Are Taurus Snub Revolvers Reliable?
Are Taurus Snub Revolvers Reliable?
I’ve owned, shot and carried a lot of Taurus snubs and sometimes these budget friendly firearms can be quirky. I believe taking out and putting back in the roll pin in the frame so to change the rubber grips to a more traditional Taurus handgun grip had something to do with the problem I had with the cylinder stop.
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You can contact Greg at Lionquestfitness@gmail.com
According to the Bible – we are to live at peace with all men as much as it is possible.
Personal defense of one’s self and of others is a last resort when there is no other option.
Self Defense Continuum – Avoid, Escape, De-escalate if possible, and if all else fails – RESIST
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No Weapon is immune to issues or problems. Even King Arthur broke Excalibur. "Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will rust" – Sun Tzu. Work with whatever gun you can get and just be aware of maintenance and cleaning and it’ll serve you well. As always it’s a pleasure watching your videos Greg.
I own two taurus guns, one revolver one pistol, never had a problem great guns.
Thanks for sharing that.
Thanks for another great video. In my experience the only new guns that I’ve bought that had no problems were my Glocks or my Tisas M1911a1. Taurus is not the only manufacturer that’s having quality control issues. I had an SP101 that cylinder locked up on after 10 rounds, a 10/22 that I can’t believe left the factory. S&W I had a 6 inch model 19 that spit lead. I’ve had 2 Taurus revolvers that had problems. I took your advice on getting an all steel 856 and I’m glad I did it’s a good revolver.
On my Defender where my cylinder fell out I think I figured it out. It was new, I was shooting very hot Tula ammo which kicked much harder than +p and even almost as much as 357 even though it was supposed to be just regular 38 special. I think it just rattled that screw on the side out and then the cylinder fell out. My pawn shop sent it back to Taurus as well and it was back in a week. I have since put some rounds through it and it seems to be working well. The snub nose 856 has always worked well. I guess you just have to test whatever firearm no matter which manufacturer it is. Watch out for that Ruskie ammo though. It’s cheap and hot!
I think Taurus revolvers are better now then ever. I hope that they have overcame their problems. I also have seen a lot of shotty manufacturing issues from Smith recently
A lot has changed in the last couple of years
I carried an 856 stainless for a number of years off duty. Worked just fine.
Greg, l have the 942 22lr stubby and is the same size as my 856. Means a lot of practice at low cost. Be safe and have a blessed day 🙏……… thanks 😊 🙏
Had a Taurus 357 magnum as my bedside gun for almost 30 years. Never had a problem.
Thanks for the video.. I also saw those "GUN SAM " Taurus 856. Videos where he had problems..
I myself own a 3-in barrel 856 defender the one with the tungsten cerakote and the beautiful Altamonte wood grips
No problems here! There was also many many other people on YouTube shooting the Taurus 856 both 3 in and 2 in.. that had absolutely NO problems with that revolver!
Gun Sam also had the problem with the sites not shooting point of aim… But all the other videos I’ve seen of the 856 test ( mix-up videos included ) their sites shot point of aim! So perhaps gun Sam got a lemon? .. please keep us up to date on any further problems you have with this gun as I know you will be shooting it extensively to see if this happens again.. thanks again for the video
Looks like YouTube deleted my comment because I dared to put an email address in it. I was letting you know I’m in Columbia SC for a couple of days, if you’re close by and interested in meeting up for a chat, let me know.
glad to say my 856 runs great so its in my carry rotation. liked it so much i bought the 3 inch 856. i kept the factory grips on until i see what happened with yours. i also have the 605 but its a safe queen right now.
Hi Greg, I had issues with high-end guns, such as smith & wesson and Anchutz, they were fixed. No big deal.
No. If they were, they wouldn’t be half the price of a used ruger.
I’d beat the crap out of my taurus judge. It was stolen for about 2 years and recovered and it has never failed me.
I have a Taurus 85 Ultralite I trust. Lots of +P 38spl thru it. I spin the cylinder and throw the cylinder back into action while spining and still never had an issue.
Carrying a taurus for many many years no problem
What video is it with your beautiful granddaughter?
