Ordered right before Christmas, and received on the 27th. Had it to the range last night too.

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The accessories you see are from at least 20 years ago. I have had both good, and bad from  Taurus. The first Taurus I had was a 6 shot revolver in the 4 inch variety. I shot that gun quite a bit, until I shot it out of time, and it would no longer cycle. I sent it back to Taurus, and they fixed it, but I ended up trading it. I had a 5 shot 357 from them with a 3 inch barrel, but I traded that for a Taurus Ultra lite 5 shot, which I carried religiously for around 7 years without issue.

Back when the 856 first came out I was like, wow, a 6 shot snub in ultra lite configuration. Hmm. Searched for it, but never was able to find it with a concealed hammer. The concealed hammer models are DAO, and, in any duty use or self defense shooting one of the issues is always, was the hammer cocked, which shows premeditation. In my state, that's serious business. Like, jail time serious. So, having no cocking hammer on a revolver is a good thing.

For what it's worth, in today's economy picking up a 6 shot snub of any variety for 254 dollars is a bargain. For that price, if it takes a couple of tries to get a good one, I can take the chance. There is a limited lifetime warranty on all Taurus revolvers now for first time owners. Back in the days when I didn't have two nickels to rub together, the Taurus was my go to defense piece.

Had it to the range and shot about 88 rounds through it. The ammo at the range for .38 is pricey, and man,  the Double action pull of a revolver if you are not used to it is heavy compared to any semi auto you can find. If you get a DAO, be prepared for a workout. As I fired it, it began to shoot more to point of aim, and, it became harder to stage the trigger, For a couple of cylinders, I was able to get the trigger about halfway back, and it would stop, then I could pull through it. As the gun broke in, it would simply cycle through. All in all,  by the end of the range session, most of my grouping with PMC target loads, which run about 950 FPS according to the box, was about a fist sized group on average. Alot of that is me not being used to firing a revolver.

Concealability is a plus. It conceals very well, appendix or strong side. The grips are good, and the finish, after oiling it up pretty well, is smoothing out somewhat. Read the manual on the gun  if you get one, and follow the instructions. It is not a take out of the box and shoot revolver. There were some rough edges that smoothed out after wiping down with a well oiled microfiber cloth.

Would I trust my life to it. Well, I know it goes bang when I pull the trigger, but Ima give it another couple hundred rounds prior to issuing a final verdict on  that, but, so far, it looks to be a good one, and, there's just something about a 6 shot snub that makes it work for me.

Family Firearms was the seller, and the price came from gun.deals, when I clicked through their page to purchase it. Highly recommend them, they did good business with me, and shipping was prompt, even through the holidays.

PS- I have a Shield Plus, 13-+1, loaded with Ranger T 147 gr +p. It's a little heavier than the ultra lite, and not as comfy to carry. Not as poor as I used to be.

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Hogue 67000 grip. Fits 856 with no issues. A little tight around the middle finger of the firing hand, but natural point of aim has shifted. Better for instinctive shooting. Found it at Bass Pro for less than  I could have ordered it online, and, no shipping.

ETA - Also works with speed loaders. Doesn't get in the way.

Also, found target ammo at Bass Pro for 29 a box of 50. If that sounds like a lot, look around online for 38 special. Used to be I could go to the range and get a 5 dollar box of reloads. Those days are gone. Had to order speed strips, the ones I had were dry rotted. Amazon Prime for the win there.

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Elite Systems holster for 29 dollars from the LGS. Size one for Colt Detective Special. Has a top strap that snaps and holds the gun in. After adjustment with the included tool, just have to keep the thumb up and it will engage the snap. Have an appendix holster on order from 1791, but, it's taking time.

Nice round gun. I have a Taurus 605 that I love but waiting on parts right now. I just bought a Smith and Wesson 442 with no lock from the LG. Shaw armament runs a sale on fiocchi 38 special from time to time. just snagged 400 rounds for 18.99 / box of 50.

