Taurus 856 Wood Grip 38 Special 2 in. Matte Black 6-Shot Revolver – Superb Classic Carry Look

Description

The Taurus 856 Wood Grip pairs the six-shot small-frame .38 with smooth walnut panels instead of rubber, on a matte black carbon steel gun. It is the version people buy when they want a carry revolver that looks like a revolver rather than a piece of equipment.

The Taurus 856 Wood Grip gives you six rounds of .38 Special, a two-inch barrel, fixed sights and an exposed hammer. The wood is plain and well figured rather than showy, and it changes how the gun handles as much as how it looks.

What the wood panels change

• The Taurus 856 Wood Grip uses smooth walnut panels, thinner than a rubber grip, which is the single biggest factor in how a small revolver conceals
• Wood does not grab at a shirt tail on the draw the way rubber does
• The Taurus 856 Wood Grip fills the hand differently: less bulk, more shape, and the recoil arrives more directly
• Six rounds of .38 Special on the small 856 frame, where most competitors manage five
• Matte black carbon steel barrel, cylinder and frame, with no bright work anywhere
• Exposed hammer for a deliberate single-action shot, with a transfer bar behind it
• Fixed sights machined into the frame, with nothing to snag and nothing to adjust

The honest trade with wood

• Wood does not cushion. Rubber absorbs a share of recoil and hard panels hand all of it to your palm
• With standard-pressure .38 Special that difference is small. With a steady diet of +P it is not
• Smooth wood also offers less purchase with wet hands than a checkered or rubber grip does
• Most people who buy a Taurus 856 Wood Grip carry it far more than they shoot it, which is the case where the trade makes sense
• The panels come off with one screw, so a rubber set for range days is a two-minute change
• Wood takes a knock and shows it. That is character on a walnut grip and damage on a coated frame

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 2-85621TW
• Caliber: .38 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 2 in., matte black carbon steel
• Cylinder and frame: matte black carbon steel, small frame
• Grip: smooth wood panels
• Action: single and double action, exposed hammer
• Safety: transfer bar
• Sights: fixed
• UPC: 725327942481

.38 Special has been in continuous production since 1898 and remains one of the most thoroughly standardised cartridges in existence, with pressure and dimensional specifications published by SAAMI. That long record is why a modern defensive load out of a two-inch barrel performs predictably rather than hopefully.

One correction to the distributor data. Sports South lists the grip on this SKU simply as “black”. The catalogue photograph plainly shows smooth walnut panels, and the part number carries a wood suffix. We have described what the photographs show, which is what you will receive. If you receive anything else, tell us and we will sort it out.

Why this revolver earns its place

• Six rounds rather than five, on a frame no larger than a five-shot
• Thin wood panels that conceal better than rubber and do not catch on clothing
• The Taurus 856 Wood Grip is the best-looking small revolver Taurus builds at this price
• Steel construction, so recoil stays manageable with standard loads
• Matte black throughout, with nothing to reflect light through a shirt
• Panels that swap out with a single screw if you change your mind

Everyday carriers who have found rubber grips print or snag, anyone who simply prefers the look of wood, and buyers who want a small revolver that looks considered. The Taurus 856 Wood Grip is a carry gun first.

If you want the cushioning of rubber, the matte black 856 and the stainless 856 are the standard builds. In figured wood on a black stainless gun, the 856 in black stainless is the closest relative to this one.

For thin panels with more grip texture, the 856 with G10 is the modern alternative. And for a completely snag-free profile, the 856 Ultra Lite hammerless encloses the hammer.

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.