Opinions requested on Taurus Hammerless .357 (CIA)

[horge]

Hi!

I'm interested in getting a revolver, my first,
with an eye towards home and carry defense.
The Taurus CIA .357 Hammerless looks interesting,
(that is to say, my wife finds them interesting )
but I have little idea of its durability/reliability,
and hope some of you can reassure me, or if not,
point me towards a better alternative.


Salamat! / Thanks!

 

[SouthpawShootr]

I have one. Seems to be holding up pretty well. Only shot 100 round of full-power .357s (158 gr) - not pleasant. About 50 rounds of 158 +p .38 spl. (better, but still has a bit of a bite)). And another 350 rounds of S&B 158 LRN .38s (these I could shoot a couple boxes in one trip with no problem). I did try some 125 .357 - nasty. These guns are not range guns. Mine is strickly carry duty only. I've had it about 2 years. Reliability? Revolvers are quite boring in this aspect. Never had any problems. The gun doesn't seem to be any more loose than it was the day I bought it. Alternatives? Well, if you fancy the internal hammer DAO capability, about the only other choice would be S&W 640. I have one of those also. Not much difference. For about $150 more, you get a little better finish and, maybe, a slightly tighter lockup.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I carry one day in day out and run at least 25rds a week thru it, still working like a charm after over 2 years. Not the most accurate snubby I have, but it will still put all 5 in 4 inches at 15 yrds, and I figure that's good enough. The wife liked it so well that about a year ago she bought her one to tote around. Round count isn't as high as mine, but the trigger is smoother. I carry Corbon 125's in mine and recoil is...well, unpleasent. The wife carries Federal Personal Defense ammo in her's and it's fairly managable. Still not a gun you want to run hundreds of rounds thru at a time.

 

[horge]

Thanks Southpaw,
I'll have a looky at that S&W 640, too.


Okie,
Hey, you're back!
I'll make sure the wife reads your comments
(and Southpaw's) on recoil. Might make her
give things a rethink. Thanks!



horge

 

[Stevel]

I've had one for 2 years. Nice gun. Recoil with hot loads is as everyone else said. It's a great "everywhere" gun. With a belly band it disappears no matter how light a shirt I wear. Smooth but looong trigger pull. They're worth the money.

 

[Waitone]

I pack the .38 spl version and consider it to be just the ticket once you get different grips. I settled on bird's head style.

Trigger could use a little work but since it is a packing device, trigger performance is not the issue.

Accurate enough to put 5 rounds in the boiler room of a target at 7 yards is no biggie.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

Actually, I found the factory rubber CIA grips to be superior. They have minimal bulk over boot grips and do a good job at cushioning recoil. If this was a range gun, I would probably outfit it differently, but as far as I'm concerned, mine is perfect as is.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I'll second a thumb's up on the factory grips

I tried several different aftermarket grips, the only ones I found better was a set of Pachmayr fullsized grips that were great, but made concealment all but impossible. But hey, everyone's hands are different.

 

[GregB]

Taurus 651

I've got a Taurus 651 SHC (the total titanium .357 that weighs @17oz with the zero profile hammer). I bought a small set of wooden boot grips this past weekend and fired some S&B .357 (130gr, I think) and recoil was least painful of the three grips I've tried: factory, hogue, and wood. Factory is okay, but grips your hand and is hard on the web of your hand. The houge exposes the backstrap and that hurts like a son of a gun. The wood allow the gun to roll in your hand. Who'd a thunk that the prettiest grips would be the best. I still haven't tried the uncle mike's boot grip, which is about the only other option other than a set of laser grips.

GegB

 

[Okiecruffler]

I have a set of Uncle Mike's boot grips, and they expose the backstrap as well. Very easy to conceal, but not very pleasent to shoot.