Is the 605 a snub or the 3 inch model. I was looking at the 5 shot snub version, but it weighs a lot more than the ultra lite. Yeah, there's a whole thread in GD about the locks but the 856 doesn't have one.

Ill keep my eyes peeled for the Shaw Armament sale. Nothing to put 100 rounds downrange when I go to shoot. Gets a little more expensive than I would like. Back in the day the CCI blazers were cheap and it cost next to nothing to shoot all day. Haven't seen them in a while.

I have the 605 2" barrel, and yes it weighs a lot more but it shoots 38+p like butter. SMOOTH. I got on there and found the fiocchi red box 158 gr fmj for 18.99 / box and ordered 400 rounds. when i went back a day or two later they were out. They have a notify me button so I'll get an email when they get restocked.

I just hit that site and did the notify me thing too.

There's a thread about S&W revolvers in GD right now, and how their latest iterations are having issues with the lock, and other issues with barrel fitment and such. The 856 doesn't have a lock. I have heard the same about not ordering a Colt online because of their QC lately. But tell someone you're going to get a Taurus and they'll be swinging from the chandeliers. I don't get it. It's just like anything else. So far, I have about 88 rounds through mine 856 and it's bedding in nicely. I did follow the manual and wipe it down and clean it up before I took it out to shoot. I only had one failure to fire, and I am pretty sure it was me and the way I staged the hammer.

The ultra lite lets you know right away if you're firing hot loads, and the trigger pull is a workout, but, I'll get stronger, and the pistol will loosen up a bit. So far I like it, and I hardly notice it when carrying.

I learned a hard lesson through the school of life. I broke the firing pin in my 605. I was dry firing it like i do all of my Glocks, with no snap caps. I was able to order a couple of firing pins from eBay and they should be here soon. I called Taurus and they were more than happy to warranty the gun (even though it was my fault) but they wanted me to send the gun in. I am not a big fan of having a gun registered to me floating around being handled by every bubba between here and georgia. I'll fix it myself and chalk up the lesson I learned as an inconvenience. I bought some snap caps that I'll be using from here on out.

You have my sympathies. Taurus is really pretty good about warranty work for the original owners, at least, for the most part. I had an 82 that I shot out of time way back in the 90s. I ended up trading that gun, but my old 605 3 inch, and the 85 ultra lite I had were both really good. Hoping the 856 does as well. For the weight alone, I can live without the extra rounds, and night sights, and other stuff.

The 856 should do very well for you. I will be keeping the 605. It's a great little magnum revolver that fits in my pocket when the need arises, and a great backup to my 10mm auto when I venture into places like St Louis, or on vacation. You will love the 856 I'm sure of it.

Installed some Pachmyr grips and got a 1791 holster. Looks a little different now, and feels a lot different.

Also got some ammo in. May go shoot tomorrow. Have to avoid shooting all of it, I need to requal later this month.
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ETA the medallion came off and was in the box.

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2nd time to the range. No issues. Fired 1320 gr FMJ, 158 gr RNL, and Cor-Bon 125 gr +p JHP.

Fired probably around 80 rounds total. Too much fun.

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Got it dirty, but it cleaned up ok.

ETA - The Pachmyr grips are a total winner. No issues even with +p. Although I will say that the RNL was still my favorite to shoot.

I have one in stainless finish.  I like it a lot, especially with the Hogue grips.  I carry it frequently.

I saw it when it came out and thought, "16 oz 6 shot .38, and on sale for $250?"  I had to have it.

Yeah, I looked at them last year, and said the same, but it was hard to find the ul ch model. In Florida, cocking the hammer is a big mistake, as it shows premeditation, and can get you sent to prison. Having a gun you cannot do that with and you don't have anything to prove. It's still possible to stage the trigger, but you probably wouldn't do that in a defensive situation.

