Heath,
As for not finding a 3″ chamber Judge, they are very popular right now. Look closely at any in stock and don’t assume the gun shop knows exactly what they have in the way of Judge’s although, they are wiser now that it’s been around a while. When I bought mine, I couldn’t believe the gun shop owner assumed the 3″ barrel was only a 2-1/2 chamber. The gun was so new to the market, there was still a bit of confusion. The book and any of the markings on the box are not specific. They are pretty generic. This one was blued and he assumed the stainless was the 3″ inch. I had ordered the stainless and was waiting for about 4 months and it never came in and had no ETA. I wanted one so when I saw the blued one, I grabbed it. I’m still on a waiting list for a stainless. After the waiting period and I picked up the gun, I bought some ammo from him and also asked for 3″ 410’s. After a bit of verbal scrimmaging, we went to the range out back and I proved it was a 3″. As of this reply, after more than 600 rounds of 3″ 000 and various other loads, what a fun piece!!!

We both agreed we have no need for the 454 model they’re coming out with this year. It would be cool to go shoot but would serve no practical purpose for us.

I am currently working up some hand loads for the 45LC using Hornady .452, 250 grain XTP. Will post information on the best load data.

From 20 feet with a 3″ Winchester 000, I EASILY penetrated a pine 2×4, no surprise there. Then from 20 feet I fired at a 3/4″ Ipe plank. Ipe is one of the hardest woods in the world, twice as strong as pressure treated pine with a hardness level 6 times harder than mahogany (630) at 3,180. The 000 shot penetrated the Ipe as well. I don’t think a mass of flesh and bone will do better.

Naysayers can “read” all they want. I own, I did it, so that’s all there needs to be said.

I dont think I would use it as a CCW just because of the size but as I said before i is a very fun gun and does real well for small animals like snakes.

I have had a small issue with it though. It seems that when I shoot fedeal 2.5 inch bird shot through it that the empty casings ocasionally get stuck and are a little hard to get out of the chamber. I have never hd the problem with any other brand or calabur however.

so in my opinion for home defence I would go with a 12 guage, For a CCW I would go with some thing smaller like a 357 or a 38 but that does not mean I dont like my judge, it is a fun gun and I feel that it was wrth the money, as othr people have said it would be a good self defence gun from carjackers and it is great for snakes and ground squirls.

The box o truth mainly sites that the .410 would not have enough penetration in a subject. However, Gunblast’s test with a pork shoulder refuted this notion. I think the main problem is, people want the judge to be accurate from 25 yards with the .410, and well, that aint the purpose of this gun. (the .45lc WILL definitely reach and touch someone)

Recently that new Federal shells came out, as mentioned earlier, specifically designed for the judge. I saw a test in a gun magazine (can’t remember the name off the top of my head) as well as websites that showed this shell definitely will do the trick.

It showed at just over 10 yards, the penetration of the 000 Buck met the standards of FBI ballistic testing. The spread wasn’t as bad as other loads as well.

.32 caliber size pellets penetrate a body in four different places at the same time, increasing your chances of hitting a vital area, with just one shot, thats pretty darn good in my book. Sounds perfect to me, for home defense, in the car, and carrying it in point and shoot situations. The FBI supposedly says most gun fights occur with 8 feet. Let off two or three rounds real quick with the judge, and I’m confident bad guy go bye bye.

I recently purchased one of your Judge 45/410 models, the Public Defender. My question is, is the spurred hammer of the judge, interchangable with the bobbed hammer of the public defender? If so, would it have to be done at the factory?

Thank you,

Bert Peters

Protect yourself! Proctect your family!

