• Date Of Manufacture Abbreviation
• Taurus Serial Numbers Date Of Manufacture Code
• Taurus Serial Numbers Date Of Manufacture J Frame

This article and video is to show off a gun that is unique to me because of where it came from. This is a report on a Taurus Model 85 stainless steel revolver. One that's over 20 years old.

When I first got it out of the torn, worn taped up black box I wondered what it was going to look like. To my astonishment, what appeared to be a brand new stainless steel revolver emerged.

The gun, a Taurus Model 85 is in the J-Frame size range. The one that was manufactured around 22 years ago was typical of a snub nose revolver in size and construction and appearance.

Taurus Serial Numbers. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 8 of 8 Posts. Joined Dec 13, 2008 16 Posts. Discussion Starter #1 Dec 21. Dec 21, 2008 Taurus Serial Numbers. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 8 of 8 Posts. Joined Dec 13, 2008 16 Posts. Discussion Starter #1 Dec 21. Where can I find information on Taurus firearm care? Why can't I dry fire my.22 pistol or revolver? How does the Taurus Three-Position Safety Work? Can the 455 Tracker(45ACP) shoot 45 Auto Rim? Can I dry fire my Taurus? What does the loaded chamber indicator on Taurus pistols do? Enter your Ruger® serial number above to view its model number, product line, caliber, production status, ship date and instruction manual. Note: This service is provided as reference only, and accuracy is not guaranteed. For specific questions or additional information, please contact Customer Service.

Serial number mfg manufacturer model caliber wpn type. Zf402735 tas taurus 44 ten 45/410 revolver. Created date: 9/6/2006 12:55:58 pm.

The gun was not only unique to me because it was old and new but because it belonged to my mother. My dad bought the gun around 1992 because he thought they needed it to protect their home.

After he bought it and loaded it they never fired it..

Twenty years later I opened the box and decided to try out the revolver. I just shot enough round to test the gun for safety, then took it back to my mother. She kept it in the box for another six months or so, then had to go into a nursing home.

Six months after that, she died.

When we cleaned out my mother's apartment I pulled the Taurus box out from under a cushion on her couch. She had kept it boxed and loaded in her apartment for almost 15 years.

It is now affectionately referred to as Momma's Gun.

This Taurus Model 85 looks new cosmetically. It's a good looking gun with nice Taurus wood revolver grips, including the insignia. It's a five shot revolver typical of guns this size.

Taurus 85 Revolver Range Review

For the range session review here, insofar as the gun's performance, it was pretty remarkable. I only expected a difficult, hard to center gun that would be challenging to control.

Not quite.

The first couple of loads I fired were with some old .38 special wad cutters. I thumb cocked the gun on the first target from about 35 feet and was almost startled by what I got.

I easily kept the gun on target and you can see by the green target below it was clearly sufficient for self defense from a gun that size at that distance. I shot a few more of those with similar results.

This gun is a .38 special, but like others of the same designation it will take .38 special +p ammo safely. That doesn't mean you should shoot them through it extensively. To do so will give the gun a beating that will shorten the life of it.

In this range session, because I would carry it with +p ammo, I tried about fifty rounds through it. I was pretty astounded. From 35 feet, this time shooting double action (which is what would be necessary in an emergency) it stayed in the self defense zone.

Revolver Size Allows Good Control

Below is a comparison of the Taurus Model 85 .38 special and my S&W Airweight .38 special +p revolvers. The frame sizes are virtually identical as are the barrels that are both just under 2 inches.

What is noticeably different is the weight and grip size. The Taurus 85 is heavier than the Airweight. I don't know how much this 20 year old revolver weighs, but it would be more towards the weight of a Ruger SP101.The stainless steel construction adds heft to it that the alloy of the Airweight lacks.

Combined with the full grips the gun is more than just a point and shoot emergency revolver. Like I tell most everybody who asks, your first consideration in getting your primary carry gun should be a gun you can get a full grip on.

The model 85 is a serious shooter that you can aim from some distance and count on hitting your target if you do your part.

Like most guns this size the sights are molded into the top of the gun. Thankfully, the sites on this one are lined up solidly.

