Taurus Tracker?

D

dead-eye-ked

New member
Hello folks,

I am new to this site / forum, and desided to jump in w/ both feet. I am looking for opinions of the Tauras Tracker 627 (specificly) I was looking at one, and like it in the 4" model. I have seen a couple posts however that discribe problems? I am not going to ( at least hope not ) use it for ccw or home protection as much as in hunting situations. A camp gun, for in the tent while I am sleeping. or while out for deer, to use as finishing shot, or vs. preditors. I realize a .41, 0r something else in 44 mag would be a lot more effective vs say bear. but I like the .357 still and when I am home I will use it for home protection. This would not be my CCW, or anything like that. I already like the Sig 226 for that.

Any info I can get would be helpful.. the good, the bad, or the ugly. I have had a S&W 629 clasic 44 mag, and got rid of it. It was to expencive to shoot just for fun and, it was unwieldly for carry, and I didnt find I was as accurate with it as my p226. This again will only be at home for home defence, or in camping or hunting / fishing situations gun, so I like the 4" over snubbies.
 
A

azredhawk44

Moderator
If you're concerned at all, just look in a different direction.

Ruger GP100 or Smith 586/686. Both are excellent choices, probably better than the Taurus, offered in 357.
 
F

FirstFreedom

Moderator
Well, the tracker has a nice sized grip and handy overall size that I really like. Plus it scores quite high in the looks department. But you have to ask yourself about whether you want to risk getting one of Taurus's lemons - some years they're rare, and some years (lately it seems) they are more common. I've had good luck with several Taurus revolvers, and still have 3. Since it's for hunting, not self-defense, your life doesn't depend on it. So you might take a chance if you find a good deal. Is the 627 the 6 shot or 7 shot model of .357? I'd want a 6 shot over the 7 shot model, so that the cylinder is beefier - would make me feel more comfortable with full house loads. A lot of people are pleased with Taurus. But there are a lot of very vocal unhappy campers too, who get Tauri that break a part or bind up cylinders in short order......
 
T

Taurus_9mm

New member
I have a Taurus Tracker .357 with the 6" tube and couldn't be more pleased with both the price I paid for it (LNIB for $260.00) its performance and its aesthetics. If I had to cite one thing I didn't like, at least initially, it was the grips. They have grown on me over a period of time though and I didn't swap them out as I had originally intended.

Personally speaking, I got a solid gun for a decent price. :)
 
D

dead-eye-ked

New member
Tracker 627

The one I am looking at is the 7 round, and ribber grip. I am a left handed shooter, and like the way the ribber felt in my hand. I am a fair size man at 6'1" and 200 lbs I tend to like the medium to large frame weapons where practical to use. I have had great luck in the past with Ruger, and w/ the S&Ws except the mentioned 629 classic I didn't like much. I felt the 6-1/2" bbl was hard to use comfortably. I have only had 1 Tauras before and it was a .22 simi-auto I hated it and got rid of it with-in 30 days of owning it. But the revolvers look nice ( I do not wish to trust my life to looks.. lol ) And seems solid, with a life time warranty . Now I like the factory porting, some may some may not. Also I do like the sites, it seemed to draw well and I was able to acquire my target cleanly, and quickly. I have never in my life needed to draw a pistol for self defense. On the other hand if I needed to I do not want to be caught with my shorts down either.

I have actually found very little info on the trackers. and that is what inspired the post here. I want to hear what others think.:confused:

Thank you for your thoughts on the tracker.
 
C

clayking

New member
I've always wanted to try many different pistols from different manufacturers. I recently found a NIBTracker 455ss (discontinued), which shoots the .45 ACP. I had trouble out of the box as the first day I went to the range, it failed to fully cock many times. I sent it in, and it has come back fully repaired and I shot it today, so it is repaired and working. I love the Trackers looks, I like the grips, and it shoot well. The price is excellent, as long as the quality holds up. However, it will be shot for a year or so before I venture into the Taurus world again, just so I can check out how it holds up at the range.

As for the Ruger, I also own a .357 Blackhawk with the additional 9mm cylinder. Not as pretty as the Taurus, but shots well, about the same price as the 455......................ck
 
D

dogfood

New member
d-e-k:

I have a model 627 stainless with 6" barrel. It has been 100% reliable for me through 2000+ rounds (mostly .38 target loads). My two issues:

1) I could never get used to the funky ribber grip.

2) Because it is ported, I got real tired of cleaning lead off the front sight and barrel.

So it now sits in the safe.

dogfood
 
A

azredhawk44

Moderator
dead-eye-ked: To add to my first post...

I was considering one of these on two occasions.

First time was for a carry-able 4" backpacking revolver in .357. I went with the sp101 3" due to size comparisons and grip comparisons.

Second time was for a 6" hunting and plinking revolver in 44mag. I went with the Redhawk 5.5" due to grip comparisons and strength.

Grip comparison: The ribber grip puts my middle finger way too close to the trigger guard. I can imagine the recoil grinding my knuckle into the trigger guard repeatedly during an afternoon of shooting. My redhawk did that even with the factory grips, and I changed to hogue contoured hardwood grips to fix the problem.

Ribber grips are terrible, IMO. Stay away from any Taurus with ribber grips. Replace with Hogue rubber monogrip for $20 as a last resort.
 
D

dairycreek

New member
dead-eye-ked:)

At the outset I must tell you that I am NOT a fan of Taurus products at all. I have owned several and had a lot of trouble with them and with Taurus making good on their warranty. Two things Taurus definitely does not do well with are production quality control and customer service.

