Whether you call the Taurus 692 a multi-caliber revolver, a dual cylinder revolver, or just a neat trick, it’s an interesting innovation. Taurus has overcome the difficulty of producing a double action revolver with dual cylinders.
Single action revolvers use a base pin that makes lining up the cylinder fairly simple. Making .22 LR/.22 Magnum and .357/9mm single action revolvers isn’t a difficult engineering proposition. But the double action revolver with its swing out cylinder and crane is more difficult to work with.
In the Model 692, Taurus has designed a very workable dual cylinder DA/SA system. The test revolver is a three-inch barrel version with a matte blued finish. There are also stainless steel models available including a six inch barrel version.
The revolver tested is well-suited to personal defense, home defense, and field use for protection against dangerous animals.
The Taurus 692 is a double action revolver. There is also a single action option for more deliberate shots. The heavy double action trigger press is smoother than most at 16 pounds or so while the single action pull trips at a controllable 4.5 pounds.
The cylinder locks up tight with each chamber and the barrel to cylinder gap is tight as well. The finish is evenly applied.
Both the .38/.357 and 9mm cylinders are unfluted and both have seven-round capacity. Seven-shot revolvers aren’t an innovation but the 692 is lighter and narrower than most.
The three inch barrel features ports for directing powder gas upward, reducing muzzle flip. The ports are directed to the side and work well.
The 692 features fully adjustable rear sights and a ramp front sight with red insert.
The grips are Taurus’s familiar ribbed rubber design — they actually call it Ribber — and give a bit when the revolver is fired. The Ribber grip keeps the hand separated and cushioned from the steel frame and reduce felt recoil.
Each cylinder is marked for the caliber the chambers are bored for. The .357 Magnum cylinder accepts .38 Special and .357 Magnum ammunition. There are light loads, heavy loads, and shotshell available making the revolver a versatile combination.
The revolver will appeal to shooters with varied ideas concerning personal defense. A double action revolver in .38 Special is something of a baseline for home defense. This is a revolver that the occasional shooter will be able to handle reasonably well.
Those willing to master the recoil and muzzle blast of .357 Magnum will deploy a revolver with excellent wound ballistics. The .357 Magnum is a more than reasonable choice for defense against wild animals up to the largest feral dogs, some hogs, and small bears, with the proper loads.
Switch out to the 9mm cylinder and you’ll be able to use a cartridge that is, above all, economical.
Taurus supplies three seven-shot ‘moon clips’ with the 692. Snap the rimless 9mm in these clips and it’s simple enough to fire the revolver, eject the spent cases, and reload the revolver quickly. Unlike previous designs these lips are easy to load and unload.
The muzzle need not be pointed perfectly upward to eject the moon clips and loading is faster and smoother than using a revolver speedloader. In this regard the 9mm revolver is a baseline for personal defense.
I performed test firing with low recoil rounds as well as maximum effort loads that maximize the caliber. The revolver proved very docile with standard velocity .38 Special ammunition.
I drew the revolver, took aim and fired quickly, allowing the trigger to reset during recoil. The revolver handles quickly and offers excellent combat accuracy. The red insert sight, smooth trigger and Ribber grips are a good formula.
Among the heavy loads tested was Buffalo Bore 158 grain Outdoorsman. At over 1000 fps this .38 Special is a good choice for defense use in the wild.
I also tested SIG Sauer Elite 125 grain V Crown in .357 Magnum. This one is edging 1250 fps in the Taurus revolver’s three-inch barrel. Recoil is certainly there, but so is effect. The Taurus was never uncomfortable due the rubber grips separating the steel frame from the shooters hand.
After a cylinder change, 9mm Luger ammunition was tested. This combination proved a happy one. Among the loads tested was the Hornady 115 grain Critical Defense. At 1100 fps this is a reasonable choice for personal defense.
For the recoil shy and the occasional shooter, a 9mm revolver is a credible choice. As for absolute accuracy the Taurus was fired from a solid benchrest firing position.
