The Judge

[hedgehog]

Anybody here purchased one of the Taurus "Judge" models ?

Been to several gun shops and thinking of buying one for home protection and range entertainment. (Too large and heavy for concealed carry, IMO)

One of the shop owners told me he has sold quite a few to some of the small-game hunters that are rabbit hunting with them for sport.

Would like to hear about your experience with that particular model.

 

[chefdennis]

when the judge 1st came out, i was hot for one of them bad...then i shot one....I think it would be great for a carry weapon since they have brought out a lite weight version now, car jacking or invasions, would be where it would shine....home invasion, unless you are using 410 slugs and or the 45 the 410 with buckshot in the 3 in barrel isn't much good...the penterating power just isn't there and the pattern blows out quick because of the short barrel.....

I still like the gun for the purpose of a carry or vehicle carry weapon, but i wouldn't use it for home defense at all....i'll keep my 18.5 in barrel shotgun for that....

 

[hedgehog]

when the judge 1st came out, i was hot for one of them bad...then i shot one....I think it would be great for a carry weapon since they have brought out a lite weight version now, car jacking or invasions, would be where it would shine....home invasion, unless you are using 410 slugs and or the 45 the 410 with buckshot in the 3 in barrel isn't much good...the penterating power just isn't there and the pattern blows out quick because of the short barrel.....

I still like the gun for the purpose of a carry or vehicle carry weapon, but i wouldn't use it for home defense at all....i'll keep my 18.5 in barrel shotgun for that....

Did you fire just the .410 ?? Did the .45 kick really bad ??

One of the gun shops told me that if you load some of the cylinders with the .410 shell, make sure it is a high casing (the metal part where the firing pin ignites the shell) or the spent shells sometimes are hard to remove.

I think I'll call the local shop and see if I can rent one and try it on the range.

Thanks for the info, Chef.

 

[chefdennis]

i shot both the 410 buchshot and the 45...it is a heavy gun so the "action' from shooting is real bad but you know you are shooting a large round..i shot a kimber 45 1911 regularly so the 45 round is not something i am not use to....but if you haven't shot larger runds, you will know it...i haven't shot the new lite weight model at all...as i sais i like the gun for a particular use, just not as a general use weapon....but i am that way with most handguns, each has a use where the caliber, length of barrel and what ammo is going to be use makes a difference in what it is used for...

my CC gun is a Springfield XD9SC..a small 9 mm ...most people don't want to use that small caliber...but to me CC is STRICTLY for self defense in close and shot placement is often very good because you are clos, so a max of damage can be done with a smaller caliber weapon....i know and understand that nothing beats big heavy rounds, and if i am shooting at a target across a room or across the street, you bet i want a min of a 38 preferably a 45....but for in close, ill use my little 9 and do the best i can to get a good placement of the shot...but then again, i hope to never need to use it...but being ready is the important part...

 

[hedgehog]

i shot both the 410 buchshot and the 45...it is a heavy gun so the "action' from shooting is real bad but you know you are shooting a large round..i shot a kimber 45 1911 regularly so the 45 round is not something i am not use to....but if you haven't shot larger runds, you will know it...i haven't shot the new lite weight model at all...as i sais i like the gun for a particular use, just not as a general use weapon....but i am that way with most handguns, each has a use where the caliber, length of barrel and what ammo is going to be use makes a difference in what it is used for...

my CC gun is a Springfield XD9SC..a small 9 mm ...most people don't want to use that small caliber...but to me CC is STRICTLY for self defense in close and shot placement is often very good because you are clos, so a max of damage can be done with a smaller caliber weapon....i know and understand that nothing beats big heavy rounds, and if i am shooting at a target across a room or across the street, you bet i want a min of a 38 preferably a 45....but for in close, ill use my little 9 and do the best i can to get a good placement of the shot...but then again, i hope to never need to use it...but being ready is the important part...

I always carry a 2-shot .38 derringer (O/U) in my rite front pants pocket when I am away from the vehicle, and also have a Taurus 9mm in the vehicle. During our CCW class, a local police chief from the Cleve area stressed that while most depts. our now frowning on the 9mm for police work, for self protection he thought it was, all things considered, a good choice ccw for the average citizen.

Sort of off the subject, but I got my CCW permit about 4 yrs ago at Stonewall's (Brecksville) which is also a vendor to most of the southwest suburban PDs. Don't know if it is still there or not, but as of last year, at least, they had a .50 cal machine gun (made legal for their shop) for rental. The rounds I was told was about $9 a pop.

 

[chefdennis]

I have often thought of carrying a .38 derringer as you are speaking of, just have done it....as for the CCW...I won't go into that, just to say i had one when ohio 1st started issuing them, had a revelation that i didn't need the states, feds, or anyone else permission to tell me how i could carry a weapon or any other "tool" to defend myself and i gave it back to the sheriff that issued it...

Up until a few months ago, I owned a Barrett modell 99 .50 cal....i thought i was pretty accurate with it from 100-300 yrs, anything past that, i just was any good with it..so i sold it recently...i put less then a thousand riunds throught it, but i can remember paying less then $9 but more the $7 per round.....guns are expensive to operate and to practice with, but without practice the skill goes down....