Undoubtedly the coolest thing about starting this blog is how much I’ve learned since. Most of this knowledge is centered around the use of a roundgun, but a considerable portion is about guns themselves. Some of that is through research and reading, some of it comes from setting me straight, and a lot of it comes from you guys in the comments section. Some of it is gained first hand, though, as was the case with the Taurus family of firearms to which I recently got acquainted through the Taurus 856.
For all the attention pocket autos are getting these days, the snubnose (snubbie) revolver is still considered, by many, “the” pocket pistol. While no hard numbers are available, I would wager that of all the makes and models of pocket guns, autos or revolvers, more snubbies have been sold over the years than any one type of semi-auto, simply because they’ve been available for so much longer. Revolvers have been proven technology for 150 years.
If you’re under the age of fifty, you might not realize how recent an accomplishment completely reliable semi-auto pistols are. You can argue that snubbies are old-school and even outdated. Heck, it’s the 21st century. Polymer-framed subcompact semi-autos are all the rage. And yet, here in the 21st century, how many gun companies are making compact revolvers meant for self-defense? There are two good reasons for this-simplicity and ease of use, which are big selling points for seasoned gun owners and new shooters alike. Let’s take a look at some of the current offerings, plus a few things you know, including the advantages and disadvantages of snubbies as defensive weapons.
Prior to this review I’d never (to my knowledge) fired a Taurus handgun. Due to a lot of the negativity around the brand, I didn’t have super high expectations, either. However, Taurus does enjoy brisk sales of revolvers so those guns are in the hands of someone (many thousands of someones) out there. With this in mind, and the fact that not everyone can afford to sink $700+ on a revolver, Mike got to work trying to get us a T&E sample.
The Taurus 856 comes in several variations. The version I received is constructed of carbon steel finished in a matte black finish. Another all-steel model is available in stainless steel, and two UltraLight (UL) versions, one black and one polished aluminum/stainless are also available. I choose to review the black, non-UltraLight version of the Taurus 856. This is the version I consistently see on gun shop shelves selling for under (sometimes well under) $300.
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The 856 is almost exactly what one expects when hearing the term “snubnose revolver”. It sports a 2-inch barrel with an integral front sight, and a full underlug. A S&W-style cylinder release opens the counter-clockwise rotating cylinder with a partial-length ejector rod. Taurus has chosen to break radically with some things we’ve come to expect from a snubbie revolver, however.
38 Special Snub nose showdown /// Smith J frame vs Taurus 856
Key Features and Design
The most obvious distinction: the 856’s carbon steel frame supports a six-round cylinder. This is a most welcome change in the domain where the five-shot revolver has dominated for so long. Another break from convention is less noticeable: the cylinder lockup is via a plunger-and-detent system.
If you’re like me you probably don’t care too much how the frame locks up, as long as it locks up. This system does allow Taurus to do something really cool, however. Look at the tip of the ejector rod in the photo above. It is wide, solid, and slightly rounded.
I wouldn’t be mad if some other manufacturers looked to this ejector rod for inspiration. The Taurus 856 ships with a slightly oversized rubber grip. I found the grip did a fantastic job of taming recoil. In another break in convention though, the grip is attached to the frame via a pin.
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Fit and Finish
The fit on this gun is certainly nothing amazing. There is some side-to-side play in the hammer, which sometimes seems to sit ever so slightly off center. This has caused some visible wear on the hammer. There are a few other clues that this isn’t a hand-built gun but overall the fitment isn’t awful and the revolver is serviceable. The fit is sufficient that it will work, and that’s what this gun is intended to do. The matte black finish is also acceptable.
I took longer to review this gun than I did the King Cobra (I received both on the same day) so it spent some time traveling around in my range bag. The sideplate features a stylized Taurus logo and “Taurus Intl Mfg, Miami, FL-USA” embossed in white lettering. The right side of the frame and barrel both provide the gun’s serial number.
Sights
I am steadfast in my criticism of revolvers with “fixed sights” and the Taurus typifies this description. The front sight is a small, integral blade milled into (or probably more accurately out of) the barrel. The rear sight is a simple trench in the top strap. A decently good sight picture can be achieved with these sights but they take time to find and mate with each other.
In the interest of trying to speed this process up I borrowed some hot pink nail polish and painted the front sight. I did find that this helped some, but probably not as much as just having bigger sights would have. A little nail polish greatly improved my ability to contrast the front sight against the rear, but did little to improve accuracy.
Another problem I had with the sights was in regulation. Every load I fired through the 856 printed low. I fired a few groups with a couple loads at 15 and 20 yards.
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Recently I’ve been thinking that if manufacturers are going to continue putting fixed sights on revolvers, at least they could leave a bit more material on the topstrap and form a deeper rear sight. As it turns out, on manufacturer has done this on at least one revolver: Taurus.
Everyone’s favorite gun to hate is the Judge, and I’m no fan, either, but I will happily give credit where credit is due. The Public Defender version sports a prime example of what I’m talking about: a raised area on the rear of the top strap to provide more rear sight material. I wish some other manufacturers would take note of this excellent idea and improve the sights on fixed-sighted revolvers. For that matter, I wish Taurus would implement it a bit more broadly.
