Taurus 66 Stainless 4in 357 Magnum 7-Shot — Superb Revolver

Description

The Taurus 66 Stainless 4in is a seven-shot .357 Magnum on a medium frame, with a four-inch barrel, matte stainless barrel, cylinder and frame, an adjustable rear sight and a red-insert front ramp.

Four inches is the length this pattern was designed around. It burns most of a .357 charge, it balances in the hand rather than hanging off it, and it is short enough to carry on a belt under a jacket — which a six-inch gun is not. Put that on a stainless frame and the Taurus 66 Stainless 4in becomes the one revolver in the line that will genuinely do everything: range, woods, truck and nightstand.

What you get

• The Taurus 66 Stainless 4in holds seven rounds of .357 Magnum or .38 Special +P, where most medium-frame .357s hold six.
• A four-inch matte stainless barrel with a full-length shroud over the ejector rod.
• An adjustable rear sight and a red-insert front ramp, so the Taurus 66 Stainless 4in can be zeroed for a specific load and the front sight stays visible against dark game.
• Matte stainless barrel, cylinder and frame — corrosion resistance in the metal rather than in a finish that wears through.
• A black finger-grooved rubber grip, an exposed hammer and a transfer bar safety.

Why four inches is the sweet spot

• A 4-inch barrel burns most of a .357 charge. Out of a two-inch snub a large share of that powder leaves as flash and noise, punishing the shooter more than the target.
• Weight sits forward, so the muzzle settles back down between shots instead of flipping.
• It carries. A four-inch medium frame rides well on a stiff belt under a jacket, which the six-inch version simply does not.
• .38 Special makes it cheap to shoot. Practise on .38, load .357 when it matters, and the sight picture never changes.
• Stainless is corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof — the Taurus 66 Stainless 4in still wants oil, it just forgives neglect far better than a blued gun.

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-660049
• UPC: 725327200154
• Calibre: .357 Magnum / .38 Special +P
• Capacity: 7 rounds
• Barrel: 4 in, matte stainless steel, shrouded ejector rod
• Frame: medium, matte stainless steel
• Cylinder: matte stainless steel
• Sights: adjustable rear, red-insert front ramp
• Action: double action / single action, exposed hammer
• Safety: transfer bar
• Grip: black finger-grooved rubber

.357 Magnum and .38 Special are standardised by SAAMI, and the Magnum case is a tenth of an inch longer — which is the only reason a .38 chambers in a .357 revolver and never the other way round. If you shoot a lot of .38 through it, scrub the front of the chambers before switching back to Magnum brass; the carbon ring a shorter case leaves behind is what makes the longer one stick.

The same revolver in matte black oxide is the Taurus 66, and the six-inch versions are stocked in stainless and black. For an eight-shot competition gun there is the 608 Competition; for carry, the 605 with a night sight.

Why the Taurus 66 Stainless 4in earns its place

• The Taurus 66 Stainless 4in holds seven rounds instead of six, at the same size, weight and money.
• Adjustable sights on a working revolver, which is increasingly rare at this price.
• Stainless throughout, for a gun that will live outdoors and be cleaned late.
• The barrel length that balances performance against carrying it.
• Two cartridges out of one cylinder, so practice stays affordable.

This is the do-everything revolver in the Taurus line: a house gun, a truck gun, a woods sidearm and a fine first centre-fire revolver, because you can feed it mild .38 wadcutters while you learn the trigger and then move up. Hunters in states with handgun seasons will find four inches and adjustable sights enough for close-cover whitetail with a heavy hard-cast load. The Taurus 66 Stainless 4in is not a concealed-carry gun in the summer sense, but on a belt under a coat it disappears well enough.

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.