Taurus Model 66 Benchtop Review - Budget .357 Magnum Revolver Excellence

My first firearm was a used Taurus 607 .357 Magnum revolver my dad bought me in 2004. I loved the sheer power and accuracy of that gun. As long as I did my part to hold that gigantic barrel steady, I could make small, distant targets suddenly disappear. It had a few quirks (weight, extreme muzzle blast, weight) and one real flaw (a trigger with inconsistent creep). That revolver broke a trigger pin in 2012, so I sent it in for repair.

What I got back was a new gun - the Taurus Model 66 .357 Magnum 7-shot revolver. Judging it on face value, it looks like a lesser gun that sort-of fills the shoes of the outdated 607. No compensator ports. Simpler sights. A slightly shorter sight radius. Less barrel mass. As I unbox it and evaluate it from the benchtop, however, it appears to me that this may very well be a much better revolver for two main reasons.

The first improvement is the noticeably lighter weight. The barrel shroud/underlug is shaved down, and the cylinder is smaller while maintaining the 7-shot capacity. There may be other weight savings, too, because the whole package feels wonderfully light and balanced.

The second improvement is the trigger pull, especially in single action mode. It feels fantastic. In my opinion this is a trigger that can compete with Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and Colt revolvers.

We'll see what the real story is when I take it to the range tomorrow. I don't think I will miss the ported barrel. The muzzle jump will be greater, but there won't be that earth-rending blast in my face. And I am very eager to take that trigger for a test drive. Taurus guns have always seemed very accurate in my hands, and I expect nothing less from the new Model 66.

Big thanks to Taurus for sending me this replacement firearm.

-The Social Regressive