A Modern Revolver In An Old Package

Even with the age of this gun, it is built like a modern revolver as far as essentials. That includes the firing pin block that is in front of the pin when the hammer is thumb cocked. If the gun is dropped in that condition and the hammer drops the block will not move, preventing the gun from firing.

The trigger must be pulled for the pin block to move and let the hammer strike it.

With everything above, if you didn't watch the video, you've probably guessed by now I am approving this gun for concealed carry. It fits very nicely in the leather Don Hume IWB holster shown below.

This model and these type revolvers are found in good used condition in gun stores across the U.S. When going through the gun stores, it's a good idea to keep your eyes open for one. They're worth owning and generally come far from breaking the bank.

In summary this is a gun that surprised me. It came out of an old box still in brand new condition. It shot as straight and was as controllable as any gun close to this size that I've owned. It was controllable and confidence building either thumb cocked or in double action.

I'm sorry my mother is gone. But I'm glad I found this revolver and I'll do my best to do honor to Momma's Gun.

Forjas Taurus is a Brazilian manufacturing conglomerate based in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul. Founded in 1939 as a tool and die forging plant, the company now consists of Taurus Armas, its firearm division, as well as other divisions focusing on metals manufacturing, plastics, body armors, helmets and civil construction.

History[edit]

Taurus produced its first revolver, the Model 38101SO, in 1941. Beginning in 1968, it exported revolvers to the U.S. market through a series of importers.

In 1971, the Bangor Punta Corporation, then the parent company of Smith & Wesson, purchased 54 percent of Forjas Taurus, allowing the two firearms manufacturers to easily share information regarding design and manufacturing. In 1977, Taurus was purchased from Bangor Punta by its current owners, and its ties to Smith & Wesson were severed.

In 1980, after Italian arms manufacturer Beretta had completed its contracts to produce firearms for Brazil's military, Taurus purchased Beretta's São Paulo manufacturing plant along with the tooling, technical drawings, and work force necessary to produce several different pistol designs.

In order to more effectively tap the U.S. market, the company created a subsidiary, Taurus International Manufacturing Incorporated, also known as Taurus USA, in 1984.

In 1997 Forjas Taurus purchased the rights & equipment to manufacture Rossi brand revolvers. They currently manufacture three .38 Special models and four .357 Magnum models under the Rossi name, manufactured in São Leopoldo, Brazil. In 2012, Heritage Manufacturing was also purchased and its production later moved to Taurus' Miami, Florida plant.^[2]

Products[edit]

The current product line includes steel-frame pistols, polymer-frame pistols, revolvers, and law enforcement weapons (submachine guns and rifles), the latter intended for the domestic Brazilian market. The company manufactures and sells its firearms for generally less than other manufacturers due to low labor costs, as well as having the facilities available to build virtually every part themselves.^[3]

One writer said in 2010 that the '[q]uality of Taurus handguns in the modern era is second to none'.^[4] In 2015, Taurus settled a lawsuit for $39 million and recalled nearly one million handguns produced between 1997 and 2013 due to 'safety defects'.^[5][6]

Firearm model overview[edit]

Taurus was originally known for manufacturing revolvers similar in design to those offered by Smith & Wesson.^[7] The company moved away from this realm by offering larger framed models such as the Raging Bull (.454 Casull) and Raging Hornet (.22 Hornet) revolvers as well as the Judge 5-shot revolvers (.410 bore and .45 Colt).^[8]

One of Taurus' most successful semiautomatic handguns has been its PT92, a model similar to Beretta's model 92 line, but with the addition of an ambidextrous frame safety, rather than the Beretta's slide-mounted safety.^[4]

The most recent addition to the Taurus pistol lineup is a copy of the Colt 1911.45 ACP pistol, the PT1911. This slightly redesigned and updated design offers many features.^[9]

Semi-automatic pistols[edit]

