Taurus Model 85: Alternative Five Shooter
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- You don't have to break the bank to get a lightweight carry revolver. The Taurus Model 85 is a adequately-made high value revolver option chambered for .38 Special +P loads. It costs less than half of the excellent scandium framed S&W 340/360 series. Using aluminum frame and stainless cylinder, this Model 85SS2UL weighs about 17 ounces. This represents a 4 to 5 ounce increase over the Smith and Wesson 340 (previously reviewed) and that gun possesses a smoother trigger, higher build quality, and durability (from many reports). But the rest of the capabilities are similar: simplicity of design, concealability (if you can cope with cylinder width), easy of use, no additional components needed (like mags), adequate accuracy, and an excellent service policy if breakage were to occur (better it doesn't but many report such). The Taurus Model 851SS2ULT (not shown) would be my favorite in the lineup with its lighter 15.5 oz weight and shrouded hammer. For many, the compact revolver makes a lot of sense as a primary defensive pistol and use and many LEOs around the world use it as an effective backup gun. While lacking in the ultimate smoothness and lightweight of the SW scandium framed series, the Model 85 still represents a ggod value and most users will enjoy saving hundreds of dollars while still achieving the similar S&W capabilities. /////////////Nutnfancy Likeability Scale: 5 of 10 //////////////////// Update May 2009: Many credible reports indicate breakage and reliability problems with SOME Model 85s. For a bit more money I recommend now the S&W Model 648 Bodyguard (my fav), 642 Centennial, Model 60 or other J-frame revolver over this Model 85.
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Taurus has come along way in the last 10 years, with new, and innovative designs. I have the Model 85 Total Titanium, with factory porting on the barrel. I love this gun, it is my primary CCW. Very light, and very durable. very controllable due to the porting. Plus Taurus has the best warranty in the business. a lifetime guarantee on the gun, no matter how many people have owned it.
I know this is a nearly six year old video but I wanted to point something out anyway. During a 27 year Law enforcement career, all in uniform and from walking beat patrolman to Captain of Uniformed Patrol/Assistant Chief, I almost always carried a backup REVOLVER (Colt's, Smith and Wesson, or Taurus) in an ankle holster. I tried several high quality semi-auto pistols as back up to my service weapon(s) but found the revolver to be two things: 1) more comfortable on my ankle because it fit the contour of my bone structure best 2) it always worked unlike the smallish semis that collected floor board dust and other contaminants that adversely effected slide/recoil action (note: I NEVER had to resort to my back up, but officers in both departments I worked for were REQUIRED to qualify "from the holster" if they/I chose to carry a backup weapon at 50, 25, 15, 10, 5 yards, and near contact ranges before I/we were authorized secondary weapon carry.). Of all the revolvers I have owned and carried on or off duty the two best were a mid 1970s production Colt's Detective Special (six shot) and a stainless steel late 1990s production Taurus Model 85 DOA (5 shot) both in .38 Special. I carried two speed loaders (just in case) in my pocket both on and off duty but only used +P 125 grain HPs in the Taurus. I carried 158 grain semi wad cutter (lead) HPs in the Colt's and felt well armed indeed when carrying either handgun. The Taurus 85 DOA lives on as the backup to .45 S&W service pistol carried by a dear friend and former college who even today works uniform patrol.
I bought the Taurus 85 model. I loved it so much I went and bought another. I own two never one problem with either one. Guess I am just old school in this new polymer world. Would never get rid of my revolvers as they have never ever failed me. Great shooting gun. Thanks nutnfancy for your consistent honesty.
Taurus 85 was my first handgun.It is the one i used to qualify for my CCW.Great gun for the price.Nice review.God bless.
My grandfather had someone try and break into his place a few weeks ago during the night. He was a little shook up about it and wanted to get a gun. We took him to the store and found a used Taurus 38 exactly like the one in this video and he absolutley loves it. Great gun, easy for him to load/unload/shoot. I would not turn anyone away from purchasing this gun if they are considering it.
This was either the first or second handgun I ever purchased back in 2002. I sold it to a friend in 2005 and have regretted it ever since. My friend carries it regularly still and whenever I see it, it brings me back to my early 20's. It's hard not to get nostalgic over the gun. Not only was it a decent little revolver for the price, it brings back memories of those days in the general sense. The same as an old song or the smell of an ex girlfriend's perfume. Not to get sappy over a gun but it's really true.
