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Taurus 692 Multi-Caliber Revolver: .38, .357 and 9mm

Taurus 692

Rumors of a multi-caliber revolver being introduced at the SHOT Show are true. Say hello to the Taurus 692.

The Model 692 is a revolver that is chambered in .357 Magnum. As most shooters know, you can shoot .38 Special loads from a .357 Magnum wheelgun. The twist, however, is that you can also shoot common 9mm rounds through this gun with the use of a conversion cylinder.

Taurus already offers a 9mm revolver, though it cannot shoot other cartridges from the gun. (Read more on the Taurus 905.) The 692 is designed to give your greater cartridge flexibility with a single gun purchase.

Swapping a revolver’s cylinder is easy and takes just a minute with a screwdriver. One of the things I like about the cylinders on this gun is that they are unfluted. Generally, I like a fluted cylinder, but the unfluted version looks good on this gun.

Taurus 692 revolver

Taurus offers the 692 in two different barrel lengths: a 3″ model for concealed carry and a longer 6.5″ model for target shooting and fun at the range. Interestingly, Taurus elected to port the barrels on this model. The porting should help reduce muzzle rise and felt recoil, though it is possible this could increase the visible flash in low light.

Both versions of the revolver are available in either a matte black or matte stainless finish.

Although many people still refer to revolvers as six shooters, the Taurus 692 is not. It is a seven shooter. In both the 9mm and the .38/.357 cylinders, you have seven rounds. For the 9mm shooter, Taurus includes its stellar clips so the rounds are easily loaded and the empty cases can be extracted without any problems.

Taurus model 692

Up front, Taurus uses a pinned ramp sight. An adjustable rear sight is standard.

The Taurus 692 is a double-action gun that can be cocked for single-action shooting. The spurred hammer is fully exposed.

The suggested retail price on this gun is $659. Your dealer sets the final price, so I imagine you could get out the door with a Model 692 for less than $600.

Caliber.38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm
Capacity7 rounds
ActionDA/SA
Barrel Length3″, 6.5″
Weight35 oz (3″), 46 oz (6.5″)
Sightspinned ramp front, adjustable rear
GripTaurus rubber grip
Finishmatte black or matte stainless
MSRP (at launch)$659

Update from the SHOT Show

Taurus 692 at SHOT Show

The 692 was on display at the 2018 SHOT Show. The gun was pretty much as described, porting and all. The one thing I didn’t like was the huger “TRACKER” logo down the left side of the barrel assembly. Otherwise, the gun looked good. Early indications show a lot of interest in this revolver, so I am expecting to see Taurus sell a good number of them.

Update

Yes, the Model 692 made it into production and can be purchased now. I know that the company has failed to deliver some announced guns in the past (28 gauge Judge cough, cough,) but this one is real.

Last Update: October 17, 2022

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news

Rumors of New Taurus Revolvers for 2018

If rumors are to be believed, Taurus has a number of new revolvers coming out in 2018. These have not yet been announced by the company, but I have had a number of sources provide details that make them appear credible. So, with a sizable grain of salt, here is what I am hearing:

Raging Hunter

(Update: This rumor has been confirmed, though with a few detail changes.)

Taurus has never been afraid to build a large framed revolver. The Raging Hunter appears to be designed in the same spirit as the Raging Judge Magnum (in .454 Casull, .45 Colt and .410 bore) and the ill-fated Raging Judge XXVIII (a 28-gauge revolver.) Only the Taurus Raging Hunter is a milder cartridge: the .44 Magnum.

From what I am hearing, the new revolver will have a Picatinny rail on the top of the barrel for adding a scope.The barrel is 6.5″ long with an octagonal shape. It is ported. The gun will ship with sights including an adjustable rear.

I am also hearing that the Raging Hunter will be available in both two-tone and black finishes. It will have the company’s recoil reducing grips with the red stripe down the back.

The Taurus Raging Hunter sounds like a revamped version of the older Model 444 Raging Bull. This was a .44 Magnum revolver that was offered about seven years ago. With the exception of the barrel, the gun was nearly identical to what has been described to me as the Raging Hunter. The older revolver’s barrel did not have a Picatinny rail but was vented instead.

