Taurus used the 2024 NRA Meeting as a springboard to launch its new 692 Executive Grade. Featuring a hand-tuned trigger, a ported barrel, and .357 Magnum and 9mm cylinders, the versatile 7-shot, multi-caliber revolver offers shooters custom refinements for a production gun price.
The Taurus 692 Executive
The 692 was originally introduced in 2018 and was offered with 3- and 6.5-inch barrels. Likewise, it was also available in matte stainless steel or black finishes.
Lots of folks saw the practicality of a gun that could fire .357 Magnum, .38 Special, and 9mm rounds. We all witnessed the ammo shortages during the pandemic and the summer riots of 2020. So, the one-gun, three-caliber handgun just made sense.
Its popularity convinced the decision-makers at Taurus to offer the 692 Executive Grade. Taurus builds the gun in an exclusive, dedicated manufacturing cell with its best craftsmen performing hand-fitting and polishing not afforded to the standard 692 model.
Triggers are tuned for pull weight, smoothness, and reset. Two cylinders are fit to the 692’s frame so that it can be switched out in seconds. Additionally, the barrel features porting for recoil control.
Taurus technicians give the 692 a flawless, satin stainless steel finish and fit the gun with a set of beautiful Altamont walnut grips. Completing the package is the 692 Executive Grade’s polymer hard case, which is TSA-approved and has foam lining.
Gimmick or Real Deal?
Some may view the multi caliber capability of the 692 Executive Grade as a gimmick. However, after spending about six hours and 400 rounds with it I can tell you this is a serious gun. Its accuracy is amazing, and its trigger is exactly what you’d expect in a custom revolver.
Let’s take a closer look at the Taurus 692 Executive Grade.
A Strong, Sleek, and Satin Revolver
There’s nothing delicate about the 692 Executive Grade. The entire gun is machined from stainless-steel. The 3-inch barrel is a one-piece design that has an integral underlug/ejector rod housing on its bottom and an integral top rib. This isn’t a shroud with a sleeved internal barrel but one chunk of bored out and rifled stainless-steel.
On either side of the front sight base are trapezoidal reliefs featuring four ports on each side to help negate muzzle flip. Taurus does a beautiful job of contouring the muzzle and also uses a recessed crown.
All of the sharp edges have been beveled and the lines of the gun seem to flow giving it a sleek appearance. You won’t find a single machine mark or tool chatter on the 692 as it has been expertly polished and given a uniform bead-blast, satin stainless-steel finish.
Two cylinders come with the 692 Executive Grade—one in .357 Magnum and the other in 9mm. Each cylinder has the caliber and gun’s serial number neatly laser engraved on it.
To switch cylinders, the user pushes the thumb piece forward (most revolver companies call this part the cylinder release, and you’ll see why Taurus doesn’t in just a second). With the cylinder swung out to the left in its most open position the user then presses the circular cylinder release button on the right side of the frame.
The cylinder and crane assembly can now be pulled forward out of the frame. Then, insert the other cylinder assembly, making sure the cylinder release button on the right is depressed during the installation.
The 692 engineering is phenomenal, and the process does not require the use of any sort of cylinder gap gauge. The entire change process takes less than 30 seconds.
The 692 Executive Grade Lock-Up
Another thing that impresses me about the 692 Executive Grade is its lock-up. After cocking the hammer back on my T&E sample, the cylinder locks up tight with nearly zero play.
Unlike S&W revolvers, the gun does not lock up at the front of the ejector rod. But it does use a spring-loaded detent at the top of the crane. It also locks up at the rear of the ejector rod assembly and, of course, the bolt lock.
By the way, both of the included cylinders are unfluted, and this adds to the 692’s brutish, no-nonsense appearance. Far from being a lightweight, the 692 Executive Grade weighs a full 30 ounces, unloaded.
Getting Triggered
Taurus smiths spend a lot of time on the gun’s trigger pull. My test sample’s double-action trigger pull averaged 7 pounds 14 ounces, smooth and without stacking. Its reset is strong and makes it unlikely a shooter will ever short-stroke the trigger. Single-action pull on the 692 registered at 4 pounds with just a hint of creep.
I also like the sights Taurus chose for the 692 Executive Grade. Its rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation and is pinned into a recess machined into the frame’s top strap. When I made adjustments, I could feel each click, and that made consistent, reliable adjustments possible.
The front sight features a brass rod that appears as a gold dot at the top of the Patridge-style front sight. It’s a good sight and undoubtedly more durable than fiber optic sights. The brass bead certainly helped me find the front sight when presenting from the ready position. Both sights combine to make a very precise sight picture.
To test the gun for accuracy, I rummaged through my ammo locker and tried to find a variety of different bullet weights in .357 Magnum, .38 Special, and 9mm. I wanted to see if the 1:10” RH twist barrel had a preference for bullet weights.
Because the gun has a short sight radius with its 3-inch barrel, I shot all of my groups at 15 yards. All groups were fired from a seated rest using a DOA Tactical portable shooting bench for support. I also used my newly acquired Ransom Rest Multi Cal Steady Rest and rested the 692’s underlug on it while adding pressure to the trigger to break the shot.
Running .357 Magnum with the 692 Executive
I arrived at my secluded desert shooting spot before sunrise and set up my gear. By the time I set up my shooting bench, chronograph, and target stand, I had enough light to shoot. I started with the .357 Magnum loads as I wanted to shoot the hotter stuff while still fresh and unfatigued.
I started off with Blazer 158-grain JHPs to get the gun sighted. My first group was low and left of center but on paper. My second group was slightly left of center, and my third was dead on. After this, I never touched the sights again.
