So thinking about picking up a revolver to add to the mix mainly range use. Man those things have gotten pricey. What do you guys think about the Taurus Model 66 with the orange insert on the front sight? I’m also looking at a Colt King Cobra Target, Ruger GP Match and maybe a Smith. I want something with a good visible front sight. I really dig the full underlug versions.
People who are staying stay away from Taurus are stuck in the past, aren't credible, and/or have a bias. Taurus is currently better and more reliable than current S&W revolvers. Taurus has better QC. Period. They either aren't being objective or they just aren't that educated on the CURRENT status of Taurus. Take their uninformed or outdated advice with a grain of salt. I own a plethora of revolvers (Taurus, S&W, Ruger, and the new Colts). I have No reservations about buying a current model Taurus. I wouldn't buy a S&W unless I could do an detailed inspection first with measurement tools and all.
Colt has one of the worst warranties but the highest price point. They don't stand by their products. Their warranty only last one year for the original owner only. After that, you're on the hook for shipping both ways, parts, and labor if anything goes wrong or breaks prematurely.
Ruger and Taurus seem to be doing better than most on the QC side of things. S&W revolvers are good, but their factory acceptable tolerances are on the lower end of standards compared to their past and other manufacturers. It's a crapshoot and luck
of the draw and f you get a good one or not. Taurus is good to go except for their 856. Their 856 has timing issues. It's a design flaw and not a QC problem. Their other offerings are good to go. Ruger is Ruger, i.e., rugged and utilitarian with the best in class customer service.
Kimber's K6S is very well made and doesn't have many issues. They had teething issues when they were first released, but those have long since been solved. The original firing pin was made out of titanium and was prone to breakage. They resigned the geometry of the firing pin and went went with stainless steel instead.
DiamondBack (DB) has their new SDR revolver out that's worth a look. It's a light weight, J-frame sized, 6 shot 357. The forcing cone looks thinner than others, but so far there hasn't been any reported issues. Unlike Colt, DB should will back their product if issues should arise. I've only seen one YouTube influencer report an issue, but it seems that DB is taking care of it.