I have the exposed hammer older version in blue. I have had it over10 years now and it still works great. It is very easy to carry as it is not heavy and fits the hand nicely.
I own a Model 85 Ultra-Lite, I think when discussing the ability of carry you should've spoke beyond simple waist band carry. This gun fits perfectly in my pocket and very easy to draw. The weight is great as I barely notice it's in my pocket most times and the people around me are unaware that I have a firearm in my pocket.
I generally concur with the review. I owned a no frills basic M85 Taurus in stainless steel for many years. It ran me a tick over $300 and was a solidly reliable and very functional self defense piece. The gun was pretty basic right down to the traditional wooden grips. But it worked extremely well despite the more than a thousand rounds I cycled through it over the years without a single malfunction. Accuracy, was shocking for a 2" .38. After some practice I could consistently put every round on a 1x1 target at 25 yards, which I consider to be about as good as you can hope for with any snubby. Quality wise I would grade it as being above average, but not outstanding. If you want outstanding you go with Colt or S&W who occupy the top of the quality pyramid. Unfortunately they also tend to occupy the top of the pricing pyramid, whereas Taurus consistently produces good quality and highly functional weapons for below average cost. So yeah, if your on a budget, or you just like to get the most bang for your buck, I'd add Taurus to your list of options..
I have had one for years now. I like it, but your review is pretty spot on. On the scale of 1 to 10, I put it around a 7. It's very functional and performs as it's expected to. I painted the front sight and changed out the springs, but always keep in mind it's not a target gun, but I make sure I shoot it every time I go to the range with all my other guns to stay proficient as it is my carry gun. Either in a waistband carry, ankle carry or vest carry when I ride. No matter what when I leave the house this is an always carry gun. It's reliable and never falters; I gotta give it props for that.
My first gun was a Taurus 85 blued steel model. My overall experience with it was very favorable. I thought the fit and finish was very good, the blueing as very nice. The gun functioned perfectly, and never malfunctioned after a few thousand rounds down the pipe. I practiced with it often, and became deadly with it. This gun was accurate at realistic self defense distances. I could achieve "combat accuracy" out to 75 feet on a good day. At first the trigger was stiff and gritty at first, but smoothed out some after shooting it some. I regret selling my 85 and I'm looking at getting another one.
I love my 85 ultra light its a great gun for the money. I am a sorta broke college kid and ccw holder so it made sense to pick it up. I carry it everyday, and keep it in my car when Im at school locking glove compartments rule. I have never had a problem with it eather.
Seems that the 85 is the perfect gun for you.
Taurus Total Titanium is the 12 oz version. Hard to find but worth it. I love S&W but dollar for dollar Taurus can't be beat.
I have owned one of these for many years. Mine is an older version of this with a bobbed hammer and smooth wood grips. I used to carry it concealed on my waist during the summer and now I carry it as a backup in a Galco ankle glove. I have been extremely pleased with this pistol. Mine has an excellent trigger but with the bobbed hammer is DAO. Still, out to about 15 yards, I have a pretty small group, maybe 4-5 inches. Couldnt be happier with this. I know Taurus has had some issues with some of their autos, but I would buy another one of there revolvers in a heartbeat.
Thats my daily carry gun, love it!
I own a Taurus 851 (shrouded hammer version of 85) Great double action and single action trigger pull. I can shoot good groups at 20 yrds. Over 1,000 rnds thru it with 14 different loads. Had failures to fire with one load - all others worked great!
Bought one for the wife to carry. Great pistol. A little bit of a kick, but hey its an Ultralite. Bought it lightly used. Not one problem with it. She loves it and feels comfortable carrying and firing it and thats what matters.
I own the Taurus model 85 black steel model. The extra weight is not a problem for me and the extra weight makes +P a non issue. I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of this revolver and have had no issues.
+The USA The model 85 Taurus weighs 18 oz, just a little less than my Taurus 85B2FS Revolver | .38 Special +P 5 Rounds Blue Finish but any of these revolvers are light wt and easily concealed.
The Taurus Ultra-Lite is my CCW. I love it.
I just bought this gun for my mom for Christmas. She absolutely loves it. Very cool.
