Apr 19, 2014 The model 85 has been Taurus’ meat-and-potatoes gun for several decades. It’s also the official sidearm of the Singapore police force patrol officers. Taurus has a lot of experience building lightweight aluminum alloy and titanium model 85s, so not much of the View is really new and untested with the exception of the Lexan side panel.
You may remember that I reviewed the Smith & Wesson 686.
In that review, I discovered that I don’t, in fact, hate revolvers.
Who knew?
Anyway, tragedy of tragedies: I had to give the 686 back to my friend. Pro tip: buy the gun from a person BEFORE you publish a glowing review of it. So there I was revolverless and in need of a revolver.
Taurus Time
Now, I’ll admit that there are a disproportionate number of Taurus gun reviews on this site but I assure you they’re not a sponsor. With this being a beginner focused site, Taurus and their low prices tend to be most people’s first gun.
It also means that, since I have a wife that I’m putting through college, it’s easier for me to afford a Taurus in cases like this where I’m reviewing a gun I actually own as opposed to a borrowed, rented or T&E gun.
So yeah, I got a Taurus 627.
Truth be told, now that I’ve shot this gun, I’m glad I got this over the Smith & Wesson. A little warning: there’s going to be a lot of comparisons between this gun and the S&W.
Feature wise, the Taurus has a lot more going for it.
![Taurus View Revolver Discontinued Taurus View Revolver Discontinued](/uploads/1/2/4/9/124924587/190927836.jpg)
I like the grip of the Taurus better, for starters. My fingers never truly fit right on the S&W’s grip and, had I bought it from the friend, the first thing I would have done would be to put a different grip on it.
Secondly, I like the longer barrel of the Taurus. The longer sight radius really makes for great accuracy. It also holds seven rounds as opposed to the S&W’s six. Like the S&W, the Taurus 627 also has adjustable rear sights which did require a bit of adjusting right out of the box.
Finally, we come to the porting on the barrel.
In a normal barrel, the gasses that propel the bullet will escape from the end of the barrel once the bullet leaves. That sudden pop of pressure contributes greatly to the muzzle flip of the gun and increases that dreaded “felt recoil”.
By drilling a bunch of upward pointing holes on the end of the gun, most of the gasses escape in that upward direction before the bullet leaves the barrel. This pretty much removes the muzzle flip caused by those gasses and actually works to counteract the recoil caused by the natural physics of the gun firing in the first place. This was the first gun I’ve ever fired that had a ported barrel and let me tell you: it has spoiled me.
The difference was amazing!
While the weight of this gun had a bit to do with it, the combination of that and the ported barrel meant that .38 special rounds had, at least to me, less recoil than the .380 SIG P238 that Mrs. Noob was shooting in the next lane over.
The recoil was so light that, after the first shot, I actually unloaded the remaining 6 rounds to check for a squib because I could have sworn it was a bad cartridge.
Nope, the recoil was just that light.
Like a little kid, I excitedly called the wife over saying “SWEETY! YOU GOTTA TRY THIS YOU GOTTA TRY THIS YOU GOTTA TRY THIS!!!!” all the while bouncing up and down like a hyperactive terrier. With an air of skepticism (and slight annoyance by my excited nature), she gave it a try. After firing the first round, the look of shock on her face was priceless! She immediately looked at the gun and said a phrase I can’t repeat here due to the PG-13 nature of the site but it rhymed with “Foley Spit”. After that, I had trouble getting the gun back from her so that I could finish the testing.
As light as the recoil was with .38 special, I was expecting the .357 magnum to be light as well.
To the gun’s credit, it didn’t have much in the way of muzzle flip. Wooo boy the recoil was still there, though. The weird thing was, I felt almost all of it in my shoulders. I can honestly say I’ve never shot a gun that felt like this before. I really want to try a ported semi-auto pistol to see if it has similar characteristics!
In the review, I spent a bit of time waxing poetic about the trigger on the S&W as well.
I’m happy to report that the trigger on the Taurus is also a great trigger. In single action, the trigger feels a bit heavier than the the S&W’s trigger did. This is a good thing as it’s harder to accidentally fire the Taurus 627 when it’s in single action mode. There isn’t any grittiness or sponginess in the 627’s trigger pull.
