Anyone ever see a Taurus Model 85 .357?

[warnerwh]

The reason I ask is because I have one. It's a 5 shot with 2.25" barrel. This I learned because I was going to trade it but neither myself or the guy I was trading to could find any reference to it. I see nothing on their website either. Any help is appreciated.

 

[MCgunner]

The 605 is the M85 in .357. It's a beefier gun. I'm not sure, maybe they had a short run of 85 .357s or something, but it'd be a new one on me.

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=240&category=Revolver

 

[InRemorse]

The 85 in .38 is sturdy. It can probably take .357 if you exchange the cylinder. But why try? Corbon .38 +p is hot.

 

[sidheshooter]

It's probably an early pre-605 run when they still cataloged both calibers as 85. I *think* that I remember the change to 605, but it's obviously been a while, so I'm not going to be adamant about it. I'd write an old fashioned letter to taurus. Someone there should know.

I love mystery guns. I have a PPk with no proofs whatsoever; just a 1944 era serial number with the one on the frame facing the opposite way as usual. Nobody seems to know for sure where it came from.

 

[MCgunner]

I would guess that '44 PPK is probably not proofed because the Nazis were in a hurry in 1944, just guessing. That gun might have some historical significance to it. Is it .32 or .380?

Slight thread jack, but that's interesting.

 

[Steve H]

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=6069791&cat=185&lpid=0

I called Taraus and asked about +P in a 85, they claim NO!

 

[MCgunner]

Older guns weren't +P rated. All recent Taurus M85s built sometime in the early 90s and newer, even the ultralight alloy framed guns like mine, are +P rated. I bought my gun in about '96 because it was +P rated and I've fired probably 500 or so +Ps through it since then with no apparent effect on the gun. I mostly shoot standard pressure loads in it. It is an alloy gun and WILL wear quicker than a steel revolver, inevitable. I carry +Ps with no worries.

From the site.....

Model: 85SS2
Caliber: .38 SPL +P RATED
Capacity: 5
Barrel Length: 2"
Action: DA/SA
Finish: Stainless Steel
Grips: Rubber
Weight: 22.5 oz
Construction: Steel
Frame: Small

 

[warnerwh]

It must have been 1998 I bought this gun. It's marked .357 on the barrel and is 24oz of stainless steel. The cylinder release looks like one on a Smith and there's no engraving on the left side of the barrel like the gun above. The gun doesn't say the model number on it but I bought it new and had the box in my closet for several years so I'm sure it is an 85 or my brain is imagining things. Thank you guys for the help.

 

[MCgunner]

I bet it's a 605. I checked my 85SSUL under the cylinder crane on the frame for the model number. My two 66s have a 66 there indicating the model. But, the 85 just has part of the serial number there, so I guess that idea is out. LOL

Here's a 605. As you can tell, there's not a lot of difference, little more metal in the frame and cylinder running the weight up a bit.

Model: 605SS2
Caliber: .357 MAG
Capacity: 5
Barrel Length: 2"
Action: DA/SA
Finish: Stainless Steel
Grips: Rubber
Weight: 24 oz
Construction: Steel
Frame: Small

 

[warnerwh]

For some reason under the crane mine says 605.

 

[Indifferent]

Now my dumb observation is, my 85 the cyclinder looks long enough for a 357, but its only a 38

 

[warnerwh]

My cylinder has 1/16" space left with 125gr gold dots in it. I'd recommend doing your home work so you don't look like an idiot like I did. Have you put a .357 round in it?

 

[sidheshooter]

I would guess that '44 PPK is probably not proofed because the Nazis were in a hurry in 1944, just guessing. That gun might have some historical significance to it. Is it .32 or .380?

Slight thread jack, but that's interesting.

There's a couple of ideas from folks who know more than I do about this piece (thanks to some time spent in the various walther forum corners of the internet). One is that it is a "cigarette gun" one from the factory put together out of parts from the captured Walther factory by workers bribed/coerced to do the work with cigarettes while things wound down.

The overall look of the gun seems to confirm this idea. Interesting read on the capture of the factory:

http://forums.p38forum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12611

Another interesting idea is that it is a hand-made forgery from pakistan. As in, entirely hand made. There is an old American Rifleman article that documents the pakistani repros; evidently they made all sorts of stuff, and it all was forged so well that the parts interchange with the original weapons (or so I have been told).

It may also be one that was re-worked and is none of the above. The serials are period to the shape of the slide, but may have been put back on during a reworking, as they don't look like factory serials.

It has spent some duty time in one of the flap holsters; the wear around the muzzle at the end of the slide is consistant with the type of pitting and corosion that PPKs got from heavy carry outdoors in the closed-bottom issue holsters that collected all sorts of crud and moisture in their bottoms.

Bottom line, though, nobody seems to know for sure, except that it's an older .32. Thanks for asking, MCgunner. Apologies to others for letting an auto into the wheelie forum...

 

[bikerdoc]

I have a 605 in a 3 inch. Eats anthing you feed it and has run well over 1k rounds with non problems

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