First range experience with new Taurus Model 66

[Heartland Patriot]

Well, I got the time to take my newly purchased Taurus Model 66 revolver to the range today. For those that don't know this firearm, it is a 7-shot .357 Magnum full underlug barrel stainless steel revolver with "target" (adjustable rear, ramp front with orange insert) sights and rubber grips. I make no pretensions to being a gun writer or any sort of competition shooter. I am not an LEO or any related profession. I am just a guy who likes to go out and shoot. Anyway, here are some of my impressions about shooting this firearm. (And I'll try to be picky so that I can be honest about this gun.)

A few things about the look/feel of the firearm first. There are some tool marks on the end of the barrel (but not at the crown, they are on the OUTSIDE edge of the barrel) and the barrel seems to be installed SLIGHTLY crooked. The front sight is thus canted a hair to the left. The cylinder release sits away from the surface of the frame, not flush. And the cylinder seems to drag just a hair when pushing it over/open, but doesn't take excessive force. The clicks for the rear sight are positive detent and you can feel them. The hammer spur has some checkering and gives your thumb a good grip for cocking. The trigger has a hair of slack before it begins to move the hammer.

All firing was done at 15 yards. The range in my area will not allow doubletaps or any rapid strings nor do they have metal plates, slow fire into paper only. I put about 140 rounds through the Taurus. The brands/calibers fired were Magtech .38 Special 158 grain LRN, Fiocchi .38 Sp 158 grain FMJ, Remington .38 Sp +P 125 grain JHP, Sellier and Bellot .357 Magnum 158 grain FMJ and finally PMC .357 Mag 158 grain JSP, and they were fired in that order, weakest to hottest.

I didn't measure the groups since most guns "outshoot" me anyway, so all group sizes are "guess-timates". The gun was hitting low and to the right initially, and I used quite a few of the Magtechs getting it dialed in. Putting all the .38 Specials through it didn't feel all that much more than shooting a .22 due to the weight of the gun. Firing the gun in single action, once the sights were adjusted, I was able to put the .38 FMJ rounds easily into a 3 to 4 inch circle. It tightened up a bit when I rested the gun on the table for a bit more stability, of course, maybe down to 2 to 3 inches. The Remington .38 +P JHPs were EXCELLENT. The revolver seemed to like them and I shot several groups in single action where some holes were touching each other, and less than 3 inches double action. The 125 grain bullets did seem to hit lower compared to any of the .38 Sp or .357 158 grain bullets. The double action pull was long but seemed fairly smooth. My terminology is weak, but there did seem to be a momentary spot just before the hammer released in double action where it "hesitated". That is, I was continuing to pull, but the hammer wasn't going back any further. My old snubby S&W Model 49 does not seem to have this "hesitation", it just rolls straight through to release. The .357 Fiocchi ammo had a bit of snap to it, of course but was easily controlled. The thin rubber grips on this revolver did make it shift around in my hand a tiny bit each shot. So, I had a harder time keeping my groups as tight, back to the 3 to 4 inches. And, when I fired the PMC .357 JSPs they were NOTICEABLY hotter. I expected it, but those thin grips made it hard to get back onto target. The pistol would shift in my hand significantly, necessitating adjustment each time. I did prove to myself that I COULD keep it within the same 3 to 4 inches with the hot stuff IF I braced on a rest with sandbag firing single-action, as I got a little disappointed with how badly I fired the first few of the JSPs (I was all over the place with them). And, by that time, the cylinder was pretty hot...so hot that the cases were sticking. Had to wait for the last two cylinders to cool to punch them out with the ejector.

All in all, I like this revolver. I got what I felt was a good price on it at the Fort Worth Gun Show this past weekend, and consider it money well spent. The sights are easy to see and line up, especially with that orange insert in the forward sight. It didn't take much to dial in the windage, but the elevation required several cylinders. I WILL be looking for some fatter grips for this thing, though. It just does not seem to fill my hand correctly and the finger scallops don't quite line up with my hand. I wish I could think of more things to say about it, but this has probably been long enough as is. If anyone has any specific questions in regards to this revolver and my impressions, I'll try to make a brief reply. (and I'm open to suggestions on aftermarket grips).

[JLaw]

Congrats on your revolver!

I have two Taurus revolvers, and one of them is an old model 65. It is one of the best shooting revolvers I've got.

Hang on to what you've got, you won't be dissapointed!

JLaw

[The Annoyed Man]

When I switched from carrying a .38 Special snubbie to carrying a .357 snubbie, .357 really began to make sense to me. It is a seriously stout cartridge. I love mine.