Taurus 605

[neal bloom]

My wife on her own (Bless her heart) purchased a Taurus 605 with the Houge grips. She said she really like the feel of it and felt more comfortable with a revolver than with a semi-auto. She spent some time asking advice and talking to friends and fellow shooters before she made the decision. I told her that it probably would have a very loud bark and some kick to it but she is willing to use it as she feels the need for a personal defense weapon that is small and packs a punch.

While loading up some .357 cartridges into it I noticed there was a lot of space between the back of the cylinder and the rear frame. The gun comes with a little red disk that fills up this space when not loaded. When I pointed the gun up I saw that the cartridges fell out of the cylinder a little. I can hear them rattle when I shake the gun up and down. Is this normal? When the firing pin hits the primer wouldn't this cause the shell to move backwards? Could it jam the cylinder or damage the firing pin?

Been awhile since I handled a revolver. My S&W 547 cylinder fits pretty close to the rear frame. I am being cautious not only for safetys sake but also I do not want her to be disillusioned. It has taken quite a long time for her to get to this point. I am sure it took a lot for her to go into a gun shop and purchase a gun.

I would appreciate any advice on the Taurus 605 before she actually fires it.

 

[3 gun]

Just took a look at the four wheel guns I have sitting around. All show some gap (appox 1/32") between the cases and frame. Two S&W (pre) a Ruger and a Taurus 605. If you have any worries, go to the range and start with light loads and work your way up slowly. Check the cases and the frame for any strange wear patterns. Remember if you use 38's first, to clean the cylinder so the 357's don't stick in the powder fouling left by the shorter 38 cases.

And yes the 605 has a bite with full house loads. You may find that +P 38's or Magsafe loads will give you the protection level you need without to much recoil. The 605 is a nice little pistol at a very good price. She made a good choice.

 

[J. Parker]

Shake a revolver back and forth and yes the bullets will rattle. I've had two M605's and they were real nice pieces. My shootin' buddy has one and he really likes his.

 

[Marko Kloos]

The 605 is a good little package, a very versatile snubbie, and very reasonably priced. They sell pretty well at our local store, hard to beat at $299.

The cartridges will move a little if you shake the gun...this is normal. My Smiths do the same, including my Performance Center gun.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I found one here at the gun show for $ 265. Handled well and the wife was impressed. Little did she know that I found her Christmas present for this year. Now if I can convince her to buy me the EEA Witness that I want. If so, it will be a nice Christmas indeed.

 

[The Plainsman]

Neal....

Unless your lady is bigger and meaner and stronger than most ladies I know, the .38 or .38+P loads will be sufficient for her comfortable shooting.

I have a Taurus 605 with the Hogue grips. It's a nifty little gun, but it's not condusive to lots of target practice. There's just not enough of it to make it a comfortable gun to put lots of rounds through. When you load it up with standard .357 mag, it tries real hard to climb over your shoulder if you're not prepared.

I use it as a backup carry gun from time to time, and that's about it. It looks neat; it packs a real punch; it's handy to conceal, but it kicks like a mule.

 

[neal bloom]

The wife and I took the 605 shooting after work. Holy Cow! It kicks like a mule is an understatement! Even with a combination of ear plugs and ear muffs it is LOUD! The combination of recoil and sound is incredible. Even after a few rounds it is still impressive. My wife told me that she was prepared for it as everyone told her to expect the kick and explosion. It was worse than I had anticipated. Must be a guy thing?

She did fairly well in hitting the target, maybe not in the rings but she still hit the target. Pretty decent considering she rarely shoots. I fired about 10 rounds of .357 and hit inside the bullseye once with the others scattered around the other rings.

Once we switched to 38 special she settled down and became more comfortable with handling the gun and accuracy improved. Still a lot of kick and noise with the 38 special but nothing like the .357.

The gun worked great, no problem with the gap. Most importantly my wife likes it and feels she can handle it. Not bad for a middle-aged 5'3" blond who a year ago disliked guns. As darkness approached she liked the huge ball of flame coming out of the barrel as I shot! I think we have a convert.

I think she has found a good personal defense weapon. With some practice she will get even better. Even if she misses on the first shot the sound and sight of the blast might stop an assailants heart.

Thanks for all of the advice. Both my wife and I appreciated all the info.

 

[bfj2]

Yes that is normal. I have the m444 and it is the same way. Let me know what you/your wife thinks about the 608 I have been thinking about getting one for some time now.

John