Taurus Judge Executive Grade: Full Review

By Tom Beckstrand

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.

The Taurus Judge has been one of the brand’s best-selling pistols since its inception almost 20 years ago. It’s a double-action revolver chambered in .45 Colt capable of shooting .410 shells. No cylinder swaps are necessary to shoot between those two cartridges. The flexibility in handgun-specific loads, and the destructive power of the .410 at close range helped to make the Judge revolver legendary.

The Executive Treatment

The Executive Grade series from Taurus was the brainchild of Bret Vorhees, CEO of Taurus. The idea behind this line of guns was to offer a premium Taurus product. Nowhere is that treatment more effectively applied than on the Judge. The Executive Grade guns get their own assembly and inspection area at Taurus, and the most experienced employees build them.

The ability to use .410 handgun ammunition in the Taurus Judge has always been its standout feature. The .45 Colt can’t be dismissed though; its stopping power is more than sufficient. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

Just about any modern firearm utilizes computer numerical controlled (CNC) machines to manufacture the parts. Most guns are engineered to specifically take advantage of CNC machining because it is better than what humans can do by hand when tooling is kept within spec and programs function as designed. This is where the experienced hands of the Executive Grade team factor in. Sure, all the parts are within spec for each Judge, but tolerances between all those parts can stack up, or accumulate in favor of better performance. This is what the people in the Executive Grade assembly excel at. They pick the parts that not only work together, but that work best together.

The most immediate example of this treatment that I noticed on the Judge Executive Grade was the double-action triggerpull. Revolvers are popular for many reasons, but two of them are safety and reliability. Getting a revolver to fire in a hurry (or in self-defense) involves picking it up and pulling the trigger through the long double-action stroke. Under stress, most people don’t notice pull weight, but they will notice trigger movement. It is very difficult to have an accidental discharge with a revolver when firing double-action, because the trigger stroke is so long. There are also no safeties to disengage, so firing a gun also doesn’t get any safer or easier. Reliability is another reason these revolvers are popular. There is no slide stop to accidentally engage when firing or magazine release to inadvertently activate.

The trigger on Guns & Ammo’s Judge Executive Grade sample featured a double-action pull weight of 9 pounds — and it was smooth. So smooth, that it felt like it came out of a custom shop, which is what happens to guns that carry the “Executive Grade” label. Single-action, the triggerpull weight measured 41/2 pounds. The pull weights for both types of employment fall right into my preferred range.

The attention lavished on the Judge Executive Grade was also apparent in the smooth satin finish that covers it. This is a stainless-steel revolver offering excellent corrosion resistance, but the finish work was beautifully done. The Judge Executive Grade is hand-polished and, whether it’s sitting in the case or being held in the hands, it offers a soft sheen that is appealing to the eye.

gaad-taurus-judge-executive-grade-03-1200x800 — The action of the executive Grade revolvers are hand-tuned, resulting in a smoother, lighter trigger pull.(Photo by Mark Fingar)

Its beauty and functionality continues with the Altamont hardwood grips that come installed on these guns. The stocks have classic lines that harken back to the heyday of revolvers. They flare at the bottom and curl up around the triggerguard to fill the gap behind it. Spend a day shooting hot loads out of a revolver and grips that prevent the triggerguard from smacking the middle finger of the firing hand become a priority. Recoil with all loads tested with the Judge Executive Grade wasn’t bad, but there are heavier .45 Colt loads available. These grips are well-suited for those types of cartridges as well.

The grips on this revolver work well for recoil because they are gentle on the middle finger, but also because they allow the muzzle to rise and the gun to roll out of recoil. Revolvers that recoil a lot need to slide a little in the firing hand in order to avoid directing all of the recoil energy straight into the palm of the shooter’s hand. These grips allow that to happen. The thing to remember is that allowing the gun to roll under recoil also means the hand position changes after each shot. Shooting a cylinder-full of hot loads as fast as you can pull the trigger may prove problematic with an ever-shifting grip. Standard or reasonable loads won’t have this concern.

The front sight on the Judge Executive Grade is a brass rod inset into the front sight post. Using the sights to fire the pistol, the brass rod appears as a glowing brass bead. I like the durability and functionality of the brass bead — it was a “night sight” before we found tritium — but it is also a classy and appropriate appointment for this revolver. The U-shaped rear sight is machined into the topstrap. This rugged fixed-sight arrangement did a good job of firing the point of aim to the point of impact at 15 yards.

gaad-taurus-judge-executive-grade-04-1200x800 — Brass gives instant visual status of the cylinder and calls attention to the traditional-style front sight.Photo by Mark Fingar)

What Does it Do?

There’s been a lot of conversation about the Judge and what role it plays in the firearms community. Some say it’s a “fun gun” with little application elsewhere. Others swear it’s a death ray suited for self-defense. I say it’s a damned nice medium-frame .45 Colt that can do anything you’d want from a medium-frame .45 Colt. It can also fire .410-gauge ammunition both for fun and certain self-defense roles, but the owner needs to know its limitations.

Working with other Judge revolvers has taught me that just about any .45 Colt load works well for defense. Pick what bullet you like and how fast you want to send it, and the Judge will place it in about a 3-inch group at 15 yards. Of course, .410 shells have a lot more variety, which affects how they perform.

gaad-taurus-judge-executive-grade-05-1200x800 — A stainless steel 3-inch rifled barrel is ideal for everyday carry of the Judge, and there are no sharp edges.(Photo by Mark Fingar)

Since the barrel of the Judge is rifled, a shot column spins as it exits the muzzle. The rifling flings shot outward at a much faster rate than a traditional shotgun. The type of shot has a significant impact on how quickly the shot spreads. Soft shot seems to engrave in the rifling better, so it spreads out a lot faster. This limits the range on pests and predators to about 5 yards. It does a fantastic job of close-range pest control and small-game hunting, from snakes to squirrels.

The accuracy for a snub-nosed revolver with fixed sights was good. The soft lead bullets of Hornady’s Cowboy load produced the best accuracy with a respectable 1.7-inch average at 15 yards. Federal’s jacketed soft point (JSP) also did well and would work for self-defense purposes. Hornady’s .410 Triple Defense was my personal favorite. It consists of a .41-caliber FTX slug and two .35-caliber balls in each shell. Five shots put all projectiles into a 4-inch group at 15 yards and a 9-inch group at 25 yards. That makes the Judge a pretty fearsome self-defense firearm — for five shots, though. Reloading the Judge under stress takes time and effort, a consideration that should factor in selecting a dedicated self-defense firearm.

gaad-taurus-judge-executive-grade-06-1200x800 — Altamont hardwood laminate checkered grips set the Executive Judge apart from the classic polymer-gripped Judge models.(Photo by Mark Fingar)

Still, the Taurus Judge Executive Grade is a fine revolver that makes a great choice for anyone interested in using a medium-frame .45 Colt for self-defense or fun. It is also a great choice for critters when loaded with .410 shotshells. Using the Judge with shotshells for self-defense comes with caveats that must be considered before stuffing the cylinders with shells. Perhaps the answer is to alternate between .45s and .410s. Regardless, you may find that reloads can be timed with a sun dial.

The Judge has been a best-seller for Taurus since 2006. In Executive Grade form, it offers a better trigger, better grips, and a fantastic appearance. This is the Judge to have.