titanium handgun?

Midget

Midget

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Jun 1, 2002
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i'm looking for a featherweight revolver for concealed carry.

i was thinking about the taurus, full titanium revolver series in .38/.357mag.

how does titanium hold up to the kind of stress involved in shooting? especially in such a small weapon, firing .357 bullets. will it hold up? i don't know of any other companies that make titanium framed weapons... but i've heard bad things overall about taurus. any other suggestions on reputable companies for revolvers? i've read smith/wesson is going downhill these days. and does colt make firearms for the civilian market at all anymore? i can't find a non-military/non-police website for them...


any suggestions?
 
The main downside with Ti-framed revolvers tends to be rather vicious recoil. That can be mitigated with decent grips...
Taurus seems to make a fairly decent weapon; I've had one of the Chief's Special knockoffs for many years.
 
Please don't get a taurus. I made that mistake and I will NOT make it again. They work. That's it, accuracy, ehh, reliability, maybe? that means no. For such an important tool do spend what it takes to ENSURE quality. My two cents would save you more than money is worth.

maybe a walther ppc, or my edc (except at work which is a FTZ) a beretta tomcat
 
I have a stainless Taurus 44 mag and the new PT1911 they came out with and they both are accurate and of very good quality. I wouldnt have any problem buying a Taurus as long as I got to handle it first. I have had a few people tell me their copy of the Beretta 92 isnt very good though.
 
Taurus no longer manufactures smaller caliber titanium handguns is what I was told by a dealer last week. He claimed that the high price of titanium caused them to stop making the revolvers I always coveted. They had stainless barrel liners but were, for the most part, titanium and very light. I saw only a few Ti Taurus revolvers (all large cal.) at the Expo last weekend. Can anyone verify this. If true then it looks like I missed out on a good thing.

oregon
 
I'm not sure how much lighter you could possibly want a revolver to be than the scandium/titanium ones currently being offered by S&W.
 
Upside to the small scandis/titaniums is the lightweight. The downside is they kick lick a mule on steroids. I shot a 5 shot .38 special, one of the smiths, with the exposed backstrap grips -- I've never had a handgun hurt me that badly, and I've tried em all, all the way up to .500 SW... I seriously question whether you can practice with them comfortably enough to become proficient - without gloves or a big old hogue or pachmayr stuck on em. gunblast.com does have an interesting article on one of the fullsize scandi .357 smiths -- it was favorable but I believe it was due to the fullsize grip frame...
 
Bronco you mean the "scandium " revolvers which are aluminum with a small amount of scandium !! Both "scandium " and titanium revolvers are much better with lighter loads !! Use 38 or 38+P in the 357 and you'll be happier .
 
Also take a look at the charter arms bulldog in .44 special -- wellmade, concealable, relatively light weight, shoots big bullets in a easy, rolling recoil cartridge. The backup to my shotgun as a housegun is my ruger sp101 if you are considering other small .357s.
 
from what i have heard/read, the early s&w models had some trouble with +p loads.

currently, that does not appear to be an issue, they make several models chambered for .357 mag.

my experience with taurus has been similar to rat's. i have a 2" .38, and it is built well, like a tank, and accurate.
 
if i wanted a ti revolver i would get one of the S&W "J" frames in .38 special, the 357 mag version of this is not fun to shoot at all, and i shoot big bore stuff all the time, i wouldnt get a 357 one unless i was very used to recoil and it didnt bother me, the recoil is bad enough that imho training would be a PITA with one.

not much diff from a snub anyway in 38/357.

imho the taurus is a pretty good one too, i dont think the trigger on taurus revolvers is too great but the last new S&W "J" i messed with wasnt too great either, taurus wouldnt be bad i suppose.
 
go with the smith & wesson over the taurus. you wont regret it! they may cost a little more but going first class is well worth it when it comes to defensive handguns! ,,,VWB.
 
The way I see it, there is no reason to get the .38 over the .357. Even if you only plan to use .38 in it, why wouldn't you want a stronger (can handle hotter loads) weapon in the same sized package
 
spyder10 said:
The way I see it, there is no reason to get the .38 over the .357. Even if you only plan to use .38 in it, why wouldn't you want a stronger (can handle hotter loads) weapon in the same sized package
Click to expand...

Maybe they don't want the temptation?:D
 
I have the Taurus 44 spcl with an alloy frame and 2.25 in bbl. It is ported and has what they call Nubber grips. It is very comfortable to shoot and if you get within 30 yards of me you are dead meat. Since most gunfights occur at 8-10 feet, the distance limitations are not an issue for me. The accuracy is only an issue at extending distances due to the barrel length. It is very light and very dependable. I carry it on a daily basis. Everyone who has shot this gun loves it. I paid $180.00 for it. The titanium frames are more expensive, but I am happy with the alloy. My wife carries a spurless Ruger SP101 in .357. Great gun. The only thing I would change is porting the barrel.
Terry
 
spyder10 said:
The way I see it, there is no reason to get the .38 over the .357. Even if you only plan to use .38 in it, why wouldn't you want a stronger (can handle hotter loads) weapon in the same sized package
Click to expand...

In revolvers that are available in both calibers the only difference is the length of the chambers; they are equally strong.

Some reloaders prefer to get it chambered in .38 Special so they can use the cheaper cases without making the bullet jump a gap and load them to magnum pressure levels. (You can't just put a powder charge for the longer case into the shorter case, though; you have to work up a safe load for the shorter case.)
 
Bronco said:
I'm not sure how much lighter you could possibly want a revolver to be than the scandium/titanium ones currently being offered by S&W.
Click to expand...

I agree with you there!! I love my S&W in Sc & Ti.

I do not care for Taurus either.
 
Most of the time, I carry an all-steel S&W Model 60 with a Clipdraw. It weighs only 22 ounces, just 10 ounces more than the 340. It's also $300 cheaper and actually shootable. If you're happy with .38 +P, a Model 642 AirWeight is only 15 ounces, and still way cheaper than the Scandium.
 
I trust that you are well built, tough and very experienced. It hurts and I can't hit a 7m target with one. The Range officer commented that the safest place was to be infront of one if I was holding it and recommended that I revert to throwing it for any effect. Having had my eye on one for some time I was disappointed. Most other shooters faired little better.

I did witness a Staff member of the US embassy use one rapid fire all into the head zone of a 7m IPSC target.
 
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