Judge Opinions

[Guillermo]

Unless you actually have experience with the various Judges you are irrelevant

I am irrelevant?

I understand the effect of rifling on shot shell, I have seen the patterns thrown, I have read articles and 1st hand accounts.

Why? because something new and different is interesting. And I liked the idea of a slug out of the Judge.

But in the end, it is trying to reinvent the wheel with a government restriction (has to be rifled to be legal).

Sorry... irrelevant though you may classify me...a good defensive weapon does not a Judge make.

 

[Skribs]

Well, Guillermo, I don't have one, but I've shot it at the range. At SD distances, it patterns just fine.

 

[David E]

And if you're at the range and a paper target attacks you, the Judge can save the day!!

Otherwise........

 

[MyGreenGuns]

Why? because something new and different is interesting. And I liked the idea of a slug out of the Judge.

Thats part of why I bought one. I think its really cool to shoot shotgun shells out of a pistol.

But in the end, it is trying to reinvent the wheel..

Its trying to combine two wheels. Reinventing the wheel would be making another pump shotgun or another wheelgun.

..a good defensive weapon does not a Judge make.

I disagree to a point. Since most of your 'legal' defensive situations are close range, I'd say the Judge would be a good defensive weapon. I'd be more afraid of it than say a .380. (Not going to step in front of one of those either.)

I'll still grab my 870 for HD. I'll still grab my XD9 for CC. I'll use my 10/22 for plinking. I'll use the Judge for fun. I wouldnt call it a 'toy' but 'fun gun' seems to suit it well.

 

[Guillermo]

I'll use the Judge for fun

on that we totally agree.

I am all for toys and gun games.

 

[Skribs]

And if you're at the range and a paper target attacks you, the Judge can save the day!!

Does the pattern magically change if I'm shooting a live target instead of a piece of paper? I've never shot a live target, so I can't say for sure, but something leads me to believe that if I have a workable spread on paper, I'll have a workable spread on an attacker.

 

[Guillermo]

I'll have a workable spread on an attacker

doesn't take a lot of penetration to kill a paper...even if it is charging, head-down to protect it's young post-its.

 

[Skribs]

While a lot of the Judge specific loads don't have reasonable penetration, the 000-buck loads have been proven to meet the FBI required penetration levels.

So yes, your choice of SD ammo is limitted, but you still have a viable load that produces enough penetration and has a decent spread for SD ranges.

 

[daferg2]

"doesn't take a lot of penetration to kill a paper...even if it is charging, head-down to protect it's young post-its".

I disagree with your opinion on the Judge Guillermo, but that's funny right there.

 

[skidder]

I have no experience with the Judge, but I do with Taurus. :banghead:

 

[Guillermo]

I disagree with your opinion on the Judge Guillermo, but that's funny right there

thank you

 

[buddyemily]

The Judge is a fad and a gimmick at best. Poor design.

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

IMHO the Judge falls into the same class as the 45GAP. It can ring bells, but not mine.

 

[usmccpl]

Now where I understand it aint ment for much I use my Judge for hunting and it works. Cottontails out to 7 yards and tree rats a bit further have been taken down regularly using #4 birdshot. And with a good 250 grain hollowpoint deer to 35 yards. All that out of a fungun.

 

[FSJeeper]

I read all the bad stuff about the Judge when they first came out but needed a more easy to carry snake gun over a 12 gauge shotgun. After several years of ownership and 32 Rattlesnakes, it performs the role of a snake gun perfectly and I am happy with it.

Accuracy in the 45LC has proven to be good enough for Hogs of which I have taken one with it so far.

With the new loads available, it is a viable home defense and car gun.

For a knock around snake gun, it does that job perfectly.

 

[GEM]

Find Tom Given's professional take on the Judge that appeared in SWAT magazine. That's all you need to know - as compared to other gun rags.

 

[Dueling1911s]

a "fad/ gimmick" that had made taurus a whole boat load of money. and if it was a fad smith wouldnt have copied it

i don't like taurus particularly but i do like my judge

it sits in my console as a truck gun when i'm in the barrio. shot pattern of 000 buck at driver side window doesnt matter at 2 feet. thats a big ole barrel to look down on the business end...

in the words of borat "i feel like dirty harold"

 

[Guillermo]

Go to 28:20 for the Judge discussion

http://proarmspodcast.com/2010/10/03/060-protecting-yoursel-on-the-street-and-in-court/

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

And if you're at the range and a paper target attacks you, the Judge can save the day!!

