Here is my Taurus experience. In the late 90's I was looking for a 22 revolver in a certain price range. Not being able to find a used Smith J frame I purchased a stainless Taurus. IT was the worst revolver I had ever shot. Trigger pull was terrible, it would lock up after only 100 rds due to lead buildup on the cylinder face, and it rarely got through a full cylinder without a misfire. The gunshop I had purchased it from was going out of business when I bought it, so I could not take it back to the dealer.
IN disgust I threw it into the back of the safe. A couple years went by and my son wanted to start shooting handguns, so I brought the Taurus back out. Obviously all the problems still existed but this time I noticed the lifetime guarantee. I sent the revolver back to Taurus with a strongly written letter outlining my complaints. Around 4 months latter I received my revolver back with a list of things they claimed to have done.
Fine, I decided to try and wear this revolver out. My goal was to fire 10,000 rounds through it in one summer. I failed in my goal because I only managed to run 6800 rds through it and in that time only had two misfires. I don't know how much ammo I have run through this revolver because I quite counting at 13,000. The DA trigger pull is still a little stiff but smooth as glass. the biggest change is that after running that much ammo, mostly DA, through a 22 revolver with a stiff trigger, shooting with my S&W centerfire revolvers has improved immensely.
The thing that still disappoints me is that two days after buying the Taurus I found a used S&W in 22 Mag for about the same price as the new Taurus 22 LR. I still regret not being able to buy that S&W and if the dollar amount were the same would obviously take the S&W every time. But I consider the Taurus to be 80% of the S&W for 1/2 of the price, and the equal of a S&W with the internal lock.
