I have the Taurus 856 defender 3 in barrel with titanium cerakote finish and Big Dot front sight with tritium insert. & ALTAMONT WOOD GRIPS!! WHAT A FANTASTIC GUN ❤️
I have exactly the same gun. Most people don’t realize the XS sight for the Ruger SP 101 will also work on the Taurus 856. I love that big dot out there. Easy peezy to pick up!
My defender with the titanium cerakote finish and altamont wood grips went for $400 at a local gun store.. what a fantastic deal fit and finish and trigger are fantastic
When KS6 came out, I said everyone better start making little 38 special 6 shooters. I thought Ruger and SW would be the next to come out with some new ones, but Taurus really stepped up to the plate that the big brands are not doing.
I bought a Ultra-Lite black model 3 weeks ago and have run almost 500 rounds thru it, carry it CCW and I love it. I might have missed it but a set of the Taurus boot grips come in the box also. I installed them and they look just like the grip on my Smith 642 so I ran a direct comparison between the Taurus and Smith. IMHO the 856 is a better value at half the price of the 642. It has a better trigger, front sight, grip and with the 3" barrel balances better and has much improved bullet performance. That extra inch or so of tube really makes a difference. I'm a believer and might buy another with a steel frame for general use.
I recently started doing something different while shooting single action that you might want to try. Cock the hammer with your support hand so you don't change your shooting hand position with every shot. It was really easy for me to adjust to this style, and it has improved my shooting. Good looking revolver, and a great review.
Picked up a 856 3in. stainless and black matte. Installed rubber grips, cleaned it and went to the range. Awesome little wheel gun. shot very well, nice little kick and accurate. Fun gun to shoot 🔫
I so live the way your camera shows the sight alighnment! It is very close to shooting the gun myself. Thanks for a quality vid. U gotta get a Taurus 3".
I wish I could find more wad cutters... I love what cutters for target shooting as they cut a nice hole in the target to spot from a distance.. looks like once the primer shortage is over I'm going to have to get into reloading 38 special possibly 357 Magnum also my main reason is to load my own wad cutters
I just bought a Taurus M942 and I'm sold on Taurus. I have only put 100 rounds through it but it run without issue. The only issue was trying to find one.
I don’t know about those grips. They look like they’d eat you up. I love everything else about the gun. I got one a while back and like everything about it. I hope it’s as durable as my other two 856’s. Great review sir. Thanks.
You and one gunbroker seller (w/a blued steel) are saying it comes in at 35 oz. That would be pretty heavy. Taurus website says this one and the blued steel are around 23 oz. (17 oz for the ultra lites) Where are you guys coming up with 35 oz? Good review though, as I look for a good, but not expensive .38 3 inch to sometimes carry in the truck with my Henry .357.
I have the one with the altamont. Wood grips.. very nice the only thing is it would not fit the speed loader the grips bulged out where the speed loader goes...NO PROBLEM.. I took off the left side wood grip and used my workbench grinder ground it down a little bit... Sort of like a flat spot.. then I rubbed on some oil on the wood.. in the grinded spot actually match the rest of the grip what's the oil soaked in... Looks like it came from the factory that way now... So now I can use a speed loader no problem
I didn't happen to notice a lock on the hammer as seen on your 85. Did Taurus delete this somewhat redundant feature, move the lock to somewhere else, or am I not seeing something right?
I love the gun but I ditched the VZ grips after about a 100 rounds. Damn grips hurt like hell. I put a nice pair of Altamont finger groove grips on it and now I can shoot it all day. It's now my favorite revolver. had a tough time finding a holster for it as well.
You can shoot a box or two of .38 special with the grips wrapped in sandpaper with medium grit. This smoothes a little the grips and they become much more comfortable in the hand.
I've got three 856's, one being a three inch. If you get tired of the vz grips there should be bullshead grips hidden under the divider in your box. It's a smith design so 158 grain should be ideal, 130 grain for the colt designs like the rock island or so I've heard. Mine do seem a bit tighter with the heavier loads but still pattern in the same spot with 130's fwiw
@@cameronnorton5898 my defender had nothing but issues so I sold it immediately. Timing and accuracy were awful. Love my steel frame 2" with the fixed non pinned sights. My ultralight may be accurate but idk . It's only fun to shoot with snake shot.
