Bargain Snubby

[mk70ss]

Got this Taurus Model 85 .38 Special off GunBroker for a bargain price. Auction was about top end and no bidders, so with minutes to go I made a lowball offer and won it.

[Unkl Chuck]

Good catch. I've done similar purchases on fleabay when I was trading photo equipment.

[lee n. field]

Stock set looks nice. You'll probably have to do some work on them if you want speedloaders to clear.

[Armybrat]

Nice get there.
My brother has an old 85 that has served him well.

[CajunBass]

That's a sharp looking gun. Love the wood grips.

My first "carry gun" was a Taurus 85 with a factory bobbed hammer. Good little gun really that I wish I'd held onto.

[armoredman]

I've had a few Taurus 85s in the past, all worked very well. Nice score.

[Drm50]

What’s considered a bargain price for this model on line after fees, shipping and transfer? I’ve got one but am hesitant to put it on line. I’m not into such and boy just put some leather, loading tools and fishing tackle on eBay and it went for nothing. Should have give it to kids in neighborhood.

[armoredman]

Somewhere between 200 and 300, I'd think, rough guess offhand.

[44 AMP]

IF it works well, and you got it for a bargain price, you did well. IF it doesn't work well, and you got it for a bargain price, did you really do so well????

[mk70ss]

Works very well so far. Put 100 rounds through it yesterday.

[Cartwright Jones]

It will do what a gun needs to do for sure. Taurus makes good-looking, well-finished guns that force S&W to hold down the price of their competing models.

[JustJake]

Probably better than a similar-size Charter Arms model.

[JERRYS.]

those early 90's Taurus revolvers were top grade in my experience.

[Drm50]

Reminds me of when I was still in business in late 80s. Regular customer, fisherman is retiring and him and buddy going on their bucket trip, Fly Fishing Alaska. He comes in one day with a custom fly rod and proceeded to tell us how much he had in this fly rod. The best of everything from guides to virgin Portuguese cork handle. The reel, line and leader system all high class the best New England stuff available.
Then comes the reason for his visit. Him and buddy decided they needed bear protection
in handgun form. I ask what they wanted to spend and they said $40-$50 they wouldn’t be using it that much. I didn’t carry no $50 bear guns. They went and made it back, it’s said God protects fools. Don’t matter if gun is for animal or human use, if you feel the need It wouldn’t be the place I cut corners. 2nd & 3rd rate guns are a waste of time and money.
At some point in guns life it will quit on the next shot. Don’t matter the manf but the better brands have made their rep on the products durability and function.

[mk70ss]

Drm50……I agree that asking for a firearm to protect yourself from bears in Alaska for $40-50 is not a very realistic goal. But to say that any gun that isn’t a top of the line, expensive gun is a waste of time is just plain stupid and uninformed. If you know what you’re talking about, there are plenty of brands that are dependable, durable, accurate, and trustworthy guns out there that are not top dollar brands. I have numerous big money guns from the best manufacturers out there, but I also have several that were bought at bargain prices that are still well made, dependable guns. This Taurus is one of them. If you prefer to be a snob over name brands, more power to you.

[mk70ss]

And this Taurus is a shooter.

[jstert]

due to my career i lived in a series of gun-unfriendly locales. my sole firearm for 27 years was a gently used, steel, taurus 85 snubbie loaded with 158gr ball ammo. it came out once with serious intent to dissuade a couple of bad guys. these are solid, reliable, accurate handguns.

[Drm50]

I’ve seen bargain import revolvers shoot like target guns, on individual basis. I don’t fool with them because for same price you can usually find used S&W, Ruger or Colt that I would feel much better with in my pocket, to work when it must.
I sold guns for over 30yrs and was the guy that caught all the flak for Rossi, Taurus and the ones lesser known. I got to point I would order them for a customer. With proviso when it puked it was owners problem. You get what you pay for even if it’s a sledge hammer.

[DMK]

I have a few Taurus and really like them. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've never had any problems with any of them. Yet I've had a few S&Ws that had to go back to give them a second chance at getting it right. Go figure.

My little 22LR model 94 (with lovely blueing like mk70ss' 85) goes with me very often to the range for warm up practice. I love that little gun.

I have a family member that has carried an alloy frame model 85 for decades. It's been a trusty CCW. Again, never any trouble at all.

[johnslick]

beautiful gun