Taurus .38 special or Millenia .45 as a concealed?

[taurus.38]

I am looking into purchasing one of the above two guns. Which would be a better and more effective concealed carry firearm?

[Flash]

I am looking into purchasing one of the above two guns. Which would be a better and more effective concealed carry firearm?

In 38, look for Charter Arms Undercover. Or a S&W - even used they are, dollar for dollar, far more reliable. Or a Springfield 45 - there are many options on that caliber, just make sure it is a genuine 1911, true to the John Moses Browning tradition.



Yes, I know you've heard Taurus-Bashers at work, but there are so many of them/us, there MUST be a reason.

I have one Taurus, a model 85, ultralight DAO, and it is a respectable gun. I had another 85 with the exposed hammer SA/DA, and it was a good performer, and I sold it to my son for his EDC.

But I have a Taurus model 669, 4" Stainless 357 that has been back to the Customer Service FIVE times in four months and still doesn't fire reliably. "Spotty" describes the gun and the Cust Svc. YMMV.

Flash

[300plus]

I have an early 1990's Taurus 605 stainless .357 snub nose that I've put a couple thousand round through. It has been a flawless performer and was my carry gun until I replaced it with a Kahr CW45 in 45 ACP.

The new production Taurus revolvers just don't impress me much so I'd look for a used S&W model 36 (I have a 43 year old one that shoots as good as new), model 60 or 642, a new Charter Arms snubbie or a used Colt Detective special all are great choices. The advantage to a revolver- 100% 5 or 6 round of bang with any good ammo and no break in period. Revolvers are also the best choice for novice shooters IMHO.

As for the 45- The Kahr CW45 for under $450 is tough to beat-HOWEVER- it does require 200 plus rounds of break-in shooting and can be ammunition sensitive. Mine smoothed out nicely after about 350 rounds. Nice to have 7 rounds of .45 out of a 4 inch vs. 5 rounds of .38 plus P out of 2 inches. I won't carry a 2 incher loaded with .357 mag ammo, there is just too much muzzle blast and flash. Leaves you blinded at night and deaf especially in an enclosed space like your car!

Other great 45 ACP choices- any Springfield (great for the money) or Kimber 1911. The Springfield XD, Sig Sauer P220, S&W M&P series etc.

[Roland of Gilead]

You're not going to find much more CC friendly than the PT145. The 3rd Gen mag followers pretty much cured any feeding issues they had, and at 10+1 that's a lot of comfort.

I carry a PT145 on occasion when the PT1911 won't work. Check out around here for more info: http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php

ETA: Some folks claim the 145 tends to shoot low, and I did some home painting of my sights to help out, plus it seems to work better w/ 185 gr. ammo, but a lot of folks seem to like the lighter weight for shorter barrels anyway.

As always, see if you can try out both and choose what works best for you.

..

[Steve_NEPhila]

I am looking into purchasing one of the above two guns. Which would be a better and more effective concealed carry firearm?

Neither would I bet my life on.

If you want a .38 special look to the used Smith and Wesson range of products. Smith and Wesson revolvers are more expensive, yet they are worth every single piece of paper they cost extra. Why? Compare a Taurus revolver next to a Smith wheel gun at your local gunshop. If you cannot feel, and see the difference then so be it.

I would also advise shooting many many types of handguns before buying one. I am not sure why you are attempting to limit yourself to two models from what I believe to be a company that makes inferior products in a market full of quality weapons.

Think medium sized instead of small when it comes to a defense weapon. The smaller the handgun the harder it is to shoot well, for anyone. I am assuming that you do not have tens of thousands of rounds under your figurative belt and this is not meant to be a criticism, just an observation. I know what works, and small guns are very hard to shoot well.

Trigger time is the answer. Find a local range that rents, or some friends who will shoot with you and put some lead down range. Look into getting training if you are indeed new to this. Loading, unloading, malfunction drills, stances etcetera are tricky things that are to be trained.

[mrnyman]

Since you are interested in Taurus Handguns, come on over to www.taurusarmed.net and see what people who own and carry them everyday has to say about them .

Personally i own 5 Taurus handguns without the slightest problems, maybe i'm just lucky.

And yes i own the model 85 a sweet little .38 that has saved many many lives over the years.

iu do not have a PT 145 but handled them atthe store, its a nice .45 , silky smooth trigger pull, and you get something you do not get in a Glock, XD, M&P Kahr etc. You get a second swtrike capability which can be crucial in a confrontation.

In Saying that i own SIGS, Berretas, Paras, 1 Colt and and 1 Kahr , all awesome guns too. But try many before you buy .

[Neko456]

Back 10 or more years agon Taurus made "Ify" handguns more and more now they have improved there quality control and engineering department. Some say tha the PT92-101 are as good as Berettas, (not me) some say that the revolvers are almost as good as S&W. I had a snub nose 85 hammer less 38 spl that was a very good revolver, I gave it to my then wife and she still has it.

I had some bad expereince with Taurus 10-15 yrs ago also back then in 70s and 80s but I now have a 24/7 40 cal that I'd bank my life on. I use it for my home proctection piece.

A buddy just recently replaced/stored a Hi point 45 in favor of Millenum 45 for his HP & CC piece.

Though I have 6 Berettas I'm looking for a SS Taurus PT92 15 shot compact 9mm with rails & target sights for 1/3 of what a near like Beretta would cost, my past expereince with a PT101 SS 40 cal it was darn acurate.

Taurus has improved its game and if you don't have the money for an H&K or Sig will do the jopb quite well.

[BionicMan]

I've actually owned a number of Taurus guns the last couple years, including a Millennium Pro 145, and I've never had any issues with any of them. *knock on wood* The 145 has a ton of firepower in a small concealable package, so if you're looking for maximum firepower/size ratio then that's your ticket. I really liked how much that gun brought to the table for its size and kinda regret selling it now. I also found it to be a pretty accurate shooter. Depending on what your particular needs are, you outta check out a single stack Millennium and the 709 Slim if you have the opportunity. The 709 is my summer carry and it's a great little gun that's cake to conceal. That's my 2 cents.

[rwb1500]

I have heard too many Taurus horro stories to ever consider carrying one for self defense. Range toy? Maybe.

I just can't justify saving a few bucks to gamble with getting a lemon.

Lots of peole have them, and they work great, but lots of people also have ones that don't work so good, or at all. And CS seems to be on the poor side.

I considered an 85, but am so glad I went with an S&W instead. You can get a used J frame Smith for $350ish. AND you're getting a sure thing, not gambling. They hold their value better as well if you ever decide to part with it.

[JoeyBones]

Since you are interested in Taurus Handguns, come on over to www.taurusarmed.net and see what people who own and carry them everyday has to say about them .

Personally i own 5 Taurus handguns without the slightest problems, maybe i'm just lucky.

And yes i own the model 85 a sweet little .38 that has saved many many lives over the years.

OK, I will bite:

I think you have indeed been quite lucky. 5 for 5 on Taurus? You should play the lottery while you're on a roll!

And also, exactly how many lives have you saved over the years with your model 85?

Details? I'm just curious - Not dissing/doubting/whippersnapping....

PS - I am with Steve and the others who say avoid Taurus. Spend your $$ on a used S&W or other reputable manufacturer.

Regards,

Bones