NRA Gun of the Week: Taurus Judge Pistol

by
posted on June 25, 2016
The DA/SA Taurus Judge revolver—celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016— was described best by Wiley Clapp in a 2009 American Rifleman evaluationA conventional revolver in all other respects, the Judge comes with fixed sights and double-action single-action lockwork. It is deliberately contrived to shoot shotgun shells, but its short (usually) 3" barrel is rifled to keep the gun from falling under the provisions of the National Firearms Act as a short-barreled shotgun. With .45 Colt ammunition, the Judge is a good short-range conventional revolver. With .410 shotshells, it becomes a host of different things. It can be a varmint gun for use on dangerous pests, a sporting gun with clay pigeons or other thrown targets, a small-game gun in survival situations and—probably most significantly—a defensive revolver with decisive terminal ballistics. ... It’s a load to carry and a handful to shoot, but the Judge is a powerful solution to the defense gun needs of many shooters..  

The Judge has stood the test of time so much so that it has earned its place as an NRA Gun of the Week. Learn more in this video hosted by American Rifleman's Kelly Young.  

For more information on Taurus and its line of pistols like this one here, visit taurususa.com.  

Manufacturer: Taurus International Mfg, Inc.  
Model: Judge
Action: DA/SA revolver
Caliber: .45 Colt/.410 bore (2.5” chamber)
Barrel: 3”, six-groove
Trigger: hammer-fired; double action, 10 lbs., 4.5 ozs.; single action, 5 lbs., 15 ozs.
Frame: stainless
Finish: matte
Sights: fiber-optic post front, rear frame notch
Capacity: five
Weight: 29 ozs.
MSRP: $600

For more on the Taurus Judge, please enjoy the following articles:

The Judge Rules 
Taurus Judge Video Review

Latest

 American Revolution painting
 American Revolution painting

The Shot Heard Round The World: The Arms & Events Of April 19, 1775

April 2025 marks 250 years since the momentous events at Lexington and Concord—the opening salvos of the American Revolution. Today, exhaustive research of primary accounts and surviving firearms and artifacts give us a clearer picture of what really happened.

Gun Of The Week: Browning Citori 825 Field

Learn about Browning's latest version of the famed Citori shotgun, the Citori 825 Field, in this week’s range video.

The Armed Citizen® April 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

"The Shot Heard Round The World:" 250 Years Later

On April 19, 1775, simmering tensions between Great Britain and her colonists erupted into warfare with the engagements at the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord.

Watchtower Firearms Re-Organizing

Watchtower Firearms, a veteran-owned firm based in Texas filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in late February 2025 to restructure and re-organize its financial structure.

The Road To Revolution: 250 Years Later

The militiamen who stood in defiance on Lexington Green are the first who fired upon the British regulars, but the road to revolution was paved long before gunfire erupted on that cold April morning in Massachusetts.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.