Taurus Public Defender

[Guest The Highlander]

Thinking about getting one for the heck of it. I like the Public Defender version because it is on a little smaller frame, and would be a little easier to carry. This would be more of a novelty for me, I doubt I'd put up my SIG 220 and carry it very often. But it might see hiking and truck gun duties.

Does anyone have any experience good or bad with this version of the Judge?

What loads do you keep in the gun? How do you load the cylinder? All .410's, all .45's, or a combination?

Any and all input appreciated. I've never owned a Taurus, and never considered one until I handled an all-steel Public Defender.

Thanks!

The Highlander

[Westwindmike]

You might want to read this before buying one to carry.

The Box O' Truth #41 - The Taurus Judge Vs. The Box O' Truth - Page 1

Penetration with the .410 loads was less than spectacular.

[Guest greybeard60]

My wife got me one for Christmas, so my experiance is limited.

The good news: great fun to shoot, I have shot #4,#6, 00 and 000 buck. I even shot at a rabbit with the #6(missed). Nice patterns at 15&20yards surprisingly tight with the buck.

The bad news: I tried one of the PDX1 3 disk &bb's and the cylinder & release locked up.

I returned it to Taurus today. Hope it's just a fluke. I'll re-post after I get it back.

[crossfire]

My wife got me one for Christmas, so my experiance is limited.

The good news: great fun to shoot, I have shot #4,#6, 00 and 000 buck. I even shot at a rabbit with the #6(missed). Nice patterns at 15&20yards surprisingly tight with the buck.

The bad news: I tried one of the PDX1 3 disk &bb's and the cylinder & release locked up.

I returned it to Taurus today. Hope it's just a fluke. I'll re-post after I get it back.

Hope it's not the PDX ammo, I just bought a box to try in my Nite Court Judge.

Please post if it was the shells.

[crossfire]

Thinking about getting one for the heck of it. I like the Public Defender version because it is on a little smaller frame, and would be a little easier to carry. This would be more of a novelty for me, I doubt I'd put up my SIG 220 and carry it very often. But it might see hiking and truck gun duties.

Does anyone have any experience good or bad with this version of the Judge?

What loads do you keep in the gun? How do you load the cylinder? All .410's, all .45's, or a combination?

Any and all input appreciated. I've never owned a Taurus, and never considered one until I handled an all-steel Public Defender.

Thanks!

The Highlander

I have a Nite Court Judge, fun gun to shoot.

I never have much trouble finding ammo, Walmart even has the new PDX shells.

A combination of ooo buck and 45 long colt is what I load. #4 and #6 for playing around and I never tried a slug. Why would you when you can use a 45 LC ?

[Smith]

For carry you might look at the polymer Public Defender. Considerably lighter. The only issue is going to be finding a holster for it. The one we have at the shop feels very nice.

[Guest Kamikaze]

I have a 3" magnum 3" barrel. I love it. It's the go to gun for a hey y'all watch this moment. With that said it stays in the house for self defense purposes. I would not want to find myself in need of a self defense weapon in public and be stuck with anything other than .45lc or a slug. I want a single accurate projectile so I would rather have the 14 rounds my XD sub compact holds in a smaller lighter package. You just can't keep everything on a torso sized target outside of 5-7 yards. The pdx-1 is the stuff though. Bad ass for sure. Only thing worse is the 3" 000 buck.

[Guest Kamikaze]

I got some good pattern tests. I can upload them to YouTube if anyone is interested.

[Guest Kamikaze]

PDX-1

[Guest bubbatruck]

I had a Public Defender and carried it quit often its a good truck gun loved carrying when I road my bike. I carried 45 and 410 and the 410 was PDX1, I usually had it set up 2 45 and 3 410 I figured that if there was a BG comming at me and I couldn't get him with the 2 45's then when he got closer thje 3 410 would.....then after seeing the results of the 410 PDX1 hitting milk jugs at 7 to 10 yards I started carrying all 410....

I don't have it now cause I wanted a Springfield Armory 1911 A1 Loaded....later on mybe a PD will find its way to me

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Guest The Highlander]

Bubba, nice grips on that 1911 sir.

I appreciate the info. As I said, this is more of a toy than anything, but I can see using it hiking in the mountains. I HATE snakes, I mean really HATE snakes! We also have a population of feral dogs, coyote and such where I hike.

For "serious work" I have a wide selection of competent guns like SIG P220 Elite, SR9, and Glocks. I doubt this one would ever knock one of those off my belt, other than hiking or such. Seems like a good home defense possibility though, easy DA revolver operation, .410 bang bang, and all.

I hate to hear about the cylinder locking up on PDX1, that was going to be my chosen load. Hope it is an isolated case, and please keep us updated.

[Guest The Highlander]

You might want to read this before buying one to carry.

The Box O' Truth #41 - The Taurus Judge Vs. The Box O' Truth - Page 1

Penetration with the .410 loads was less than spectacular.

That is a pretty good set of tests he did. Thanks for the info. As I said, this thing would mostly be a toy for me, but I can see it getting snake duty as well.

[Jonnin]

As a toy it seems neat. I have little use for 410 (its expensive for plinking, weak for defense, and I dont have a lot of trouble with animals) and would just use my cheap target 22 if in a snakey area. As a 45, its OK, but there are better choices IMO.

