Taurus 380 Revolver

[dannyb]

I saw one of these for sale the other day. Snubbie, .380, uses moon clips, bobbed hammer so DA only. Not terribly expensive, but I'm a bit shy of Taurus revolvers after my experience with one of their .22s (out for the 3rd time). Anyone shot one of these? Any knowledge?

[Asmodeus6]

The weight, size, and capacity of a revolver... with the reduced terminal performance and cost of .380. (Compared to .38 even)

I'd be interested to hear what people who own them think of them. On paper... they don't add up for me.

I've heard of these in say 9mm and .45acp. I've considered one actually as a companion to my auto loaders. But .380? Nah.

[dannyb]

I have a model 940 - S&W in 9mm with Centennial configuration plus moon clips. Shoots just fine, and I carry it from time to time. Just wondering what people think about an even smaller revolver or larger mouse gun depending on how you look at it.

[*Klutch*]

I don't have one nor have I ever fired one, I'm just not seeing the benefit. The 380's are great cause of the small guns that are chambered for it that fit in anyone's pocket. Any revolver is going to be bigger and weigh more and with less capacity. If you want to get a 380, you can usually find a KelTec P3AT for $225-$250 and an LCP for $275 I'd go that route.

[ifman]

Helpful review on it:

http://www.americanrifleman.org/arti...volver-review/

[Automan21k]

Personally I'd go with the Taurus 85 in .38spec over a .380 when you are looking at revolvers. I know several people who have them and rely on them as their primary carry.

[Pizza Bob]

Doesn't make sense to me. They would have been further ahead to make a dual caliber revolver - .380 ACP & 9 mm. Since it headspaces on the moonclip, case length doesn't matter. I say this assuming there is a shoulder in the cylinder's chambers that would currently preclude chambering a 9 mm. Afterall, we are only talking 2 mm of case length difference, why not give it dual capability? The only thing a .380 revolver would have over most .380 semi-autos is reduced recoil, since the majority of them are blow-back design.

JMHO

Adios,

PIzza Bob

[dannyb]

Taurus does make a 9 mm revolver, the Model 905 which also uses moon clips. I think that I read that it head spaces on the cartridge, not the moon clip, which would probably preclude using .380s. The moon clip is for ejection rather than having to poke the empty casings out with a pencil or dowel. The M380 seems to be a way of making a smaller revolver.

So, is my interest academic or am I trying to talk myself into/out of buying one. I don't know yet.

[Steve_NEPhila]

The important question is what do you intend to do with it? I will analyze this from my perspective and offer my own reasons.

Range Gun: Why? I do not expect this revolver in .380 to be particularly accurate or enjoyable to shoot. .380 ammo is more expensive than 9mm and has less energy. The sights are crude and the revolver appears to be set up for carry.

Carry Gun: This revolver does not have any real merit as a carry gun. The cartridge has less energy than the proven .38 special. Taurus revolvers do not meet my demands for a carry weapon and this is not a suitable purpose as far as I am concerned. (If you already have a Smith 940, a well sought after wheel gun... why consider a .380 revolver. You can carry standard velocity 9mm ammunition and have a superior device in every way.)

Curio: This revolver will not be valuable or sought after many years from today. There are a few requirements to make something a collectors item. Quality, rarity and perceived value. I have never seen anything from Taurus which has accomplished a single one of those criteria for a collectors piece.

[renalp]

I'm under the impression that this gun was mostly intended for countries where civilians can't own "military" calibers. 380s are popular there, and a same-caliber revolver makes some sense.