The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: Fatman on January 24, 2009, 12:40:44 PM
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Totally for fun, like I've said elsewhere my uncle had a brace of Contenders in .410 that were just... awe inspiring. I expect no less from this! Going stainless, 3" chamber, 3" barrel. $489.99
(http://www.americanrifleman.org/images/Judge1.jpg)
http://www.americanrifleman.org/handguns_revolvers.html (http://www.americanrifleman.org/handguns_revolvers.html)
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Good choice ... We want pictures of the fun ;D
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IMHO, The Judge may be on the verge of becoming the hottest home defense firearm on the market.
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I'm jealous! The Judge is forbidden in CA.
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IMHO, The Judge may be on the verge of becoming the hottest home defense firearm on the market.
Unfortunately we over the waters can not use firearms for self defence grrrrr, but I digress, why would some one use a short barrel revolver for self defence when a 12 or 20g pump would be easier to use, aim and be more intimidating then the judge and a tad more poweful if push come to shove.
I would also imagine being on the other side of a door and hearing the racking of a pump would do more to make the offender flee than even risk a confrentation hence saving the victim legal costs and of course the clean up.
Wouldnt a pump cost less than the judge as well?
just wondering....
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IMHO, the judge is a great car gun and for out on the trail it would be hard to beat. And for home defense it will do the job.
Just wish I had one!!! :(
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At the short distances I would have to shoot at in my house a 12 gauge shotgun pattern would spread a few inches at most. I would have to aim it like a rifle. The rifling in the Judge revolver would cause it to throw a bigger pattern and cause multiple hits. I think it would be a great house gun. A 3" .410 000 Buckshot load has about the same ME as a single round of .357 Magnum ammo, but it has 5 .36" balls instead of one bullet. I think it would be quite effective to put 5 holes in someone. Each ball will have less penetration than a single bullet which is a good thing when your neighbors are as close as mine. If you miss you aren't going to kill anyone else by accident.
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Makes a Great snake gun and car gun. Around here they sell out pretty fast.
HBMan
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Wouldnt a pump cost less than the judge as well?
just wondering....
Entry level Remington 870 in any gauge start about 250 bucks American... A cheap Mossberg will run about 180...Single shot break action 12 ga I've seen for under 100 bucks, pretty much a pipe gun but it gets the job done...
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At the short distances I would have to shoot at in my house a 12 gauge shotgun pattern would spread a few inches at most. I would have to aim it like a rifle. The rifling in the Judge revolver would cause it to throw a bigger pattern and cause multiple hits. I think it would be a great house gun. A 3" .410 000 Buckshot load has about the same ME as a single round of .357 Magnum ammo, but it has 5 .36" balls instead of one bullet. I think it would be quite effective to put 5 holes in someone. Each ball will have less penetration than a single bullet which is a good thing when your neighbors are as close as mine. If you miss you aren't going to kill anyone else by accident.
Here's the VEl & energy table. A bit fuzzy, but that's how it was in the article. 3" shot data is the second set down.
(http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr97/snarker_photo/Judge4-1.jpg)
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Got to shoot one a couple of weeks ago at my club. Those first two rounds I shot were with .410. The rest .45. Its something I say that. It got my attention. Congrats Fatman.
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It looks like 295 or 296 ft/lbs for the 2-1/2" and 508 ft/lbs for the 3". A typical .357 load is 535 ft/lbs out of a longer test barrel so it's about the same as the 3". The 2-1/2" buckshot load is more like a 9mm in power. All are about .36 caliber, but it's 1 bullet from a 9mm/.357 vs. 3 or 5 balls per shot from the Judge. 8) .410 buckshot used to be hard to find but now they carry it at Gander Mountain. Years ago I ordered a bunch that Olin (Winchester) made exclusively for American Derringer Corporation, because nobody else had it.
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Picked up my Judge today. $489.99 as promised - same price as the 2 1/2" cylinder model. Also picked up some Fed .45 LC, one cartridge had the bullet compressed into the case a bit ::) . No shot as all they had was bird load, and the indoor range only wants buck.
Smooth action, nice fit and finish and it doesn't feel ungainly in the hand at all - sure looks it, though.
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Update:
I can't find 3" 000 anywhere. Found three five-shell boxes of 2 1/2 at one Wally world, nada in 4 other stops. Everyone online is out of Winchester, some have S&B, but that's 00 with a rolled crimp.
Found one brand I never heard of, and the name escapes me at the moment.
Guess it's a Cabela's trip for me.
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I saw 2-1/2" and 3" 000 buck at Gander Mountain last fall. I don't know if they keep it in stock year round. Even #6 and smaller bird shot in my Contender obliterates things like tin cans. It makes a good noise maker for New Year's Eve too. ;D But I should trade it in for a Judge.
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Finally got the Judge to the range, sans any 3" 410. :( It does go 'bang' with authority, and both the .45 LC and 2.5" .410 triple ought had surprisingly little felt recoil. I'd be interested to see how it handles the 3" buck.
Seems the buck flattens out, as the holes in the paper looked more like they were made by hollow points or wadcutters than a rounded projectile - nice, even edged cut hole as opposed to the punched, tattered holes of round noses. First shot, one pellet dead center at 7 yards, the other two in a relatively straight line diagonally down and to the right, about 2" apart. Next 4 kept the three pellets in about the same grouping, without the straight line weirdness.
.45 LC was not as innacurate as I read it would be. I used both Ultramax 255 RNFP that I picked up at Dick's (anyone know if this is remanufactured ammo? Box didn't say) and Federal 255 Champion SWCHP. Federal was tighter, and was more consistent when I moved out to 15 yards. I'll save a target or two next time I shoot and get more info, this was just a quick shoot before practice w/ the XD.
One little annoyance - the casings did not extract cleanly, but to be fair I did gunk up the cylinders with fifteen rounds of 410 before shooting the Colt. I was going to get a few speed loaders, but if this happens again it would be a moot point.
Being a bear of very little revolver experience, I must say cleaning all that lead and fouling out of five chambers and the barrel was not fun. But I'll put up with it because the Judge is every bit as fun to shoot as I hoped it would be.
Two thumbs up and a Hazcat big toe to boot. ;D
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Glad to hear you had fun.... ;)
One of these days I'll talk my b-i-l into loaning me his to take to the range and wring it out for him (he don't shoot it much, just got it for snakes and such).
Congrats.
8)