Gun Tests Grade: B

$309

The 942 is built on Taurus’s small revolver frame, similar to a S&W J-frame. Metal work was excellent, and the matte-stainless frame and barrel contrasted nicely with the chrome thumb piece, hammer, and trigger. In hand, this was a heavy subcompact revolver at 28.4 ounces loaded. It’s okay to drop in a coat pocket, but put this in your pants pocket and you will need a belt and suspenders.

The grip is the new Taurus rubber grip with finger grooves, checkering on the side panels, and serrations on the backstrap. It is easy and comfortable to tuck your small finger under or on the very edge of the butt. There is also a bit of a palm swell. We liked these grips.

The front sight is matte black serrated and pinned in place. The matte-black rear sight is adjustable for windage. A small set screw allows adjustment. We liked the matte-black finish because it cuts glare better compared to a matte-stainless finish. We thought these were good sights. The hammer spur is a small square pad that is nicely checkered. The trigger is wide and smooth. Between the grip and trigger, the DA trigger weight seemed less than the 12+ pounds our Lyman gauge recorded. The trigger exhibited a bit of stacking, but, overall, we thought this was a good trigger. The Taurus uses a coil main spring. Single-action pull was crisp with no creep.

The cylinder crane has a detent that locks into the frame. The rear of the cylinder locks via the ejector pin in the rear of the cylinder frame. The cylinder was tight, with hardly any wiggle. The cylinder rotates counterclockwise. The chambers are countersunk so the rim of the 22 WMR cartridge sits flush with the back of the cylinder. Make sure the cartridge is well seated in the chamber when you load; if not, the cylinder won’t close or may bind up when rotating. This is a characteristic of all rimfire revolvers, unlike centerfire cartridges, which easily fall into the chambers of the cylinder.

The grip feels good and is comfortable when shooting, and the weight of the revolver negates the recoil of the 22 WMR. The 5.3-pound SA trigger was crisp. The Taurus uses an internal transfer-bar safety system. The firing pin is mounted in the frame. You can safely carry the 942 fully loaded as a result.

The M942 was the least accurate revolver in the test. Our best five-shot group measured 3.25 inches with Speer Gold Dot GDHP-SB. The 22 WMR is not known to be a tack driver, and it lived down to that reputation in the Taurus. Again, this is a revolver to be used at close range, that is, under 7 yards. In our opinion, accuracy was mediocre with the ammo we used to test. We’d try other brands of ammo if we owned this revolver and stick with the most accurate. Average groups measured from 3.7 inches to 4.7 inches in diameter. Data showed the Taurus had a tight bore because its muzzle velocity and energy readings were high. Recoil was very mild. Shooting the Taurus fast was a breeze, and we needed to remember to count to eight. We appreciated the eight-shot capacity and wished the other guns had similar round counts. We did not encounter any function issues except the ejector does not fully shuck empties, so use gravity to quickly unload.

Our Team Said: The M942 is a sturdy, heavy 22 WMR revolver with good cylinder capacity but with mediocre accuracy. We liked the grip and trigger, which we thought were better than expected in a revolver at this price point. On the upside, if you want a 22 WMR revolver and can deal with its shortcomings, you won’t need to empty your piggy bank to buy this one.

22 Magnum Range Data