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I've had my Taurus 85S since I bought it new in 1993. I've never had any issues with it what-so-ever. The fit and finish are top notch. It is not just a decent revolver for the price, it's an EXCELLENT revolver regardless of price! Mine is the pre-safety lock model and still has its excellent hand filling, factory wood grips. Those also won't grab your clothing while carrying concealed...
Agree with most of your comments. Having put a box and a half or so through mine, I was making 3-4 inch groups at 25 yards. Though longer than what the gun was intended for that makes me feel confident to use this as my current primary carry.
Thanks for your work. Its great to have good commentary from someone who has experience with a wide variety with primary defense weapons.
What I like about the revolvers is you got five rounds FOR SURE! No stove pipes and no failures to feed ever. So I know if my life in on the line I can count on that gun to go bang five times without any issues. While in contrast I have never encountered an auto-loader that doesn't fail to feed or stove-pipe at least every once in a while.
I like revolvers they never fail
.38 is an effective round. No one wants to get shot even with a .38 i would know, i was shot 2x in my side by a home intruder back in '81 and it pretty much was game over for me. I lost a kidney and a portion of my liver. After the rounds passed through me, they ricochet off the wood work in the house so.... i think .38s will get the job done.
Damn dude...Sorry to hear about that.
Sorry to hear of your injury..thank God you recovered
How did he end up?
Sorry to hear that😞
Hello Nutn'. I've owned a Taurus 605ss (357 mag model of this platform) for about six months now. I've only had one issue with the gun locking up during a range trip, but it had a piece of dirt under the rim on one of the rounds causing the failure (hardly the gun's fault). I have ran about 500 rounds through it without an issue. I have trained extensively with Glocks for years and switched to this as a CCW only for comfort. To me it's easier to conceal and with practice I'm now decent with speedloaders. I did have to trim the grip to keep my speedloaders from hanging during fast reloading. I would love to see you run this weapon so that others will see what I'm finding out about this gun. I found mine through an online retailer that gave me an extra lifetime warranty on top of Taurus's warranty. Anyway when I teach new shooters I recommend this gun for value and reliability. I'm also finding that this gun has been reasonably accurate up to 20 yards. Hope this helps.........
my 85 is 30 years old and no parts replaced, i love it
Whenever i'm considering buying a gun I always look to see if nutnfancy has reviewed it, as he gives a no bullshit, professional, and thorough review but i've gotta ask why would you review a revolver you haven't shot?
Bennett Black This was to fill the square back in the day, when the catalog wasn't very large and there were a lot to run through. These serve as ergonomic and quality reviews, which can usually tell you a lot. For crappy gear, a short tabletop will normally show these issues long before a full on shoot- hell, I can't think of a gun that is great on the table and bad at the range, though I'm sure they exist. These are all pretty old though, from a different time. -TD
My wife has an 85. we've had it for 3 yrs. 400-500 rds shot. We love it. Great gun. Fun to shoot. Np probs at all. She feels comfortable carrying and shooting it. Thats what matters.
I have a model 85, that is broken! The trigger return spring strut popped out of place, and broke while at the range. The accuracy record of this one is great (for a defensive handgun) I am able to keep all five shots within 3 inches at 25 yards, and at 7 yards all 5 shots would group into 2 inches. Also at 7 yards I can keep all shots within 5 inch group without looking at the sight picture.
I have owned several Taurus revolvers and semi auto pistols, never had a reason to cuss any of them including the Taurus 85. Nuff said.
I have the Taurus 85 (+p) in the blued steel version. Nothing fancy about it, had it for years, it's fitted with a Hogue rubber grip. Been very reliable, I have at least 1300 shots through it and it's been 100% reliable. For a $250 gun, I've been very happy. It's just a good, solid firearm.
My wife isn't a gun person, so I carry my Glock 23 and leave the M85 at home. if anything she and use it, just point and click. The beauty of a revolver, their simplicity and ease of use.
I own two Taurus .38 Special Model 85's. My wife and I bought them each before we were married over ten years ago. We must have lucked into two really good blued, hardwood grip models. Triggers are very good, and I range shot mine a month ago at 15 yards. Four and five inch spreads with fifty rounds of +P ammo shot double action. Never had a FTF with either gun. They always fire.
