Wheelgun Wednesday: Taurus 66 Review – .357 Magnum Seven-Shooter
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 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 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:
- Item Number: 2-660049
- UPC: 7-25327-20015-4
- Capacity: 7 Rounds
- Action Type: Double Action / Single Action
- Firing System: Hammer
- Front Sight: Fixed
- Rear Sight: Adjustable
- Grip: Soft Rubber
- Cylinders Included: 1
Caliber
- 38 Spl +P
- 357 Mag
Measurements
- Frame Size: Medium
- Barrel Length: 4.00 in.
- Overall Length: 10.50 in.
- Overall Height: 5.70 in.
- Overall Width: 1.50 in.
- Weight: 38.00 oz
Features
- TSS (Taurus Security System)
Safety
- Transfer Bar
Materials
- Frame Material: Stainless Steel
- Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
- Cylinder Material: Stainless Steel
Finishes
- Frame Finish: Matte Stainless
- Barrel Finish: Matte Stainless
- Cylinder Finish: Matte Stainless
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.
Check Prices on Taurus 66 Revolvers
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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Doug has been a firearms enthusiast since age 16 after getting to shoot with a friend. Since then he's taken many others out to the range for their first time. He is a husband, father, grandfather, police officer, outdoorsman, artist and a student of history. Doug has been a TFB reader from the start and is happy to be a contributor of content. Doug can be reached at battleshipgrey61 AT gmail.com, or battleshipgrey61 on Instagram.
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AS a fan of 4.75"n 1873s, I like the proportioning of the 4" model, and price wise, it is a deal compared to most of the revolvers out there from Ruger of S&W. True, it would be better with a polished finish or a shiny blued finish, but that would raise the cost quite a bit. If one were really anal, one could polish up the stainless quite nicely with a bit of elbow grease--as I did to my Kahr. I was surprised by the weight, however, it is as heavy as a 1911 or an 1873, neither of which I would carry as a CCW. (I know, I know, lots of people carry guns that heavy, but I'm not one of them. The rounder I get as I get older, the more the weight drags my pants down!)
A Taurus worth owning besides the PT92? Awesome.