I’ve recently read several articles regarding what’s called “the snubby lifestyle.” In recent times, as more folks have become concerned about rising violence in the United States, there have been two notable personal-protection trends. On the one hand, there are those students of the gun who are adopting a more tactical approach. This includes packing a full-size pistol, often outfitted with a weapon-mounted flashlight and other upgrades, along with three additional magazines. The philosophy behind this set up is to be prepared to engage a range of urban threats from the lone assailant to civil unrest.
But others are taking a more minimalist approach, including seasoned law-enforcement personnel. Their daily carry set often consists of a small-frame, snubnose revolver in a pocket holster, a sharp folding knife and a pocket flashlight. Their self-defense planning focus more on conscientiously steering clear of areas where violence might occur. While carrying smaller guns, which are generally reliable and simple to operate, avoidance is their top priority. I mention this snub-gun approach here, because it has likely played a role in Taurus relaunching a series of carry revolvers that were discontinued in 2017 and reintroduced near the end of 2024.
The Taurus 650 series, originally dubbed the CIA 650, is a variation of this company’s five-shot Model 605 subcompact chambered in .357 Mag. The primary difference between these offerings is the hammer configuration. The 605s have an exposed hammer with a checkered spur. The spur can be thumbed back to cock the revolver for single-action fire. This, in turn, shortens the trigger’s arc of travel and reduces the weight of the trigger pull.
However, for some methods of carry, the hammer spur may get caught on an article of clothing, hindering the draw from concealment. The Model 650 is a “hammerless” design, which is a bit of a misnomer. It still has a hammer but it’s fully encased, or shrouded, by the revolver’s frame. This gives the gun a sleek, no-snag profile that ensures a clean draw from a pocket. The trade-off is a double-action-only (DAO) trigger, which has a long, heavy trigger pull for every shot fired.
The new 650s are nearly the same as the old ones. Featuring an all-steel construction, customers can choose models made from either a carbon-steel alloy with a matte-black finish or an all-stainless construction with a matte finish. Barrels are either 2″ or 3″ in length, and the revolvers ship with compact black rubber grips. This evaluation takes a closer look at the 2″ barreled, stainless-steel version.
The barrel is topped with a pinned and serrated ramp front sight. The top of the receiver is milled with a trough, or groove, along its top, which ends at the square notch that serves as the rear sight. The barrel’s underlug has a hollow that shrouds the knurled ejector rod. Located on the left side of the frame, the checkered cylinder release is pressed forward towards the muzzle in order for the cylinder to swing out to the left side of the frame. The textured rubber grip is contoured for comfort and to be compatible with speedloaders like the milled aluminum 5 Star Firearms model J1-357/38 ($23.45) shown in some of the photos. These loaders are lightweight, durable and reliable, so I keep coming back to them when reviewing a revolver like this one. They are available in a variety of anodized colors.
One of the reasons DAO revolvers continue to be popular for pocket carry is their simplicity of operation. No fuss, no muss. Just draw, aim and fire. But one of the trade-offs for this simplicity is the long, heavy trigger pull. The 650 sent for this evaluation almost surpassed a digital trigger gauge’s maximum reading of 12 lbs., with its trigger pull measuring in at 11 lbs. 12-oz. For pistol fans accustomed to the typical 5-lb., 8-oz. striker-fired semi automatic trigger pull, it’s going to feel heavy indeed! But in this case, the 650’s trigger was smooth and consistent. While these little guns are potent, portable and reliable, trigger discipline and regular practice is a part of the package if you choose to carry one.
In addition to its sleek profile and simple operation, the 650 provides a useful range of ammunition flexibility. Tipping the scales at 22.5 ozs., unloaded, it’s a bit on the heavy side for this revolver class. However, it can safely chamber and fire a full range of .38 Special, .38 Special +P and .357 Mag. as hot as the revolver’s owner may choose to touch off from a 2″ barrel compact revolver. This ammunition flexibility is particularly handy if the 650 is going to serve as a trail-to-town gun. Where I live, this would be an ideal option carried concealed with a chamber or two loaded with snake shot and the remaining rounds consisting of quality .357 Mag. deep penetration loads for dangerous game. When it’s time to return to civilization, the ammo can be swapped out for more manageable .38 Spec. +P rounds topped with expanding bullets for threats of the two-legged variety.
At the shooting range, the 650 proved to be as utterly reliable and easy to use as I hoped it would be. It fed, fired and ejected all of the ammunition tested without any issues. There wasn’t even any sticky brass. All of the spent cartridge cases kindly vacated the chambers with only modest degrees of pressure applied to the ejector rod.
The most common ammunition related questions for guns like this one are closely related. Just how much recoil does .357 Mag. generate? Should folks even bother to use .357 with a 2″ barrel? Why not just stick with .38 Special +P? To address these questions, the formal, bench-rested performance testing was conducted using three loads with (nearly) the same bullet weights. A Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph was used to capture bullet muzzle velocities for 10-shot strings.
The practice-grade .38 Special category was covered by Federal’s American Eagle 130-grain full-metal jacket round with a listed muzzle velocity of 810 f.p.s. Defensive-grade .38 Special +P was represented by SIG Sauer’s Elite Performance V-Crown 125-grain jacketed hollow point listed at 965 f.p.s. The .357 Mag. cartridge was Hornady’s Critical Defense 125-grain FTX listed at 1,500 f.p.s. Here are the results:
The accuracy at 7 yards was adequate, but nothing to write home about. I would say that, in my hands, this is a 7- to 10-yard defensive option. The 2″ barrel resulted in slower bullet velocities across the board. That being said, the differences in bullet energy between loads is pronounced. The .38 Special levels of felt recoil were at the softer end of the moderate range, by snub gun standards. It would be ideal for practice sessions or casual plinking. The increase in recoil with the .38 Spec. +P was noticeable but not uncomfortable. It was still in the moderate range and would be workable for training.
But the game changes measurably when firing full-power .357 Mag. I’m going to draw on my Southwestern roots here and describe the recoil as ornery, or better yet, cantankerous! It’s just not much fun to shoot through a gun like this for an extended period of time. I think most folks will fire about three to five rounds and call it a day, preferring to switch back to the more tame .38 Special or +P rounds. Nevertheless, it’s good to know the performance potential is there, if needed.
Although snub-nose magnum revolvers may not be for everyone, it’s good to see the return of the Taurus 650 hammerless revolver series. For those who are looking for simplicity and ammunition flexibility in a pocketable package, this DAO revolver will do the trick. And thanks to an external footprint similar to that of the Taurus 605 and Smith & Wesson J-Frames, there are plenty of belt and pocket holsters to choose from. For more information, visit taurususa.com.
Taurus 650 Specifications
Importer: Taurus USA
Manufacturer: Taurus Armas, Brazil
Action: double-action only (DOA) revolver
Chambering: .357 Mag./.38 Spec. +P
Barrel: 2″ stainless steel; six-groove rifling; 1:16.5″ RH twist
Grip Frame: textured black rubber
Finish: matte stainless steel
Sights: pinned serrated front ramp; fixed square-notch rear
Capacity: 5-rounds
Overall Length: 7.66″
Height: 4.59″
Width: 1.36″ Cylinder
Weight: 22.5 ozs. unloaded
Accessories: cable lock, owner’s manual
MSRP: $470
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