by J. B. Wood
Contributing Editor
My original Taurus .410 revolver was such an early one that it wasn’t marked “The Judge” on the barrel. At that time, it was called the “44-Ten,” and in that version it would accept only the 2˚-inch .410 shotshell. And, of course, the .45 Colt cartridge. Recently, the wizards down in Porto Alegre, Brazil, extended the cylinder an inch, and the new “Judge” will shoot the 3-inch .410 round.The one that I have tried out is in matte stainless steel, but it is also offered in regular blued steel at a slightly lower price. For those who may have missed my article on the 44-Ten a couple of years ago, perhaps it would be a good idea to review the features of the Judge. Starting at the top, the fixed rear sight is a square notch in the top of the frame. The red fiber-optic front sight is dovetail-mounted, so lateral adjustment is possible. The cylinder holds five rounds of .410 bore or .45 Colt.
It’s obvious that there are some very careful workmen at the Taurus factory, because the cylinder lock-up is very precise and firm. Also, in addition to the latch at the rear, the cylinder crane has a plunger that locks into the frame at the front. Speaking of “locks,” there is, of course, the familiar Taurus key-lock in the back of the hammer. When it is set, firing is not possible.
The ejector rod has sufficient length for good ejection of fired cases, and it is well-protected in a recess in the barrel underlug. The rubber grip has those little flexible projections down the front that Taurus calls the “Ribber” feature. These, along with a generous amount of rubber at the rear, give a most comfortable hold. The felt-recoil is quite mild with both cartridges and .410s.The wide hammer spur has deep checkering, and the trigger is smooth-surfaced, with no annoying ridges. Trigger pulls are perfect in both modes, a crisp 4 pounds on single action and an easy 11 pounds on double action. A transfer-bar firing system allows safe carrying with the cylinder fully loaded. While you might think the extra-long cylinder would make it awkward, the handling qualities are very good. I would say that the “Ribber” grip helps a lot, but otherwise, it just has good balance.
For those who always want the technical figures, the new 3-inch Judge weighs 36.8 ounces. Length and height are 9˚ and 5 inches, and the barrel length is 3 inches.
The importer is Taurus International (16175 NW 49th Ave., Dept. GWK, Miami, FL 33014; phone: 800-327-3776; online: taurususa.com). The stainless steel version has a suggested retail price of about $600. Considering the quality and features, a bargain!
When I went out to shoot the Judge, I took along the piece of wall-board that I had used with the “old” 2˚-inch gun, and fired shots beside the original patterns at 4 yards and 7 yards, the latter being the often-used “serious encounter” distance. Regular field-loads were used, number 7˚ shot. At four yards, you can expect a pattern diameter of around 10 inches, and the shot cup will often imbed in the board. At this range, with the 3-inchers, there did not seem to be a significant difference in the pattern.At seven yards, though, there was definitely more density. Bear in mind, now, that unlike a true shotgunner, I did not count all of those little holes—this was just a general impression. The shot cup, at this distance, will usually dent the board and bounce off, and the pattern diameter will be around 15 inches. With these figures in mind, you can forget the myth about “filling a doorway with shot.” Even if you back off to 10 yards, the pattern measurement will increase to only around 20 inches.
So, for inside-the-house home-defense use, what about the penetration? At the distances noted, all of the pellets went entirely through the first board. They were stopped, though, by a second piece of board placed to simulate the average wall thickness. So, bottom line: If you miss, you will not seriously injure a family member in the next room. Another home-defense note: With the Judge in hand, no long shotgun barrel protrudes to be grabbed by intruders.At the seven-yard distance, I also tried the Judge with .45 Colt rounds, standing, two-hand hold. Cartridges were Black Hills 200-grain JHP. On a Champion VisiColor target, the group measured 4˚ by 3˚ inches, with the first shot nicking the center-ring. For serious social purposes, quite acceptable performance.
Once again, even firing 200-grain bullets, the felt recoil was not at all unpleasant. The Judge would be excellent for home defense, travel by car, hunting, or camping. And, because of the Taurus quality, you know it will work, every time.