I had this same dilemma when i bought the Taurus 85 nearly 8 years ago. The smith was lighter but it was 250 dollars more at the time. I ended up with the Taurus 85 UL with double action only and bobbed hammer. But the factory trigger pull is like 16#. So a quick swap with the wolf trigger return spring and It helped a whole bunch, As a side note, I would not recommend replacing the hammer spring. turns out I had light primer strikes and a few Failure to fire events. So, the lighter trigger spring helped a whole bunch, Even went to qualify with this gun shooting weak hand from concealment for an armed guard license and scored a 94 with only 3 misses at maximum range 50 ft. I like this gun, because I will carry it, and that is the best gun to own!
I just got the Taurus 651. I chose it for the shrouded hammer so I can still fire single action if I want, but also not worry about the hammer getting snagged when trying to pull it out if concealed under clothing or in a pocket.
Shim the mainspring to handle hard primers and it smooths the trigger as well increasing the impact on the primer. I'm not sure what it costs to do that in the US but my gunsmith said he was too embarrassed to charge me. 50 mile round trip was quicker and cheaper than finding the shims.
Have had my Black Model 85 for about 2 years, put over a thousand rounds though it. Great feeling, perfect size grips and incredibly accurate for what it is. Hit a soda can 10 yards out 5 times in a row off the ground! Problem, if you shoot over and over fast, the cylinder won't eject until it cools down. Also It's back at Taurus getting fixed. The Cylinder rod fell out when cleaning along with a frame screw. Not for heavy pinking at all, but I still love it, cant' wait to get it back.
great vid bought my wife one in march 2013 for $285 here in ky. also got her crimson tr. laser grips she rocks with the gun took her ccdw class with it and carries it daily great value
I have the non-ultralight version of this gun and I put a Hogue Monogrip on it. The added space for the pinky finger seems to make the weapon more stable when firing. Great review, I really like these revolvers.
I have owned my snobby for about a year now, great gun. Put about 600+ rounds through it with no issues. I ended up switching out the trigger spring to a 9lb spring for my wife, she was using both thumbs to pull the hammer back. Great value for the gun, I ended up paying about $325.
I just picked up a model 85 protecter poly 38spl +p used from a friend. $250 and it included 100 rounds of ammo. Super light, comfortable to shoot and pretty darn accurate for a snubby that weight just a little more than my ZT 0560. Darn good high value revolver.
I own a full steel version of the 85, and I think it's great. I carry it a lot. I carry it back and forth to work, and sometimes as a backup at work. The accuracy is good for what it is. It handles +P ammo with no problem. And I like having the hammer exposed too.
i have a Taurus 85 and i love it so much i want to buy the 66 in 4".
Great acurrency better trigger than expected 4.5 group at 7 yards and I'm not a revolver shooter by any means easy to carry and conceal great gun
good review, IMO I think this weapon is a good piece for its value and is suitable for CC. I have the 85 .38 and the model 65 .357 and love em both cant go wrong with any of these revolvers and they come with a lifetime warranty even if you are not the original owner so that is also a plus over some other brands.
Just bought the blued version of this gun based on this review. If all else fails I can always fall back to my full size Glock. I look forward to receiving it and putting rounds down range.
Have one and never had a reliability problem. If you do your part you will be on target up to 10 to 15 yards. It's very easy to conceal.
Great review as always.
Love when you do wheel guns, i really do.
5/5 A+
Thanks to owner of the gun for letting Nutn get his hands on it and lets us hear his thoughts.
YEah I have the S&W 442. it will pop some really good .38+P rounds. its a super sweet little gun, I have always wondered what the comparison would be between SW and Taurus..
Picked up a Taurus 605 .357 this past weekend for $380 total. Stoked with five rounds of Golden Saber. Great pistol for the price!
I held a S&W airweight and it just wasnt comfortable. The trigger guard was much smaller than the model 85 and the bottom of the trigger guard dug into the knuckle of my middle finger when i was holding the gun in a shooting position.
On the contrary my model 85 has a very comfortable factory grip and the trigger guard is very spacious. I love my model 85B2UL. It shoots winchester white box flawlessly. No issues what so ever. Recoil is much lower than expected. Love this little gun!!!
