Taurus The Judge

[nitro_fish]

I was looking to purchase a Taurus The Judge pistol It is a 5 shot revolver that shoots either or both 45/ 410 shotgun shells. And was curious if anyone has any information on the quality of Taurus weapons.

[timsfly]

Taurus makes good guns, I have several, mostly 38's and .22's

A buddy of mine owns a Taurus Judge, neat gun it is a real handful.

It shoots nice and preforms just great.

We took it out and shot a box of 45's thru it right after he brought it home.

I shoot a blackhawk ruger .45, I carry it on crane for the saber toothed otters.

I have carried it deer hunting but have yet to shoot it at a deer, it makes

mince meat out of a coyote, got lucky and had one come within 15yds

of me as I sat inside a bunch of round hay bales at the edge of clearing.

It took him right off his feet.

[TroutBum4wt]

Anybody else carry a heater when they fish remote water? I've been thinking about open carry when fishing.

[fisher19]

Taurus makes good guns and they shoot well. I have shot a couple and they were great to shoot. And the judge would be great for self-defense with the .410 load because its going to spray the pellets so much that you can't miss with it, what ever you soot it at your going to hit. Tim have you ever shot any saber toothed otters?lol.

[timsfly]

No but sometimes, when you are deep in the woods being ever so quiet, you can here them nashing their teeth, waiting for the chance to jump you or some other

unlucky creature, I always keep a pistol handy, you just never know these days.

Some of those otters, I've been told will hide up in the trees and pounce down upon you, scary. LOL

[nitro_fish]

I am looking at home defence. I figure the 410 would be easier to aim in a time of stress , plus less chance of stray bullet going through wall and hitting innocent person.

[RSBreth]

I don't want to assume anything about anyones choice of firearms (I did not, and don't say "weapon" because anything can be a weapon, ballpoint pen, hammer, baseball bat..) but anyway.....I'll start with the original question and then throw my opinion in there, which you may not want, but there it is.

I've owned several decent Taurus guns over the years, my most recent was a 941 .22 WMR with the rare 3-inch barrel. Nice little revolver. I really want one of the "Tracker" revolvers, specifically the 627 .357 mag 7-shot model with the 4-inch barrel.

Quality? Pretty good. Actually, really good. Maybe a tad rougher than the comparable Smith and Wesson, but some newer Smiths' have had me feeling something was lacking in the 600.00$ price tag, too. So there you go.

That being said, here's my opinion:

I feel "The Judge" is a interesting novelty gun, but isn't anything I'd think of when having to pick up something to defend my life with. 5 of the smallest shotshell available? (The gun only chambers 2 1/2" .410 shells which are only bettered by the equally pathetic 3" .410) People who don't know better think "Wow, it's a shotgun I can hold in my hand!" No, not really. And most folks don't shoot handguns very well, especially under stress. If you don't put the time and commitment in on a double action revolver you won't be able to shoot it well. And you only have 5 shots of a load that really can only put out someones eyes- and on and on. Don't take my word for it-for a reality check read this here:

Judge<--click here!

Not for me, thanks. I can see the use of a handgun for having to check out the late-night knock at the door when it may just be a neighbor looking for a lost dog or something-(put the gun in the waistband at the small of your back, cover with your shirt and then answer the door, they'll never know) but serious self defense starts with a 20-gauge or bigger shotgun or even a rifle. As Clint Smith says- "a handgun is for fighting your way back to a rifle you shouldn't have set down in the first place." If I can leave it in the house secured for when I need it, it doesn't matter how big it is. Inexpensive shotguns like the Mossberg "Maverick" in 12 and 20 gauge are only about 180.00 bucks. Use Buckshot. A "Wal-Mart" Marlin 336 30/30 is a little over 300 dollars, but either are cheaper than that handgun, and much more powerful, while more easy to control.

I realize a lot of folks ponder the "If I miss it'll penetrate walls, maybe hit someone else, etc." The only good backstop for a bullet is the bad guy. Practice is the only way to make sure of that. Lot's of it.

You can disagree.

[fisher19]

RSBreth, that was great info on the site that you had about the "judge" it was very informative and good to see the outcome of the loads that were shot through it. Totally agree with you on the practice stand point, and even then practice doesn't make perfect. In my opinion, the best self-defense gun is a gun that you have the most confidence in shooting. Anyways good info.

[troutchaser]

Tim, you truly are the master of understatements. To say the Judge is a handful is like saying sharks are just big fish!

I've put a few rounds through one and, to be honest, I hated it. It's jumpy and inaccurate. I know, I know - with a shot pattern that wide, who need accuracy - but this was bad. I don't recommend them. For home defense, I have a Taurus Tracker .357 loaded with .38s. It's got knockdown power against the boogie man, but it won't easily pass through walls.

That's just one joe shmoe's opinion, though.

[timsfly]

yes I wouldn't want one personally, but it was neat shooting it, the shot pattern was huge at 20 feet, but I guess for a close shot

it would be effective.

I'll stick with my traditional revolvers.

I keep a shotgun behind the bedroom and living room door for home defense.