I miss the old pachmyr rubber grips for the Taurus, but they don't have them for the 856. The new grip is great, and shoots even plus P really well, but it's kind of bulbous. Still a great revolver, at least, so far.

I am thinking about a 605 though. I do like magnums. The only downside, again, is a violation for me, as a security officer, to ever use a magnum on duty. If the revolver won't take magnums, again, nothing to prove.

Any grips designed for the Model 85 also fit the 856 and visa versa. I don't care for the rubber grips that came with my 856 and 942 so I swapped them out for Model 85 wood grips.

From top to bottom. 3" Model 85, 2" 942, and 2" 856

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I have the three inch all steel version.  Picked it up on a whim, I had Cabela's points to burn.  Haven't shot it a lot but I can't say anything bad about it.  I've had (strangely?) good luck with Taurus over the years.

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Put the Hogue grips back on it. Still have the Pachmyrs, but they're a bit too bulky for my carry tastes. I thought maybe the Hogue would give me issues when firing, but I qualified with the State on Saturday and scored a 212 out of a possible 240 with this gun. It's combat accurate. For comparison, I scored a 219 with the 19x.

Over 200 rounds through it right now. I caught a couple of boxes of Federal Train and protect 158 gr lswchp off of Bud's and ordered Thursday. They should get here tomorrow. Not the best expansion out of a snub, but more than adequate penetration, and should not over penetrate. I had them confused with Winchester train and defend which didn't test well, and was corrected in another thread. For 30 bux for 50 they didn't cost any more than RNL, which shoots really soft in the 38 and is accurate.

I also have some 125 gr Corbons for carry, and I ordered a box of the Buffalo Bore 158 gr +p, but I have no idea when that will get here, if ever. All in all I love this gun so far. It's really lightweight, and makes for a nice pocket carry. It leaves the holster behind on the draw, and I am pretty certain it will go bang when I pull the switch.

Mine is marked BainBridge, Ga, so it's a newer model than the ones out of Miami. I've seen them on sale off of gun.deals for less than 300, some with free shipping. For the price, adding a revolver to the stable is a no brainer. Lifetime warranty for the original owner, and anything that remotely compares to it is about twice the price if you don't want polymer. It scratches my revolver itch. I still have a S&W Shield+ MOS when I feel the need to carry something a bit more serious. Adding up the price of both and I am about at what a decent Cobra or GP 100 would cost.

@Miami_JBT is this really a thing in Florida?  Case law or gun-store lore?  How do they deal w/ hammer down carry of a SA?

@Stretchman
@backbencher

That is not something that happens. That is 110% fudd-lore from the gun shop counter jockeys.

Thanks man.  I have a DAO 9mm Taurus on my table, I may have to start using that.  

@Miami_JBT

In security firearms training, we are specifically instructed not to cock the hammer on a revolver, and will be questioned about it if we ever find ourselves involved in a shooting. Having a DAO means that I don't have to answer that question, because that particular firearm isn't capable of being cocked like that. Now, if I were carrying a 1911, and it was cocked and locked, different story. In a case like that, it's in it's operational configuration.

So, circumstances, I guess. But I have seen at least one case, where an officer, carrying a .357 Magnum revolver, on duty, loaded with .357 Magnums, ended up inadvertently shooting someone while he was struggling with the subject, and claimed that he didn't mean to fire his weapon. He said that it happened because the hammer on the weapon was cocked.

Now, there's a lot more than one violation there, so there's that. The guy ended up going to prison for manslaughter, and I ended up standing his post unarmed as a result of the shooting. It happened in that really cold snap of 1989-1990. The decedent broke into a van on the property and was attempting to start it because he was freezing to death and wanted to use the heater. Bad situation all around. Happened in the warehouse district in downtown Miami, off the 112 and I can't remember the cross street, but, it was right on the tracks between there an Hialeah.

