.410 Revolver.

[Edward7]

Ive been thinking about getting either the judge or governor and id like some advice and/or opinions. My local gunshop has both and he usually gives me a good price on whatever I need....The question is, do i need it? I have a S&W MP9 so i have a sidearm already and will soon have a 12 gauge hunting shotgun but I love the idea of a legal short barrel shotgun of sorts, but is .410 enough to be used defensibly? It would be a home defense gun or maybe id take it out on trails/hunting in VT.
Im not familiar with the .410 round so im lookin around for info, thanks guys!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[.45acpguy]

Ive been thinking about getting either the judge or governor and id like some advice and/or opinions. My local gunshop has both and he usually gives me a good price on whatever I need....The question is, do i need it? I have a S&W MP9 so i have a sidearm already and will soon have a 12 gauge hunting shotgun but I love the idea of a legal short barrel shotgun of sorts, but is .410 enough to be used defensibly? It would be a home defense gun or maybe id take it out on trails/hunting in VT.
Im not familiar with the .410 round so im lookin around for info, thanks guys!

I have a Judge. For Self-Defense, it is best used within 10-12 feet. Further away than that and the penetration of the contents of the shotshell are not as good.

Check out some U-Tube videos that show some shooting of various loads of the Judge. If you intend to use it only at home, I would think that would probably be OK. But, as I said, for any range beyond 3-4 yards, you may find yourself limited.

[blitzburgh]

I was originally interested in one and watched a few reviews on it, including Hickock45's (sp?) and wasn't overly impressed. If I were to come across a good deal on one, I might be inclined to pick one up just to have.

[Smitty901]

They are really nothing more than a novelty gun. Something you throw down on the table over a night of big boy talk about the stuff you picked up .
Your cash by all means if you want one go for it.

[Landric]

The .410 is marginal out of a shotgun, and .410 slugs have significantly less oomph than .45 Colt cartridges.

That said, if I was going to buy one or the other, it would be the Governor. It has a 6 shot cylinder (as opposed to 5 for the Taurus), a front night sight, and can shoot .45 ACP in moon clips in addition to .410 and .45 Colt.

If what you are really looking for is a shorty shotgun, then this is the ticket:



AOW 12 gauges transfer on a $5 stamp and most of them are cheaper than a Governor. However, I'm not sure they are legal under state law in MA. Still AOWs tend to be the least restricted of the Title II guns, so they might be.

[Sontag]

They are really nothing more than a novelty gun. Something you throw down on the table over a night of big boy talk about the stuff you picked up.

Just curious....

Are your statements based on personal and/or first hand knowledge?

[bmcgilvray]

They are really nothing more than a novelty gun. Something you throw down on the table over a night of big boy talk about the stuff you picked up .
Your cash by all means if you want one go for it.

I'm going to have to agree with Smitty901.

I've not fired a .410 revolver but have fired various other .410 pistols and saw nothing extra special in the terminal ballistics department that would make me feel the need to add it to the firearms menagerie. There are some distinctly superior revolvers and other handguns available which are chambered for more effective and useful cartridges.

I wouldn't be taking a .410 revolver dove or duck hunting. It'd be a dud at the shotgun sports. Likewise, the handgun disciplines. It won't kill poisonous snakes any better than more conventional handguns (or even a shovel, stick, or handy rock). It won't do anything in a self-defense situation that can't be better sorted out with a conventional .45 caliber handgun, revolver or automatic.

Once the short-lived novelty of firing .410 shot shells of various descriptions wore off, the revolver would be come an awkward clunk of a thing to clutter up the safe and that's a novelty I can do without.

[Edward7]

Ok maybe the .410's out, is there any possibility of a .20 revolver or something? I wish I could just own/carry a sawed of .12 gauge.

[bmcgilvray]

It was said that Taurus was considering fielding a 28 gauge version of their Judge but the BATFE nixed the idea.

[ghost tracker]

ANY device that's meant to do more than one task runs the risk of not doing ANY one task optimally. If you want a handgun, buy one. Ditto if you want a shotgun. But (IMHO) the Judge & Governor both fill a niche that really didn't exist until the manufacturers decided to...fill it.

[Smitty901]

Just curious....

Are your statements based on personal and/or first hand knowledge?

Yes I have fired them many times when we use to shoot a lot we would have big gun day everyone would bring over there outrageous stuff we would line them up on the table and shoot till our wrist were sore or ammo ran out. There would be some crazy stuff on that table.
Before the judge there was the 410 thunder some would do a short range trap shoot with them. I heard Charter arm brought the Thunder back to life.
If I remember right it was the MIL thunder 5
Nothing wrong with novelty guns, long as you know what your buying and why.
I have a very nice Ruger Vaquero revolver .45 Long polished nickle. Cost over a buck to fire single action hand held cannon. Serves no use other than I wanted it.
Other than to inspect it and wipe it down has not been out of the case in years .
Cost of ammo, getting older and life getting in the way ended those days of shooting.

[Lindy1933]

The Winchester .410 PDX-1 is a mixed cartridge of three disks and some BB shot. Google it for reviews. The Judge or the Govenor are too big IMHO to carry easy but for HD it should be OK. I shot a .410 derringer a few months ago. That one backed up.

[Edward7]

Do they make 00. for the .410? or Slug? If they do I've never seen'em in a shop.

[Smitty901]

The farther of the the Judge Thunder five

[d2jlking]

Do they make 00. for the .410? or Slug? If they do I've never seen'em in a shop.

They do make buckshot for the .410 I sometimes load mine with 000. I have a judge. I think it has it's place. I sometimes take mine with me in my car, where I think the Judge would do well in a car-jacking situation do to the very limited distance involved. My favorite place to carry the gun is in the brush country of South Texas, where I encounter a fair number of Rattlesnakes. In fact, yesterday I killed a 5 footer with my Judge loaded with .410 #6s. GREAT SNAKE MEDICINE.