The Taurus Judge is a formidablerevolver for personal protection. Taurus designed this gun so their customers can carry it in their car to prevent a carjacking and have it at home for home protection.
Many people choose the Judge as their personal protection handgun because it’s easy to use. Revolvers are extremely reliable and safe, and they don’t require special clips.
The Judge gives you the choice of five .410 shotgun shells or .45 pistol shells. You can also load a combination of the two . If you have the money and want to add an additional cartridge caliber, the Raging Judge accepts the .454 Casull.
Table of Contents
Taurus Judge
Pros
- Unique ability to fire .410 shotgun shells or .45 Colt cartridges
- Lots of stopping power
- Reliable
- Easy to shoot
Cons
- Larger, harder to conceal
- Limited amount of ammo
- Recoil
The LeMat revolver was one of the original revolvers capable of firing a shotgun shell.
The original LeMat revolver was a .42 or .36 caliber cap and ball black powder revolver with a secondary barrel capable of shooting buckshot.
Barrel Length
The Judge comes in an impressive variety of barrel lengths. The 2.5” and 3” models are the most common and least expensive. However, the Judge is a big gun to conceal even with a shorter barrel length. The longer barrel lengths can improve accuracy, but that’s not a factor for most people because they’re buying the Judge for protection against close-up targets. The longer barrel length also slightly reduces the recoil.
410 Shotgun Shells for Self-defense
Not all .410 shotgun shells are the same. For example, bird shot is highly ineffective for self-defense. Here are a few good shell options for self- or home defense. The availability of ammo can vary greatly, so you may have to take what you find.
Federal Premium Personal Defense
Shot Size: 4
Muzzle Velocity: 950 ft/s
Shotshell Length: 2.5”
These shells contain 59 pellets averaging 7/16 ounces in total weight making this a shell with an exceptional payload for self-defense. At the time of writing, the suggested retail price is $25 for 20 rounds, if you can find them.
Winchester Super X Shotshell .410 ½ oz Shotgun Shells
Shot Size: Choice of 4, 6, or 7.5
Muzzle Velocity: 1,250 ft/s
Shotshell Length: 2.5”
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Judge Public Defender Series
Available Barrel Lengths: 2.5”
Finishes: black polymer, matte stainless, matte black oxide
Weight: 28 oz.
Overall Length: 7.65”
The Judge Public Defender series offers a lot of stopping power in a compact version. Unlike the others in the Judge lineup, the Public Defender is only available with a 2.5” barrel. The Ribber grip feels comfortable in the hand even in damp conditions. If I were buying this gun, I would spend the extra money for the stainless steel version.
Judge Magnum Series
Available Barrel Lengths: 3” and 6.5”
Finishes: black polymer, matte stainless, matte black oxide
The Magnum Series takes both 2.5” and 3” .410 shells and .45 rounds. It’s also available with a long 6.5” barrel.
Raging Judge Series
Available Barrel Lengths: 3” and 6.5”
Finishes: matte stainless
The Raging Judge series has all the features of the other Judge models plus the ability to shoot an additional cartridge caliber. The .454 Casull packs a lot of stopping power. This added feature adds a lot to the cost of your Judge. With an MSRP just under $1,200, this is a serious handgun.
Judge Alternatives
Firearm availability can vary a lot. Although the Judge is widely available at the time of writing, that may not always be the case. Perhaps you want something a bit smaller or you just want to explore all the options for a handgun that shoots .410 shotgun shells. In this section, you’ll find some currently available options that are worth considering. Costs vary greatly.
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Available Barrel Lengths: 2.75”
Finishes: matte stainless and black matte stainless
The S&W Governor has been in production since 2011. It allows six shots compared with the five of the Taurus Judge. It comes with a higher price tag than the Judge, but that is not surprising coming from S&W. The Governor can be loaded with standard 2.5” .410 shotgun shells, but it will not accept 3” magnum rounds because it only has a 2.75” barrel. While that’s 1/4” longer than the barrel of the Judge Public Defender, it’s just not quite long enough for those magnum rounds.
