In recent years, several firearm companies have chosen to relocate to the friendly political climate found in the South; one of them is Taurus USA. In 2019, Taurus made the corporate decision to leave the Miami area and consolidate all production and assembly under one roof in Bainbridge, Georgia. The result is a modern 200,000 square foot facility that gave the Taurus leadership an opportunity to improve and expand their line of products. I have had the opportunity to visit the Taurus plant twice. Each time, I came away impressed with the company’s commitment and increasing quality, which has been bolstered by my time with the recently reintroduced Taurus 650 revolver.
The Return of the Taurus 650
The family of Taurus small-frame revolvers is very impressive. Models are offered in a variety of calibers that include .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, 9mm, and even .380 ACP! Until recently, this current line was only available with a traditional external hammer, with or without a hammer spur. For reasons unknown to me, the enclosed hammer Model 650 was dropped from the line a while back. Now, the 650 is back, and it's pretty impressive.
The Taurus 650 is an all stainless steel, small-frame revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. It features the aforementioned enclosed hammer, making it a double action only revolver. The sights are a traditional square notch rear channel with a pinned, plain black, front sight blade.
The stainless steel has been bead blasted to a matte gray. Instead of an ejection rod lock, Taurus uses crane detent lock. This provides a superior lock-up and enhances durability. The trigger is nicely contoured and the little revolver is void of any offending sharp edges. The DAO trigger pull, while extremely heavy, is smooth without any grit.
The Taurus 650 is available in both a 2- and a 3-inch barrel. The stocks are the factory rubber design with checkering on the side panels, a low profile finger groove, and a heavily serrated backstrap. The frame is a round butt design that is approximately the same size and contour of a Smith & Wesson J-frame. However, the location of the index pins on the Taurus prevent the use, without modifications, of J-frame grips.
Taurus 650 Revolver: Range Time
We hit the range with three personal defense loads that I had on hand. The Federal Punch, High Desert, and the Hornady Critical Defense were all .38 Special loads. In the past, I have done gel tests with each of these loads and, depending on the circumstances, would feel comfortable with any of the three. Groups for each of these rounds, when shot from 10 yards, stayed within 2 inches or so as long as I did my part.
I was pleased that the Hornady Critical Defense 110 grain load shot close to the sights. My 10 yard group, fired on a B-10 bullseye target, resulted in four of the five shots being in the 1’ X ring. I had one flyer, out in the 8 ring, that was entirely shooter induced. Despite the heavy double action trigger, the 650 performed surprisingly well.
I also shot a HiTS Super Snubby drill that is fired from the 3, 5, and 8 yard lines, with tight par times. I used High Desert Cartridge’s 148 grain plated wadcutter for the exercise. This requires multiple shots to be fired, with challenging par times, from 3, 5, and 10 yards. A B-8 repair center bullseye target is used. The most challenging stage is at the 3 yard line, where the shooter is required to fire 5 shots, strong hand only, in a par time of 3 seconds. From the 10 yard line, the black front sight was difficult to index against the B-8 target. I still managed a score a 130/150 or 86%.
Since the 650 is chambered in .357 Magnum, I felt compelled to chronograph Hornady’s Critical Defense .357 Magnum. This load is a 125 gr. FTX projectile and averaged a blistering 1,332 fps. and is certainly not for the faint of heart. Even with an unloaded weight of 23 ounces, the recoil of the 650 was brutal!
Taurus 650 Range Results
| Ammo Brand | Load | Average | Extreme Spread | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Punch | 120 gr. +P JHP | 912 fps | 37.0 | 12.6 |
| High Desert Cartridge | 148 gr. Wadcutter | 745.7 | 35.8 | 11.8 |
| Hornady Critical Defense | 110 gr. FTX | 1,234.5 | 35.6 | 14.6 |
| Hornady Critical Defense | .357 Magnum 125 gr. FTX | 1,332.9 | 42.8 | 19.2 |
From an ergonomics perspective, the 650 does very well. The thumb piece/cylinder release designed to reduce the chance of it biting the thumb and, as previously stated, all of the edges are radiused. The shrouded ejection rod is a nice feature that, while being attractive, also helps to anchor the revolver in a holster.
I was concerned about the design of the stocks, specifically the aggressive horizontal serrations on the backstrap. I found that with the mild .38 loads these were not an issue. However, they were downright painful when shooting magnum loads.
As with most small frame, fixed sight revolvers, the sights were somewhat of a challenge. Fortunately, XS Sights offers a front sight replacement for the 650. The XS is predrilled and simply pins in place and is available with either a brass bead or a Tritium night sight with a “Glow Dot” ring in either green or orange.
The Taurus Difference
The 650 is a solid little pistol that did not fail to deliver. If I owned a 650, I would replace the front sight with the XS unit and source an aftermarket spring kit to reduce the trigger weight. The really great news is, the 650 retails for $502.99 street price, closer to $400.00 or less. It is certainly worth a serious look.
| Taurus 650 Full Specs | ||
| Caliber: | .357 Magnum/.38 Special | |
| Length: | 7.66 inches | |
| Height: | 4.59 inches | |
| Weight: | 22.93 ounces | |
| Barrel: | 2 or 3 inches | |
| Operating System: | Double Action Only | |
| Rear Sight: | Black Square Notch | |
| Front Sight: | Black Ramp Pinned | |
| Capacity: | 5 rounds | |
| Grips: | Rubber | |
| MSRP: | $502 | |
The Bottom Line
The H&B Bottom is a rating system based on seven criteria. Each category is work five points, or ampersands, for a maximum score of 35.
Ergonomics and Handling: &&&
The ergonomics of the 650 were good with proper stocks and no sharp edges.
Recoil: &&&&
The recoil of the Taurus 650, when shot with .38 Special loads, was very controllable due, in part, to the revolver's weight and the stocks.
Action and Reloading: &&&
The action was extremely heavy. The stocks allowed full extraction of empty cases and full access for reloads.
Sights: &&&
The factory sights on the 650 are adequate and having a user-replaceable front sight is a good feature.
Intended Purpose: &&&
For an everyday concealed carry pistol, the 650 is heavy for picket carry, but when used with an appropriate holster, proves acceptable.
Overall Versatility: &&&
Being chambered in .357 Magnum allows the 650 to take advantage of multiple rounds in both .357 and .38 Special.
Value-Price Point: &&&&
While MSRP on the Taurus 650 is $502, a street price of $399 makes this a viable and affordable option.
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