Taurus Model 444 UltraLite .44 Mag vs. S&W Model 329PD

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Para Bellum

New member
Do you think there is a quality gap between that Taurus and that S&W revolvers? Taurus costs about half of the S&W. The Taurus is 2.3 oz heavier than the S&W.

Taurus:
444MULTI.jpg

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=204&category=Revolver

S&W:
163414_large.jpg

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...selected=tech&isFirearm=Y&parent_category_rn=
 
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liliysdad

New member
I am going to vote an unequivical yes. The Smith is a better designed, executed, and manufactured gun. Granted, the gap has narrowed somewhat in the last few years, but Taurus has a long way to go before it is closed.
 
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WESHOOT2

New member
my Taurus is a PT22

You may compare S&W, Ruger, and Dan Wesson quality.

The rest (yes, all of them) are inferior (yes, exceptions apply, like Freedom Arms, individual examples, etc.).
 
P

Para Bellum

New member
What are you playing to use it for?
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let it lie in the vault in my office and carry it in case I was to groggy to bring one of my real carry guns (Glock 26, 19).
I recently had a fight (verbal only) with my wife and forgot to take my carry gun out of the safe at home and holster it.
Then I had two high-risk meetings and in the preparation for these meetings I realized that my holster was empty.
So I figured, an additional gun in my office would be nice (and an excuse to by a .44 :D )
So, the reason or use: Very occasional carry for SD and shooting bowling pins. My carry loads (9x19mm 73gr EMB) don't have the momentum for pins but are great against goblins and zombies...

About quality:
I usually carry Glocks. Beauty etc mean nothing to me. The revolver should be reliable, sufficiently accurate and tough. period. Would these criteria still speak for S&W, Ruger etc?
 
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IM_Lugger

New member
The only potentially negative thing I can think of about Taurus is that you would need medium-large hands since the grip is not that small...

I have a Raging Bull in .44mag 6.5" (same frame) and so far it's been a perfect revolver. The only 'problem' I have with it is that it's a bit heavy (55oz) for carry. But that's not a problem with the UltraLight version ;) BTW they also make a 4in Ultra light stainless version (no picture on Taurus website) and 2.5in versions as well...
 
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dairycreek

New member
Para Bellum

Do you think there is a quality gap between that Taurus and that S&W revolvers? Taurus costs about half of the S&W. The Taurus is 2.3 oz heavier than the S&W.
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I have been at this "gun thing" for more than forty years. I have owned a number of Taurus products and a number of Smith & Wesson products. There is no doubt in my mind that products made by Taurus are of significantly less quality than those of Smith & Wesson across the board. When it comes to customer service Taurus is particularly bad. I just won't buy their products any more. FWIW!
 
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Para Bellum

New member
I have been at this "gun thing" for more than forty years. I have owned a number of Taurus products and a number of Smith & Wesson products. There is no doubt in my mind that products made by Taurus are of significantly less quality than those of Smith & Wesson across the board. When it comes to customer service Taurus is particularly bad. I just won't buy their products any more. FWIW!
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Thanks, that helped!
PB
 
A

azredhawk44

Moderator
I recently had a fight (verbal only) with my wife and forgot to take my carry gun out of the safe at home and holster it.
Click to expand...

[sarcasm=on]
How dare you fight with your wife? Oral arguments? Obviously grounds to completely empty your gun vault in the dead of night with a no-nock SWAT/HRT raid. Just who do you think you are, expressing your opinion and standing by it?
[sarcasm=off]:p
 
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SD_Chop

New member
i have a taurus revolver also, so does my brother, and a friend, and another friend and so on. No body i have shot with, hunted with or anything has ever complained about the taurus. Is it a S&W? Hell no? Is it a quality revolver, well priced? Yes, absolutly, a working gun for a working man, i take my bull handgun hunting in the woods and weather and not worry about it. I take care of my stuff by something thats not a display gun, i rather not pay twice as much for it to bang around on outfits. I agree, there are better revolvers then taurus, but they have found a standpoint in chain where they have the quality for the price with and stand by it
 
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Mad Cow

New member
My wife & me own quite a few Taurus handguns revolvers & semiauto's never had a problem with any of them. I remember a few years ago when S&W made a deal with Clinton everyone was bad mouthing S&W http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/html/20000317_2.html now that S&W is american owned again people's oppinions have changed.

Para Bellum, if you haven't shot a light 44 mag I would recommend shooting one before you buy one. I shot a Taurus Ultralight 44 mag the recoil was almost as much as my Raging Bull 454 Casull.
 
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Baphomet

New member
dairycreek said:
I have been at this "gun thing" for more than forty years. I have owned a number of Taurus products and a number of Smith & Wesson products. There is no doubt in my mind that products made by Taurus are of significantly less quality than those of Smith & Wesson across the board.
Click to expand...
+1

Something worth reading on the subject of Taurus revolvers.
 
4

45reloader

New member
I own 6 Taurus guns and only ever had one spring break in the single action 45 LC.

On my long list of bad guns
G19-new had to get the barrel replaced.Now the serial #'s don't match on my new gun.:mad:

Ruger 345 major feed issues and failure to lock up and chamber a round.At Ruger now being fixed so it can be sold.

Bersa 45 same FTF was fixed but also sold off.

Springfield GI commander lightweight FTF.They made the fame perfect.But after parkerizing the slide to frame fit was to tight.Also put a wilson extractor to improve ejection.

