I recently purchased a Taurus 445, a 5-shot .44 Special revolver. The 445 was previously produced in a heavier version; this is a new (2011 manufacture) ultralight version that weighs in at only 22 ounces, model 445B2UL (here is a link to the official Taurus page for this firearm).
First of all, let me admit that I'm excited to have a .44 Special. I've carried many calibers, and my usual carry is a .40 S&W. At times I pocket-carry a S&W 442 (.38+P), and I feel it's an excellent weapon at close range. But I have always been intrigued by the .44. I have not personally fired a .44 Magnum, but from what I've read, I gather it's somewhat impractical for self-defense purposes due to the recoil. The .44 Special round is impressively larger than the .38, but should be much more controllable than a .44 Magnum, especially in a small, light package.
Now for the photos:
Sorry about the lint on the grip--the Taurus "ribber" grip is comfortable to hold and absorbs a fair bit of recoil--but it's practically impossible to get 100% of the lint of of these things!
Fit and finish is pretty good. The attention to detail is certainly not as high as would be the case with a typical Smith and Wesson; the blueing is nice, but not perfect, with a few areas, mostly around screws, where shinier metal is showing. But in my opinion, it far exceeds the fit and finish of a Charter Bulldog; I've handled these at gun shows, and felt that they were VERY rough and uncomfortable. And S&W doesn't currently make an affordable .44 Special, so I think the Charter is the 445's main competition. The 445 costs a little more (I paid $379.95 at Bradis), but the extra seems very much worth it.
The trigger pull on this 445 is NICE. Double-action is quite smooth and breaks cleanly; the single-action trigger is VERY smooth and crisp. I don't have a trigger-pull gauge, but I'm less interested in the numbers than I am in the feel of the trigger, and this one, out of the box, is impressive.
At the range, I used Hornady Critical Defense 165-grain. That's a pretty light bullet for a .44, and the recoil wasn't bad at all--a bit more than .38+P, but much more comfortable than .357 Magnum.
I've not fired many rounds through this revolver yet, but on my first time at the range, shooting without support on a cold, rainy day, with no experience shooting this caliber, I was easily able to keep the rounds within about 1.5 inches at 7 yards in single-action fire. The sights are right on at 7 yards with this particular loading.
With rapid double-action fire, it wasn't hard to keep the rounds in the center area of a piece of paper...say 3 inches. Not great, but with practice I'm sure I could do much better. This is certainly not a target weapon, but its accuracy should be adequate for self-defense. I'll be interested to see how accurate it can be with practice, and maybe in the hands of a better marksman than me.
I purchased an inexpensive holster at Bradis, which is designed for a K-frame Smith, but fits this 445 just fine. It carries well and feels pretty light on the hip. I'm thinking about options for carrying this in a nicer leather holster. I believe anything made for a 2- to 3-inch barreled K-frame should work for the 445.
Overall, I'm impressed. This is a darn good weapon for its price point, and a nice alternative for those who prefer revolvers but want something bigger than a .38 but recognize that a .357 can be difficult to shoot through a platform this light.
First of all, let me admit that I'm excited to have a .44 Special. I've carried many calibers, and my usual carry is a .40 S&W. At times I pocket-carry a S&W 442 (.38+P), and I feel it's an excellent weapon at close range. But I have always been intrigued by the .44. I have not personally fired a .44 Magnum, but from what I've read, I gather it's somewhat impractical for self-defense purposes due to the recoil. The .44 Special round is impressively larger than the .38, but should be much more controllable than a .44 Magnum, especially in a small, light package.
Now for the photos:
Sorry about the lint on the grip--the Taurus "ribber" grip is comfortable to hold and absorbs a fair bit of recoil--but it's practically impossible to get 100% of the lint of of these things!
Fit and finish is pretty good. The attention to detail is certainly not as high as would be the case with a typical Smith and Wesson; the blueing is nice, but not perfect, with a few areas, mostly around screws, where shinier metal is showing. But in my opinion, it far exceeds the fit and finish of a Charter Bulldog; I've handled these at gun shows, and felt that they were VERY rough and uncomfortable. And S&W doesn't currently make an affordable .44 Special, so I think the Charter is the 445's main competition. The 445 costs a little more (I paid $379.95 at Bradis), but the extra seems very much worth it.
The trigger pull on this 445 is NICE. Double-action is quite smooth and breaks cleanly; the single-action trigger is VERY smooth and crisp. I don't have a trigger-pull gauge, but I'm less interested in the numbers than I am in the feel of the trigger, and this one, out of the box, is impressive.
At the range, I used Hornady Critical Defense 165-grain. That's a pretty light bullet for a .44, and the recoil wasn't bad at all--a bit more than .38+P, but much more comfortable than .357 Magnum.
I've not fired many rounds through this revolver yet, but on my first time at the range, shooting without support on a cold, rainy day, with no experience shooting this caliber, I was easily able to keep the rounds within about 1.5 inches at 7 yards in single-action fire. The sights are right on at 7 yards with this particular loading.
With rapid double-action fire, it wasn't hard to keep the rounds in the center area of a piece of paper...say 3 inches. Not great, but with practice I'm sure I could do much better. This is certainly not a target weapon, but its accuracy should be adequate for self-defense. I'll be interested to see how accurate it can be with practice, and maybe in the hands of a better marksman than me.
I purchased an inexpensive holster at Bradis, which is designed for a K-frame Smith, but fits this 445 just fine. It carries well and feels pretty light on the hip. I'm thinking about options for carrying this in a nicer leather holster. I believe anything made for a 2- to 3-inch barreled K-frame should work for the 445.
Overall, I'm impressed. This is a darn good weapon for its price point, and a nice alternative for those who prefer revolvers but want something bigger than a .38 but recognize that a .357 can be difficult to shoot through a platform this light.
***********************************
Original thread here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/181513-review_taurus_445_44_special.html
Original thread here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/181513-review_taurus_445_44_special.html
Last edited by a moderator:
