Smoothing the Taurus Model 80 Revolver

Taurus’ double-action revolvers have earned a reputation for quality, reliability, and accuracy. But this was not always the case. At one time, Taurus revolvers were recognized as an inexpensive alternative to the Smith & Wesson. While they were worth their modest cost, they may not have been as durable or as smooth as the more popular American brand. But these early revolvers should not be dismissed out of hand; they’re still good revolvers, even if they’re not as highly developed as Taurus’ newer products.

The flagship of the Taurus revolver line, the Model 80, was the breadand-butter revolver from Brazil for some time, and is probably responsible for much of the company’s success. A hard look at the early model revolvers shows a handgun similar in outward appearance to the Smith & Wesson Military and Police revolver. But anyone who thinks the internal workings of the revolver are the same as the M&P has another thought coming.

Smith & Wesson revolvers such as the Military and Police (Model 10) feature direct-impact firing pins. In other words, the hammer has a firing pin mounted in the hammer itself. The most significant difference in the early model Taurus revolvers is that they feature a floating firing pin. This firing pin is mounted in the frame and is spring loaded so that it doesn’t touch the primer; only impact from the hammer can drive it forward.

The hammer cannot contact the firing pin no matter how hard it is struck, because the Taurus uses a transfer-bar firing system. In my opinion, Taurus was wise to change to the transfer bar. Made popular by Charter Arms and Ruger revolvers introduced in the 1960s and early 1970s, this system is an improvement in many ways over earlier types. The transfer bar raises when the hammer falls, and the hammer strikes the transfer bar which then transfers energy to the firing pin.

This is the safest means of producing a revolver action. As a bonus, the rebound slide is eliminated, which can allow for a slicker action. In directimpact actions, the rebound slide is necessary to prevent the hammer from contacting the primer if you slip while cocking the handgun or otherwise release the hammer prematurely. Early Taurus revolvers lock on the ejector rod the same as the Smith & Wesson revolvers of the day.

As a result, they’re subject to the same type of binding from a loose ejector rod as the S&W can be. As for operation, the Taurus Model 80 is again similar to the Smith & Wesson, but there are differences. When the trigger is pressed and the hammer moves, the hammer action compresses a coil spring as opposed to the familiar Coltand S&W-type Trigger work is similar, but not the same as that required on the Smith & Wesson.

leaf spring. The cylinder bolt falls away from the cylinder notch, and the hand moves the cylinder. The bolt returns to lock the cylinder at the moment of firing. The sear releases as the trigger is fully depressed, and the piece fires by releasing the hammer. The hammer is propelled forward by energy stored in the hammer spring. Smoothing the Taurus Model 80 is fairly simple, but disassembly is a bit more complicated than is the case with more modern Taurus revolvers or the Smith & Wesson Model 10.

The sideplate comes off in the same manner as similar double-action revolvers, and there are no surprises internally. But, if you’re not familiar with it, there could be a certain surprise in the sideplate. If you look carefully at the hand, you’ll see that it’s spring loaded. There is a tiny spring set in the sideplate that holds the hand forward. If the hand is removed, this spring will leap from its blind hole.

A close look will reveal a tiny hole drilled in the sideplate that serves to run the spring back in place using along needle. With the spring held in place, you carefully insert a screwdriverblade tip in front of the spring, then move a needle or unwound paper clip and place the hand back in place. Then release the spring and let it bear against the hand.

The problem in returning the sideplate to the revolver is that the hand must be placed back in alignment with the trigger while keeping the hand firmly in its spring-loaded slot in the sideplate. I have no idea why this system, absent from the modern Taurus, was adopted. For all I know it may have been designed for more positive operation of the hand. In practical terms, disassembly is no more difficult, but reassembly of the revolver is more difficult than most revolvers.

I wish there was atrick I could pass along for reseating the sideplate but there’s none that I know of. The only course is to carefully hold the revolver in an attitude with the internal lockwork properly assembled, minus the sideplate and hand, and carefully align the sideplate while fitting the hand in its slot in the trigger and frame. This is no easy task, but give it three or four tries and you’ll eventually succeed.

