Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, why pay 1.5 times the price of the Judge for one more chamber? You’ll never wear out the Judge; ain’t eggzakelly a target shooter.
It is not my cup of tea but still I can see a real use for it as a quick firing self defense gun.
You could also load it with number 8 shot to carry for snakes etc. Actually it would not be bad to have the first shot or two as .410 then .45 Colt with the rest.
A friend of mine let me fire his S&W Governor, I’m not a good shot with a pistol, but was glad to see I was within 1 -2 broadsides of a barn. Which barn is up for dispute.
Recoil seemed reasonable and it’s comfortable to hold. In terms of self defense, I think anyone staring at the business end of this thing would probably want to reconsider their life choices. Or consider the choice of having a life.
Basically, the difference is case length and rim diameter. Ballistically, they aren't too dissimilar. To fire .45 ACP in a revolver, though, you generally need half or full moon clips so the cartridges don't move around or fall out of the cylinder.
I happen to have one. It’s the only revolver I know you can load 2 .410s, 2 45LCs, AND 2 45 ACPs in the same loading. Actually, you can load the non-45ACPs in any order or number you want. It comes with a 2 round moon clip for the 45 ACPs (you could likely load all 45 ACPs) with a 6 round moon clip, but I haven’t tried it)
Steel barrel, hardened scandium frame and a nice feel to it. Shoots well, but isn’t a target shooter, but who needs precise with a set of PDX1 .410s with a set of three P loads and several shots?
I didn’t buy a Judge because of the aluminum of some parts, and because I once, once owned a PT111 Millenium 9mm that routinely dropped the magazine out of the weapon when the first shot was fired. It is precisely that reason why I own NO Taurus weapons except for a Ranch Hand 45 LC made by Braztech.
You also need the moon clips to extract the casings easily from the cylinder.
I own a Judge. I use it around my property, usually loaded with #4 .410 shot. I like it and enjoy shooting it but I’d have a tough time recommending it over other handguns for self-defense, even “in vehicle”.
Small .410 spreads like you wouldn’t believe out of a little barrel. And big .410 (say, buck) is like three pellets. For two legged varmints I’d rather have .45 ammo than .410.
I guess the concept is that she’d be shooting at someone sticking their head into the vehicle. I am not sure I see the advantage of the shot over a solid bullet, practically speaking. Especially when for less money you could have an automatic loaded with, say, 10 or 15 MORE solid bullets you can fire really rapidly.
Other misc. comments:
** 6 shots is nice, although a 6-cartridge cylinder can’t help but increase the size and weight of what is already a pretty large and heavy handgun
** The ability to shoot .45ACP is an advantage, as .45LC is a little harder to get and a little pricier than the ACP ammo
** $600 is a lot of dough. I forget what I paid for the Taurus; I think about $500 because I got the stainless version knowing sooner or later it would get left somewhere damp
Just my 2c, and FRegards
Why? It’s a gimmicky little gun. No need for the .410 when you can shoot .45 ACP, and without the .410 chambers, the gun becomes much more manageable. And .45 LC is harder to find.
There are other revolvers chambered in .45 ACP if you want that caliber, and if you’re just looking for pure manstopping power, .357 is certainly on par with .45 ACP.
You’re lucky! Over here in the People’s Republic of Kalifornia, the Taurus Judge is illegal as is every firearm. Yes, I was being sarcastic on the latter since they are trying to ban ARs again here.
Also IMHO the best car gun is a carbine. The second best is a 12-guage shotgun. I'd only select a pistol if there was absolutely nowhere to store a long gun.
OK, let’s start with the .45’s.
The .45 ACP is a round designed to be used in semi-automatic pistols, particularly the 1911 Colt, which was the US military sidearm from WWI until the 1980’s. This is a very credible self-defense round, used daily by many, many people who carry semi-auto pistols for self defense. Because it is a semi-auto round, it won’t typically headspace properly in a revolver without some sort of “clip” holding the rim of the case flush or proud of the back of the cylinder.
As a rule, I’m skeptical of using semi-auto ammo in self-defense revolvers for reasons I won’t explain here just now, suffice to say that there’s many, many revolver cartridges which were designed for revolvers which perform quite well in a self-defense weapon. There’s no need to resort to such logistical issues as cobbling a pistol round into a revolver. Moon clips are cheap enough, it’s the logistical issue of needing them at all where I simply cannot accept them in a self-defense gun.