I've had more but this just shows you ever major gun maker turns out poor guns.We have unlimited threads showing us such.

I'll take my Taurus guns any day of the week.
 
S

Socrates

Moderator
Well, my current S&W 360PD just had the lock lock the gun up, after about 100 rounds, and maybe, 3000 dry fires.

Action feels like it's made out of really cheap metal, no finishing, and, it doesn't seem to want to improve. I suspect
MIM parts in the action, though I can't be sure. It is getting a bit better, but, it's going on 10 thousand dry fires to do it.
I wonder about the wisdom of using MIM parts in such a hard recoiling gun, and, I would have the same concerns about the lightweight 44's...

It's funny, but, prior to this, I sort of discounted the MIM parts thing, and the lock stuff. Always figured it would happen to someone else's guns. However, after a broken slide stop, and broken safety, on two kimbers, and, this lock locking the gun up, on the S&W, I'm going to have to listen more...

S
 
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The Real Wyatt

New member
About four months ago I went to my local gunshop to purcase a .38 spcl. +P snubbie. I looked at and handled everything in the shop and it came down to two guns, a Taurus model 85 and a S&W model somethingorother. After due deliberation I purchased the Taurus ... cost was NOT a factor.

On that particular day between those two guns, the Taurus was the better gun by a fair margin. Better fit and finish, better action, better/smoother trigger ... just plain better.

I've since put about 1800 rounds of 158 gr lswchp +Ps thru the little snubbie and don't for a moment regret my decision. I purchased a quality gun that day. On a different day with different stock on hand it might have been a different story.

Oh, I might add that since that day the little M85 snubbie has been my BUG. Irrespective of what else I may carry, the M85 has been my constant companion since the day I brought it home, cleaned it and fired it.
 
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BigGun97B

Moderator
MODEL 444 ULTRALITE .44 MAGNUM failure on first shot

This is an old post that I found searching. I've been trying to find other people who have had some experience with this weapon. I do not want responses about how I should have bought a S&W. I already have a S&W Mdl 29 Classic .44mag with an 8 & 3/8" barrel. It's the 4th one I've owned. I just want to hear from people who have used this Taurus.

I went to the range and loaded this gun up with standard Winchester White Box .44 mag soft points. Pointed it at the target, aimed, pulled the trigger, and tried to pull the trigger again and the gun was locked up. I stopped, waited for about 30 seconds pointing downrange. Then went to looking at the gun to try to figure out what was wrong. I opened up the cylinder, it has a double locking system. That all worked OK and the cylinder rolled out like usual. No cracks in the frame. So I have a revolver that was brand new, shooting factory ammo that failed on me the first time I shot it and it was brand new and unfired prior to this event. I went ahead and shot it some more because the gun wasn't broken anywhere. I had several of these lockups. Almost every shot I would have to assist the cylinder to get it to rotate.

I'm returning this gun to Taurus. I recommend to everyone to stay away from this weapon. Only buy the solid stainless steel models or blued steel models of this gun. Given the right/wrong situation, basically the situations that I bought it for, self defense or dangerous game protection, this gun would have gotten me killed. Don't buy a 4 inch Taurus Ultra-Lite Titanium .44mag revolver. It might get you killed.
 
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Silverado

New member
Hi PB,

I have a Taurus PT1911 that I got a great deal on and I really like. I'm glad that as a newbie, I hadn't subscribed to the FLF yet and just bought the thing- had I seen all the negative posts on the forum I may have missed out on a weapon that has been reliable, accurate and nice to look at. Looking at the pic PB posted this Taurus is another good looking gun, though un-traditional.

Now that said, I also have a S&W 686+ and I like it too. If you like both of the .44Mags you're looking at equally and the price is not so much an issue, consider the Smith. My opinion (worth what you pay for) is that statistically you are likely to get a good shooter whichever way you go. However, I do think that 10 years from now, or (insert number here) years from now, the Smith will hold resale or increase in value if properly taken care of. I'm just not sure about the Taurus. I don't buy guns with the idea that I'll be selling them later, I just collect. However, my daughters will inherit the whole deal one day and it could be an issue for them if they don't keep and enjoy the weapons like I have.

One item that came up on one of the FLF threads a few days ago was interesting to me, regarding carry weapons. Someone posted a point that, God forbid, one had to use a carry weapon for SD. In the aftermath you will lose the weapon to LE as evidence. Even if the legal process completely clears one in the shooting, you probably will never get that handgun back. I believe his or her point was that carry weapons should first be reliable, and second, some thought given to having to surrender a Colt Python (or some other expensive or rare gun) to the local police locker. In another context, my pickup or my vintage Corvette (I wish) are equally capable to drive me down the hill to the supermarket for tonight's dinner. If I get wrecked in the pickup on the way there, my insurance pays and I go get another truck. If the its the old Corvette that gets wrecked, I'll never get over it!
 
F

Flogger

New member
Time for some intense Necroposting in the interest of helping my fellow wheelgunners!

The S&W 329PD explodes, the Taurus 444 Ultralite doesn't.

I hate Taurus triggers and shabby overall finish but in this case after seeing two 329PDs explode and another 4 have their steel blast shields come loose(one of them locking up the cylinder) I have to give Taurus their props.

Taurus built a stronger, more reliable lightweight 44 magnum revolver than Smith and Wesson despite their heavy, gritty triggers and crummy grips.
 
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