The narrow blind hole and small spring are definitely more like a Colt internally, while maintaining the general appearance of an S&W externally. It’s a good bet that most of the Taurus Model 80 revolvers brought into your shop for repair will be in need of something simple such as a spring or hand. But you have nothing to lose by suggesting to the owner that the trigger action can be improved, and I’ve had a number of owners over the years who have asked for this type of work.

It’s a straightforward action, but be aware that an early revolver, say 1960s vintage, may be made of softer steel and caution should be your guide. Also, keep in mind that parts cannot be interchanged with those from a Smith & Wesson. Taurus revolvers in the Model-80 series have decent actions that are heavier than modern Taurus production. A sure-fire means of smoothing the action is to address the singleaction notch in the hammer. This notch has a bevel.

By lightly stoning this area without losing the angle of the bevel, an improvement in letoff is realized. By cleaning this area up, a bad trigger can become quite smooth While as straightforward as any doubleaction revolver, the inner workings of the Taurus are reminiscent of the Charter Arms and Ruger revolver as well as the Smith & Wesson. Note the serrations on the cylinder flute. with a minimum of effort. Improvements in double-action trigger press are pretty straightforward, too.

Carefully stone the mating surfaces, preserving the angles, and bringing the revolver to a higher state of smoothness. To get to the interior, the sideplate must be removed (being careful to keep the hand in place and to retain the small spring I warned you about). On one Taurus M80 I worked on recently, the top screw snapped under pressure of disassembly, which is common with softer metal. Gun Parts Corp. may be able to help with these screws. To take the action down, first cock the revolver to full cock.

Then place a pin in the hole in the mainspring end that protrudes at full cock. Release the trigger and the hammer will go forward, leaving the spring without pressure on the hammer. Next, lift the

Take care in disassembly, especially if parts seem difficult to remove. hammer and the trigger out of their slots. I polish the pins the hammer and trigger ride on’especially the hammer-axis pin, which is an oftenoverlooked part that can add to the pistol’s smoothness. Don’t get too ambitious when polishing small parts such as the hand and the bolt stop. While both can benefit from a polish, bad things happen when the angles of these parts are broken.

The mating surfaces of the trigger and hammer will show rough wear spots on the mating areas. The heart of an action job is to carefully stone these surfaces and apply a quality lubricant. The sideplate can also be addressed if it exhibits excess tool marks. Cylinder drag is common on older revolvers. This is easily discovered by working the action and by noting any drag marks on the cylinder itself. This comes from the bolt. The bolt is failing to release after the hand moves the cylinder.

Few of these revolvers cease to function altogether, but cyl- Brownells Offers All-In-One Cleaning Kit from Otis Brownells and Otis have paired up to bring gunsmiths the most complete gun-cleaning kit ever developed. The Otis Elite (#668-000-016) features everything necessary to clean every pistol, rifle, or shotgun from .177 caliber to 12 gauge. The Otis Elite Kit includes bronze bore and chamber brushes in .22, .25, .27, .30, .35, .38, .41, .45, and .50 caliber, plus .410, 28, 20, 16, and 12 gauge.

The kit also contains .177- and .22-caliber short bronze cleaning brushes, a NATO adapter and .223-chamber brush, inder drag is not a good thing if accuracy is your goal. The hand and bolt should be stoned to a clear mirror polish to be certain that the parts operate as designed. Often, the trigger extension that meets the bolt needs to be polished as well. Conclusions The procedures described here apply to the various .22-caliber revolvers as well as the .38/.357-caliber versions.

I’m not certain when the spring in the sideplate was deleted, but I believe it and a dual-ended nylon receiver brush. A complete Otis Tactical Kit for small arms and an Otis Scraper & Punch Kit are also included, as is a DVD which gives instructions on proper firearm care. A complete list of the components is available on the Brownells website. The assembly comes in a durable nylon case which features a special lining designed to prevent rust.

The case also includes a lock, allowing it to double as a secure storage case for handguns. Every cleaning component in the kit is was in the late 1980s. Early model Taurus revolvers can be identified by serrations in the cylinder groove; later revolvers without this serration won’t have this spring that holds the hand. When working with any revolver action, it’s good to remember to smooth slowly and carefully and preserve the original angles.

The Taurus Model 80 responds well to such work, often producing a pull rivaling that of the modern Taurus Model 82 and other high-quality revolvers. I backed by a lifetime gor inform or visit