Warning: Damaged Taurus Judge with Russian Magnum Buckshot

[leadcounsel]

My brother purchased a brand new Judge (yes, against my advice) and Russian magnum .410 buckshot. After firing a full cylinder through it, it damaged his Judge by bending the frame/cylinder.

Gun was sent back to Taurus with letter of explanation. +1 for their customer support. Although they didn't notify him, they did replace the Judge with a new one after about a month or so. My suggestion was to sell it but he's going to keep it and just avoid that ammo.

But this is a warning to other Judge owners to use caution.

 

[joneb]

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AMM876-5.html
"Not for use in the Taurus Judge"
Was his Taurus chambered for 2 3/4 or 3".

 

[Buck Snort]

I can't help but think that people who buy that gun must be dain bramaged!

 

[KodiakBeer]

I can't help but think that people who buy that gun must be dain bramaged!

I degree! It's neither fish nor fowl. You can't shoot full power .410 or .45 Colt loads in it, so what's the point?

 

[BMF500]

I degree! It's neither fish nor fowl. You can't shoot full power .410 or .45 Colt loads in it, so what's the point?

In South Texas they make dandy little snake charmers, best I've seen.....

 

[ArmedBear]

In South Texas they make dandy little snake charmers, best I've seen.....

Were they dandy, or little, that application would make more sense to me. For a snake gun, they're enormous. Of course, when I carry a little snake gun, which is most of the time when I'm off the pavement, it's for emergency use only. An Airweight snubbie with snake shot in it is light and unobtrusive for no-hassle hiking.

If I were actually hunting snakes, I'm not sure what I'd want to use.

 

[natman]

Were they dandy, or little, that application would make more sense to me. For a snake gun, they're enormous. Of course, when I carry a little snake gun, which is most of the time when I'm off the pavement, it's for emergency use only. An Airweight snubbie with snake shot in it is light and unobtrusive for no-hassle hiking.

If I were actually hunting snakes, I'm not sure what I'd want to use.

A real shotgun.

 

[RonBernert]

I think the concept is great, I think it's a niche in the market that needed to be filled, I think that I'd own one......... But it's a Taurus.

 

[ljnowell]

I dont understand why you are accusing the judge of the immediate failure and not considering the ammo? There are a great deal of Judges out there are not blowing up, shooting regular ammo everyday.

A week ago a friend of mine blew up a Mosin Nagant with some overpressured Tula ammo. I guess I should have posted a thread that immediately discredited the MN platform, becuase of it?

This isnt a personal attack, I am just saying that you need to consider the "Russian Ammo" involved also.

 

[Gryffydd]

I degree! It's neither fish nor fowl. You can't shoot full power .410 or .45 Colt loads in it, so what's the point?

I would say that maybe the new .454 Casull Judge would finally be the one that makes sense. Except that I haven't checked the specs, but I can't imagine it's any lighter or smaller than the original judge. And I still can't see the advantage it'd have over a regular .454 Casull loaded with shotshells for the occasional snake or the ever-frequent car jacking by Shoot'n'See targets.

 

[ArmedBear]

I'd pay just to watch someone use a .454 Casull for carjack defense.

The cylinder gap doing a fine cutting-torch impersonation on their body and face, the front sight embedded in the person's forehead from one-handed shooting, ah, yes, that would be entertainment!

(I have actually gotten responses to posts along these lines, that implied that the person assumed he'd be able to defend against a carjacker from a perfect isosceles stance... Sorry, but there is such a thing as being too damned stupid to carry a gun.)

 

[Dain Bramage]

I can't help but think that people who buy that gun must be dain bramaged!

Hey! Speak for yourself.

 

[KodiakBeer]

I'd pay just to watch someone use a .454 Casull for carjack defense.

An interesting thought and worthy of a thread in itself. Would a .357 mag also be a poor choice? How about Glocks, which can't be fired limp-wristed? A carjack is actually a fairly common scenario.

 

[rcmodel]

How about Glocks, which can't be fired limp-wristed?

Who told you that?

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-1067.html

rc

 

[KodiakBeer]

Who told you that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh9JhCyFFxA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsewsolPyBU&feature=related

 

[earlthegoat2]

As much as I am usually the one to bring threads off topic rather them steer them back, I think the second post here is the culprit to the Judge being maimed.

Better read your ammo more carefully in the future.

 

[ArmedBear]

Would a .357 mag also be a poor choice?

".357 mag" covers a pretty wide range of ammunition specs. I have some snubbie-specific .357 rounds that are a tad hotter than defensive .38+P rounds are, but they're nothing compared to what I handload. I would probably have no concerns about using my .357 snubbie with these defensive rounds, but I wouldn't shoot my 6.5" Blackhawk with my handloads, across the front of my body.

With a revolver, the cylinder gap is a significant concern. Moderate .357 isn't too bad if you keep your fingers away from it. Truly hot .357, .44, .454, and up can be really, really nasty, with cases full of slow-burning magnum powders generating a cutting-torch-like flame. The cylinder gap of a .454 Casull is NOT something you want to be close to.

If in doubt, try test-firing the gun with cardboard along the side and see what happens, with a given load.

 

[Sam1911]

Weird. I didn't see any comments about the actual topic of this thread in four of the last five posts.