Taurus has been making pistols in their 24/7 line for years. A recently introduced model is the 24/7 G2 compact, a polymer framed semi-auto pistol chambered in 9MM, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP. I recently had the opportunity to shoot one in 9MM. The gun has molded in thumb rests, a new trigger safety, and something Taurus describes as“balanced spring pressure for extraordinarily fast shooting.” I really don’t know what that feature refers to and neither did the rep.
The gun also has second strike capability, meaning if one presses the trigger on a chambered round and the result is a misfire, simply press the trigger a second time. Usually, the round will fire. The gun has a 3.5 inch barrel, is about 6 ½ inches long, a bit over 5 inches high, and weighs a somewhat heavy for its size, 27 ounces. For instance a full size M&P 9 with a 4.25 inch barrel weighs 24 ounces. A 17 round magazine is supplied with the 24/7 and the rear sight has some adjustment. MSRP is $539.00.
Shooting the 24/7 compact brought no surprises either good or bad. The gun has a decent trigger and trigger pull, and shot to point of aim. Recoil was very manageable, and all the control levers functioned as they are supposed to. The gun has a manual external safety as well as other passive safeties, (e.g. trigger). Although a little on the white bread side, all in all this is a solid gun that would serve nicely as a CCP pistol.
I’m a bit of a throw back in the fact that I love revolvers, and love shooting them. As I have said in the past, the handgun I shoot most accurately is my S&W 686+, so when a Taurus Model 65 was available, I had to try it. The medium frame Model 65 is chambered in 357 Magnum and as such will easily handle the venerable 38 special cartridge which is what I shot through the gun. The model 65 is somewhat reminiscent of the S&W Model 10 having fixed sights; blade front, and groove rear. The 65 has the Taurus Security System which is an onboard lock that helps make the gun tamper proof. It also has a safety transfer bar. The fit and finish on this gun was really good; the metal being a bright deep blue, and it had a set of really effective and comfortable rubber grips installed on the gun. The cylinder release latch is an almost exact copy of the S&W and the trigger and hammer appear to be forged. The 4 inch barrel is of a lugged design, although not as heavy as the L frame Smith. The gun weighs 38 ounces and has a MSRP of $ 499.00.
Like the 24/7, the Model 65 provided no surprises when I shot it. Recoil was minimal with the 38s and the gun returned to the target well. The trigger was a disappointment. It was really gritty and heavy with quite a bit of stacking. I have found this to be normal on other Taurus revolvers. A little work by a quality gunsmith and a set of Wolfe gun springs would probably solve most of these problems.
While the Model 65 is a solid well-built gun, I think I would stash away a few bucks more and buy an S&W. A few years ago at the International Revolver Championships there were over 230 competitors. One competitor used a Ruger, EVERYONE else shot a Smith & Wesson.
Be safe and good shooting.
Colonel Smoothbore
www.shooting.net
