Smith&Steward
Newbie
After about a month of waiting I was able to pick up my Taurus 605 T.O.R.O. from the local gun shop today. After hearing all the hype about the companies new direction of quality combined with my recent fascination with the idea of dot equipped revolvers. That concept is not a new one although until recently has been reserved for aftermarket offerings or mostly big bore options with from the factory Picatinny rails marketed toward handgun hunters.
I decided to choose the 605 over the 856 because I wanted something handy and capable of taking medium sized game. I think with the right load this little gun should be more than adequate. With the optic, a Holosun 407K- GR X2, this stainless steel five gun weighs in at 26.25 ounces. The fit and finish seems tight and the action is comparable to the few other revolvers I have handled or shot. And the price point isn't bad either. There are some tool marks on the ejector rod that do result in a rough feel when I was ejecting the snap caps during dry press and manipulation. This being intended for hunting it's not much of a concern for me.
Now for the bad news... The optic mounting. I had problems with the T.O.R.O. plate, not in mounting to the frame but mounting the optic to the plate. This was a two fold issue.
The first is one of the screws Holosun included had a defect that mashed a couple of the threads together blocking the groove from travelling the entire length of the shaft. No big deal really I can always order new screws, it is annoying though. Especially after grinding and filling them to the right size.
The second and more serious issue was that under the 12 in lbs of torque recommended in the 407K manual one of the screw posts broke apart. It was not completely destroyed, enough of the post is still there to secure that screw. When I looked at the chips and what remained of the threaded post I noticed how sandy and rough the grain structure of the metal is. That is the real concern. I don't know if it is MIM or cast but either way it was either improperly cooled (which can cause the grain to settle unevenly with possible voids or stress fractures forming) or got too hot (which can cause the crystal structure to grow and become brittle) during the manufacturing process whatever it was.
However, even with these two flaws the fit up between optic and plate are remarkably tight. I had to remove the optic so I could get better pictures of the threaded post to send to Taurus. I will end up sending Taurus an email detailing the concerns and outcomes to see how they respond and if they resolve the issue. I will be taking it to the range soon to see if the plate cracks any more under the recoil as I work up from .38 Special to some of the more stout .357 Magnum loads associated with hunting rather than personal defense.
More posts to come as more information is gathered. This is a sample size of one, anecdotal evidence at best. These are my opinions and concerns based on my current understanding of the topic, not to be construed as absolute fact. Thank you for your time, stay safe and have a blessed day.
I decided to choose the 605 over the 856 because I wanted something handy and capable of taking medium sized game. I think with the right load this little gun should be more than adequate. With the optic, a Holosun 407K- GR X2, this stainless steel five gun weighs in at 26.25 ounces. The fit and finish seems tight and the action is comparable to the few other revolvers I have handled or shot. And the price point isn't bad either. There are some tool marks on the ejector rod that do result in a rough feel when I was ejecting the snap caps during dry press and manipulation. This being intended for hunting it's not much of a concern for me.
Now for the bad news... The optic mounting. I had problems with the T.O.R.O. plate, not in mounting to the frame but mounting the optic to the plate. This was a two fold issue.
The first is one of the screws Holosun included had a defect that mashed a couple of the threads together blocking the groove from travelling the entire length of the shaft. No big deal really I can always order new screws, it is annoying though. Especially after grinding and filling them to the right size.
The second and more serious issue was that under the 12 in lbs of torque recommended in the 407K manual one of the screw posts broke apart. It was not completely destroyed, enough of the post is still there to secure that screw. When I looked at the chips and what remained of the threaded post I noticed how sandy and rough the grain structure of the metal is. That is the real concern. I don't know if it is MIM or cast but either way it was either improperly cooled (which can cause the grain to settle unevenly with possible voids or stress fractures forming) or got too hot (which can cause the crystal structure to grow and become brittle) during the manufacturing process whatever it was.
However, even with these two flaws the fit up between optic and plate are remarkably tight. I had to remove the optic so I could get better pictures of the threaded post to send to Taurus. I will end up sending Taurus an email detailing the concerns and outcomes to see how they respond and if they resolve the issue. I will be taking it to the range soon to see if the plate cracks any more under the recoil as I work up from .38 Special to some of the more stout .357 Magnum loads associated with hunting rather than personal defense.
More posts to come as more information is gathered. This is a sample size of one, anecdotal evidence at best. These are my opinions and concerns based on my current understanding of the topic, not to be construed as absolute fact. Thank you for your time, stay safe and have a blessed day.