But all that aside, when I carried a revolver on duty, as I did for about 5 years, we were always told not to cock the hammer, or we'd get into trouble with a capital T. Particularly if witnessed. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Name or date of incident to confirm?  Sounds like CYA from the security company, not actual Florida case law.

I gave you what I remember. The company was US Security, and IIRC, it was late December 1989. For posterity, carrying a .357 Magnum in itself isn't a violation, but having it loaded with anything other than .38 Special is, even today.

Evidentially, there was another guy out there, without a G license, carrying a .22 rifle. I believe he was also charged.

My recall of the name or location of the strip mall is somewhat hazy. I do remember that there was a store like Winn Dixie, or Publix, that also had an armed guard, but at the time of occurrence, the store was closed and the guard off duty.  This was something like 33 years ago.

What?

Then and now are two completely different worlds.

G License Security Guards were limited to .38 Special RNL for a very long time. In the mid 00s, they finally allowed 9mm to be carried. The revolvers could be chambered for .357 Magnum, but you could only carry .38 Special.

Heck, Metro Dade PD was like that back in the late 70s. .357 Magnum was a no go. You could private purchase a S&W Model 66 chambered in .357 Magnum, but your duty load was a .38 Special.

Sgts, IIRC, could actually carry the .357 if they qualified for it. When I was a kid, the guys at substation 4 used to come around for coffee, back when CB was really popular.

Yeah, in 2001 when I went to work for Navarro, they made me get rid of my CorBon 115 +p and I had to use RNL instead. FWIW, I am using Federal VHP 158 gr LSWHP standard pressure in it now. I actually picked up his book Cuban Cop, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I did find another book called Forgotten Heroes; Police officers killed in early Florida 1840-1925. Wild west back in the early days. Makes for a very interesting read, and sheds a lot of light into how it used to be here. I mainly got it for the story of John Clifton, and it's historic value.

@Stretchman, Charles Bryant was the former town marshal for Homestead. Back then, it reall was the wild west. He was killed during a liquor raid in '22 and the town lynched the gunman after Bryant was killed. Prior to him being the Homestead town marhsal, he was a deputy sheriff with Dade County.

My Old Man worked for Dade County when it was then known as Dade County Public Safety in '75 and later became a GUI and Homicide Investigator. Dad carried a S&W Model 13 in .357 Magnum but was limited to .38 Special. Back then, when he served warrants. He'd swap out the duty load for .357 Magnum without approval.

Yeah, I remember the Dade County Sheriff. The last guy who actually held that position was run down on the street in an unsolved hit and run. They changed the way Dade county did stuff. When I was growing up down there, it was Metro Dade, or just, Metro, for short. I was working at the Dadeland Twin when the Cocaine Cowboys did the hit at the Crown Liquors at Dadeland mall. The Cowboys pretty much changed the face of law enforcement in this entire country.  

We knew we weren't in Kansas anymore.

I don't know about the OP, but I have both the UL and non-UL version of the snubby and have put several hundreds of rounds through each w/o an issue.  I carry the UL daily

@Stretchman, that was Sheriff Talmadge Buchanan and it was reported that he died because he was a literal drunk and stumbled into oncoming traffic while plastered. All while the actual paperwork back then said he wasn't drunk.

@Miami_JBT

Yeah, there are still rumors surrounding all of that. Miami is pretty unique in that their sheriff position is occupied by Miami Dade Police, who, I guess have sheriff powers but considered themselves police instead. They also wear brown while the rest of the state has sheriffs in greens. The cars are still green, or at least partly.

Miami being Miami I guess. Although I live up in Broward now, I still miss some things about the magic city.

But almost 27 years ago I relocated here and when I go back, very few things are the same. I know, it's only 20 miles away, but it's a different world.

Drs are the only thing keeping me from moving up to central Florida. I would have too much of a commute to go to the hospital as often as I have to. People in the city take things for granted. When it's 100 miles to anywhere that I would need to go, it kinda keeps me around.