Taurus introduced the “Public Defender” revolver, another in the line of the Judge revolvers, at the 2009 SHOT Show.
Chambering the same .45 Colt and .410 shotshells as the other handguns in the Judge line, the Public Defender is built on a smaller frame (the 85 series frame), and is clearly designed for concealed carry. The Public Defender still chambers five rounds, yet is smaller and lighter, weighing only 28.2 ounces for the stainless or blued versions, and 26 ounces for the blued steel/titanium cylinder model.
The Public Defender has a three-inch barrel topped with a red fiber optic sight. The rear sight is a fixed notch. The hammer has been reduced, meaning it is less likely to catch on clothing during a draw, but it can still be cocked for a single action, precision shot. The Public Defender wears a set of the Taurus Ribber grips.
The Public Defender felt a touch front-heavy, but that is probably a good thing for helping to manage recoil. While this gun is nowhere near the size of a J-frame snubbie, it is noticeably smaller than the previous Judge models. If you want to carry a .410/.45 Colt, this is the best package to do it concealed.
I spoke with a sales rep on day one of SHOT who said the pricing on the Public Defender would be around $500 for the blued and stainless models. The titanium model will be about $600. A Taurus rep on day two of SHOT also quoted me the same general numbers.
Update
Since its introduction at the 2009 SHOT Show, the Taurus Public Defender has become one of the more popular handguns in this series of Brazilian revolvers. Â The Public Defender is a more compact version of the Judge and is therefore much easier to carry concealed. Â This gun matched up with some .410 loads specifically designed for these revolvers could be a devastating close-defense firearm.
72 replies on “Taurus Judge Public Defender”
There were a couple of people asking about the use of .45 ACP rounds in the Judge. If you search “moonclips” you’ll pull up a site called TKcustom.com. They mill out the cylinder to accomodate said clips. Faster reloads and you don’t need to use the clips for the .45 Colt or .410 loads. Also check out Jerry Miculek to see how fast they reload.
For a The Judge Holster….go to Galco Holsters….
they have a specific holster for this weapon.
I just got my Judge and have not had time to take it out to the range. It’s chambered for the 3″ mag and I’m concerned about the play/looseness in the cyclinder. It has this small amount of play whether is cocked or not. Is this something I should really be concerned with?
James,
It depends on how much play the “small amount” is. If you are concerned, I’d suggest taking it by your local gunsmith and just having him or her take a look at it. If it is out of spec, you definitely don’t want to shoot it. Fortunately, Taurus has a lifetime warranty.
–Richard
I love my Public Defender with the exception of one detail. I don’t posses enough thumb strength to pull back the bobbed hammer. I’m forced to shoot in DAO, which I think effects accuracy. I would like to have the option to shoot single-action, and I’m wondering if it would be practical for me to contact a gunsmith. I’ve been thinking of having the hammer replaced with a traditional style hammer as well as decrease the hammer pull. I’ve never had any custom work done on any of my handguns, so I’m little unsure about the whole thing. Is anyone here aware of similiar custom work on a PD? I’m sure the bobbed hammer is fine for men (it’s not a problem for my husband) but women are just built different : )
Hi Angela,
I’m not familiar with anyone doing custom work on a Judge, but I’m sure there are some ‘smiths out there willing to try it out. The only thing I would suggest is that if this is a self defense/concealed carry gun, don’t mess around with it too much. Learn to shoot it double action, and forget you can cock the hammer for a single action shot. If this gun isn’t for personal protection, then go to town on it and let us know what you have done!
–Richard
I have a publicdefeder with the nub hammer.
I took it to a GOOd gun smith, and had the triger pull taken down from 10Lbs– to 3Lbs and it is like a semi auto and VERY nice to shoot. Hope this helped you.