Taurus launched its Executive Grade line of guns with its 856 revolver in 2022, showcasing a new level of build quality and attention to detail that elevated Taurus' designs without costing as much as other premium-grade firearms. One of the latest models in the company's Executive Grade lineup is its 605, which strikes a balance between concealability and controllability. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" Rifleman Review segment above to see the details of this enhanced revolver.
" Taurus is a company best known for its revolvers, and we've had Taurus revolvers of one sort or another since the 1920s. But one of the guns that I think was really a 'Goldilocks' size was the Model 605 that came out in 1995, and what this gun is is kind of SP101, Smith & Wesson Model 60 size," NRA Media Editorial Director Mark Keefe said. "It's a little bigger than a J-frame, but it's still a .357 Magnum. Now this, of course, is a five-shot, .357 Magnum revolver that can fire either .357s or .38 Special."
Built with a satin-finished stainless-steel frame, the Taurus 605 is equipped with a 3" barrel, along with a slightly lengthened ejector rod, which is protected by the full-length barrel underlug. The longer rod makes it possible to fully eject .357 Magnum cases from the cylinder, ensuring that the gun is cleared quickly for a fast reload.
"Now with this gun, they've done a little more handwork, a little more polishing, a little more attention to the lockwork, and that's part of the Executive Series upgrade," Keefe said. "When you see the fit of the sideplate, it's actually pretty good. You can still see where it is. But for Taurus, it's actually pretty nice."
At the top of the revolver, for the rear sight, there's a grooved trough in the topstrap that ends at a square notch just ahead of the textured hammer spur. One of the premium features on the Taurus 605 is the addition of a brass front sight bead.
" Typically, when you see other versions in this line from Taurus, it has a boot grip, and this is a more hand-filling grip, kind of reminiscent of some of the modern Colts out there," Keefe said. "And of course, this style has been around for quite a while, but they're checkered, they have some nice grain. And of course, you get a little hint of brass here from where the screw goes through on these two-piece stocks."
Control-wise, like all Taurus Revolvers, they incorporate a Smith & Wesson-style cylinder release latch located on the left side of the frame, which must be pushed forward to release the cylinder.
"The thing about the Executive Grade is these are really the nicest revolvers that we've seen from Taurus, and this Model 605 is no exception," Keefe concluded.
Taurus 605 Specifications
Manufacturer: Taurus
Action Type: double-action, centerfire revolver
Chambering: .357 Mag.
Frame: stainless steel; satin finish
Barrel: 3" stainless steel; satin finish
Rifling: six-groove; 1:16.5" RH twist
Cylinder Capacity: five
Sights: fixed, square-notch rear; drift-adjustable, brass-bar front
Stocks: wood
Safety: transfer bar
Overall Length: 7.5"
Height: 4.8"
Width: 1.41"
Weight: 23 ozs.
Accessories: owner's manual, hard case, sticker, Executive Grade certificate, lock
MSRP: $758
To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/videos/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.
