Uses
Partially intended as a personal protection gun, the Judge Public Defender can shoot .410 loads specifically designed for self-defense. Stats on those are impressive, while .45 Colt is proven from the cowboy days. For a while, it was the Army’s standard cartridge in the Colt Single Action Army revolver. It shows good stopping power at short ranges.
Related Review: Taurus Judge Home Defender – Your New .45 Colt/.410 Hand Cannon
Many people carry this revolver or use it for defensive purposes. I have no problem with that, as it can be effective. In my opinion, though, there are better options today that have more capacity and better carrying characteristics. Some people just like revolvers, so you do you. It might make more sense to me if you need a lot of power, like for a wilderness defense gun.
As a snake gun, I think the Judge shines. Snakes and small pests are a common problem that ranchers in rural areas deal with all the time. I know shooting ranges that have snake problems, where it is not uncommon for a “cease fire” to be called so that someone can take care of a rattler.
In these cases, I’m not sure there is anything more effective or convenient than a Judge loaded with a .410 snake load. At 29 ounces, this Public Defender is light enough to carry all day. There is even a polymer-framed model that is a few ounces lighter. It’s perfect for carrying on your hip or in a kit for when you need to take care of a problem.
Features
The Judge Public Defender has a double action/single action mechanism. On a revolver, as opposed to a semi-auto pistol, that means every trigger pull is a heavy double-action pull unless you manually cock the hammer. Only when you cock the hammer will you get the light single-action trigger.
The Public Defender has a five-shot capacity and can take .45 Long Colt and 2.5-inch .410 shotshells. The frame and cylinder are alloy steel. The barrel is 2 inches, while overall length is 7.75 inches.
There is a nice, bright fiber-optic front sight and a milled-in trough-style rear. This one has a matte black oxide finish, but there is also an option for a stainless finish. The Public Defender is the most compact of Taurus’s Judge line.
Specs
- Caliber: .45 Colt/.410 bore
- Capacity: 5 rounds
- Barrel Length: 2 inches
- Overall Length: 7.75 inches
- Weight: 1.8 pounds
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Trigger: Double action 10 pounds, single action 2 pounds
Shooting Report
Shooting the Judge feels good. The rubber grip is comfortable, even though it is shorted for concealability. Recoil is stout, but controllable with proper mechanics. Because of the long cylinder, the gun feels front-heavy, but that tames muzzle flip a bit. I wouldn’t have a problem shooting long strings of fire with it.
The double-action trigger pull is heavy, though, and not particularly smooth. I measured it at around 10 pounds. The single action is much better at a crisp 2 pounds.
To pull the heavy double action, I preferred to use the crease of my first knuckle. It gave me more leverage during the pull. But because of the shape of my hand, sometimes my finger got caught against the grip. It’s just something to note if you are trying it out. For me, manually cocking the hammer and using my trigger finger pad worked better.
Loading and unloading was straightforward just like on a Smith & Wesson revolver. Simply open the cylinder and flip it out. When unloading, rounds can get caught between the cylinder and the grip, so you might need to finesse them out or press the ejector rod a few times.
Accuracy was good for a 2-inch barrel. I shot decent groups with .45 Colt at 15 yards.
Conclusion
All in all, this is an effective and reliable firearm, if I disregard the malfunctions with my finger getting caught. I would consider a Judge Public Defender if I had a lot of property and had pest issues, or if I needed to go out into the woods with some dangerous animals. It seems like something you can just put in your rig and forget about until you need it. That’s the beauty of a revolver: low maintenance.
This winter is a great time to pick up a Judge Public Defender. Guns.com has it for around the $300-400 range, so if it is something you need, you won’t need to think too hard about it.
