Taurus 856 Two Tone 38 Special 2in 6-Shot — Superb Carry Snub

Description

The Taurus 856 Two Tone is a six-shot .38 Special +P snub with a matte stainless frame and barrel, a matte black cylinder, a two-inch barrel and black G10 grip panels.

The two-tone treatment is more than styling. Stainless goes on the frame and the barrel — the parts most exposed to sweat, weather and holster wear — while the cylinder is finished black. And the G10 panels are the detail worth paying attention to: a fibreglass laminate that is harder, thinner and grippier than rubber, which on a small revolver means better concealment without losing purchase. The Taurus 856 Two Tone is the 856 with its best furniture on.

How it is built

• The Taurus 856 Two Tone holds six rounds of .38 Special +P — one more chamber than most small-frame revolvers of the same size.
• A two-inch matte stainless barrel on a matte stainless steel frame, with a matte black cylinder.
• Black G10 grip panels. They are slimmer than rubber, which helps the Taurus 856 Two Tone disappear under a shirt, and the texture holds a wet hand better.
• An exposed hammer, so you can shoot single action for a deliberate shot and double action for everything else.
• Fixed sights and a transfer bar safety, so the revolver fires only when the trigger is pulled all the way through.

Honest notes

• This is a steel-framed gun, not an Ultra Lite. It is heavier to carry and considerably more pleasant to shoot — that trade is the whole choice between the two.
• Six rounds and a slow reload. Carry a speed strip and accept that the Taurus 856 Two Tone is a gun you shoot well rather than a gun you shoot a lot.
• G10 is hard. It grips beautifully and it will not soak up recoil the way rubber does, so +P out of a two-inch barrel is felt.
• Fixed sights are the right answer on a gun this size: nothing to adjust, nothing to knock out of zero, nothing to snag on the draw.
• Stainless is corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof. Wipe it and oil it after a humid day in a holster and it will outlast you.

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-85625
• UPC: 725327943044
• Calibre: .38 Special +P
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 2 in, matte stainless steel
• Frame: small, matte stainless steel
• Cylinder: matte black
• Grip: black G10 panels
• Action: double action / single action, exposed hammer
• Sights: fixed
• Safety: transfer bar

.38 Special is standardised by SAAMI, and +P is a separate, higher standard within it — which is why a revolver has to be rated for it, as this one is. From a two-inch barrel the difference between a good standard-pressure load and a +P is smaller than the pressure figures suggest, so shoot both and carry whichever you place fastest.

The rest of the 856 range is in stock: the all-stainless 856, the stainless concealed hammer, the steel-framed black concealed hammer, the alloy-framed Ultra Lite hammerless and the Sky Blue Ultra Lite. For .357 on a similar frame, the 605.

Why the Taurus 856 Two Tone earns its place

• The Taurus 856 Two Tone holds six rounds where most small revolvers offer five.
• A stainless frame and barrel, for a gun that will live against a body.
• G10 panels as standard, which on most revolvers is an aftermarket upgrade.
• Steel construction, so .38 +P is firm rather than punishing.
• Fixed sights and simple mechanics — nothing to forget under stress but the trigger.

This is a carry revolver, a nightstand gun and a good first revolver for someone who wants one small gun done properly. It suits a shooter who will practise on standard-pressure .38 and keep a +P load in it, and anyone who values grip texture over cushioning. The Taurus 856 Two Tone is not a range gun in the volume sense and not the lightest way to carry six rounds — the Ultra Lite is that gun, and it kicks harder for the privilege.

In stock now at MAG5 Firearms in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Handgun sales ship to a licensed dealer in your state, where you will complete a Form 4473 and the background check before taking delivery.