Judgement day for “The Judge”
The Taurus Judge is the five shot revolver that shoots both .45 Long Colt and .410 Shot shells. There are two chamber options for the Judge: one with the original two and a half inch chamber, and another with the three inch magnum chamber. On The Taurus website they claim the Judge gets its name from the number of Judges carrying them. If thats true or just a marketing gimmick I don’t know, and to be honest I could care less. With an advertised empty weight of 29 ounces, a three inch barrel (there is a six inch barrel version) and a chamber capable of chambering .410 shot shells this handgun is being pushed as a self defense gun. Some have suggested that the judge is suitable as a snake gun, general outdoor gun, Car gun, Carry Gun, and so forth. Personally I bought the Judge because I think it will make an excellent gun to shoot for recreation.
The Judge and ammo.
So I bought a Judge, doesn’t sound legal does it? I really like saying that, I might add. But I did buy one, just not the kind that wears robes and bangs a gavel. I got a “Duo-Tone” model with the two and a half inch chamber. What really sold me on the gun is the grip, its comfortable and feels right in my hands. I will admit that it does look like a real fun gun to shoot and I did buy it as a recreational gun.
Before firing the gun I took it home, cleaned, and inspected it. The first negative thing I noticed about it was that the back strap of the grip and the trigger are too far apart. I did dry fired it to get a feel for the trigger. When fired in double action mode the trigger pull is about average and relatively smooth. When fired as a single action the trigger pull is a little better than expected and is relatively crisp. Finally I weighed my Judge to get its real weight and discovered that it ways 34.9 ounces so its twenty percent heavier than advertised. This is one of the reasons for that “Specifications are subject to change without notice” disclaimer that you see on advertisements and websites.
So I started out firing the gun with .410 #6 shot shells and observed that the point of aim is almost directly in the center of the pattern at three to ten yards. At three yards the pattern will cover the chest of a human sized target with minimal shot missing. At five yards it will cover the torso of a human sized target with some shot missing. At eight yards it will cover the torso and neck with a moderate amount of shot missing. Finally at ten yards a significant amount of shot will miss the target. This rapid spreading of the shot comes about from the rifling in the barrel causing the shot cup to spin. The recoil with the .410 loads is surprisingly mild, but it is there.
3 yard target
5 yard target that was wind blown
10 yard target
Next up I tested it with .45 Long Colt, and observed the point of aim was about ten inches lower than the point of impact at eight yards. The POA being different from the POI at this range is to be expected as I assume Taurus setup the sights for the .410 ammo. What surprised me was the amount of difference. Once I confirmed the POA/POI difference I proceeded to test grouping and observed that it grouped better than I thought it would. At eight yards a five shot group was about a three quarter inch spread. Penetration will suffer as the Judge has that huge chamber and short barrel, however using a cartridge with full metal jacket bullet will improve penetration. Recoil with the .45 Long Colt ammo was also mild, perhaps even more mild than the .410 loads.
For defense I feel the judge is best suited for close quarters use. I will personally load my Judge so that the first round is a .410 shot shell and four .45 Long Colts after it for use as a night stand or car gun. This will allow me to give a potential attacker/car-jacker a face full of bird shot disabling, driving them away, or buying me time to flee if possible. Failing at that up to four Long Colts will further ruin their day should they continue to attack. For concealed carry the Judge will not enter the equation. As a snake gun the Judge is probably unmatched when loaded with five shot shells, but as an outdoors gun I think I would prefer to have a long gun or a more powerful handgun like a .44 magnum. No holds barred, the Judge is extremely fun to shoot.
After having checked out, purchased, shot and tested the Judge I have come to a few conclusions. First the judge is not an ideal self defense gun, but it is versatile and is easily adapted for the task at hand. I feel the Judge is a good gun for defensive use inside a house or in a car when loaded properly. The difference between the advertised weight and the actual weight is somewhat displeasing but tolerable. Taurus could improve upon the judge by moving the back strap of the grip closer to the trigger. It would also be nice to see a version setup to fire .454 Casull in the future. Overall the Judge is a fun, but limited application handgun.
Sorry old chap but mine was accurate out of the box with shot or bullets. The three shot #00 stayed grouped and accurate at 10 meters 33 feet. It was and is designed as a close in weapon perfect for protection. I also have a wmv of a .454 Casull scoped handgun bouncing off the shooters head from too much recoil. And finally, the shape of the grip keeps the weapon from doing just that.
The shot shell loads and .45 colt loads should have different point of impacts for the same point of aim. This is simply a function of mass and velocity. Now buck shot should impact closer to the .45 colt. You also have to remember that the guns fire the projectiles in a ballistic arc and point of aim versus point of impact will change at different distances.
While I would like to see a .454 Casull version of the judge, I would only want to buy such a judge with the 6 inch barrel. I have shot a few .454s and I like them.
I still do not like where the back strap is located in relation to the trigger. Moving the grip forward slightly would improve this while keeping the same grip angle and shape.