@@zdub8438 Damn, it seems like Taurus has picked up their game with a couple of their recent semi autos but lemons seem to be just as common as ever. Oh well, if I want a carry revolver I guess I’ll just throw down the extra hundred for a S&W 637 or a Ruger.
I have a question. I know nothing about revolves but have been watching and reading lots of reviews on this particular one because I'm going to take the leap and I like this model, barrel length, the front optic sight and 6 round capacity. I don't believe I've seen or heard anything about "de-cocking" the hammer if in the single action and riding the hammer down with thumb to cancel the shot. Can you safely do that? Or even do that in double action? Thanks.
We've had one on back-order for my wife in blue since late April and can not even get an estimated date on how long they are on back order from Taurus. Anyone have any experience on current back-order times?
Sp101 is a heavy trigger i love the feel but HATE the trigger weight and comparing the 2 they feel about the same in the hand as far as size and comfort
I just bought a Taurus 856 with a 3 inch barrel. Preferred a Taurus 85 but they are not made anymore. The 856 I got was the black finish as the stainless steel version is impossible to find. The gun lacks the quality and finish of a Ruger or S&W. The trigger is "klunky". But the price of the Taurus can't be beat.
Very easy to carry IWB. The barrels are not the issue, it is the grip that gives people problems....on many guns, mostly semi autos the handels print. Won't be the case with this or many other snubies.
Got some wooden grips from amazon. Was gonna order some off taurus's website but decided to save 15$ the ones i ordered should be fine for concealed carry too. The one taurus carry look a little on the bulkiar side.
I picked up at 856 defender, looks nice but trigger needs some breaking in double action. Unfortunately I wasn't happy when I saw the magnet sticks, must be cheaper stainless
I've been looking for months. I found on on Bud's this morning and jumped on it! Black version, but I'm cool with that. Out of stock after I grabbed mine. Good luck on your search.
March of 2022 up here in Washington State the gun stores are charging way too much they are virtually at manufactured suggested retail with the previous poor quality control I don't know if Taurus has gotten that corrected I will spend a little bit more on Ruger or Smith & Wesson product I'm not paying $500 for a Taurus revolver with questionable quality
The Defender looks like a good home defense gun. It looks a bit too large and heavy for pratical concealled carry, but it would fit nicely in a bedstand drawer, or in a pistol safe. I have a Taurus 856UL that fits my hand perfectly, so I expect this one to do the same. I want one!
Wrong it is smaller than it looks theres a gunshow in my town right now and one of the vendors had the one with the wood grips available and it fits perfectly in my hand its small enough to be comfortable but heavy enough to help with recoil i was suprised by the weight and my hands probably 6 in long from bottom of palm to finger tip and probably 4 41/2 inches wide thumb to side of palm to give a idea....i was more disappointed by the 3 in 942 22lr because it actually is smaller than it looks and the stock grips are just to small in my opinion
@@justinjones3499 -- For me any gun with a barrel longer than 2 inches would likely be too large for my main method of warm weather concealed carry. When I carry on days too warm for a jacket I wear one of those multi-pocket travelers' vests, and have my gun in one of the pockets, in a pocket holster. But doing so only really works well if the gun is not too heavy or bulky, so I don't feel like I am walking around lopsided.
@@randolphtolbert3825 -- Not necessarily. Anyway, I don't care if someone suspects that I am carrying; no one has ever said anything to me about it. As long as my gun is fully concealed I am fine (and all those pockets are quite handy for carrying other things).
Daniel Brito Leyva I am a past customer of theirs and have a "notify me" request when the model I want comes in. I also just tried several times to get on their website but cannot connect with them from two different sources. I can get into other website so I don't think it's a connection problem on my end. So it goes.
