About a year ago, I reviewed the 856 Ultra-Lite—a successor to the Model 85 with six shots instead of five—and came away impressed by the inexpensive but good-shooting snubnose revolver. Recently, Taurus came out with a three-inch version, the Defender, and it is equally impressive.
This particular model is an aluminum-framed Ultra-Lite, one of two such guns in the sixgun 856 Defender lineup. These weigh 17.5 ounces, half of what the four all-steel models weigh. Overall length is 7.5 inches, and the width across the fluted steel cylinder is 1.4 inches.
I think the most outstanding feature on the 856 Defender is the front sight. While the rear is simply a gutter milled into the backstrap, the front is a day/night sight, which is not something you expect to find on a revolver with a suggested retail just north of $400. It’s an AmeriGlo, marked “H3 FJ,” for which I could find no details on AmeriGlo’s site. But no matter. It features a bright orange stripe into which a small tritium vial is set. It’s a sight that’s very quick to pick up in any lighting condition. It is pinned in place.
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The 856 Defender comes with a day/night sight from AmeriGlo: a tritium vial set in a broad, bright orange stripe. It’s a good, highly visible setup.
The three-inch barrel is of one piece and fully shrouded. The muzzle sports a slight crown to protect the rifling. It, the crane and the cylinder are matte stainless.
When I posted a range photo of the 856 Defender Ultra-Lite on Facebook, one visitor commented that I must’ve shot the gun really hot because the cylinder was discolored. While some of what he noticed was simply fouling, the gun’s appearance was also due in part to the fact that the steel parts are slightly darker than the anodized finish on the aluminum frame. It’s not quite two-tone, but I think it gives the gun a unique look.
The right side of the frame features the Taurus bull logo and “Taurus Int’l Mfg Miami, FL-USA” along with the serial and model numbers. The left side is stamped “Ultra-Lite” and “Taurus Armas Made in Brazil.”
The cylinder release is nice and big, and it’s serrated so your thumb won’t slip. The exposed hammer’s spur is likewise serrated.
The rubber grips come from Hogue. They have a pebbled texture, finger grooves and a dish at the top where your firing-hand thumb rests. They’re not full wraparounds, so a thin strip of the frame’s backstrap is exposed.
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The Ultra-Lite version is constructed with an aluminum frame, and the revolver has a nicely shaped and textured grip from Hogue.
I actually prefer this in handguns that don’t have a lot of recoil because the lack of extra material at the back makes the grip a bit smaller. Even though I have medium-size hands, I almost always find that slimmer, smaller grips shoot better for me.
The trigger is what you’d expect. The double-action pull is relatively smooth, with typical stacking, and it breaks at nine pounds, 14 ounces on average. The single-action pull has a wee bit of creep and grit, and it breaks at three pounds, seven ounces.
I own one revolver with a three-inch barrel, a Ruger GP100 in .44 Special, and I’ve come to appreciate this barrel length. The extra inch of sighting radius over a snubby is a big advantage to my astigmatic eyes. Shooting with bifocals is hell, as some of you know.
The longer tube gives just a bit more weight out front, which tames muzzle rise a bit. The 856 Defender is chambered to .38 Special +P, and I found +P loads to be nicely controllable even though it’s such a light gun.
While the Black Hills HoneyBadger ammunition wasn’t the most accurate of the four loads I tested from the bench, it sure was the nicest to shoot because its light 100-grain bullets don’t generate a lot of recoil, making fast follow-up shots no problem. And from what I’ve read, this bullet design, with its fluted “fins” produces excellent terminal performance.
I thought the gun shot great from the bench. While it’s not apples to apples because I didn’t test the same ammo in both guns, but the longer Defender outdid the standard 856 by about a half-inch on average. And regardless of what ammo I fed it, the Defender acquitted itself really well in defensive-type drills.
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The longer barrel makes the gun easier to shoot well, and with light-bullet loads like the Black Hills HoneyBadger, you can deliver six good shots quickly if needed.
The beauty of the snubnose revolver is that it makes a great carry gun for those who prefer revolvers. Yes, the Defender has a longer three-inch barrel, but unless you’re carrying it in a pocket—in a proper pocket holster, of course—the extra length isn’t going to affect concealability. Because it’s a lightweight aluminum frame, you’re bearing hardly any burden in terms of weight.