Otherwise........

I hear it is good for practicing your fruit killing skills aswell.

I could only see myself carrying one just for snake killing and still carry a primary defensive gun, I don't live in bad snake territory so I don't think I'll need one then. I've seen the patterns aswell and they don't look good for SD beyond 10 feet. I don't want to be limited by my gun that much that it becomes dangerous to fire because I might hit someone else. I'll stick with my single slug handguns that have proven themselves over the past, what? 600 years?

 

[RalphS]

I love to see people shooting the Judge at the range. When they're done, I pick up their 45LC brass and use it to reload for my Redhawk. Saves me a lot of money.

 

[gilgsn]

I had the opportunity to try one last week. Accuracy was dismal with .45 Colt rounds. It wasn't the ammo, I shot my own handloads in it. The owner gave me a few 410 shells to try.. Very little effect on target.. The pattern is so wide, I wouldn't even worry much being shot at with one over fifteen yards with 410. I would never buy one. Useless piece if you want my opinion. It's a bad shotgun and a bad handgun. Any Italian SAA copy is ten times better.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Large heavy handgun that requires expensive pistol ammo and special shotgun shells made specifically for it.


Personally I'd just get a 3-4" .357 Magnum revolver, have a 6th shot, more effective round, more common ammo, and still the ability to shoot the readily available shot shells and cheaper .38 Special ammo for fun.

Owners seem to have mixed reviews and I've noticed several of the online gun review sites and folks on YouTube give it "meh" to "moderate" to "crap" reviews.

Someone else said it...it's a gimmick in search of a use.

 

[pikid89]

What stands out is the PDX1 rounds

yes it stands out as being a poorly designed round, they are more of a useless gimmick than the Judge itself, designed to be bought by people who don't know any better

it throws frisbees flat face forward....terrible terrible sectional density
followed by BB size shot, a size considered adequate for ducks...not people

one would be far better served (which still isn't great) using normal buckshot in the Judge

With the newer powders and finely tailored technology for new Judge rounds

this whole business about using faster powders designed for shotgun pistols is a scam too, shotgun and handgun powders are already pretty interchangeable as it is.

 

[Skribs]

gilgsn, the purpose of the judge isn't to defend yourself from targets 45 feet away. It's for targets in SD range, which is likely to be about 10 feet away.

Fivetwoseven, bows were proven weapons of war for thousands of years. I'm sure people were saying "I don't want a musket, I'll take the bow that my ancestors used."

 

[captain awesome]

My thoughts on the 410 handguns:
I initially wanted a judge and still sort of do. But I have a couple requests of Taurus, first, I want a longer barrel for the 3" chamber that doesn't weight as much as the raging judge. They made a 6"bbl with the 2.5" chamber, why not the 3"? I also would like to see a choke.

Magnum research did a beautiful job with their BFR, (I own one) has a removable choke, and a 7.5 inch bbl with the 3" chamber. The gun is massive however and I wouldn't carry it without my shoulder rig. The long barrel should help a lot with the 410 velocity. My BFR is a lot of fun to bust clays with, and is a very well made and strong gun.

Other thoughts that are probably best left alone but I love to dream about doing Elmer Keith -ish type things....
I have some theory's I want to put to the test concerning the 410 hand guns. First, magnum research makes a 460 s&w BFR with a cylinder that should fit 3" 410 shells. 460 s&w has a max saami pressure of 65,000 psi, which is far beyond any pressure seen in any shotgun cartridge that I know of. If some one were to get their hands on some strong 3" shot-shells made of brass, and custom tailor a shot shell load at those pressures, imagine the ballistic capabilities. All of the sudden you would have the most formidable 410 pistol ever made. Something very similar could be done with the Raging Judge at 454 Casull pressures. I don't know all the logistics of wad strength and such but I am sure it could be worked out. another concern would be possibly dealing with extraction because of the case extending past the lip inside the chamber at the edge of the 460 case. it may need to be bored out to the length of the 3" case. Of course all of this would be much better accomplished with a smooth bore but hey we have to work with the laws we have.