I had 2 Colt Pythons that were a giant POS. Why 2 ? The first was so bad I traded it after 3 years for another that must have been it’s twin. Timing and forcing cone problems and if I didn’t clean them every 250-300 rounds they would start to drag and the triggers became very stagey. I’ve had many revolvers in past years and my Colt Trooper Mklll and Ruger GP100 are favorites, never had any problems with them but I have thousands of rounds of 38 Special and I wanted something else to shoot them in besides a Smith 642 I have or one of the 357’s. I bought an alloy 3" Taurus 856 Defender UltraLite and proceeded to put it through the ringer. I pulled the trigger 1000 times dry on snap caps and then put 500 rounds through it on the range. After that I pulled the side plate, cleaned the lockwork with carb cleaner and lubed it with good gun oil and strategic placement of thin Slide Glide synthetic grease. I have run another 300 rounds thru it so far, all double action without a problem and the lockup is still perfect. I did find a little garbage in the action when I cleaned it and there is a fine point where you start to pull the trigger and the cylinder will rotate freely but it’s literally almost a crap shoot to make it happen. I pulled the side plate back off and stretched the trigger return spring just a little and that little Taurus just runs like a clock and gobbles up anything I put thru it including my 125gr cast and powder coated Lee 358-125-RF bullets pushed by over 6.0gr of CFE Pistol at 1075fps (please work up your own loads carefully). When I hit a thousand rounds I’ll flood the action with carb cleaner and lube with my favorite Lucas HD Gun Oil and keep shooting. IMHO with todays powders and bullets you don’t have to clean your firearm every time you take it to the range but a good flushing with spray carb cleaner and oiling every 500 rounds or so can go a long way to avoid problems, let it drain on a white piece of paper towel just to see what runs out of it.
I just bought some pachmayr renegade grips off ebay for my 856. They’re the rosewood smooth grips and they fit perfectly. I had to ream the pin hole in them just a little to get them to fit, but after I did that I was quite happy with the fit and look. Some people are trying to keep up with the Jones’s, But I’m just trying to keep up with Lion quest Fitness. hahaha…
My pocket pistol is a Smith & Wesson 342 centennial air light TI (titanium cylinder aluminum alloy frame) 38sp 11oz !!! I installed rubber hogue monogrips..(covers the back strap and cushions my hand from recoil gets all my fingers on the grip for maximum control).. I carry this in my right front pocket and a DeSantis Superfly pocket holster with velcrod on flap to prevent printing.. I can draw from my pocket faster than I can draw from a iwb.. I load with Federal HST + p 38 130 grain.. do you feel like shooting a lite 22 magnum out of my 11 oz gun.
No 👎 they will event break. I had more than one gunshop owner tell me that the reason Taurus had a lifetime repair policy is because they will be breaking a long as you have them. I’ve personally seen catastrophic failures on two raging bulls and a 22 Beretta copy. One bull lost the sight and bent the ejector rod trying to get the empty out. The other spit lead so badly it was splattered all over the frame and besides not being able to hit anything was definitely dangerous.
Had stop watching, the high pitch noise in the background hurt my ears
Thanks for the video. I used to own a model 85 that ran great, and I trusted it for edc for a couple of years.
One thing I’ve realized is that I only owned the Taurus because that’s all I was willing to pay for a revolver at that time in my life, not because they had a high reputation, or years of proof of reliable service for law enforcement.
I’ve since weeded out my budget firearms and stick with ones that have years of proven quality with actual service.
Yes, the more expensive firearms can and do have problems, but they are much fewer and farther between.
To each his own, but my carry guns need to be the most reliable and proven that I can afford, and I have to trust it 100%. You can pick up used smiths and rugers for around the same price as a new 856 or 605.
Hello Greg,I’ve always felt the need to leave Taurus firearms stock.I have no clue if something happened during the grip change to effect the operation of you’re revolver.Just earlier today I was shooting a 942M (22 WMR Revolver) and had a problem with the hammer not coming all the way back in double action.This is the 1st time in 10 years I’ve had a problem with a Taurus revolver.
Temos que aplaudir sua honestidade . Parabéns 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Taurus is a wéll made revolver. Was my very first gun purchase in 1994. Wish that I still had it. Model 66 .357 6 inch
Great information with this vid. Always solid content, information and opinion. A friend at work ask me about Taurus revolvers because he is looking at one for himself. Recommend that he watch your channel because you have much more experience with them than I do. Keep putting vids out. Thanks.
Like all man made things, sometimes there will be some that break. Look at the car industry…goodness many of those are trash right off the lot.
I carry my 856 all the time and shoot it a lot. Never had this issue but I did put in a spring kit and notices how rough the insides were. It’s not a hand tuned Colt after all. Smoothed the rough spots and polished the rest and it runs great. In Sam’s case after being back for the same problem so many times Taurus would put his serial # on a new gun and junk the old one.
