Helluva BUG deal @ Bud's, just ordered mine!

[WC145]

If you're looking for a revolver for back up or off-duty Bud's Gun Shop has a great deal - scandium S&W J-frame .38spl +P $409!! I ordered mine this morning.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...s_id=411535546

[velobard]

Very nice. It certainly gets rid of any excuse for settling for a Taurus.

[fdkay]

Very nice. It certainly gets rid of any excuse for settling for a Taurus.

Settling for a Taurus?
I'm not sure where you've been for the last ten years or so, but Taurus is an industry leader in development of firearms.
Taurus was the first with titanium frames in handguns and their quality is top notch.
Don't get me wrong, I own several Smith's and I like them a lot, but I also own several Taurus handguns and I like them just as much.

[yooper_fi]

I've given Taurus five chances to win my heart and five times they've disappointed me. My first was a PT92 that I bought in the late '80s. After about 500 rounds the safety stopped working - as in, you could put the safety on, pull the trigger, and it would fire. Not a big deal, I don't rely on the safety anyway, but it served to foreshadow my future Taurus experiences.

My most recent Taurus was a titanium Model 85 purchased three years ago. It worked fine as long as I didn't put +P ammo through it. Despite the fact that it was rated for +P, any time I used the more powerful ammo (Speer Gold Dots, specifically) the whole action would lock up - I couldn't pull the trigger or cock the hammer and I couldn't open the cylinder. Not a great trait in what was supposed to be a backup gun.

I know they have a lifetime warranty; I've sent all of mine back for repairs under that coverage. Some of them numerous times. I ended up selling all of them too, and after five tries I have finally decided that I'd rather have a used Smith or Beretta than a new Taurus.

[toasterlocker]

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[fdkay]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking S&W, I've got several.
But I also have 4 Taurus handguns and they all work superbly. Maybe I was lucky. But I've got two from the 1990's and two more recent ones.
Who knows, maybe you're just a Schleperock???:>)
(1970's cartoon reference, for the un-initiated)
But, anywho, I hear ya. If I had your experience, I know that I would feel the same way.

Edit:
A thought occurred (a rare thing). When you were shooting your ammo in the titanium frame revolver, did you stick to the bullet weights and loads recommended?
A problem with the ultra light handguns is the very snappy recoil tends to pull the bullets, resulting in your cylinder locking up.
If you did not stick to their recommendations, your fault, if you did stick to the recommendations in the owners manual, their fault.

[ofcp2]

Settling for a Taurus?
I'm not sure where you've been for the last ten years or so, but Taurus is an industry leader in development of firearms.
Taurus was the first with titanium frames in handguns and their quality is top notch.
Don't get me wrong, I own several Smith's and I like them a lot, but I also own several Taurus handguns and I like them just as much.

Well put, can't go wrong with a Taurus

[WC145]

I've had a couple of Taurus guns and still have one of them. Never had a problem with any of them and actually preferred the 850CIA that my ex got in the divorce to the S&W 642 that I traded for a Taurus 4410.

The only problem I have with Taurus is that they're guns are heavy. Even the titanium models weigh more than the S&W aluminum framed airweights. I'm interested in light weight for easy carry, this Model 360 is only 13oz and that is what sold me. That and it's a couple of hundred dollars off S&W's suggested retail!

I'd really like a 342PD but they don't make them any more and the used ones are waaay more than $400.

[toasterlocker]

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[Jsstritz]

if that gun on bud's website was the fully shrouded hammer id be all over it

[Mike 842]

If you're looking for a revolver for back up or off-duty Bud's Gun Shop has a great deal - scandium S&W J-frame .38spl +P $409!! I ordered mine this morning.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...s_id=411535546

That's an excellent price for that model. You did good. As far as S&W vs. the 'bull', the 'bull' has always been a cheaply made copy from South America, lately supposedly re-located here and now offers a warranty. Smith and Wesson gives a lifetime warranty on all their guns and exceptional service to L.E. When I first bought my 4506, there were issues with the magazines. When the mags were removed from the carrier, the top rounds would jump out. All mags were replaced at N/C and overnighted to me. During quals, the ambi- safety lever detent and spring flew off, again replacement parts overnighted, N/C. At no time did these issues affect the function or reliability of the weapon. just recently,I dug the 4506 out to qual with for .218 and the lever and spring again went missing. A call to Smith and they mailed me a package containing "ambi safety lever kit ss ". If you're buying a gun for fun and recreation, buy what you want, if you're buying one your life may depend on, always buy the best you can possibly afford. The M&P 340 might be my next one.

[WC145]

if that gun on bud's website was the fully shrouded hammer id be all over it

I prefer the shrouded models as well but for the price I'll have the hammer bobbed and call it good.

[fdkay]

Do they make scandium framed garden Gnomes?

[velobard]

Do they make scandium framed garden Gnomes?

Here ya go.

http://flickr.com/photos/dragonfly1046/2336142221/

[yooper_fi]

A thought occurred (a rare thing). When you were shooting your ammo in the titanium frame revolver, did you stick to the bullet weights and loads recommended?
A problem with the ultra light handguns is the very snappy recoil tends to pull the bullets, resulting in your cylinder locking up.
If you did not stick to their recommendations, your fault, if you did stick to the recommendations in the owners manual, their fault.

To tell you the truth I don't remember what weight the bullets were but I'm positive they were the +P Gold Dot load designed for snubbies. And it wasn't a problem with the bullets coming unseated. There was something in the mechanism that locked up internally. I'd hit the thing on the bench a few times (or smack it with a rubber mallet), work the trigger and hammer a couple times, give it a few more smacks and it would unlock. I could then fire the next round in line (the cylinder turned fine after it unlocked), but then it would lock up after firing again and the whole process would repeat itself.

I do know people who have been happy with their Tauruses. I'm just not one of them.