Taurus 856 Defender .38 Special
Model: 2-85639NS
Taurus 856 Defender .38 Special
Model: 2-85639NS
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Taurus 856 Defender is a six-shot stainless .38 Special revolver built for home defense and belt carry. It has an MSRP of $488. Its front sight is a night sight with an orange outline, so the gun can be aimed in a dark room without a light in the picture.
It arrives with that front sight and Hogue rubber grips already fitted, and the rear sight is a fixed groove in the topstrap, so there is nothing to zero. Frame and cylinder are both stainless, and the chambers are rated for .38 Special +P. A transfer bar sits between the hammer and the firing pin until the trigger is all the way back. Nothing on the gun will accept an optic, and the 3-inch barrel makes the gun too long for a pocket.
If you're cross-shopping, the Taurus 856 is the same six-shot frame in carbon steel with a 2-inch barrel, 2 oz lighter and with a plain front blade instead of the night sight. The Ruger LCR holds five rounds, weighs 13.5 oz and carries far more easily, but it has an MSRP of $759 and a double-action-only trigger, so there is no cocked shot available on it.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The hammer spur is exposed and the action is DA/SA, so a slower shot can be cocked and fired single action.
- The Hogue panels wrap the backstrap, so recoil never arrives through bare steel.
- Stainless runs through the frame, cylinder and barrel, so a day of carry against a sweaty shirt does not need wiping off that evening.
- At 24 oz it needs a stiff belt under it.
- It is a .38 Special, so .357 Magnum loads cannot be fired in it.
- The 3-inch barrel rules out pocket carry, which is where the shorter 856 still works.
Category Rankings
How the Taurus 856 Defender .38 Special ranks among small .38 Special handguns.
Compatible Ammunition
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.38 Special Ballistics →Alternatives to Consider
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Taurus 856 Ultra-Lite .38 Special
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— |
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Smith & Wesson Model 638 Bodyguard Airweight .38 Special
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Ruger LCRx 3" .38 Special
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$621.99 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a holster cut for the 2-inch 856 fit the Defender?
No. The Defender is 7.5 inches overall against 6.55 inches for the shorter gun, and the muzzle bottoms out in the shorter pocket.
Can it be carried with the hammer down on a loaded chamber?
Yes. The transfer bar has to be lifted by the trigger before the hammer can reach a primer, so a knock on the spur cannot fire the gun.
What is the rifling twist?
1:16.5 right hand, the usual rate for the cartridge, so any .38 Special factory load is within what the barrel will stabilize.
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