Taurus 82
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.03 kg
- Introduced
- 1978
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Taurus 82 is a medium-frame, six-shot, double-action/single-action revolver chambered exclusively in .38 Special and rated for .38 Special +P ammunition. Known as the 'Security' model, it has been a mainstay of the Taurus revolver lineup since the late 1970s, serving as a reliable and affordable service-size revolver for law enforcement and civilian defense. The standard configuration features a 4-inch barrel with a weighing 36.5 ounces (1035g) and an overall length of 9.25 inches (235mm). The all-steel construction provides a solid, recoil-absorbing platform well-suited for the .38 Special cartridge. Fixed front and rear sights are milled into the frame for fast target acquisition and extreme durability. The soft rubber grip with finger grooves provides a secure hold during rapid double-action shooting. Safety features include the transfer bar mechanism and the Taurus Security System (TSS) integral key-lock. With 130-grain .38 Special loads from the 4-inch barrel, muzzle velocity is approximately 850 fps (259 m/s), producing around 272 joules of muzzle energy. The five-groove rifling with a 1:16-inch twist rate is optimized for standard .38 Special bullet weights from 110 to 158 grains. Available in matte blued and stainless steel finishes.
Taurus's revolver manufacturing expertise traces back to their acquisition of the Smith & Wesson factory in Brazil, giving them access to decades of refined revolver-building knowledge that continues to influence their designs today.
The Taurus 82 is the .38 Special-only counterpart to the Taurus 65, which is chambered in .357 Magnum. By limiting the chambering to .38 Special, the Model 82 avoids the need for the heavier construction required to handle .357 Magnum pressures, though in practice both revolvers share essentially the same medium frame. The 82 competes with the Smith & Wesson Model 10 and the Ruger Service Six, offering comparable reliability at a lower price point. It has seen widespread service with Brazilian state military police forces and other Latin American law enforcement agencies as a standard-issue duty sidearm. The fixed sights are milled directly into the frame, making them virtually indestructible under normal duty conditions. The 82's simplicity and durability have made it a popular choice for security guards and private security companies throughout South America. The 3-dot sight system on newer production models improves sight acquisition in low-light conditions compared to the original fixed-notch rear sight.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Taurus
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- Brazil
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1978
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Overall length
- 235 mm
- Height
- 139 mm
- Width
- 38 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.03 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 1.11 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Double action
- Firing mechanism
- Double action single action
- Trigger
- Double action
- Trigger pull
- 20.0 N
- Capacity
- 6
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Matte blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 259 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 272 J
- Effective range
- 45 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Medium frame
Six shot cylinder
Fixed sights
Rubber grips
Spurred hammer
38 special plus p rated
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 25 .38 Special pistols | 1.03 kg | 595 g | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,911 pistols | 235 mm | 196 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 .38 Special pistols | 102 mm | 51 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 26 .38 Special pistols | 6 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Taurus 82
How much does the Taurus 82 weigh?
The Taurus 82 weighs 1.03 kg (2.28 lb) empty and 1.11 kg (2.44 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Taurus 82?
The Taurus 82 is chambered in .38 Special.
How many rounds does the Taurus 82 hold?
The Taurus 82 holds 6 rounds.
How long is the Taurus 82?
The Taurus 82 is 235 mm (9.25 in) long overall, with a 102 mm (4.02 in) barrel.
Who makes the Taurus 82?
The Taurus 82 is made by Taurus (Brazil).
When was the Taurus 82 introduced?
The Taurus 82 was introduced in 1978.
How does the Taurus 82 operate?
The Taurus 82 uses a double action, and its firing mechanism is double action single action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian Home Defense
- United States
- Brazilian Military Police (Various States)
- Brazil
Provenance
Confidence in this record
88%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/taurus-82' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "taurus-82", "name": "Taurus 82", "manufacturer": { "id": "taurus", "name": "Taurus", "countryCode": "BR", "foundedYear": 1939, "website": "https://www.taurususa.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "71240218613bda05e45296e8997918c10d23b1d7627e46a424bd7e516e0fdffb" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "BR", "year_introduced": 1978, "barrel_length_mm": 102, "weight_empty_g": 1035, "action_type": "double_action"}