I recently wrote here FIVE GUNS I LIKE: PART ONE that one gun I'd like to be buying soon is the latest lightweight (there are several models in the Public Defender and Judge lines that weigh different amounts and are billed as ultralite).
The one just introduced is also unfortunately labeled as the Public Defender as well. It is emblazed in some sort of laser engraving on the top frame of the gun.
Public defenders, at least the ones I've known, are not given as a rule to carrying guns for protection. Some, but not all, tend to lean toward being nice to and feeling sorry for the thugs. Prosecutors, at least in Texas, are somewhat given to carrying weapons with a special Prosecutor CHL. So I'd be happier if they'd rename this pistol THE PROSECUTOR.
Notwithstanding all of that name nonsense, I did get to handle the 20 ounce and some grams new version. Much smaller than I expected it to be. I have previsouly seen some large Judge pistols but I not seen the Public Defender line in person until the other day.
The trigger pull was nice. The gun was as thin as a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special,. Unfortunately, I owned two Charter Arms snubbies a long time ago that just were not good guns. I'm sure C.A. makes other great guns, and I've always liked the concept of the Bulldog but couldn't get past my experiences with them.
The point is that it wasn't an especially thick gun, owing to the five round capacity. It's within the realm of reason that a person in Texas could carry this gun in an IWB holster under a polo shirt during the summer.
Although it would greatly affect concealability, I would alter this gun with a set of the longer grips from one of the other pistols in the Judge line, a grip that would allow purchase of the little finger.
The abbreviated grip on the PD didn't allow my medium sized hands to get a purchase for my little finger. So I'd like to have just a bit longer of a grip. The folks I know who own these guns RAVE, I SAY RAVE about the ribbed stock grips these pistols come with, claiming that they reduce far more recoil than a rubber Crimson Trace, Houge or similar type grip.
With a Crimson Trace grip, one could be assured of great accuracy for those self defense buckshot loads that are being made in .410 now as well as the .45 Long Colt.
As I've mentioned before, I'm an old Thompson Contender (TC) shooter from way back in the early 1980's. My dad and I got into shooting them, and one of my good high school friends Mike The Mechanic was absolutely obsessed with metal silouette shooting with large caliber TC rifle rounds.
Briefly, The Thompson Center single shot pistol has a replaceable barrel that allows shooting many different calibers from one basic gun. My favorite barrel has always been the .410/.45 Long Colt barrel. I have a eight inch octagonal barrel with a 2" ported compensator on it. I think it's a first generation receiver and barrel. I've had it for almost 30 years.
It's always been my snake gun when fishing on various Texas sea shores and bays, rivers, creeks, ponds, tanks and lakes. I either carry it in a Bianchi shoulder holster or in a snap-on handmade Mexican Loop holster that my dad's law school buddy Big John made for him in the 80's. You can slip this holster backflap over your belt and snap it down. It's a nice field holster and has a leg tie.
My freinds who are Judge fanatics tell me that The Judge kicks way less than my T/C does with the .410, even when I'm shooting the 3" magnum .410 shells.
The Public Defender model I want is the new ultralite model. I'm actually going to contact Taurus and see if I can special order one and possibly either have NO laser engraving of the PUBLIC DEFENDER name on the top strap of the gun or see if in some far fetched situation they might etch THE PROSECUTOR in the top strap instead. If'n I could get some kind of custom PD, I'd like to have some gold plating on the hammer, trigger, cylinder release and ejector rod. A nice blue pistol frame with an allow silver finish cylinder and the above gold plated parts. Yee Haw. That would be a Texas De-Luxe self defense pistol.
As I've said before, I'd gladly carry a S&W Ladysmith model 65 (or any LS for that matter as there were some very cool LS revolvers and pistols made). And I can get past the Public Defender moniker for sure, mainly because it's such a cool and small and lightweight pistola that is a great dual self defense caliber.
But I wish I didn't half' ta.
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