Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I've switched gears in shopping for a .38 for concealed carry and I've narrowed it down to either Rossi, Ruger or Taurus. I've been reading a lot of both positive and negative reviews on Ruger and Taurus and my uncle swears by his Rossi, but just wanted to pick everyone's brains here. The Taurus I was looking at is the 856. I'll have to do some digging to find out what model Rossi my uncle carries. Any recommendations?

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Try a Ruger SP101 on for size

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

That's like a comparison of a Yugo, a Mercedes Benz, or a Fiat.

Ruger. End of discussion.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

How's the recoil on that model?

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Based on personal experience:

1st choice Ruger
2nd choice Taurus
3rd choice Rossi

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I only shot .38sp with it, recoil was no problem.

If you buy a Ruger, go to http://rugerforum.net/gunsmithing/17...tml#post184725 , and get hold of Iowegan to see if he has finished the SP101 addendum to his new IBOK. The IBOK will tell you everything about the gun and give you the knowledge to do your own trigger smoothing.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I used to have a Rossi 357 magnum 2" snubnose. It was just ok - nothing special. The big positive is how inexpensive they are. Academy Sports has a great price on the Stainless 357 mag 2" revolvers - which I would pick over a 38 since it should be a bit tougher -and can fire 38s anyway.

Academy has these for $299: http://www.academy.com/index.php?pag...358-03613-6202

http://www.academy.com/images/produc...13-6202-p1.jpg

I don't think they have made any changes to these since I have owned them, and the one I owned didn't have a transfer bar - which meant that even though the capacity was six, it was safer to carry five rounds and have the hammer sit on an empty chamber.

For the price, it is not a bad deal in Stainless. Having owned Rossi, Taurus and Ruger revolvers - if I had to choose one it would be the Ruger. If I was just looking for a cheap revolver for the car or occasional carry, where I wouldn't mind if something happened to it - then the Rossi would be ok. Personally, though, I would save up some extra money and buy a Ruger over either the Taurus or Rossi.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Ruger makes fine guns....I'd pick Ruger over the other 2 brands.

I never liked the Ruger 2" revolver...I think they call is a SP101 or something like that.....it is way too heavy compared to a "J" frame S&W.

I looked at a brand new Rossi just for fun a few months ago - the finish looked pretty good - but the cylinder lock-up was very poor - tons of rotational slop - no idea if the timing was any good....might be a real lead "spitter". It would work to defend your life...but why not just spend a bit more and get a better gun?!?

I've carried an alloy frame "J" frame S&W....and I even wish that gun weighed less.

If you are after a pants pocket gun....even an alloy snubby is a bit big.

In my experience - get the lightest gun you can for all carry purposes.

If you are on a tight budget - look at Charter Arms in one of their alloy guns.

Pretty much every commercially produced gun you have reasonably heard of will be functional, reliable and get the job done. If you plan on shooting A LOT - the lower cost/quality guns will probably fail first....but all guns will fail at some point....but that is typically after tens of thousands of rounds. I try to not shoot my carry gun too much. I get lots of range time via weekly shooting sports - so training is not an issue.

BTW: you don't need a lot of training to defend your life - you'll know what to do if you think about it in advance - a prepared mind is the most important part of the man-gun combo.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Ruger lcr or lcp hands down. I just picked up mine this weekend. both Lightweight, very fun to shoot with little recoil, lcp barely visible in my front pocket.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I have the Rossi 461 snub in .357 blued steel. It's a good quality piece for a good price, but mine was purchased for home defense rather than carry. It's heavy and not especially attractive, but seems reliable and accurate.

For daily carry, though, I would want to spend more and get something with impeccable reliability, fit, finish and feel. That's the Ruger.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

The Smith and Wesson "J" frame should be at the top of the list, with Ruger second, Taurus and Rossi distant third and fourth.
Maybe you can find an older J frame with a tight cylinder. A lot of them were used for concealed carry and not practice. You can find good used ones around $350 or so. The Ruger SP-101 is just as good if you don't mind the weight. I prefer S+W J frames.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Attachment 87583

The six inch is a Dan Wesson I've owned for more than thirty years.

The four inch is a Taurus and belongs to my wife.

The two inch Rossi's are mine and I've had them for about four years.

They are ALL six shot so we can use the same speed loaders. All are .357 magnums.

