Taurus 856 Rose Gold 38 Special +P 2 in. Ultra Lite 6-Shot Revolver – Superb Lightweight Carry

Description

The Taurus 856 Rose Gold is the Ultra Lite six-shot with a rose gold anodized aluminium frame under a matte stainless barrel and cylinder. It is the lightest six-shot .38 in the range and, for what it is worth, the only one anybody is likely to comment on.

The Taurus 856 Rose Gold gives six rounds of .38 Special rated for +P, a two-inch barrel, fixed sights and a black rubber grip. The colour is anodised into the aluminium rather than painted on top of it.

What you get with the Taurus 856 Rose Gold

• The Taurus 856 Rose Gold holds six rounds on the small 856 frame, where most competitors manage five
• Anodized aluminium frame, which is what makes the Ultra Lite models several ounces lighter than steel
• Matte stainless barrel and cylinder against the rose gold frame
• Rated for .38 Special +P, so modern defensive loads are on the menu
• Black rubber grip, which on a gun this light is doing more work than it would on a steel revolver
• Exposed hammer, so you keep the single-action option for a deliberate shot
• Fixed sights machined into the frame, with nothing to snag on a draw

What the aluminium frame actually costs

• Weight is the whole point: an Ultra Lite is carried on days a steel revolver stays in the safe
• Less weight means more felt recoil. That is physics and it applies to every lightweight revolver ever built
• With standard-pressure .38 Special it is perfectly pleasant. With a steady diet of +P it is not
• The sensible pattern most owners settle on is +P loaded for carry and standard pressure for practice
• Anodising is a surface conversion of the aluminium rather than a coating, so the Taurus 856 Rose Gold will not chip the way paint does
• It will wear at sharp edges over years of holster use, which looks like use rather than damage

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-85629ULC28
• Caliber: .38 Special, rated for +P
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 2 in., matte stainless steel
• Cylinder: matte stainless steel
• Frame: rose gold anodized aluminium, small frame
• Grip: black rubber
• Action: single and double action, exposed hammer
• Sights: fixed
• UPC: 725327937395

.38 Special has been in continuous production since 1898 and remains one of the most thoroughly standardised cartridges anywhere, with pressure and dimensional specifications published by SAAMI. The +P designation is part of that standard rather than a marketing term, which is why a revolver either is rated for it or is not.

One honest note, because people ask. A coloured frame is not a compromise on anything mechanical. The Taurus 856 Rose Gold is the same revolver as the plain Ultra Lite underneath, uses the same holsters and the same speedloaders, and shoots identically. If you like it, buy it; if you would rather have something anonymous, the matte stainless and matte black versions cost the same and do the same job.

Why this revolver earns its place

• Six rounds rather than five, on a frame no larger than a five-shot
• The lightest six-shot .38 Taurus builds, which is what gets a gun carried
• Anodised colour that will not chip off the Taurus 856 Rose Gold the way a painted finish would
• Stainless barrel and cylinder, so sweat and damp pockets are not a concern
• Simple revolver reliability: nothing to rack, nothing to jam
• Small enough for a pocket holster, a purse or an ankle rig

Everyday carriers who want the lightest six-shot available, and anyone who would rather their revolver did not look like everyone else’s. The Taurus 856 Rose Gold is a carry gun first and the colour is the reason most people choose this particular one.

If you want the same Ultra Lite frame in a plain finish, the stainless Ultra Lite and the black Ultra Lite are the standard builds, and the hammerless Ultra Lite has nothing to snag at all.

For a steel frame and softer recoil, the stainless 856 and the matte black 856 are a few ounces heavier. And if capacity matters most, the seven-shot Taurus 817 holds one more.

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