Same here. Plus, the Hogue grip is cut down a slight bit more on the left side to make the use of speedloaders (in my case Safariland brand) much easier. I also replaced the factory main-spring with a Wolff spring, which functions well and cuts the approx. 14 lb pull to 9 lb. Much better.
I will say tho, that my friends M85 had a bit of trigger work done to it, but nothing a competent gunsmith couldn't do in 5 mins. worked great in DA and in SA.
reccommended.
I own a stainless steel 85 model,very accurate between 10 to 15 yards and very cheap,i recommend it !
This gun is a great value. Perfect for warm weather civilian carry. The recoil is nominal to me, but I'm conditioned for 45acp. The gun is extremely effective for its intended use as far as accuracy. They make this size gun in a 6 rounder as well. Overall it's great price for what you are getting. Good Job, NF.
I own the hammerless version of this gun. It is accurate for what it is designed for. At 10 yds I could put up 2 inch groups with careful aiming. During rapid fire at 10 yards, all shots were in the kill zone. I have no doubt that this gun will hit what its pointed at at a typical defense range.
BTW, I own a Taurus 24/7 .40S&W and a PT111 Mil Pro 9mm. Each of them have had more than a thousand trouble free rounds fired through them. And that was straight out of the box, no custom work.
I have a black finish M85 and have shot it quite a bit. I like it. It's not the smoothest, not the tightest, not the highest quality snubnose revolver out there. There's no doubt there are better revolvers, quality-wise. It's great for what it is, though, and is as reliable as any other revolver I've fired. It hasn't failed on me and to be honest I find its double-action trigger pull to be surprisingly smooth for the price I paid.
Also I like the few extra ounces it comes with. It has a solid weight to it and I don't find it to be too much.
I bought my wife model 85 BUL. We both really like it as our primary home defense gun. Working on getting a PT1911 to replace it though.
There is now a Blackhawk CQC serpa holster for the Model 85's. Hogue makes great overmolded grips for Taurus small frames. Wolff has a premium spring replacement kit. More and more things made for these. Love mine by the way.
I have the model 85B2UL and absolutely LOVE IT. the SA trigger on this gun in amazing. I would rate the trigger better than the one on my ruger MK3 target!
A mixture of the heavier weight "more stability," lighter recoil, larger grip, and easier break in was probably the reason. I also like the longer extractor in the 85. I own two airweights, but I have yet to shoot a snubbie on par with my old colt detective special.
I carry the Taurus 650 5 shot .357 snub nose. Get a Uncle Mike horizontal shoulder holster fits under the armpit very comfortable.
Paint the front blade red gives you contrast and gives point and shoot.
It has been dropped in dirt and fires.
Mud and fires. Does not jam and you are not brain overloaded during STRESS.
You can reload very fast with speed loaders and PRACTICE I have beat every person with clips. I have two speed loaders so 15 rounds. If you cannot get it done you are screwed.
I've got a Taurus 650 CIA 5 shot .357. It's all stainless, but I enjoy the extra weight, less recoil. It is an awesome little pistol, quite accurate too! I've got a video showing the accuracy results. The 650 is absolutely my favorite carry gun. By the way, the rubber grip doesn't hang up on any of my clothing. Well worth the money, I was considering the S&W to go with my M&P 15, but it was just way too much money. I like the hammerless design, no snags. Taurus makes a shrouded hammer too
I picked up the Titanium Taurus about two weeks ago, weighing in about 13.5 ounces. It cost me $550. It's exactly the same size as the one in this video. I like it, now that it works, but when I bought it, the cylinder kept jamming. Whenever the brass got hot - the cylinder would jam up most times. That sucks. They didn't tell me I had to put $200 worth of ammo through to break it in. Works now, though. Easy close range rapid fire.
Mine hit a man-size target at 25 yards 5/5, when I can do it.
I've owned a Taurus 85 (blued, not stainless) for about 25 years. It is a fine basic revolver. I have never had a problem with it. I shoot Federal Hydrashok +p HPs in it.
Speaking grips, they used to make that weapon with wood grips. Check the gun shows for removed grips, that's where I found mine.
Ive carried a S&W model 36 Square butt chief spl for many years.Great gun.but as of late the manufacturing of this gun has changed.The production tecniques have omitted the pinned barrel and other items.Taurus is a well made revolver,both are very close in quality.
