Is the judge good for home defense?

The first thing anyone will notice about the Taurus Public Defender is how light and tiny this powerful gun really is. Don’t let that small footprint fool you. The Public Defender has some incredible stopping power for your personal protection.

Tailor-made for concealed carry, the Public Defender is often referred to as the Taurus Judge’s baby brother. Just like the Judge, this five-shot revolver is built to shoot .410 shotshell or .45 Colt rounds. However, the Public Defender packs that punch with only a 2” barrel and a polymer frame. Ultra-light is always a plus when looking for the best weapon to carry concealed and the Public Defender tips the scales at a barely-there 23 ounces on my scale. However, there’s more than just polymer magic to the PD revolver in making it the best to carry.

The Public Defender is well-built to be easy to shoot. I wasn’t sure how well a revolver of this size would fit in hand, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover how well the Defender fits my grip. The rubberized grip with finger indents has very functional ribbing to assist with my hold, and there is room for a reasonably comfortable two-handed grip.

It was no surprise that when firing, the movement of the recoil was a bit of a jolt to my hand. There’s a lot of force generated, but the good grip and smartly crafted trigger guard prevent slipping in recoil.

Even with the small footprint, Taurus has taken great steps to make sure the Public Defender is accurate. After all, my protection counts on the ability to hit what I’m shooting at. A fixed rear sight is paired with a bright red high-visibility front sight. The sights, and the rest of the revolver for that matter, are well designed to not snag on holsters or clothing. That said, I always recommend practicing from holster to hand to make sure there aren’t any surprises with getting caught on an unexpected piece of fabric.

Follow-up shots are made easy with the natural travel of the recoil and re-obtaining the target with the hi-vis. I have zero trouble at the range with staying on target at 30 yards. If you’re using the Public Defender for varmint shooting as well, it’s nice to know you don’t have to be right on top of the pest to take care of business. Home defense shooting is generally close range, but when the threat is a snake I’ll stay as far from the target as possible.

Speaking of home defense, one of my favorite things about the Taurus Public Defender is the overall safe nature of this revolver. Most revolvers are easy to secure when they are empty, but Taurus has taken engaging the safety to the next level with the Taurus safety lock. An actual turn of a key below the barrel is used to engage the safety. No accidental flip of a button or slide while tucked in a waistband or bouncing around in a bag or purse will put folks in harm’s way.

The Taurus Public Defender will not shoot until the key has been used to disengage the safety. A fantastic safety feature, especially for novice shooters who may be new to concealed carry. Another safety feature, the heavy double-action trigger pull weight of 12 pounds, prevents accidental discharge, especially if bouncing around in a bag with other loose items.

For concealed carry, the super tiny Taurus Public Defender is ideal. Impressive stopping power with smart and safe design, you won’t be caught unprepared with this great revolver at your side.

Richard Douglas is a long-time shooter, outdoor enthusiast, and technologist. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field. Columnist at The National Interest, Cheaper Than Dirt, Daily Caller and other publications.

In this article:Gun Review, Guns, Taurus, Taurus Guns, Taurus Public Defender

Written By Richard Douglas

Richard Douglas is a long-time shooter, outdoor enthusiast, and technologist. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at The National Interest, Cheaper Than Dirt, Daily Caller, and other publications.

1 Comment

1 Comment

1. 

   Marty Johncox

   November 24, 2021 at 8:33 pm

   Good review. I am an urban vehicular cyclist riding more than 1,000 miles a month and I am looking for a compact gun for self protection. It sounds like this would work well and the ability to shoot shot reduces the risk to others in a close urban environment. The light weight is also a bonus. I see holsters designed for bicycle carry that attach to the head tube (where the handlebars connect to the front fork). Would the Judge be too stocky for such a holster? Could you recommend some holsters that would fit the Judge but also provide lots of mounting options? Thank you!

   Is the Taurus Judge accurate?

   The Taurus Judge is fast on target and plenty accurate enough for personal defense. A word to the wise, this is not the revolver to hotrod the . 45 Colt. Recoil is prohibitive even though the Judge is designed to be portable and light enough for field use.

   How far can the Taurus Judge shoot?

   These heavy loads should produce devastating results at 15 feet to perhaps 21 feet, the magic 7 yard average range. In truth across a room or bedroom is more likely. The Judge must be aimed, but the pattern has spread enough to aid in hitting at 10 to 15 feet. This handgun isn't useful past 21 feet with shot loads.

   Is Taurus Judge a good gun?

   The Judge is a solid choice for taking to the range for some casual target shooting, but I think it really shines with clay shooting. And the Judge retails for around $450, so it's not wildly costly for a fun gun either, especially if you can find one secondhand.

   Does the Taurus Judge have a safety?

   Another feature common across the line is a transfer-bar safety, and all Judge revolvers also have the Taurus Security System built into the hammer. Turning the small button with the provided key locks the hammer in the down position and renders the gun inoperable.