Taurus Gaucho

     Notes: This is a special edition Taurus revolver designed for Cowboy Action shooting, and designed to look very similar to the Colt Single Action Army.  It is a single-action revolver made of heavy steel and having composite checkered grips with the Taurus insignia in the place on the grips where the Colt insignia normally would be.  The Gaucho uses the later cylinder latch feature of the Colt SAA, the one used after the conversion to smokeless powder.  The cylinder is removed from the frame merely by depressing the base pin, instead of a screw having to be removed first like on the original Colt SAA.  The fit and finish of the Gaucho are excellent, with all parts operating smoothly and cleanly.  The finish is polished stainless steel, a finish which looks like that of a nickel-plated Colt SAA while offering greater corrosion resistance. The Gaucho may use both blackpowder and smokeless powder.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This revolver does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Taurus Instant Backup

     Notes: A modified Taurus Model 17, the Instant Backup is a snubby revolver primarily designed for .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire and .17 Mach 2 Rimfire, but also available in 9mm Parabellum.  The finish may be blued or matte stainless steel, and the grips are of checkered rubber.  The design is “hammerless”, with the hammer barely visible when it is down.  The rear sight is a simple trough in the top strap, while the front sight is a low ramped blade.  The weapon is made of steel, and has a transfer bar safety.  It is surprisingly heavy, which aids in controllability.  The barrel is a tiny 1.75 inches.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: These revolvers are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Taurus Model 22/30/41/444/45/454/480/500 Raging Bull

     Notes: This is a large caliber revolver, and is described by Taurus as a "big revolver for big men."  The weapon is heavy, sturdy, and easier to shoot than one might expect, the only handicap being that the shooter must have rather large hands. It was primarily designed for hunting, and is equipped with a scope mount.  Versions of the Raging Bull with 6.5, 8.5, or 10-inch barrels have muzzles tipped with muzzle brakes.  The version firing .454 Casull is known as the Model 454, while the .480 Ruger version is the Model 480, the .45 Long Colt version is the Model 45, the .44 Magnum version is the Model 444, and the .41 Magnum version is the Model 41.

     Two unusual variants of the Raging Bull were introduced in 2002.  The Model 22, called the Raging Hornet, is a version with a 10-inch barrel and chambered for .22 Hornet rounds.  The revolver is made entirely from stainless steel (with a matte finish), and has a ventilated sighting rib above the barrel.  It is a large, heavy weapon, over 16 inches long.  The Model 22-H is similar, but adds a micrometer-adjustable rear sight and a rail for mounting telescopic sights.  It is otherwise identical to the Raging Hornet for game purposes.

     The Model 30, called the Raging Thirty, is similar to the Raging Hornet, but is chambered for .30 Carbine rounds.  It comes with full-moon clips, required to load the rimless .30 Carbine rounds into the revolver and extract them.  It too has a 10-inch barrel with a ventilated sighting rib above the barrel.

     In 2005, another variant was introduced – chambered for the new .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum round.  This model has since been discontinued. In addition, several more barrel lengths were introduced for the standard Raging Bulls (but not the Raging Hornet or Raging Thirty), including 2, 4, and 10 inches.

     Taurus has a new revolver in the Raging Bull line, the Raging Judge XXVII, chambered for short 28-Gauge shells.  Well, sort of.  The Raging Judge was introduced at the 2011 SHOT Show, but according to rumors, the BATFE examined the Raging Judge (it was due to go on sale soon in the US, Taurus’s primary market).  Supposedly, the agents determined that the Raging Judge was going to be an NFA regulated firearm, and be classified as either a Destructive Device or a Short-Barreled Shotgun; either determination would have meant that prospective buyers would have to get expensive special permits.  Other rumors say that Taurus actually went to the BATFE first, but it took several weeks before they got any sort of answer, and that answer took the form of agents visiting the Taurus booth at the SHOT Show.  The current status, however, is that the Raging Judge has been removed from Taurus’s website, and Taurus is no longer taking pre-orders and individuals who previously got pre-orders have had their money returned.  The BATFE and Taurus supposedly got together on possible modifications to the Raging Judge to make it legal without special permits.