Moon clips are specially designed moon- or star-shaped clips that allow you to load a combination of .410 and .45 rounds. The clip holds multiple rounds together so they can be inserted or ejected from your Governor at the same time. When you purchase a new Governor you get two moon clips and three 2-shot moon clips for use with .45 ACP rounds.
The S&W Governor is technically available in two finishes but it’s important to note that the two finishes come with different guns sights. The black matte version features dovetailed night sights while the classic matte stainless finish version has black ramp sights.
If you have the budget and want a long barrel, you might consider the Magnum Research BFR. This heavy-duty 5-shot revolver can shoot 2.5” and 3” .410 shotgun shells as well as .45 caliber rounds. The BFR has black factory-fixed front sights and adjustable rear sights. Unlike the Judge and the Governor, this is a single action revolver. However, it’s important to note its massive weight. At 4.5 lbs., this revolver is beyond huge.
The BFR was designed for hunting rather than personal defense, which is why it’s substantially heavier. More weight helps with recoil, which can improve accuracy. Many consider single-action pistols more reliable and rugged for hunting. Typically, single-action revolvers take longer to reload.
Bond Arms
Bond Arms makes some very high-quality derringer-style pistols that can shoot .45 or .410. These are small guns. They only take two shells. While these are reliable pistols, they lack the capacity of a revolver. However, some models are substantially less expensive than the Judge.
Interchangeable Barrels
One thing that makes Bond Arms unique is that they make all their guns on the same frame so you can buy different barrels and change them out, giving you the option of shooting many different calibers.
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Recoil
The recoil on Bond Arms derringers is low for the power. Shooters report a very comfortable firing experience. The recoil reduction comes at a cost though. These little guns weigh in at 1.4 lbs., which is pretty heavy for a derringer-class pistol.
The Rowdy features a stainless steel sandblasted frame. The barrels and trigger are all polished. The Rowdy has a built-in automatic shell extractor, a rebounding hammer, cross bolt safety, retracting firing pins, and a spring-loaded cammed locking lever. The 3” barrel means you can shoot .410 Magnum shells in this compact and rugged little gun.
The Texas Defender shoots .45 LC rounds rather than just regular old .45 rounds. This is one of the biggest differences between it and the Rowdy. Of course, it also shoots .410 shotgun shells in both 2.5” and 3” lengths. The Texas Defender has beautiful Rosewood grips. The barrel and frame are 100% stainless steel. A spent casing extractor makes reloading fast.
Faq
A handgun that can shoot shotgun shells offers versatility and serious stopping power. A shotgun blast is highly effective, especially if you’re not the best shot. Shotgun blasts spread, but they don’t travel great distances, so they’re less likely to injure bystanders or go through walls in shared housing situations.
The Taurus Judge is made in Brazil, whereas the S&W Governor is made in the USA. Higher labor costs make up at least part of the price difference. Name and reputation also come into play. Greater resale value is also a factor with more well-known manufacturers. Differences in metals and special features can add to costs. Longer barrel lengths up the cost on any revolver.
All of the revolvers and derringers featured in this article are adequate for personal protection. Prices range from just over $300 to just under $1,500. The Judge Public Defender is an excellent mid-priced option that offers five full rounds of stopping power. Whereas the Bond Arms Rowdy costs substantially less, it only takes two rounds, but it’s more concealable. Longer barrels can improve accuracy but make concealment more difficult. You need to determine what you can afford to spend, what capacity you’ll be happy with, and how much you care about being able to conceal your weapon.
Conclusion
A revolver is a reliable and easy-to-use firearm that’s great for personal protection. The Taurus Judge offers excellent value and the ability to shoot .410 shotgun shells as well as .45 caliber ammunition. There are many versions of the Judge to suit a variety of shooters. Long-barreled versions are harder to conceal but are more accurate with less recoil. The compact Public Defender and Magnum models offer exceptional stopping power and great concealability for a larger handgun.
The concept of a revolver that shoots shotgun shells is not new. Although the Judge has brought a lot of attention to this genre of firearms, a few shotgun-shell-shooting handguns have been around for a long time. If you’re not sure about the Judge, you can choose from manufacturers such as Smith and Wesson, Bond Arms, Magnum Research, and more.
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