Taurus 608 Competition 357 Magnum 6in 8-Shot — Superb Stainless

Description

The Taurus 608 Competition is an eight-shot .357 Magnum with a six-inch heavy barrel, a full-length underlug, a green fibre-optic front sight and an adjustable rear, in matte stainless throughout.

Eight rounds in a revolver cylinder is the point of the gun. Competition divisions that allow eight-shot revolvers exist precisely because that extra round changes the reload count on a stage, and outside competition it simply means two more shots than a six-gun before you are empty. The Taurus 608 Competition is built around that cylinder, with the weight and the sights to make use of it.

How it is set up

• The Taurus 608 Competition has eight chambers in .357 Magnum, which also take .38 Special and .38 Special +P.
• A six-inch heavy barrel with a full-length underlug, which puts the weight out front where it steadies the sights and soaks up recoil.
• A green fibre-optic front sight — fast to pick up under a range roof or in flat light — with a fully adjustable rear.
• Matte stainless barrel, cylinder and frame on the Taurus 608 Competition, so it will take a season of range use without complaint.
• A black finger-grooved rubber grip, an exposed hammer for single-action shots, and a transfer bar safety.

Honest notes on an eight-shot .357

• The Taurus 608 Competition is heavy, and that is deliberate. A heavy revolver is a steady revolver, and full-power .357 out of this one is genuinely comfortable.
• That weight also means it is not a carry gun. This is a range, competition and field revolver.
• Eight-shot speedloaders and moon clips are less common than six-shot ones. Check availability for your chosen brand before you build a match kit around it.
• Feeding it .38 Special makes practice affordable and the recoil close to nothing — but scrub the front of the chambers before going back to Magnum brass.
• The Taurus 608 Competition is a double action with a working trigger, not a tuned one. Most owners shoot it single action for precision and double action for speed.

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-608069CMP
• UPC: 725327942535
• Calibre: .357 Magnum / .38 Special +P
• Capacity: 8 rounds
• Barrel: 6 in, heavy, full-length underlug, matte stainless
• Frame: large, matte stainless steel
• Cylinder: matte stainless steel
• Sights: green fibre-optic front, adjustable rear
• Action: double action / single action, exposed hammer
• Safety: transfer bar
• Grip: black finger-grooved rubber

.357 Magnum and .38 Special are both standardised by SAAMI; the Magnum case is a tenth of an inch longer, which is why the shorter round chambers here and not the other way round. On a six-inch barrel the difference between the two cartridges is at its widest, so a box of each covers everything from a quiet afternoon on paper to a serious field load.

For a lighter seven-shot .357 in the same barrel length, MAG5 stocks the Taurus 66 Stainless and the blued Model 66. For a ported hunting .357 with a rail, look at the Raging Hunter; for carry, the optic-ready 605 TORO.

Why the Taurus 608 Competition earns its place

• The Taurus 608 Competition puts eight rounds in a cylinder, which almost nothing else at this price offers.
• A heavy six-inch barrel and a full underlug, so the sights sit still.
• A fibre-optic front sight that is genuinely quick to find.
• Stainless throughout, built for volume shooting.
• Two cartridges out of one cylinder, which keeps a competition habit affordable.

This is a competition and range revolver first, and a capable field gun second. It suits a shooter working in a revolver division, anyone who enjoys precise slow fire, and a handgun hunter who does not mind the weight. The Taurus 608 Competition is emphatically not a carry gun, and it is more revolver than someone buying their first .357 needs — but as something to actually shoot, in quantity, it is very well judged.

In stock now at MAG5 Firearms in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Handgun sales ship to a licensed dealer in your state, where you will complete a Form 4473 and the background check before taking delivery.