38 special Archives

Introduction

For years I’ve had a very challenging relationship with Taurus firearms, I have had in the past an experience that left me quite displeased. But after some time I have meandered back into a place where I would try again, the TX22 line of rimfire pistols got me quite hooked on 22’s. And years later I’ve got four of them. But today we are looking at a new product from Taurus, the Taurus Defender 856 TORO 38 Special Revolver. The TORO is according to Taurus the first ever optics ready revolver, and being a sucker for red dots and pistols I had to try it.

The Defender 856 TORO

The 856 model has been around for a few years now, and it seemed a good host for optics I suppose because that’s where they went with it. The Defender 856 is a double-action revolver that holds six rounds in its stainless steel cylinder. The pistol uses a three-inch barrel and a target-style trigger for optimal performance. I was expecting a 357 Magnum but the TORO comes with 38 Special chambers, which is fine because I was probably going to shoot a lot of 38 Spl anyways.

taurus 856 toro defender — the pistol worked great with the 407K red dot

What sets the TORO apart is its optics platform that mounts to the top of the sight rail and is affixed with two screws. The plate itself uses the Holosun K footprint, which is also good because I have a Holosun 407K that would fit perfectly. The TORO is finished in a matte black, which turns out is pretty sexy in my opinion.

Unboxing the Taurus Defender 856 TORO 38 Special Revolver

Upon opening the box I was surprised a bit, as I was expecting something a bit different like I’d seen on the floor at SHOT Show. This model actually looked better in my opinion and as I lifted it from the box my first thoughts were about how handsome a little gun it was.

After opening the cylinder and checking everything out, I held the gun and pulled the hammer a few times. Like most revolvers I’ve ever shot, I found something romantic about the drawing back of the hammer. The trigger felt good as well, nothing fantastic or extraordinary but certainly good. Everything fits tightly and rolled like it was on bearings.

I pulled the optics kit from the box, and found the plate and mounting screws. I took it to my bench to get it mounted using a drop of Loctite to secure the screws. I then installed my Holosun 407K and secured it with its own two screws. I again lifted the pistol into the shooting position to see how the Holosun showed; “pretty slick” I muttered to myself. So I grabbed a sack of 38 Spl hand loads I had sitting on my bench and headed out the door.

To the Range!

As I lined up at my shooting spot, I contemplated what this little revolver would be good for. It’s certainly small enough to easily conceal and use as a CCW, though I am one of those that feel much better about carrying 15+ rounds for such purposes. But it still would be a great little pistol to have in a pinch.

I loaded a handful of cartridges into the cylinder and snapped it closed. I like how tight and timed this gun feels, the cylinder doesn’t have any slop and locks securely closed. I tapped the button to power up the Holosun, and it looked close enough to not even mess with it until after shooting a few shots. So that’s what I did, I fired the first cylinder of cartridges and as I expected I loved every minute of it.

taurus 856 defender — I also installed the new **Vortex Defender red dot**, it was a perfect match.

The Holosun really needed no adjustment for now, so I let it be as I fumble another cylinders worth off cartridges out of my pocket. I also had brought a few boxes of factory ammunition, but I was lucky to have inherited my Grandfather’s supply of 38 Spl handloads. Grandpa was a huge fan of the little 38, and he cast thousands of 148 grain semi-wadcutters loaded into spent nickel cases he brought home from the police ranges back in the 80’s.

I spent the late afternoon and into the evening shooting the little TORO at just about anything I could. It seemed about as accurate as any other three-inch revolver I’ve ever shot, I can’t help but feel that the red dot allows some additional precision in aiming though that could just be my personal bias.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Comfortable grip
Light recoil
Quality fit and finish
Red dot sight easy to aim

Cons:

Larger grip would fit my hand better
Trigger slightly jumpy

I guess I am warming back up to Taurus after all these years, and I have certainly grown to like this little pistol. The grip is very comfortable, and the rubber texture does allow some additional purchase to hold it back. The 38 is not a large recoiling pistol but its not a 22 either. I would have liked a slightly larger grip to fit my hand, but of course that would have made it harder to stash. I let a few friends shoot it as well that had smaller hands than I and they didn’t seem to have any issues with it.

The quality of the TORO was great, the fit and finish looked quite handsome and well put together. The trigger was a little jumpy but I suppose it’s fine, by jumpy I mean there can be felt movements before it breaks sometimes. It seemed perfectly serviceable for a pistol of this type and price point. The added function of the red dot made shooting the TORO quite easy, instead of focusing on the sights I’d just cover the target with the dot as I squeezed the trigger. The red dot lined up pretty closely to the built in iron sights, which made it easy to co-witness and matched my natural aim-point.

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CONCLUSION

Taurus Defender 856 TORO .38 Special Revolver

The Taurus Defender 856 TORO has turned out to be quite a breath of fresh air for me. When I first saw a red dot mounted on a revolver, I thought maybe we’d reached the bottom of the barrel. I was happy to be proven wrong.