My only complaint is that there seems to be a false reset point a little bit before the actual reset. In times of rapid fire, this could throw off a shooter so be aware of it.
I can’t think of a clever segue to go here so let’s just get to the tests.
Revolver. No breakdown. 5 out of 5
Under normal circumstances, this is an automatic 5 out of 5 but, those holes in the barrel become a bit of a double edged sword.
They do truly help recoil but they are a pain to clean.
They do need to be cleaned also because the carbon from all that cheap ammo collects in there pretty bad. As much as I love those things, it does add some extra difficulty in cleaning. Combine that with the fact that there aren’t many tools readily available to dig into those things (I had to use a dental scraper), the 627 gets a 4.5 out of 5 for maintenance.
Revolver and reliable both start with R.
5 out of 5
No external safety. It has a heavier trigger pull which makes it harder to accidentally shoot.
It has an integrated lock that renders the gun unusable (just like all Taurus guns). It also has what is called a “transfer bar” meaning that the hammer doesn’t actually strike the firing pin directly. There’s a bar that is raised up between the hammer and pin only when the trigger is pulled which also helps against accidental shooting.
By those powers combined, the 627 is probably the most inherently safe revolver I’ve ever tested. 4 out of 5
Just like every revolver, you really have to watch your hand placement or your thumb will suffer. Not much else to say on that at this point. 3 out of 5
You get a cardboard box, a couple of spare keys, a manual and a warranty card.
This is always Taurus’s weak point. In order to keep the costs down, sacrifices have to be made somewhere. It’s either drop the quality of the gun or cut the toys in the box. Still, the category is what it is. 1 out of 5. A plastic case would have bumped it up to at least a 2.
Like any revolver, there isn’t much room for upgrading.
The nice thing is, there’s lots of options available for those things that can be upgraded. There’s no shortage of grip options and I’ve found some interesting trigger upgrades. Taurus also sells a scope mount that can be clamped on to the gun which has the potential to add some interesting toys. All in all, I’m not disappointed at the selection available.
5 out of 5
If you’re looking for a revolver to kick off your collection, you really can’t go wrong here.
It’s super accurate to shoot. The recoil won’t scare off noobs and makes it easy to shoot this all day long. The price is right. It even looks cool, which is a bonus.
The Taurus 627 gets a solid 4 out of 5.
Although I will say this: I’m probably not going to do too many more revolver reviews. They’re fun guns and all but, with the exception of one or two nuances on occasion (i.e. trigger and such), they’re just not unique enough in their function to make for an interesting review.
Now, that is actually a plus in the revolver column, if you think about it. If every revolver behaves almost exactly the same, it makes it far easier to just pick up a revolver and go. Great for shooters, bad for reviewers. There’s only so many times I can type “It’s a revolver. You don’t have to worry about _____”.
Comments:
Posted @ 3/5/2014 11:11 AM by
Heh, heh. You’re hooked now. Welcome to the round side of the force.
(Redirected from Taurus Circuit Judge)
Taurus Judge | |
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Taurus 'Raging Judge Magnum' revolver with 6.5 inch barrel, chambered in .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .410 bore shotshell. All Judge revolvers can also fire the short .45 Schofield (.45 S&W). | |
Type | Revolver |
Place of origin | Brazil United States |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Taurus International |
Produced | 2006–present |
Variants | 4410, 4510, 513 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 29 oz (820 g) |
Length | 7.5 in (190 mm) |
Barrel length | 3 in (76 mm) |
Width | 1.531 in (38.9 mm) |
Height | 5.394 in (137.0 mm) |
Caliber | .410 bore .454 Casull (Raging Judge only) .45 Colt .45 Schofield |
Action | Double-action revolver |
Feed system | 5, 6, or 7 round cylinder |
Sights | Fixed |
The Taurus Judge is a five shot revolver designed and produced by Taurus International, chambered for .410 bore shot shells and the .45 Coltcartridge. Taurus promotes the Judge as a self-defense tool against carjacking and for home protection.
- 2Models
History[edit]
Taurus Judge 'Magnum' edition, shown to scale with a US Quarter.
