Description
The Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold is a small frame six shot revolver with a 2 inch barrel, a steel frame and a rose gold finished cylinder. It chambers 38 Special including plus P, wears a soft rubber grip and fixed sights, and uses a transfer bar safety with an exposed hammer for double and single action shooting. The manufacturer part number is 2-8562KQ and the UPC is 725327937685. MAG5 Firearms stocks it as a carry and home defense revolver with a finish that stands out from the usual black and stainless.
Six Shots in a Five Shot Size
The single most useful thing about the 856 is the cylinder. Almost every small frame snub nose on the market holds five rounds, and the Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold holds six in a frame that is barely any larger. Twenty percent more ammunition before a reload is a genuine advantage in a gun where reloading is slow and awkward, and on a Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold it costs almost nothing in concealment.
It is a steel frame revolver rather than an alloy or polymer one, and that choice drives how it shoots. Steel adds weight, weight absorbs recoil, and a 38 Special plus P load out of a roughly 22 ounce steel snub is firm but entirely manageable. The same load out of a 15 ounce airweight is genuinely unpleasant, which is why so many lightweight snubs sit in safes unfired. A Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold is one you will actually practice with.
The rose gold finish is the reason most buyers look twice. It is applied to the cylinder against a stainless frame rather than covering the whole gun, so it reads as an accent rather than a novelty. Whether that appeals is entirely personal, but it is worth saying that the finish is a coating on a working revolver rather than a cosmetic special that gives up anything mechanically.
Sights, Trigger and Practical Notes
Sights are fixed, with a removable serrated front blade and a notch milled into the top strap. That is the correct arrangement on a concealed carry revolver because there is nothing to snag on a draw and nothing to lose zero, and the removable front blade means it can be replaced with a fiber optic or a higher blade if the gun shoots off point of aim for you. Do not expect precision work past about fifteen yards.
The exposed hammer gives you double action and single action. Double action is the mode to train, because thumbing a hammer under stress is not a plan, and the double action pull on a Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold is long and firm out of the box before smoothing with use. The transfer bar means the revolver cannot fire unless the trigger is pulled fully to the rear, so a Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold is safe to carry with all six chambers loaded.
Two honest points. Taurus quality control is less consistent than Smith and Wesson or Ruger, though the company backs its revolvers with a lifetime repair policy and quality has improved a great deal over the past decade. And resale value is weaker than the shooting quality deserves. If you are buying to keep and carry, neither matters much. If you view firearms partly as assets, both are worth knowing.
Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 2-8562KQ
- UPC: 725327937685
- Caliber: 38 Special, rated for plus P
- Capacity: 6 rounds
- Action: Double action and single action, exposed hammer
- Barrel length: 2 in, stainless steel
- Frame: Small frame steel
- Cylinder finish: Rose gold
- Grip: Soft rubber
- Sights: Fixed, removable serrated front blade
- Safety: Transfer bar
- Weight: approximately 22 oz
Who It Suits
A Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold suits the buyer who wants a simple, reliable defensive handgun without a manual of arms to learn, and who values six rounds over five. Revolvers have a real advantage for shooters who do not train often: no slide to rack, no magazine springs to maintain, no failure to feed to diagnose under pressure. Details on the model line are published by Taurus.
If you want the smoothest factory double action and the strongest resale, a Smith and Wesson or Ruger snub costs more and delivers both. If you want higher capacity and faster reloads, a compact striker fired pistol is the better tool, though it demands more training. Browse the rest of our revolvers and handguns to compare.
Practical notes. Buy a speed strip or a six shot speedloader, because reloading from loose rounds in a pocket does not work under stress. Run at least a box of your chosen carry load through the gun before trusting it. And dry fire a Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold regularly with snap caps: the double action pull smooths noticeably with use, and the trigger is the main thing standing between you and good hits.
MAG5 Firearms is a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. This Taurus 856 38 Special Rose Gold ships to the licensed dealer of your choice, and local buyers can complete the transfer with us in person. Call 610-943-0010 with any questions about holsters, grips or ammunition.
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