Check out the zeta 6.. CIRCULAR SPEED STRIPS....LOAD ALL 6 (OR 5 ) INTO THE CYLINDER AT ONCE... NO BULKY SPEED LOADERS NO KNOBS OR BUTTONS TO PUSH JUST INSERT THE ROUNDS INTO THE CYLINDER ALL SIX AT ONCE AND PEEL THE RUBBER STRIP BACK.. YOU GET TO ZETA 6 CIRCULAR SPEED STRIPS FOR 20 BUCKS
I can't justify the VZ Grips at all. The black and blue color scheme ones that ordered didn't fit my . idk if its a difference between the Stainless steel frame and the Ultralight Aluminum frame models. And the VZ Grip are just to smooth and bulky. Difficult to get a Firm and accurate shot off. For $87 I don't think they're worth it. The factory rubber/plastic Grip right out of the box is perfect for that little gun.
I really want this gun, but I’m caught deciding which variety. He said, "I keep forgetting it’s a six shot." Yet he pulled the trigger seven times?! Do you keep track of the number of times you pull the trigger? Or how about the number of times you cock the hammer Mr. single action? You do realize every time you pull the trigger in single action you waste an opportunity to practice shooting double action accuracy. Which is the real life scenario for shooting. I’m only being critical because I’m jealous I don’t have one yet. 😉
For the love of god, why does everyone who reviews a revolver always pull the trigger one extra time. Like they don’t count while shooting. You know you shot six, just stop. You don’t do it when you do a quick reload sequence do ya? No.
I have the Taurus 856 defender 3 in barrel with titanium cerakote finish and Big Dot front sight with tritium insert. & ALTAMONT WOOD GRIPS!! WHAT A FANTASTIC GUN ❤️
I have exactly the same gun. Most people don’t realize the XS sight for the Ruger SP 101 will also work on the Taurus 856. I love that big dot out there. Easy peezy to pick up!
Does the grip fill the hand well? It’s seems a little small in photos.
My defender with the titanium cerakote finish and altamont wood grips went for $400 at a local gun store.. what a fantastic deal fit and finish and trigger are fantastic
Got mine this week. I saw it, and snatched it up. I got the all Matte Black. Hogue grips. Feels great. Carries great. Love it
I got the wood handle 856 and fell in love goin to get another 1 soon
When KS6 came out, I said everyone better start making little 38 special 6 shooters. I thought Ruger and SW would be the next to come out with some new ones, but Taurus really stepped up to the plate that the big brands are not doing.
The Defender 856 Defender was announced back in January. I've finally found one for sale. Not the model I want, but it's an encouraging sign.
More are coming soon
Try KY gunco, I just bought one identical to the one shown in the video.
@@sofloflow I'm holding out for the all-stainless model. KY doesn't have them yet.
@@sofloflow KYG now has the stainless model.
I bought a Ultra-Lite black model 3 weeks ago and have run almost 500 rounds thru it, carry it CCW and I love it. I might have missed it but a set of the Taurus boot grips come in the box also. I installed them and they look just like the grip on my Smith 642 so I ran a direct comparison between the Taurus and Smith. IMHO the 856 is a better value at half the price of the 642. It has a better trigger, front sight, grip and with the 3" barrel balances better and has much improved bullet performance. That extra inch or so of tube really makes a difference. I'm a believer and might buy another with a steel frame for general use.
I recently started doing something different while shooting single action that you might want to try. Cock the hammer with your support hand so you don't change your shooting hand position with every shot. It was really easy for me to adjust to this style, and it has improved my shooting. Good looking revolver, and a great review.
Picked up a 856 3in. stainless and black matte. Installed rubber grips, cleaned it and went to the range. Awesome little wheel gun. shot very well, nice little kick and accurate. Fun gun to shoot 🔫
I so live the way your camera shows the sight alighnment! It is very close to shooting the gun myself. Thanks for a quality vid. U gotta get a Taurus 3".
I wish I could find more wad cutters... I love what cutters for target shooting as they cut a nice hole in the target to spot from a distance.. looks like once the primer shortage is over I'm going to have to get into reloading 38 special possibly 357 Magnum also my main reason is to load my own wad cutters
Got the 856 defender with wood grips a few days ago. Going shooting tomorrow. Have the 85 38 cal - 65 357 magnum love them. May have a new carry gun.
Just picked up a new 85 blackout yesterday. But now I'm diggin' on this Defender!