Five-shot groups were fired with the SIG Sauer Elite .38 Special 125 grain V Crown and Fiocchi 158 grain XTP .357 Magnum. Each exhibited a five-shot group of less than two inches.
Ammunition performance, Load Velocity
.38 Special
Buffalo Bore 158 grain LSWCHP = 1040 fps
Buffalo Bore 158 grain SWC Outdoorsman = 1060 fps
.357 Magnum
Sig Sauer Elite 125 grain V Crown JHP = 1255 fps
Federal 180 grain JHP = 1050 fps
9mm Luger
SIG Sauer Elite 147 grain V Crown = 931 fps
Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FXT = 1103 fps
The Taurus 692 is nothing if not an interesting revolver. It’s well suited for personal defense in the home, forest or desert, and versatile enough to suit both seasoned and beginning shooters. Easily available at less than $500, it is well worth its price.
Specifications: Taurus Model 692 Revolver
Caliber: Two cylinders, .38 Special +P/.357 Mag and 9mm
Barrel: 3″ Ported
Capacity: 7 Rounds
Action: SA/DA
Grip: Rubber Taurus ‘Ribber’ grip
Sights: Fixed Front, Adjustable Rear
Overall Length: 8.14″
Width: 1.5″
Height: 5.66″
Weight: 35 oz
MSRP: $639.45 (about $485 retail)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Style and Appearance: * * * *
This is a businesslike revolver with a modern look. The unfluted cylinder is a nice addition.
Reliability: * * * * *
What can I say? It is a revolver that always goes bang.
Ergonomics: * * * * *
The 692 fits my hand well. The main reason it gets five starts is the Ribber grips which separate the metal frame from the hand, reducing pain from recoil, while not being overlarge.
Accuracy: * * * *
The revolver is reasonably accurate for a short barrel handgun with a short sight radius. For hunting get the one of the two 6.5-inch barrel versions.
Overall: * * * * 1/2
I like it the 692 much. It’s rated down just a bit for absolute accuracy, but for the intended purpose there is little to quibble with.
The only dual cylinder revolvers worth covering are .38/.357 and 9MM.
I dunno, I had no problems with my NAA mini-revolver with the .22lr and .22wmr cylinders…
Madcapp, this is a review on a revolver “worth covering” according to your standard. Did you happen to notice that?
I agree with Geoff however. .22lr/22wmr revolvers are certainly worth owning. A NAA mini master for example, is an excellent woods gun, weighing a fraction of what any comparable sa relvolver does.
Taurus does also sell a da/sa revolver with that combination. (9 shot if I remember correctly.) this gun is built on that tech.
Yawn, my Chiappa 50 DS has both 38/357 and 9mm cylinders for a couple years
And it’s almost twice the price…
but they are a fun gun to shoot, even with full .357 loads I can shoot mine without too much fatigue. Accurate to boot. I do aim to get a 5 or 6 inch version one day but my 200DS (2″ snubby) is a delight. I also hope to get a Mateba one day. Expensive but whatever floats yer boat, right?
Chiapas are the ugliest guns built today. Right up there with hi-points.
I call them ‘uglier than home made sin’, but damn, they shoot nice! I can deal with ugly, and I love the Chiappa’s……..
place a finger forward on the gun as you fire an the blast will blow the flesh off your finger, with that hammer hitting at the low position, as it does.
Good idea!
Is their QC better? Could be worth a look
I believe ruger offers a similar model. Never had a problem with either brand, and still own many of each. Ruger tends to have very nice revolers with a better resale and customer service dept. History.
The Taurus Model 692: The gun for people who have given up on their hopes and dreams!
Truck/glovebox/tacklebox/boat gun.
It’s definitely a beater but fun as hell. The only recoil mitigating grip options for tracker models are the ribber(factory) and hogue. I wish pachmayr would reissue their tracker grips because they were THE BEST at absorbing 357 recoil. C’mon lyman. Did the mold break? why’d you stop making these?
