birddog
Member
I haven't seen any Taurus 651 range reports up so here's a quickie. I'll post some pictures this evening. I got a Gander Mountain gift card for doing a favor for a friend, and ended up comparing several concealable snubbies and found myself liking the Taurus line the best.
The 651 has a 2 inch barrel, 5 round cylinder, and a "zero profile" hammer, allowing you to shoot in DA or SA mode, while still remaining low-profile. The hammer, though small, is well serrated and easy to get a grip on even with sweaty hands.
I have medium/large hands and I found the grip to be slightly too small, but didn't expect anything different in a concealable revolver. Ergonomically, the factory grip is fine, but leaves my last finger hanging off in empty space which -- since I am not used to it -- was a little disconcerting. Still, I'll take the small grip because in a Galco high-ride OWB, the gun disappears under a T-shirt.
Shooting. I regularly shoot my .44 mag revolvers, my .45, and even my Encore 30-06, so recoil doesn't bother me. I own two other full size .357's and never noticed any bothersome recoil from them when shooting standard loads. That being said, this little revolver JUMPS in the hand with full-power loads. Even shooting my reduced (158gr JSP, 7gr Unique) loads, the gun has a notably snappy recoil. I shot a little over a hundred rounds through the gun, and ended up with a small blister in the web of my finger. That being said, I had no trouble getting back on target during the several drills when I fired all 5 rounds in DA mode.
Accuracy-wise, I wasn't expecting much with the dark, low-profile sights, but was pleasantly surprised to see tight COM groups at 7 yards. For kicks, I moved the target out to 20 yards and continued to be pleased with the accuracy. POI was POA at 7, 15, and 20 yards, using 3 different types of ammo (Unique home brew 158gr, CCI Blazer 158gr, and American Eagle 158gr). Despite the beating my hand was taking, the 651 was fun to shoot. And I wouldn't hesitate to carry it daily in place of my Bersa .380, or my Ruger KP 345. It's easily as accurate as those two, and about the same (maybe even better) concealability factor as the Bersa Thunder.
All in all, I'd give the 651 an A. The blued finish is very nice, the cylinder is tight, it's concealable, and hits where you aim it.
I'm looking forward to shooting it some more.
The 651 has a 2 inch barrel, 5 round cylinder, and a "zero profile" hammer, allowing you to shoot in DA or SA mode, while still remaining low-profile. The hammer, though small, is well serrated and easy to get a grip on even with sweaty hands.
I have medium/large hands and I found the grip to be slightly too small, but didn't expect anything different in a concealable revolver. Ergonomically, the factory grip is fine, but leaves my last finger hanging off in empty space which -- since I am not used to it -- was a little disconcerting. Still, I'll take the small grip because in a Galco high-ride OWB, the gun disappears under a T-shirt.
Shooting. I regularly shoot my .44 mag revolvers, my .45, and even my Encore 30-06, so recoil doesn't bother me. I own two other full size .357's and never noticed any bothersome recoil from them when shooting standard loads. That being said, this little revolver JUMPS in the hand with full-power loads. Even shooting my reduced (158gr JSP, 7gr Unique) loads, the gun has a notably snappy recoil. I shot a little over a hundred rounds through the gun, and ended up with a small blister in the web of my finger. That being said, I had no trouble getting back on target during the several drills when I fired all 5 rounds in DA mode.
Accuracy-wise, I wasn't expecting much with the dark, low-profile sights, but was pleasantly surprised to see tight COM groups at 7 yards. For kicks, I moved the target out to 20 yards and continued to be pleased with the accuracy. POI was POA at 7, 15, and 20 yards, using 3 different types of ammo (Unique home brew 158gr, CCI Blazer 158gr, and American Eagle 158gr). Despite the beating my hand was taking, the 651 was fun to shoot. And I wouldn't hesitate to carry it daily in place of my Bersa .380, or my Ruger KP 345. It's easily as accurate as those two, and about the same (maybe even better) concealability factor as the Bersa Thunder.
All in all, I'd give the 651 an A. The blued finish is very nice, the cylinder is tight, it's concealable, and hits where you aim it.
I'm looking forward to shooting it some more.
