Taurus Judge
Encyclopedia
The Taurus Judge is a five shot revolver designed and produced by Taurus International, chambered for .410 bore
shot shells and the .45 Colt
cartridge
. Taurus promotes the gun as a self-defense tool against carjacking
and for home protection. Taurus also produces the Raging Taurus Judge Magnum, chambered for .45LC/.410 2.5" & 3"/454 Casull rounds.
reports that the Judge is their top-selling firearm.
Though Taurus deliberately designed The Judge to fire shotshells, the Judge does not qualify as a "short-barreled shotgun" under the National Firearms Act of 1934 as its rifled barrel makes it a regular handgun. The rifling is more shallow than normal, giving single-projectile loads less stabilization than they would receive in other handguns, but reducing the rapid dispersion of the shot from shotshells. Taurus developed the shallow rifling after numerous experiments to find rifling that worked well with both types of ammunition.
The Judge, a derivative of the Taurus Tracker, comes in three barrel lengths (3",4" and 6.5" - Tracker), two cylinder lengths (2.5" and 3"), and two finishes (blue and stainless steel). The 3" barrel model also comes in two weight classes, the standard steel construction (29 oz currently, 36 oz previously) and alloy-based "Ultra-Lite" (22 oz currently, 24 oz previously). Felt recoil can be significant with the Ultra-Lite series, due to its light weight, especially with .45 Colt rounds. As of December 2008, spur-less hammers remain available with all short-barrel lengths of The Judge.
Crimson Trace laser grips are available for standard models of this firearm.
At the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference (SHOT Show) of January 2009, Taurus introduced several new members of The Judge family. These have been labeled the "Public Defender" series and are based on the Taurus Model 85 frame. As with the original Judge, these also shoot five rounds of either .45 Colt or .410 shot. Taurus is positioning the Public Defender series as a concealed carry piece. Taurus also introduced the tactical Judge SSR Ported. The Taurus 4510TKR-3SSR and -BR offer a 3″ ported barrel with a Picatinny rail. The addition of a new Picatinny rail allows you to mount a light, laser or other accessory. In addition, this model also features a ported barrel to reduce felt recoil. The SSR comes in Matte Stainless Steel and Blued Steel finishes.
In 2010 Taurus introduced the Raging Judge Magnum which is chambered for .454 Casull as well .45 Colt and 3" .410 shot shells.
In 2011 at SHOT in Las Vegas, Taurus introduced the Raging Judge XXVIII chambered for 28 gauge shot shells. However, after being inspected by the ATF, it was determined it would fall under NFA classifications, and Taurus halted its future production.
shell. However as of 2008 Taurus has addressed this concern with the release of the Taurus Judge Magnum Edition which can fire 3" shot shells. The 3" shot shell 000 buckshot version contains 5 pellets, which makes it more effective as a self-defense round. Additionally, birdshot loads, while unlikely to generate lethal penetration, are likely to generate disabling pain, and could easily blind a person if fired at the face.
Federal
offers ammo specifically designed for the Judge. The 2" 000 Buckshot contains 4 pellets. B. Gil Horman, an American Rifleman writer and expert on .410 hanguns, has conducted research on the many .410 cartridges available. He hosts a free website devoted not only to the Judge, but to all 410 handguns.
While the Judge's cylinder bore is adequate for higher-powered single-projectile loadings such as the .44 Magnum
or .454 Casull
, the gun is not designed for the high chamber pressures that these cartridges generate and thus could explode if they are used with it. To prevent this, the cylinder bores are choked to prevent successful chambering of rounds larger in diameter than the .410 shotshell and longer than the .45 Colt
.
Taurus introduced the Raging Judge Magnum based on their Raging Bull
model to address this issue; the Raging Judge Magnum safely chambers .454 Casull
as well as .45 Colt
cartidges.
.410 bore
.410 bore, commonly misnamed the .410 gauge, is the smallest gauge of shotgun shell commonly available. It has similar base dimensions to the .45 Colt revolver cartridge, though the .410 is significantly longer, up to , allowing many single-shot firearms and some revolvers chambered in that...
shot shells and the .45 Colt
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
. Taurus promotes the gun as a self-defense tool against carjacking
Carjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
and for home protection. Taurus also produces the Raging Taurus Judge Magnum, chambered for .45LC/.410 2.5" & 3"/454 Casull rounds.
Models
There have been two model number designations for this firearm, the 4410 (no longer produced) and the 4510 (current). Both model numbers are essentially the same revolver, and any 4410 or 4510 will yield basically the same performance. It got its name "The Judge" in 2006 when Bob Morrison, Executive Vice President, learned that judges in high-crime areas of Miami, Florida were purchasing the revolver for personal defense in their courtrooms, and after Morrison investigated further, the model designation was changed from 4410 to 4510 to more accurately reflect the revolver's versatility (.45 Colt + 410 shot → "4510"). Taurus InternationalTaurus (manufacturer)
Forjas Taurus is a manufacturing conglomerate based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Beginning as a tool and die manufacturer, the company now consists of divisions focusing on firearms, metals manufacturing, plastics, body armor, helmets, and civil construction.-History:Taurus produced its first...
reports that the Judge is their top-selling firearm.
