Taurus "Judge" 4510 2.5" Chamber

Unique pistol. Everyone who sees it wants one. Even if I just use it as a house gun I feel like I got the best product for the price. I took it to the range and shot the 45 colt L and it performed fine. I bought the PDX 410 loads and am looking forward to trying them out. Should be a hoot.

I wanted something that was fun to shoot. Had an old time revolver feel. Not stupid big bang. Something the girls could shoot without hurting themselves. And still be a good handgun around the home. I bought the 4510 2.5/6.5 and really have fun shooting it. The Winchester PDX1 410 shells give a big bang and kick but everything else is easy to control. What a fun gun to shoot. I'm happy!

First off, to address the .410 shot shell issues ...

I have hunted with .410 shotguns all my life. I have always enjoyed small game hunting, and never liked using a .22 with some of the shot angles I am forced to take for squirrels and such. So I understand the potential of the .410 very well, in all its forms. Birdshot, Buckshot, or slugs, being small does not make them less deadly than their bigger counterparts.

That said, with the expense of .410 shotshells in comparison to their larger cousins, I reload. I make it a point to understand how modern gunpowder works, and why there are so many different kinds of it for so many different applications. Shotshells are loaded with a long barrel gun in mind, NOT a pistol. I don't care what information you find on the box, it will not be accurate when firing those shells out of a gun with a 3" barrel. Performace of most shotshells in a gun that short are going to be, at best, mediocre. Slugs are a joke from a gun this short, and anemic in performance when compared to the .45 Colt loadings available.

Used as intended, shotshells in the Judge will ...
1. Kill snakes or small vermin nicely, if reasonably close.
2. Be effective surprise and/or deterrent rounds for close range encounters in a tight quarters environment where avoiding collateral damage is paramount (i.e. home defense).
Used for anything else, shotshells in a pistol are useless.

On the .45 Colt issues ...

Understand the limitations of the gun, understand the cartridge you are using in it, match the right round to the right gun for best performance. Most of the factory load .45 Colt out there right now is "Cowboy Load" designed to come out of a mid-range length pistol barrel of around 5 inches at 700-800 fps, and performance will probably degrade in a 3" barrel like the Judge has. Worse, just as the cartrigde truly begins to reach its potential power to propel the bullet, it has to jump the gap from the cylinder and has only has 3" of grooved barrel to straigten and finish accelerating the projectile. Yes all revolvers share some of this limitation, but the unique dimensions of the Judge and it's limited time on the market mean rounds have never been developed specifically to take best advantage of it.

Overall, what I'm saying is that if you use the gun for short range self defense scenarios, mixed with shot shells and .45s, it will likely serve you well. Nothing at any significant range could be expected of this gun without ammo properly designed for it, which does not exist. However, the flexibility offered by the .45 Colt means a better compromise loading could be developed that would significantly improve performance.

Taurus Judge really has not much purpose other than to say you own one, or for keeping at the home for defensive purposes.

I'm not going to sugar-coat this gun by any means. Anyone who buys the Judge for a purpose outside of personal/home defense/scaring the crap out of the crackhead that sleeps in the hallway outside your apartment, is truly deluded. This weapon has NO, I repeat NO PRACTICAL APPLICATION and that is what makes it great. In a world where carrying a pocket sized shotgun is almost as bad as popping a home invader in the eyes of the law in many areas, the Judge offers a fairly decent compromise. If, for whatever reason people will find to argue with me, you do not or cannot have access to a shotgun or bullets that don't go through walls and kill your neighbors, this works just famously. 410 or .45LC critter shot will take the hide off anyone who might intend you or your family harm inside your home. Cause let's be honest, that is all this is for, taking back the pound of flesh from those who would take it from you first. Not hunting, not conceal carry, not long range firefights with epic baddies or any other Woo/Bay type situation that most people who review firearms would have you believe that they find themselves in on a regular basis. This gun is for those of us who have been awakened in the middle of the night by some whack job crawling in through the living room window with a broken pick-axe, looking for something to pawn to buy God knows what. Make no mistake, when the time comes that you have to use this gun, odds are you will be firing it in your boxers and socks, in the dark and at an uncomfortably intimate distance to your target.

I have the Ultra Light version, shot it today for the first time. Glad I was not in a gun fight:)

Accuracy was horrible.

Anything more than 10' was ineffective and even with the #00 buckshot the penetration is not going to be all that devastating.

Finally, my cylinder jammmed on multiple occasions. Not just with the .410 load but also with the .45.....?

Not real happy.

TLY

Have the 6.5' version. Although it is back at the factory for the 3rd
time, I'm sold out about just the concept of this firearm and it's
performance to be a little patient with it. The previous 2xs sent to
factory was because of sights,loose/missing parts and adjustment of
the barrel. The performance with various types of 45 colt cartridges
and the fact that +P can be used sparingly makes this a great outdoor
gun in the event of facing a dangerous critter or deer/hog hunting.

You may not get the pinpoint accuracy from this gun - BUT YOU WILL
HIT WHAT YOUR SHOOTING AT WITIN THE RANGE OF THIS REVOLVER. The
new Federal Personal Protection that offers 4 000 buck - IS AWESOME!!
The Winchesters spread but the Feds make a nicer and closer pattern.

Reason for 3rd trip to repair is that with shotshells, the gun shoots
very far to the left than center. Every other ammo shoots pretty
straight. My hope is that this will be corrected because if I'm right,
this firearm just might be a decent small game getter.

love it till dead!

What to say about the Judge. I bought this a little while back thinking it would make a great "carry" weapon. A few weeks was enough, as it's a bit big for my tastes to haul around. Cool gun nonetheless, and would certainly get the job done if needed, but I chose to get something a little smaller for my defensive needs, not a Taurus either. Taurus is decent, but far from the best.