I have a 605 that I've carried for close to 20 years. I bobbed the hammer and contoured it to the frame, gently polished the internals and added a Wolff spring kit (really made a difference). I carry .38 +Ps instead of .357s as the after shot recovery is much better. It shoots minute of dirt bag at 25 yards, hard to ask more. The extra weight of an all steel stubbie is reassuring when required. Taurus quality has only gotten better. I seriously like the new 85 and 850s. May have to trade.
I love my Taurus .38 sp, and I open carry.
Thanks for all of your reviews....you have given me so much great insight on several guns of interest including 'The Judge'...it reall is a kick butt gun for short range/home defense....outside of that you are very correct...however, your review is what made me dicide to make the purchase...your last comment was 'for home defense it is very fine'....also this ultra-lite is SOOO lite...crazy lite...who can feel the diff. in 3 ounces any way......
Absolutely love my Model 85. Surprisingly accurate. I wasn't expecting much from a snubby, but it'll hold its own pretty well with both standard .38 SPL and +P. As you said in the video, the price absolutely can not be beat. I have the exact model as your reviewed in the video, and Have shot over 500 rounds without a single issue. My only complaint is that the cylinder release sticks every now and again, but it's easy to remedy.
Taurus triggers are fairly easy to "clean" up and when that is accomplished, the feel is equivalent to a S&W J-frame and much better than the Ruger SP101. All it takes to remove the grit and smooth the action is to remove the sideplate, blast it with non-chlorinated brake cleaner until all the grit has been dissolved, lube lightly, put the sideplate back on, load it up with snap caps and sit in front of the TV and dry fire +/- 1000 times.
"Are the Ruger revolvers as reliable and good as S&W revolvers in general? " The Ruger SP101 is excellent and super strong. However it is not light... 26 oz. For me this POU that's a deal breaker. This POU revolver competes against .380s in size/wt for me. I would opt for a Ruger LCR @ 13 oz, SW Mdl 438 Bodyguard, or the Taurus Model 851SS2ULT (both at 15 oz). The scandium framed Smiths are exorbitant, the std alum Airweights are more affordable and still light. All hard to find now!
I love Taurus.... Buttery smooth trigger pull. And about a 5 inch grouping at 25 yards
I like mine. It's my boot gun. My FMK 9mm is my waist gun. IMHO, 2 very good guns. I use a uncle Mikes IWB holster inside the top-front side of my boot. You would never know it's there.
I've got one of these in Titanium and love it... I had a S&W Airweight and like the Taurus better.
i have the exact same pistol for the money its a great firearm, shooting a snub nose effectively takes some practice but is very possible if you get it out and shoot it yeah i know ammo is getting expensive but practice with a snub nose is a must to get the full potential out of it
I do own this gun. I find the range for accuracy maxes out at about 10 yards. I did have one reliability issue in the fact that the trigger jammed when I was rapid firing.
@CampoFox, I don't know if your question was answered, but you're right. The stainless steel on the Taurus Model 85 is not shiny. It's not totally gray, but just dull. Still looks nice, though. =]
Taurus makes a "shrouded hammer" version like the one you made reference to. I checked it out at a local gun shop, and the hammer was so stiff i could barely cock it. Regretably, I havent had the opportunity to check out the S&W shrouded hammer .38 yet but i bet the quality is much better.
That's a concealed hammer or internal hammer, not a shrouded hammer. Some of the older Colts and S&Ws were available with external shrouds, and those were true shrouded hammers.
I have this pistol in the blue with gold accents and it has the rose wood grips and I love it. Great video by the way. I am new at this so I have not made any vids yet.
I like how people say they can reload a revolver fast. When they're t the range in a relaxed state of mind they can reload fast. When they're under intense pressure they can't do anything other than shit their pants.
As far as looks go I like this gun better than the Ruger or Smith, but as far as performance , well I like the others, but I am thinking about picking this up. Nice gun overall. My uncle swears by his Taurus revolvers, he has this one, I have shot it, and it's not bad, and it's a great deal.
True that! I took one look at one, saw the lock and said, "NO thank you."
Then I bought the S&W Md. 442 (no lock) & never looked back. Older Taurus guns are OK, but S&W no locks are better!
My main edc gun is my glock 23 n mags and I use either my 85 or my lc9 as a back up never had any thing bad to say about the 85 save capacity and weight. Good back up over all imho.