We love our wheel guns.

Don't like Ruger. Their newer stuff is not that great (some exceptions apply), but a lot of their older stuff is OK. Kind of like buying S&W. You couldn't give me a new S&W revolver, but I'd kill for one made prior to 1980.

Just a retired gunsmith's two cents...

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I haven't kept up on revolvers but I have handled new Ruger, Taurus and S&W at the shop. I'm sure they'll all fire but they all left me with a lukewarm feeling in regards to the quality of their manufacture. They just looked and felt like mass produced MIM guns. Who does make a good revolver these days?

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I can't get the A10 speed loader to work very well with my Rossi 461- the cylinder doesn't swing out far enough to clear the fat handgrip. It's actually faster for me to hand load.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Taurus makes Rossi wheel guns, I have a Rossi 461 .357 and love it, best grip ever put on a pistol. I have a thing for older Ruger wheel guns and have several. For carry, if you can find one, the Ruger speed six is a fantastic pocket pistol. I cant find the article right now but the speed six 2" had tighter tolerances and increased velocity 10-15 % over a 2" smith or taurus.

If you buy a speed six and dont like it I will buy it from you.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

The Ruger sp-101 is built like a tank, but it is heavy. If I was going to get a wheel gun for CC I would choose the Ruger LCR or S&W 642/442.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Ruger SP-101 owner (3�) and shooting novice.

If by �concealed carry� you mean �pocket,� I�d rule out the SP-101.

Put that thing in your pocket, and your pants will fall down.

I plan to get my CCW permit Real Soon Now, and when I finally do I�ll probably buy a Ruger LCR or a J-frame S&W.

The always helpful man behind the counter at my friendly neighborhood gun store tells me that he has shot both, and prefers the J-frame.

(I suspect, however, that he might be an Old Timer who just doesn�t like the look and feel of that newfangled LCR.:biggrin: )

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

About 5 years ago, I bought my wife a Taurus 85 Ultra-Lite in 38 Special for a concealed carry revolver. 5 shots, single/double action, 2 inch barrel, +P rated. I only compared the S&W and the Taurus, I could see no significant difference in fit and finish for the money difference.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I'd forget the Ruger (even the LCR). Look for a used S&W that isn't shot to hell, or consider a new Taurus. New prices on S&W revolvers are stupid, IMO.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Out of those 3 I would go with a Ruger but I carry a S&W 642, all day, everyday. :ok:

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Out of the 3 that you mention, the Ruger would be the highest quality followed by Taurus and then Rossi. If you are going for concealed carry, the Ruger LCR would get my vote over the SP101. But, as others have said I think you are doing yourself a disservice by not looking at a S&W J frame. The 442 & 642 are both good options and if you want to fork over a few more bucks you could look at a 340 in .357.

I recently went through this same process. I really liked the SP101, but it isn't built for carry. You could almost carry two 6/442s for the same weight as the SP101. I'm not sold on the concept of a polymer framed snubnose yet. Taurus has some new ones coming out, but I need to see some long term results.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

+1 on the sp101:ok: heavy but a fine gun (like the 357/38sp dual caliber option)

for CCW i would go with a S&W-642-hammerless-airweight

i do own both guns mentioned

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I havent ever used a Rossi....i see your a gunsmith and own 2....am i missing out? what do you like about them? compared to for example the ruger sp101 or a S&W J frame.....cost really isnt a issue to me...Thx

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I would go with the ruger if your intention is to CC. I own a taurus 85 ultralite which is actually pretty nice too. I have seen the LCR selling for as low as $369 though. At that price I would buy the LCR considering its smooth trigger, and recoil reduction traits.

Longevity does however fall with the taurus (if we are talking snubnose CC revolvers) because the LCR has not been around for long.

Flip a coin, slap a hooker, and take a dump on your neighbor's lawn. After those three actions you will have your answer.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

That's like a comparison of a Yugo, a Mercedes Benz, or a Fiat.

Ruger. End of discussion.

Amazing! I was about to post the same responce.... even had Yugo in mind but had not picked the others for comparison.