In the final analysis, I think the 856 Defender has a lot going for it. It has that useful night sight, it doesn’t weigh much, and it’s easier to shoot than a two-inch snubby. Couple that with its $425 suggested retail price, which will bring mid-to-high $300s at dealers, and you’ve got a dependable, shootable and affordable concealed-carry revolver.
Notes: Accuracy results are averages of four five-shot groups at 15 yards from an MTM Case-Gard pistol rest. Velocities are averages of 20 shots measured on a Pro Chrono chronograph 10 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: JHP, jacketed hollowpoint; LRN, lead roundnose
CZ-USA and Dan Wesson collaborated to bring you the DWX pistol.
The DWX pistol is the result of the brilliant collaboration between CZ and Dan Wesson. This cutting-edge firearm is a fusion of the best features of both pistol families and is sure to leave you in awe with its design.
It features a locked breech barrel system and CZ-style takedown, making it easy to disassemble and clean. The match-grade barrel can be easily removed thanks to the bushing-less barrel system, similar to that of a P-10 or P-09/P-07.
Comfort and style.
The DWX also boasts a high capacity of 19+1 rounds with flush bases in 9mm, and is customizable with standard 1911 parts, allowing gunsmiths and competitive shooters to adjust it to their preference.
The sights are also easily customized, with a 1911-style dovetailed front sight and a CZ Shadow 2-style rear sight cut.
Serrated rib to reduce glare.
The CZ Dan Wesson DWX is a firearm that features a fiber optic sight for quick target acquisition in bright lighting, an adjustable rear sight for improved accuracy at the range, and a CZ-75 profile frame for enhanced grip and ergonomics.
Additionally, it has front serrations for press-checks, a serrated rib to reduce glare, a square hammer for a tactical look, a flat K-style trigger, an ambidextrous safety and grip safety, a 1913 Picatinny rail for easy accessory attachment, and 25 LPI checkering on the flat mainspring housing for a secure grip.
It is also compatible with CZ P-10F/P-09 double-stack magazines. Additionally, the mag release is swappable, offering further user configuration.
The grip angle and contours of the DWX are borrowed from the CZ 75, which is widely recognized as one of the most comfortable and ergonomic pistols on the market.
This makes the DWX a great option for those who have trouble finding a comfortable fit with other pistols. Additionally, the DWX can use standard grips from a CZ 75 and even has corresponding magwells for the TS/Czechmate series, making it even more versatile.
From the outset, the Citori was crafted as a budget-friendly sporting arm, but don’t let that fool you, as Browning’s famed over-under is seen on the winner’s podium throughout the United States each year, and these guns are trusted by top shooters to perform at high levels. Dedicated hunters, too, require sporting arms that function without fail and print beautifully downrange. Whether you’re a field fanatic with a burning desire to traverse the brush country in pursuit of gamebirds, or a weekend clays shooter with a taste for signature quality, the Citori Hunter Grade II should ride high on the list of suitable shotguns. Watch the video above to see the Citori Hunter Grade II in use on the NRA Tech Range.
Starting with a steel receiver, locking bolt and hinge pin, you’ll notice quickly the silver finish of the gun’s action, which automatically suggests that it’s made of stainless steel. In fact, it is just carbon steel, but the receiver has been treated to provide supreme wear and corrosion resistance, thanks to a silver nitriding process. The overall finish has undeniable good looks, especially after the company’s decision to wrap its action with a better-than-usual grade of walnut, as seen here, which is what makes this version of the Citori Hunter a Grade II.
The stock includes a smooth satin finish throughout with panels along the wrist and fore-end that, with 18 l.p.i. cut checkering, gives users enough grit for purchase without being overly abrasive. The buttstock is capped with the company’s famed Inflex 2 recoil pad, which our testers have come to love. The grip has an open radius for fast handling, an important attribute of a field gun.
