Taurus has unveiled the new 608 Competition 8-Shot .357 Mag., in what the company describes as its first-ever purpose-built competition-ready wheel gun. The new 608 is based on the Georgia manufacturer’s legacy 8-shot Model 608, a medium-framed stainless steel revolver. According to Taurus, the 608 Competition was designed with input from high-level competition shooters and has everything you need to dominate the competition right out of the box.
The 608 Competition features a 6-inch bull barrel and a toolless user-adjustable trigger. Heavily scalloped cylinder cuts add to aesthetics while helping to achieve a smooth and easy double-action trigger pull through the reduction of rotating mass. Additional upgrades include a high-visibility green fiber-optic front sight with a fully adjustable notch sight in the rear. The rear sight is also removable, enabling the revolver to accept after-market optics mounting solutions. The 608 Competition also features a moon clip-cut cylinder with chamfered charge holes and an extended ejector rod for smooth, fast reloads and enhanced ergonomics. VZ Target grips provide the necessary traction to keep you in control under any condition.
Taurus emphasizes the 608 Competition with its .357 Mag./.38 Special 8-round capacity is ready to go right out of the box for USPSA and ICORE revolver category competitive matches. The overall length of the Taurus 608 Competition is 11.37 inches, and the revolver weighs in at a hefty recoil absorbing 51 ounces.
Three 8-shot moon clips are included with the 608 Competition, with additional aftermarket versions being manufactured by TK Custom. While moon clips are not necessary to load the cylinder or fire the gun, they will ensure you have enough ammunition ready for reloading quickly during a match. Another area where the new 608 Competition hits back hard at challengers is its price, with an objective reasonable MSRP of $1,016.
If you’re considering getting into revolver competition or have been a competitor for a while and are looking for an out-of-the-package race gun, the 608 Competition might be a great fit. As a big fan of revolvers, although never having competed with one, I’m curious how those who shoot wheel gun competitions feel about the new Taurus. Let me know in the comments below if you think the 608 Competition offers great value for your matches, and if not, what features you might like to see from a competition revolver.
To learn more about the 608 Competition or any of Taurus products, please visit www.taurususa.com.
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I buy a 7 shot .357 and they come out with an 8 shot version.
It’s an arms race, I tells you.
You should have bought a Smith and Wesson, they have offered 8 shot 357 magnums for many years now.
I love my S&W revolvers. But I could not resist my Ruger gp100 when I saw it at the store. Purely an impulse buy which I do not regret.
jwm,
I used to own an old-school Colt Python (arguably one of the best .357 wheelguns ever made!). That I no longer have it is a perpetual regret. Given what it would cost me to replace it, I “replaced” it (not the same, but not awful) with a stainless steel GP-100 and it is truly fun to shoot. Trigger isn’t as good as the Python, and the balance is a tad off, but overall a GREAT revolver!! And .357 is one of my favorite calibers – just wish they could engineer a reliable way to port the .357 to a modern semi-auto pistol.
I had two Colts that I still regret giving up. A Detective Special and a 1903 .32 acp. My Trooper mk3, not so much. That gun never felt right in my hand.
If I’m shooting .38 special only I want a k frame S&W. For magnums I want a Ruger.
jwm,
The Ruger does handle magnum loads nicely (which is part of the reason I like it). I got the 8″ stainless model, and it is a joy to shoot, even with “hot” loads, because that weight just ignores the recoil. Interestingly, my old Python was not significantly lighter than the Ruger, and also handled full power loads easily. Both pistols too large to be easy carry pieces, but DAYUM those pistols are/were fun to shoot, and as I mentioned, for all-around, the .357 may be my favorite pistol caliber. Hefty enough to handle most jobs (I’ve even open carried it in bear country a few times), but not as punishing as the .44 magnum. If Ruger made the GP100 in an 8-shot version, and if open carry was permitted (w/o absurd hassles), that would be my EDC gun.
Coonan Arms 357 on a 1911 configuration. pretty cool. Buddy of mine has one. Flawless.