Seems to perform well! Something smooth and comfy about shooting the 38special!
Finally found one on armslist from a shop in MO.It shipped today .Cant wait to shoot.Great vid thanks.
How's it holding up?
@@Saku19 Ran maybe 150 rounds through it.No problems.
I got mine home today!!! VZ Grips and 3 inch!! Love it!!!
Very good review on this revolver bud! Good job!
I just bought a Taurus M942 and I'm sold on Taurus. I have only put 100 rounds through it but it run without issue. The only issue was trying to find one.
Not bad for the money, among today's expensive 6-shot options: 3" Colt King Cobra, 2.75" S&W Mod 66, 3" Kimber K6S.
Just looked at one at the shop down the road. It didn't feel bad in my hands and the trigger wasn't bad at all. They are asking $450 currently.
My 4 inch barrel is a fun gun to shoot. I would love to get my hands on a 3inch barrel Taurus .
Hi.😊 I just ordered one this Thursday . I already have the 605 Defender 357mag/38 3"barrel can't wait 👍🏿😊👍🏿
That thing looks sweet! 👍 Love it. Thanks for sharing.
Man this looks like a smooth shooter wanna grab it as another back up gun
I don’t know about those grips. They look like they’d eat you up. I love everything else about the gun. I got one a while back and like everything about it. I hope it’s as durable as my other two 856’s. Great review sir. Thanks.
I like the highly visible orange front sight.
Just picked up the Tungsten Cerakote model today. First impressions... this would cost WAY more made state side.
Hope they're gonna do a 656 in .357 with a 3 inch barrel. I would be all over that.
in 1988 i had the model 66 /.357 mag the thing was shaving lead MEANING the cylinder hole was not lined up with the barrel but the 85 was great
You made me subscribe bro! Very good review! Im a revolver enthusiast and i hope you review more about revolvers👍🤞
You and one gunbroker seller (w/a blued steel) are saying it comes in at 35 oz. That would be pretty heavy. Taurus website says this one and the blued steel are around 23 oz. (17 oz for the ultra lites) Where are you guys coming up with 35 oz? Good review though, as I look for a good, but not expensive .38 3 inch to sometimes carry in the truck with my Henry .357.
I have the one with the altamont. Wood grips.. very nice the only thing is it would not fit the speed loader the grips bulged out where the speed loader goes...NO PROBLEM.. I took off the left side wood grip and used my workbench grinder ground it down a little bit... Sort of like a flat spot.. then I rubbed on some oil on the wood.. in the grinded spot actually match the rest of the grip what's the oil soaked in... Looks like it came from the factory that way now... So now I can use a speed loader no problem
I didn't happen to notice a lock on the hammer as seen on your 85. Did Taurus delete this somewhat redundant feature, move the lock to somewhere else, or am I not seeing something right?
I love the gun but I ditched the VZ grips after about a 100 rounds. Damn grips hurt like hell. I put a nice pair of Altamont finger groove grips on it and now I can shoot it all day. It's now my favorite revolver. had a tough time finding a holster for it as well.
I had to replace that grip for my 856 ultra light. It does hurt
You can shoot a box or two of .38 special with the grips wrapped in sandpaper with medium grit. This smoothes a little the grips and they become much more comfortable in the hand.
Best video so far.
How much bigger is the defender vs the 856. I'd love to know if I could apendix carry the defender.
I want the ultra lite!
The flinch is strong with this one. 😏 Nice review. I need one of these. I want one of these. That gun is really aesthetically pleasing.
I've got three 856's, one being a three inch. If you get tired of the vz grips there should be bullshead grips hidden under the divider in your box. It's a smith design so 158 grain should be ideal, 130 grain for the colt designs like the rock island or so I've heard. Mine do seem a bit tighter with the heavier loads but still pattern in the same spot with 130's fwiw
How are those guns treating you after a year? I want an 856 but have seen so many timing and cylinder rotation problems.
@@cameronnorton5898 my defender had nothing but issues so I sold it immediately. Timing and accuracy were awful. Love my steel frame 2" with the fixed non pinned sights. My ultralight may be accurate but idk . It's only fun to shoot with snake shot.
