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Taurus Model 970 Tracker

by John Coory
Australian & New Zealand Handgun 1

Taurus Model 970 Tracker handgunForjas Taurus of Brasil, or Brazil…for they spell it both ways, manufactures a staggering range of handguns, with most of their revolvers sharing more than a passing resemblance with those of the marque of Smith and Wesson.

In fact, revolvers from the factory of the ‘raging bull’ are barely disguised shadow copies of some of the handgun world’s most established and proven designs. If you must borrow heavily from another’s idea, you may as well make it a good one and get on with the job of claiming it as your own.

Alongside S&W, the South American models vary little from the originals, with frame dimensions, barrel configurations, overall shape and control surfaces most of the time very close, if not identical.

This leads to the notion that a shadow copy based on an already noted product is likely to hit the ground running and deliver acceptable value for money and performance. A similar approach to imitation ahead of innovation has seen the Japanese auto and heavy machinery industries grow to world dominance, to the chagrin of many competitors, and so it is here.

The test subject is a full-sized, medium-frame, stainless steel revolver, which too borrows heavily from Springfield design. The seven-round cylinder is exactly four centimetres in length, indicating it will also be the basis for magnum chambering in other models within the range.

A ventilated rib is incorporated into the deep profile 165mm barrel, though I suggest this design is form over function, as .22 revolvers are not big on generating a deceptive sight picture due to barrel warming, at the best of times. Sights are standard fare with square notch rear with white outline.

A ventilated rib is incorporated into the deep profile 165mm barrelThe screw adjustment for windage and elevation, it must be said, is not as clean and positive in the indexing department as it could be. Foresight is a ramped blade, serrated to stymie unwanted reflection. It also has a fluro insert, which works well with the rear’s white outline for target alignment. Ratio between the two is about perfect and should not require any further widening.

With a sight radius of 220mm, this is a revolver that would be a pretty good option for rimfire silhouette.

The TRACKER is a double action revolver but would need a little magic performed upon the internals to make it an accurate performer in this mode. The hammer rise and the cylinder rotation are anything but smooth and progressive as one would like and as a result, one finds a stronger-than-desired pull is required just to keep things turning.

At the point where the transfer bar locates to take the hammer strike, things smooth out and the let-off is not too bad. If one could get used to the notchy stages of this action, it would be possible to master this variance - but why bother?

This is a typical tuning situation and the Model 970 is one unit that would definitely benefit from the exercise. A smooth, progressive double action trigger pull would make this a potentially accurate contender, given the substantial overall weight of the revolver itself and soft recoil due to its chambering. It would improve single action release to no end, too.

Given the mechanics of double action actuation, contact between components needs to be as frictionless as possible. Burrs and machining marks (no matter how faint) need to be removed and contact surfaces polished to provide a stepless action, while not reducing working tolerances and safe, positive function.

It does not hurt to check out the internals of new unitsIt does not hurt to check out the internals of new units anyway, just in case there are leftover dags from the manufacturing process. While not a part of the trigger assembly, I did find a machining burr the size of a small piece of confetti involved with the mainspring when I had a browse inside.

Single action shooting with the TRACKER is a treat, again, because of the combined effects of the physical size and the light chambering. The wide hammer spur gives good grip upon the thumb and helps smooth out the aforementioned unevenness of the cocking action.

Upon firing, the low recoil is further negated by what must be the squishiest rubber grips ever fitted to a handgun. Fine horizontal ribs, roughly six to the centimetre, extend the full length on both sides, the deepest, softest ribbing being at the front where the fingers grasp below the trigger guard.

If hefty recoil were present, these would be a pain, as the firearm would torque in the hand and a tighter squeeze would only lead to fatigue as opposed to accuracy. In this case, due to the resiliency and sponginess of these grips, the Taurus behaves more like a massage unit, with a soft recoil pulse and barely any muzzle movement.

The soft nature of these grips does make me wonder just how long they will hang in there before losing shape, as they already seem quite floppy where they contact the upper portion of the frame around the trigger guard. Cleaning agents, solvents and oils will almost certainly have a destructive effect on this type of soft rubber.

Dimensions of the grip are on the small size but not so small a large mitt cannot get a comfortable grasp. The palm area is quite hand filling, which makes for a better fit than appearances would suggest, making this an ideal tool for shooters with smaller hands of either gender and younger users too.

Taurus has incorporated a simple but effective trigger security systemFirearm manufacturers are heeding the call for greater safety by incorporating locking devices into their products to prevent misuse, especially in the hands of minors. After-market trigger locks and the like are fine but, as they are separate items, they can easily be forgotten or disregarded.

In the case of the 970 TRACKER, Taurus has incorporated a simple but effective trigger security system. At the rear portion of the hammer, behind the spur, is an integral mechanism operated by a dedicated key, two of which are supplied. Though it is referred to in the manual as a “deactivation mechanism”, turning a small stud winds it outwards where it simply interrupts rather than deactivates the hammer’s travel, which effectively locks it in the down position.

The cylinder can still be swung open and hence loaded but as the hammer cannot be brought into the cocked position, either single or double action, things are not going anywhere until the key is inserted and the stud turned in to its flush fitting position.

It’s a reasonable safety item designed more to thwart youngsters who might get their hands on unsecured firearms but in no way can it be taken as the last word in security.

I was able to deactivate the system in no time flat using a number of easily accessible items found about the house.

It is better than nothing at all in terms of inbuilt security, but there will never be any device that will displace safe and proper storage.

At about $700, the Taurus 970 TRACKER is reasonable value as a training or casual target handgun, which could be tuned to perform even better for dedicated events. Its beefy stainless steel construction, solid lock up and tight tolerances suggest it is over engineered for its rimfire chambering. With suitable care, it should last a lifetime.