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Sidearms & Scatterguns Need input from revolver guys

Nodak

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 27, 2019
304
146
North Dakota
Im looking at a Taurus Raging Hornet and Raging Bull 454. I dont know revolvers and they are used. Ill attach pics if the Hornet to get advise on the wear of forcing cone area. Is it normal?
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Not really but to be blunt it’s a Taurus, they are decent weapons but they aren’t made to the same standard of say Colt. I’ve seen wear patterns like that on Taurus pistols before, it’s just the cylinder Or frame isn’t perfectly in their specs. It’s nothing that will affect the function.
 
Gotcha. Kinda what i thought but needed input. I had looked at many a google pics and all the Raging Hornets seem to look similar. What would a fair (non-covid) Raging Hornet with Weaver scope run these days?
 
One thing about Taurus is they have by far the best warranty, they will fix it every time no matter how old or how many owners its had. But from the pictures it looks good, nothing ive not seen befor.
 
Getting to feel better about it more and more. I'll have pics of the 454 casual tomorrow to share but I'll lay odds it's in good shape too. Not many people have "The Want" to pull the trigger that many times, from what I hear.

Anyone hear had either of these before? The 454 has the long barrel also?
 
I’ve shot the 454 some, I don‘t care for heavy recoiling handguns. The nice thing is you can shoot 45 colt through a 454
, they are fun to shoot with very manageable recoil.
 
i’m not a fan of the steel taurus uses. had a 454 raging bull years ago when they first came out. loved the grip on it, and the cylinder lockup system. it wouldnt fire if you tried double action, and the steel dented very easy....only gun i’ve ever had the steel pick up dents as i am pretty careful with my weapons. i sent it down the road.

it’s too bad taurus cant seem to keep their QC up to snuff. and from what i’ve seen, their warranty service takes a damn long time; and it doesnt take too much surfing to find the horror stories.

i had a smith that had a cylinder issue. i called them. they had it picked up from my house with postage prepaid, to the factory and repaired, and back to my house in less than 2 weeks. and THAT my friends, is why i suggest smith and wesson to anyone who asks. ruger is o.k.....had to send some blackhawks back because of barrels unscrewing, and i had to eat the shipping on all 3 of those guns. one came back to me looking like it was dragged behind a pickup for a 1/2 mile and that kinda pissed me off and i swore off ruger for about 10 years.

taurus? they have some great ideas. i’d love to seem them get it together as a whole.
 
The last Taurus purchased in my family was a SAA clone bought by my dad probably more than a decade ago. They left machining marks on the forcing cone that were so bad that after ~20 rounds or so the residue buildup was preventing the cylinder from rotating. It was a simple fix, but should have never left the factory like that. The forcing cone was stoned smooth, and the revolver sold.

The first photo almost looks like someone tried to close the crane with the cylinder forward somehow. Those dings in the forcing cone aren't machining marks. I'd be very leery of that one.

Did you check the DA timing? Cylinder and yoke endshake? To see if the extractor rod or crane is bent slightly? Lockup? Push off? Barrel/cylinder gap with feeler gauges?

Buying a used revolver can get you into trouble if you don't give it a good inspection...they aren't Glocks. I'd look at some of the decent YouTube videos on what to look for before you go through with the purchase.
 
There is no fucking way I would ever buy a Taurus, Rossi, Charter Arms, or any other third rate revolver make.

1. Smith & Wesson
2. Ruger
3. Colt

In that order when it comes to new production revolvers.
 
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OP

the Midway USA founder has a series on inspecting the S&W revolver... before buying a used revolver, I would watch the videos.

Tarus is similar enough it will help you TYPE up a checklist to bring to gun shops, gun shows and what ever method you use to buy used guns...

Some idiots- follow Movies and shake the cylinder closed.. I can bend things...

On many revolvers, the top strap wear will tell you a lot about round count as this area gets hit with hot gasses during use...
 