I have over 40 years experience with Taurus firearms, gained not only as shooter, but having owned a small gun shop, and a firearms training company that served 28,000 students before I sold it. I also spent a year in coastal Brazil training the Policia Militar in Santa Catarina. I’ve probably owned a dozen Taurus handguns personally as well. From this experience, I can say that Taurus quality has been for me a mixed bag, and has a lot to do with which model you buy, where it was made, and when. I’ll explain for those who may be interested.
My first experience with Taurus handguns was in the mid-70’s. We used to see a lot of private security guards carrying Taurus revolvers back then because they were super cheap. These were the very early models that had fine lines visible in the cylinder flutes, and most of these I saw and handled were okay for what you paid for them, but would not stand up to hard use. We used to say, "That gun will do anything you ask as long as you don’t ask too often."
Next, let me say that I had very good experiences with Taurus sidearms actually made in Brazil when I was there in the early 90’s. At the time Taurus was making over 90 percent of the small arms being used by the various Brazilian police agencies and the military. This was a real point of national pride, and at the time, if you wanted to trade a Smith and Wesson on a Taurus in Brazil, you would actually have to kick cash into the deal. Taurus had retail stores there that looked like fine jewelry shops. Taurus made some interesting firearms we’ve never seen here, such as a 9mm submachine gun modeled after the old M3 "Grease Gun", and a DA/SA automatic in .32 ACP that looked like a Beretta double stack .380 but held 17 shots. In the agency I trained my rank and file patrol officers carried the 4-inch Model 82, commissioned officers (who went to six years of training) and SWAT guys got the PT-92, and officers assigned as ambulance attendants carried the Model 85 on their belt, backed up with a sub gun in the truck. That little Grease Gun worked great and was a lot of fun to shoot.
I was privileged to visit their two plants at the time, one in Sao Paulo which made the Taurus PT-92. This was a former Beretta plant purchased lock, stock, and barrel from Beretta and most of the Beretta staff was hired over as well. As an interesting aside, a lot of the staff had blonde hair, blue eyes, and spoke German as their first language. The other plant made revolvers and was in Belo Horizonte. Both plants were modern, and kept so clean that you could have eaten off the floors. Quality control was strict, and in the year I spent there training cops hard, I never saw a Brazilian made Taurus break.
In the US later, things were a bit different. Although Taurus was using excellent materials (except for a run of revolver hands that were made too soft), quality control was indifferent. Their attitude here seemed to be, "We have a lifetime warranty, so if it’s broken, the customer can just send it back." This resulted in quite a few guns not working, right out of the packaging brand new, while others were perfect. Many people bought Taurus due to good pricing, but I spent far too much time sending them back for service such that I stopped carrying them in my store. We had a joke behind the counter that went, "Taurus guns come in two flavors, Cherry and Lemon. The problem is that they don’t mark the boxes." This was in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The only models that seemed immune to failure were the PT-92, and the all-steel Model 82, 66, and 85 revolvers. Another problem is that during that time, and up through the late 2000’s, Taurus was a bunch of trifling bastards about accepting a warranty return, wanting you to pay shipping, and used to take forever to return a firearm. Often the "repaired" gun would be just as broken as when you sent it in. I personally had an 85 Ultralight that went back four times before Taurus replaced it. My issues were generally with light or off-center primer strikes, lead shaving on revolvers, and free-spinning cylinders. But I’ve never seen one "blow up" as some have claimed. Timing issues on new revolvers are generally due to using unskilled or semi-skilled labor in final fitting and inspection. I’d say that whatever reputation Taurus got for poor quality, they earned fair and square. I hope those days are over for them.
Taurus had an awful run of their early polymer framed automatics, many of which were supplied to Brazilian police, that had the nasty habit of firing when carried in a holster and a number of officers were wounded, usually non-critically in the thigh. Many of them who were personal friends paid out of pocket for a PT-92 rather than carry one of the early pieces of Taurus polymer crap, and I didn’t blame them. Taurus spent a long time trying to deny this problem existed, until it happened in the US and a very committed attorney here sued. In 2015, Taurus settled for 39 million dollars, and recalled almost 1 million pistols made between 1997 and 2013. In fairness, such problems have even happened to top-dollar makers such as SIG Sauer, and they too were slow to admit the issues even existed.
