Got a rather long passionate email about the Taurus Judge and everything that is good about it. The problem though… is that it’s still a Taurus Judge… in .410. See, regardless of the benifits of the Judge… It’s good at neither shooting the .45 Colt or the .410…
It’s quite true that there are people that have unrealistic expectations about The Judge. It’s not a “monster-slayer,” but you could also say the same thing about a number of other guns out there. (This is mostly due to TV and movies, coupled with a general intellectual laziness whereby most people will see said movie, say, “OOOH, That’s cool! I want one,” and never bother to do their homework. Most serious gun owners actually know better anyway.)
That said, The Judge does have some good points that shouldn’t be glossed over. If you do, you’re just as bad as the people mentioned above.
The primary purpose of this gun is anti-snake. Most ranchers carry some kind of light rifle or shotgun, (at the very least in a vehicle) while they are surveying or doing some kind of work on their property. It is not possible or convenient to carry said shotgun or rifle for every single conceivable task or location. It is significantly more convenient to carry something in a holster attached to one’s hip than slung across one’s shoulder. (I would LIKE to carry my M1-A, and, although it’s perfectly legal in Texas, it’s inconvenient on a motorcycle, and worries the sheeple, which is necessary grief! I CAN carry my concealed handgun.)
I had an uncle who was deathly afraid of rattlesnakes, (just shy of paranoid, but for good reason!) His primary method of ridding himself of a known rattlesnake was to run over it with a vehicle, and then chip its head off with a shovel while the snake was pinned. This worked well if one had a vehicle and shovel. He’s been in situations where he was missing one or both. To make matters worse, they sometimes bite without rattling, and killing one with just a shovel requires that one get unnecessarily close to the snake.
With The Judge, if you see a snake that you can’t avoid or work around, one or two shots with #9 shot will take care of it. That give you three extras, “just in case.”
That which applies to the rancher applies to the fisherman who is concerned about water moccasins, (which are VERY aggressive!) or bears. The Judge is indeed weak tea vs bear, (even with Speer Gold Dots,) but the revolver will “dual-hat” between .410 and .45LC, and sometimes that’s a better choice overall.
A good secondary purpose would be small game and / or light varmint at close range. As above, it’s easier to carry than a long-gun.
A good tertiary purpose would be anti-carjacking in areas where one is paranoid about over-penetration. This is a bigger concern if you live in a big city, and not so much for a small town or country. Then again, in such areas, carjacking is less of a concern.
The Judge would not fit in the role of skeet shooting, unless you’re insanely good and want a challenge, or are a dingbat, and like the idea of shooting skeet with a handgun.
The Judge is too big to conceal unless you are a big-and-tall person wearing the right clothing with the right holster. Even then, there are better choices.
For home-defense, there’s very little reason not to have an actual shotgun.
That said, don’t be too hard on The Judge. Educate the people who have Holywood ideas about guns and their capabilities.
