Judge Help

[Half Dog]

you can very easily make your own 410's using 444marlin shells no press needed. a few wads and your in business
my buddy's wife carries a Judge she just points a shoots,it was made for close quarters.

That’s exactly what I think I need, very close quarters. Can you suggest where I can find reloading information for a 410 handgun?

[SSGOldfart]

That’s exactly what I think I need, very close quarters. Can you suggest where I can find reloading information for a 410 handgun?

lyman "shotshell reloading handbook" 5th edition. you-tube has many video's on making 410, but I would only use approved data myself. humm 303 brass can also be used as can a few others.

For his wife's judge I just loaded a few dozen shotshells with fiberwads and a over shot card added a few drops of glue to seal the case. works great I'm now making a few for my contender and a Topper 410.

[Texas by God]

A compact .22 LR semi automatic rifle is easy for most anyone to operate and effectively shoot.


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[HWooldridge]

A compact .22 LR semi automatic rifle is easy for most anyone to operate and effectively shoot.


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Agreed - I would not feel under gunned with my Ruger Mk 1 .22 and a full clip. It points well and 10 rounds of Stingers is nothing to sneeze at.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Anybody who uses a Taurus Judge for self defense with conventional shotshells really ought to shoot a few at a big sheet of cardboard at whatever distance they think they’re going to be using it. The .410 doesn’t hold much shot and the rifled barrel blows the pattern pretty quickly.

The buckshot and disc loads are another matter. But they’ll still need to be able to aim and hold steady to hit anything.

Agree that a 10-22 or similar would be a better choice.

[Iron369]

If he’s looking at 22lr, maybe a ruger charger would fit the bill.

[35remington]

Frail and unsteady makes me wonder whether a large noisy fairly hard recoiling handgun is the way to go.

Have you taken this person out shooting to see what They!!! handle well first? It beats speculation and regretful firearm purchases.

[elmacgyver0]

Frail and unsteady makes me wonder whether a large noisy fairly hard recoiling handgun is the way to go.

Have you taken this person out shooting to see what They!!! handle well first? It beats speculation and regretful firearm purchases.

I like my little Beretta Model 71 Mossad assassination pistol with a .22 LR Banish Silencer.
It does get some curious looks at the range.

[Delkal]

Frail and unsteady makes me wonder whether a large noisy fairly hard recoiling handgun is the way to go.

Have you taken this person out shooting to see what They!!! handle well first? It beats speculation and regretful firearm purchases.

This. Take them out and let them shoot a 9mm. If that intimidates them I would forget about a Judge. A full sized .38 revolver would be a better choice since the recoil is milder and all you have to do is pick it up and pull the trigger.

A compact rifle like a 10/22 would also be a good option. Even if you are old and frail it would be hard to miss a man sized target at 20 feet. Just tell him to keep shooting.

AR's can have a lot of muzzle blast and can me too much for indoors so how about one of the pistol caliber carbines in 9mm? Or even a vintage 30 carbine. These rifles are light so even kids and petite women are comfortable with them. And the recoil is negligible.

[imashooter2]

Nothing wrong with buying a gimmick gun like the Judge for a toy as long as you understand what it is.

[cwtebay]

Firstly - can't believe I am going to say this! But.. ....Perhaps this situation would be best served without a firearm? A quick call or text to a trusted neighbour would be a more sensible solution. If this person is elderly, physically impaired - I would hesitate to place a firearm in their hands unless that firearm is comfortable in their hands. Better doors / glass / entry points / alarms may be a smarter solution.

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[Barry54]

Ok. Based on opinions, the Judge is not the handgun for him.
Any suggestions for a light, small, home defense for someone with shaky hands?

This last sentence seems full of contradictions and impossibilities to me.
Light and small are characteristics of a concealed carry firearm and aren’t needed for a bedside gun, and generally aren’t helpful to shooting accurately.
Shaking hands sounds elderly. If the family member doesn’t already have a gun collection, they probably aren’t going to be a “gun guy” now. My friend in his 80’s had sold everything above 32 caliber. At one point he asked me about a universal magazine loader. He probably couldn’t rack the slide on bigger guns either. (S&W may be onto something with that EZ model)
He carried a Ruger LCR 22 revolver. It was light and he could tolerate the recoil. I imagine he would have needed both hands or two fingers to pull the trigger. He kept a small set of pliers in his pocket to assist with his pants zipper....

