Taurus 856 G10 38 Special 2 in. Two-Tone 6-Shot Revolver – Superb Slimline Carry Build

Description

This is the Taurus 856 G10 build: a matte stainless frame and barrel, a matte black cylinder, and flat black G10 grip panels in place of the usual rubber. The G10 is the reason to choose this one. It is thinner than a rubber grip, it does not grab at clothing on the draw, and it turns a small revolver into something that genuinely disappears under a shirt.

The Taurus 856 G10 gives you six rounds of .38 Special, a two-inch barrel, fixed sights and an exposed hammer, on the small frame that has made the 856 the most sensible snub Taurus builds.

What the G10 panels change

• The Taurus 856 G10 uses a resin-bonded laminate: hard, dense and machined rather than moulded, so the checkering stays sharp for life
• Panels are noticeably thinner than a rubber grip, which is the single biggest factor in how a small revolver conceals
• Rubber grabs at a shirt tail on the draw. Hard panels do not, which is why serious carry revolvers so often wear them
• Six rounds of .38 Special on the small 856 frame, where most competitors manage five
• Matte stainless frame and barrel against a matte black cylinder, a two-tone that hides wear well
• Exposed hammer for a deliberate single-action shot, with transfer bar safety behind it
• Fixed sights machined into the frame, with nothing to snag and nothing to adjust

The honest trade with hard grip panels

• The Taurus 856 G10 does not cushion. Rubber absorbs a share of recoil and hard panels transmit all of it into your hand
• With standard-pressure .38 Special that difference is minor. With a steady diet of +P it is not, and you will notice after two boxes
• Most people who buy the Taurus 856 G10 carry it far more than they shoot it, which is exactly the use case the trade makes sense for
• If you plan to shoot a hundred rounds a week, buy the rubber-gripped version instead, or keep a rubber set for range days
• G10 panels are also completely unaffected by solvents, oil, sweat and sunlight, which rubber is not
• The panels come off with one screw, so switching between hard and soft grips is a two-minute job

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-85625-BG10
• Caliber: .38 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 2 in., matte stainless steel
• Cylinder: matte black
• Frame: matte stainless steel, small frame
• Grip: black G10 panels
• Action: single and double action, exposed hammer
• Safety: transfer bar
• Sights: fixed
• UPC: 725327943129

.38 Special has been in production since 1898 and is fully standardised, with chamber dimensions and pressure ceilings published by SAAMI. The gap between a soft lead target load and a modern bonded defensive bullet is very large, and on a hard-gripped revolver the difference in felt recoil between the two is larger still.

One note on what this gun is for. A Taurus 856 G10 is a carry configuration, not a range configuration. The thin panels and the two-tone finish are both concealment decisions, and they cost you a little comfort at the bench in exchange for a revolver that rides flatter and draws cleaner. Buy it for the pocket or the waistband and it makes complete sense.

Why this revolver earns its place

• Thinner grip panels, which matter more to concealment than barrel length does
• Six rounds rather than five, on a frame no larger than a five-shot
• G10 that will look the same in twenty years, where rubber goes sticky and shiny
• A two-tone finish on the Taurus 856 G10 that hides holster wear better than either plain finish
• Stainless frame and barrel, so sweat and damp pockets are not a problem
• Panels that swap out with a single screw if you change your mind

Everyday carriers, people who have found rubber grips print or snag, and anyone who wants a small revolver that looks like it was specified rather than assembled. The Taurus 856 G10 is a carry gun first and it is unapologetic about that.

If you would rather have the cushioning, the two-tone 856 with rubber grips is the same gun in a softer package. In plain finishes, look at the stainless 856 or the matte black.

For a completely snag-free profile, the 856 Ultra Lite hammerless encloses the hammer, and so does the five-shot Taurus 850.

Every Taurus 856 G10 ships with the factory case, the manual and a lock. Transfers go to your FFL and we handle our end of the paperwork the same day.