Taurus has been selling the ‘608’ 8 shot 357 for years… maybe decades now. I’ve owned one at least 15 years or more and love it. Looking forward to being able to sell a kidney and get this version… I’m hoping the price tag isn’t ridiculous considering it’s just moon clips, a contoured cylinder and fiber optic. Either way… really wanting this version.
Taurus seems to be trying. YouTuber Honest Outlaw is a huge fan of the Raging Hunter in 44 magnum he highlighted today. Dunno about competitive shooting.
I have a stainless Taurus tracker model, 5 shot cylinder in .41 magnum. It’s a tack driver. No issues and smooth action. Taurus has raised quality in the last few years.
Why not a 3 inch barrel version for CCW? I won’t be using magnum ammo it.
Taurus has the Defender 3″ models in 357.
That 605 is a 5 shot.
If you can cc a nframe equivalent sure why not and s&w may have one now that I think of it. For me sp101 is about as wide as I want with a revolver. For this…….great idea mild but diminishing concerns re qc. So wait and see if it is still around a year or two later without issues and/or rent and see how it does.
Yes you can if you are very determined and have the right holster/belt combo. I carried an N Frame S&W model 28-2 Highway Patrolman concealed for a few years. Tucker Gunleather makes an IWB holster for large frame revolvers. It’s not EASY but it’s definitely possible.
Not surprised but at that point I think the glock20/40 mix I have would be the order of the day for shoulder holster carry
Rossi RP63
Unfortunately, the rossi is a 6 shot. I’m looking for an 8 shot 3 inch revolver.
Chris, the smallest 8 shots I saw while researching and settling on the Rossi were all 4″ and they’re all pretty big chunks of metal. Maybe consider a brace of 5 or 6 shot 3 inchers and have a New York reload?
If I ever find another one I will buy a 3 inch round butt model 10 S&W.
That is a handy package for a revolver.
I looked one of these over around a month ago.
Seemed like a well built firearm however I wasn’t interested.
Taurus. The only revolver I’ve ever owned that jammed. Eff Taurus. Add a little cash, and buy a Smith or a Ruger. Effing Eff Taurus.
Which one? And what was the cause?
I used to have a stainless Taurus. 44 mag with a ported barrel. The double action pull wasn’t great, but the single action pull was lighter than the Ruger Redhawk that replaced it. I never had any problems with it. The only reason I sold the Taurus was that I wanted to carry 340 grain +p+ for bears, and the Taurus isn’t built for that.
Question – the shroud that protects the ejector rod runs the full length of the barrel, which appears to be longer than really needed. Just for looks, or does competition include use as a club?
Weight to reduce recoil/muzzle flip maybe?Honestly don’t know how well it works compared to other designs or if it messes with the balance as I would hope it is distributed evenly enough to be a comfortable point. To another degree someone probably thought it looked cool.
I think a full length lug under the barrel looks much better than a partial.
That additional weight out toward the muzzle also helps to reduce muzzle flip.
And increases rigidity so the barrel is less likely to deform if dropped on the muzzle. (In a competition setting, I’d expect a few fumbles.)
“…include use as a club.”
You know, they could do this in Cowboy Action Shooting. Set up a bar scene where you had to shoot 5 bad guys out of 10 patrons, and then smash a watermelon to simulate the one bad guy left. I might buy a whole new kit if they did that…
Thanks for the responses. I will just check ‘all of the above’, and get back to my nap.
The weight is to help prevent muzzle rise and increase control. Some of the S&W competition guns even have weights you can remove to adjust how it shoots.
I don’t understand the $1000 price tag. I can buy the standard version of that revolver for about $550 and pay a gunsmith $200 to make the trigger fantastic. That is a total price of $750. Why pay the extra $250?
But then you don’t get that eye-catching cylinder!
Honestly, if they offered it in a 5″ barrel I’d be more interested. I probably wouldn’t buy one, as I’m still pretty happy with my R8, but I’d be willing to take a closer look.
The six people left in USPSA who run a revolver won’t sell their 929s to buy one.
Why did they scrawl the word “competition” down the under lug. You had me until that abomination. Took a good looking, classy looking gun and effed it up.
Oh! Look! It even says “competition” right there on the underlug! Does it say “grip zone” on the handgrip?
Or have the owners manual on it like a Ruger Revolver.
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