Burris brings out some interesting high-tech riflescopes geared for the hunting market. They call the series Veracity. Info here: .
I’ve been an enthusiastic advocate for active hearing protection for many years. It lets you hear small sounds while reducing loud sounds. They’re great for everything from hunting to building searches, and of course, very effective on the firing line. SportEar promises to be “unveiling the most innovative” such devices at the SHOT Show this coming week, so you might want to check out their website in a few days: http://sportear.com/ .
Finally, in the interest of transparency (chuckle), Taurus has announced a new snub-nose five-shot .38 Special revolver called The View. It derives its name from a clear sideplate on the right side of the frame, through which the mechanism can be clearly seen. Some are already deriding that as a gimmick, but I can see handgun instructors buying this gun just as a visual aid to better show how double action revolvers work. (Double check with your accountant, but my understanding is that any gun you buy to teach with as a firearms instructor is a business expense you can write off.) What a lot of people are missing about this gun is that at the weight Taurus has specified, it should be the lightest .38 Special revolver ever made. +P ammunition is not recommended. Barrel is much shorter than the classic two-inch length. The ejector rod is a mere stub. That would be a deal-breaker in terms of quick reloading, but a great many people who carry these guns don’t carry spare ammunition for them anyway, making that issue a lot less relevant. Information is here: http://www.taurususa.com/pdf/2014_taurus_catalog.pdf .
I predict that with in 1 month of introduction someone will be killed by the revolver when the pull the trigger to watch the mechanism and launch a round down the firing line.
Well, at 9 oz. it is very light, but with a 1″ bbl., and being DAO, I am wonderign how the frame, and the plastic, will endure, plus can it have as good a trigger pull, as a steel wepon, and can it be shot by the average person, or cop, with the accuracy of, say an S&W Model 66?
I really don’t see a legitimate need for this see-through model for anyone with the possible exception for instructors.
Not to start a debate on Taurus vs. S&W vs. Ruger etc., my first thought was maybe Taurus would do a better quality control on the internal fitting and polishing of action parts if you can see the internals before you buy.
I own four Taurus/Rossi (Braztech) revolvers. Two came from the factory with decent fit and function. The last two experienced major malfunctions immediately after purchase (extremely rough action and periodic complete lock-up of the action. Sent one back for warranty work ( had to pay shipping ), only to receive it back with the problem not addressed. After a conversation with a supervisor ( long distance, my dime ) I shipped the weapon back ( me paying shipping again ) and after approximately 3 months received it back in reasonable working order.
After this experience, I decided to sacrifice the other as a test of doing my first action job on a revolver. Upon removing the side plate I was appalled to discover metal filings clinging to all surfaces including moving parts.
After complete dis-assembly, cleaning out this debris, polishing contact points, and lubricating, I installed a Wolf spring kit. This revolver is now one of my favorites, but it’s one hell of away to learn how to tear down and reassemble a double action revolver.
Because of these experiences, these revolvers are restricted to plinking and trail gun use.
I’ve owned probably 30+ Smith revolvers over the years and have never experienced the quality control problems experienced with these 2 Taurus’s. Maybe just really bad luck on my part
Mas,
When you said it was called “The View”, I was hoping it was because it was endorsed by Barbara Walters and the other “ladies” of your favorite talk show on ABC. No such luck??
Belated Happy New Year.
I checked the MSRP for a Burris 2-10X42mm Veracity scope–$900. I think I will stay with the Nikon brand. I have 3 Leupold pistol scopes and 1 Vari-x III that was part of a package deal, and 4 Nikon’s that I have been happy with.
The grips on the View are reminiscent of grips that Bill Jordan and me would have liked. I have been trying to find a similar pair for a 2 1/2in Python. No luck unless I special order and I don’t like waiting. Maybe one of these days I will start whittling myself.
I forgot to say that in my shop for daily carry I use a Ruger LCR and keep a Bianchi Speed Strip in my shirt pocket. Not as quick as a speed loader, but it lays flat and gives me an extra 6 RDS. Hopefully, I will be behind cover by that time. I have to remember to take it out of my shirt pocket before visiting the Dr. though.I wouldn’t want the staff calling out the swat team if it should fall out of my pocket when taking off my shirt!
It seems I recall there having been a similar sideplate available for gunsmiths to observe the inner workings and progress of their efforts in the past, with there being the attendandant “Do NOT use live ammunition” caveat. For that reson alone I could understand the “View”, but would definitely want a real sideplate as well. A gimmick in search of a market, I think. As for Taurus quality control, I own a 709 Slim that has had around 1k rounds through it with the only trouble having been running out of windage adjustment space; I shipped it, they replaced the slide, no more problems.
Nick, you’re correct. I believe those came from Brownell’s, for K-frame S&W’s. I have one somewhere on an old Model 10. I do recall the caveat as well.