Further increasing the Citori Hunter’s capability is its barrels, and Browning has gone to great lengths to improve performance here. What you get with this package is nothing short of premium. Browning offers its Hunter Grade II in various gauges, and barrel options include either 26″ or 28″ configurations. Putting shot on target is easy with the gun’s 50-50 point of impact and included choke tubes. Three choke tubes come with the gun. In addition, you get a back-bored barrel, chrome-lined chamber and ventilated rib for sighting.
On the range, our testers were pleased with the flawless performance of the Citori Hunter Grade II. The gun swings well and has a great between-the-hands balance. From the gun’s safety and barrel selector to its gold accents, clean lines and overall good looks, this 16-ga. version is sure to impress. The Citori has a track record of success, and the Hunter Grade II is just one more great example in the Browning Arms lineup.
The British Army learned the value of accurate rifle fire the hard way. Pennsylvania Rifle-equipped Americans sniped from the forests and cut down officers from the first fight at Lexington and Concord until the American Revolution ended in 1783. The wars against Revolutionary France demonstrated the need for new tactics, especially after the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. The British Army adopted its first standard rifle in 1800 to meet those demands. The gun’s official designation was the “Infantry Rifle,” but history remembers it as the “Baker Rifle.”
The approved firing positions from the British Army’s Napoleonic Era rifleman’s manual. (militaryheritage.com)
Despite recognizing the rifle’s usefulness, the British Army knew they needed a standardized weapon. An imperial power could not effectively deploy individualized rifles like the Americans and Prussians had. Plus, existing rifles of the time were considered too long, heavy, and generally cumbersome for the skirmishers and light infantry for whom they were intended. The army needed a robust, but easily handled weapon that would stand up to extended campaigning.
Ezekiel Baker’s Rifle…with a Little Help from the Prussians
Ezekiel Baker was a master gunsmith in Whitechapel, London. He submitted a rifle design to the British Board of Ordnance trials in February 1800. Baker’s rifle won the trials, but the design needed work. The first prototype was similar to the standard British infantry musket but was deemed too heavy for its mission.
The army gave Baker a Prussian Jӓger rifle to model what they wanted. Jӓger units were light troops who served as skirmishers and screened heavier infantry formations. They usually carried their own highly accurate hunting rifles in the field, hence the name Jӓger, which means “hunter.” The Jӓger rifles and ammunition were not standardized but the general specifications showed Baker what the army had in mind.
The original Baker Rifle was designed to accept the 24-inch sword bayonet. (military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Baker_rifle)
Further Development
Baker’s second prototype was a .75 caliber weapon, the same as the standard “Brown Bess” musket. It had a 32-inch barrel and an eight-groove rifling pattern. The army accepted the prototype, but more changes followed.
The third and final prototype reduced the caliber to .653 and the barrel was shortened to 30 inches with seven rifling grooves. The rifle fired the .625 caliber carbine bullet paired with a greased patch to engage the rifling. The production Pattern 1800 Infantry Rifle had a .625 caliber bore, firing a .615 caliber projectile with the greased patch. Its effective range was 200 to 300 yards, though it could and did fire much further.
The seven rifling grooves in a reproduction Baker Rifle. (History Hit YouTube Channel)
The original Baker Rifle shared the Brown Bess musket’s standard large lock system and swan neck cocking piece. The lock was updated in 1810 to match the new Short Land Pattern Musket. The walnut stock featured a raised cheekpiece on the left side. A scrolled brass trigger guard ensured a firm grip and patches were stored in the buttstock, covered by a hinged brass lid. The Baker accepted a 24-inch sword bayonet.
The Baker’s greased patches were stored in a compartment on the stock. (History Hit YouTube Channel)
Specifications
Caliber: .625 (the Pattern 1809 Infantry Rifle increased the caliber to .75)
Projectile: .615 caliber lead ball
Firing System: Flintlock single shot muzzleloader
Barrel Length: 30.375 inches (the Duke of Cumberland’s Corps of Sharpshooters specially ordered 33-inch models in 1803)
Overall length: 45.75 inches, 12 inches shorter than the Infantry Musket
Weight: 9 pounds
Rifling: 7 grooves
Standard Rate of Fire: 2 aimed shots per minute
Historian Mike Loades applies powder to his reproduction Baker Rifle. (History Hit YouTube Channel)
The Baker Rifle’s Service History
The Napoleonic Wars
The year 1800 saw the advent of the Baker Rifle and the “Experimental Corps of Riflemen,” raised, trained, and commanded by Colonel Coote Manningham. Manningham was a veteran of the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779-1783) and served in the Caribbean during the early French Revolutionary Wars.
