Taurus Tracker approval rating??

[Spirit 1]

Hi folks!

A lady has asked me to help her get a defensive gun, revolver only. She's good for roughly $500 total or thereabouts. Seems to me the best I can find for her needs is a Taurus Tracker .357?

She can easily handle .357 caliber and might wear it around rural property so probably the 4" version. A buddy says the 4" is ported to reduce recoil but they're pretty loud, however I haven't heard any .357's that weren't!

Can I get some solid opinions here for a well informed gun owners/users group concensus of this particular gun to show her?

Thanks!!

[nn3453]

S&W if she can find a used one. Or Ruger. You can get one under $500. I'd never trust my life to a Taurus.

[pullnshoot25]

S&W if she can find a used one. Or Ruger. You can get one under $500. I'd never trust my life to a Taurus.

Whoa there, Negative Nancy.

I have a Taurus Tracker .44mag and I bought it (my first handgun!) because it is the 3rd lightest .44mag revolver that one can buy and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Like all of my handguns, I would bet my life on it any day of the week.

I would like to mention that S&W and Taurus were owned by the same holding company at one point and did share technology with one another. Thus, many of the Taurus revolvers share a lot in common with the S&W revolvers.

If you are in the SD area, I will let you take my revolver out for a spin so you can try it out.

[NapaCountyShooter]

GP100's run about that slightly used. Built like a brick you know what house. I'd go that way, or if you can get a good deal on a S&W, it's tough to go wrong.

[Masterdebater]

sw 500. nuff said.

[Rekrab]

I think for the same price I would get the Ruger SP or GP. The tracker is a good gun but the Ruger is definitely better.

[nick]

My girlfriend bought one (Tracker 627, 4" ported barrel). There was an issue from the start, the rear sight plate fell off. It had to be sent to Taurus to be repaired, as they wouldn't just send the rear sight to me. On the other hand, it was repaired and sighted in properly.

That was about 1500 or so rounds ago, mostly .357 mag. We didn't have any problems ever since, and I liked it so much that I ended up buying one for myself.

So far, everyone who tried it at the range liked it a lot. It's built like a tank (although not as heavy as a Ruger GP-100, or at least it doesn't feel as heavy), the stock grip is very comfortable (just weird-looking ), and the felt recoil isn't much with .357 mag (I'd imagine that porting helps quite a bit, too, given that there's very little muzzle climb). The stock trigger was pretty good, too. I polished the insides a bit, and the trigger's really nice now. It's normal to put the entire cylinder in one hole at 12.5yds with it (I normally go to an indoor range where that's the max distance), so accuracy isn't a problem, and shooting it is pretty easy on the hands and in general. The people I introduce to shooting like it a lot.

Ruger revolvers are pretty good, built like tanks, as well, but I never liked their triggers. For a lady that might present a problem.

S&W would be nice, but the price is kinda high. I have an S&W 686, and somehow it doesn't see as much range time. Come to think of it, I'm not sure why. I was a bit put off by the gritty trigger, but polishing the insides solved the issue. I'd still recommend it, if you can find a used one for the same price. There was one that just got sold in the FS forum for $475.

To those who say things like "I'd never trust my life to <insert the brand>", good for you. It's a bit of a broad statement, but I'm sure you have your reasons. Hopefully, those reasons include actually owning the gun in question at some point.

[nn3453]

To those who say things like "I'd never trust my life to <insert the brand>", good for you. It's a bit of a broad statement, but I'm sure you have your reasons. Hopefully, those reasons include actually owning the gun in question at some point.

I know 2 people first hand who I regularly shoot with who had Taurus revolvers that failed on them. Timing was out of whack on the first one and it started spitting. Brand new revolver. The second one had the rear sight fly off and we couldn't find it.

Don't think there is any wheel gunner who doubts that Taurus quality and QC is poor compared to S&W & Ruger. Maybe it has changed in recent times, but they have a long way to go to erase that reputation.

[k1dude]

I have a Taurus Tracker 4" .41 mag in titanium and love it. No problems at all and I shoot it well. VERY accurate. I also have a Taurus 669 in .357 that I've had for 20+ years and it also works without fail.

Steel will weigh a lot more though. If she's going to be carrying it, most auto's weigh far less. Is she against using an auto? Unfotunately, I don't believe Taurus makes the titanium Tracker versions anymore. A Total Titanium Tracker in .357 would have been great for her. S&W makes some scandium revolvers, but I imagine they cost a bundle.

