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If so, do you like it?

Is it a good shooter and/or painful no matter your choice either .410 or .45 long colt or any of the others available in this revolver?

Do you carry it or is it too big to be practical to carry?

Have any trouble finding retention holsters for it?

There was a big article about them in the latest "Guns and Ammo" and I was for the first time, intrigued by this big old hawg leg.

It would be something to OC one of these giants. I guess if you mind the attention you'd likely garner...

What say you Judge owners?

Abraham wrote:If so, do you like it?

Yes, I own one. Yes, I like it. A lot.

Is it a good shooter and/or painful no matter your choice either .410 or .45 long colt or any of the others available in this revolver?

Yes, it is a "good shooter." Your ammo choice determines whether it is painful. Standard 45 Colt doesn't hurt at first, but an extended session leaves me numb. 410 birdshot is uncomfortable, but not so much that I don't want to shoot it. 410 buckshot hurts, as do increased power 45 Colt loads.

Do you carry it or is it too big to be practical to carry?

I've never carried it concealed, but I think I could do it. As a practical matter, I'd rather carry a semi in 45. Not nearly as heavy, higher capacity, and easier to reload.

Have any trouble finding retention holsters for it?

Depends on the level of retention you want. I've never seen a retention holster beyond those having straps.

dcphoto,

Thanks for the great response!

Anyone else?

I have an S&W Governor. I think S&W quality is better than Taurus. You can shoot 45 ACP (in moon clips), 45 colt and 410 (2 1/2"). Bought a De Santis dual angle holster. I only carry it on my ranch property with 2 each of 45 acp, 410 and 45 colt. You do not want to shoot shotshell without ear protection. I was deaf for 24 hours after doing that. Haven't tried either 45 without ear protection. Good quality gun but not something you want to lug around all day. Pros, shoots 45 acp and S&W quality. Cons price higher than Taurus and shotshell limited to 2 1/2".
It mainly sits in the safe.

rotor,

Ah, another great response.

Thanks!

I'm now getting Judge envy.

Being fabulously wealthy (alright, I'm not) I may have to buy one.

I really like the WOW looks factor!

Both The Judge and The Governor are a lot of fun to play with. I wouldn't consider either for self defense, except from snakes, unless I was in a real pickle. As for .45ACP, The Judge can be modified to take moon clips. By the time you pay for it, though, you could have bought The Governor.

If I was back in the market for a .45/.410 revolver I would buy the Governor. Unfortunately, S&W wasn't making the Governor when I bought my Judge.

dcphoto wrote:Both The Judge and The Governor are a lot of fun to play with. I wouldn't consider either for self defense, except from snakes, unless I was in a real pickle. As for .45ACP, The Judge can be modified to take moon clips. By the time you pay for it, though, you could have bought The Governor.

If I was back in the market for a .45/.410 revolver I would buy the Governor. Unfortunately, S&W wasn't making the Governor when I bought my Judge.

I decided that if I was thinking about shooting a snake I would have to stop and put ear protection on or throw the gun at the snake. I decided that throwing the gun at the snake would be the better choice.

Problem solved

Impact Sport never fit me. Provided no noise protection as I couldn't get a good seal. Perhaps another brand might work. Thanks though for the idea.

I have no desire to own a Judge. They don't have any appeal.

When the Governor came out, I got one for my folks who are elderly and live alone. The revolver actually shoots quite well and the quality is good as it is accurate for the role which it was developed for. Even as a young man, my Dad was never one to practice shooting much, though he always carried a Colt .38 in his pocket, and my Mom has probably fired only a handful of rounds in her life. My Dad has faded a bit so my Mother would almost certainly have to operate any defensive weapon should an intruder kick down the door. I like that the governor is very forgiving of a less than perfect aim. Loaded with Winchester PDX1 which is .410 loaded with 4 plates and 16 BBs, one shot will completely pepper a target at 5 yards. Given its size, I don't know that I would think of it as a carry option, but they are a lot of fun to shoot, they are great for snakes, rats, and small barnyard rodents, and I do believe that they offer a good defensive alternative for some folks who may struggle with shaky hands, fading eyesight, or just don't know how to shoot very well. Besides being fun at the range, I think that the platform definitely has a practical niche.

WildBill wrote:I have no desire to own a Judge. They don't have any appeal.

I don't own one, but you can get 38 Special and 44 shot shells if you just want some snake ammo. It never appealed to me much.

MechAg94 wrote:I don't own one, but you can get 38 Special and 44 shot shells if you just want some snake ammo. It never appealed to me much.

My friend bought two Judges when they came out. One each for he and his Son as rattle snake medicine on their ranch. They were not please with the results using .410 loads on snakes. They papered them and compared them to patters of a .45 ACP using CCI rat shot. They carry .45 ACPs now.

I don't own a judge, but I'll bet Hillary has several on her payroll.