The Baker Rifle’s lock. (militaryheritage.com)
As war with Napoleon loomed, Manningham and his Lt. Colonel, William Stewart, took their light infantry lessons from the Caribbean and proposed a new rifle-centered unit to the British Army. The new unit originally provided scouts, sharpshooters, and skirmishers to larger formations. That the Experimental Corps of Riflemen should be equipped with Baker Rifles was only natural.
European line regiments used volley musket fire to make up for their weapons’ inherent lack of accuracy and range. Unlike the smoothbore muskets of the day, the Baker Rifle was extremely accurate, making the soldier more effective at a longer range. Rifles were also more difficult and expensive to manufacture, limiting their use to specialists like the Experimental Rifle Corps.
Historian Mike Loades with a reproduction Baker Rifle. (History Hit YouTube Channel)
Befitting their mission, the riflemen wore dark green uniforms with black facings instead of the standard red coat with white trim. They wore black belts and had green plumes on their tall shako hats.
The Rifle Corps saw its first action on 25 August 1800, spearheading a British amphibious landing at Ferrol, Spain. The landing eventually failed, but the riflemen distinguished themselves by helping clear Spanish defenders from the high ground overlooking the beach. A company of riflemen used their Bakers as shipboard sharpshooters at the Battle of Copenhagen the following April.
The 95th Regiment of Foot
The Rifle Corps officially joined the British Army as the 95th Regiment of Foot in 1802. Their Baker Rifles went with them. The 95th served all over the world, from Germany to South America to Denmark. It was in Denmark that the 95th first served under Brigadier Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington.
August of 1808 saw the 95th dispatched to Portugal under Wellesley. The riflemen fired the opening shots of the Peninsular War against Napoleon in a skirmish at Óbidos on 15 August. Two days later, the 95th participated in the war’s first pitched battle at Roliça.
(militaryheritage.com)
The Baker Rifle’s Most Famous Shot
Rifleman Thomas Plunkett made the Baker Rifle’s most celebrated shot at the Battle of Cacabelos on 3 January 1809. The 95th formed part of the rear guard for Sir John Moore’s retreat to La Coruña, Spain. Hard pressed by French General Auguste François-Marie de Colbert-Chabanais, the rear guard defended a stone bridge over the Cua River with the 28th Foot, 52nd Foot, and six guns of the Royal Horse Artillery.
As the French rushed the bridge, Plunkett rushed onto the span, lay on his back, and rested his Baker on his crossed feet with the stock under his right arm. Plunkett aimed his rifle at General Colbert, leading the charge on a distinctive grey horse, and dropped him with one shot. Then, to prove it wasn’t a fluke, he killed the staff officer who rushed to the general’s aid. The French retreated in confusion. Plunkett then ran back to the British lines.
95th Regiment reenactors demonstrate rifle firing positions. The man on his back mimics Thomas Plunkett’s famous shot. (military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Rifle_Brigade)
Many sources cite the range of Plunkett’s shot as 600 yards. The best that historians and battlefield investigators can estimate is somewhere between 200 and 600 meters. A remarkable feat either way. Plunkett had served with the 95th since at least 1807. He continued throughout the Peninsula Campaign and later in the Hundred Days Campaign that ended at Waterloo in 1815.
A Distinguished History
The 95th Regiment served with distinction until Napoleon’s defeat. They also saw action in Canada and the 1814 Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. Their distinguished record ensured their survival when the British Army downsized in 1816. They were redesignated as the “Rifle Brigade” on 23 February of that year. Wellesley, the victor at Waterloo and now the Duke of Wellington, served as the unit’s Colonel-in-Chief from 1820 until his death in 1852. The Rifle Brigade is one of the British Army’s most celebrated regiments to this day.
