Taurus Model 80
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Weight, empty
- 851 g
- Introduced
- 1971
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Taurus Model 80 is a medium-frame, six-shot, double-action/single-action revolver chambered in .38 Special. It served as Taurus's standard service-size .38 revolver and is the standard-barrel counterpart to the heavy-barrel Model 82, sharing the same all-steel medium frame and swing-out cylinder. Configured most commonly with a 4-inch tapered barrel, fixed sights milled into the frame, and a spurred hammer for single-action cocking, the Model 80 was designed as an affordable, durable duty and home-defense revolver competing directly with the Smith & Wesson Model 10. The tapered standard-weight barrel makes it lighter and quicker-handling than the bull-barreled Model 82 at the cost of a small amount of muzzle heft. With standard-pressure 158-grain .38 Special loads from the 4-inch barrel, muzzle velocity runs around 800 fps (245 m/s). Offered in blued and nickel finishes with wood or rubber grips, it was a mainstay of the Taurus catalog through the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s before being superseded by later models.
Taurus's revolver expertise stems from its 1980 acquisition of Smith & Wesson's Brazilian factory tooling, and the Model 80 is a direct reflection of that lineage, closely echoing the classic S&W Model 10 service revolver it was built to undercut on price.
The Model 80 and Model 82 are closely related Taurus medium-frame .38 Special revolvers that differ chiefly in barrel profile: the Model 80 uses a lighter tapered/standard-weight barrel while the Model 82 carries a heavier bull barrel. Both are DA/SA six-shooters built on the same all-steel frame that traces its lineage to Taurus's Brazilian manufacturing heritage. The Model 80 was widely sold as a budget alternative to the Smith & Wesson Model 10 and Ruger Service Six. Exact barrel-length weights vary by production year and grip; the standard-barrel 4-inch configuration is the most common.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Taurus
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- Brazil
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1971 to 1997
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Overall length
- 235 mm
- Height
- 139 mm
- Width
- 38 mm
- Weight, empty
- 851 g
- Weight, loaded
- 923 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Double action
- Firing mechanism
- Double action single action
- Trigger
- Double action
- Capacity
- 6
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 245 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 258 J
- Effective range
- 45 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Medium frame
Six shot cylinder
Standard profile barrel
Fixed sights
Swing out cylinder
Spurred hammer
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 25 .38 Special pistols | 851 g | 595 g | Heavier than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,911 pistols | 235 mm | 196 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 .38 Special pistols | 102 mm | 51 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 26 .38 Special pistols | 6 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Taurus Model 80
How much does the Taurus Model 80 weigh?
The Taurus Model 80 weighs 851 g (1.88 lb) empty and 923 g (2.03 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Taurus Model 80?
The Taurus Model 80 is chambered in .38 Special.
How many rounds does the Taurus Model 80 hold?
The Taurus Model 80 holds 6 rounds.
How long is the Taurus Model 80?
The Taurus Model 80 is 235 mm (9.25 in) long overall, with a 102 mm (4.02 in) barrel.
Who makes the Taurus Model 80?
The Taurus Model 80 is made by Taurus (Brazil).
When was the Taurus Model 80 introduced?
The Taurus Model 80 was introduced in 1971 and discontinued in 1997.
How does the Taurus Model 80 operate?
The Taurus Model 80 uses a double action, and its firing mechanism is double action single action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian Home Defense
- United States
- Latin American Law Enforcement
- Brazil
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/taurus-model-80' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "taurus-model-80", "name": "Taurus Model 80", "manufacturer": { "id": "taurus", "name": "Taurus", "countryCode": "BR", "foundedYear": 1939, "website": "https://www.taurususa.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "71240218613bda05e45296e8997918c10d23b1d7627e46a424bd7e516e0fdffb" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "BR", "year_introduced": 1971, "barrel_length_mm": 102, "weight_empty_g": 851, "action_type": "double_action"}