First Impressions
I wouldn’t say the 856CH is a zero-frills firearm, but you could be forgiven for thinking it is when you first open the box. What you see is basically what you get. Despite the size, the gun is actually a bit hefty in the hand. Taurus does make an Ultra-Lite model of the 856 that trims the weight by nearly a third of a pound.
Nothing screams refined or hand-fitted on this budget revolver. In fact, the cylinder spins freely, but only enough to complete a few rotations before the friction brings it to a stop. My test gun came in a basic matte-black finish, though you can opt for a stainless or anodized option at a small increase in price. Again, I didn’t expect frills on this gun, and it basically met my expectations.
Only one feature really stands out as “extra” on the 856CH, and that’s the pistol grip. It’s rubberized with finer texturing on the sides and more aggressive texturing on the backstrap. The grip hosts a thumb shelf and finger grooves that I assume are meant to help compensate for the fact the design is only meant to allow for a 2/2.5-finger grip. Still, that grip texture is a fair improvement over some of the wood, rubber, and plastic grips I’ve felt on various other budget revolvers.
Specs & Function
First, it’s worth noting this gun isn’t exactly hammerless, and the hammer isn’t truly concealed like it is on the S&W Bodyguard revolver or the truly bizarre double-barreled S333 Thunderstruck. Those guns fully enclose the firing system inside the frame of the revolver.
The 856CH has no obvious hammer spur, because, well, there’s simply no hammer spur. But the hammer itself is plainly obvious at the rear of the frame and exposes itself when you pull the trigger to draw it back before firing. The lack of a spur basically means this is a double-action-only gun, which is in line with a close-range self-defense revolver.
It hosts a transfer bar safety and a 2.1-inch barrel with a 1:16.5 right-hand twist for the slower .38 SPL bullet flying out of a snubby barrel. As for build materials, this double-action-only 856CH features a frame and six-groove barrel made from carbon steel with an alloy steel cylinder.
Here’s a breakdown of the basic specs:
- Weight: 1.36 pounds
- Length: 6.55 inches
- Sight Radius: 3.8 inches
- Barrel Length: 2.1 inches
- Height: 4.8 inches
- Width: 1.41 inches
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Trigger Pull: 11.16 pounds (DA only)
The trigger is nothing to brag about, but it has functioned reliably and predictably. The rather long pull is 0.7 inches with just a bit of stacking. You can feel the cylinder rotate and lock as you pull the trigger. If I take my sweet time, I can detect the slight wall before a bit of creep to get to the break.
It’s not nearly as smooth as some other DA/SA revolvers I’ve fired, but it’s not oppressively heavy, either. The pull weight and distance do make it harder to score tightly-grouped shots. That’s also an issue with the shorter grip and very basic sights.
The gun is forward-heavy, and the pistol grip only has enough space for your two middle fingers and a bit of your pinky. This creates a gap between the grip and the heel of my palm. The sights are basic, with a notch at the rear, a channel over the frame, and a front blade with anti-glare texturing. Though, it’s certainly worth noting that Taurus also offers a low-cost optics-ready model in the 856 Toro these days.
Related: Taurus Defender 856 TORO Optic-Ready Revolver
With a sight radius of just 3.8 inches and a heavy trigger, don’t expect this gun to shoot bullseyes at 20 feet. But you should expect it to shoot groups good enough for general self-defense at that distance. So, let’s jump into the shooting and see how it performs.
Range Testing
I’ll start by saying this gun isn’t very pleasant to shoot. That 1.36 pounds doesn’t do a ton to eat the felt recoil of the relatively soft-shooting .38 SPL. It’s not hard to recover for follow-up shots, but you do start to feel it in your hand after a few reloads.
On the plus side, the grip is very positive, even if you can’t wrap all your fingers around it. But you’ll feel that aggressive backstrap texturing when you start shooting. It makes the gun easy to control and grip under stress, but it’s something that will make you hope you only need to shoot a few rounds.
Accuracy was acceptable for my slow-fire shooting at 20 feet and stayed within the red center of my half-size man target. When I went to shoot rapidly with just one hand, as is often the case in recorded self-defense incidents, that group opened up considerably over 12 rounds at the same distance.
The thumb shelf was particularly helpful when I was shooting with one hand, and it served as a nice index point for my grip when I shot slower with two hands. However, the gap left between my palm and the bottom of the grip tended to tilt the barrel to the left slightly as I squeezed with my right hand.
Since this is a DA-only revolver, I avoided searching for the exact breaking point on the gun. In a stressful situation, I doubt I would do that anyway, and the faster you pull the trigger the more your shots tend to stray due to the longer trigger pull.
The 856CH performed without malfunctions over three range trips and 200 rounds of a mix of flat-nosed 125-grain Blazer Brass, 132-grain PMC, and 130-grain Remington UMC. Taurus’ current line of 856CH pistols on its site are all listed as +P rated, but you should always confirm that before hitting the range. Taurus also notes in the manual that you should avoid +P ammo for normal shooting as it can increase wear on the gun.
Pros & Cons
Here’s my short list of the pros and cons:
Pros:
- Affordable
- Reliable
- Relatively small
- Aggressive grip texture
- Thumb shelf
- Concealed hammer
- Reasonably accurate
- Very simple to use and clean
Cons:
- Basic sights
- Short sight radius
- Not very pleasant to shoot
- Long, heavy trigger
- No precision or polished parts
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Double-action-only design
Final Thoughts
This gun is affordable and practical, not refined. If you want something classy, sexy, or sporty, look elsewhere. The 856CH is a workaday revolver. I can see it as a fairly worry-free carry option, backup gun, or home defense firearm.
I don’t see it as a gun I would drag out to the range for a long day of plinking or take to a pistol match. At the price point, it’s a basic tool that offers value performance for someone who wants a snag-free revolver for personal protection needs.