I always liked the idea of interchangeable cylinders/calibers although, I’ve only owned one. A Colt SAA New Frontier .22 LR/.22 Mag. If I were going to buy one today it would be a nice used Ruger Blackhawk. Just don’t care for Taurus. Sorry.
Gadsden Flag,
I am curious to hear what you do not like about Taurus firearms.
I have heard many people claim that their quality levels were lackluster something like 20 years ago. I have had the pleasure or purchasing or using several Taurus handguns manufactured in the last 9 years and all of them have been fantastic, including revolvers and semi-automatic pistols.
My dad purchased a Taurus Raging Bull double-action revolver in .44 Magnum with an 8-inch ported barrel. It is a pleasure to shoot and the trigger is outstanding, both in double-action and single-action.
If you have not tried them in the last 5 to 10 years, check them out: I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Had a 357 that would lock up after a few cylinders. Sent it to Taurus. Got it back, and the front sight was at 1 o’clock instead of 12.
I can forgive the cylinder gap issue on a production gun. It happens. However, I can not forgive Taurus for unscrewing the barrel and indexing it at 1 o’clock as a solution.
It’s not cheap sending it in for repair either. Ended paying a local Smith to fix it. He asked me what I was going to do with it. I said, “Hang it up at 25yds and do AK and AR mag dumps into it. Then send it to Taurus. Instead, I traded it (Plus cash) to him for a Smith Wesson. No way I could have slept if I sold that piece of trash to someone else.
F Taurus. Never again. F Taurus.
Then why are you even on this site?
Go to a Colt, Smith, or Chiappa site and praise their glory.
Taurus? Nope, never again! Their revolvers may be decent, but their support sucks!
Gentlemen
Shared your concerns about Taurus. This revolver- like all Trackers I have tested recently- is a nice looking and well made revolver. Very pleasant surprise.
VC, I understand what you’re saying. When it comes to DA revolvers I prefer earlier S&W, except the Bangor Puma production models. Another exception is my Python. What can I say. Nothing against Taurus. It’s like Chevy vs. Ford. Nothing wrong with either. Just personal preference. Besides I hate porting.
I currently have 2 Trackers, the M627(.38S/.357M) 4″, and the 425(.41M) 4″…both have performed as expected…
Wanted the 6.5 inch for hunting but passed. Unfortunately my dad passed on his big bore Single Action, due to his own health issues. Took it out Thanksgiving and maybe again for late doe hunting.
I’m batting 50/50 with Taurus products and about 10/90 with their customer service, so I’m a wee bit hesitant to embrace another one.
That said, this revolver looks promising. I like the versatility, and have no doubt about its ability to handle hot-loaded rounds. I run some pretty stout Buffalo Bore and Underwood rounds through my 85 without a hiccup. Price is very nice, too.
Finally Taurus makes a 3″ revolver I’d buy. It’s getting love on YouTube too. As is the new 22 and G3…had a steel 85 years ago. Beautiful bluing. Their finishes suck in comparison now.
The 2012 ammo shortage lasted 2 years after the Sandy Hook massacre. Around that time I was just getting into guns. And the one thing I have learned since then is find a multi caliber gun if possible. Because another ammo shortage will happen again.
The Taurus Judge revolver with caliber adapters fits this bill. I have one and I like it a lot!
The rossi curcit judge is the carbine version. It can take the same caliber adapters.
Thanks for the review! I will definitely check the model 692 out.
Gotta roll your own, especially easy to cast and load suitable low speed wheel gun loads. Rimfire is doable, but impractical and spotty at best.
Ya. You are correct. I’m looking into taking a class from a reloader at a local gun store.
On my x-mas list…
Why no fluting on the cylinder?
A design element, or is the cylinder smaller in diameter and needs stouter outer walls (article mentions that it’s a narrower than usual 7 shot).
Thanks
It may have to do with being a 7-round revolver in a compact size, chamber thickness may have been an issue.
Then again, no fluting cuts the cost of manufacturing down a bit.