The gun is not designed to be a long range sniper gun, it’s a personal protection piece. And any gun is only as accurate as the person pulling the trigger makes it. Most times, as any cop using a 38 or 9mm will tell you, when there’s a shootout, it’s close range,the bullets fly and many times no one gets hit on either side (except maybe innocent bystanders). That’s why whether in combat or in street shootouts, it’s important to count your rounds when shooting. With the judge, loaded with 000 Buck or even regular shot, someone is going to get hit. Unless you hit someone in a vital area, they’ll keep coming. Even if hit in a vital area, a determined human can continue at you for 15 seconds, even if shot in the head with a small caliber pistol (per FBI ballistics manual). 6 pulls of the trigger on a moving target with a 38 isn’t going to put 6 bullets into someone and the few that may hit, won’t necessarily stop a determined varmint of the animal or human kind. I’ve been in combat and I assure you, I’ve pumped several M16 rounds into someone who kept coming and wanting to hurt me bad. 5 trigger pulls of a Judge with 000 buck at close range is going to hit something and with the close spread within 25 yards, they’ll have at least 3 bullets in them. I just bought a box of 410 ammo from Walmart….20 rounds for $9.00 that has (4) 32 caL. Rounds in it. Fire power is where it’s at at close range and with enough rounds and big enough to not only hit a vital area but also to knock them back, giving you a bit of a chance to do even more damage or get away.

Yep, if I were just going to shoot snakes, a 38 with snake rounds in it would be fine. The problem is, most snakes and other wild animals will avoid you if they can. A human animal that intends to do you harm, will do whatever they can to do that harm. So will a mother bear. I could walk through the woods with a Howitzer but it’s not practical. A Judge with an assortment of ammo will fit just about any close range event and do it with punch and accuracy and be easy to carry.

If you want to shoot .45 Colt ammo, get a carbine and revolver set; and if you want a snake gun a revolver or tuned automatic with good sights is sufficient. .410s suck bad enough out of a 24″ barrel that i’ll pass on dollar a round out of a 3″ barrel. Now, a .410 automatic shotgun with (6) 3″ rounds holding (4) 000 buck and a 22″ barrel is certainly NOT mistakable for unarmed..but equally it’s sub optimal on cost, and TRAINING IS EXPENSIVE.

At a dollar+ per bang, I don’t need ANY other argument to hunt an alternative. I’ll take my .38 special with a 6″ barrel and shoot twice for the same dollar, and get change back. And *it* can actually hit the spot you’re TRYING tp hit.

I purely detest the Judge. I can find more sense in a High Point carbine without even tryin. The IDEA sucks swamp slime through a hundred meter hose and won’t improve any with age.

This is a great gun. I am as accurate with it as I am my Glock 40 cal., Springfield Armory 45 xd, or my Taurus 38 + P at 7 and 20 yards.

Any carjacker that comes up against the Judge is going to get his face removed before he dies.

I really like the idea of self defense. I have always worried, Gor forbid I actually got in gun fight I would be to nervous to aim well and miss and hurt some innocent stand by with a large cal handgun (9mm or bigger), or than a small cal gun wouldn’t stop some hop up meth head.

I think is a good mix. In gun combat at close range the 6″ is kinda hard to conceal and slow to draw. The inch is a little heavier than my .38 but I am a varly bick guy, so i doesn’t bother me.

I did not test the 3″ chamber model. I settled on the steel 3″ 2.5′ chamber steel. I have read the 3″ chamber packs a little bit more powder bunch on the buck shot and you can get a 4 pellet 3″ .410. But, it cost more and I noticed the weight difference.

The recoil was about the same to me. I could shoot the Long gun longer but I dont plan on going fird hunting with it.

I fits handy in the night stand, in between the car seat on console. Easy to draw. i am not worried of hurting anyone than who I am aiming at.

Loaded with .45 longs the long gun was about as good a can shoot any hand gun at a good distance. The 3′ not so much, but I got a tight pattern about 8 or 10 feet.

I prefer #4 buck on the .410 shell. I Prefer .45 long as the killing shot. 000 works well up close 6 to 10 feet.

I keep mine loaded with first three rounds #4 buck, and that hasn’t change the prep’s mind he at least itsn’t moving very fast I pretty sure I can hit them with the last two chambers. I prefer .45 long in last two, can’t always find them in stock, so I may have 000 .410 in last two chambers.