• Taurus Millennium series (Models 111, 140, 145, and 745)
• Taurus PT25.25 ACP
• PT92 (Models 92 and 100)
• Taurus Model PT809, PT809c / Taurus Model 840 / Taurus Model 845
• Slim Series, 709 (9mm) and 740 (.40 S&W)
• Taurus PT9119mm (15 or 10 round)
• Taurus PT 909, PT945
• Taurus PT 908 (9mm) (8 round)
• Taurus PT 51 6.35mm
• Taurus PT 915 9mm
• Taurus PT 917 9mm
• Taurus PT 938
• Taurus PT 940 .40 caliber
• Taurus PT 838
• Taurus PT 838c
• Taurus Spectrum
• Taurus G2C G2S G3
• Taurus TX22 (22lr 16 round)

Revolvers[edit]

Small frame[edit]

• Taurus Model 327 6 shot .327 Federal Magnum
• Taurus CIA (Models 650 and 850) – Carry It Anywhere. A concealed hammer revolver based on the Smith & Wesson Centennial
• Taurus Protector (Models 651 and 851) – Shrouded hammer based on the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard
• Taurus Model 85 (includes Model 856) .38 Special

Compact frame[edit]

• Taurus Model 617.357 Magnum 7 shot revolver
• Taurus Model 817.38 Special 7 shot revolver

Date Of Manufacture Abbreviation

Medium frame[edit]

• Taurus Model 65 / Taurus Model 66.357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 689 .357 Magnum
  Taurus revolver 689 6-cylinder, 6' barrel

Large frame[edit]

• Taurus Model 607 7-shot.357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 608 8-shot .357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 689 6-shot .357 Magnum
• Taurus Model 44 6-shot .44 Magnum

Families[edit]

• Taurus Judge (Model 4510)
• Taurus Tracker (Models 17, 425, 44, 627, 970, 990, 991, and 992)

Taurus Serial Numbers Date Of Manufacture Code

Rossi models[edit]

• Rossi R35102 .38 Special
• Rossi R85104 .38 Special
• Rossi R46202 .357 Magnum
• Rossi R35202 .38 Special
• Rossi Circuit Judge.410ga/45lc (carbine)

Submachine guns[edit]

Rifles[edit]

Shotguns[edit]

Recall and settlement[edit]

Nine of their more popular models manufactured between 1997 and 2013 have been issued a voluntary recall in 2015. This is around one million pistols and includes the following models.^[10]

• PT-111 Millennium
• PT-132 Millennium
• PT-138-Millennium
• PT-140 Millennium
• PT-145 Millennium
• PT-745 Millennium
• PT-609
• PT-640
• PT-24/7

A class action settlement has also been agreed to which amounts to almost 39 million dollars due to the defective models.^[11]

See also[edit]

• IMBEL – another Brazilian firearms manufacturer.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'Company Profile for Taurus Armas (TASA3:BZ)'. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
2. ^'Manufacturer: Heritage'. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
3. ^Heard, Brian J. (17 August 2011). Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics: Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence. John Wiley & Sons. p. 346. ISBN978-1-119-96477-3.
4. ^ ^abAhern, Jerry (15 September 2010). Armed for Personal Defense. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 48. ISBN978-1-4402-1643-5.
5. ^'Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case'. 27 July 2015.
6. ^'Taurus pistol recall: Firearms company voluntary recalls nearly 1 million pistols'.
7. ^Sweeney, Patrick (3 December 2009). Gunsmithing – Pistols and Revolvers. Gun Digest Books. pp. 228–230. ISBN978-1-4402-0389-3.
8. ^Radielovic, Marko; Prasac, Max (31 August 2012). Big-Bore Revolvers. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 55. ISBN978-1-4402-2856-8.
9. ^Campbell, Robert K. (2 March 2011). Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to the 1911. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 188. ISBN978-1-4402-1894-1.
10. ^'What you Need to Know About the Taurus Pistol Recall'. Gun Reviews Handgun Testing Rifle Shotgun Reports | GunCarrier.com. 2015-08-05. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
11. ^'Taurus Agrees To $39 Million Settlement In Defective Pistol Case'. Grand View Outdoors. 2015-07-27. Retrieved 2017-02-20.

External links[edit]

• Taurus USA(in English)
• Taurus France(in French)
• Taurus Export(in English)

Taurus Serial Numbers Date Of Manufacture J Frame