Backstory :
Spouse wanted a simple house/ car sd piece. She wanted a laser. Shooting experience is minimal. Simple = revolver. I learned that Taurus had upgraded the .38 special m.85 to a 6 shot 856 , and there was an optional stock laser. BUT - could not find a laser equipped example for sale anywhere. So , looking at non- Laser ones I learned that there is a 3" option called the Defender , and it has a night sight with bright orange outline. That's what we ordered , for just under $400.
So , I was expecting a somewhat heavy trigger , but I must say it was heavier than I thought . Double action was tickling 13# ... surprisingly smooth, and with almost no stacking , and a decent break , but heavy. There was absolutely no way the intended user was going to master that trigger. Wolff now offer an 856 specific spring kit. No coil cutting required. After running about 150 rounds through the revolver with the stock springs I installed the replacements. Videos suggested that I should expect great results , I an skeptical by nature - but great results is what I got. The enormously heavy da trigger came down to approx 8.5#. That deserves an exclamation point ... 8.5# ! Too good to be true , I thought as I selected a variety of ammunition and headed out to the range.
After several short range trips (very cold up here) I am up to about 250 rounds without any issues. The before/after primer prints are slightly different , but nowheres near proportionate to the difference in trigger pull. Primer strikes are consistent. The trigger is now as light as my S&W 60 which has thousands of rounds and a trip to a good 'smith in it's service. I would not say that the Taurus trigger is as good as the Smith ; they have very different characteristics. I would say that the Taurus trigger is better that I thought possible. Slippery , kind of.
So , here's what I have , and what I think ---
The 6 shot version of the Taurus 85 has a cylinder that is 1/10" wider than the 5 shot. .1 inch for an additional round is a good deal. The frame size is between a J frame and K frame , a bit closer to the J. The 3 inch version - bead blasted stainless - is not light at 30+ oz. That's ok by me because it makes for very mild recoil , and that translates to pleasant shooting experience , and THAT translates to successfully getting my spouse to practice. The 3" barrel points easily and naturally ; the bright front sight is very effective (compared to the standard ramp on the 2"). Putting sots into a silhouette at 15 yards in double action is easy.
Negatives: The stock trigger is excessively heavy. Anyone that maintains that it is unacceptable for a firearm to require work right out of the box has a legitimate point , but I went in with eyes wide open. $14 and 35 minutes of bench time is all it took.
The texture of the bead blasted ss is too rough. It is a dirt magnet. I see no advantage to that texture , it would be better if a finer medium had been used.
There are a few sharp edges. Easy to fix with that finish. It's not like I'm taking an emery board to a Python.
Bottom line:
For 4 bills I have a compact 6 shooter with an 8.5# trigger , a revolver that can be shoved under a seat or in the glovebox along with a flashlight and other miscellanea without worrying about a ding or a scratch. It is a joy to shoot and accuracy seems just fine.
I am SO happy that I could not find a laser equipped 856 , because then we would have a 2" bbl and a ramp sight. The longer barrel and bright front sight makes target acquisition pretty much automatic. We can always add a laser.
I think that with Taurus there are good ones and not so good ones ; I have a good one , a very good one. Service ... well , who knows.
The summary is - I could not be happier with how this venture turned out.
Signed ,
A Smith and Wesson Guy
Spouse wanted a simple house/ car sd piece. She wanted a laser. Shooting experience is minimal. Simple = revolver. I learned that Taurus had upgraded the .38 special m.85 to a 6 shot 856 , and there was an optional stock laser. BUT - could not find a laser equipped example for sale anywhere. So , looking at non- Laser ones I learned that there is a 3" option called the Defender , and it has a night sight with bright orange outline. That's what we ordered , for just under $400.
So , I was expecting a somewhat heavy trigger , but I must say it was heavier than I thought . Double action was tickling 13# ... surprisingly smooth, and with almost no stacking , and a decent break , but heavy. There was absolutely no way the intended user was going to master that trigger. Wolff now offer an 856 specific spring kit. No coil cutting required. After running about 150 rounds through the revolver with the stock springs I installed the replacements. Videos suggested that I should expect great results , I an skeptical by nature - but great results is what I got. The enormously heavy da trigger came down to approx 8.5#. That deserves an exclamation point ... 8.5# ! Too good to be true , I thought as I selected a variety of ammunition and headed out to the range.
After several short range trips (very cold up here) I am up to about 250 rounds without any issues. The before/after primer prints are slightly different , but nowheres near proportionate to the difference in trigger pull. Primer strikes are consistent. The trigger is now as light as my S&W 60 which has thousands of rounds and a trip to a good 'smith in it's service. I would not say that the Taurus trigger is as good as the Smith ; they have very different characteristics. I would say that the Taurus trigger is better that I thought possible. Slippery , kind of.
So , here's what I have , and what I think ---
The 6 shot version of the Taurus 85 has a cylinder that is 1/10" wider than the 5 shot. .1 inch for an additional round is a good deal. The frame size is between a J frame and K frame , a bit closer to the J. The 3 inch version - bead blasted stainless - is not light at 30+ oz. That's ok by me because it makes for very mild recoil , and that translates to pleasant shooting experience , and THAT translates to successfully getting my spouse to practice. The 3" barrel points easily and naturally ; the bright front sight is very effective (compared to the standard ramp on the 2"). Putting sots into a silhouette at 15 yards in double action is easy.
Negatives: The stock trigger is excessively heavy. Anyone that maintains that it is unacceptable for a firearm to require work right out of the box has a legitimate point , but I went in with eyes wide open. $14 and 35 minutes of bench time is all it took.
The texture of the bead blasted ss is too rough. It is a dirt magnet. I see no advantage to that texture , it would be better if a finer medium had been used.
There are a few sharp edges. Easy to fix with that finish. It's not like I'm taking an emery board to a Python.
Bottom line:
For 4 bills I have a compact 6 shooter with an 8.5# trigger , a revolver that can be shoved under a seat or in the glovebox along with a flashlight and other miscellanea without worrying about a ding or a scratch. It is a joy to shoot and accuracy seems just fine.
I am SO happy that I could not find a laser equipped 856 , because then we would have a 2" bbl and a ramp sight. The longer barrel and bright front sight makes target acquisition pretty much automatic. We can always add a laser.
I think that with Taurus there are good ones and not so good ones ; I have a good one , a very good one. Service ... well , who knows.
The summary is - I could not be happier with how this venture turned out.
Signed ,
A Smith and Wesson Guy