There have been two model number designations for this firearm, the 4410 (no longer produced) and the 4510 (current). Both model numbers are essentially the same revolver, and any 4410 or 4510 will yield basically the same performance. It got its name 'The Judge' in 2006 when Bob Morrison, Executive Vice President, learned that judges in high-crime areas of Miami, Florida were purchasing the revolver for personal defense in their courtrooms, and after Morrison investigated further, the model designation was changed from 4410 to 4510 to more accurately reflect the revolver's versatility (.45 Colt + 410 shot → '4510').[1]Taurus International reports that the Judge is their top-selling firearm.[1]
The rifling is shallower than normal, giving single-projectile loads less stabilization than they would receive in other handguns while reducing the rapid dispersion of the shot from shotshells.[2] Taurus developed the shallow rifling after numerous experiments to find rifling that worked well with both types of ammunition.[3]
Though Taurus deliberately designed the Judge to fire shotshells, the Judge does not qualify as a 'short-barreled shotgun' under the National Firearms Act of 1934 as its rifled barrel makes it a regular handgun.[2] However, the Judge is considered a short-barreled shotgun under California state law, which has a broader definition of 'short-barreled shotgun,' and the Judge is thus illegal to possess in that state.[4]
Models[edit]
Taurus Public Defender revolver, detailing the shortened hammer and snub-nose barrel
The Judge, a derivative of the Taurus Tracker, comes in three barrel lengths (3', 4' and 6.5' - Tracker), two cylinder lengths (2.5' and 3'), and two finishes (blued and stainless steel). The 3' barrel model also comes in two weight classes, the standard steel construction (29 oz currently, 36 oz previously) and alloy-based 'Ultra-Lite' (22 oz currently, 24 oz previously). Felt recoil can be significant with the Ultra-Lite series, due to its light weight, especially with .45 Colt rounds. As of December 2008, spur-less hammers remain available with all short-barrel lengths of The Judge. Crimson Trace laser grips are available for standard models of this firearm.[5]
At the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show in January 2009, Taurus introduced several new models of the Judge. These have been labeled the Public Defender series and are based on the Taurus Model 85 frame. As with the original Judge, these shoot five rounds of either .45 Colt or .410 shot. Taurus is positioning the Public Defender series as a concealed carry piece. Taurus also introduced the tactical R Ported. The Taurus 4510TKR-3SSR (stainless steel) and 4510TKR-3BR (blued) offer a 3″ ported barrel with a Picatinny rail.[6]
In 2010 Taurus introduced the Raging Judge which is chambered for .454 Casull as well .45 Colt and 3' .410 shot shells.[6]
In 2011 at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada Taurus introduced the Raging Judge XXVIII chambered for 28 gauge shot shells. The 67 ounce revolver held five shells in the cylinder and had a 6.5' barrel. The cylinder used a double lock-up similar to the Raging Judge chambered in .454 Casull.
However, rumors began to quickly circulate during the show that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) seized the prototype guns due to an initial finding that the guns were actually short-barreled shotguns, and therefore illegal.[7] However, Mark Keefe at American Rifleman reported that Taurus invited the BATFE to a meeting to discuss the revolver, and no BATFE determination was made at that time.[8]
On March 27, 2011, Taurus International President and CEO Bob Morrison stated on the Gun Talk radio show that the Taurus Raging Judge XXVIII was still under development.[9] Ultimately, the gun never made it into production and no official statement was made by Taurus about the gun again.
Carbine[edit]
Circuit Judge carbine.
Taurus makes an 18.5in barrelled[10]carbine variant of the Taurus Judge revolver along with its partner company, Rossi. The carbine is known as the Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge.[11]
It comes in the original combination chambering of .410 bore and .45 Colt. The Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge has small blast shields attached to the cylinder to protect the shooter from hot gases escaping between the cylinder and barrel.[11]
The carbine has a butt stock and forend made of either Brazilian hardwood or plastic and uses a fiber optic front sight.[12] An optional Picatinny scope mount base allows the user to mount a sight on the top of the frame and a choke is included for turkey hunting.[13]
Efficacy[edit]
Shotshells for use in handguns have long been made by loading handgun cartridges with shot rather than single bullets; they are commonly called 'snake shot' or 'rat shot' indicating their main use for pest control. Standard rifling designed to stabilize bullets scatters shot limiting its effectiveness to very short range.[14] To meet this market, Taurus designed the .45 Colt/.410 Judge to use both bulleted cartridges and .410 shotshells. The rifling of the Judge barrel is designed to stabilize bullets but not unduly scatter shot.
