S&W or Taurus or other?

[jgreiner]

Which is the better gun for the money and the long haul? Wear and tear? Maintains its value? Thank you.

S&W, hands down. Go ask any gun dealer that sells both, and ask which one is in for repairs the most.

Plus, S&W customer service is outstanding, Taurus is extremely slow and unpredictable.

You can't go wrong with a S&W. Just avoid their Sigma series.

 

[jgreiner]

Taurus isn't the best at anything.

Manufacturing Customer complaints?

 

[jgreiner]

Why does no one mention Colt?

Colt isn't what they used to be.

 

[jgreiner]

Well, there's a few different questions there.

S&W will hold its value more, but a lot of folks won't buy a key-hole S&W, so the long term collectability/price for new purchases is more questionable than older models.

Which will hold up longer? Ruger. Rugers are overbuilt by design. Whatever caliber its chambered for, you can run a bazillion rounds through it and not worry it. Its unlikely you'll ever wear out a S&W or Taurus, either, but a Ruger will outlive you by a good margin.

Best for the money? That's really subjective. Taurus is cheaper up front, and all but their earliest models are "good enough" for about any use. I use one of their .38s as my backup and its a great pistol. Is a S&W better? I didn't shoot the comparable S&W any better, and certainly not $150 better. The only 5 shot I've ever done better with is a Colt, and I don't like the cylinder release on those, but I'm wondering off topic.

the internal locks can be removed very easily. There is a youtube video showing exactly how, takes about 30 minutes, at most. And even with the lock, I would trust a S&W with my life far more than I would a Taurus.

 

[speedywillie]

Thank you everyone for the comments. I'm really leaning towards a S&W revolver and will plan to go that route unless someone can convince me otherwise. The nickel plated caught my eye at first, but I'm convinced that stainless is the way to go.

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

S&W or Ruger. like BehindBlueI's noted above rugers where made for people who reload, ya can run 'em hot with no problems, i love my .357 , not sure how they compare with S&W on keeping thier value.

 

[davedolli]

Taurus makes fine 1911s I have 2 of them and they have always ran perfect.

Dave

 

[ffsupra23]

Smith and Wesson all the way

 

[10Forward]

My wife owns the S&W .38 Bodyguard, loaded with 38 +P. Nice concealed carry piece, built solid, and extremely reliable.

 

[Osobuco]

Pre-lock smith and wesson all the way!

 

[MolonLabe7]

go with anything but a taurus... never had any luck with those pieces of trash.... Get a S&W M&P 9mm. or a glock

 

[seldon14]

Thank you everyone for the comments. I'm really leaning towards a S&W revolver and will plan to go that route unless someone can convince me otherwise. The nickel plated caught my eye at first, but I'm convinced that stainless is the way to go.

If you are ok with a .38 keep an eye out online for a S&W 64. It's a stainless .38 and they show up a lot as police or security trade ins for ~$300, usually in fantastic mechanical shape (some minor scratches and wear on the outside is pretty common though). They often seem to be the more desirable pre lock versions as well.

 

[rugertoter]

I would think the Smith & Wesson over the Taurus. I have never had any problems with S&W, but have had(on occasion) with Taurus.

 

[LD36]

Taurus resale isnt good. I have had several Taurus revolvers and have only has one issue with a 22 caliber (cylinder timing was off but quickly fixed). I regretfully sold my Public Defender Judge (probably the most fun i have ever had shooting a revolver) but still currently have a 454 Raging Bull and love it. No problems and Taurus is definitely cheaper than S&W. Ruger makes a damn good gun for the money too. If resale potential was a concern, I'd go with Ruger personally.

 

[marv]

Colt isn't what they used to be.

No one is.