The Taurus 66 357 Magnum Revolver

I am not a huge fan of Taurus, but this is one of the finer weapons that they make. I actually picked this one up from someone who thought it had a bit too much power at a really good price. It has a rather intimidating appearance and also is very easy to handle and shoot. This is very common with revolvers compared to semi-automatic pistols. Most gun shops will recommend revolvers to people who plan to just have it in case and don't plan to shoot it very often.

This is a seven shot revolver as opposed to the standard six shooter. It is made of steel with a satin finish and rubber grips. The action can be used single or double action meaning that you can either cock the hammer each time you shoot or just squeeze the trigger. The barrel is six inches and weighs 40 ounces. It is a 357 magnum, but you can shoot .38 special loads in it. This will save you money when you target practice. You could then just keep the .357 for self defense. Another benefit to this is that the .38 has much less kick. I am not being sexist here, but many people seem to think women prefer to shoot .38 special. I know the .357 gives my wife a hard time, but she is fine with the lower power of the .38 special. You can purchase a speed loader or two separately for it if you are concerned with quick reloading. Taurus also makes very similar .357 Magnums that go up to 8 shots. You can find these for about $450-$480 online and at gun shops. I got mine for $200, but that was just because the person was really looking to get rid of it. I would expect to pay at least $375-$400 for a used one depending on condition.

I found it to be a very surprisingly good gun. It is fairly accurate and the sites are very easy to use. It has a bit of a kick in .357, but not too much for me to handle. My wife thought it was too strong and shot .38 when she was up. It appears to be very well made. I personally really like Glocks, so this is heavy to me since it is all metal. If someone really wants a revolver this is not a bad choice, but for the same money you could get a Glock 9mm that will hold 17 shots. I would choose that weapon any day over a revolver. If you are someone who wants a .357 revolver then this is probably one of the better ones that are available. When you factor in the price it makes it a great deal. I also like the fact that Taurus makes these to hold extra rounds than the standard six shooter.

There is really nothing that I can say negative about the gun. There are many people that seem to have problems with Taurus semi-automatic pistols, but their revolvers usually don't have many problems. It is pretty hard to mess up a revolver with the exception of the .22 rim fire pistols.

Sources and for further reading.

www.budsgunshop.com

www.taurus.com