GUN TESTS GRADE: A-

$705

Next up is the Tracker 692, which costs $200 more than the RIA and offers the most versatility of any the revolvers in this match up because of it multi-caliber capability. The 692 fires 38 Special and 357 Magnums with one cylinder and 9mm with a second cylinder. A button on the right side of the frame allows the users to remove the crane/cylinder assembly quickly and easily. It’s almost as fast as reloading a magazine in a semi-auto pistol. The cylinder is not counterbored, so the clip with cartridges lays on top of the cylinder. The recoil shields are smaller than the diameter of the cylinder, so you can see if a round or empty case is in a chamber. We like this feature because it allows us to rotate and close the cylinder on a specific chamber. This is a seven-shooter, so we had to remember that when firing at the range. The caliber is marked on the cylinders but only in one place. We would have preferred a fluted cylinder for one caliber and non-fluted for the other to make it possible to identify the chambering of the cylinder by feel. We found the Taurus had a cylinder gap of 0.007 inches with the 9mm cylinder and 0.009 inches with the 38 Special/357 Mag, and we expected some splash back but did not experience any. The Taurus cylinder locks in two places; one is a detent in the crane and the frame, the other is the ejector pin in the frame. We felt hardly any wiggle in this one also.

The 692 is set up like the Taurus’ Tracker line with a ported chamber at the muzzle. This works as a compensator to expel fired gases up to reduce muzzle rise/flip. In our opinion, this system works well, especially during rapid fire. The black front ramp sight is pinned to the barrel, and our sample had an orange insert that was not perfectly centered on the serrated ramp, which annoyed us. We’re not sure how this sample made it past QC. Practically speaking, however, it worked, and the purpose of this revolver is not target work, but defense. The rear sight is fully adjustable with direction indicators, which we like. The rear sight is matte black, but smooth. We would have preferred it was serrated to cut glare. The finish is a matte stainless, while the trigger, cylinder latch, cylinder-swap button and hammer have a hard-chrome finish. Fit and finish were nice. The trigger was wide and smooth and good for rapid fire. The hammer spur was large and toothy for sure cocking. The 692 uses a transfer bar system, so the revolver is safe to carry with all seven chambers loaded.

Taurus’ trademark ribbed grips helped absorb the recoil of the 357 Mag loads. This is a hand-filling grip that does a great job of mitigating felt recoil. The 692 is also heavy — 35 ounces empty and 39 ounces loaded. This also helps with recoil.

Going hot, we loaded both cylinders and swapped them out during testing to see if heat and expansion would cause any issues, and we found none. This was a nice revolver to shoot with any of the calibers. The 692 came in third for accuracy — though 3-inch groups at 25 yards on average is good — and that is what we see as the compromise with the interchangeable cylinders.

Our best 9mm group with training ammo measured 1.90 inches with SIG Sauer 115-grain FMJs. With defense loads, Winchester Defend 147-grain JHP measured an honest 2 inches. Overall, the Taurus averaged 2- to 3-inch groups with 9mm ammunition. It also had the highest muzzle velocity of the tested guns. Taurus called its moon clips Stellar clips. Again, we would have liked more clips and a de-mooning tool. Moving to 357 Mag ammo, the Armscor 158-grain FMJs gave us a best group of 1.9 inches. We fired the 692 in single action during accuracy testing, and if the 7-pound trigger was lighter, our groups would have been tighter. On average, the 38 Special/357 Mag ammo gave us 2.7- to 3.4-inch groups. Not bad for defense work. Since the twist rate for the 692 is 1:10, it makes sense the 38 Special/357 Mag ammo was less accurate. Taurus main-run 38 Special/357 Mag revolvers have a 1:16.5 twist rate. Recoil was noticeably higher firing 357 Mag ammo, but it was very tolerable due to the grip design, weight, and ported barrel chamber. In speed shooting, the 692 performed very well, allowing the user to manage recoil and get back on target quickly. The wide trigger also made double-action mode feel lighter than nearly 11 pounds.

Our Team Said: The Model 692 is a sturdy, versatile revolver. The trigger pull was heavy in single action but okay in double-action mode. We like the ability to swap cylinders and have the 692 feed 38 Special, 357 Magnum, and 9mm ammo. For a bug-out revolver, it’s hard to beat the 692. Choose this revolver if you are practical minded and have some extra coin to spend.

9MM LUGER RANGE DATA

357 MAGNUM & 38 SPECIAL RANGE DATA