The .45 Colt, sometimes incorrectly called the “.45 Long Colt” is a revolver cartridge that was first used in the famous Colt Single Action Army revolvers - you’ve seen these revolvers in many, many westerns on TV and the big screen. The SAA was a “single action” revolver and needed the hammer manually cocked for each shot. I don’t think many people carry single action revolvers for self-defense, and I would not recommend such a weapon. But the .45 Colt round? It has enjoyed a resurgence as a “cowboy action shooting” cartridge in revolvers and lever-action rifles. It is every bit as powerful in standard loadings as a .45 ACP, and modern weapons can use the same bullets launched out of either a .45 ACP or .45 Colt case. In some revolvers (particularly newer, single-action revolvers), the .45 Colt can be loaded to be as powerful as a .44 Magnum - or more. I wouldn’t do that in this revolver, tho.
The ability to shoot .410 shotgun loads is where I find these weapons and I part. The attraction is that you get more versatility in your choice of ammo, but the downside is that now, the cylinder of the revolver must be made longer (much longer) and the overall gun heavier. The upside is that in 00 or 000 buckshot, you’re getting four (00) or three (000) pellets of buckshot vs. your one bullet out of a .45 cartridge.
There are now several ammo manufactures making “defense” loads for the .410 shotgun, specifically with these small revolvers in mind. At short distances, they’re quite probably devastating, putting three or four good-sized projectiles within the critical center-of-chest area at 7 yards and under.
The only thing I can tell you is to find a range where you can rent one and shoot it.
I would pick the Judge over the Governor because I understand the Governor will not accept 3 inch .410 shells whereas many of the later models of the Judge will. If you are using .410 buckshot for self defence, 3 inch shells are probably a necessity for stopping power. My opinion.
Buy the most gun one can hit with reliably, make the best deal possible, practice practice practice.
Saw Michael Bane (MidwayUSA) hit ballistic gel with some of the specialized .410 rounds out of the governor/judge type pistol. Results were pretty good, and there is definitely some flexibility there.
A .410 pump or auto with slugs or a carbine in .45 acp, and a governor/judge gets close to that nice pistol/carbine combo!
Don’t. “Crossover” guns don’t cut it. You want a .45? get a .45; you want a .410? get a .410 ... get something that optimizes what it fires, not something that tries to be more or other than what you need. At the distances you intend, “spread” means nothing. Remember, if you need it then your life WILL depend on it: make up your mind about which type of ammo you’ll want at hand, and get something built for it to maximize power, accuracy, capacity & reliability vs. the compromise of size & weight. Either way with the “Judge” you’re sacrificing barrel length (power & accuracy) and weight (vs. capacity) for the option of an anemic shell size.
Gun Tests (http://www.gun-tests.com/), did a comparison of the two in August 2011 and gave the edge to the Judge but preferred the shot pattern of the Governor.
That said, the triggers on both those guns are hard (14 pounds - one does not have time to cock a gun in a fight) and rough, and the guns are heavy.
Personally, I don’t like them and wouldn’t recommend carrying a different gun in the car than you would carry on your person. Stick with one gun, learn how to use it, and always have it with you.
I carried a .357 S & W (6-rounds) in my car for years, but when the flash mobs started, I decided the nature of the threat had changed so I switched to my Ruger 9mm with P+ loads, with an extra 15-round mag.
For most women it's too big and too heavy - but not all.
I would highly recommend a smaller, lighter automatic that is easily handled - with lighter recoil.
Take a look at THIS LINK and the 9mm. It's light, very comfortable for most women, and packs 11 rounds of 9mm.
But before you buy one, make sure you take your wife to a range and let her shoot both .32 and 9mm. She will tell you which one she likes best - then, and only then, buy!
And after you buy - get to the range with her - frequently!
~grin~
If you're going to spend 600 - I think your wife would like this one better. Read about the advantages of Titanium - and I think you might agree, it's certainly worth thinking about.
If you are asking about what firearm to trust your life with on any Internet forum, you are looking in the wrong place.
My only advice about armed self defense is this:
Seek out a professional, reputable firearms trainer and get trained.
This will enlighten you on the merits of the tactics, techniques and procedures on “how to” actually protect yourself. The arm you chose is and must always be based on the situation you expect to encounter. Just like other tools, each firearm type has its own utility and usually some overlap, but not does not cover the spectrum from face-to-face to in-the-home to outside-the-home to suburban to rural scenarios.
Repeat: Get trained in the basics of armed self defense first, then evaluate your situation, needs and limitations before you decide on which tools (plural) you will need to cover the likely scenarios you will encounter. Adjust as needed.
Best;