Older Taurus Revolver

[Airecastle]

I am new here, so thanks for allowing me in this elite circle.

I inherited an older Taurus .38 Special, blue, two inch barrel, 6-round, less than a box of rounds fired through her. Serial number is 3517xx, barrel stamped Forjas Taurus S.A., P Alegre R.G.S. Brazil, so this revolver was one of very few made in the old original plant before Taurus bought out the newer competition Beretta plant and relocated. Taurus does not appear to have any data on this weapon. It is stamped inside the cylinder swing-arm, 357 F and 357 on the cylinder face. I think it may chamber .357 Mag. rounds, but never tried it out. Frame is further stamped "Firearms Int'l Corp, Washington DC, 38 Special, under the cylinder thumb release. Barrel stamp opposite side says Cal.38. This revolver has walnut colored plastic checkered grips with the Taurus insignia.

I am no fool and have fired several firearms. I was in the military and served in two law enforcement jobs. Since this revolver is like new and fires really sweet, it should fetch better than scrap-iron price as some older worn out pistols might. I own an S&W Model 10 which was a gift from my father. I seek to replace the Taurus .38 with a .22 caliber pistol (preferably a revolver with similar frame) to use for practice and teach my grand children how to shoot.
I have read reviews concerning the Taurus M94 and .22A; not good reviews. Any comments, trades, other help will be appreciated. I cannot see losing money on my Taurus, so wholesaling it to somebody is out of the question.

Thanks,
Airecastle
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[Elwood717]

Welcome from Oklahoma.

[Tslepebull]

It sounds like an early model 82. Is the firing pin on the hammer nose or in the frame? Is it a hammer block model (like a ruger) or does it have a hammer block like your model 10?

[Airecastle]

FP is on the hammer nose. I could send a picture, but I see this host site has restricted.

[ActionExpress]

I'd just keep the gun honestly. I don't think Taurus revolvers are appreciating in value much as they're bargain priced to begin with. You might save a few bucks on tax, but I can't part with anything I've inherited.

The first Taurus I ever shot was a 941 4" .22 Mag with blued finish. I was really, really impressed with it. Good groups, action was very smooth, and the hammer spring really didn't feel too stiff.

[sparks9293]

Sounds like a awesome firearm. I would also keep it in my arsenal. A .22lr revolver can be picked up used and be easy on the wallet. The value of the Taurus is not going anywhere, but the cool factor is pretty high. It is something some of us Taurus nuts would love to have in the line up.

[kubelkampf]

If you inherited this gun, then how would you "lose money" on it ? You didn't pay for it, in the first place, right ?

Just thinking out loud .....

[Airecastle]

If you inherited this gun, then how would you "lose money" on it ? You didn't pay for it, in the first place, right ?

Just thinking out loud .....

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Thanks for replies thus far from everyone. I have pondered all the things you guys wrote already. Here's the thing; I am disabled and on fixed income, so if I am to have a .22 revolver with which to educate my grandchildren, I must sell this Taurus in order to afford it. I am not a collector. And, this pistol has a bit of unhappy family history attached to it, nothing violent, but my mother was a game-player and this Taurus was a subject of those games at one time, not a happy memory. My S&W Model 10 is the "gift from Dad" which carries good history. I seek to turn the Taurus memories into better memories of having fun with my grandkids.

My research has shown the Taurus .38 Special to be valued a bit more than a Taurus .22 Model. If I add cash to the value of the .38 Taurus, hopefully I can get an S&W .22, but they seem hard to find locally. Our Coon Hunters love to carry them and appear to have bought up all the good used ones. Plus, there are a lot of guys like me looking for them here.

I considered a Ruger Single Action, cowboy type, or a semi-auto MK-III, but I am not really comfortable putting either in the hands of my grandchildren. I will wait until they are older to teach them how to shoot a pistol. I have a sweet 50 year old Marlin bolt action .22 with a Redfield 3x9 scope to start them out (another gift from my father). It is a high mount so I can teach them with open sights as well.

And my wife has recently learned to shoot, so a .22 LR double-action revolver is the best all-round choice. I held a couple of Ruger semi-autos yesterday and the grips are simply too big for her. She likes the Pachmayr grips and so do I.

I would most likely be happy with a Taurus 941 .22 cal. with a 4" to a 6" barrel, heavy preferred, used. If anybody knows where to find one, please let me know. Stainless might be better, but blue is not a problem.

Thanks & Blessings,
Airecastle
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[Laker]

First, welcome to the forum. I understand what you are trying to accomplish, but unless the older Taurus is something really special, the Retail price is probably only going to be around $200. You may find a buyer that would pay that much. Trading it at a gun shop will probably get you 50% or less of retail. A Taurus 94 sells in the $400 range give or take. S&W .22's are in the $600+ price range depending on what it is. I wish you luck.

[Airecastle]

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Thanks for replies thus far from everyone. I have pondered all the things you guys wrote already. Here's the thing; I am disabled and on fixed income, so if I am to have a .22 revolver with which to educate my grandchildren, I must sell this Taurus in order to afford it. I am not a collector. And, this pistol has a bit of unhappy family history attached to it, nothing violent, but my mother was a game-player and this Taurus was a subject of those games at one time, not a happy memory. My S&W Model 10 is the "gift from Dad" which carries good history. I seek to turn the Taurus memories into better memories of having fun with my grandkids.

My research has shown the Taurus .38 Special to be valued a bit more than a Taurus .22 Model. If I add cash to the value of the .38 Taurus, hopefully I can get an S&W .22, but they seem hard to find locally. Our Coon Hunters love to carry them and appear to have bought up all the good used ones. Plus, there are a lot of guys like me looking for them here.

I considered a Ruger Single Action, cowboy type, or a semi-auto MK-III, but I am not really comfortable putting either in the hands of my grandchildren. I will wait until they are older to teach them how to shoot a pistol. I have a sweet 50 year old Marlin bolt action .22 with a Redfield 3x9 scope to start them out (another gift from my father). It is a high mount so I can teach them with open sights as well.

And my wife has recently learned to shoot, so a .22 LR double-action revolver is the best all-round choice. I held a couple of Ruger semi-autos yesterday and the grips are simply too big for her. She likes the Pachmayr grips and so do I.

I would most likely be happy with a Taurus 941 .22 cal. with a 4" to a 6" barrel, heavy preferred, used. If anybody knows where to find one, please let me know. Stainless might be better, but blue is not a problem.

Thanks & Blessings,
Airecastle
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Thanks to all who have written. I may just keep the Taurus .38 spl. if it does not bring enough to warrant selling. The gun market has definitely changed the past two decades from what I knew before that time. I am finding fewer shops, fewer dealers, fewer persons selling their firearms. I guess it is a sign-of-the-times. If someone does not step up to by at a better price, I would rather just wait and buy a .22 outright at a later date. Thanks again to all who wrote.

Blessings,
Airecastle
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