@@zdub8438 Damn, it seems like Taurus has picked up their game with a couple of their recent semi autos but lemons seem to be just as common as ever. Oh well, if I want a carry revolver I guess I’ll just throw down the extra hundred for a S&W 637 or a Ruger.
I have a question. I know nothing about revolves but have been watching and reading lots of reviews on this particular one because I'm going to take the leap and I like this model, barrel length, the front optic sight and 6 round capacity.
I don't believe I've seen or heard anything about "de-cocking" the hammer if in the single action and riding the hammer down with thumb to cancel the shot. Can you safely do that? Or even do that in double action? Thanks.
how is the recoil on that gun? i think i would have this than the ultralite!
I like this gun. But trying to decide on this one or the 7shot Charter Arms professional 32mag.
We've had one on back-order for my wife in blue since late April and can not even get an estimated date on how long they are on back order from Taurus. Anyone have any experience on current back-order times?
Soem gun shops have them in stock theres a gun show in my town this weekend and they had they wood grip model available
Only thing I don't like is some models are as heavy as my model 13
Still, 3" barrel with a trueglo front insert, it's a win
Great review. Thanks for sharing.
I’m trying to decide between this and the SP101. I like the black matte Taurus option.
Depends on your budget, they're both excellent revolvers
Sp101 is a heavy trigger i love the feel but HATE the trigger weight and comparing the 2 they feel about the same in the hand as far as size and comfort
The trigger on the sp101 is heavy as all fuck
Awesome video and I love that 6 Shooter.
You know you don’t have to pull the hammer back every time lol
Are all the defender model rated for +p or do they have a specific +p model
I just bought a Taurus 856 with a 3 inch barrel. Preferred a Taurus 85 but they are not made anymore. The 856 I got was the black finish as the stainless steel version is impossible to find. The gun lacks the quality and finish of a Ruger or S&W. The trigger is "klunky". But the price of the Taurus can't be beat.
Interested if the 3" 856 will carry IWB.
Very easy to carry IWB. The barrels are not the issue, it is the grip that gives people problems....on many guns, mostly semi autos the handels print.
Won't be the case with this or many other snubies.
I just got my new 856
but no ammo available to try it out 😳🤣✌
Currently waiting on some wood grips for my defender. Cant find hollow points anywhere sadly
Nice! Where’d you end up finding grips?
Got some wooden grips from amazon. Was gonna order some off taurus's website but decided to save 15$ the ones i ordered should be fine for concealed carry too. The one taurus carry look a little on the bulkiar side.
@@GearKnowHow the brand of the wood grips is pachmayr. I got the cedar slabs. Just came today. They look wonderful
Do they make a 856 laser model?
I picked up at 856 defender, looks nice but trigger needs some breaking in double action. Unfortunately I wasn't happy when I saw the magnet sticks, must be cheaper stainless
O que não gosto nesses revólveres da Taurus é o acabamento inox fosco,,,,preto brilhante ou inox brilhante, isso sim é um bom acabamento
Can the hand grip be changed on this revolver to a rubber with finger grooves, and if so where can I get it....like a Hogue .
Yep, this one should fit amzn.to/3wpnHIR
I got the 856 snub last month haven’t got to shoot it
What did you spend on it? I really want to get one for me and my wife, keep a glock 21 by the bed for me and I think this would be good for us both.
I have the Taurus 856 2" barrel will not part with it love it a lot better than the shield ez 380 yes I have both
Good video 👍🏽
Thing just seems like a pleasure to shoot
I want one badly but it’s out of stock everywhere on the net.
I ordered mine 11 months ago and finally got it. Definitely worth the wait.
I've been looking for months. I found on on Bud's this morning and jumped on it! Black version, but I'm cool with that. Out of stock after I grabbed mine. Good luck on your search.
Go to gunbroker my man. Just snagged one yesterday same exact one in video. They had 3 left in matte black, Hurry they selling like hotcakes!
March of 2022 up here in Washington State the gun stores are charging way too much they are virtually at manufactured suggested retail with the previous poor quality control I don't know if Taurus has gotten that corrected I will spend a little bit more on Ruger or Smith & Wesson product I'm not paying $500 for a Taurus revolver with questionable quality
So is it out now?