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Once you have a checklist, it's easier to inspect and to come to a realistic price




Once you learn how people "improve" guns as you don't know who "improved" the gun and with what type of parts
Is the trigger Stock?



I was handed a Model 19 to shoot at the range at it had the lightest trigger I have ever felt on a revolver.. slightly heavier than a full race pistol.

The gun would not fire DA... only single action... the springs were too light to set off a primer in DA. Great for plinking or a slow fire match... horrible for hunting or self defense...

is the end shake in spec?


do all of the factory safeties work as they did when they left the factory?
 
Still waiting on photos of the 454. These are several states from me in RI. I'm in ND. All i can go by is the photos and his word
 
Still waiting on photos of the 454. These are several states from me in RI. I'm in ND. All i can go by is the photos and his word
dude....i missed the part about you “looking at”...aint no WAY IN HELL i’d buy a gun that exhibited that. see my post above....where i talk about the steel taurus uses. i was under the impression you owned it already.

and if you do buy it? you’ve get exactly what you deserve. find yourself a smith, ruger, or colt. or get you a contender or encore.
 
Once you have a checklist, it's easier to inspect and to come to a realistic price




Once you learn how people "improve" guns as you don't know who "improved" the gun and with what type of parts
Is the trigger Stock?



I was handed a Model 19 to shoot at the range at it had the lightest trigger I have ever felt on a revolver.. slightly heavier than a full race pistol.

The gun would not fire DA... only single action... the springs were too light to set off a primer in DA. Great for plinking or a slow fire match... horrible for hunting or self defense...

is the end shake in spec?


do all of the factory safeties work as they did when they left the factory?


Veering off topic a bit here, but DO NOT attempt to remove the side plate of a collectible S&W revolver unless you know what you're doing and have the right screwdriver bits.
 
If the price is right,and you like them, buy them. They are both novelty guns, your not going to make a living using them, they fall under the same category as a NAA mini revolver or magnum research desert eagles.
 
With the millions of quality revolvers out there why would anyone buy the new crap that is sold today?

Get a 5 screw Smith and be done with it. You will get more workmanship in the front sight than in a semi trailer loaded full of the current production pistols.
 
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Still waiting on photos of the 454. These are several states from me in RI. I'm in ND. All i can go by is the photos and his word


Unless you know the guy very personally, buying anything off of someone's word is a bad practice. You run about a 50/50 chance of getting hosed...ask me how I know...my now two favorite old S&W revolvers were junk when I initially got them.

I learned how to work on revolvers from buying ones that were supposed to be in 'excellent condition' off of Gunbroker...and most were from top 100 dealers. Doesn't matter, they either don't know or care.

I can fix any small parts issue now, to include fitting replacement parts as well as refinishing stainless revolvers to factory condition...but if you saw the look on my face when I picked up a 66-1 S&W that came in for me off of Gunbroker....that had an actual ground-down N-Frame target hammer and trigger in it, you would have laughed. Was listed in "as-new" condition, DA was nonfunctional...and I missed the 'as is - no returns' on the listing. Thank goodness I quickly found exact replacement parts online. That was my start into refurbishing old P&R Smiths...not because I wanted to, but because I had to.

Buy new, buy from somebody you know will take a bad gun back, or get ready to learn gunsmithing like I did.
 
Are the fragments at the bottom left of the barrel in the first pic lead or steel? If lead I'm wondering about timing.

Would not buy from a distance unless it's a super smoking deal. Like practically giving it away. Then again the asprin cost would probably deter me from doing it anyways.
 
Sure would like to see all these smith & Wesson , Ruger and colt 22 hornets that you guys keep telling him to buy, Ruger and smith do make revolvers that shoot 454 but it's considerably more than what's a Taurus is going to cost you. I sure wouldn't put colts current manufacturing standards in high praise, go find a python that's not had multiple recalls.
 
Well of course the Rugers and Smiths cost more than the POS Taurus, they’re much better made guns and better materials. Why would they cost the same? That’s like saying a Glock should cost the same as a hi point because they’re both polymer semi autos. The Glock costs more because it’s a higher quality piece and is worth it, same as these revolvers. Taurus, Chiappa, Charter, Rossi, etc are all shit guns.
 
