Taurus Judge

[cookand]

Good friend has one and really likes it. Uses for basic carry fishing etc. for snakes because he's scared of well...snakes. For those that think this stinks for home defense would you want to be shot by it and think you wouldn't turn around and leave?

Maybe, maybe not. If you need to use a firearm in self defense you’re shooting to stop the threat. There’s one guaranteed way to accomplish that.

I personally don’t have faith in bird shot in a shotgun, much less from a revolver, in stopping a threat.

I think that was the point of the prior posts

 

[MParr]

If I had to choose a handgun for home defense, it would be .45acp semiautomatic pistol or .357 magnum revolver.
Glock 21 or S&W M&P 45
Ruger, Taurus, or S&W .357 magnum revolver. These revolvers can also fire .38 Special.

 

[Elkins45]

No offense, but the gun store clerks make fun of people who buy a Judge as soon as they walk out the door. It is neither fish nor fowl, not good red meat.

 

[StumblingElk]

Good friend has one and really likes it. Uses for basic carry fishing etc. for snakes because he's scared of well...snakes. For those that think this stinks for home defense would you want to be shot by it and think you wouldn't turn around and leave?

I wouldn't want to be poked with a hot soldering iron, either. Doesn't mean it's a good tool for home defense.

Shoot to stop the threat in self defense situations. Period. Shooting to injur or persuade can be legally used to indicate you weren't in fear for your life. As goofy as that sounds, it happens.

Plus, why the heck would a person use ammo made for birds? Especially, from a 3" barrel. Birdshot very VERY often won't penetrate more than an inch. Superficial wounds aren't great foe stopping a threat. Especially if the other guy (guys) are armed.

Plus, it has no light, is heavy, bulky, holds 5? Rounds, has a relatively large blast ,and can't handle full snuff 45 loads.

Use a real self defense gun. Lol. Sorry, the judge is a fun gun. But it has a very small niche

 

[KJSmith]

It can fire the ACP .45

That is not correct.

 

[spasm3]

It can fire the ACP .45 but I don't want to use a weapon inside my house that can pierce walls and injure anybody else.

Anybody have experience with this weapon?

View attachment 231305

That is not correct.

It loads with .45 colt and .410 shot shells. Also a model that loads magnum colt .45 and .410.

Not .45 acp.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Shoot to stop the threat in self defense situations. Period. Shooting to injure or persuade can be legally used to indicate you weren't in fear for your life. As goofy as that sounds, it happens.

This. No idea why there are so many unserious gun owners who think that shooting at someone to scare them away is an acceptable thing. It isn't.

 

[Arch Stanton]

This. No idea why there are so many unserious gun owners who think that shooting at someone to scare them away is an acceptable thing. It isn't.

Didn't JB tell us that's the preferred thing to do?

 

[MolaKule]

I have the Taurus Judge Model 4510 and love it. Shooting .45 Colt isn't too bad but if you want to shoot any .410 you will need an improved grip for extra control, the Pachmayr Diamond Pro Item #02475 which is longer and has the pinky groove.

 

[ripcord]

How many folks have tested the patterns of their Judge revolvers at different distances? The one I shot with #4 shot was lucky to hit an IDPA target with more than a few pellets at 7 yards.

 

[Pew]

How many folks have tested the patterns of their Judge revolvers at different distances? The one I shot with #4 shot was lucky to hit an IDPA target with more than a few pellets at 7 yards.

I don't think I hit the paper at all at 10 yards with 45 Colt.

 

[TiGeo]

I don't think I hit the paper at all at 10 yards with 45 Colt.

Sounds like when I shot a Ruger Super Red Hawk Alaskan with hot 45 colt loads (thank goodness not 454 Casull) and was told to unload the cylinder as fast as I could, I hit the paper once at 5 yards...haha

 

[MolaKule]

How many folks have tested the patterns of their Judge revolvers at different distances? The one I shot with #4 shot was lucky to hit an IDPA target with more than a few pellets at 7 yards.

I did try it with #4 and had a pretty decent group at 7 yards, many pellets within the torso.

I also tried it with 00 Buckshot and maybe 3 pellets hit the toroso.

 

[billt460]

One thing you need to consider is most .410 ammunition sold today, (assuming you can find ANY), is loaded with powder that is designed to be consumed in a shotgun barrel of 18 inches or more.

You'll be getting just a fraction of the listed velocity with that short 3" barrel, because the powder will only be partially consumed before the shot payload exits the muzzle. The flash gap between the cylinder and the barrel doesn't help things either in the velocity dept.

Over the last few years there has been a few specialty loads created, (Winchester PDX and the like), for both the Taurus Judge and the Bond Arms derringers in .410 bore. They're loaded with much faster burning powder.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900855757

But they are both hard to find, and expensive when you do. Regular .410 Skeet loads are running over a buck a round these days. And the .410 is a royal pain to reload for, because of it's narrow and tall shot column.

