Taurus Handguns

IanC

IanC

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Southwestern Ontario
For years I have been a 22 rimfire rifle fanatic.
Have dabbled in handguns but have never owned one.
This summer i plan to buy an engagement ring for my sweet heart.
She agrees rings are a little pricey so she decided she will help me with buying a few pistols. I took her to the range and guess what I think she is hooked.
So im buying the guns for both of us. If you havent guessed shes really a super chick and definatly a keeper. Ive looked around a bit and think for the most bang for the buck I would look into the taurus line. For all you guys with the S.I.R mailorder catalogue Im looking at these.
The 357 with 5 inch barrel with compesator and adjustable sights with stainless finnish.

The 22 revolver with 5 inch barrel, blued.

The beretta copy in 40 cal stainless steel or blued.

I was thinking of getting all these pistols all at once.

Im sort of thinking they would serve all my needs. eg practice, PPC, IDPA, casual 3 gun matches - rifle pistol shotgun at the club as well.

I want quality pieces with great accuracy,adjustable sites and for a price we can easily afford. I figured these would be what i want.

Any complaints, great observations or range reports would be great?
Also does the 357 have a speed loader made for it?
By the way neither she nor I have very big hands.
Any suggestions on the 3 guns I should own based on my criteria?
Thanks a lot
IanC
 
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From my experience, Taurus has terrible service in Canada, Miami doesn't want anything to do with you and the dealer for Canada does not even return phone calls. Parts are scarce and very hard to get. I will not be getting another Taurus.
Stick to a better supported brand like Beretta, Glock, Colt or S&W.
 
If money is an issue, I'd buy a used S&W Model 19 in .357 magnum and a S&W 17 in .22.

Both can be had for reasonable prices and are much better revolvers over the long haul.
 
There's some on here that have some of the newer Taurus offerings & they seem to love 'em. That said I don't think any of them have had a parts failure [yet] or had to deal with Taurus after purchase customer service...

I don't own a Taurus anything, nor have I ever. I don't see anything Taurus in my future because for the cost of something new Taurus I can get what I need from one of the more recognized makers that actually has a warranty center right in the country.

That all said, I'd be a +1 for the post above suggesting the S&W wheelguns. I have several & they have never let me down... Worth the extra cost up front... And they will hold their value for resale... ;)
 
I should have re phrased my post. Thanks for the info on the S&W I was actually thinking of a King cobra (used)
Heres what i want and am thinking
22.
Ruger Mark III or browning benchmark

357 wheel gun Probably S&W

Auto loader Probably norinco 1911 in 9mm.
Any thoughts?
 
Don't try and cover "too many bases" at once with your handgun purchase(s). Many Traditionalists will suggest that you "start out" with a .22, preferably a revolver....and a single action one at that.
Personally, I think this notion is VERY dated and comes from a time when the only good, reliable semi-auto pistol was a 1911, which was usually "too much" for a beginner.
My personal suggestion is to get a good quality semi-auto handgun (preferrably a 9mm) that you REALLY want right away. Stick to it and get proficient with it. You'll then have a better idea of what you want from a handgun. The other notions that you have can be satisfied later. Don't be put off by "customer service" issues...it can be the pits in Canada no matter what brand you buy. Find a gunshop that will look after you. I have had superb service from Wolverine Supplies and I'm sure others will recommend their favourite dealer.
 
Six Star has some good points;

get one gun, two at most and latter you'll find something else you like.
9mm is a good start, since you have rimfire experience...
I haven’t had any problems with my Taurus revolver, so can't speak about the costumer service, but I talked (on a phone) with a service rep from R.Nickolls; he said that it just might take some time to get parts in from Miami...

with SIR prices (and with Taurus guns in general) the value is pretty hard to beat!

 
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IanC said:
I should have re phrased my post. Thanks for the info on the S&W I was actually thinking of a King cobra (used)
Heres what i want and am thinking
22.
Ruger Mark III or browning benchmark

357 wheel gun Probably S&W

Auto loader Probably norinco 1911 in 9mm.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I love Colts... Colt autos... :D I subscribe to the axiom that S&W should've stuck with wheelguns & Colt should've stuck with autos. That's why I don't own any Colt wheelguns. Give me a tuned S&W 686 over a Colt Python any day of the week. And if my Smith ever needs maintenance I have MD Charlton Ltd only about a 5 min drive from the house... The King Cobra would have to be a smokin' deal before I'd consider it.

On your other wants:

1. Ruger MkIII
2. S&W in .357
3. Norinco 1911 in 9mm

All thumbs up [as long as the Norc is a single-stack ;) ]

There's my .02................:redface:
 
Holleyman said:
From my experience, Taurus has terrible service in Canada, Miami doesn't want anything to do with you and the dealer for Canada does not even return phone calls. Parts are scarce and very hard to get. I will not be getting another Taurus.
Stick to a better supported brand like Beretta, Glock, Colt or S&W.
Click to expand...


I have sent a Taurus PT99AFD to Miami for warrenty work & got great service. as for service in Canada I don't know. as for parts you just have to know where to look I can get any Taurus parts.
 