Model 856

Taurus 856 Revolver

(Update: This rumor has been confirmed, though with a few detail changes. See the details on the Taurus 856 revolver here.)

The new 856 revolver is a six-shot, .38 Special handgun with a steel frame. It has a 2″ barrel and a weight of about 22 ounces. This makes it a direct competitor to the recently reintroduced Colt Cobra – another 2″ wheelgun that holds 6 rounds in the cylinder.

This gun appears to be a reintroduction of the prior steel framed model 856 revolvers. Those were also 2″ steel framed guns that held 6 rounds and weighed 22.2 ounces. The original 856 revolvers appear to have been discontinued in later 2012. The guns appeared in the Taurus 2012 catalog, but not in the 2013.

The above photo is of the original Taurus 856 from 2012.

Older 856 revolvers also had an option for a magnesium frame that dropped the weight to less than a pound. The new guns do not appear to have this option.

Model 692

(Update: This rumor has been confirmed, though with a few detail changes. See the details on the Taurus 692 here.)

While the two rumored revolvers previously mentioned have older versions of them, this is one that may be a new entity entirely.

The Taurus 692 is supposed to be a .357 Magnum revolver that comes with a 9mm conversion cylinder. This means that you could shoot .38 Special, 9mm and .357 Magnum from the same gun. I know that Taurus offers a 9mm revolver and convertible rimfire revolvers, but I don’t recall ever seeing a centerfire convertible revolver from them previously. (Feel free to comment below and let me know what I’m forgetting.)

The gun is said to be available with a 3″ or 6″ barrel and have a steel frame.

Final Thoughts

While these new guns are just rumors at this point, all of them make sense to me. Taurus has not had a lot of new product introductions in the recent years and could do with an injection of some fresh models. As some of these seem to be reboots of older guns that were popular in their time, I see them as quick wins. With a new CEO dealing with legacy quality control issues and a class action lawsuit, grabbing some of the low hanging fruit is a smart – and safe – move.

Last Update: October 17, 2022

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news

SAR Arms 357 Revolver

SAR 357 revolver

The SAR 357 is a revolver made by Sarsilmaz and chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge.  The handgun bears a resemblance to the classic Smith & Wesson revolvers and has several features like the Smith guns.

I had a chance to get a feel for one at the SAR Arms exhibit at the 2013 SHOT Show.  The sales staff was busy with many other customers, so I did not get a chance to draw out a lof of details about this pistol, but what I know I will share here.

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Ammunition

Coonan Silver Bullets

The new Coonan Silver Bullets are likely the ultimate piece in your anti-werewolf arsenal. Just released, these new .357 Magnum rounds feature bullets that are jacketed in 99% pure silver.

Exact specs are not available on the cartridges but assume they are powerful enough to both reliably cycle the Coonan .357 Magnum 1911 and to drop the evil undead in their tracks.

The rounds are loaded for Coonan by Atomic Ammunition, a company that manufactures match ammo that is smokin’ hot.  According to Coonan’s Facebook page, these rounds are “…loaded very hot.”

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news

New Ruger SP101 Revolvers

Ruger SP101 revolverRuger announced two new SP101 revolvers.  Both SP101 revolvers are larger, target-sized revolvers featuring longer barrels and fiber optic sights when compared to the standard SP101 handguns.

The two new Ruger revolvers are very similar in appearance and demensions.  The first is chambered in the classic .357 Magnum cartridge, while the second new model is chambered in the ubiquitous .22 LR.  Capacity on the Magnum is five rounds, while the rimfire will hold eight cartridges.

Both models use a 4.2″ long barrel.  Existing SP101 revolvers have either 2.25″ or 3.06″ barrels.  So the new wheelguns have more than inch of extra barrel over the next closest gun.

Ruger outfitted both of these new handguns with a green fiber optic front sight and an adjustable rear sight.  Like the other models in the SP101 line, the frame, cylinder and barrel are all made of stainless steel with a satin stainless finish.