Taurus Executive Grade 605 .357 Mag./.38 Spl. Revolver Review

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The New Taurus Executive Grade 605 Revolver Is Both Accurate & Attractive

Given the tidal wave of poly-framed and striker-fired pistols on the market today, and with the many John Wicks of our pop culture ripping off machinegun-like volumes of ammo with said pistols, you might assume the traditional revolver is dead. Or, if not dead, free-falling into the footnote category of firearms history.

No way!

Interest in revolvers and revolver sales are both very strong. The top reason for this? Revolvers are easy to use. Swing open the cylinder and drop rounds into the chambers. Raise the revolver, aim, and squeeze the trigger.   

Done.

Brazilian gun maker Taurus Armas is well aware of the functionality and strong interest in revolvers and keeps producing some of the most popular models. Among the newest announced by Taurus USA, the gun maker’s American subsidiary, is the Executive Grade 605 Revolver, chambered in .357 Mag./.38 Spl.

It was just launched at the 2024 SHOT Show being held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I ran 200 rounds through my evaluation revolver recently. It proved itself a solid revolver, a great choice for concealed carry, home defense, or sitting snug in the center console of your vehicle. As a small-framed revolver, it has its limitations. But if you ask it to protect you up close and very personal, the Executive Grade 605 will do the job nicely.

Executive Grade’s Big Upgrades

Taurus debuted the original 605 revolver in 1995, a five-shot snub-nose revolver available in 2- and 3-inch barreled models. Currently, the Taurus USA website lists 10 versions of the 605, including optics-ready T.O.R.O. models and the 605 Poly Protector, a 2-inch version sporting a polymer finish on the frame.

Like all 605 models, the Executive Grade 605 can operate in both single-action and double-action. The hammer on my evaluation model had deep serrations that really grabbed my thumb when I shot in single-action mode.

Executive Grade 605 improvements over other 605 models include:

• A custom, hand-tuned trigger system, with a very crisp 2-pound, 2-ounce single-action release, and a smooth-if-longer 8.0-pound double-action pull.

• A hand-polished satin finish that boasts a delicate glow.

• An improved trigger guard and backstrap to enhance hand comfort.

• A front sight made with a brass rod insert for better contrast which helped me get on target fast.

• Lastly, a handsome checkered walnut wood grip made by Altamont Products in Thomasboro, Illinois, which provided a firm grip throughout my shooting.

With the purchase of the revolver, Taurus includes a premium Nanuk 909 hard carry case, with foam inserts specially cut to fit the Executive Grade 605. The attractive case is made with a lightweight but very tough NK-7 resin shell and features Nanuk’s Power Claw latching system. The case is a perfect range-ready compliment to the revolver.

Executive Digs

Taurus Armas is located in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and the Executive Grade 605 is produced here as well as other Taurus revolvers.  

According to Caleb Giddings, General Manager of Marketing for Taurus USA, this revolver is produced in what Taurus Armas terms the “Executive Grade Cell,” a separate unit within the larger facility. 

“The Executive Grade Cell is where all Executive Grade series revolvers are hand-built by Taurus’s most highly-trained revolver gunsmiths,” Giddings explained. “It is the epitome of ‘1 gunsmith, 1 gun’ as each gun lives here, start to finish, with its own assembler.”

The Executive Grade series includes the popular Taurus Judge, the revolver that can shoot .410 bore shotshells and .45 Colt rounds, and the Taurus 856 revolver chambered in .38 Spl., featuring a 3-inch barrel and a snag-free concealed hammer.

Range Performance

I began my shooting of the new 605 using .38 Spl. ammunition. I started off with Remington’s Performance Wheelgun loaded with a 158-grain round nose and lead bullet. Next, I switched to Federal Premium’s Punch personal defense, a +P round launching a 120-grain jacketed hollow point.

All my shooting in both .38 Spl. and .357 Mag. Loads were done at five yards offhand, as this small-framed revolver was clearly made for such close-quarters use. And, frankly, the revolver is built with fairly tiny sights that are hard to use at longer-range distances.

I first shot off 10 rounds of the Remington Performance Wheelgun to get a feel for the 605, all shots in single action. Total group size, 1.9-inches. Not the worst, but I knew the revolver (and shooter) could do better. My next five-shot groups with the Remington ammo averaged 1.2 inches.

The Federal Punch produced the best single action group, five shots at 0.90 inches, and several groups in the 1.2- to 1.4-inch range.

My last five rounds of the Punch were shot in double action. The first four shots came in a respectable 1.6 inches, but number five went high. Total group size, 2.6 inches.

Magnum Power

I began my .357 Mag. shooting with Winchester’s Personal Protection round loaded with a 110-grain jacketed hollow point. Recoil was more pronounced than the .38 Spl. loads but not by much. Single-action accuracy was very good, with best groups of 0.90 inches and 1.0 inches.

In double-action, I shot the best group of 1.4 inches, and also made a 2.0-inch group, with four of the shots touching.

Then, I tried out Winchester’s Super X Personal Protection featuring a 125-grain jacketed hollow point. The round was snappier than anything I’d used previously, but accuracy was still very acceptable. The single-action groups averaged approximately 1.3 inches, double-action at 1.7 inches.

Too Much Magnum?

Last, I shot Hornady’s Custom .357 Mag. round. Its 158-grain XTP bullet is rated at leaving the muzzle of a 5-inch barrel at 1,250 feet per second.

I won’t be doing that again! Shooting the Executive Grade 605 with those full-power .357 Mag. loads made my hand feel like I was smacking it against a brick wall. Repeatedly.

Which is not a slam against the revolver or the ammunition. It is simply the reality of a lightweight revolver—24 ounces empty—and those big, mag-powered .357 bullets rocketing out of a relatively short barrel. It’s going to hurt.

My first round was dead on, but between getting back on target after significant muzzle flip and my hand, wrist, and forearm dreading the next shots, a 2.4-inch group was about the best I could do, with two groups at 3.0 inches.

Optimal Personal Protection

If this was my carry gun, I’d run some ballistic testing with various .38 Spl. +P self-defense loads and compare them to lighter .357 Mag. options. Yes, I’d wimp out and avoid the big magnum loads.   

The Executive Grade 605 is a sharp-looking revolver and a fine choice for protection from closer-range threats. For that application, I’d have confidence in packing the Executive Grade 605 or keeping it on my nightstand.

Specifications: Taurus Executive Grade 605 .357 Mag./.38 Spl. Revolver

ACTION: Single/Double, Hammer Fired
CHAMBERING: .357 Mag./.38 Spl.
CAPACITY: 5
FRAME: Stainless Steel, Satin Finish
BARREL: Stainless Steel, Satin Finish
BARREL LENGTH: 3 inches
CYLINDER: Stainless Steel, Satin Finish
SIGHTS: Fixed Rear, Brass Insert Front
TRIGGER: Single Action Pull 2 Lbs., 2 Oz.; Double Action 8.0 Lbs.
GRIPS: Altamont Walnut, Checkered
HEIGHT: 4.8 inches
WIDTH: 1.41 inches
LENGTH: 7.5 inches
WEIGHT: 24 Oz. Unloaded
ACCESSORIES: Nanuk Hard Case, Gun Lock, Owner’s Manual
MSRP: $760