Looking at the third and fifth photos, there’s not much ‘meat’ between the cylinder chambers.
I’ll go with prudence, and the less time on the CNC gives them a break on the final cost. That’s a compact cylinder to have with magnum chamber pressures…
But here’s the rub, other than being a 3″ barrel, it’s not a “compact”, the frame is the same as other Trackers…
16 lb. seems like a pretty heavy DA trigger for a .38, even if it’s smooth. I’ve never tested mine, but I’m pretty sure both my Ruger LCR and S&W 681 are much lighter than that.
Ah, yeah, here somebody tests their LCR and it’s 12-13 lb.:
https://rugerforum.net/ruger-double-action/91210-lcr-trigger-pull-weight-comparison.html
The LCR .22 is up there at 16, but that’s supposed to be typical for DA rimfire revolvers. I have a Taurus .22 WMR revolver and I’ve always found the weight heavier than I like — I assume it’s about 16 lb., too.
16 seem awfully high to me, my 2 Trackers, and my 605 Poly all have 8-9 dbl, and about 4-4.5 single…
Cool now I can shootzen somebody and ,”Nuh uh, he was shot with a .38 my gunms a .357.”
But that Glock .22lr though!
Hey Virgil, how far away were those 2″ groups? Enjoyed the article!
15 yards, two inches on average standing barricade
A couple of years ago I was at the range and a guy had a brand new taurus revolver and after a handful of shots the cylinder would not advance. I forgot whether or not it would eject the cylinder or not. That kind of soured me on taurus. Maybe it was a one off, but after that I considered them a lower revolver.
Junior,
Pretty much every firearm manufacturer puts out a few lemons these days. About 8 years ago I was looking to purchase a popular and solid brand of revolver at a Cabelas store. The clerk noticed something seriously wrong with the cylinder and pulled out another of the same model. It had the same defect. He graciously and quietly put them aside and said they would be going back to the manufacturer. (And kudos to that clerk for doing the right thing and keeping me as a customer even though they lost that particular sale that day.)
2 Inch groups at WHAT DISTANCE? Seven feet, 25 Yards, ?
Awesome! Too bad it’s a Taurus. Hope that you never have to send it in for their “Lifetime Warranty”. Save a few bills, and buy a good gun.
Zzzz…
I’m not gonna lie; I kinda want one, and for roughly $500, that’s not a bad deal. Loaded with some 38s, it’d make a great camp gun.
Comparing it to my Smith & Wesson Governor, I’ll stick with the S&W Governor.
They’re about the same size (Governor is 8.5″ long compared to 8.14″ for the Taurus), but the Governor is lighter weight (29.6 oz compared to 35 oz for the Taurus), and fires bigger bullets (.45 Colt, .45 ACP, and .410 shotgun), and bigger bullets are essential because I live in a state (New Jersey) that doesn’t allow hollow-point ammo. Most important, Smith & Wesson is a thousand times more reliable than Taurus/Rossi and has a billion times better customer service than Taurus/Rossi!
Taurus/Rossi has the worst customer service of any company on Earth.
The only Taurus/Rossi I ever bought, a “Rossi Circuit Judge Rimfire” revolver-rifle, was such a dangerously defective piece of crap that I could write a book about all the defects it had! It was worse quality than a toy plastic cap gun made in China that you’d buy in a dollar store for 99 cents. This Taurus/Rossi was a revolver-rifle, and 50% of the time it would lock up or jam, it had about a 30-pound trigger pull, the sights were loose and off-center, and every time it did manage to fire I was rewarded with a face-full of hot gasses and lead shavings each time. Rossi absolutely refused to honor their warranty, refused to repair or replace the dangerously defective piece of shit they manufactured, so my LGS took pity on me and let me return it to the store for a full refund, so my LGS ate the loss themselves. As far as I know, Taurus and Rossi are the same company, but if I’m wrong, let me know.
