Taurus .44 Magnum

[DaveS]

I am interested in a Taurus .44 Magnum that I seen at my local gun shop today. I don't recall the model number, but does anyone have any experience with Taurus .44 Magnums? I really want one for hunting.

Dave (WD)

Edited January 16, 2009 by wd-40
Dumb spelling

[musicman]

Not knowing all the specifics, I'd say it's probably going to be fine. I think of Taurus as kinda' like the Hyundai of the gun world. They'll work fine and all, just don't expect the exquisite craftsmanship or tactile delight of some of the pricier makes. As for getting bullets where they need to be, it should do the trick nicely as long as there are no defects with the gun. If it's used there could be some wear or abuse issues, like any other gun. I bought a Smith 44 mag that was going slightly out of time. As time went on, the firing pin broke one day. I sent it back and Smith replaced the firing pin and the hand, fixing both problems. I understand Taurus has a very good repair policy as well.

Will this be your first .44? They're freakin' awesome!

[Westwindmike]

I have a Taurus Tracker .44 that I've owned for about 6 months.

It's a fun to shoot gun with .44 Special handloads. I've only shot 5 rounds of factory .44 Magnums out of it. My hand and forearm hurt for several minutes afterward. It's pretty light for the magnums. The porting in the barrel seems to work well. They keep the barrel down pretty good for follow up shots. One unusual thing is the last inch of barrel where the ports are is not really barrel. It's more like a "chamber". It opens up in there and is not rifled, so in my 4 inch, you are really only getting about 3 inches of barrel length.

If you want a longer barrel one for hunting, the extra weight will probably help tame the magnums. I'm going to stick to lighter handloads for plinking and targets.

Mike

[DaveS]

I wish I had made note of the model number, but it looked like a twin to the Smith & Wesson Model 29. I'll check it out some more.

Dave

[Guest billwilly73]

I have a Ruger Blackhawk that I like pretty good. A friend of mine owns a Taurus Raging Bull with a 8 3/8 inch barrel. I've shot both and they shoot great, but VERY LOUD!!!!! Be sure to wear protection.....and I aint talking about condoms.

[glockster157]

I had a SS Taurus Model 44 (that is the name of it)which is the somewhat twin of the SW 629. Differences are the SW does not have the full lug barrel, at the the standard model doesn't, the SW is not ported and lastly, the SW has a flat main spring while the Taurus uses a coil main spring. Overall I liked it. It seemed a fraction looser than my Smiths but it shot fairly well and if I run across another at a fair price. They do have a lifetime warranty though I have never had to use a Taurus warranty, some say good, some say so-so.

[musicman]

Yea, to get all the goodies like porting, etc, you have to get a PC (Performance Center) gun. Thankfully, I traded two really junky guns for one nice one!

Like Mike said, the last inch or so of barrel in a ported gun is more of a chamber.

Does this look like what you are talking about?

Or does it look more like a standard 629 like this?

I'm still curious if you're talking about a new or used gun. Taurus hasn't made a "standard" looking .44 for a few years, so your comment about it looking like a standard 629 has me thinking that this is a used gun from a little while ago.

[glockster157]

Hey Musicman, (BTW,really nice PC 629....if you ever want to trade it man.....)

Taurus still makes the 44SS6 and 44SS4...heres the link

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=224&category=Revolver

I forgot to add the Model 44 also has a vent rib.

Edited January 17, 2009 by glockster157

[Guest Glknknox]

I have a Raging Bull in 454 casuall, fun to shoot, but nothing more than a toy for me.

Haven't shot a 44 in that model, but I'm sure it's not far off from what I have.

[musicman]

Yea, I saw those Taurus models, but they have vent ribs and porting... not like a standard 629. That's what I'm trying to get at... was he talking about a plain-jane model, or onw of the fancier newer guns.

[glockster157]

For Taurus the porting and the vent rib is standard. The Raging Bull model has the third lock on the yoke which makes it stronger plus it is a larger frame. One thing I also like about the Model 44, besides the price, is it is also available in a 8 shot 357 model in the 608 model. It is also ported and has the vent rib. One day I am going to run across a used 6 or 8" model and snap it up. One other Taurus model I would like to try is they have a Titanium 4" 44 mag on the Raging Bull frame. Large but light it would be a great woods gun for hiking.