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I have owned 6 Taurus guns over the years & like them very much. I have owned the PT99AFD - PT99AF - PT92AF I like the fact I can go cocked & locked like a Colt 1911 model I also owned a Taurus 38/357 K-frame as for the Taurus 357 wheel gun, just buy a S&W model 686 or model 19 they are great guns & will last a life time if you take care of them you can get them cheap and there are some great aftermarket parts for them. The Taurus 9mm's are not bad I have taken out a thumb tack @ 20yards with mine no problem. :eek: :D that's not bad for a gun that alot of guys on this new group would say it's a piece of ####. :mad: it's all in the shooter. :)

IanC - if you are thinking about the Norinco 1911 in 9mm save your $$ for a $200. more you should be able to find a Colt or Springfield around here & it's twice the gun. I have owned alot of guns over the years & finding that I should have just waited & saved up my $$ as for the The Ruger MkIII is a great gun. hope this helps

if I was to buy another gun or 2 it would be a Springfield XD9 :) these are hot. Colt 1911 in .45acp - and if it was a Taurus PT100AFD
 
I own both a Taurus Tracker 22LR in Stainless and a Browning Buckmark std. URX, and if I had to do it over again I would just of bought the semi auto. The Taurus is a heavy well built gun and looks fantastic in stainless, but is too muzzle heavy and gets tiresome. The Browning is loads of fun. I think if this is your first handgun I would get a reasonably priced semi auto 22LR. The Browning cost me $385 @ Wholesale Sports, and the Taurus cost $420 @ S.I.R. The Taurus Tracker is for big hands and is even better with a Hogue replacement grip, but they have a small framed model of 22LR revolver. The Browning will fit most hand sizes.
Start with a 22LR so you can get good and fire off 200 rounds a night and not feel guilty about the money for ammo. Then move up to a center fire if you want to. I personally am now looking for a 357 (so it will also chamber 38) or a 9mm semi auto.
See! Once you get started your hooked, and as much as the wife thinks I'm nuts, even she is coming around to the point that she may want to shoot one day. My 5 year old son would like to shoot right now if he could, and my "princess" 8 year old daughter would do it too.
 
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Thanks for all the tips guys.
Will look into a 9mm semi auto or a 22 semi to start with.
You guys have given me a lot to think about.
One more thing
Accuracy/reliability which is better? Ruger Mark III Or browning Buckmark?
I like the looks of the browning better but looks arent everything if anything.
Thanks again and again.
IanC
 
Ian I was in the same position as you when I could not decide between a Mark III or a Buckmark. Everyone I asked had their own reasons for owning one over the other and in the end it seemed 50/50. So one guy said check out all the models available of each that you can actually get your hands on. Find out which feels better in your hand and how the sights, etc. work for you. I chose the Buckmark over the Mark III because I really liked the URX grip and the balance it had in my hand. Accuracy with both these brands are more the shooter than the gun.
 
I'll throw my 2 cents in on Taurus handguns...

I own 2 Taurus revolvers.

The 357 Mag in a Taurus Titanium Tracker - 6 inch barrel (Model: 627SH6C).

This is a slick revolver in a compact frame... would be a good carry gun for backpacking/camping and general wilderness carry...(assuming you live in the US)... :rolleyes: Very light and nice in a vertical shoulder holster. Nice to shoot. Very weather resistant.

The Raging Bull in 454 Casull - 6.5 inch barrel (Model: 454SS6M). If you like shooting big bore... it is a fun gun.

Very happy with how both guns perform.

:D
 
I've got an older Taurus PT-92...the quality seems a little higher than current Taurus handguns. I haven't had any problems with it and I like it a lot, however, because of Taurus' non-existent customer service, I'd think long and hard before buying new.

For a semi-auto .22, you can't go wrong with a Ruger MK II bull barrel pistol. I like the MK II better than the new MK III. There are a number of like new bull barrel MK IIs currently for sale in the equipment exchange. I've seen prices range from $275-$375 depending on condition and mags/accessories/shipping included.

The S&W Model 17 or Model 617 are great choices in .22 revolvers. They will be more expensive than the Rugers though, even used.

For a 9mm semi-auto, I'd probably recommend a simple design for a newbie. The Glock 17 is a great choice and you can find used 17s for very reasonable prices here on CGN. Parts and mags are inexpensive and readily available and Glock has good customer service support here in Canada. My favorite, however, would be a Colt Combat Commander (all steel) but they're pricey.

But that's just me...you have to choose guns that "feel right" to you. Everyone has different hand geometry and what is comfortable for one, isn't for another. My advice is to start with the .22, get used to it, develop good shooting habits and then move up to centerfire. Good luck!
 
IanC said:
I should have re phrased my post. Thanks for the info on the S&W I was actually thinking of a King cobra (used)
Heres what i want and am thinking
22.
Ruger Mark III or browning benchmark

357 wheel gun Probably S&W

Auto loader Probably norinco 1911 in 9mm.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I think you have the bases covered here, except I would add or change one to a .45.

I am not a believer in starting out with a .22, yes everyone should have one but I see nothing wrong with starting with a 9mm or even a .45. What the hell, lotsa recoil, lotsa noise makes for a good time anyway. Semi autos IMO are fun fun fun, when starting out it is imperitive that you send as much ammo down range in the shortest amount of time :) - sure you may develop bad habits from this, so what, work them out later.

My first gun was a .45 auto and I shoot better with it than I'll ever shoot with my .22.

The guns you listed are as good as any really, all good quality for the money. If you like to spend money I would buy them all, you'll have 6 by this time next year anyway.
 
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Glad to see some support for my picks. I will probably look into either a 9mm or a 40S&W. My girlfriend really didnt like shooting 45acp and Im not really a big rimfire pistol fan. (the gun will be for both of us)
I just wish there were a lot more handguns in the gun shops to hold before buying. Still not really sure what i really want yet but theres a lot out there
to read about. I like single action so will probably look for a used 1911 or something. Im not really to sure about the glocks? Whats the deal with the triggers are they single or doubles?
Thanks
 
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