Anyone have any experience with "The Judge"?

[1978z28]

well i thought i would post this since there is so much taurus talk, somebody must know something, i was just wondering how good of a pistol this really is. does it shoot a buckshot? i would get it to keep in my truck and stuff. maybe rabbit up with it if it throws a nice pattern with a number 6 shot or something. anybody tried it. this is where id like my next 500 bucks to go. with it had an internal hammer in it tho. but i dont mine the hook either. thanks guys
Taurus International Manufacturing Inc

[XD40DucheKiller]

ive thought about getting one too. ive read that after like ten feet the spread widens ALOT. which is dissapointing...i just need to be able to kill an armadillo at 25 yards...so i dont know if it will do that.

id love to see the spread on a sheet at different distances but i cant find it

[1978z28]

YouTube - Taurus The Judge - dirtydozensbunker.com forum

[magnumize]

While on the subject....Was wondering why 410 shell's cost soooo much??? Way more than 12 gauge.

[getanxd]

man, that is my next purchase, but it will have to wait.
thanks for the utube clip too

[jeepinbanditrider]

Originally Posted by magnumize

While on the subject....Was wondering why 410 shell's cost soooo much??? Way more than 12 gauge.

Way more 12 gauge is produced compared to .410 due to demand.

the box o truth gave it an okay review but recommend that you use 45 long colt if you are going to use it for any kind of defense pistol.

I look at it as a "wow look what we can do" deal by Tauraus. I personally wouldn't consider it as SD peice unless it was all I could find on hand.

[mpak87]

I've fired one a few times, but that doesn't make me an expert by any means. some guy at the range last summer had one. I liked it, but I have a lot of other guns that I would buy before it. If I was in an area where I had to worry about snakes at <7 yards, I think it would be about the best weapon imaginable. Besides that, the patterns opened up way too much for me. I shot it at around 10 yards, and it opened to 12-18 inches if i remember right. My take on it? It's cool, but not really the useful kind of cool.

[Frostyeyes]

Check here Taurus Armed.net - Index there are several reviews and write ups.

[m9fan]

Originally Posted by mpak87

I've fired one a few times, but that doesn't make me an expert by any means. some guy at the range last summer had one. I liked it, but I have a lot of other guns that I would buy before it. If I was in an area where I had to worry about snakes at <7 yards, I think it would be about the best weapon imaginable. Besides that, the patterns opened up way too much for me. I shot it at around 10 yards, and it opened to 12-18 inches if i remember right. My take on it? It's cool, but not really the useful kind of cool.

I've been curious about this pistol's performance; thanks for your take on it!

[Brickboy240]

You think 410 shells cost more than 12s...you have not priced 28 or 16 gauge...have you? Whew!

My Dad has a stainless Judge and I have shot it a few times. We ran some Wincehster Silvertip 45 Colt loads and Federal #4 410s through the thing.

We did not do any sort of formal testing, but the Judge is good for "minute of Coke can" stuff with the 45 Colt loads. Recoil was not bad at all...about like what you'd expereince with a 45ACPauto or a 44Spl revolver. Not punishing at all.

With the 410 shells, recoil was about the same or slightly less. If you can handle hot 38s, then the 410 shells won't seem bad to you at all. We patterned the #4 shot 410s on a few pieces of cardboard and at about 7-10 yards, the pattern was perfect for killing snakes. We have only run #4 shot in the Judge, since we have used #4 shot in 20 and 12 gauges for killing snakes in the past and found #4s to work MUCH better than the birdshot loads. Personally, I wouldn't fool with 410 birdshot or slugs in the Judge...the cheapo #4 410 Federals from Wal Mart did really well.

The Judge seem to be fairly well made and it shot really well. Not as smooth as my old Smith Mod. 19 or Dad's 629 44 mag but it was also not nearly as expensive.

Is this some sort of great defense gun? Probably not. Dad still uses his 1911/45 for home defense. He bought this for a small, onehanded snake killer that he could carry in the glovebox of his ATV on the ranch and kill cottonmouths and copperheads. For that purpose, it is really good. It beats trying to hit a moving snake with a 22 or having to carry a longgun and use both hands.

Its a niche weapon and if you have a niche, like a need for killing snakes or other varmints with a one handed firearm, the Judge might be a good choice but I wouldn't want it over a traditional autopistol in 40 or 45 for my main defense gun. I don't want to call the Judge a "novelty" because it does have a purpose.

Hope this helps...

- Brickboy240