First, let's talk about rod actions. Manufacturers have never come up with a set of standards for rod actions that are consistent industry-wide. Other manufacturers have a number assigned to a particular action. This number is fairly accurate as long as you stay with that particular manufacturer's rods, but trying to use the same system with another brand is usually like comparing apples and oranges. The point here is that you nearly have to feel of the individual rod to be able to make a determination if the rod is in fact the action you are looking for.
Rods also feel differently when they are completely rigged with the reel, line, and lure.
I would suggest that you take a reel fully spooled with line and a one-half ounce plastic casting lure to the store with you. Mount the reel and lure on the rods you wish to compare to see how they actually feel. Just picking up rods and shaking them does not tell you much about the true action. This is in reference to how the rod bends under load and is determined by the relationship of the diameter of the rod from the butt to the tip. A fast taper rod is one that has a fairly stiff butt section with a limber tip.