Range Report: Taurus M94 .22LR

[Matt King]

I took my Taurus M94 .22LR to the range today. Got the gun to use as an inexpensive pinker.
I fired 100 rounds of the Bulk Remington from 15 yards.

Notes :

Trigger Pull: The SA trigger pull was very crisp. The DA wasn't as bad as some say it is, but it's rough.

Accuracy: I was surprised. The little gun was surprisingly accurate. The gun was more accurate that the shooter. I was shooting two to three inch groups with it. If I practice I am pretty sure this is going to be a tack driver.

Reliability: 100 rounds, 1 misfires due to faulty ammo. Very reliable gun so far.

Ejection: Had no problem ejecting the spent rounds.

Sights: A bit small, but they will do.

Grips: Way too small for my hands, need to find bigger one's.

Cleaning: Gun was easy to clean, but the Remington bulk ammo is dirty. Very dirty. I spent 20-30 minutes scrubbing the cylinder and the barrel, just to get the crud off.

Questions:
1. Is there any way to smooth out the rough DA trigger pull?

2. Can you recommend a cleaner shooting brand of .22 LR?

3. Do you know where I could get bigger grips?

Conclusion: All in all a great little gun. This will be the gun that I will use to teach People how to shoot. Defiantly a keeper.

 

[iostorm]

just took mine out last saturday, at 35 feet it is hitting the size of a 50 cent piece pattern. i didnt have to sight this gun as it came out of the box shooting that way, usually it takes some tuning the sites to get there.

i am very happy with it, looks great and shoots great. we used the rem golden bullet bulk ammo. i find it to be cleaner than the thunderbolts.

 

[jad0110]

I spent 20-30 minutes scrubbing the cylinder and the barrel, just to get the crud off.

What cleaner did you use? I ask because I used to only use Hoppes #9. I still do, but 30 minutes to an hour before I start cleaning I give the barrel and the chambers a good spray of Breakfree CLP. Makes cleaning go a LOT faster.

1. Is there any way to smooth out the rough DA trigger pull?

I had a 94 that felt like it had loose rocks inside the works. I took it to a gunsmith who found a number of burrs inside the lockwork - he stoned some of them and added a light solution of graphite lube to polish the remaining rough surfaces. It helped, but it still felt junky.

2. Can you recommend a cleaner shooting brand of .22 LR?

I find the bulk Federal stuff at Wally-World to be noticeably cleaner and just as affordable as the Remington.

3. Do you know where I could get bigger grips?

Sorry, can't help you there!

 

[cherryriver]

I have a 3" 94 I bought about twenty years ago as a cheap substitute for my old Smith Kit Gun, sold during a divorce.
The SA trigger's okay, but the DA is gruesome. Not so much rough, as heavy. Of course, at the time all of my snub and small-frame revolver shooting had been done with Colts, so the M94 would seem heavy. Once I got some J-frame Smiths, it doesn't seem so tough, compared.
Wolff and everybody else, it seems, say not to reduce the springs at all, so I've left it alone. It's a pest gun, now.
I asked about grips, too, at a favorite shop, and the lads squeezed on a Hogue Monogrip from a Smith J, I think. It's really the best wheelgun handle there is, it pains me to say (as a lifelong wood person). For fifteen bucks, you might get lucky.
The nine-shooter thing sure beats the Smith six-hole thing, it's true. And, the finish on my 94 is really pretty decent, nicely polished and durable.
A mixed bag, but at that price point, it's a great deal.
Bill

 

[mnrivrat]

Shoot it smooth unless you know what your doing on the inside of the gun to smooth it up a bit, you should just shoot it ,and it will get smoother.

Do not lighten the hammer spring. You may get some help with a slightly reduced tension trigger return spring.

Remingtom bulk pack ammo is the dirtyist I have ever seen. Their lead is also soft and barrel leading is common using this ammo.

Not sure where to get larger grips - all the small frame Taurus's take the same grip so maybe look at what's generaly available. S&W grips are not compatable but maybe can be modified to fit ?

Ya - I have a model 94 also. I like it for the price I paid.

 

[10-Ring]

I have had my 94 for more than a decade and I've shot 1000's....no 10's of 1000's....maybe 100's of 1000's or rounds through it (avg'd 500 rounds a week for the first few years of ownership) I will agree w/ the accuracy - suprisingly good! The things that need improvement are the sights, the action & the fit and finish. The sights I have are small & they self adjust , the trigger has always been a tad heavy and gritty and the fit & finish could be nicer too.
But really it has given me ALOT of years of service, I did teach my self how to shoot DAO utilizing that gritty / heavy trigger and it's still going strong.

 

[MCgunner]

J frame .22s all seem to have stiff triggers. Might be something to do with the need for heavier hammer strikes on .22 ammo or it might be a leverage/mechanical advantage thing with a 6 shot vs 5 shot gun, don't know. Don't seem to matter who made it, though. But, kit guns are field guns, for shooting rabbits and the heads off snakes at 10 yards. Single action is all that's really important to me. I'm not actually going to carry a .22 revolver for self defense. As an understudy to a .38, the DA can be put up with. Think of it this way, if you can hit with that stiff/rough DA, your J frame .38 will be easy! When you lift weighs, you put weights on the bar, don't you? Be a lot easier to lift if you left the weights off.

 

[cherryriver]

Like lifting weights...
That's a good description of my 94's DA trigger.
Bill

 

[Lonestar]

To answer the grip question Houge and Butler Creek makes grips for the 94 and if you want to go crazy Crimson Trace makes a laser grip for the 94 too.

Did you buy your Taurus 94 new or used? If it was new, if you don't mind my asking how much did you pay for it? I was debating on buying a Taurus 94 or a S&W 317 over a semi auto .22. No gun store local to me has a Taurus 94 on display. The S&W 317 has a heavy but acceptible trigger pull but its real expensive for a .22 handgun. Is the Taurus 94's trigger even worse than the 317?

 

[MCgunner]

Is the Taurus 94's trigger even worse than the 317?

In my experience, no. I know two guys that love the Smith, but the trigger is heavy as heck, too. But, like I say, kit guns are about hunting and field use. I never use DA shooting at game. Heck, as soon have a Ruger Bearcat afield, but I find the little kit guns a little more accurate and prefer adjustable sights. To me, the DA is a bonus for practice. Ain't like I'm going to need the gun for self defense and need a light DA trigger.

 

[jad0110]

NIB stainless Taurus 94s go for $309 locally. The blued version sells for $279.

 

[Matt King]

Did you buy your Taurus 94 new or used? If it was new, if you don't mind my asking how much did you pay for it? I was debating on buying a Taurus 94 or a S&W 317 over a semi auto .22. No gun store local to me has a Taurus 94 on display. The S&W 317 has a heavy but acceptible trigger pull but its real expensive for a .22 handgun. Is the Taurus 94's trigger even worse than the 317?

Mine is the Stainless Steel version. I bought it NIB, for $290 from Sportsmans Warehouse after some haggling.