The Defender looks like a good home defense gun. It looks a bit too large and heavy for pratical concealled carry, but it would fit nicely in a bedstand drawer, or in a pistol safe. I have a Taurus 856UL that fits my hand perfectly, so I expect this one to do the same. I want one!
Wrong it is smaller than it looks theres a gunshow in my town right now and one of the vendors had the one with the wood grips available and it fits perfectly in my hand its small enough to be comfortable but heavy enough to help with recoil i was suprised by the weight and my hands probably 6 in long from bottom of palm to finger tip and probably 4 41/2 inches wide thumb to side of palm to give a idea....i was more disappointed by the 3 in 942 22lr because it actually is smaller than it looks and the stock grips are just to small in my opinion
@@justinjones3499 -- For me any gun with a barrel longer than 2 inches would likely be too large for my main method of warm weather concealed carry. When I carry on days too warm for a jacket I wear one of those multi-pocket travelers' vests, and have my gun in one of the pockets, in a pocket holster. But doing so only really works well if the gun is not too heavy or bulky, so I don't feel like I am walking around lopsided.
If you’re wearing one of those travelers vests in the summer heat, trust me , people know your carrying.
@@randolphtolbert3825 -- Not necessarily. Anyway, I don't care if someone suspects that I am carrying; no one has ever said anything to me about it. As long as my gun is fully concealed I am fine (and all those pockets are quite handy for carrying other things).
How’s the lock up?
Still solid
Great video
No frame lock?
Can't find one.
They're coming soon
KY gunco, I just bought one in the same spec shown in the video.
Daniel Brito Leyva I am a past customer of theirs and have a "notify me" request when the model I want comes in. I also just tried several times to get on their website but cannot connect with them from two different sources. I can get into other website so I don't think it's a connection problem on my end. So it goes.
Check out the zeta 6..
CIRCULAR SPEED STRIPS....LOAD ALL 6 (OR 5 ) INTO THE CYLINDER AT ONCE... NO BULKY SPEED LOADERS NO KNOBS OR BUTTONS TO PUSH JUST INSERT THE ROUNDS INTO THE CYLINDER ALL SIX AT ONCE AND PEEL THE RUBBER STRIP BACK.. YOU GET TO ZETA 6 CIRCULAR SPEED STRIPS FOR 20 BUCKS
I can't justify the VZ Grips at all.
The black and blue color scheme ones that ordered didn't fit my . idk if its a difference between the Stainless steel frame and the Ultralight Aluminum frame models.
And the VZ Grip are just to smooth and bulky. Difficult to get a Firm and accurate shot off.
For $87 I don't think they're worth it.
The factory rubber/plastic Grip right out of the box is perfect for that little gun.
Soon as they make it in 357 mag I’ll be all over it.
Dont wait till the milk spoil
You should use your support hand to pull the hammer back. That way you arnt constantly adjusting your primary hand/grip.
35 oz. Isn't correct.
@J R
I think there was a mistake on Taurus part in the beginning.
Took you a couple of minutes to realize it's a double action.....
25 not 35 ounces
👍
I really want this gun, but I’m caught deciding which variety. He said, "I keep forgetting it’s a six shot." Yet he pulled the trigger seven times?! Do you keep track of the number of times you pull the trigger? Or how about the number of times you cock the hammer Mr. single action? You do realize every time you pull the trigger in single action you waste an opportunity to practice shooting double action accuracy. Which is the real life scenario for shooting. I’m only being critical because I’m jealous I don’t have one yet. 😉
Why do you have to shoot single action all the time? Practice man!
For the love of god, why does everyone who reviews a revolver always pull the trigger one extra time. Like they don’t count while shooting. You know you shot six, just stop. You don’t do it when you do a quick reload sequence do ya? No.
Good revolver.UMC IS JUNK
Firing by cocking hammer is pretty worthless. It’s gonna be double action in defense I’ve sifuation
all the gun clicks are so crisp OH NO ..........GUN-GASM!!! oh wow that was so good BUT its a full size gun can;t compare to little 85