Trigger and Hammer
The Taurus 865 features a double action trigger and an exposed hammer for single action capability. The trigger itself is well designed, being both wide and smooth. The trigger pull leaves a bit to be desired. The double action weight is a consistent and somewhat surprising 11 3/4 pounds, as measured with my Timney Trigger gauge. This isn’t all that heavy compared to most J-Frames, but I found it would actually begin to tire my trigger finger after 50-75 rounds.
Overall the trigger is pretty smooth - smoother than I expected it to be. When rolling through the trigger’s travel at “normal” speed it actually feels pretty good. If one is trying to squeeze the ultimate in accuracy from this little gun and rolling through the trigger very slowly, he or she will notice a bit of grittiness in the last bit of travel. I doubt there is a compelling case that could be made for using a revolver this small in single action, but I didn’t really mind the Taurus 856’s exposed hammer.
The single action trigger pull varies from 5 1/4 pounds to around 5 3/4, with some noticeable creep. The hammer spur is wide and sharply checkered.
Ejector Rod
Like most of its kind, the little Taurus revolver is equipped with a short ejector rod. I measured the ejector rod’s throw at a very short .55 inches. Revolver mavens (like myself) tend to get really hung up on ejector rod length, preferring longer ones in the interest of positive ejection.
Again I was pleasantly surprised. I had no issues whatsoever ejecting empties from the Taurus revolver. From the first cylinder, all the way until the very last, I never experienced a single stuck case. And this is in spite of the revolver having a short ejector throw and being dirty.
Performance and Handling
I followed our RT-SOP here, firing exactly 500 rounds of ammunition, from mild standard pressure stuff, up through +P loadings. This ammunition came from a total of seven different manufacturers and was fired over six range sessions. During this period no maintenance whatsoever was performed on the Taurus 856. I had no issues at all with the gun.
Handling was tested via our S.O.P. by firing the Dot Torture drill twice: once during the first 100 rounds and once during the last 100 rounds of 500 overall. My first Dot Torture session with this gun was not encouraging. I shot a 43 out of a possibly 50 at three yards, which is pretty low for me. My second Dot Torture session saw a four-point improvement for a final score of 47.
You’ll also notice that my groups generally seem tighter, and my misses. . . well, they’re still misses but they’re closer misses on the second round than on the first. The handling of this revolver wasn’t bad at all. The rubber grip on the 856 didn’t seem overly large, but it felt really large. Side-by-side with my 640 Pro it looks similar in size, but I found I actually preferred the Taurus grip; it placed my finger in exactly the right place to operate the trigger.
My troubles with the small, fixed sights were coupled with the aforementioned propensity to shoot low. You can see this evidenced in the groups below, as well as in my performance on the Dot Torture drill (above) where most rounds impacted in the lower half of the dots. It is very likely that some of this was due to my difficulty with the heavy trigger, but I don’t believe all of it was.
I fired four groups in accordance with our S.O.P. Though I had a tough time getting Federal’s revolver HST load to group with the Colt King Cobra, it performed pretty well in the Taurus. It also shot close to point-of-aim at the 10-yard line. The Taurus 856 didn’t seem to enjoy Hornady’s standard pressure Critical Defense load.
None of my groups, even at ten yards, are nothing to write home about. I know this says little about the gun’s inherent accuracy, but it does say a lot about its usable accuracy. This is a tough gun to shoot with extreme accuracy. Achieving proficiency with this revolver would require a serious investment practice (both live and dry) and finding a load that works well in it.
Carry and Concealment
I found carrying the Taurus 856 to be something of a challenge. Not because the gun, but because holsters for it were difficult to come by. Mike suggested that I try out a K-Frame holster since the diameter of the two cylinders are very similar (~ 1.41″) and K-Frame Comp II speedloaders with with the Taurus 856.
He sent me a K-Frame holster from Aker Leather but I found the fit left something to be desired. Though the cylinder is the same size, frame of the Taurus 856 is considerably smaller than that of a K-frame revolver, and the gun was too loose for comfort. Despite not having carried it, I have no doubt that this revolver would carry well. It is small, lightweight (22 ounces), and of a traditional form factor.
Here is a comparison of various popular snub nose revolvers:
| Revolver | Weight (oz) | Capacity | Action | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taurus 856 | 22 | 6 | DA/SA | $300 |
| S&W Model 36 | 19.5 | 5 | DA/SA | $539+ |
| Ruger LCR | 13.5 | 5 | DAO | $739+ |
| Kimber K6s | 23 | 6 | DAO/DA/SA | $984+ |
Note: Prices are approximate and may vary.
Final Thoughts
The Taurus 856 isn’t going to win any beauty pageants. The trigger was heavy and a little rough, and it’s certainly no hand-fitted marvel. However, I found it to be a capable handgun. Though the snubnose revolver is not my preference for daily carry, if it were I’d feel comfortable carrying the Taurus 856.
If you’re in the market for a snubby revolver you won’t be ill served by the Taurus 856. Sweetening the pot and demonstrating confidence in their product line, Taurus has also chosen to reinstate their lifetime warranty. The introduction to Taurus that I referenced in my opening paragraph has been a positive one. Impressed as I am, I will be exploring more of Taurus’ product line in these pages in the future.