Judge / Governor owners chime in

[SeaHawkDriver-B]

I am in need of a MULTI-TASKER. Understandably, any gun that is 'so-so' at a lot of things, isn't really 'good' at anything. This has been the main critisism I've read from different reviews of the Judge, and the new SW version, the Gov'.

Here's my problem, my family owns several acres of lake-front property on a somewhat large, yet not-so-populated area in the south east. During the warm months, water mocassians are everywhere. I usually kill at least 1 per week, and thats only if I happen to have a shotgun on me and they don't high-tail it away until I can get to a gun, and then back to the snake. The majority I stumble across slither away, or are out of range by the time I get armed-up. The probelm is that I don't feel like carrying a 28" barrel 12 ga around with me all day.

There are two other threats...

1- A couple neighbors have untrained and pinned rotweillers, that have gotten out a few times. When they do get out, they have killed cats, some small livestock, and generally terrorized the neighborhood. The area has also seen some wild dogs, which normally stay away but on occasion have gotten very bold and harassed people on foot. Its recrational property for the family, so there are typically women and small children venturing out beyond the property line and taking long walks, 4-wheelers, fishing, exercise, etc.

2- Critters of the 2-legged variety. Several stretches of long paved or dirt roads with not much but woods on either side is a bad place to be, unarmed, when a pickup truck full of "who the hell knows what" comes creeping up. There is also a dirt-poor drug dealer/hermit that the cops allow to to deal either meth of coke out of his rancid looking shack of a home about a mile up the road. The neighborhood has known about it becuase the guy has lived there for like 50 years, but tolerate it becuase he's so old and disgusting and stays to himself. Regardless, his "customers" are sometimes seen driving up and down the main road looking for a deal.

I usually pack a Glock 20 Longslide when I walk around the property or am around the area. But its damn near impossible, and dangerous, to use a 10mm on snakes (when swimming), which is what I wind up using the gun for 99% of the time. I've actually shot at a few white-tail, rabbits, coons, possum, and the occasional doomed squirrel with the 10mm during the hunting seasons, or when I find a critter eating our blueberry bushes, plum or pear trees we have planted out there.

I need a gun that is good on snakes, that can also double as a good defensive weapon for wild dogs and whatever human predators might or might not show up.

The only one I can imagine would be the .410/.45LC variety. Everyone has an opinion as to how effective they are.

Does anyone here have experience killing snakes with a Judge? What ammo would be best, and what kind of ranges could I expect to get out of one using No. 8 or No. 9 shot. I figure I could keep 3 rounds of .410 No. 8 for the snakes, and then back it up with 3 rounds of Federal 000 (4 pellet) buck for the other threats. I'd be able to keep it on me all day and wouldn't have to sprint back to the house to grab a shotgun.

I'm also leaning towards the Governor due to the SW name, extra capacity, and factory laser grips available.

Your thoughts?

[Visceral_Malice]

My best friend owns a 3" barrel judge and we shoot it weekly at the range. I have never shot anything living with it, but I can say the accuracy from that thing is quite surprising. 1.5" 5 shot groups at 15 yards with 45 colt. The shot patterns from 410 are nice up to 15-25 or so yards as well. Recoil is very manageable and enjoyable if I may say so. It punches nice holes in targets for sure.

[Rapier1772]

Snake shot isn't an option? Keep it in the glock but have a spare mag loaded up with more business like rounds?


Or are you just looking for a reason to buy another gun? :laugh: Mind you that is a perfectly good reason :thumb:

[smpsmp]

I had a chance to shoot a Judge about 3 years ago and I'm not sure if they have changed it all since but we (a supervisor at work, a manager, and me) weren't to impressed with it. The main issue we found wasn't quality or anything like that, but rather the rifling. With .45 colt you ended up with worse ballistics compared to a gun .45 colt with the same barrel cause the rifling wasn't as tight as it should be. In .410 the rifling ended up spreading the shot too much and too quickly.

In real world use: The .410 loads would work just fine for a snake at your feet, but start adding distance and that's where we ended up with problems of too wide of a load. The .45 colt was getting enough speed to take out a "target" just lack luster compared to what else available.

Personally, and this just is my personal opinion, I would carry the Glock and either a mag of snake shot or a smooth bore .410 revolver. There's an issue with each. One option you end up carrying two guns. Option two you have to make sure your Glock cycles CCI's snake shot (I tried it once in my FNP45T, and it would FTE about half the time).

[Wollychop]

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[flyingirish04]

I personally would go with the Raging Judge, just because it can shoot the Casull as well, but still can shoot the 410 and 45 LC.

What has been said above is accurate. The rifling limits the capabilities greatly. But if shooting snakes at your feet or a few yards away, it will work just fine. With regular 45LC it is as accurate as can be expected from Taurus. I have heard stories of the cyllinder going out of timing quite frequently though.

So as far as range, Its a handgun, it isn't designed to be shot 100s of yards. Out to 40 feet, you will be fine.

[Visceral_Malice]

Also a note: If you're shooting heavy loads (i.e. 250gr) you may get keyholing at around 30 yards in about 1 in 50 shots. I would assume this is due to the above mentioned shallow rifling. Lighter rounds seem to have no problems.

[flyingirish04]

That is exactly correct. Not enough rifling to spin the larger bullets, causing keyholing.

[haligan101]

You could always go with the snake slayer derringer from Bonds arms as a back up. It is fun to shoot recoil isnt to bad.

[smpsmp]

I thought of another option as well. What about the S&W M&P .357? It's an 8 shoot, just load your first two rounds with snake shot from CCI, then your remaining six are all rounds for the 2 and 4 legged creatures.

You're going to end up with the spreading of BB's anyway from the rifling, and it really doesn't matter with a snake at your feet with a .410 or .357 snake shot. But you get the ballistics of .357 the way it's supposed to be.

[Ariac]

I have a judge and as far as function goes it has never failed. On the other hand the blueing has worn off quickly, and it is a rust magnet.

[Iyyob]

i work at a very large gun dealer, we had 3 governors all 3 got shipped back for problems. and they cost alot more for 6 shots vs 5 in the judge.
the judge is a great gun for killing snakes, as snake shot will not feed well in most semiautos. for self defense i think theres much better, and the 410 is just a joke 45lc is not leaps and bounds better in this gun, and the barrel can't be made to be good @ both they chose to just make it work with both. i got a judge w/ 6in barrel and sold it in less than a week with $140 profit it just didnt do it for me. but u can also get a cheap eaa .38 that shoots snake shot or the cheap heritage that shoots the .22 snake shot. i'd prob try to get the heritage .22 that way you can carry that for snakes and carry the glock for SD and still be close to the same weight as a judge, unless u opt for the ultralight judge

[Oldbindlestiff]

For your intended purpose, the Judge should be fine. I fired the Public Defender version in .45LC and .410 and it performed as expected. Accuracy at reasonable distances is sufficient for self defense or snake "charming". The S&W Governor is a much better looking and handling gun, BUT, the .45ACP option makes little sense to me because of the differing bullet diameters. IMHO, too much money for too little gun.

While wandering meth producers are quite a real concern here in Eastern TN, I do have means sufficient to deal with them. Wandering, hungry black bears are more of a problem and another thread entirely! 10MM?... OK, I admit it: I want another pistol.



"The trouble with people who have no vices is that they are certain to have some really annoying virtues." -- E. Taylor