Quality of the current made Taurus Ultra-Lite revolvers?

[jlwilliams]

  Looking around the web, I see plenty of bad reviews of Taurus guns.  I know they have been around a while and that they have had their ups and downs.  There are also plenty of good reviews and I'm happy with the only Taurus I own (PT99)
 
  I'm really considering one of their guns.  I want a compact revolver (I'll go 38 special) and they have some that have all the features I want.  I'd like light weight, preferably stainless compact revolver.  Taurus offers 2 1/2" and 3" barreled Ultra-Lites, and I like that.  The bulk of the wheel gun being the cylinder and grip, so 3" of barrel isn't more difficult to carry than 2" IMO.  I can get a Taurus stainless, maybe even the titanuim version and have all the features I want.  Question is; are their new guns worth buying?  I want what I want feature wise, but not if it won't hold up to normal carry and use.

[DAT19K]

i've owned a model 85 ultra-lite for around 6yrs now. haven't had any problems at all with it. i ran all types of ammo through it including +p's (it is rated for +p's). i have large hands and it fits good while at the same time it fits my wife's small hands well too. it is very light and plus having 2" barrel the recoil is a bit heavy but manageable. the price range is decent. i'm happy with it. hope this helps.

[jlwilliams]

It does help.  Thank you.

[gstewart44]

I just purchased a Taurus 817 UltraLite in .38+P.     It weighs only 21 oz, and rides nice in my pocket.    Shoots point of aim at 10 yards with FBI load (158 gr lswchp) .   Nice to know that there are seven of those .38 rounds in the cylinder.   this past weekend I put about 250 rounds through this little piece without any hiccups.     

[PineyCreek22]

One thing you got to remember about these ultra-lites,  they are not designed to put a couple hundred rounds thru em every week end.  I don't care who makes them they won't stand up to that kind of use.  Get familiar with em, load em with hydro shocks and carry em hoping you never have to use it.  Regards, Piney Creek

[corbanzo]

I have a taurus ultra light 44 magnum that I have beat the living piss out of for the last eight or so years I've had it.  As long as you go over it every once in a while and make sure all the screws are tight and such... guns are made to shoot.  If there is a gun out there that can't handle a couple hundred rounds a week it goes in the scrap metal pile, I don't care what its use is.
 
Also have a taurus 605 - and though its just a small frame compact revolver and not an "alloyed" ultralight it is small... I've still ran some good hot .357 through it, and the only thing that gets broken is my hands. 
 
Do a search of the 605 on this forum, there are actually quite a few of them around here, and people who really like them.  They arent the titanium like taurus uses or the scandium and smith uses - they are an all steel frame, but they are small and carry very easily.  - That gun definitely gets my stamp of approval and recommendation for a carry gun.  It is in .357 if you need it, but as always can take 38 loads. 
 
85's are similar in design, if you are set on a .38 only, it would be a good choice too.
 
Oh then go and buy a 605 in stainless. 
 
http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=247&category=Pistol