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Taurus Judge

rscottie

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Messages
608
Location
Ashland, Kentucky, USA
I didn't see this mentioned before in this thread, so I'll mention that this gun is considered a "sawed off shotgun" in some states. Best to check if it's legal in yours.

I know that sometimes the law doesn't make sense, but how can a revolver that is manufactured with a set barrel length be considered "sawed off"? Sawing off a barrel is a modification.

A Taurus Judge is manufactured exactly the way you receive it and thus not "sawed off".

IANAL so better be safe than sorry and check first.
 

Don Barnett

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Oct 5, 2008
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OK...

Please elaborate. What caliber barrel, what powder charge?

It was a 12 Guage, 2 3/4" Standard OO Buckshot round in a Mossburg 500 rifled barrel. Again, I am not a ballistics expert; just citing what happened.
 

NRAMARINE

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Feb 16, 2010
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523
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Anywhere but here.
Just for the heck of it, I shot a OO Buckshot round through a rifled barrel. The target was about 40 yards away and not one pellet hit it. I saw pellets hitting way in the tree limbs to the right, left and above the target, as well as on the ground.

Apparently, the rifled barrel spun the shot around like a pinwheel.

I don't know if the same thing would happen in the Judge.

If you get the federal loads they pattern well centered on the point of aim. I think it's a different wadding they use for the rifling.
 

NRAMARINE

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Feb 16, 2010
Messages
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Anywhere but here.
But he wasn't talking about ATF standards, he was talking about state laws. California, apparently, defines the Judge as an illegal shotgun.

What do you expect from the People's republic of Kalifornia. It won't hold in court, at least one that actually cares about laws rather than feelings.
 

Don Barnett

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Thanks...

If you get the federal loads they pattern well centered on the point of aim. I think it's a different wadding they use for the rifling.

Thanks...but at the time I was sighting in a rifled barrel so I could use slugs for hunting in a shotgun-only county; just wanted to see how the barrel would handle buckshot.

I don't do much hunting anymore due to back problems and if I did, I would go to a rifle-county and use my Ruger Super Redhawk.
 

Ruger .454

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Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
63
Location
Huntsville, Alabama, USA
I own the stainless magnum model with the 3" cylinder.

The pros:
- The first time I fired it at the range, I fired at a target at 25 yards with single 3" .410 5-pellet buckshot load. I though, "Huh. That's it?" Then I fired the other four rounds. "Ah, now I understand - 35 holes." Similar ah-ha's at 15 yards.
- It CAN be concealed. When I carry the Judge it goes in a Mernickle SOB holster custom made for the 3" cylinder Judge. I am 5'8" and weigh 155 lbs, and the Judge disappears under a baggy golf shirt.
- Like anything that fires shot shells, the Judge can rightly be described as a "shooting system." The versitility is unparalled. My preferred load is a single .410 #4 shot round, followed by two .410 000 buckshot rounds, followed by two .45 Colt JHP rounds. On the trail I load differently, and differently again for a long car ride. That's the point - versitility. I don't bother with .410 slug loads, though. Since it's chambered for .45 Colt there's no reason to.
- Someone mentioned "short sight radius" and must have never compared a Judge with any other handgun. The sight radius of the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan (which also fires .45 Colt) is 4 3/16". The sight radius of the Glock subcompacts (models 26 & 27) is 5 3/8". The sight radius of the 3" Judge is 5 7/8".
- Someone descriped the Judge as a "situational gun," and that's probably a fair description if you don't make the mistake of thinking that the weapon is good for only one kind of situation. At close range, and let's face it most gunfights are close range affairs, the Judge is a very effective weapon indeed. Some might consider it idea for anti-carjacking and home defense scenarios. At longer ranges it's the only sidearm street sweeper on the market. (Comment on "situational": All handguns are situational. If you want to avoid that you need a long gun.)

The cons:
- The groove in the top strap of my Judge angles to the right and is not on the centerline of the weapon. The front and reas sights are aligned, the grove is not. I've written to Taurus three times and got absolutely nothing by way of response. If you buy one, do not assume that fit and finish is equal to an American made weapon. Look it over carefully. Factory support is demonstrably nonexistent.
- No one makes a speedloader for .410 shot shells. If you are going to carry a Judge, only speedloaders for .45 Colt are available.
- It's a rather long weapon but not particularly heavy for a big revolver. Still, some may not be able to carry it comfortably. If OCing a Judge, a good stiff horsehide belt slide holster or a thigh rig might be excelent options.

