What niche does the Taurus Judge fill?

[TheGreatGonzo]

For the past couple of days, I've been pondering the Taurus Judge and exactly what role it might fill in my personal arsenal. Personally, I would never carry it a daily personal defense gun. I would think it would have some limited potential as a home defense gun. There more I think about it, the more it seems like a good "woods gun" for backpacking and camping. Keep it loaded with the .410 for snake and critters. But keep a pocketful of .45LC in case you run into 2-legged critters. Certainly you could not reload quick enough to make the change in you actually needed it quickly on the trail, but the .410 should buy you enough time to seek cover and reload with .45LC. And you could switch out the loads at night for protection in the tent. Anybody got any thoughts on this rather inventive revolver? It is an interesting concept, I'm just not sure exactly for what...
Gonzo

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Cuda66]

Range toy. Shooting pigeons inside buildings.

I'd rather have a .357 or .44 mag with the first couple of rounds snakeshot and the rest full-power loads in the backpacking scenario you give; I just can't see giving a .45C cartridge all that freebore down the cylinder and still have it be terribly accurate.

I've always thought they were a fairly useless pistol by a company with a mediocre track record backed up by a good marketing campaign.

No way I'd buy it and expect to stake my life on it.

[BentLink]

I'm also puzzled by the motivation for this revolver. Seems like the worst possible tool for any challenge other than shooting nuisance varmints in a crawl space.

[retsupt99]

I only see it as a great 'snake' gun...I'd carry one in the timbers.
Now I just put snake shot in my snubbie...

[cvhoss]

I only see it as a great 'snake' gun...I'd carry one in the timbers.
Now I just put snake shot in my snubbie...

Ditto. If I lived in serious rattlesnake country, I might have one but I see it as too expensive for such a special purpose firearm.

Hoss

[Lewis128]

Certainly a "range toy".
A friend of mind keeps his on the nightstand loaded with buck-shot.
Personally, I'm not confident in the .410's usefulness for self defense. The .45 colt, certainly, but .357 is much easier to find, cheaper, and very effective.
It might make a fun squirrel gun.
Toss a rock onto the roof of the grain bin and wait in ambush by the most likely escape route. Beats the heck out of tromping through the woods hoping for a random shot.
God I miss those days!

[archer51]

I personally don't see it filling any niche. I consider it a gimmick gun that doesn't fill a real need for anything. It's really not designed for a conceal carry gun, barrel is too short for making the 410 useful for defensive purposes. Many better all around guns on the market. JMO

[OldVet]

Well, I have to disagree with most. I see the Judge as a useful "in-home" defense firearm. I think it's ideal as a "someone's in the house (or room) in the middle of the night" bedstand gun.

Given that, most shots will be at 5-10 feet, I think a load of #3 buckshot out of anything would be highly discouraging. The spread of such a short-barreled weapon would be more than ample for "point and shoot." The chance of penetrating the usual sheetrock interior walls of most homes and endangering others would be reduced.

With a couple of rounds of .410 backed up with .45 Colt, it should be more than enough for defense.

Keep in mind that the gun isn't intended for 25 yard 1" groupings. It's for taking down someone who is in the same room with you, possibly in the dark, and others may be in the next room.

Do you really want to be unloading multitudes of 9mm or larger highly penetrating rounds? Or do you want to point, fire, and most likely hit the BG with several pellets, persuading him that his future lies elsewhere.

As for carrying in the woods. why would you have the Judge loaded with six rounds of shot? One or two would dispatch any snake(s), and keep the .45 in the other chambers.

[Guevera]

I think it represents more than anything else the work of some functionary in Brazil who has risen to the occasion when asked to design some new revolver that can be sold to the American market.

The variations of this big tub of a firearm, "Raging Judge, Public Defender," etc. demonstrate not only a sense of humor, but a keen understanding of this country. Personally, I have examined a couple of them and find the whole Judge thing kind of laughable. And sad.

Impressive, though, how people justify the purchase of these things and manufacture a good reason in their minds to own one.

[10thmtn]

The thing I dislike the most is Taurus' advertising about this gun. They show a paper target that has been shredded by birdshot, and somehow that is supposed to imply that the Judge is a serious defensive revolver. I feel sorry for anyone that loads that gun with birdshot, and expects it to be effective against a determined attacker.

Marketing, indeed. They're taking advantage of new shooters who don't know any better.

[Harryball]

If im not mistaken whinchester put out a specific defense round in .410 for the judge. Might be a better defense gun than we think. just my .02

[Cuda66]

If im not mistaken whinchester put out a specific defense round in .410 for the judge. Might be a better defense gun than we think. just my .02

I think it's just a little more marketing aimed to those who want to convince themselves it's an effective defense gun.

I don't believe the hype.

[pirate]

I personally don't see it filling any niche. I consider it a gimmick gun that doesn't fill a real need for anything. It's really not designed for a conceal carry gun, barrel is too short for making the 410 useful for defensive purposes. Many better all around guns on the market. JMO

I agree, it appeals to the unwashed masses but for people who really know firearms its a gimmick and serves no function well enough to justify buying one.

[jem102]

No niche at all. The people I see with them are what the serious AR-15 folks refer to as "Mall Ninjas". It has to be the most ungainly handgun ever.
However, if it brings people into the shooting sports and increases gun ownership, so be it!

[Stevew]

The Judge would make more sense for my use than any gun I own. I have a farm in S Mississippi. I shoot a bunch of rats while baleing hay. I shoot between 65 and 85 Cotton Mouths from my back porch every year. I just can't bring myself to buy one because I don't like the way they look.