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”
Another very interesting weapon that a person on occasion sees at the gun shows is the “Super Comanche” a single shot .45/.410 pistol , I have seen these weapons used for between $150-$200 , they shoot not only the .45Colt but both the 2 1/2 and 3 inch .410 and with the 10 inch barrel the weapon is very accurate , I have shot the Super Comanche and I was very impressed , but the one disadvantage it is a single shot , but like the Judge a great home defence weapon .
On our local news this evening more hikers in the Flagstaff area are being bitten by small animals , foxes , shunks and bobcats who are infected with rabies(5 this week alone) , this is more reason than ever to carry the Judge while hiking , I am going to carry my Judge whenever I hike in any remote area .
Just to let all you confused Judge owners know, I work at a gun shop and we figured out that one of the main problems that people have been having with ammo not working is that the barrel is made to shoot american made 410 ammo. DO NOT buy european ammo as it is measured differently than american made ammo.
kudos