Though Taurus deliberately designed The Judge to fire shotshells, the Judge does not qualify as a "short-barreled shotgun" under the National Firearms Act of 1934 as its rifled barrel makes it a regular handgun. The rifling is more shallow than normal, giving single-projectile loads less stabilization than they would receive in other handguns, but reducing the rapid dispersion of the shot from shotshells. Taurus developed the shallow rifling after numerous experiments to find rifling that worked well with both types of ammunition.
The Judge, a derivative of the Taurus Tracker, comes in three barrel lengths (3",4" and 6.5" - Tracker), two cylinder lengths (2.5" and 3"), and two finishes (blue and stainless steel). The 3" barrel model also comes in two weight classes, the standard steel construction (29 oz currently, 36 oz previously) and alloy-based "Ultra-Lite" (22 oz currently, 24 oz previously). Felt recoil can be significant with the Ultra-Lite series, due to its light weight, especially with .45 Colt rounds. As of December 2008, spur-less hammers remain available with all short-barrel lengths of The Judge.
Crimson Trace laser grips are available for standard models of this firearm.
In 2010 Taurus introduced the Raging Judge Magnum which is chambered for .454 Casull as well .45 Colt and 3" .410 shot shells.
In 2011 at SHOT in Las Vegas, Taurus introduced the Raging Judge XXVIII chambered for 28 gauge shot shells. However, after being inspected by the ATF, it was determined it would fall under NFA classifications, and Taurus halted its future production.
Effectiveness
Shot shells in .410 bore are not considered especially effective in personal defense; for instance, there are only three (2" shell) or five (3" shell) pellets in 000 buckshot, a common defense round; this compared to nine in the more common 12 gaugeGauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
shell. However as of 2008 Taurus has addressed this concern with the release of the Taurus Judge Magnum Edition which can fire 3" shot shells. The 3" shot shell 000 buckshot version contains 5 pellets, which makes it more effective as a self-defense round. Additionally, birdshot loads, while unlikely to generate lethal penetration, are likely to generate disabling pain, and could easily blind a person if fired at the face.
Federal
Federal Cartridge
Federal Cartridge is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alliant Techsystems, located in Edina, Minnesota. With a work force of nearly 1,000 in Anoka, Minnesota, Federal manufactures a complete line of shotshell, centerfire, and rimfire ammunition and components....
offers ammo specifically designed for the Judge. The 2" 000 Buckshot contains 4 pellets. B. Gil Horman, an American Rifleman writer and expert on .410 hanguns, has conducted research on the many .410 cartridges available. He hosts a free website devoted not only to the Judge, but to all 410 handguns.
While the Judge's cylinder bore is adequate for higher-powered single-projectile loadings such as the .44 Magnum
.44 Magnum
The .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
or .454 Casull
.454 Casull
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
, the gun is not designed for the high chamber pressures that these cartridges generate and thus could explode if they are used with it. To prevent this, the cylinder bores are choked to prevent successful chambering of rounds larger in diameter than the .410 shotshell and longer than the .45 Colt
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
.
Taurus introduced the Raging Judge Magnum based on their Raging Bull
Taurus Raging Bull
The Raging Bull is a revolver manufactured by the Brazilian Taurus International firearm company.In its larger calibers it is marketed as a hunter's sidearm because it is a potent weapon with plenty of stopping power...
model to address this issue; the Raging Judge Magnum safely chambers .454 Casull
.454 Casull
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
as well as .45 Colt
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
cartidges.
Features and Specifications for 3" barrel Judge
- Chamber: 2.5" or 3" Magnum.
- Sights: Front Fiber Optic and fixed rear sights.
- Barrel Length: 3"
- Weight (4410 series): 36 Ounces unloaded (all-steel), 22.4 Ounces (Ultra-Lite)
- Weight (4510 series): 29 Ounces unloaded (all-steel), 22.4 Ounces (Ultra-Lite)
- Shotshell Rounds: 2.5" & 3" .410 bore.410 bore.410 bore, commonly misnamed the .410 gauge, is the smallest gauge of shotgun shell commonly available. It has similar base dimensions to the .45 Colt revolver cartridge, though the .410 is significantly longer, up to , allowing many single-shot firearms and some revolvers chambered in that...
(000 Buckshot,Birdshot,Rifled and Hollow Point Slug) - Pistol Rounds: .45 Colt FMJ and .45 Colt JHP
- Grip: Taurus Patented "Ribber" grip made from rubber.
- Safety: Taurus Patented Key Locking system that prevents the gun from being fired when locked.
- Average Felt Recoil: 7–10 lbs.
- Metal Finish: Blued or Stainless steel.
- Action: Single or Double Action
- Trigger Pull: 8 lbs.