Taurus 85 Defender: a classic for personal defense
The Taurus 85 Defender revolver in .38 Special is one of the mainstays of the Brazilian gun maker, a top-seller for concealed carry in the U.S. It still represents a good choice for anyone looking for an affordable and easy-to-handle personal defense gun
The model 85 is one of Taurus' best-selling models
At a time when both US and European people are discussing with great attention about personal defense issues, those looking for an effective firearm to protect themselves and their loved ones should be always very aware of their needs and their capabilities alike.
One of the main reasons why revolvers – special consideration given to .38-caliber, small-frame models – enjoy a good level of popularity despite the dominance of semi-automatic firearms is that many first-time gun buyers and shooters at large, mostly in Europe but also in the U.S., would still rather go for a revolver than for a semi-automatic handgun which they may not have the time, or will, to practice with in order to gain the necessary level of training to remain proficient under stress.
Right side of the Taurus 85 Defender revolver
Left side of the Taurus 85 Defender revolver
Revolvers themselves evolved as the years went by, but it's still hard for the most modern and innovative models to beat the popularity levels of the most classic, tried-and-true model whose validity has been proven over and over in the past decades.
A five-shots, rapid-fire group at 2 meters
Among those is the Taurus 85; first introduced by Brazil's top gunmaker in 1985, this small-size revolver has been upgraded all through the years to match the evolution of the needs and tastes of shooters worldwide, but its core design remained basically unchanged.
The baseline variant of the Taurus 85 is known on the European market as the "Defender", available in a blued and a bright polish stanless variant. The frame is manufactured out of steel, but the revolver is also available with a polymer or titanium alloy frames.
The cylinder of the Taurus 85 Defender revolver holds up to 5 cartridges
A close-up of the pivoting cylinder and the manual ejector
A view of the trigger: the revolver can be used in single or double action
The five-shots cylinder and the 2" barrel are also manufactured out of steel. The grip is the only component that's manufactured out of composite material; it's rubberized, and sports gripping surfaces on both sides.
Aftermarket grips for the Taurus 85 revolver are also available from a plethora of manufacturers and distributors, given the popularity of the design – particularly in the United States, where it remains one of the top sellers in its category.
The Taurus 85 Defender revolver offers an "ultra-fast, ultra-reliable, lightning-quick" double-action trigger with the possibility to cock the hammer manually for single-action operation. A transfer bar dubs as an automatic safety feature, preventing the hammer from striking the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled fully to the rear.
The Taurus 85 Defender revolver is available in black and stainless variants
A view of the fixed sights of the Taurus 85 Defender revolver
The Taurus 85 Defender revolver features a slip-proof rubberized grip
The frame of the baseline Taurus 85 revolver is manufactured out of steel
It's no wonder: the Taurus 85 is a mainstay on the international concealed carry market, and is heavily reminiscent of the classic Smith & Wesson designs that dominated the American market for decades.
The cylinder push button is located on the left side of the frame, just behind the the blast shield. The cylinder is unlatched by pressing the button forward, just like in any Smith & Wesson revolver.
The Taurus 85 Defender revolver is a classic, extremely compact snubnose design
The rubber grip of the revolver
The Taurus 85 Defender revolver is an excellent choice for concealed carry
Snub-Nose revolvers are small, practical. easy to hide and easy to use, but not always as well easy to manage. These are in fact pistols designed for self defense use, intended to be used at short distance, usually well below 5 meters.
A 5 shots group: single-action, slow fire at 12 meters
But exactly because they are normally used in defensive situations, it is very important to be able to use them in double action, althought they can be used in single action also.
Anyone having had the possibility to shoot a revolver knows that double action rapid fire shooting is not somthing you can improvise, especially with short barreled, small size revolvers. Double action shooting with this kind of revolvers needs a lot of training and experience.
In short words, instinctive rapid fire double action shooting is difficult and the recoil is an issue. But at the end of the story, there is one valid concept: if you want to use a firearms for sel defense purposes, you have to train yourself and know your gun.
The Taurus 85 is definitely one of the very few models that a first-time buyer should seriously look at when selecting an affordable and easy to use personal defense gun.
Taurus Defender - Technical specs
Mod.85 Defender
Revolver
.38 Special (certified for +P ammunition)
Rotating cylinder
Double action, with manual single-action available
Automatic transfer bar safety
Manual TSS (Taurus Security System) locks the gun for safe storage
5 rounds
2" / 51mm
Six right-handed grooves, 1 twist in 16.½"
Fixed front and rear
533 grams (18.8 oz)
Blued or stainless steel
See your local dealer for availability and pricing