     According to Taurus, however, none of this is true.  No determination on the Raging Judge’s status was made at the SHOT Show or anywhere else, though Taurus did introduce the Raging Bull to the BATFE and allowed them to fire it.  The BAFTE agents suggested several modifications to the Raging Judge, most of which are currently being implemented.  In short, though the Raging Bull was shown at the 2011 SHOT Show, this will not be the final version of it and the Raging Bull is not now ready for sales.  Taurus says that the Raging Judge will not be on the market until the end of 2011. Public opinion of the Raging Judge has been mixed, to say the least; some feel the Raging Judge is of limited utility at best and consider it more an expensive toy than anything else; others feel it would make an effective home defense weapon; still others acknowledge the limited utility, but want it for the “gee-whiz” quality.  Even with the long barrel, range is highly limited due to the limits of the 28 Gauge round.

     Regardless, the version of the Raging Judge shown at the SHOT Show has a 6.5-inch barrel, and can be had finished in blue or matte stainless steel.  Inset into the top of the barrel is a ventilated sighting rib, and the barrel has a heavy shroud. Construction includes a frame and cylinders of Ordnance-grade steel and a stainless steel barrel.  It’s a huge revolver, almost 35 centimeters (13.75 inches) long.  Safeties include a transfer bar safety, a passive trigger safety, and the Taurus Security System which allows the revolver to be locked with a key, preventing the hammer, trigger, and cylinder from being moved.  The Raging Judge has the standard Raging Bull cushioned rubber grips to soften recoil (unfortunately, not quantifiable in Twilight 2000 v2.2 rules).  The trigger action can be set for single action or double action.  The rear sight is a simple notch, but the front sight has a highly-visible fiberoptic inlay.

     In 2012, Taurus introduced a new Raging Judge.  It’s very similar to the earlier Raging Judge in many ways.  The 3-inch-barrel version does not have the sighting rib, though the barrel does have the same heavy shroud.  Construction is of the same heavy ordnance steel and stainless steel barrel. The safety setup is the same, including the Taurus Safety System.  The grips are also the same Raging Bull cushioned grips.  It remains a double-action revolver.  This Raging Judge is still a huge revolver, primarily because of the large cylinders and heavy-shrouded barrel.  Barrels are 3 inches and 6 inches, and the 28-Gauge idea has been dropped.

     The Raging Hunter series is designed for some of the most powerful cartridges, and is primarily meant for handgun hunting.  It comes in a variety of barrel lengths, and the longest barrels are ported or even have muzzle brakes attached; The 10-inch Raging Hunter 460, in particular, has a large muzzle brake that looks like it would be more at home on a rifle.  The Raging Hunter is heavily built to help tame the huge recoil that can result from the powerful cartridges fired; the Raging Hunter is definitely a handful. The grip provided is oversized and cushioned to further help recoil. Barrels are full-lugged and heavy, and most Raging Hunters will stop a bear (or person) in its tracks. Trigger pull weight is light and crisp in single action mode, and the revolver is easily thumb-cocked; double-action trigger pull is moderately heavy.  The barrels are optics ready, with Picatinny Rails atop them, and all are tipped with a target crown; the 10-inch Raging Hunter 460 has a short length or rail under the barrel for a bipod or aiming devices.  The Raging Bull is all steel, either stainless steel or steel alloy, with a matte stainless frames or frames with matte black oxide finishes.  Cylinders, barrels and hammers normally have a black oxide finish. These are large, heavy weapons not meant for normal combat, though they will put an enemy down.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Taurus Model 44

     Notes: This is a high-caliber Taurus revolver, roughly equivalent to the Smith & Wesson 29.  The 44 has a barrel compensator to help fight barrel climb, but is more lightly built than the S&W 29.  The version with the 12-inch barrel is typically known as the Hunter model.

Taurus Model 65

     Notes: One of Taurus’ oldest models still in production, the Model 65 is a magnum revolver which can be identified by its small grips.  The barrel can be 2.5, 3, or 4 inches; the 2.5-inch barrel was not available until 1992, when it replaced the 3-inch barrel version.  All barrels have a solid sighting rib above the barrel, in addition to fixed sights.  The finish remained blued until 1993, when a stainless steel version arrived.  The Model 65 is a basic, easy-to-use weapon, popular with police and civilians alike.