Taurus also paid attention to effectiveness with buckshot, positioning the Judge as a personal defense weapon. Buckshot shells in .410 bore are not considered especially effective in personal defense, however there are some specific loadings which give excellent performance in gel, at short ranges. One example would be 2 1/2' 4 pellet 000 buckshot, such as those offered by Federal and Remington, among others. These loadings give excellent performance in numerous gel tests which can be seen on YouTube. In the original Judge chambering for standard 21⁄2' .410 shells, each shell contains three 000 buckshot,[15] compared to nine 00 (.33') or eight 000 (.36') buckshot in the standard 12 gauge shell commonly used for personal defense or big game hunting. In 2008 Taurus introduced the Judge Magnum which can fire either standard 21⁄2' or 3' .410 shotshells which contain five 000 buckshot and are more effective as personal defense rounds.[3] Several ammunition companies offer .410 ammo specifically designed for the Judge with propellant optimized for shorter barrels. The Federal 21⁄2' 000 buckshot shell contains 4 pellets.[3] The Remington Home Defense 2.5' / 64mm 000 buckshot shell also contains 4 pellets. A cylinder full (6 shells) of 3' .410 shot shells is the approximate equivalent of three blasts (30; 000 buck pellets) from a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with 000 buck (9; 000 buck pellets each for a total of 27 pellets).
The Taurus Judge is based on the Taurus .45 Colt revolver and is adequate for its designed rounds. It was not designed for higher pressures generated by cartridges such as .44 Magnum or .454 Casull; to prevent use of such rounds, the firing chambers of the Judge cylinder are choked to prevent chambering rounds larger in diameter than .410 shotshells and longer than .45 Colt cartridges.[2] Later Taurus introduced the Raging Judge Magnum based on their Raging Bull model designed for magnum cartridges; the Raging Judge Magnum safely chambers .454 Casull as well as .45 Colt cartridges.[16]
Gallery[edit]
- Original version of the Taurus Judge (blued finish)
- Closeup of the cylinder (carbine model pictured), showing the choked chambers that prevent adding .454 Casull rounds on non-magnum models.
- Fired from early short barrel 2.5 inch chambers Slugs are 71 grains each and there are 12 number 4 shot.
See also[edit]
- Smith and Wesson Governor - a similar weapon by S&W
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Taurus Big-Bore Double Feature'. Shooting Times. Archived from the original on 2009-02-12.
- ^ abc'The Judge Rules'. American Rifleman. January 2009.
- ^ abcRadielovic, Marko; Prasac, Max (31 August 2012). Big-Bore Revolvers. Iola,Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 55. ISBN1-4402-2856-6.
- ^Michel, C.D. (June 13, 2011). 'Judging the Judges: Illegal Firearms in California?'(pdf). Los Angeles: Michel & Associates. pp. 1–11.
- ^Shideler, Dan (2010). Guns Illustrated 2011: The Latest Guns, Specs & Prices. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. p. 192. ISBN1-4402-1624-X.
- ^ abLee, Jerry (2013). Gun Digest 2014. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 441. ISBN978-1-4402-3542-9.
- ^Big gun, Short lived. Taurus 28 Gauge Revolver
- ^The Judge Goes Even Bigger Bore
- ^March 27, 2011 Gun Talk radio program
- ^'Rossiusa.com'.
- ^ abMuramatsu, Kevin (2013). The Gun Digest Book of Centerfire Rifles Assembly/Disassembly. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 310. ISBN978-1-4402-3544-3.
- ^Cassell, Jay (2013). Shooter's Bible: The World's Bestselling Firearms Reference. Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated. p. 260. ISBN978-1-62087-516-2.
- ^Lee, Jerry (11 April 2012). The Official Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices 2012. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 878. ISBN1-4402-2927-9.
- ^Maj. George C. Nonte, Jr., Handloading for Handgunners, Follet Publishing, 1978, Chapter 14 Shot and Multi-Ball Loads, p.184ff. ISBN0-695-81199-1.
- ^'The .410 Bore'. ChuckHawks.com.
- ^Pearsall, Jennifer (2012). Gun Digest Illustrated Guide to Modern Firearms. Iola, wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 117. ISBN1-4402-3253-9.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taurus Judge. |
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