Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns All hail the "Judge"

I just do not get the idea of this thing for self defense and yet so many people seem to be in love with it. A guy we hunt with now wants a home defense pistol and his view is that because its a shotgun and pistol all rolled into one its the best thing going. Too me it looks big and heavy for the pixxant payload it might deliver in a 2.5 inch 410 shell. The only thing going in its favor is that it would not shoot thru your walls too much. Anyone dispute the concept that this is a toy possibly good for shooting snakes and small rats or something.

Well, I for one like the judge. Mine is the 3" magnum verson. I took it out a week ago, and ran several different things thru it:

Win 3" mag 000 buck
Win 3" mag rifle slugs
Win 3" mag #6
Golden Bear #4 buck
Magtech .45LC cowboy loads

The gun shot everything I put thru it, flawlessly, with one exception. The Golden Bears[metal casings] stuck in the cyl., and had 2 FTF in dbl action mode. The patterns were good, but had to punch out of the cyl. The rifle slugs were ho-hum, and the #6 shot spread pretty badly. However, the .45LC, and the 000 buck were accurate, and no issues with performing in the gun. I'm not a great handgun shot[left handed/right eye dominant], and was pleased with what I have seen so far.

I think the judge is an "in your face" HD handgun, or for truck carry. It's not a hunting gun, as such. I'm going to try some 3" #9 shot thru it to see if it patterns better than the #6 did. Below are some target pics. I'm going to try some penetration tests with the 000 buck, on waterjugs, when I get the chance. Overall, I like it for it's intended use.



The Judge



Golden Bear #4 buck. Decent pattern/unreliable ammo.



.45LC, shot free hand at about 10 yds. The gun shoots better than I do



Win. 000 buck shot dbl action at about 10 yds.

Again, your milage may vary, but I like the judge. As I shoot it more, I will become more proficient with it. In the meantime, it stays on my nightstand loaded with 3" 000 buck.

maddog

I just read that "box o truth" guys report, he was not impressed. It probably a good snake or rabbit/squirrel type gun however.

It's probably the best snake gun you can lay your hands on if you stoke it with Fiocci #9 shot. For personal defense, any of the .410's are a big mistake. The .410 just doesn't deliver enough payload to be effective as a fight stopper. If you use the slug loads, it begins to become effective, but you're seriously hadicapping yourself when you have .45 Colt loads available.

Loaded with .45 Colt, it's a great home defense gun.

Still, one could buy a traditional revolver in .45 Colt and pick up some snake loads and do anything one would do with The Judge.

To me, it's an interesting curiosity that could be fun to play with, but it really doesn't bring anything truely usable to the table that isn't available with other .45 Colt revolvers.

Those things sell like crazy around these parts. The dealers can't keep them in stock. Go figure. I've overheard customers talking who wanted one to keep in their truck for shooting "ditch parrots".

I shot one that my cousin had, while fun, I don't think it will work well on ditch parrots! Pattern is too open even at 15 ft you might get lucky with one pellet to the head.

I know I am going to regret this question but what is a ditch parrot?

Pheasant.

I can't put my hands on it but it seems I read a review where they got amazingly low velocities out of the Judge with 410 loads.
Has anyone here chronographed any 410 loads shot in the Judge ?

Mike

The NRA American Rifleman Magazine chrono'd velocities and .410 shotshell stuff barely ran over 700 fps. That doesn't give much velocity for the small pellet penetration everyone dotes over. Add to the fact the rifled barrel spins the shot pattern far and wide. The buckshot loads offer nothing over a bullet except lower weight per pellet and lower velocity overall. The long cylinder for the shotshells does nothing for accuracy of the .45 Colt bullets. Sure makes for a lot of freebore for the .45 bullets to jump through. Probably cuts the velocity of the .45 Colt loads too, though I cannot remember how they chrono�d in the article. I see The Judge as neither fish nor fowl; it isn�t a shotgun despite what some want to think. And it is one awkward and clumsy .45 Colt revolver. What it is is a novelty that the maker is trying to capitalize on. The thing might have some utility as a truck gun and around the farm. A person might want one just for the pure novelty of it. But to hitch your wagon to for a pure defensive weapon is folly IMHO.

The .410 is a marginally effective shotgun, at best, in a 28" barrel. It will be how effective in a 3" barrel?

I knew of some folks years ago who shot .45 Colt ammo, covertly, in single-shot .410 shotguns to -- in their minds, anyway -- gain a ballistic advantage over .410 slugs, in shotgun-only deer seasons. I'm guessing they didn't gain all that much and probably risked a bit.

I'm not guessing that shooting .410 shells in handguns doesn't gain a ballistic advantage .

Dennis

Just gotta agree with Kevin on this one. Another one of those answers to a question never asked.

I agree, I guess its just the uneducated that think they are something.

I would not go that far, there is always the "gee wizz" factor and they are a nich offering. Just not my cup of tea when there are far better offerings out there.

The Judge is the hottest selling revolver at our store. Distribution is allocated and we seldom have one on the shelf for more than a few hours. The perceived versatility of the Judge includes home defense, truck gun, ATV, camping gun and a snake smasher. Most of those buying them seem relatively new to firearms in general. OTOH, we seldom ever see them traded back in for something else.

I tested one, a 3" model and found the 45 Colt loads to be reasonably accurate and the 410 pattern evenly distributed @ 10yards. 000 buck was interesting and printed the three balls w/i 4" @ 7yards.

I never understood why a person who would NEVER reach for a .410 shotgun in the home for self defense would suddenly be compeled to buy one in a handgun in .410 for self defense...maybe that's just me.

I have one and love it, and I am not a Taurus fan, I did a bunch of testing with different shotgun shells, buckshot and slugs, as well as 45 Colts. Works great.

All I know is, I would not want to be on the receiving end of one, different strokes for different folks.

It would be nice if they made one wiht straight rifling (so as not to be a short barreled shotgun) with some form of choke in it. This wouldn't make it any better for self defense but might make the shot loads pattern good enough to make a real fun bunny gun.

A couple guys in our hunt club have them. They carry a mixed load, shot and 45. We have black bears(that we cannot hunt) and snakes of the poisenous variety. I carry a model 66 with shot and mag ammo. Lighter and just a affective IMO.

Stores here cannot keep the judges in stock.