Taurus 856 Stainless 38 Special 2in 6rd — Superb Steel-Frame Revolver

Description

The Taurus 856 Stainless is the all-steel member of the 856 family, catalogued as 2-85629. Barrel, cylinder and frame are matte stainless steel, the chambering is 38 Special rated for +P, and the cylinder holds six rounds where most small-frame revolvers stop at five.

Steel is the deliberate choice here. The alloy-framed Ultra Lite exists for people who need the last few ounces gone; the Taurus 856 Stainless exists for people who would rather have a revolver that is pleasant to practice with. The extra weight sits low and forward, and it turns a sharp recoil impulse into a push.

MAG5 Firearms has this one in stock. Handguns transfer through a licensed FFL on a signed 4473, and we coordinate the paperwork with your dealer.

What the stainless steel frame gives you

• Weight in the right place. The Taurus 856 Stainless absorbs recoil that a lighter frame passes into the hand.
• Stainless resists sweat and humidity better than any applied finish, which matters on a gun carried against the body.
• A matte surface rather than a polished one, so there is no glare and no flash of bright metal.
• Six rounds in a frame the same size as the five-shot revolvers it competes with.
• Rated for 38 Special +P, so a defensive load is on the table without worrying about the frame.

Controls, grip and safety on the Taurus 856 Stainless 38 Special

• Exposed hammer, so it can be thumbed back for a light single-action press or fired double action.
• Finger-grooved black rubber grip, which indexes the hand in the same place every draw.
• Transfer bar safety blocks the firing pin mechanically until the trigger is fully pressed, so all six chambers can be loaded.
• Fixed sights with nothing protruding to catch a holster mouth or a pocket seam.
• A 2-inch barrel, short enough to conceal and long enough that the Taurus 856 Stainless is still controllable at speed.

Taurus 856 Stainless 38 Special specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-85629
• Model: 856, small frame
• Caliber: 38 Special, rated for +P
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 2 in, matte stainless steel
• Cylinder and frame: matte stainless steel
• Grip: black finger-grooved rubber
• Action: single and double action, exposed hammer
• Safety: transfer bar

Ammunition choice matters on a short barrel. Everything in 38 Special is loaded to the dimensional and pressure standards published by SAAMI, but a bullet engineered to expand at four-inch velocities will often not open at two. A heavy wadcutter or a purpose-built short-barrel load is the safer bet. We stock Remington UMC 38 Special 158gr for practice and the Buffalo Bore 150gr wadcutter for carry.

If weight is your main concern, the 856 Ultra Lite uses an aluminum frame. If you carry in a pocket, the 856 Concealed Hammer removes the snag point entirely. The rest of our revolvers are listed alongside these.

Why this 856 earns its place

• The Taurus 856 Stainless is the version of this revolver most owners end up shooting the most, because it is the easiest on the hand.
• Six rounds rather than five, at no cost in size.
• Stainless throughout, so it tolerates being carried in weather that would mark a blued gun.
• Speedloaders, speed strips and holsters for the 856 are common catalogue items.
• Taurus backs it with a limited lifetime repair policy that follows the firearm rather than the original buyer.

This suits a shooter who wants a revolver they will actually practice with rather than only carry. The Taurus 856 Stainless is heavy enough to shoot a full box of ammunition without regret, small enough to conceal on a belt, and simple enough that a new owner has very little to learn. It also makes a sensible first handgun for someone who finds racking a slide difficult.

Six rounds in a Taurus 856 Stainless 38 Special

Almost every small-frame .38 on the market holds five. A Taurus 856 Stainless 38 Special holds six. The Taurus 856 holds six, and it does it without becoming a noticeably bigger gun. On a revolver where a reload is slow by definition, twenty percent more rounds before that reload is a real advantage rather than a spec-sheet one.

The cost is a fractionally wider cylinder, which most people never notice through a holster. If you are coming from a five-shot J-frame, speedloaders and moon clips will not transfer, so check fitment before buying accessories. Revolver accessories are cut for a specific frame in the same way magazines are cut for a specific pistol.

Ammunition for a two-inch barrel

A 2 in. barrel does two things to .38 Special. It loses velocity, and it turns unburned powder into muzzle flash. Both argue for choosing a load designed for a snub rather than a general-purpose one.

Remington UMC 158gr lead round nose is the cheap standard-pressure practice option and there is no reason to use anything more expensive for learning the trigger. G2 Research Telos in +P is the serious carry end. Buffalo Bore 150gr wadcutter is the connoisseur choice for a snub, though stock is thin. Whatever you pick, fire enough of it to know where it shoots and what the flash looks like in the dark.

Where it sits in the 856 range

The 856 Ultra Lite saves weight with an alloy frame, which makes it easier to carry and harder to shoot well. The concealed-hammer 856 removes the snag point entirely and commits you to double action only. This stainless model sits between them: heavy enough to be pleasant, exposed hammer for a deliberate single-action shot if you want one.

For comparison outside the brand, our revolvers category has the S and W J-frames and the rest of the small-frame field.

Ordering is straightforward. Choose it, tell us the FFL that should receive it, and we handle the dealer coordination. If you have not picked a transfer dealer, call us and we will help you find one nearby.