All seriousness aside, wouldn't it be handy to own a judge? :)
 

JoeGlock40

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Joined
Feb 24, 2010
Messages
119
Location
tucson/marana , az
i carry a SS original judge and it patterns reall good wit federal 000 PD rounds and the new winchester pdx1 shells are pretty sweet to.but the shot spread with the 12 bbs is alil to wide past 5 yards.but overall great pd gun
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
46
Location
NJ
Taurus quality control

A gun shop where I frequent stopped selling Taurus. They had to send back Judges and others.... Due to mass production, the quality control suffered, within the last year and a half. They told me mostly thier semi's, not so much thier revolvers.
 
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j4l

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Jan 6, 2011
Messages
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Location
fl
Depends on the model, and when made. Newer ones are proving much better of late. Can their customer service be better, dont know myself-no need for it yet. But based on what I've heard-if even half of it is true, then yes, Im sure it could be improved.
But I could say the same of my electric company, phone service, etc..

My .45 has been shooting straight, true, and 100% reliably so far, so Im fine. But then I didnt go into it expecting $3K performance for $400.. :banghead: :banghead:


As for the Judge- ya, its marketed as a defensive arm, and with the right loads (000-test it for yourself-my results were quiet different from box o truth's) @ short range it can be a powerful one, but I'm considering one mostly for use against snakes and such here. With a secondary use against humans, in a pinch.
Very handy piece to tote around if youre working in the yard,etc.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
46
Location
NJ
My .45 has been shooting straight, true, and 100% reliably so far, so Im fine. But then I didnt go into it expecting $3K performance for $400..



Remeber that when you have to depend on it in a pinch...:shocker:

The ones with the polymer lowers. are the failures.... millenniums, 24-7's, etc......

These guns are hit and miss, and as far as I'm concerned, I wanna hit everytime.
I own a model 66 I bought july 09'... shoots well. It's a house gun.

So far Taurus has the worst reviews out of all the manufactures, maybe besides Charter Arms... I don't feel like experimenting with Taurus which means I would be experimenting with my life or others.
 
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j4l

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Jan 6, 2011
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Been wringing my 845 (poly frame) out pretty hard last few weeks, doing the break-in. Nothing amiss. Can anyone state a particular,known issue? All I ever hear are vague-at best- "issues" w/ little to no explanation.
Not saying doesnt/wont happen- just I hear a lot of bashing without much behind it, or specifics. And, most of the time when someone does have specifics-we come to find out they're trying to blast their homebrew version of Super-Duper Magnum -level handloads through the things, or are just plain mis-handling them to begin with.
 

j4l

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"Remeber that when you have to depend on it in a pinch"

Also, that's why ya pack a BUG. And a blade or two. I never rely on only one weapon, Murphy just waits for the poor sucker who does...
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
46
Location
NJ
guess somebody was doing thier job, THAT day.

Been wringing my 845 (poly frame) out pretty hard last few weeks.., doing the break-in. Nothing amiss.

The shop owmer didn't give me specifics... I took his word for it. I trust the guy, he has a good reputation. If he stopped selling them, then that's good enough for me, also that means he cares about his customers. If he had to send them back, they had to go back... that means to me they didn't function, is that enough for me? He's doing me a favor, as far as I'm concerned.
 
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Wolf1477

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2011
Messages
188
Location
Up Nort' Wi
You'll come across a lot of people who dislike Taurus for many reasons. Some of those reasons are valid no doubt, but, most come from hearsay and an inability to get over a reputation that hasn't been valid for 30+ years.

I, personally, love my PT-1911 (.45 acp). Got about 600 rounds through it now without a single ftf, fte, blah blah blah. I'm looking at getting one of the new 24/7s as well. Most of the stores up here have a fairly large Taurus display section...and you get a year's full membership to the NRA when you buy a new Taurus.