Taurus Model 66

     Notes: The original Taurus 66 was introduced in 1978 as a .357 Magnum revolver with a micrometer rear sight and a steel frame.  The barrel lengths of this original model were 3, 4, or 6 inches.  The revolver could be blued or matte-nickel finished.  In 1993, Taurus added a 2.5” barrel to the line.  In 1997, production of the old Model 66 ended, but a new Model 66 was introduced with a 7-shot cylinder and a 4 or 6-inch barrel.  The old Model 66 may no longer be in production, but the Model 65 is, as well as the new Model 66.  Other variants include the Model 66CP, introduced in 1993, with a ported 4 or 6-inch barrel (which unfortunately doesn’t help in game terms); and the Model 66 Silhouette, introduced in 2001, a target revolver with a 7-shot cylinder, a black rubber grips, blued or matte stainless steel finish, and a long 12-inch barrel.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The old Model 66 did not leave production until 2010, replaced at that point by the new Model 66.  The Model 66 Silhouette does not exist.

Taurus Model 76

     Notes:  This is a target revolver with a fully adjustable rear sight.  It is a medium frame revolver firing a relatively light cartridge, which makes it very stable.  It is a rough equivalent to a Smith & Wesson K-Frame revolver.  The .32 Magnum version came later in production.  The Model 76 is finished only in blue, has a 6-inch barrel, and has adjustable sights.

Taurus Model 80

     Notes: The Model 80 was introduced in 1980, and as far as is known, remained in production until 2001, though it may remain in production for South American-only sales today.  The Model 80 has fixed sights, small hardwood grips, and a heavy tapering barrel 3 or 4 inches long.  The ejector rod is unshrouded.  The Model 80 was originally produced only with a blued finish, but later a nickel-plated model was added, as was a stainless steel version (sometimes called the Model 80SS) in 1993.

     The Model 82 is a similar revolver made at the same time.  Like the Model 80, it was a popular export to the US and Europe.  Unlike the Model 80, it has a full-length bull barrel with a prominent top rib and is heavier than the Model 80.  The same finishes were used on the Model 82, though the stainless steel version was offered only with a 4-inch barrel.  Another variant, the Model 82B, is virtually identical, but is strengthened to handle +P ammunition.  It was offered only with a 4-inch barrel and is again heavier than the standard Model 82.  

Taurus Model 83

     Notes: Another basic sort of police-type revolver, the Model 83 features a 4-inch heavy ribbed barrel, half-length ejector rod shroud, and large wooden grips.  The front sight is Patridge-type, and the rear sight is micrometer-adjustable.  A medium-frame revolver, it was introduced in 1977 and may still remain in production, though it was taken off the international market in 2001.  The original finish was blue, though they could also had in nickel plating, and in 1993 a stainless steel model, the Model 83SS, was introduced. 

Taurus Model 85

     Notes: This is a Brazilian snub-nosed revolver.  It was popular as a backup gun with US police departments, especially among older officers who were used to revolvers.  The revolver, as introduced in 1980, is blued or nickel-plated steel (with stainless steel as an option after 1993) and has a ported ribbed barrel of 2, 3 or 4 inches (though the 4-inch barrel was discontinued in 1992), with a fixed rear sight.  It had a hard rubber grip, but in 1996, this was changed to an Uncle Mike’s Boot grip.

     In 1997, Taurus introduced the Model 85UL (Ultra Light), with a light alloy frame.  Since 1999, Taurus has also offered the Model 85 Total Titanium, with a titanium alloy frame, cylinder, and barrel.   In 1999, a double-action-only version of the basic steel model with a shrouded hammer was also introduced.  (This is identical to the standard Model 85 for game purposes.)  In 2000, another version was introduced, the Model 85 Police Ultra Light Titanium, with a titanium barrel and cylinder.  It is the lightest version, but can still fire +P cartridges.

     Since 2008, Taurus has sold the Model 856 variant, so named because its main feature is that it is a Model 85 with a six-round cylinder.  They are built from steel, and come in blued and stainless finishes.  The grip is rubber with stippled sides and a finger groove in front.  A further variant, the Model 856HL2MG, is basically the same as the Model 856 but uses a magnesium alloy frame, and is extremely light in weight yet strong.  The Model 856 is still capable of firing +P loads.  Barrel lengths are all 2 inches and are not ported.  The Model 856 uses a low-profile front sight blade, but has no rear sight.

     In early 2000, Taurus began selling versions of the Total Titanium with a Crimson Trace LaserGrip; it is identical to the Total Titanium except for the price and a slight increase in weight.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: All of these but the basic steel Taurus 85 are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.