[dabney]

Recently I saw an old ad on Gunbroker on a "limited" edition, only 2500 made, Commemorative Victory Model honoring the Allied Victory of WW II. This special presentation revolver was the Taurus Model 80 with a very extreme make-over! First, the gun came in a beautiful hard wood case with a glass window for viewing purposes. It was advertised as having a velvet lined inside for looks and protection. The background of the case honors our WW II veterans, including the S&W Victory Model, which was used by us and our allies during the war. This was definitely an old ad that I had never seen and apparently some owner had been trying to sell it on gunbroker. It was advertised as a 45th anniversary commemorative putting this post 1990, which was nearing the production end of the Taurus Model 80. The 80 was discontinued by Taurus in 1996 after a 25-year run (1971-1996), with the 1970's being its most productive and sought after time period. It was a money-maker for Taurus for many years and had a (somewhat) similar outside appearance to the WW II S&W Victory Model. The Taurus Model 80, like the S&W Victory Model, was a six-shot fixed sight revolver with no frills, bells, or whistles. In other words, a great sixgun for civilians, cops, security guards or any homeland defense forces which would come later, that had need of a reliable .38 Special. The 80 was less expensive than the Model 10 and "always" went bang when the trigger was squeezed! As it evolved over the production years the Model 80 was at its zenith in 1990 in performance albeit the sales were falling off due to the advent of the semi-auto pistol. It seemed back then that everyone wanted a high capacity 9mm Pistol including Hollywood, and once the high capacity 9 became a movie star, "that did it", for sixgun sales, in numbers once enjoyed! Anyway, this advertised commemorative Victory Model Taurus was all decked out in a gold plating and gold-inlay with one of the finest, deepest blue finish I have ever seen. The hammer, trigger, and a lanyard were all gold-plated. The gold lettering on the left side of the barrel along with five gold stars on the frame was spectacular! This was a real-firing real McCoy that the Taurus Company really put a lot of great craftsmanship into the cosmetics. Was going for 1299.00 dollars and had already been sold! The Model 80 deserves a better epitaph than it got when discontinued in 1996. It made so many paydays possible for Taurus employees back in its heyday. Probably a lot of Taurus people are not aware of its significance to the very Company they are employed by. There is no data, by Taurus, on their own beginning and the guns that made that start possible. Thanks my friends. David

 

[cooper]

David, here are some pics to go with your post...

 

[dabney]

Mr. Cooper;

Thank you very much sir! I appreciate your response to my post. Seeing those photos of the Taurus Model 80, all decorated up like that, and honoring the Victory Model of WW II, is just fantastic! The Model 80 played a big role, in the 1970's, of helping the Company to survive. Some learned scholars of firearm history have identified the Model 80 as the early day "bread and butter" sixgun for Taurus. To see the features of this commemorative Model 80 displayed in that beautiful hardwood case sure makes me wish I could have bought one. A great sixgun that is generally un-appreciated by Taurus shooters who do not know its importance or don't care. I'm not sure "why" it is not honored better by Taurus owners and shooters, other than the "don't know" or "don't care" shooters. Thanks again, Mr. Cooper!
David

 

[glenwolde]

My question........was that actually produced by Taurus in house, or did a third party buy the guns and do all the embellishment on its own?

Answer: Now I see this on the nameplate in the box. http://www.ahffirearms.com/

Taurus had nothing to do with these I think, outside of making the original plain-jane gun.

 

[MOONDAWG]

Makes one wonder why S&W didn't follow suit... :icon_ lala:

 

[LonestarJake]

I like the model 80 a lot, but really see no value in making a commemorative model of any firearm that did not see use in the war it commemorates. I only see it as a marketing ploy, kind of like someone who fakes war medals, or the person who would wear them having never been in the service.

I think it cheapens the men who served for a company to produce or commercialize a product that did not serve.

I have no problem with embellished replicas of 1911's or pre-model 10's or any other weapons be they foreign or domestic if they represent a weapon either partially responsible for winning or losing a war.

In my lifetime, I like most of you have seen men setting by the side of a road or at an intersection holding a sign saying "Vietnam Vet, out of work, please help!" I am not a veteran, but I doubt any of the Vietnam Vets I have known would have ever begged, even though many I have known have cried like babies.

Fine, if a weapon is a commemorative and it's predecessor has served in a conflict or if it is a "John Wayne Commemorative" that John Wayne used in a movie. I have seen many John Wayne 1911's and Winchester model 94's, and those are fine, John Wayne used them in many movies, and I think he favored them in real life as he did the Colt Peacemaker.

If the model 80 was a Commemorative of the Spanish-American war and not on the winning side, I might have bought into it, but don't make me a crap sandwich and tell me it is liverwurst! Rant over!

 

[dabney]

Lonestar Jake, absolutely nobody is trying to give you a bad sandwich except the one "you" are fixing for yourself! I do not see where there is "any" attempt by Taurus or the other firm, involved with this commemorative Victory Model, that pays tribute to our fighting men of WW II, to commit "fraud". Your statement of "kind of like someone who fakes war medals, or the person who would wear them having never been in service." is incomprehensible to this issue. To simply honor the vets with this beautiful firearm with gold inlay "acknowledging" their tremendous service! There is no attempt to substitute the Model 80 here into the place of the S&W Victory Model, that I can see. I don't see anything wrong with making a profit either, while doing this. If you see wrong in the profit factor then no commemorative anything would EVER be done to honor any greatness, be it for mankind accomplishment or great achievement. I strongly disagree with your post, with its fraud claims! David

 

[0311]

Brazil was the only South American country to send troops to fight in World War 2. And they got their asses shot off in the Po valley. If they want to make a WW 2 commemorative revolver, I'm all for it - with one caveat; let it be a 444!

 

[LonestarJake]

My apologies to the Brazilians and the model 80 commemorative. I just read the account of the battle waged in the Po Valley and the contribution of Brazil forces.

I have been a lifelong student of most of the battles of WWII, and missed the Brazilian contribution. Again, my most sincere apology.

 

[stantheman86]

If you don't like it don't buy one I have no plans to buy one either. I do have a later production model 80 and its a nice gun. Historically you would be better off buying a Brazilian export model 1917 S&W or something that actually saw service.

 

[0311]

My apologies to the Brazilians and the model 80 commemorative. I just read the account of the battle waged in the Po Valley and the contribution of Brazil forces.

I have been a lifelong student of most of the battles of WWII, and missed the Brazilian contribution. Again, my most sincere apology.

Yeh, Lonestar. They don't teach hardly anything about WW2 anymore. Alot of my younger coworkers never even heard of Audie Murphy, can you believe that? They are taught that George Washington was a slave owner, but no mention of the cherry tree. Nathan Haile? Not even a footnote in history anymore.

 

[CajunBass]

As someone else has pointed out, these are not made by Taurus. They're made by the American Historical Foundation or something like that just down the street from here in Ashland, Virginia. They turn out thousands of these "collectables" and "commerative" firearms. Most of them, especially these days are not the "real thing", but lookalikes. Uberits for Colts and so on. You see their advertisements in "The American Rifleman" and other magazines all the time.

I'm not sure just who the market is for those things but there must be one. I doubt many get fired, but they're not really "collectable" in the usual sense that you think of a firearm being collectable. They're certainly not historical. They sort of, kinda, maybe look like, something that they used...but they're not really. Are they "art?" Maybe so, but to me they're art in same way that a cheap porcelain plate with a picture of Elvis painted on it, is art. In the end, they're just a porcelain plate.

Still they sell a bunch of them, so SOMEBODY must like 'em.