I have 2 Ruger SP101's and they are great.
I have even more S&W J frames and like them too. I carry a S&W 640 in .357
The Ruger seems a little more sturdy and it breakes down by removing only one screw in the grip (and some push out pins, no hammer and punch needed though). The S&W has a bunch of screws.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Of the three listed, I would choose Ruger. After owning samples of all three manufacturers' revolvers, the only ones left in my safe are two Ruger SP-101s. That said, for pocket carry, my choices would be older S&W M640s and the Colt Detective Special, Agent, or Cobra models.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Tman,
Sorry, been a bit busy the past couple of days.

The thing is, I LIKE ROSSI. They make one of the few six shot .357 snubbies IN BLUE these days.

The parts inside them are all machined, not MIM. At least, the ones I've purchased over the years have had no MIM.

And any S&W made since the early 90's will have MIM parts.

I don't like Ruger. I just don't.

But the SP101 is a nice five shot revolver. I just don't like five shots. Though I have owned several.

I don't like seven or eight shot revolvers either.

Just call me old school.

Now, if you could find me a S&W J frame snubbie made prior to 1980 in blue, I'd buy it in a heart beat. In .357 mag. Ditto for Colt.

Just my personal preferences. That's all. Plus YEARS of shooting all the snubbies. I've owned quite a few. And these are the ones I've kept.

To this day, I regret selling a .41 Mag S&W snubbie made for Lew Horton in a limited run in blue. That was one sweet revolver. It's just that in .41 mag it just wasn't the gun for me.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I would agree with that comment totally. One other option....A Smith bodyguard. You can find really good ones for around $500. They carry like a dream, and there aint nuthin like an old school Smith.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

ruger all the way ...............

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

wallew, a couple questions. When you refer to a MIM part, are you talking about powder metallurgy components, or die castings?

Second, I've never fired a snubbie before, in any caliber, but I've thought about a .38 SPL, or a .357 Mag snubbie and am not sold on the Ruger LCR at all. Does anyone actually shoot .357 Mag in a snubbie? I would imagine the muzzle blast to be ferocious! Are they manageable?

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Please look at my thread titled Ruger SP101

CC

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

357 sucks, IMO. Fire it one time without hearing protection and your ears will be ringing for life, as mine have since firing my 4" Ruger Security Six without ear plugs once in 1997.
I'd go with a 44 Special if the 38 is too light.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

EHH??? WHADDA YAH SAY SONNY?

LOL!

Yeah, my hearing has been shot for years.

To many loud guns, loud bikes, loud music, basically a LOUD LIFE.

Big deal. I now have an excuse when I didn't do something the wife TOLD me to do. I DIDN'T HEAR IT!

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I shoot my Rossi 2" snub with both .38 special wadcutters and full-blown .357 defensive rounds. There's a huge difference. Hang on tight, because it hammers the web of your hand pretty good, and yes, the fireball is unreal. The Rossi grip is excellent, though. I usually only shoot 6 or 12 rounds of the hot stuff per outing.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Ruprick had a good post about trying .357 Mag at night, in a defensive mode. Result; you end up blind and deaf for quite awhile. I figure one should buy a revolver chambered in .357 Mag, even if you only intend on shooting defensive (+P) .38 Spl through it. The cost of the weapon is about the same and you retain the advantage of being able to shoot .357 Mag through it, even if you don't.

I'm thinking strongly about that Rossi .357 SS snubbie from Academy for $299. A better choice than the LCR, IMO. All steel, heavier for sure, but I don't think polymer revolvers are the way to go. I saw a YouTube vid about gas scoring on the polymer upper frame of the LCR.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

Dry fire the Ruger LCR. If you find a revolver with a better trigger, buy it.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I've fired many weapons at night. With and without hearing protection.

A couple of things happen.

First thing is you WILL have momentarily loss of night vision. You will also experience auditory exclusion.

NEITHER will keep you from the fight.

I personally have practiced this many times and you just push on through. Both of the issues mentioned will not keep you from functioning.

You also must be aware of having your vision narrow down and cause you to not be situationally aware as you could be. SO you must keep sweeping the area constantly.

And you literally won't NOTICE the weight of the weapon during the fight.

AFTER THE FIGHT, yeah sure. Also you will probably have a pretty tight grip on it, so having a hefty chunk of steel in your hand is not a bad thing.

Re: Rossi, Ruger or Taurus .38?
 

I'm happy with the Rossi as a reliable weapon for home defense and marksmanship training. I am considering switching to +P loads for home defense because I'm not sure I could shoot the .357 loads accurately with my left hand if I needed to.