All this said, it may not matter what your family member has for home defense. Anything is better than nothing and it will likely collect dust and never be fired. A 380 Hi-point is fine in that application. Spend time with loved ones. That’s what’s important. People observing activity/visitors at random times can be a deterrent to bad guys too.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Guns are power tools same as table saws or automobiles. They demand a level of mental and physical fitness. They are a two edged sword.

Cwtebay and Barry54, good posts. I’ll add two more options to the list. Pepper spray and a medical alert button. Medical alert buttons worn around the neck can be under a shirt. One button push connects via cell service or Wi-Fi to the operator who can send police. Police are minutes away and seconds count. But even the best soldier will reach a point when he’s too old to fight. That’s when he shouldn’t be going to war.

[Thumbcocker]

If the decision is for a handgun that will be used solely for home defense, I would recommend a used model 10 Smith. There are police trade in guns around that have worn finish but are still tight and serviceable. No slide to rack, no magazine to load, no safety lever to find in the dark. Point and pull the trigger. Maybe loaded with wadcutters.

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[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If the decision is for a handgun that will be used solely for home defense, I would recommend a used model 10 Smith. There are police trade in guns around that have worn finish but are still tight and serviceable. No slide to rack, no magazine to load, no safety lever to find in the dark. Point and pull the trigger. Maybe loaded with wadcutters.

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"model 10 Smith"
This was my first thought when reading this thread, for all the reasons that Thumbcocker stated. It's also my first suggestion to any person who is thinking of a gun for self-defense for the first time, that may or may not be a gun person.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Firstly - can't believe I am going to say this! But.. ....Perhaps this situation would be best served without a firearm? A quick call or text to a trusted neighbour would be a more sensible solution. If this person is elderly, physically impaired - I would hesitate to place a firearm in their hands unless that firearm is comfortable in their hands. Better doors / glass / entry points / alarms may be a smarter solution.

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When I read cwtebay's comment, I also agree with it...and have a companion thought.
Maybe a non Lethal weapon...like the Hero 2020 that my favorite radio talker advertises for.

https://shop.hero.us.com/collections...hero-gun-picks

[GhostHawk]

If they are older I would seriously consider either

A Ruger Mk IIII in .22lr with 5"+ barrel.

B NAA 5 shot revolver in .22mag, prefered models are the Ranger II or Sidewinder. Both much faster and easier to reload than the others.

C Pheonix arms makes an inexpensive .22lr semi auto 10 shot mag. He can miss half of those and still get the job done. HP 22 currently 160$ at buds gun shop.

D If he is older and shaky, is his wife there? In better shape? My wife cindy is a sweet mild mannered soft talking grandma. But threaten me or her kid and she turns into a very loud very angry grizzly bear! And it happens RIGHT NOW!

I'm 71 and while I am not shaky yet about 6 years ago me and recoil parted ways. .22 either LR or mag, .32sw long these are still pleasant to shoot and effective enough. 9mm and anything bigger is out.

[Delkal]

If this person decides he needs a firearm then a .38 cal Model 10 smith is the answer. With a revolver all you have to do is load it and it can sit in a drawer for decades and it is less likely to unintentionally fire vs an auto with the safety off. But if you need it just pick it up and pull the trigger without having to worry about a magazine, if there is a round in the chamber or a safety.

I never liked the Judge or the way they marketed it. I think it was pushed for new shooters who have little experience with firearms or never shot before and probably couldn't hit anything. But, as the movies show, with a shotgun all you have to do is point one in the general direction, shoot, and it will put a basketball sized hole in anything. Unfortunately shotgun pistols don't work that way and at close range I doubt shooting more projectiles would mean the difference between a hit or a miss vs a regular pistol. But they end up buying a hard recoiling overly heavy Judge that will intimidate them. For a new shooter this only guarantees a bad flinch.

[SSGOldfart]

Humm thinking about this a bit last night there seems to be a little clouded "woke" judgement in some replys, I for one will never relay on response from 911 for a defense event

I think he is talking about One Shot in close Quarters,which means a short barrel shotgun with buckshot or even bird shot might be the best advice, he's not talking about reloading or worried about recoil he's looking to stop a intruders in the same room/not a fleeing subject,"One Shot and done", I love my 45's and 38's but I'm well trained to use them.

[35remington]

Sooooo……we’re back to the question……what does this person handle and shoot well? If you don’t know find out first. Provide him with choice and let him choose, keeping in mind the goal is to do well in terms of reliable manipulation and reasonable hittability.

And yeah, that could be a Model 10 with wadcutters, but let him show you that is correct……or not.