If you'd like to read owner reviews, you can hit www.taurusarmed.net. It's not affiliated with Taurus, just a forum for Taurus owners to congregate, they have a section devoted to the Judge line and it'll give you the good, bad, and ugly on the Judge. They also have a complaints section where people talk about Taurus firearm/CS issues.

As far as Taurus's customer service, yeah, they had problems *years* ago. It's much improved, and, what other manufacturer is going to give you an unlimited lifetime warranty? The first year of warranty includes free shipping to/from Taurus, they'll send a FedEx truck to your house to pick it up, all you have to do is box it up, average turn around has been trimmed to around 2 weeks from what I've read on there.

Best bet, try to find a dealer/owner who will let you shoot some rounds through one and see if it fits your needs and feels good to you.

Good luck on your decision.

Sam, anyone want to buy a slightly used soap box?<g>
 
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Joined
Mar 14, 2011
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46
Location
NJ
this dude is rough.... inability!!!

I was told that in the past year and a half... they've been going down hill. And they sent back judges...
 
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Aknazer

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Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
1,760
Location
California
in Oklahoma per 1289.18: "A. "Sawed-off shotgun" shall mean any firearm capable of discharging a series of projectiles of any material which may reasonably be expected to be able to cause lethal injury, with a barrel or barrels less than eighteen (18) inches in length, and using either gunpowder, gas or any means of rocket propulsion.

Which means that a prosecutor with a cali mindset could make an arguement that the Judge is primarily designed to "discharge a series of projectiles" (aka the 410 round) even though it "can" shoot the 45LC (basically a reverse arguement for why a rifle or pistol with the "snake killer" bb rounds isn't a shotgun), that it has a barrel less than 18" (duh, it's a pistol), and therefor by law is a "sawed-off shotgun." I highly doubt that it would go anywhere in court and the gun is sold in gun stores all over the state. But by state law you could make the arguement that it's illegal.
 

Twiztid Angel

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
57
Location
Rockingham county NC
I own the Judge and it is not a novelty gun nor a gimmick gun...it shoots accurately and if you use the the specialty 410 instead of the birdshot it is wonderfully accurate and keeps a close pattern.

At 21 foot the PDX1 kept a pattern at about 1 and 1/2 inches which is better than they claim.....at 15 foot it was right at an inch.....the box-o-truth just shows one piss poor demo of a gun they were not happy about to begin with.....trust your own judgement and go try one out:cool:

Of the men who have reluctantly shot my judge they were very impressed with it and 2 have went on to go buy there own.


This is a 2x6 pc of wood on both shots 1 of the pcs of projectile went through the back of the wood....we think this was the last out cause it had bb impressions on it.

DSC06727.jpgDSC06726.jpg
 
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Sonora Rebel

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Aug 6, 2008
Messages
3,956
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Gone
The Judge is close range self defense gun. Period! A 'pointer'... not some precison tack driving range shooter. Pull, point 'n shoot if you have to. That 'boxotruth' test is not what this gun was made for. As far as the supposition that the round flattened against each other in the barrel is nonsense. 'Dude must have never considered impact expansion. What was the range on that test... 40'? That's not in the immediate threat area. 'Just 'cause somebody has a blog site doesn't make 'em expert on anything.
 

j4l

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Jan 6, 2011
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I own the Judge and it is not a novelty gun nor a gimmick gun...it shoots accurately and if you use the the specialty 410 instead of the birdshot it is wonderfully accurate and keeps a close pattern.

At 21 foot the PDX1 kept a pattern at about 1 and 1/2 inches which is better than they claim.....at 15 foot it was right at an inch.....the box-o-truth just shows one piss poor demo of a gun they were not happy about to begin with.....trust your own judgement and go try one out:cool:

Of the men who have reluctantly shot my judge they were very impressed with it and 2 have went on to go buy there own.


This is a 2x6 pc of wood on both shots 1 of the pcs of projectile went through the back of the wood....we think this was the last out cause it had bb impressions on it.

View attachment 5475View attachment 5476

Exactly. I wont knock box-o, most of his tests have been in line with some of my own, and hold merit- but this one with the Judge was just pre-biased to begin with.
In other tests, with birdshot, I've gotten completely different results.
#4 birdshot- not so tough, but will still do some damage. # 6 birdshot penetrated and passed right through everything that 00 and 000 did...wood/sheetrock/steel..
 
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