Taurus announced its latest addition to its hunting revolver line: the Raging Hunter. It will be officially unveiled at the 2018 SHOT Show.
This massive .44 Magnum is a 6-shot wheelgun with a traditional double action/single action trigger. However, the gun has a distinctly non-traditional look about it.
To start with, the 8.375″ barrel is a two piece design with a steel sleeve inside of an aluminum housing. The housing has an octagonal shape with a large slab sides. “TAURUS” is spelled out along the side. The barrel housing also has a deep black finish that contrasts the matte stainless frame. An all blued version of the gun is also available.
Lest you think the barrel assembly is purely for show, it does have some features that may appeal to you. For example, the aluminum housing helps to lighten the load to provide a better balance to the gun. Also, the top of the barrel housing has a Picatinny rail for the addition of a scope or red dot optic.
Taurus also elected to port the barrel of the Raging Hunter. This should help tame the power of the .44 Magnum so that us older shooters who have begun to develop arthritis don’t feel quite as much of the recoil impulse. The porting should help keep muzzle rise down and improve the ability to get on target.
Also helping to tame recoil is the “red stripe” grip that Taurus uses on its heavy recoiling guns. This grip is made of a soft rubber with a red cushioned insert along the back. I’ve found these grips to be fairly good at lessening the impact into the hand when shooting.
Using an aluminum barrel housing may help reduce weight as compared to an all steel system, but this gun is not a featherweight. Unloaded it weighs 55 ounces. That’s about 3.5 pounds.
Taurus set the suggested retail price at $919 for the handgun. Your dealer may be willing to sell it for less.
| caliber | .44 Magnum |
| capacity | 6 rounds |
| action | double action/single action |
| barrel length | 8.375" |
| overall length | 15.75" |
| weight | 55 ounces |
| height | 7.1" |
| width | 1.8" |
| sights | pinned front, adjustable rear, Picatinny rail for optic |
| grip | rubber with cushioned insert |
| finish | blued and matte stainless or all blued |
| MSRP | $919 |
The “Raging” moniker is not new for Taurus. Several of the company’s more powerful revolvers have had Raging as part of the name. For example, the Raging Judge Magnum was a wheelgun that expanded the .45 Colt/.410 bore Judge revolver line to include the .454 Casull cartridge.
Probably my favorite Raging revolver was the ill-fated Raging Judge XXVIII. It was a revolver chambered for the 28 gauge shotshell. Alas, it appeared Taurus could not make the design work under the legal constraints of the US government and had to shelf the project. At least I got to see one before it was pulled from public view. I imagine it is stored in the same warehouse where the Ark of the Covenant is kept after Indian Jones rescued it from Nazi Germany.
I love it. Not everyone can wrap their heads around a two-piece barrel design but screw them. I like this a lot.
I thought this is a seven shot revolver
Hi Tom,
Nope – the Raging Hunter is a 6-shot revolver. That’s pretty typical for a larger .44 Magnum. Taurus’ new Model 692 in .357 Magnum/9mm is a 7-shot revolver. I don’t know if maybe you were thinking of it? https://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/2018/01/17/taurus-692-multi-caliber-revolver/
Best,
Richard
That longer barrel and lighter weight for that length is a plus. I have a Smith and Wesson 460V 5 inch muzzle brake equipped revolver that weighs 60 ounces unloaded. And just five shots, although I can shoot 454 Casull and heavy 45 Colt in it too.
Six shots with that 44 magnum using 330 grain Garrett hammer head hardcast, gascheck bullets will handle anything that walks anywhere in the world.
Excellent points. Thanks for reading.
-Richard
Your welcome sir. Just pointing out advantages to that design protocol.
Why do they have to do a double release for the cylinder?! Who wants that?
The two-point release is a simple but rugged way to lock-up both the front and rear of the cylinder. That will keep the cylinder aligned as it was built to be. Dan Wesson arms used such a system too. It is effective without adding complicated linkage systems. Try it and it will become second nature after awhile.
Appreciate the reply, but such a system is not for me. Maybe others can appreciate it, but I prefer a straight forward single release.
Well in a personal defense in an urban scene I would agree. But in a hunting handgun it matters not so much. So I agree partially but also disagree to an extent.
Will it ever be for sale anywhere?
From what I see, it looks like they took many of the features of the old Dan Wesson revolver, namely the barrel shroud and the forward crane latch and updated them. Did they also use the mortice and tenon grip system or go with a traditional perimeter grip frame?
I cannot seem to find one to buy. Everywhere is sold out??
I would talk to your local gun shop about ordering you one. Not every dealer will carry this in stock, but all of them should be able to order one from a distributor. This is assuming sales haven’t stripped the distributors dry -and- Taurus is actually shipping the guns. In some instances, Taurus announced a gun but then delayed shipping them for months. If distributors say Taurus is not shipping the guns, you might want to contact them directly at 800-327-3776.
-Richard
Hi Grey,
As a follow up, I talked to a Taurus rep this morning. She advised that demand on the Raging Hunter has been very high. In response, the company has ramped up production on this gun and is starting to ship in larger quantities. I’d recommend talking to your dealer. They can put in a request with the sales rep they work with at their distributor to hold one as soon as they come in.
I hope this helps.
-Richard
Any ideas on how to find the Taurus soft case that comes with this gun? I cannot find one anywhere, and I just purchased the gun from my FFL who ordered it for me, but I asked for the one with the case and when I came to DROS it they tell me the one with the case was not available to them. I should have purchased it online, I would have even saved money on it. Oh, well…lesson learned. Now I want the actual Taurus soft case. Can you give me any ideas where to find one? The Taurus website did not have any in their accessories page.
I’d suggest checking GunBroker or eBay to see if someone is selling a soft case. Otherwise, I’d suggest calling Taurus direct and seeing what they can do for you. Good luck!
Richard
This particular Beast comes with a nylon carrying case. Inside is Two, speed loader pouches, 2, speed strips with loops for 5, .44 cartridges on the bottom half of the case, along with a shroud for the muzzle and a hook and loop strap for the rear of the barrel to hold it in place. In the upper part of the case, is a plastic holder for the owners manual.
A very attractive presentation for ANY Pistol.
Overall, a very attractive presentation for a beautiful piece of workmanship at this price point!
I absolutely LOVE mine!!!
Does anyone known if someone makes any kind of Holster for the Raging Hunter 8.4 inch , I need one for Hunting ??
I see now they come with all black hand grips. Are these available for sale?
Hi Kerry,
It looks like Taurus is the only source for the all-black grips. Unfortunately, the company does not sell them through its online store. You might want to give them a call at 800-327-3776 and see if they can do anything for you.
I hope this helps.
-Richard