taurus judge questions

[Grizz]

I have a couple of questions about that gun.

1. 45 Colt has a huge jump down the cylinder free bore before enountering the forcing cone. How does that work out? Seems like there would be lead shaving and issues of angled approaches into the forcing cone. Especially since the lock time might allow recoil influences before the bullet engages the rifling. Any thoughts about this?

2. 410 3" shells have a viscious recoil in a light gun. I had one of the skeleton frame thingys and that would put a hurt on my shoulder every shot. The cumulative effect was awsome the next day. But this goes to the 410 in a hand gun. I would expect the recoil flip to be heavy for a SD arm, much more say than the 44 spl in a redhawk. Anyone have actual trigger time with this gun?

come back,

Grizz

[AJMD429]

No trigger time with that gun, but a couple comments based on other similar guns I've shot.

My Braztech .45/410 I sold when I realized the long jump to rifling would prohibit the use of .45 Colt loads if I wanted to actually hit anything. I literally got foot-sized groups at 25 yards! I tried hot loads, mild loads, lead loads, jacketed loads, and finally decided the only way to get it to work would be to load up .410 metal shotshells with bullets and crimp them. (Somewhere there's a web article on doing just that), so the bullets would be out near the rifling.

Still, at in-home defensive range, maybe 5 yards maximum, the groups would be more like 3" which would be MORE than adequate. Any bullets travelling sideways might be an advantage.

The recoil I'd not fear, because when Indiana still wouldn't allow 'rifle' but would allow ALL shotguns, you could legally use a .410 slug - when I looked up the ballistics on the factory slugs I think they were [ corrected info ] 87 grains at 1750 fps or something rather puny - I think I mentally classed them somewhere between a .38 special and a .32-20; not good rounds for whitetail unless in experienced hands. That's when I decided to try the .45 Colt shells in the .410 and 'cheat' the system so my 8 & 10 year old kids could get some field time. With the choice being between an anemic .410 slug and a super inaccurate .45 Colt round, we just gave up and got them a really heavy barreled .20 gauge slug gun. Expensive to shoot, hard to hold still, but recoil manageable for them. (Glad they can use .44 Mag and .357 Mag now!) I'd think the shot rounds would recoil less or the same than the slug rounds.

Also, handguns do seem to distribute recoil differently. On the one hand, I really hated shooting a .454 Casull Encore pistol with hot loads, the Puma carbine to me 'barely' recoils - certainly not unpleasantly. However, as a kid, I remember firing a .12 gauge with slugs that had a kind of 'dragoon' pistol grip and was cut down to 19" - legal, but minimal. Firing it at the waist level was unpleasant, but holding it with both hands on the pistol grip like a huge front-heavy pistol, it was NOT at all bothersome to shoot. So, I agree with your asking for people with real trigger-time, because I don't THINK it would recoil that much, but I wouldn't have expected the .454 Encore to be that much worse than the carbine, since years ago that guy's shotgun wasn't that bad, vs. firing from the hip, or such a short gun from the shoulder would be.

It does sound like an ideal 'house gun' for someone who doesn't already have a suitable gun they're really practiced with - small enough to maneuver and retain, potent enough to do the job, and with shot, not likely to overpenetrate too much.

[klrhunter650]

I had one of the first "Judges". 45 Colt was the most accurate thing it shot. My gun would only chamber 2.5 in. 410 loads and I don't think their was much difference b/t those and a 45 slug for recoil. It was a neat gun, but thats about it for me. Now I have a Old vaquero in 44 mag and shot shells for that do just about as well. The rifling really throws the shot cup into a spiral in the Judge. I think that gun was the most useful with the hard to find 2.5" buckshot loads. Hmm, kinda wish I had it back now.

[Hobie]

I have spoken to three women who have shot them and have had no problems with either .45 Colt or .410 buckshot loads. Those are 2½-inch guns. We sell a lot of them and I don't know of a single one that has been returned or traded in.

[Jaguarundi]

Grizz here is a link to Jeff Quinn's Gunblast review of the Ultralight Judge with video http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-UltraLiteJudge.htm.The eval has a highlighted link to his original review.

[Blaine]

Grizz, talk to SureShot....his locked up some and did not seem to bring him joy....I don't know if he still has it or not...There is a Judge at Sunbirds in Yelm, or was last weekend....I think they have one that will take 3" shells now..... (you gonna be there tomorrow?)

[AJMD429]

The guy at Gander Mountain was saying the new ones handle 3" shells...

[Fairshake]

I own and have shot mine quite a bit in the 18 months that I've owned it. It's the SS 3in bbl model and it only shoots the 2 1/2 in shells although the 3in model is said to be ready for sale. The gun is very easy to shoot and recoil is not bad. The factory ribbed grips do a good job. It's a fun gun to own and shoot. I also use it for a truck gun. I load 2 buckshot, 2 slugs and then a WW 45 Silvertip. I know of no 2 legged varmit that would be able to remove his head after putting it inside my vehicle. The 410 slug is much faster than 600 FPS. I have used it to finish black tip shark that became hooked while we were saltwater fishing. It's a blast to bust clays with. If you want to play a trick, tell someone you are shooting a 45 and throw and bust a hand thrown clay. Close range rabbit gun, the list goes on. It will be the last gun that I get rid of. Also makes for a great back packing gun.

[Grizz]

Grizz here is a link to Jeff Quinn's Gunblast review of the Ultralight Judge with video http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-UltraLiteJudge.htm.The eval has a highlighted link to his original review.

thanks guys, I met someone today who carries one concealed. rifling does spin shot, I ran a box of 410 through a 444 and at 15' got two circles, one around six inches and one around 12 inches in diameter.

Blaine, I can't get there before about two-thirty and y'all will be leaving about then so I'll pass this time...