I think it’s a great little handgun. It’s fun to shoot and accurate enough to be useful, especially at the affordable price point. I’d like something a little bigger for my hand size, but I was still able to shoot it well. If you want to try something new, the Taurus TORO revolver is certainly worth a shot.

-CBM

Lever Action Attraction

What seems like forever ago, my little brother snagged a Model 94 Winchester from the local gun shop. It was chambered in .44 Magnum, and lets just say we all fell in love with that short and sassy little lever-gun. Ever since then I have been dying to get something similar for myself, but life has a way of dictating your gun purchases doesn’t it?
So when the opportunity to get a Marlin 1894 in .357 Magnum came my way, I was not going to let my dream go unlived. But would it be everything I had hoped for?

The Marlin 1894

Since the late nineteenth century, Marlin has been manufacturing leverguns and other firearms for the American public. It has seen several ownership transfers over the past decade or two, and the latest one will hopefully be a good and final one. The 1894 is perhaps one of Marlin’s most popular models over the years, but there are many others that have also graced the shooting public. The 1894 is like many of Marlin’s firearms, a lever action repeater. Probably the most distinguishing feature of the model is it’s side ejecting receiver. This has made Marlin leverguns very popular with users of riflescopes, as it allows a more generous mounting area. The rifle has an eight round tube magazine that loads from the side of the receiver through a loading chute.

OPENING THE BOX

When I received the rifle, I set straight to fiddling with it. It’s practically impossible to pick up a lever gun and not jack open the action. The gun seemed just a bit stiff, which I’m sure was more about it being brand new than anything else. A few hundred rounds would surely loosen it and make it run like warm butter.

The rifle featured handsome checkering on both grip areas on the walnut stock. On the breach end of the barrel, there is the traditional buckhorn rear sight. A hooded front post sits at the tip of the barrel. I like the old lever guns without the modern safeties, but this one is at least minimal and doesn’t stick out terribly. Plus, the gun still has the half-cock safety.

THE AMMO SITUATION

I am lucky to have prepared for the ammunition crisis years ago, and my storage has plenty of components to make dang near anything I need. With a good stash of .357 and .38 special brass and bullets, I knew I wouldn’t have to get gouged at the local gun shop.

In just a few hours, I had built up a nice supply of .38 special ammo loaded with soft-shooting 160-grain wadcutters as well as a small pile of .357 Magnum cases that I loaded with a warmer charge underneath 125-grain Hornady XTP bullets. Both of these loads worked great in the little Marlin and made for hours of plinking fun.

A man reloads his Marin 1894 lever-action rifle — Loading the tubular magazine is quick and easy

TO THE RANGE!

The 1894 is obviously meant for up-close business, making shots beyond 100 yards more about luck than focused effort. The accuracy of the 1894 was still very useful, and it proved enough for squirrels at 60 yards anyway. In just a few minutes, I had gotten quite accustomed to loading and shooting the rifle. Much like shooting .22s, this became quite addicting. Hitting targets the size of soda cans under 60 yards became a quick game for us, and it was even more fun when we stretched it out to 100 yards or so.

The report of the rifle was surprisingly soft, as was the recoil. I wouldn’t recommend shooting it without hearing protection, but it barely felt like you needed it out in the open country. The recoil was soft enough that only the youngest of shooters would shy away from it. This also made follow-up shots easy and fast.

The Marlin 1894 is in my mind the perfect little camp rifle. Whether it is used for kids plinking at cans or for the serious hunting of deer-sized animals, the rifle is more than adequate for the task. This little gun would be a perfect companion for a hike through the forest. Its petite size and light weight make it ideal for walking. With the ability to shoot light loads like the .38 Special or hard-hitting loads like the powerful .357 Magnums, you can use whichever ammo best suits your purpose.

ACCURACY AND ACTION

I wish I could have gotten a scope mount for this story. I think it would have been a valuable addition. But I found it very easy to hit what you are aiming at within the range of this rifle even using the factory iron sights. Accuracy with the provided sights allowed me to obtain 1.5-inch groups at 50 yards, which I consider acceptable for the purposes that fit this rifle. I’d imagine that I could probably tighten that up a bit more if I had a scope mounted to the rifle.

The flawless function of the 1894’s action attests to the reason these rifles became so popular in the first place. Positive feeding and extraction from shot to shot could be felt in your loading hand, and stuffing the stubby little cartridges into the feeding chute made you feel like you were in a John Wayne film.

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A man shoots the Marlin 1894 lever-action rifle at the range — The lever-action design allows you to feel the mechanical action of the gun while shooting. The 1894 is also soft shooting and great for plinking

CONCLUSION

I suppose you could say that the Marlin 1894 fits perfectly into the space I dreamed up for it. It’s a solid-functioning rifle with easy and soft-shooting characteristics and relatively inexpensive ammunition that can be as powerful or soft as you want it to be.

Unlike gas-operated semi autos, lever guns rely on the input of the shooter to cycle cartridges. So, shooting subsonic ammunition or the full-power stuff will not affect its function, making these rifles very useful for any number of shooting tasks. I think Marlin has enjoyed its reputation for very good reason, and hopefully they keep making these beautiful rifles for another hundred years.

-CBM