Taurus Judge

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 a Raging Judge UL in seven shot chambered for .45LC//410 (but no .454 Casull ) and the Raging Judge Magnum, six shot chambered for .45LC/.410 2.5" & 3"/454 Casull rounds.

History
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 International 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. However, the Judge is considered a short-barreled shotgun under California state law, which has a broader definition of "short-barreled shotgun," and the Judge is thus illegal to possess in that state. 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.

Models
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 (blued 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 R Ported. The Taurus 4510TKR-3SSR (stainless steel) and 4510TKR-3BR (blued) offer a 3″ ported barrel with a Picatinny rail. The addition of a new Picatinny rail allows one to mount a light, laser or other accessory. In addition, this model also features a ported barrel to reduce felt recoil.

In 2010 Taurus introduced the Raging Judge 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. After much confusion of whether or not the Raging Judge 28 would be considered an ATF regulated firearm, Taurus International President and CEO Bob Morrison stated that the Taurus Raging Judge XXVIII would be available in the U.S. sometime in late 2012.

Effectiveness
Shot shells in .410 bore are not considered especially effective in personal defense; for instance, there are only three (2$1/2$" shell) or five (3" shell) pellets in 000 buckshot, a common defense round; this compared to nine in the more common 12 gauge shell. However as of 2008 Taurus has addressed this concern with the release of the Judge Magnum 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.

Federal offers ammo specifically designed for the Judge. The 2$1/2$" 000 Buckshot contains 4 pellets. B. Gil Horman, an American Rifleman writer and expert on .410 handguns, 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.

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 (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.

Carbine
Taurus has also manufactured a carbine variant of the Taurus Judge revolver along with its Australian partner company, Rossi. The weapon is known as the Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge. It comes in .410 bore and .45 Long Colt. The gun has small blast shields attached to the cylinder to protect the shooter from hot gases escaping between the cylinder and barrel.