When Taurus launched its Judge revolver 20 years ago, it was met with skepticism by many. After all, they thought, “Who really has a need for revolvers that shoot .410 shotshells?” The fact that it also fired .45 Colt rounds made it a little more appealing, but initially it seemed to be a pretty hard sell.
The Case for .410 Revolvers for Self-Defense
Obviously, since the Judge is celebrating its 20th birthday this year, Taurus struck a chord with at least some of the gun-buying public. That’s a pretty darned good run for any handgun model. One of the original questions was, “Is this thing good enough to be a self-defense pistol?” The fact that it’s still around two decades later answers that question nicely.
Upside of a .410 Revolver
Back when the Judge was introduced, the .410 bore wasn’t exactly teeming with popularity. Consequently, ammunition choices were somewhat limited, and a .410 load of birdshot wasn’t exactly considered a hallmark of knockdown power.
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Since then, ammunition companies have added to the lowly .410’s ability to be considered a self-defense round. Ammo like Winchester’s Defender Plated Defense Disc (PDX1), which contains 16 BB pellets along with four “defense discs,” shaped kind of like button batteries, has made the .410 more of a contender when it comes to choosing a self-defense load. All of the projectiles are copper-plated, promoting deeper penetration. And the discs are touted to tumble in soft tissue, causing more damage to an attacker.
Hornady has also entered the game of improving the .410’s ability as a defensive round, and it’s .410 Triple Defense is a great example. The round features a unique projectile column consisting of two .35-caliber balls topped with one non-jacketed FTX slug. According to the manufacturer, the slug actually engages the gun’s rifling and contacts the target nose-on, enabling the patented Flex Tip technology to assist in expansion for greatly enhanced terminal performance.
And don’t forget that the .45 Colt round has some good things going for it, too. In terms of raw energy, .45 Colt rounds come out on top when compared to typical 9mm loads. Hornady makes a .45 Colt load in its Critical Defense lineup that sends a 185-grain FTX bullet out of the muzzle at about 920 feet per second (fps). And CorBon’s .45 Colt +P 225-Grain DPX fires a 225-grain jacketed hollow point bullet at about 1,200 fps.
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A Few To Consider
The Taurus Judge, mentioned earlier, has gone through several iterations in the past two decades, with a number of new models introduced. One of the most popular is the Judge Public Defender. Chambered for 2½-inch .410 shells or .45 Colt rounds, it is built on a compact frame, and the cylinder holds five rounds. Overall length is 7.75 inches, the barrel length is 2 inches, and the gun weighs 29 ounces unloaded. The frame and cylinder are both made of alloy steel, while the barrel is steel with a matte black oxide finish.
Smith & Wesson’s version, the Governor, came out in 2011 and is still going strong. The Governor is a single-action/double-action revolver built on the company’s Z-frame, a stretched version of the robust N-frame, and then paired with a K-frame grip. With a 2.75-inch barrel and a lightweight scandium alloy or stainless steel frame, it weighs just around 30 ounces unloaded, making it manageable for its size. What sets the Governor apart is its ability to chamber three different types of ammunition: 2½-inch .410 shotshells, .45 Colt, and .45 ACP (with included moon clips).
Lastly, the Magnum Research BFR really stands out from the crowd. Touted as the Biggest, Finest Revolver, we all know what BFR really means. This behemoth is crafted from stainless steel, looks like a million bucks, and shoots .410 shotshells and .45 Colt ammo. It’s available with either a 7.5- or 5.25-inch barrel. The shorter version measures 12.75 inches overall, while the other measures an even 15 inches. The long-barreled .45/.410 BFR weighs a whopping 4.5 pounds, so it’s likely you won’t be carrying this gun in an appendix holster anytime soon.
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