[Guest Kamikaze]

If your going to get one for fun, I would get the 3" mag.

[Guest The Highlander]

Yeah, I thought of that, but since I might actually carry the thing, I dunno. Probably just carry it while mowing the yard or hiking. I hate snakes.

[Guest Kamikaze]

For snakes the 3" 4 shot will pattern out at 5'-6' about 12"-18".....very effective against a snake.

[Guest greybeard60]

What do ya'll have against snakes?

[Guest The Highlander]

I have an agreement with them. If they don't suddenly appear when not expected and scare the bejabbers out of me, I don't shoot them. Seems reasonable to me.

Actually, I don't worry about little black snakes and such, but I do hike in areas with poisonous snakes.

[CM1021]

What do ya'll have against snakes?

Only good poisonous snake is a DEAD one!! Same way with freakin spiders

[Guest Kamikaze]

Only good poisonous snake is a DEAD one!! Same way with freakin spiders

It would defiantly kill a spider.

[dickenscpa]

I've got the 3" brl/3" chamber magnum steel. I only use it in the truck console, night stand and on my hip during hunting season. I love mine. I've got some targets at 25' with .45LC's and I shoot that more accurately than any gun I own.

I've used it for real 3 times. In early Sept we were doing some hunting lease maintenance and I slid down a little 4' gulley. Snake at the bottom, dead snake. Early bow season I was hunting from a ground blind. Uninvited snake, dead snake. Both were copperheads.

Did take a doe in bow season and she must have been tough. Made a good double lung but she carried on a bit. When I found her, a coyote had spotted her too. The yote was only maybe 35#'s at the most but he would not shew away. A .45 took care of him at maybe 20'. He just kinda circled a little 5' radius growling like which one of us would move first.

Due to double shoulder surgery I use a xbow during bow season and reloading a xbow isn't quite as quick as a vertical bow. I have other guns for CC but for fun shooting and a good bow season hip mate, I love my Judge.

[Sidinman]

It would defiantly kill a spider.

What do you shoot 'em with?

[Guest The Highlander]

What do you shoot 'em with?

I'm wondering that too...and how do you cook them? They couldn't have much meat on them.

Seriously, thanks for the comments on the Public Defender. I've been staying away from my local gun pusher so I don't spend any money right now. I wanted a Public Defender, then I saw the SIG P290, then the Ruger LC9, and then the Kimber SOLO.

And to top all those, SIG is going to be importing the P210 again in 2011 !!!!! So, I gotta hang on to my gun money until I decide which I really have to have!

[Guest greybeard60]

Hope it's not the PDX ammo, I just bought a box to try in my Nite Court Judge.

Please post if it was the shells.

I got my Judge PD back yesterday. I shot a couple of PDX shells and it seems fine. I'm impressed with the quick turn around from Taurus. About 10 days total.

Gonna see if I can hit that rabbit this weekend!

[Guest tnxdshooter]

Thinking about getting one for the heck of it. I like the Public Defender version because it is on a little smaller frame, and would be a little easier to carry. This would be more of a novelty for me, I doubt I'd put up my SIG 220 and carry it very often. But it might see hiking and truck gun duties.

Does anyone have any experience good or bad with this version of the Judge?

What loads do you keep in the gun? How do you load the cylinder? All .410's, all .45's, or a combination?

My father has this gun. I have found it to be very accurate and reliable. It goes bang everytime. The only reason I do not have one myself is because the trigger pull on it is 16 pounds and I just dont have enough strength in my fingers to pull it to shoot it accurately. My dad has no problem putting shots in accurately.

He carried the following in it when he first got it because that is all they made for it and we could really find.

.410 000 buck shot 4 pellets

Federal Premium Personal Defense Ammunition 410 Bore 2-1/2" 000 Buckshot 4 Pellets Box of 20 - MidwayUSA

45 colt

Magtech Cowboy Action Ammunition 45 Colt (Long Colt) 250 Grain Lead Flat Nose Box of 50 - MidwayUSA

We bought that ammo from Mike Crow when dad purchased the gun.

I went online recently looking at ammo and now dad carries this ammo in it.

Winchester PDX1 .410 handgun

It has three 000 buck shot defense discs in it and 12 bb pellets in it.

Winchester® Bonded PDX1 Handgun Ammunition, Handgun Ammunition, Ammunition, Shooting : Cabelas.com

He also now carries 45 colt in it as well.

Winchester PDX1 45 colt 225 grain jhp

Cabela's: Winchester® Bonded PDX1 Handgun Ammunition

He carries three of the PDX1 .410 in it and 2 of the PDX1 45 colts in it.

He carries it in a DMB bullard dual carry holster. He also has a simply rugged holster for it as well. Laserlyte has also supposedly started making a laser for it as well.

Hope this helps.

I am thinking about when I get a job and get moved out of my current location about getting one and sending it off to mossy creek customs in middle tn and having an action job done on it and then using it as a wheel gun.

If I am not mistaken I think XS or some company is now making tritium three dot night sights for it I believe.

Edited January 20, 2011 by tnxdshooter