410 cal Pistol...

[Yoda]

Ma want another Pistolola

She now carries Smith & Wesson Sigma 40..

She wants a bit more sense of security and better chance of hitting what she points at not necessarily having to taking the time to aim, should the situation arise

She has been looking (on the net) at either the:

Taurus Public Defender, which accepts 2 1/2" 410 shell or the long .45 cal. The Public Defender has a 2 1/2" barrel and is lighter than her second option....

Nanc's second option and the one I lean toward is the:

Taurus Judge, which accepts 2 1/2" or 3" 410 shells, and/or the long .45 cal. The Judge has a 3" barrel an a bit bigger weighs just a bit more than the Public Defender..

I sure would like to put a few rounds of each through both to see what the difference is for myself. The gun magazines all rave about the great use for snake guns and with the right shot (#4 or #00) great for home defense at up to a range of 12' to 18'..

My thought is which ever one fits her hand best and she likes the balance of it... Me I still plan to carry my Stoeger .40 cal and keep the Ruger .45 cal close to the bed with my 870 at the ready... close by too

I've come out of bed a few times grabbing the .45 when our little Silky Terrier comes up off the bed like some lite her butt on fire, it tends to get my attention and reaction.... so far nothing serious

So anyone have a 410 pistol or shot one??? Thoughts???

TIA
Bud

[BigJimZ16]

I've got the Taurus Night Court Judge with 3" chamber, I've added a Crimson Trace to it and absolutely love the combination! Winchester markets some specially packaged ammo that combines ten .45 hollow points with ten special .410 loads w/ 3 discs and 12 BBs. Wife has shot both with a smile...

[timfitz63]

... So anyone have a 410 pistol or shot one??? Thoughts???

Yeah, I picked up one of the 3-inch "Judges" when they first came out, as did my father; the "Public Defender" hadn't yet been released, but I might have favored the latter myself, given a choice. I've shot the pistol at least once, using both .45 LC and .410 shotgun (as I recall, it was #00). With the latter round, I would judge it (pardon the pun) to be very effective at ranges up to 10-15 feet; quite a bit farther with .45 LC. Accuracy was very good with both rounds, but the scatter was about what you'd expect from .410 #00 out of a 3-inch barrel... Which is why I'd say not to rely on .410 rounds beyond about 15 feet... Recoil was surprisingly manageable; probably no more than .357 Magnum, perhaps not even as much... I've shot "baby" Glocks, chambered in .357 SIG and .40 S&W, that were actually harder to control than a "Judge..."

For personal or home defense, I'd say they make good pistols. I've read recommendations about alternating rounds in the cylinder (.410 -- .45 LC -- .410 -- .45 LC -- .410 -- .45 LC) for personal defense, but I think I'd go with all .410 in and around dwellings (distances will be shorter anyway, when dealing with an intruder; and there's less chance of a stray round going beyond the confines of your domicile ). 'Course, I make it a point to not miss anyway...

... I've added a Crimson Trace to it and absolutely love the combination!

I'll second the Crimson Trace sight grips; I have a pair on another pistol, and they're great for providing you with an aim point in the dark. But just remember Murphy's Law on weaponry: "Tracers work in both directions (and so do Crimson Trace... )!"

[KANE]

Neato!! What a personal protection device that is!

EDIT: Does the .410 pistol require NFA classification by the ATF? Is it considered a destructive device? The reason I ask is that the BATF is usually pretty strict with what amounts to a short barrel rifle.


If you want a .410 in a long gun with a familiar face... there's an AR that shoots .410s-
AT-14: The .410 AR-15 Shotgun | The Firearm Blog

[timfitz63]

... Does the .410 pistol require NFA classification by the ATF? Is it considered a destructive device? The reason I ask is that the BATF is usually pretty strict with what amounts to a short barrel rifle...

I wondered about that myself at first; it does seem, on the surface, that Taurus is marketing a short-barreled shotgun (not rifle) as a handgun. Apparently what sets it apart, and allows sale of the weapon as an ordinary handgun rather than a short-barreled shotgun, is that the barrel is rifled... If this was a smooth-bore weapon, then the NFA would classify it as a short-barreled shotgun (because the barrel is under 18 inches in length), and it would be regulated (i.e., requiring a tax stamp permit, background check, etc.). So, the weapon is classified as a .45 LC revolver; and the fact that the cylinder design can accommodate a .410 shotgun shell is, apparently, treated as 'coincidental.'

... If you want a .410 in a long gun with a familiar face... there's an AR that shoots .410s-
AT-14: The .410 AR-15 Shotgun | The Firearm Blog

Cool! I hadn't seen that before! I'll have to check into it!

Incidentally, Rossi (apparently in conjunction with Taurus) has also recently produced a shoulder-held version of the "Judge" that they call the "Circuit Judge;" it's basically a "Judge" revolver frame with a shoulder stock, forearm, and longer barrel.

[Yoda]

While the AT-14, AR-15 and the "Circuit Judge" look cool, and all.... none of them will fit in my conceal carry holster or my wife's purse holster pocket The law here in Texas is funny about being able to NOT SEE the weapon...

Besides my ole Remington WingMaster 870 with the first round being 7/12 shot and followed by 3 #4 shot should work just fine if needed

Interesting weapons Thanks

Bud

[billyz06-2003]

Hi Bud, Seen your thread and thouigh i would give you my take on red lights, inside they are fine but out side you can't see them, even as close as 10/12 ft. That is the reason i have gone to green laser lights, they are easly seen in or out even if a bright sun is out. The pistol, i decided on the matt s/s finish, ported to help with recoil, and it has a accesory rail under the barrel, Bud it looks like a neat weapon. Hope your health is doing good...............................................Your friend billy

[timfitz63]

Hi Bud, Seen your thread and thouigh i would give you my take on red lights, inside they are fine but out side you can't see them, even as close as 10/12 ft. That is the reason i have gone to green laser lights, they are easly seen in or out even if a bright sun is out...

Yeah, that's a good point; I've heard that the laser sighting industry has begun moving to green-dot to improve visibility compared to red-dot. If the general population has eyes like mine, they naturally see green light more clearly than red anyway...

Haven't been able to compare them side-by-side myself, though. And I've not tried a red-dot laser in outdoor lighting conditions either.

[BigJimZ16]

Yeah, that's a good point; I've heard that the laser sighting industry has begun moving to green-dot to improve visibility compared to red-dot. If the general population has eyes like mine, they naturally see green light more clearly than red anyway...

Haven't been able to compare them side-by-side myself, though. And I've not tried a red-dot laser in outdoor lighting conditions either.

The green laser definately is of more use outdoors in the daylight. That being said, the Judge is mostly a personal defense weapon and probably would find itself being used indoors thwarting an intruder or outdoors in the evening or night when the benefits of the green laser are mute.