Circuit Judge Classification

[WALKERs210]

After walking around Wally World waiting for a prescription I spotted a Circuit Judge with a price tag of $549.00 plus 9% tax. I have already owned the Judge with 2 1/2 cylinder for shot shell so I feel comfortable about buying this one. Just wondering exactly how it is classified, is it a shotgun, is it a pistol, is it a rifle. The Circuit Judge has a barrel length around 18" +/- with shoulder stock so is it a long gun or what. Regardless as to its classification I really like it. So when I finished up in Wally-World I went to a pawn shop and low and behold they had one that was all but new without the box. After a bit of dancing with the manager I picked it up for $400.00 out the door which is a saving of $200.00 over Wal-Mart, so I think I did ok on it. Just hope my wife don't lay claim to it which she has done on others I brought home.

 

[vamo]

Its certainly not a handgun.

The fact that it can shoot both 45lc and .410 shells does kinda beg the question from the legal stand point if it would be considered a rifle, shotgun, or other.

 

[Cump]

If it is a 45lc/410 model, it has a rifled barrel, so its a rifle -- just as the Judges are considered a handgun because of the rifling.

 

[Cump]

Apparently they do make some smooth bore 45/410, but they aren't imported to North America.

http://www.rossiusa.com/pdf/warning_notice_circuit_judge.pdf

 

[WALKERs210]

It does in fact have rifling, it comes with two chokes. One is smooth that is suppose to be used with 45Colt or slugs the rifled choke is for use with shot shells. I was just curious as to what it would be classified as, and guess with the 18" rifled barrel it would come closer to being a rifle - I think:

 

[oneounceload]

The smooth choke would be for the shot shells, not the other way around

 

[ldsgeek]

No, he had it right. The rifled tube is straight to counteract the twist, while the smooth tube is just there to protect the threads. It's the same with the .45LC/.410 barrel for the Contender handgun barrel.

 

[WALKERs210]

Choke selection

I thought the same thing as for smooth bore choke but this will show what the manual say's.

 

[oneounceload]

That makes no sense - running shot through rifling will do nothing but make a huge doughnut pattern with huge gaps in the pattern. I would have thought the smooth section might have acted to stop or slow the spinning down a little to try and get something like a normal pattern

 

[ugaarguy]

That makes no sense - running shot through rifling will do nothing but make a huge doughnut pattern with huge gaps in the pattern

The entire bbl is spiral rifled. The straight rifled choke counters the spin imparted to the shot by the spiraled rifling. The smooth choke is used with .45 Colt to prevent damage to the threads. a .45 Colt bullet or .410 bore slug hitting the transition from spiraled to straight rifling would damage the bullet, the choke, and probably the threads underneath.

 

[WALKERs210]

ONEOUNCE I will post results tomorrow after 1st get the choke loose and swap them out then do test firing on a huges paper target. I started making my own targets up to 48" wide so I could get an idea as to shot shell patterns. Will tell which one works best.

 

[vamo]

Never knew that about the chokes makes it a bit less appealing as a toy; though I can see how its necessary if you want it to be reliable with either cartridge.