I just looked at completed auctions on GB for the hell of it. Raging bulls seem to be selling in the $850-$950 range new and used. Ruger Super Blackhawks are in the $900-$1000 range new and some used for less than the Taurus. Saw where a couple Super Redhawk 454’s have sold for under $1K but most seem to be in the $1200-$1300 range for new so $250-$450 more. Lots of brand new S&W 460’s (can shoot 454) in the $1100-$1200 range. $1500-$1600 for Performance Center ones. Even saw some used ones that went for sub $900.

Hate to break it to you, but if you can’t afford that minimal price difference then you can’t afford to shoot a 454 casull.
 
Guess you guys all drive Mercedes maybachs, no kia or Hyundai they are junk compared to the BMW, yes if the guy is asking the same money that a smith or Ruger cost then yes buy those, as far as the hornet Taurus is the only company I know of that makes a double action revolver in 22 hornet.
 
Pre-64,
I don't think you comparison is completely valid. On the price quality curve there comes a point where the quality is so low that the item you want/need is not serviceable for any length of time or with any degree of reliability. I suspect a Kia or Hyundai has some degree of usefulness and service life. Taurus, not so much. In other words, it's crap.
 
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Guess you guys all drive Mercedes maybachs, no kia or Hyundai they are junk compared to the BMW, yes if the guy is asking the same money that a smith or Ruger cost then yes buy those, as far as the hornet Taurus is the only company I know of that makes a double action revolver in 22 hornet.

Kinda crappy comparison when you consider that Hyundai's and Kia's are notoriously more reliable vehicles than Mercedes or BMW's. This isn't a Gucci comparison, I don't get people who think more money means you're paying for a name or bling. No, increased reliability and build quality costs money too. There's a certain amount of money you need to spend to get a quality product. A Taurus is not a quality product and 22 Hornet in a revolver sounds fucking stupid anyway.

Nobody is trying to convince the guy that he needs to go spend $5K on a custom revolver, only a small fraction more to get a quality product instead of a piece of crap. Like I said, if you can't afford a couple hundred bucks more for the gun then you CANNOT afford a 454 casull.
 
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Pre-64,
I don't think you comparison is completely valid. On the price quality curve there comes a point where the quality is so low that the item you want/need is not serviceable for any length of time or with any degree of reliability. I suspect a Kia or Hyundai has some degree of usefulness and service life. Taurus, not so much. In other words, it's crap.
I would agree if the op said he was going to be shooting IPSC tournaments or looking for a for steel match gun , I’d be willing to bet it will be shot very little, something cool to pull out once in awhile and show off. It will last a lifetime. Also if he was to have a problem with one Taurus will fix it. Again if the seller is asking full bore retail then no I would pass, if he can get them at a decent price go ahead. There is a lot of brand loyalty on here I get it, Im a Winchester guy, a New Haven only Winchester guy, I don’t care for Remingtons at all, personal preference. I’ve seen plenty of rugers and smiths and colt all go back the factory that have broke At some time or other.
 
Pre-64,
I don't think you comparison is completely valid. On the price quality curve there comes a point where the quality is so low that the item you want/need is not serviceable for any length of time or with any degree of reliability. I suspect a Kia or Hyundai has some degree of usefulness and service life. Taurus, not so much. In other words, it's crap.

Agreed--the safety and reliability of the Korean cars is as good, slightly worse or even better in some cases than luxury brands of autos. So not necessarily the right analogy to me. Now I admit I have a bias towards well made, well engineered stuff. I can't justify Snap On tools over Harbor Freight stuff but I often spend more than I should because I really don't like crappy crap...
 