I have owned 3 inch stainless 692 for over 6 months now with well over 2000 rounds through it……. mostly 9mm but several hundred 357 and about the same for 38. I purchased this as a poor man’s smith 986. Now let me say for a person with well over 30 years of experience with gunsmithing and custom reloading it is what it is. I have given mine a trigger job and new springs when first purchased but is nothing I would not do to any other firearm no matter what the cost. I will list what I have found out with mine. The 357 cylinder has a couple of chambers with slight swells in them, that being said they do not create a problem with extraction or accuracy just annoying to someone that likes his brass. Second the transfer bar only rides up to about half way up the firing pin which after a couple thousand rounds is starting to get a slight bur that every once in a while effects trigger pull. Easy to clean up just shouldn’t have to if the transfer bar rode up another .20.
The accuracy with 357 or 38 special is great. Mine will dump 7 rounds of either at 15 yards double action into 1 ragged hole. 9mm the groups open up to about 1.5 inches but it is no problem to do double tap drills out to 25 yards and keep them in the vitals and head of a full size target. For those of you ragging on taurus I have a 625 jm that shoots amazing but came from the factory with buggered up screws and a constriction where the barrel is crush fit to the frame. And a 629 classic with cylinders reamed to small to even think about cast bullets without serious leading problems. Both of those guns were twice as much as the taurus. If you are buying to shoot if it has good bones go for it, if you are buying with possible resale or trade in mind get a ruger, smith or colt. That’s my two cents worth on less expensive firearms.
“The Taurus 692 is a double action revolver. There is also a single action”
What are you talking about? It’s double/single.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OeKOFMvtsQ
Anyways. Just confusing paragraph. lol
“The Taurus 692 is a double action revolver. There is also a single action option for more deliberate shots. The heavy double action trigger press is smoother than most at 16 pounds or so while the single action pull trips at a controllable 4.5 pounds.”
I must admit all tge Taurus bashing I see on the web is really sarting to get to me. Taurus builds good guns at a good price. I worked in the industry for 13 years managing a shop so I have alot of experience with most the manufacturers. Taurus like alot of mabufacturers had issues in their early days. So the mistakes they made then have been repeatedly regurgitated. Their quality control is not H&K but its not Bryco either. If you walk in to buy a Ford Mustang and expect the quality of a Toyota Supra. You are not goung to get it. It is not reality. But if you want a reliable weapon that functions within the parameters it was designed for Taurus is tgere with most of them. I really like what Taurus has done as of late and am rooting for them all the way.
Man, I’m sick of gun snobs! I have no high end guns. Only middle of the road priced firearms. That being said, I’m ALSO a tightwad with my money. But if a firearm works and comes in at a lower price point, then I’m all ears. (no high points as of yet but not opposed either). Can I afford the high priced firearms? Certainly. Will those snob guns make me shoot better? Doubt it. I’d rather put my money on shooting guns rather than bragging rights. But, no. I don’t own a Taurus. YET.
I really like my 692. The only draw back I see are those stellar clips, which as you know, are to facilitate ejecting the 9mm cases. Loading the clips require significant pressure and unloading spend cases from the clips also require some pressure. I find the entire process cumbersome and question how long these clips are going to last until the metal fatigues. I will just eject the 9mm by hand.
I own several Taurus guns and really dont understand the complaints with the guns or customer service.My model 85 had a small issue with the cylinder. Sent it back got a call asking if I would prefer the new hammer without the spur.I said yes ,my original had wood grips the new one rubber. They put the wood ones in the box. No issues with their customer service at all!!!
I have Colts, Rugers, S&W, & Sigs, I also have 4 Taurus revolvers. The last two I bought together, this 692, 3 inch and 992 6.5 inch, all stainless. I like them as much as my costly ones. They all have been trouble free, good shooters. My 441 I’ve had since 93. I really like this 692, I seem to like 357 rds. it handles them well.
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Michael –
I purchased my 692 based mostly on your review. Have not used it a lot. It’s a backup. However, curious if you have come across any after market parts (except springs – those are easy) such as an extended firing pin. Heck, even holsters are near impossible to find. Thank you.
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