[jdg30]

I have a 2" Ruger SP101 that is an excellent revolver in that price range. It is high quality and well built and can be bought with or without shrouded hammer. It also comes in 2" and 3" barrels. For the money it is a great gun. Some complain about the trigger but if your lady friend hasn't shot many other guns, I doubt she'll complain about the trigger if she hasn't had lots of other guns to compare the trigger to.

Another choice could be a S&W Airweight .38 special. Some complain about recoil but I don't have a problem with it. It's rather lightweight and easily concealable, not to mention very accurate. Mine cost $450 new plus tax/DOJ fee.

I haven't had a problem with either of these guns and would highly recommend them for quality reliable revolvers.

[nick]

Whoa there, Negative Nancy.

I have a Taurus Tracker .44mag and I bought it (my first handgun!) because it is the 3rd lightest .44mag revolver that one can buy and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Like all of my handguns, I would bet my life on it any day of the week.

I would like to mention that S&W and Taurus were owned by the same holding company at one point and did share technology with one another. Thus, many of the Taurus revolvers share a lot in common with the S&W revolvers.

If you are in the SD area, I will let you take my revolver out for a spin so you can try it out.

Pity you live far from L.A. I'm considering buying a Tracker in .44 mag, and would solicit that offer from you if you lived closer.

Mind you, personally I wouldn't trust my life to anything other than a well-maintained, tuned every 5,000 rounds, cleaned after every 50 rounds, stored at exactly 72 degrees Colt Python in that nice blue finish they have (stainless or chrome just wouldn't be as reliable), but since I'm just looking for a .44 mag that would take a beating to take for a fun stroll in the woods, a .44 Tracker should be ok.

[nick]

I know 2 people first hand who I regularly shoot with who had Taurus revolvers that failed on them. Timing was out of whack on the first one and it started spitting. Brand new revolver. The second one had the rear sight fly off and we couldn't find it.

Don't think there is any wheel gunner who doubts that Taurus quality and QC is poor compared to S&W & Ruger. Maybe it has changed in recent times, but they have a long way to go to erase that reputation.

Taurus did have its share of problems. However, the question here was specifically about a Taurus Tracker.

I also know about quite a few problems with S&Ws. The difference is that you're probably less likely to get a lemon with an S&W than with a Taurus (not sure about a modern Taurus thouh, they've come a long way), but if you get a lemon, it's bad regardless. I haven't heard of that many (in comparison) lemons with Trackers, and my personal experience with two of them was very good.

[nick]

I have a 2" Ruger SP101 that is an excellent revolver in that price range. It is high quality and well built and can be bought with or without shrouded hammer. It also comes in 2" and 3" barrels. For the money it is a great gun. Some complain about the trigger but if your lady friend hasn't shot many other guns, I doubt she'll complain about the trigger if she hasn't had lots of other guns to compare the trigger to.

Yeah, it's not that bad if she doesn't know about it

Another choice could be a S&W Airweight .38 special. Some complain about recoil but I don't have a problem with it. It's rather lightweight and easily concealable, not to mention very accurate. Mine cost $450 new plus tax/DOJ fee.

Some complain about recoil, but I (a guy with, I presume, a bit of shooting experience) have no problem with it

I haven't had a problem with either of these guns and would highly recommend them for quality reliable revolvers.

Reliable and good quality, absolutely. Whether they're suitable for the specific person in question, well, bad trigger in one and felt recoil in the other would probably rule them out.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I've been working for about 20 hours straight by now, so anything sounds hilarious now

[nn3453]

Taurus did have its share of problems. However, the question here was specifically about a Taurus Tracker.

I also know about quite a few problems with S&Ws. The difference is that you're probably less likely to get a lemon with an S&W than with a Taurus (not sure about a modern Taurus thouh, they've come a long way), but if you get a lemon, it's bad regardless. I haven't heard of that many (in comparison) lemons with Trackers, and my personal experience with two of them was very good.

Fair enough. If I find a newer one for cheap, I'd buy it just to try it out. Willing to change my mind.

[nick]

Fair enough. If I find a newer one for cheap, I'd buy it just to try it out. Willing to change my mind.

If you're in the L.A. area, you're welcome to try mine.