I would agree if the op said he was going to be shooting IPSC tournaments or looking for a for steel match gun , I’d be willing to bet it will be shot very little, something cool to pull out once in awhile and show off. It will last a lifetime. Also if he was to have a problem with one Taurus will fix it. Again if the seller is asking full bore retail then no I would pass, if he can get them at a decent price go ahead. There is a lot of brand loyalty on here I get it, Im a Winchester guy, a New Haven only Winchester guy, I don’t care for Remingtons at all, personal preference. I’ve seen plenty of rugers and smiths and colt all go back the factory that have broke At some time or other.

Dude it has nothing to do with brand loyalty either, it has everything to do with Taurus being junk and only that. People who are brand biased to one are close minded retards. Besides how could anyone recommending both Ruger and S&W be brand loyal? That's like the Ford vs Chevy of the revolver world and anyone who can like both is most certainly not brand loyal to one or another. Yes everything can break including Ruger and Smith but they have a whole lot less of a chance of breaking and atleast they aren't an epic pile of shit right out of the box.
 
Agreed--the safety and reliability of the Korean cars is as good, slightly worse or even better in some cases than luxury brands of autos. So not necessarily the right analogy to me. Now I admit I have a bias towards well made, well engineered stuff. I can't justify Snap On tools over Harbor Freight stuff but I often spend more than I should because I really don't like crappy crap...

The Korean cars of the last decade are badass. They went from being shit boxes to being REALLY damn nice. The reliability was never terrible (it wasn't great either) but Hyundai pulled their head out of their ass about 10 years ago and Kia has really gotten going in the last 5-6 years. They're both making great cars now as far as both reliability and build quality are concerned. The Genesis G90 is as luxurious as any other full size luxury sedan aside from Bentley and Rolls. If I had known that you could get brand new Kia Stingers fully loaded with the V6TT for $35K I would have bought one of those for my daily/beater instead of a loaded Camry. I've been in a few of those and they're awesome. I assumed they were probably in the $50-$60K range new considering what you get and the quality.
 
How many Taurus have you guys actually owned? I'm willing to go out on a limb and say I have owned considerably more than anyone on thread, as in several thousand of them. Yes I've seen some break, but I've seen every other manufacturer break also. To say all Taurus firearms are junk is really not a valid argument.
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To simplify the decision process. Anyone who can get by with a revolver so unreliable as a Taurus can get by without one at all.
My Judge disagrees with you. Goes bang every time I pull the trigger and has kilt everything I needed to. Don’t pigeon hole all of them based off some. I had an 85D that sucked ass but I got it in a trade and didn’t keep it.

All 5 of these copperheads met their end by a judge within 30 minutes on the same night.

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Some people can see crap at a distance and others step in it repeatedly.

I have had a few that I bought in estate purchases. Obviously poorly made, cheap items. Having a few thousand more would not change my opinion of them.
 
My point is not that an individual Taurus will not go bang. It is simply that they are cheaply made and can be unreliable. When not unreliable, they are still cheaply made.
 
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Generally I’d agree with that statement. I’ve got colts from 1884 all the way to the 90’s. I’d shoot and trust all the old ones no question asked.
The one era of exception for Taurus would have to be in the 70’s when S&W owned them. I’d be willing to say those guns would hold up pretty good.
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Thanks for all the opinions guys. I made my decision to purchase both as the price was quite good. Especially compared to those prices quoted above and what I had seem on GB. All I'll say on my cost was if I dont like em, i wont lose a penny but likely make a good profit.
 
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all i can say is that i’ve had 3 taurus guns, and all three had problems. it they are such fantastic guns, what are the odds that each one i bought would have a problem/s?

to the OP.....i hope you have a better experience than i had. and i repeat.....i’d like to see taurus get their shit together, because they have some good ideas. if only they could execute said ideas in a reliable fashion.
 
Thanks for all the opinions guys. I made my decision to purchase both as the price was quite good. Especially compared to those prices quoted above and what I had seem on GB. All I'll say on my cost was if I dont like em, i wont lose a penny but likely make a good profit.

Make sure and report back!
 
You say they are located in RI?? The Hornet is satin,the Bull is polished. what are they asking for them? My buddy traded them in!!