The Rifle Brigade’s Roll of Fame in Winchester Cathedral. (geograph.org.uk)
The Baker Rifle Around the World
The 95th Regiment of Foot was the most famous unit to deploy the Baker, but the rifle also saw good use by the elite 60th Regiment of Foot and the King’s German Legion included sharpshooter platoons in each of its line battalions. The 10th Hussars used a cavalry variant of the Baker Rifle. The British also supplied Bakers to their Portuguese, Austrian, and Russian allies against Napoleon. American forces reportedly used captured Bakers in the War of 1812.
Riflemen from the elite 60th Regiment of Foot (left) and the 95th Regiment of Foot from the Napoleonic Era. (militaryheritage.com)
British forces deployed the Baker in Canada in the War of 1812 and Santa Anna’s Mexican army used them at the Alamo in 1836. Baker Rifles were even supplied to Nepal, some of which were released from storage in 2004, though they were so badly deteriorated that most could not be saved.
The British produced Baker Rifles until 1838 and issued them until 1841. The rifle’s official 42-year service life attests to its quality and effectiveness.
Shooting the Baker Rifle
As with other muzzleloaders, the Baker Rifle had a precise loading drill. It consisted of seven distinct steps that were learned by command. Loading on command is more appropriate for line units than skirmishers, but the Baker did serve in line regiments.
Historian Mike Loades fires a reproduction Baker Rifle. (History Hit YouTube Channel)
Once loading was complete, the rifleman responded to the commands “Company,” “Ready,” and “Present.” “Present” told the rifleman to bring the weapon to his shoulder, acquire his target, and fire as soon as he was ready. Rifles were more accurate than muskets, so aimed fire, instead of volley fire on command, was more effective. This drill only applied to the standing position.
The British Napoleonic Era Rifleman’s manual illustrates the prone firing position with the shako hat. (militaryheritage.com)
Firing Positions
Skirmishers’ and sharpshooters’ firing positions were more varied, so they operated as the situation demanded. There were at least five different “approved” firing positions for the British riflemen: standing, kneeling, sitting, prone, and lying on one’s back. This last position saw the rifleman use his ankle or foot, often crossed over the other, as a shooting rest. The riflemen often rested their weapons on their shako hats in the prone.
A Portuguese reenactor fires his Baker Rifle from the prone using his shako hat as a rest. (History Hit YouTube Channel)
Thanks to the greased patch, which necessarily fitted tight in the barrel, the Baker Rifle loaded slower than the musket. The standard Baker rate of fire was two aimed shots per minute, whereas the musket’s rate could be as high as four. Experienced riflemen could reportedly fire three rounds per minute under ideal conditions. The nature of skirmishing and sniping often led to a much slower fire rate since it often depended on stealth and targets of opportunity.
The greased patch engaged the Baker’s rifling. (History Hit YouTube Channel)
Riflemen were known to not use the patch in hot situations, preferring faster reloads to precise marksmanship. They used standard paper cartridges instead. This was probably more prevalent in the line units than the skirmishers or sharpshooters, but riflemen could use their normal projectiles without the patch in emergencies, though accuracy suffered considerably.
The Baker Rifle’s Legacy
The Baker Rifle was maybe the finest of its type for nearly forty years. Ezekiel Baker himself made 712 Baker Rifles. He subcontracted the other 22,000 or so to over 20 other gunsmiths and shops. The production process often had different contractors make different parts, with the final product assembled at the end.
The Baker’s concurrence with Manningham’s Experimental Rifle Corps combined to give the British Army not only a new weapon system, but the troops and doctrine to use it effectively. The British Army began experimenting with percussion caps in 1834, finally adopting percussion rifles and muskets in 1842. Percussion caps were far more efficient than flintlocks, and so better technology overtook the Baker.
Proper aiming technique in the British Army’s Napoleonic Era rifleman’s manual. (militaryheritage.com)
Still, the Baker Rifle is a classic military firearm that served the world over, nowhere more prominently than in the gargantuan wars against Napoleon. In the age of musketry, the Baker Rifle was a force on the small arms battlefield.
Few period Baker Rifles survive today. They saw hard service and the British made no real effort to preserve them. There are reproductions available but make sure you do your homework on the companies producing them. It looks like parts kits are perhaps the best route, assuming you have that kind of skill and the tools needed for the job. If you like that sort of thing, maybe pick one up and experience a little history.
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