I have a Bond Arms Stainless Derringer in .45 Colt, and 3" .410. While they are nicely made, they are as mentioned, a novelty gun at best.

 

[alarmguy]

Home defense, I think I would rely on our Taurus 38 Special. We also have a 9 and 380.
It makes a nice flash and boom.

At first I rather try to scare someone, heck we even have bear mace and other large mace types of containers. So I get the buckshot idea, not so sure that is best.
Depending on time I might even fire a warning shot, depends on threat level. Split second you have make sure you understand if you kill or injure someone, you could end up in courts for over a decade of your life. That is a decade of stress whose ugly head will reveal itself every time you think you are done. Even the legal system clears you right away, there is civil court.

*LOL* I am dealing with a delivery person who was a scam artist, fell down on a staircase in a building, not even down the stairs and my insurance company is refusing to pay the outrageous amount of money he wants. Thing is his attorney waited 6 years to file a suit, now it's over a decade and still ongoing. Pops up every 6 months to a year, to this day still has not gone to court.

 

[MolaKule]

Duly noted on barrel length verses velocity. I would say the Taurus Judge's application is for defense "within that 7 Yard attack mode."

BTW, be vigilant in your choice of .410 "defender" type shotshells. I bought a box of the 'two multi-projectile .410 shotshell Winchester Defender' loads and the shotshell is too long for the cylinder.

So I have settled on the first round being a Double Ought buckshot and the rest will be .45 Colts. I use a ,45 colt lever action on deer and I have seen that round's capabilities.

 

[Flashlightboy]

I am student of shotguns for HD and I've instructed on occasion.

1. Birdshot for HD is a poor choice. It makes a shallow wound, and if the perp is on drugs, doesn't feel pain or is wearing heavy clothing, such as leather, birdshot does not penetrate to reach vital organs. It makes a bloody wound but it's not incapacitating.

2. If you are committed to buying the Judge, you must practice quite a bit to become proficient and the Judge is nasty to shoot, as others have said. You likely won't endure the recoil to establish proficiency, but perhaps you will.

 

[Astro14]

Thinking about getting a Taurus Judge with the short barrel, polymer frame for home defense. It seems like a capable weapon for its intended purpose. They aren't expensive maybe $400. Chambered with .410 bird shot they should be enough to convince anything but an enraged grizzly to back off. It seems like easy to use and fire in a chaotic situation. It can fire the ACP .45 but I don't want to use a weapon inside my house that can pierce walls and injure anybody else. The reviews online are mixed.

Anybody have experience with this weapon?

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I view the Judge as a niche weapon. Load it with some .410 birdshot, and you’ve got a great weapon for snakes in the woodpile. Beyond that, however, there are some severe limitations.

If you’re worried about over-penetration, then I would just use 5.56. Which doesn’t go through that much drywall before it breaks apart.

Birdshot beats harsh language, but it’s perhaps the least effective choice for self-defense.

.45 colt is a very effective round. It’d be a great choice for home defense, except that it’s got a lot of recoil. In the judge, it’s particularly nasty.

I would not choose a high recoil, low capacity, handgun as my first choice, particularly when there are a great number of high capacity, low recoil handguns on the market.

Looking at the experience of people who have shot one at 7 yards, if half my projectiles are off target at 7 yards, that is not a gun that I would choose. I wouldn’t buy something that requires me to “spray and pray”, hoping for a hit from a wild pattern.

If you do get this thing, and you do choose to use that .410 shotgun ammo, as was said, make certain that it is tailored for this application, so that at least you’ve got some velocity out of it.

 

[Pew]

Sounds like when I shot a Ruger Super Red Hawk Alaskan with hot 45 colt loads (thank goodness not 454 Casull) and was told to unload the cylinder as fast as I could, I hit the paper once at 5 yards...haha

I'd imagine that thing might fly out of someone's hand with a weaker grip (maybe leading to some face-palm worthy video.) I've shot a 454 casull once and that was enough for me lol.

 

[Cropduster172]

I would prefer a regular 38 special revolver over a 410 Judge.

A 38 special has same revolver ease of use, decades of service as a police caliber, choice of long or short barrel, and with non+P ammo is easy to shoot and isn't known for over penetration.

If I had the choice of a 38 special with 148 grain target wad cutter, or 410 birdshot, I would prefer the 38 special.
Check out the lucky gunner testing in both 2" and 4" barrels

https://www.luckygunner.com/38spl-winchester-super-match-148gr-wc-50#geltest

Hard to argue that a .38 or .357 with decent self defense loads is a way better choice... especially in 4".
Some practice and confidence building and upping to .357 loads and you have likely the best choice in home defense handguns in my opinion, especially for a first time user.