Taurus Judge .45 Colt / .410 Bore
Model: 2-441031T
Taurus Judge .45 Colt / .410 Bore
Model: 2-441031T
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Taurus Judge is a five-shot double-action revolver chambered for both .45 Colt and .410 shotshells, built for snakes, pests and close-range defense, and it has an MSRP of $616. Its cylinder is long enough to take a 2.5-inch .410 shell, which is why a five-shot revolver ends up this big.
The rear sight is a fixed notch, so the gun shoots where Taurus set it. Frame, cylinder and barrel are all alloy steel in a matte black oxide finish, and the grip is Taurus's ribbed rubber. A transfer bar handles the safety work and there is no manual lever anywhere on it. At 1.5 inches across the cylinder and 9.5 inches overall, this is a belt-and-holster revolver.
If you're cross-shopping, the Smith & Wesson Governor has an MSRP of $949, holds 6 rounds, runs 8.5 inches overall on a 2.75-inch barrel, and comes with moon clips so it feeds .45 ACP as well. Against that the Judge costs less, holds one round fewer and sticks to two cartridges. Taurus lists more than a dozen Judge models, so barrel length, finish and frame material are all settled before the .410 question comes up.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- Both cartridges feed from the same cylinder with no tools, parts or cylinder swap.
- The bore is rifled with six grooves at a 1 in 12.14 twist, which stabilises a .45 Colt bullet and opens shot patterns quickly at the same time.
- The ribbed rubber grip spreads .45 Colt recoil across more of the palm than a wood panel would.
- The chambers take .410 shells up to 2.5 inches, so 3-inch shells and the heavier buckshot loads built on them will not fit.
- A fixed rear sight leaves no way to zero for one of the two cartridges, let alone both.
- At 29.0 oz on a 5.1-inch frame height, with a cylinder sized for shotshells, it carries like a far bigger revolver than its five rounds suggest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can .45 Colt and .410 be mixed in the cylinder?
Yes. The order is up to the shooter, since the next chamber decides which cartridge fires.
What does the transfer bar do?
It keeps the hammer from reaching the firing pin until the trigger is pulled all the way through, which is why all five chambers can be loaded and carried.
Can a light or a red dot be fitted?
No. There is no rail on the frame or the barrel and no optic cut, so a light rides on the belt or in the other hand.