Yesterday at the range I have a problem with the exact same model with winchester +P rounds. I had cylinder cycling problems. It felt like the +P was a bit too much for the gun. The recoil is actually much more on this gun (with +P ammo) than it is with a full size 1911
My Taurus 85 UL will shoot two inch groups (off sandbag rest) at 15 yards with standard pressure 125 gr. factory ammo. Although I carry it with +P, I have not tested it's accuracy with those loads. I also have a Smith & Wesson J frame Chiefs Special. The Smith is considerably heavier and not nearly as accurate. So the Taurus gets to go to town while the Smith stays home!
As always, Great vid, Nutn’. Yes, very horrible trigger, but springs and stoning greatly improved, equal to S&W Airweight with same work done, also trigger work improved accuracy to the point of “decided to keep”, but as with any firearm, frequent range sessions will insure your ability to hit you target, especially with a short barreled revolver!
Good review, and thanks. I've got experience with both the blued and stainless TA 85's, and my one negative is that the trigger pull requires FAR more pounds of pressure than is needed. First thing I'd do is either get a Wolff mainspring or clip off 2 coils with a diagonal cutter. Other than that, though, for a purely close-range defensive firearm, particularly for folks who don't do well with safeties, etc, under pressure, the Taurus 85 fills a much needed niche.
I opted for the Taurus model 605b.
It is almost the same as the 85, but chambered in .357 magnum. Only 5 rounds is kinda a downside, but as a personal protection pistol loaded with Federal 158 grain hydrashoks I think it will do the job just fine.
+ 1 on the trigger pull. S&W totally owns it when it comes to this.
+1 on effective range. 15 yards is a good limit for the average person.
I liked the review Nutn! Cheers
I own a black metal 9shot 22lr that looks just like this and it shoot just fine and I seen a black metal Verison of this gun and liked the way it felt. I do hate that it only has 5 shots though wonder why their isn't a 6 shot Verison of it?
+Brandon Hess A 6 shot cylinder would make the gun wider, which is the last thing you want with a concealed carry gun. The standard 5-shot 85 is already wider than most "pocket" guns, and it's only 1.3" wide.
I was just hoping to see a Taurus Revolver review. Thank you!
I realize that this is an old video but it made me wonder what Nutnfancys opinion on the competitively priced Charter Arms Undercover Lite. at 12 oz a similar weight to the scandium S&W.
It stands for additional pressure, or higher pressure. It amounts to higher velocity. It will have more recoil than a standard cartridge. +P ammo isn't for everybody. You might find that regular ammo works better, and you might find that you can shoot +P ammo easily. You basically have to test things out. Essentially, +P improves the pressure and kick of the otherwise regular version of your ammo.
I have shot my friends M85 at his range with standard .38 loads, +p factory loads and his own (what i would consider close to +p+ handloads, 158gr comes to mind) and i must say i was VERY impressed. for a $320 gun i was not holding out much. but to say that my friend who owns EVERYTHING and absolutely loves H&K (yeah, i chide him for it) says he adores his? id say its a good gun. its good enough that it will be my second purchase after my XD.
I have a Taurus 651. Which looks identical to that weapon, but has a feathered hammer, and is of course a .357. I love it. It handles well, but the barrel length is a bit short for the power of ammo. When using really large grain bullets, the recoil is a bit unbearable (20 shots and my hand is bruised). Its light enough to where I carry it in an inside-clothing holster. I can't sit in a car with it on, but its a great gun. (I suppose it compares)
nutnfancy: You might want to review/look into the S&W 442. It's a hammerless 5-round .38 Special revolver. The S&W page says its $600 but I picked mine up from the local gun store for $300 + tax. Of course that was a year ago, but I love my little
I owned both the 340 and the 85 ultra-lite and after 4 months sold the 340 and bought another ultra light cause it was far more accurate. i don't know why but it always shot better with me and others shooting it
I'd love to see a review on that S&W Thunder Ranch revolver. The model name slips my mind at the moment, but you can catch a look at it at the beginning of this video with the other S&W's. Love to hear the Nutnfancy take on that one.
I read somewhere that the Smith and Wesson company owns the Taurus company in Brazil, which would explain why their guns are similar in design to the Smith and Wesson models.