First things first, this is one fun gun, perhaps my favorite handgun to shoot within my collection. The ergonomics, smooth trigger, and accuracy are just stellar. Not to mention the power, yet manageable recoil only a .357 magnum can provide. An absolute pleasure to shoot. Now to the stats: a 7 round .357 Magnum, weight of 28.8 ounces, a height of 5.4" and a width of 1.531", trigger is double action/single action and includes a hammer transfer bar for additional safety, the barrel is 4" long and ported, and runs at an MSRP of $670. 

Now to the heart of the matter, and perhaps why most of you are looking for a review on this firearm. Taurus has perhaps, shall we say, a tenuous reputation within the shooting community. It is not known for many original designs and to be honest the Tracker 627 is remarkably similar to the Smith & Wesson 686. Secondly, there are many who have had reliability issues. I will touch on both of these. 

As to the similarities to the Smith & Wesson 686. I have shot both, the Smith several times, but own the Taurus. To be honest, and perhaps to my and others surprise, I like the Taurus more. While similar in design they feature radically different grips styles, and though the S&W feels nice in the hand, the Taurus just seems to melt into my hand and absorb recoil better. Secondly, the Taurus comes standard with a 7 round cylinder whereas the 686 comes with 6, though if you buy the "Plus" model it upgrades it to 7 as well. Third, the Taurus is ported and while this does reduce velocity slightly, it serves well at reducing both recoil and muzzle flip--ensuring quicker follow up shots if the need were to arise. The .357 Magnum is no slouch when it comes to recoil, and for many is at the upper end of their tolerance, but the porting does help and it my mind it is just incredibly fun to shoot and puts a smile on my face every time. Of course like all .357 Magnums you can also shoot standard .38 Special and .38 Special +P rounds in it as well, significantly reducing the cost of practicing and marginalizing recoil for those that may be sensitive. Finally, the cost: the Taurus Tracker 627 is $150 cheaper than the Smith. 

To be sure the Smith & Wesson holds some important advantages over the Taurus as well. Most notably it doesn't have the reliability issues reported with the Taurus. And here is the kicker, I had those reliability issues. The first time out the cylinder would lock up every few rounds. Revolvers by their nature are touted as the most reliable handguns. Pull the trigger it goes bang, if you encounter a dud primer pull the trigger again and it moves onto the next round. The first time out this didn't happen. Here I was on the range with my buddies, proud of my new purchase, and the gun wouldn't operate. What an embarrassment. That being said, my experience with their customer service through email was prompt and satisfactory. I paid $50 to ship the gun to Miami and had the gun back in three weeks working perfectly. Now obviously two points need to be made on this, one: the gun should have been working perfectly right out of the box, I shouldn't have had to fork out an additional $50. On this point I couldn't agree more, a product should work when you buy it. Two, going forward can I be confident in its performance? This is a gun that I bought primarily as a woods gun; to provide protection while camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting. I am one of the rare individuals who has actually been shot at while in the woods by a bunch of drunken bafoons who somehow got a rise out of endangering my life. Have that happen to you and it changes your life and it is a situation I never intend to be in again unprepared. Statistically the odds are against it happening again but like a fire extinguisher I would rather be safe than sorry. The .357 Magnum is more than able to handle anything on two legs and for that matter any on four in North America with the obvious exception of a Grizzly. So do I trust it? Yes, since the repair four years ago I have put over 1,500 rounds of .38 Special and 300 rounds of .357 Magnum through it and haven't had a single issue. The trip to Miami seems to have taken care of the locking up issue and I am meticulous in my cleaning of my firearms. Secondly, the Smith & Wesson just looks of a higher quality. I prefer its finish and the tolerances just seem to be more exact and tighter. 

.38 Special 7 Yards

.38 Special 25 Yards