A Meeting with the Public Defender.
The Taurus Judge is the five shot revolver that shoots both .45 Long Colt and .410 Shot shells, and there is a new smaller version called the Public Defender. The new Public Defender model appears to be aimed at the concealed carry market where the previous model seems to target vehicle carry and snake killing. Being smaller and lighter I expect the new Public Defender to behave differently when fired. Overall I expect my new Judge to be a completely different experience than my full sized model.
Taurus Judge Public Defender
While this new model seems to be intended for the concealed carry market there are a few things about this new gun that make it less than ideal. The first issue is overall length which is inherent in the concept and can not be changed due to the shot shell capability in the cylinder. The second issue is speed loader support, as the original equipment grips probably will not accommodate speed loaders. The only other issue hindering this gun in the concealed carry market is the lack of good holsters. Interestingly enough I can drop this gun in my front pants pocket and completely conceal it, there just isn’t much room left for a holster if one were available. The grip and holster issues will quickly be resolved by the market as I suspect that this new model will quickly gain the rock star status of the previous models.
My Full sized Judge and my Public Defender model.
The new Judge Public Defender is a smaller and lighter version based on the Taurus Model 85 frame, where the previous model based on the Taurus Tracker frame. There is a noticeable difference in the weight of the two pistols with my Public Defender weighing 27.36 ounces and my full sized version weighing 34.9 ounces. The public defender is advertised as weighing 28.2 ounces and the full sized versions advertised as weighing between 29 and 32 ounces with ultra-light models available that weigh even less. The Public defender is noticeably smaller to make it more acceptable for concealed carry. The rear of the Public Defender’s grip is closer to the trigger making the gun more comfortable, and easier to build a proper grip when drawing. This new model addresses the issues I had with the previous models that were not inherent in a shot shell capable revolver.
Out at the range the Public Defender shows its true nature. One complaint I have heard from people who have handled it is that it is nose heavy, This actually controls muzzle flip and helps the shooter get back on target quicker. I was able to shoot the gun with 45 colt, as well as .410 #4 and #6 bird shot but have not found any buck shot. Shot dispersal with #4 bird shot is sparse even at close range, and while #6 bird shot gets a better pattern, it is too light for stopping anything larger than some snakes. With my limited supply of .45 Colt the accuracy was better than expected. After getting used to where the gun shot I was able to hit where I wanted at 50 yards with the 45 colt. The extra freebore in the cylinder and the short barrel both mean that you will get reduced performance when shooting .45 colt. The new model does suffer from increased recoil when compared to the older models as a result of its smaller size and lighter weight. Lets face it, if your buying this gun for self defense then in a self defense situation your not going to care about recoil.
The Public Defender met my expectations for a different experience from its predecessor. The gun does look a little goofy with a cylinder that is longer than the barrel. It is different enough from its predecessors that it can enter an entirely new market. While it suffers from increased recoil it has the same capabilities as the older models in a smaller package. In conclusion I must admit that this Judge may be an acceptable concealed carry weapon in some situations when loaded with the correct ammunition.