In My opinion one of the more controversial revolvers on the market today is the Taurus Judge . The Judge is a roughly “ K” framed ( think S&W 13,19,10, ect.. with a 4” barrel ) chambered to .45 LC /.410 shot shell.
It seems everyone has an opinion on the little beast good or bad . I have read posts calling it everything from a gimmick to a boat anchor . Without a doubt it is a niche pistol which would not be suitable for everyone . However SWMBO fondled one and promptly issued an edict…. Get Me One! Whereupon I rolled my eyes and hoped she would forget. No such luck .
So with some soul searching , and the sale of a rifle i did not shoot a lot (a guy has to know both his limitations and his priorities ) She got one .
Test shooting the Judge shows it to be moderate in both recoil and accuracy ( minute of pop can at 20 paces ) with .45 and a close range proposition with shot shells on such targets as barn pidgins .
Yesterday the bride was moving the tractor to till the garden and I went on ahead to get the disk ready .
The disk had set for a year , tires were flat , bearings dry , and I needed to change the ends on the hydraulic hoses for this brand of tractor .
So there I was…
Climbing over and thro said disk when I dammed near kneeled on a rattlesnake. Now I am a live and let live sort of fella for the most part but let me tell you , this little legless bastard was way to excited for my good . I promptly set the county record for the grease gun throw , and hit the end of the air hose (which evilly attacked from its coil beside me in support of a critter that looked like it ) akin to a dog hitting the end of the chain . Now I carry a pistol , but a standard pistol round shot into a maze of that much steel from close range is not the best idea anyone ever had . To the pickup I went and out came the Judge .
By this time the sucker had moved a few feet but not far enough .
Here is a pic after I pulled him from the new lair
The Judge went on the belt and I continued on for a bit until about 10 feet away I ran across another one which met a similar fate .
Yes the heads and rattles are removed , I keep the rattles and bury the heads leaving the rest of the snake for a hungry hawk , badger , or whatever . The reason i bury the head is because of the fangs which are fair sized even on a small prairie rattler,
and possibly full of venom , not to mention still connected to the venom sacks . Not something you want to step on , or have stock step on .
I have to say that in the niche of a ranch utility pistol the Judge is hard to beat . It is a nearly immediate off switch for vipers , and in the .45lc both powerful and accurate enough to put down a bull that has broken his leg as I had to a while back ( no i did not take pics of that ).
We carry the Judge in a Bianchi #4001 size 5 ( K/L frame 4”) that I had laying around from years ago .
The Judge is also avalable in a 6.5 inch barrel ( this one belongs to a friend ).
I would not buy a Judge for a defensive pistol , although I would not feel unarmed if i had to press one into that role with the .45lc option . Its that I simply feel there are a lot better options out there . The Judge shines where a person needs both hands free to work and a portable vermin control firearm is desired . Or where a person wants a fun and unusual pistol with a steampunk appeal .
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