Black Hills’ 125-grain JHPs not only produced the best 5-shot group, measuring .98”, but also the most energy of any of the loads tried, producing 489-foot pounds of energy. The amazing thing to me was that this was a very comfortable load to fire through the 692. I attribute this to the gun’s porting and well-designed grips.
Performance chart below.
Wheeling Out .38 Special
After firing the .357 Magnum loads, I switched to the .38 Special ammunition. These rounds felt almost like a .22 in comparison. Two of the loads were target wadcutters, and even the Colt National Match 125-grain FMJ-FP bullets were a breeze to shoot. This allowed me to concentrate on sight alignment and trigger press.
The use of the 692 Executive Grade with any of these .38 Special rounds would be perfect for training anyone who is recoil-sensitive. In fact, there are many revolver-savvy experts who recommend using target wadcutters in .38 Special snub noses for defense work.
Their short barrels don’t allow velocity for projectiles to expand consistently. So, why subject yourself to the flash and recoil of full-power ammo when wadcutters will give ample penetration without recoil?
Performance chart below.
Sending 9mm Through the Pistol
Switching to the 9mm cylinder was quick and easy, and I could perform the conversion quickly and without problem.
Taurus includes 7-shot stellar clips with the gun. Loaded rounds are easily clipped into it at their extractor groove. After all shots have been fired, tipping the muzzle upward and hitting the ejector rod dumps the clip, with all casings, at the same time.
Groups with the 9mm rounds were centered but about .75 inches lower than the .357 Magnum and .38 Special loads. Not a big deal in my book and I didn’t even bother to make an elevation adjustment. My best 5-shot group was with Fiocchi’s 115-grain Range ammunition, and it measured just over an inch.
One thing that impressed me about this gun is just how consistently accurate it was with different ammunition. Averages for the .38 Special and 9mm groups were nearly identical, and the .357 magnum average was just 1.25 inches at 15 yards. I was thinking I’d see a bigger disparity and the need for sight adjustments between calibers.
Performance chart below.
Picking Nits
There’s so much to like about the new 692 Executive Grade. I loved the gun’s sleek appearance, rugged construction, and smooth double-action trigger pull. For a 3-inch barreled gun, it possesses accuracy that I did not expect.
It also has great sights, which helped make those small groups possible. Of course, the handsome Altamont grips, along with the gun’s ported barrel, made the gun comfortable to shoot even with hot magnum loads.
While the majority of the gun’s sharp edges were beveled by the Taurus technicians in Brazil, there are some spots on the gun that will draw blood if you’re not careful. The checkering on the hammer spur is sharp—probably sharper than it needs.
But what makes the hammer a blood-letter is that the rear of the spur is squared off rather than rounded. Likewise, the top corners of the rear sight could use a couple of strokes with a file to prevent blood loss. Is either of these a big deal? Nope!
Taurus Offers Value for the Money with the 692 Executive
American shooters often bypass the Taurus brand when looking for a new revolver, and that’s a shame. Over the last three years, I have had the opportunity to test several of them, and I regret returning them.
Of course, there have been a few that I’ve purchased simply because they possessed an exceptional level of accuracy. The Taurus 692 is one that has an uncanny degree of accuracy, has a tremendous trigger, and offers multiple-caliber versatility.
When it comes to revolvers, it would be hard to find a better value for the money!
For more information, please visit TaurusUSA.com.
Taurus 692 Executive Specs
| Caliber/Capacity | .357 Magnum, 9mm Luger, 7-Rounds |
| Action | Double-Action/Single-Action |
| Overall Length | 8.14” |
| Overall Height | 5.66” |
| Overall Width | 1.53” |
| Weight | 35.3 Ounces |
| Barrel | 3”, Stainless-Steel, Ported, 1:10” RH Twist. 6-Groove |
| Sights | Fixed Front Sight with Brass Rod Dot, Fully Adjustable Rear Sight |
| Finish | Satin Stainless Steel |
| Grips | Altamont Walnut Grips |
| Safety Device | Transfer Bar |
| Accessories | TSA Approved Hard Case |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime |
| Suggested Retail | $1106.99 |
Performance
| .357 Magnum | |||
| Ammo | Velocity | Energy | Group |
| Black Hills 125-grain JHP | 1328 | 489 | .98” |
| Blazer 158-grain JHP | 915 | 293 | 1.35” |
| Doubletap 158-grain FMJ-FP Match | 876 | 269 | 1.10” |
| Hornady Critical Duty 135-grain FlexLock | 1163 | 405 | 1.55” |
| Hornady Custom 158-grain XTP | 1103 | 426 | 1.11 |
| Remington 165-grain Core-Lokt JHP | 1154 | 488 | 1.42” |
| Average | 1.25” |
| .38 Special | |||
| Ammo | Velocity | Energy | Group |
| Black Hills 148-grain Hollow Base Wadcutter | 683 | 153 | 1.53” |
| Colt National Match 125-grain FMJ-FP | 983 | 268 | 1.21” |
| Doubletap 148-grain Full Lead Wadcutter | 693 | 157 | 1.26” |
| Hornady American Gunner 125-grain XTP | 814 | 183 | 1.32” |
| Average | 1.33” |
| 9mm Luger | |||
| Ammo | Velocity | Energy | Group |
| Black Hills 115-grain JHP | 1139 | 331 | 1.45” |
| Doubletap 124-grain FMJ-RN Match | 1047 | 301 | 1.53” |
| Federal Premium 135-grain Hydra-Shok DEEP | 991 | 294 | 1.30” |
| Fiocchi Range 115-grain FMJ | 1124 | 322 | 1.07” |
| Average | 1.34” |
