Defective Taurus 85, positive Cabelas experience

[sammy_smith]

Hi Folks, I just wanted to share my experience buying a Taurus M85UL blue at Cabelas. I just got my LTCF and I was looking for a small pistol for occasional CC. I had talked to some people who recommended a S&W 642 to me and I agreed that it was the perfect pistol for my needs. I was at Cabelas this Sunday with my father in law and I saw they had a new Taurus M85 Ultralight in the case. I checked it out and I though it was a great pistol at a great price. The tag said $339 which is $120 less than the S&W 642. I thought wow, I can use that extra money to buy holsters, ammo, etc. Also, this will not be my last handgun purchase so I can upgrade later....

Well I went to the range last night to shoot the M85 for the first time. I put about 15 shots through it before the first problem happened. It tried to fire a spent bullet. The cylinder didn't come around. Then it happened 2 more times over the next 15 shells. I also noticed it was shooting all over the place. 3 shots in the bullseye, then 2 out in right field. Finally, I could pop the cylinder out even when locked. I had one of the guys come in and inspect it for me. He told me that the trigger felt wrong, the cylinder was out of time, it was shaving bullets, and felt generally crappy. There were ugly burrs on the star gear and it was marking up the inside of the frame near the firing pin. I agreed that it looked defective and stopped shooting. Very upset with my new handgun, I was going back to Cabelas to deal with them.

I went back up there after work today, ready for a fight. Their policy is no return on guns, or an exchange on defects. I got to the counter and explained the situation to Brian. He lead with an offer to send it back for repair. I told him that was unsatisfactory and that I had just bought the gun 3 days ago. He talked to the manager and they offered an exchange for another 85. I inspected the new Taurus and believe it or not, it was worse. The star gear had deep marks in it where they should not be, burrs on it, and the cylinder was looser than the first one I got. Brian agreed that this gun was junk too. I told him I would like to upgrade to an S&W 642. Obviously a fan of Smith and Wesson, Brian went back to the manager and got an approval to do the exchange. I was elated. I thought for sure I would either be stuck with a P.O.S. gun, or have to wait 3 months to get it back from Brazil.

Thanks to Brian at Cabelas for making the exchange easy. As for Taurus, I know the 85 is not junk, I bet Cabelas just got a bad shipment of them.

Thanks for listening,
J

[Mancolt]

This is disappointing to hear. I bought a Taurus 85UL blued about 2 weeks ago. Haven't had a chance to get to the range with it yet. I too was between the Taurus 85 and the S&W 642. I found my 85UL blued for $299, which was just too good to pass up. Like you though, this isn't my last gun purchase (wasn't my first either and I have another carry piece) so I might end up getting an S&W sometime down the road.

Glad to hear you had a good experience at Cabela's though and I hope you enjoy your new S&W 642!

[nra-life-member]

I used a Taurus M85 for years with no issues.. Just traded it at Cabelas a year ago to upgrade to a 357..

[synergy]

So you saw two bad Taurus pistols in a row...and you don't think they're junk?

I've lost track of how many Taurus revolvers we've sent back for problems. I can count the number of S&W revolvers we've sent back, on 1 hand.

Buy nice or buy twice..... Glad to hear you got out of it.

[knight0334]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the Taurus', however its a good report for Cabelas to backup their products as they did.

[JoeWilliams]

So you saw two bad Taurus pistols in a row...and you don't think they're junk?

I've lost track of how many Taurus revolvers we've sent back for problems. I can count the number of S&W revolvers we've sent back, on 1 hand.

Buy nice or buy twice..... Glad to hear you got out of it.

This gentleman disagrees with your assessment of S&W:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/smith-wesson_dark.htm

Frankly, I've only owned two guns that didn't function properly, one of them being a Smith & Wesson, while all of the 8 or 9 Taurus' I've owned have performed flawlessly. Using your standards, reckon I should regard Smiths as junk based on my experience. Of course, I think that is silly, and my carry gun, a Model 66, clearly shows my opinion of Smiths.

[RoyJackson]

I've had several Taurus revolvers over the years and still have three....including a Model 85 (about 10 years or so now) and a close alternative, an 851 (basically a shrouded hammer 85).
My 85 had a light strike problem early on, but was fixed by Taurus. The 851 shoots reliably. Both these guns are carry weapons.
Frankly, I question the OP's assessment about the guns... Sharp edges don't mean burrs, but if you run your finger over a sharp edge, it'll feel like it's burred. The assessment should have been done by a qualified gunsmith (my comments are based upon about 30 years of machining experience...not smithing).
The odds of two defective guns in a row are pretty slender. But, if there is a perceived defect, the scrutiny level goes up and may bias the examination.

But, the gun was swapped and you're happy with Cabela's service...that's what counts. I've had good experiences with Cabela's too, but I've never bought a gun from them.

[Catching Chrome]

Taurus=Junk. I was looking at the trackers and they were poorly made IMHO. I'm so glad I went with a Ruger Redhawk. A few$100 more isn't that big of a deal when your life may depend on it.

[Mancolt]

Taurus=Junk.

Do you have anything to back this up besides personal opinion? Hell, even personal experience with one would be better than a blanket statement such as this.

A few$100 more isn't that big of a deal when your life may depend on it.

I do agree with this point. However, there are probably some people who are on a very strict budget, and that couple hundred dollars probably makes a big difference. To some of us, it does not. But to others, it might. Plenty of people have had great experiences with their Taurus's that they've had for 10+ years. Even I would have to ask the question, why pay the extra couple hundred if you can get a reliable product for less?

All manufacturers make mistakes...Even your beloved S&W. Some more than others. But you can and will find good Taurus's, just like you'll find good S&W's.

[Pro2A]

Surprising... we got a lifetime warranty on ours... I would have sent it back and got it fixed.

Di you not get the Taurus lifetime warranty?