Having said that, the Tracker 627 I had was one revo I didn't have any problems with and, while I had it, it was a pretty darned good shooter. So, FWIW I won't buy any more Taurus products because life is just too darned short to pout up with their hassle.

Give Ruger a look.
 
D

dead-eye-ked

New member
Tracker opinions

The ribber grip felt good to me, although you can get the rubber grip also, or after market grips. That was not as big of a concern to me as was 1 person said they had a revolver that would not shot in single action. That worried me, as I said before my first Taurus experience was awful as within a week of owning the magazine fell apart. it was a break action Sim-auto .22lr and just wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn ifin you were standing inside.

I have never owned a .357 and like the idea of one for in the home defense, or a camp gun. hunting pistol. I have always loved Ruger, and my first rifle was a 10/22 and 22 years later has to still be one of my all time favorites. then there is the mini-14 I liked it, but always felt to short to me, now I am just sick over the fact I got rid of it, I used to regularly take jack rabbits, and coyotes with it. Now I have a bolt action .223 and its more accurate, and I love it too. My uncle had a black hawk, and I really loved it. His son got it when he passed away though.

I seem to be the only one that likes the ribber grips, and I need to just goto a range I suppose and shoot 1. I figured no one could screw up a revolver so I didn't give a lot of thought to it just being poor quality. It looks purty, but as I once said. I certainly do NOT wish to trust my life to any firearm cause it looks good.

One person said:

"Since it's for hunting, not self-defense, your life doesn't depend on it."

I do not see it that way at all.. I would think quite the opposite. If I encounter a Cat, or a pack of dogs that decide to claim my fallen game as their own, or I need it to signal fire, or ( while not a bear gun ) for the loud report to scare off a bear. I would think my life could very well depend on it. That was also a big reason I like the Stainless steel. I do not want a gun that could spend a day on my hip, then not work for me because it rusted, or jammed.

It may sound as if I made up my mind, but I have not. I also like S&W, and Ruger. I just have a chance to get a 627 at a good price, but a good price paid for a pistol that gets you killed when you really need it, is not a good price in the end..

I have never felt a moment of hesitation with my p226, but its just not a field gun. Its a street gun a CCW, or a home defense weapon. Not a gun I want in a duck pond, or on the snake river while steel head fishing all day, or a pistol I would carry to deliver the coup 'd grace to a wounded deer.

I have not found any reviews on the tracker in guns n ammo, outdoor life, or many if any websites, short of this one. and then all I heard was 2 guys, 1 that could not shoot SA and 1 that had a pin apparently turn and had trouble till he found the trouble and fixed it. While I know any gun can have issues, if there are only 2 problems ever reported, that to me isn't the end of the world. What DID concern me BAD was the poor experience with customer service. THAT to me is a big issue. That more then anything will make me re-think the Taurus option. Although I have not given up on it, I am still looking for any opinions, or experience, or other resources people have regarding the Tracker.
 
B

bodab

New member
i'll keep this short. i have a 444 ulta lite in .44 mag, its a tauras, i've shoot 100's of rounds and the ONLY problems i have had are the ones that i've made. i was cleaning it with my head up my @$$ and and i spring shot a part under the dish washer never to be seen again!
 
S

Stargazer

New member
I'm the one who has the 45 Tracker that Taurus has had in it's possesion longer than I have. One thing I have noticed is the ribber grip does put my knuckle in contact with the trigger guard and after a shooting session I can still feel it a day or two later. That said.....

If I get it back and it still locks up, I will request another revolver in a different caliber from them. I have not heard many bad things about the Tracker .357's or 44 Magnums, just the 45 ACP's.

I do not plan on selling it and passing along a problem to another soul, if they get it fixed and I keep it, what other grip options are there? The Ribber grip mounts with one Allen head screw from the bottom of the grip.
 
J

jsflagstad

New member
I Have the Tracker 627 Titanium

I have the Tracker 627 Titanium. This is one fine looking light good utility gun! With that said, I have had a few issues with it. It has been back to Taurus 3 times for issues. Intermittantly the cylinder did not want to advance and one time it cost me a wall hanger buck as I had no follow up shot. It went back twice for this as they failed to fix it the firs time. The other time it went back was for a new cylinder as the cylinder to barrel clearance was too wide and the pressure began to erode the cylinder. It is fixed now and works great. I have over 3000 rounds through this gun as I shoot it often.

My buddy bought this same gun the same day I bought mine, they are 1 serial number apart, and he has absolutely no issues with his.

I really do like the gun, the Titanium version is awsome to carry all day in the woods as a side arm and it's very accurate. (75 yard White Tail Kills).

JSF
 
J

JKump

New member
I currently have a Taurus Tracker stainless with the 4" barrel in 7 shot. I like this weapon allot, and have had zero problems. This year I even took a deer two weeks ago with it.:) Also I am a police officer and was able to qualify with this weapon along with my duty weapon. (The course is designed for autos.) The weapon is very accurate (a least for me) and handy. It will serve well as a hunting/fishing back up. Also you have that one extra round (7 shot) if needed. The ribber grips feel fine to me. I have two with these grips (The Tracker and a Model 617 total ti). I get excellent grips with the ribber grip, and if your hand is wet the rubber help you keep your grip. I feel you cannot go wrong with this weapon; I once owned a Ruger GP100 (which is another fine handgun), however, I like this Taurus better. Another thing, I am not even going to bring up the price and the warranty offered for the weapon. Good luck, with which ever you chose, but you can't go wrong with the Taurus Tracker.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top