Taurus Model 617 Review: .357 Magnum Double Action Revolver

The Taurus 617 is my dad’s go-to choice for concealed carry. I have carried this revolver multiple times, and I’ve really enjoyed it for the most part. It may be my favorite of his whole arsenal.

However, there are quite a few features of this revolver that most people will really like. If you’re interested in knowing some of these features and learning what else I like about the revolver, check out our full review below.

What is the Taurus 617 revolver for?

As previously mentioned, this is a snubby concealed carry revolver. I am definitely biased here, but I love concealed carrying revolvers. I think they’re really easy to conceal, and I love the reliability and performance offered by many different revolvers.

However, due to the fact that the revolver does shoot .357 Magnum, this does not rule it out from other uses. This is a great nightstand gun, and could definitely put down a charging hog if you’re looking for a hunting sidearm.

Taurus 617 Review: Breakdown

This tiny revolver has a two inch barrel, measures 6.625 inches long, and 5.10 inches tall. It’s 1.5 inches wide at the cylinder. As you can see, based on the size of this revolver, it is pretty easy to conceal. When concealing a revolver, the shape of the cylinder naturally hides some of the harder edges, such as the barrel and the handle, so it becomes that much easier to conceal.

The biggest pro of this revolver, especially when it comes to carrying, is that it carries seven rounds of .357 Magnum. That’s a lot of firepower!

The only issue with carrying this revolver is that it weighs in at 28.3 ounces. This is significantly heavier than the new, polymer semiautomatic pistols. However, this weight is due to the fact that it is made of stainless steel. This makes the revolver extremely resistant to the elements or any sweat that it may encounter.

The other pros of this revolver will be talked about throughout the rest of the article, but to lay them out, it is extremely reliable, has great safety features, and is comfortable to hold.

The con of this revolver, other than the weight, is that some of them are ported. While they aren’t all ported, you should definitely check, especially if buying a used gun. Porting is decent, but will make cleaning the revolver much more difficult. I prefer it without ports, but you do feel more of the recoil for sure.

Safety and Reliability

Safety is one of the biggest pros of this revolver. Revolvers are safe to begin with, but Taurus takes another step. If you take the standard revolver safety features, and then add in Taurus Security System and their transfer bar, you’ve got a very safe revolver.

Taurus Security System is essentially a lock and key. It’s meant for storing the revolver, but definitely not for carrying it. When you’re storing the revolver, you can engage the lock, which essentially makes it impossible to fire the revolver.

The transfer bar ensures the revolver can only fire when the trigger is completely pulled. If it’s not pulled all the way, the transfer bar prevents the hammer from falling on the firing pin.

Now, keep in mind that the revolvers are very safe to begin with, due to being able to visually see the cylinder and the hammer, and you can see that this revolver is very durable.

Reliability is another pro of th Taurus 617. Once again, this is very common in all revolvers. Due to how few parts there are inside the revolver, there’s almost nothing that can go wrong. It’s nearly impossible for a revolver to jam, which is an excellent feature for concealed carry.

Comfort and Shootability

Another pro that is common with Taurus revolvers is their ergonomics and comfort. The grips are all rubber, which makes for a very firm and comfortable grip. The rubber is molded to fit your hand, which is extremely important in this snubby revolver that is shooting such a powerful round.

In terms of shootability, this revolver is decent. It starts with the grip, which serves as the base of your shooting abilities. The grip does well for this revolver.

The next factor of shootability to consider is the trigger. Taurus revolver triggers pretty much all have a pretty long pull, which does make them slightly safer. Essentially, don’t expect a competition AR-15 trigger in a wheelgun. The trigger is long, and takes some time to break in, but you can absolutely shoot accurately with this revolver.

Next up, we’ll talk about the recoil. Keep in mind that this revolver is relatively light compared to other revolvers, has a two inch barrel, and is shooting .357 Magnum. As you can imagine, this makes for a pretty good amount of recoil. The weight cuts down on some, but the recoil can definitely be felt. The grip will help as well, but you’ll be feeling it if you shoot a couple hundred rounds of .357 Magnum at the range. For this reason, I recommend shooting .38 Special at the range with this revolver.

Accessories and Upgrades

Another one of the downfalls of this revolver is that there really isn’t much you can add to it. What you see is more or less what you get. There are very few upgraded triggers, spring sets, or any other parts available for these revolvers, unless you have a local gunsmith you can go to.

If you’re going to be carrying, make sure that you’ve got an inside the waistband revolver holster. This one serves well, and certainly is easy to conceal.

As with any revolver, I always recommend a speedloader. It will save you time at the range.

Conclusion

This is a very unique revolver for concealed carry. There aren’t many snubby seven shot revolvers in .357 Magnum available. The combination of all these features makes for a great concealed carry revolver. However, there are a couple other nice features of the revolver, especially considering the relatively low price.

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