GUN OF THE WEEK: TAURUS PUBLIC DEFENDER

I can't seem to get a picture to load of this recently introduced model in the wildly popular Taurus Judge line of revolvers, so here's the manufacturers page:

http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=662&category=Revolver

I'm starting another new feature, Gun of the Week. It'll probably be irregular, or random in appearance or too frequent, not by intent but by the fact I get busy and distracted and write about other things or keep writing about the same subject for awhile.

Here's a good article/review about the Taurus Public Defender. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.handgunsmag.com/featured_handguns/HG_TaurusPD_032009A.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.handgunsmag.com/featured_handguns/HG_tauruspd_032009wo/&usg=__yTJJw7Suls0tSmzLqMX5X1JpweA=&h=141&w=230&sz=7&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=aCVh7hm9EXEABM:&tbnh=66&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtaurus%2Bpublic%2Bdefender%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1W1ACEW_en___US333%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Here's the link for the Taurus Judge-Public Defender ad:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.taurusjudge.net/images/public%2520defender.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.taurusjudge.net/taurus%2520judge%2520public%2520defender.htm&usg=__mlCxSDSIsdCgn_fBGEG-Isk3Rb4=&h=695&w=900&sz=222&hl=en&start=22&um=1&tbnid=BA1ZQTNxqKnHlM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=146&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtaurus%2Bpublic%2Bdefender%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1W1ACEW_en___US333%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1

The Taurus I am speaking about is a five shot revolver that can chamber EITHER .410 shotshells or .45 Long Colt ammo. Either are a potent self-defense caliber that have features (if shooting the proper ammo) that limit their penetration of walls and neighbors homes and such due to their slower velocity and the nature of their projectiles.

So I see the utility in such a weapon. I've got several friends who long ago caught the "Thompson Contender Fever". The TC is an excellent single shot pistol that has interchangeable barrels so that interchangeable rounds can be shot from the same pistol. One of the TC's most popular barrels has been the 10" and 12" .410/.45 Long Colt chambering, capable of shooting .410 3" magnum shells.

The Judge Public Defender only chambers the standard 2 1/2" .410 shell, which in itself packs quite a whallop with the right ammo (anywhere from #4 shot to OO or O depending on the situation, and in the field, #7 shot is nice). But the lightweight alloys used in part of the Public Defender are the reason for this, plus trying to get the pistol as compact as possible for concealed carry purposes merits limiting the shell to the standard 2 1/2".

But I have a proposition for Taurus: Same pistol, but chambered for the 3" magnum, and dub it THE JUDGE-PROSECUTOR.

In any event, The Judge Series is full of interesting guns, particularly The Public Defender. Several friends own or have shot oneone and swear the recoil is not near as bad as that of my TC .410 pistol with the 10" barrel, despite the fact that the TC weighs at least twice as much as the Public Defender and is almost twice as big, with a barrel three times or more longer.. I have not fired a Judge (the larger model that the public defender is based upon)or the Public Defender but I look forward to doing so, based upon what I've heard.

I've got a hankering for one of these as an excellent field pistol while fishing for snake protection. The TC often serves this role but that's a one shot chance from a single shot pistol. Having five rounds in a smaller package is a very attractive concept to most sportsman looking for a nice field pistol.

I must say that many of my friends find that their .45's and .40's loaded with CCI all metal shotshells for autoloaders works just as well on snakes as THE JUDGE does. I know I've never had a problem shooting the CCI shotshells out of my .45's, and numerous mean and aggressive snakes have been dispatched over my lifetime using a wide variety of CCI shotshells in various caliber handguns.

For home defense the advantages are many. By loading the first two or three rounds with buckshot and then the remainder with .45 hollowpoints, your (lack of wall)penetration odds are much better, meaning your neighbors and family are safer from errent bullets flying through the walls. By much better I mean that the popular 9mm is more likely to go through walls due to it's higher velocity bullet than a heavier, slower bullet or pellet. By using exclusively shotshell or buckshot, you are automatically reducing your penetration risks even more.

For the in-experienced shooter who wants to defend his home, it's a good choice, particularly with some sort of laser beam grip or small flashlight attached to the barrel for home defense.

There are some folks who are big enough to carry a pistol like this as their concealed weapon, and under certain circumstances, I could pull it off as well. Even though it has a five round cylinder, THIS IS A BIG GUN.

I look forward to shooting one, and hope to own one soon.