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Thanks for joining us for another Wheelgun Wednesday at TFB, where we cover all things related to revolvers. This week, we’ll take a look at the Taurus 66, with a satisfying 7-round capacity, chambered in .357 Magnum. The Taurus Model 66 was first introduced in 1978 as a six-shot revolver and gained its plus one capacity in 1999. Let’s dig in.
Wheelgun Wednesday @ TFB:
- Taurus 605 – An Affordable Snubnose Revolver
- President Ulysses S. Grant’s Remington New Model Army Revolvers
- An American Automatic Revolver
- Uncle Fudd’s New Space Force 6 Build
TAURUS 66 REVOLVER: INITIAL IMPRESSIONS & SPECS
The Taurus Model 66 comes with either a four or six-inch barrel, as well as a couple of different finishes, such as matte stainless steel or matte oxide. As you’ve probably already noticed, I’m reviewing the four inch model finished in matte stainless. I’ve always been a fan of four inch barrels on revolvers since it’s a nice blend between being fast out of a holster, nicely balanced, and still legal to hunt with in my state.
The Taurus 66 definitely had a great balance and the finish looked like it would be pretty durable. When Taurus packed the Model 66, they included a rubbery protective cover over the rear adjustable sight for shipping, which seems like a thoughtful touch. The ramped front sight came with a red translucent insert, which does brighten if lighting conditions are right, but even without catching the sunlight, the red insert contrasts the black rear sight enough to still be effective.
The all-black rear sight, and Taurus’ version of their integral lock on the back of the hammer.
The squarish rubber grips supplied with the Taurus 66 fit my hand quite well, and the shallow finger groves weren’t distracting, nor did they require extra time fitting into them each time. The grips were also relatively thin and wrapped around the backstrap, which should cushion the hand more under recoil. I was surprised to see the grips had metal inserts in them to maintain their rigidity.
After dry firing a few times out of the box, I was a bit concerned because the trigger was noticeably grittier compared to the excellent trigger of the Taurus 605 I reviewed last month. More on the trigger in a bit.
Basic Specs:
Caliber
- 38 Spl +P
- 357 Mag
Measurements
Features
Safety
- Transfer Bar
Materials
Finishes
TAURUS 66 RANGE & FIELD TIME
Despite the grittier trigger, I was curious if it would actually play into practical accuracy. It did take a bit to get familiar with, but it broke consistently each time, and actually seemed to smooth out as time went on. The majority of the trigger pull is really smooth until the sear is reached, and at that point, it feels like something is slightly gripping the trigger, but it’s not hard to maintain the point of aim, nor does it require lots more pressure to work through. The trigger then breaks cleanly. As the Taurus 66 trigger’s grittiness smoothed out, I began to really like it, even with the short grippy section close to the break. Overall, it’s not the best trigger I’ve ever worked but it’s far from the worst (the worst of which I’ll be covering in an upcoming Wheelgun Wednesday on TFB).
In the photo below, you can see my three-shot group with Federal’s .357 Magnum 180 grain load highlighted in blue, and the Ammo Incorporated 125 grain .38 Special shooting in fast succession in orange. I also ran the rest of my 158 grain .357 Mag semi-wadcutters through the Model 66 without any issues.
I also spent time on the 50-yard line with .38 Special, and once I dialed in my holdover, I was having a blast ringing my MK Machining steel target.
Once I was confident in my ability to shoot the Taurus 66 revolver, I took it on some of our walks, and carried it in the Bianchi UM84R Universal Revolver Holster I reviewed, which was perfect for tramping through the woods and fields near us. I carried Hornady’s Critical Duty .357 Magnum while walking about, and I certainly didn’t feel undergunned. The matte stainless finish wiped down easily each time I set it down on a wet spot for a photo.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Taurus 66 is not the prettiest looking revolver, but its overall aesthetic gives it an air of being rugged and built for being in dirty environments, all of which I find pleasing to the eye in its own way. I was glad that the trigger smoothed out through use and dry firing, but I was surprised it needed it at all after handling the Taurus 605. I’m never a fan of the internal locks, but there doesn’t seem to be much information about Taurus’ internal lock being an issue, and it never seized up on me during my evaluation. If you’ve experienced issues, feel free to let us know in the comment section.
The Taurus 66 as tested was completely reliable and ate every varied round I put through it. I especially liked the seven-round capacity, even though I didn’t have any speedloaders for it, and I can certainly recommend the Taurus 66. The Model 66 is listed for $569.92 on Taurususa.com, which is pretty affordable for a workhorse revolver.
What do you think about Taurus’ Model 66? If you’ve already been using one, how has your experience been?
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