in 454 casull also shoots the 45LC. Most of the time when I am at the range I am shooting 45LCs with mine, then just before I am done with my range session I will put a cylinder of 454 casulls down range. It gives me the best of both worlds, in my opinion of course!!
It is also available in 2" thru 8" barrels.


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## Smithy (Jul 18, 2014)

Well I'm down to two and it's really a matter of which one will be allowed in CA. First would be the 2" Raging Bull in 45LC, stainless steel. And the second would be the Ruger Alaskan in 45LC. I might lean towards the latter as I'm already familiar with that sequence of revolvers and have that model in the 44 magnum. Yep, that's the two. Trouble is both models have taken quite the price hike in the last couple of years and I'll need to be saving my nickles to touch either one of them. Smithy.


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