I think to a certain extent Taurus has been a victim of their own success. When lots of people want your products, there is a tendency to radically ramp up your production to catch the market while it exists. A mechanism such as a DA revolver takes time to produce technicians who can fit it correctly, and a commitment to full final inspection that just can’t be rushed. A new auto pistol design requires extensive testing and you simply cannot rush into production. I’ve recently been playing with some Taurus G-series auto pistols, and none of them have given me any trouble. I’d bet my life on a PT-92 or PT-99, and have shot a Taurus 1911 quite a lot and it’s been great. I’m tempted to buy an 856 Defender 3-inch all steel revolver and work it hard, just to see if Taurus has gotten their act together in their new digs over in Georgia.
I’d just say that if you buy a Taurus (or any gun for that matter) that you plan to use for defense, get it out to the range for organized testing. If you see a problem, contact Taurus and get it fixed at once. That is just the nature of gun buying in 2023. Sorry about the long comment, but it is hard to be fair without details. Cheers!
I’ve had issues of some kind of another with different makes. Walther, Ruger, sccy…but so far my Taurus has been reliable no issues.
What is the best grips for a Taurus 605 I mean the 605 is great with Winchester white box 110 Grain ammo but when you try Remington 158 grain that little tiny rubber handle feels like it’s ripping the Palm out of your hand thanks for the video I enjoy the information you provide
Greg what do you think of a 3 inch 856 ?
Why would anyone think that anything be it a gun or a laptop that sells for half the price of a similar product might, just might have a few extra issues. Sarcasm aside l would love to own a Taurus, apparently people love them because they are cheap, that affordability also makes them hot sellers. Depending on the situation sometimes cheap is good enough, other times the risk is not worth it.
Out of curiosity, I know you’ve mentioned the different pistol shooting stances every now and then, but do you have a video demonstrating and explaining all of them?
Stay safe and best wishes from Guam.
Greg, I have Smith’s, rugers,glocks, and yes Taurus. Bought my wife a model 85, 25 years ago, got 856 and will buy a hammerless 856 soon. All steel revolvers. Never any problem
Great video as always thanks. Great channel keep up the good work.
My 2 cents I’ve had an 856 for a year now with a few hundred rounds no problems. The original grips bit my hand a couple of places, but I like them, so I just took some sandpaper to those areas. My only knowledge of issues is from here on youtube and I have noted all include aftermarket grips?
The 856 has been my EDC since the first range day with hollow +P.
I had a 85 that had over 10,000 round with never a issue and shot a lot of p+ ammo
Greg what do you think about a Taurus 2" s Stubby,In 22 long RIFLE
Greg hit the nail on the head when he called in anti-Taurus “mania.” I’ve personally had experience with more than one S&W Performance Center that has had issues with quality control, which required return to the mothership for repairs. Most important to me when acquiring a new firearm is the manufacturer’s customer service reputation; not the rumors propagated on the internet by gullible, and often dim-witted folks.
Mine free spins only I slightly press on the trigger but I only do that when I know the chamber’s are empty?
My 856 hasn’t gave me any problems since i had it…There is another Taurus Revolver i like to have it’s the taurus tracker 692 it shoots 38 357 and you change the Cylinder to shoot 9mm. have you shot this gun and is it Reliable?
Over two years I’ve had the 605 Defender 357mag/38 and 5 months the 856 Defender 38 6rds. I’m waiting for the new 605 Defender 357mag/38 3"barrel in cerakote finish Altamont wood grips. Can’t wait there’s nothing wrong with the taurus revolers SWEET 👍🏿👍🏿🎯
Is that nut monster a democratic
yes yes and yes
yes
I hope this fixes the issue. I have an 856 ultra-lite with no problems at all so far with 7 different types of ammo (3 different+P’s). It is increasing becoming my favorite carry gun.
I just got my 856 CH yesterday. I changed the grips out before even shooting it. Seems to work well. The trigger isn’t as nice as my 85 though. I like a 6 shooter in this size gun though. Ruger and Smith need to step up.
Sounds like a cleaning issue. Possibly something loose in the revo that cleared when you were knocking the roll pin out. I am a fan of Taurus revolvers , currently have a Model 65 and a Model 85 UL and looking to add a 44sp to that list. I have always completely disassembled every weapon I have bought to clean and inspect . At the end of the day you are still relying on a human being to not make a mistake while assembling . I want to "know" what the condition of the equipment is in when I touch off a small explosion in my hand.
Oil my Taurus 856 when think it needs it & works just fine.100%