Range Report: Taurus 605 Defender .357 Magnum By: Bob Campbell

Double-action revolvers remain a strong choice for personal defense and an important part of the firearms scene. Taurus offers good quality revolvers at a fair price in many variations and calibers. Recently, Taurus introduced a Defender version of the six-shot Taurus 856.

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The Defender treatment features a mid-length three-inch barrel, hand-filling grips, and a tritium front sight. These revolvers are slightly longer than traditional two-inch barrel snub nose revolvers but easier to shoot well. This revolver is based on the proven Taurus 85 snub nose revolver but with a few upgrades including a six-shot cylinder.

605 Defender Features

Taurus has now applied the Defender concept to the proven Taurus 605 revolver. This revolver is a five-shot .357 Magnum revolver. The new 605 Defender retains the five-shot .357 Magnum cylinder while adding the Defender upgrades previously applied to the 856 revolver.  

My version features a stainless steel finish and Hogue rubber grips. It doesn’t get any better than Hogue for control. These pebbled rubber grips are a big reason the Defender revolver is comfortable to fire with magnum ammunition.

The five-shot cylinder is plenty strong to contain magnum pressure. While the shooter would give up long before you blow up a magnum revolver, the five-shot cylinder features bolt stop cuts over the meaty part of the cylinder, rather than cut over the chamber. This makes for added strength. The heavy cylinder locks up not only at the rear but by a spring-loaded detent on the crane.

The stainless steel version with Hogue grips is one of four combinations offered. There is a Tungsten Cerakote offering, another with Altamont grips, as well as a blue version with wooden grips as well. I cannot comment on recoil control with other types of grips as I have not handled those versions.

The Tungsten gun looks great. However, for carrying under a shirt in the heat when the pistol is subject to being soaked in perspiration, the stainless gun makes the most sense. On the other hand, Tungsten Cerakote has an excellent reputation for low wear and fending off corrosion. As for the blue gun, keep it oiled… Stainless is still the default in my home for hard use.

The 605 is practically as snag-free as a revolver may be. The barrel is a smooth profile with a nice underlug design. The previous 605 was two-inch barrel revolver with large wooden grips. The new gun is better balanced.

The .38 Special isn’t as dependent on barrel length as the .357 Magnum for velocity. The magnum uses an impressive powder charge of relatively slow-burning powder. The .357 Magnum may break 1,440 fps with a 125-grain JHP in the four-inch barrel. A two-inch barrel may generate 1,250 fps at best.

This makes the three-inch barrel a good compromise for concealed carry and the same load will register 1,350 fps. There is still a lot of flash and unburned powder, but this combination hits hard. (Results with Remington 125-grain SJHP.)

The three-inch barrel is concealable in an inside-the-waistband holster. Even a high-riding hip holster is useful. Yet, the Taurus 605 Defender is little larger or heavier than most .38 Special revolvers. The longer ejector rod of the mid-length Defender barrel makes for more positive ejection of spent cartridge cases.

The front sight is a tritium dot surrounded by an orange circle. This is an excellent feature and an advantage on home defense.

The 605 is a true double-action/single-action revolver. While we should use double-action fire, the single action option — cocking the hammer for a deliberate shot or a shot at a very small target — is viable in certain situations.

A reptile or ridding the area of a varmint are examples of incidents in which single-action fire may be used. The action is smooth in double-action, and the single-action trigger is sharp and crisp. The double-action trigger is as smooth as any double-action trigger in current manufacture.

The revolver handles .38 Special ammunition, as well as the longer .357 Magnum cartridge. The magnum generates considerable recoil and isn’t for everyone. As a last-ditch defense against dangerous animals, this handgun is about as light a magnum as you may deploy. For most uses, and for most people, .38 Special loads for personal defense are all we may handle in a lightweight, easy-to-pack revolver.

I began the evaluation with Remington’s .38 Special 130-grain FMJ ammunition. This is a mild load — accurate and clean burning. The jacketed bullet doesn’t lead the bore, making cleaning easier. The Taurus 605 Defender is fast to an accurate first shot. The double-action trigger is smooth enough to allow a trained shooter to make accurate double-action shots to 10 yards or so — and a bit further with training and attention to detail.

As reader Vincent Lavallee pointed out, there are several power levels of the .357 Magnum. If you can find the Remington Golden Saber, this load averages 1,150 to 1,200 fps in snub nose magnums (about 150 fps faster than .38 Special +P loads). The .357 Magnum 110-grain JHP is loaded to about the same velocity as 125-grain JHP loads but recoils a bit less due to the lighter bullet.

Velocity is about 1,340 fps in the Defender. These loads are not difficult to control in double-action pairs with sufficient practice. You will not be as fast as with the .38 but wound potential is high. If you deliver a bullet to the right place, a second shot is seldom needed.

Ammunition Performance

Specifications

Taurus Defender 605 – Final Thoughts

This revolver is also a great choice for animal defense. The big cats often go for the head and are on you before you can react. The same is true with feral dogs. A self-loader thrust into the body of these dangerous animals would jam after the first shot. A magnum revolver may be pressed into the threat’s body and fired repeatedly.

I like the Taurus 605 Defender. This a credible personal defense revolver with much to recommend.

Do you have a favorite short barrel revolver for self-defense? What length barrel do you prefer? How does the Taurus Defender 605 compare to your favorite revolver? Share your answers in the comment section.