The Taurus Raging Judge 28 Gauge Revolver

Authors Current Events Paul Helinski

Editor Note: I got a tweet from Michael Bane that this gun is not being canceled by Taurus and that BATFE has approved it. I am putting this back up for now until things become clearer.

The Taurus Raging Judge 28 Gauge Revolver


The Raging Judge 28 Gauge Revolver.




.410, 28 gauge, 20 gauge, 12 gauge

Taurus International Manufacturing
https://www.taurususa.com/

When the Taurus Judge originally came out most observers in the firearms industry laughed. Taurus is a very serious company, and because of their quality, prices and a lifetime guarantee, they are a mainstay of most gun shops. But the idea of a giant revolver that was made for both .45 Colt and .410 shot shells just seemed a little over the top. It had been made before as a novelty product, but nobody thought that it could be a commercial success. Several years later we now know that this was not the truth. The Judge is a runaway success and has become the primary home defense weapon for tens of thousands of households all over the country. The comfort of .410 buckshot apparently outweighs the gun by several pounds.

Up another notch we go to the Raging Judge. It is 28 gauge, which you may never have heard of. Historically the 28 gauge shotgun has been an alternative to the .410 for hunting doves and quail. You will find it as a “hard to get” in the Browning line and most European high grades, generally commanding higher values than their .410, 20, 16 and 12 gauge counterparts. There is currently no such thing as 28 gauge buckshot, but Federal and at least one other manufacturer have it in the design and testing stages and it should be available this year.

Gauge is a measurement unlike anything else in the firearm world. It is an old style of measurement based on how many lead balls make up a pound. In this case, 28 solid lead balls of this size make up a pound of lead. For 28 guage, that equals a bore size of approximately .550, which would be 55 caliber. The standard Judge is .45 caliber.

The gun is a beast, what else can you say about it. But a beast isn’t a bad thing to have on your side in a gunfight if you can wield it comfortably and shoot it accurately. I suspect that the Raging Judge will be a commercial success and that we will see 28 gauge buckshot as a staple on the shelf in the local gun shops by this time next year. Taurus seems to be producing winner after winner after winner, and the Raging Judge may just be the next big thing.

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  • concealed carry class March 22, 2018, 4:24 am

    My pleasure.

  • Allen February 12, 2016, 2:48 am

    I have a Taurus 410 shot gun no complaints with it.Some guys have said they have had grip issues with the “Judges”.Guys that have shot the pistol.I haven’t shot the judge yet.One guy that had a long entry with good facts said something I know is right.Take that 28 gauge Judge use a rather light powder charge and use #4 BUCK SHOT and you could charge Hell without a single hair gettin burnt! Amen

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  • marine777 August 4, 2014, 11:01 am

    I wouldn’t buy ANYTHING from Taurus ANYMORE! I have the Taurus Ultra- lite .44 Mag/4″ and NO ONE has a Hip Holster for a belt or any other type for it! WHY build a Gun and NEVER give out a GOOD Holster? The one’s I have seen are like $12.00 and wow-ya just KNOW that will be a GOOD one! To ME itshows Taurus doe’s a Half Assed job of taking care of it’s customers- they can Kiss Off… and don’t say have one made- that’s BS- THEY faild as a GUN Maker!

    • Randy Shelton June 28, 2017, 8:06 pm

      had a custom built holster made for mine….amazing Amish leather worker made me a sweet shoulder holster for it!

    • Gunboi September 19, 2020, 5:10 am

      Dude. You’re just an idiotic asshole. Get one custom made. Just cuz it’s not off a Chinese sweatshop conveyor belt doesn’t mean it’s trash. Fuck you

  • kyle July 16, 2014, 2:36 am

    oh boy am i excited for u…. i got my eyes set on the 45 longcolt public defender the, 45 long colt / casual raging judge, the 45 long colt circuit court judge and now this 28 gauge raging judge, hot dam u guys make a hell of a gun and im almost ready to start my bad ass collection… thank u guys u guys are the shit

  • DANIEL April 2, 2013, 12:51 pm

    when are you going to be able to buy this gun ???

  • Just Mike February 21, 2013, 8:11 pm

    Well I got a Judge for X-Mas and I really like it but I really think they could have given you a little bit bigger grip for that killer. That would alos allow for possibly a smaller or different placement of the cylender release. After putting about 20 410 and 10 45 I cut my thumb on the cylender release at least 2 times.. I place 2 shot then 1 45 then one shot then 1 45… Well just my opinion.. If it is bigger then they REALLY need to do someting about the grip area..

    • kyle July 16, 2014, 2:37 am

      buy a new grip

    • Scott January 7, 2017, 9:35 am

      I bought a judge with a 6 1/2 inch barrel & a 3 inch cylinder and I could put 6 rounds in an area the size of the bottom of a solo cup at 25yrds but didn’t like the grip, Houge makes a grip for it that I like

  • DANIEL February 5, 2013, 11:27 pm

    THEY DO MAKE 28 GA SLUGS . I BOUGHT SOME AND THEY ARE QUIT ACCURATE UP TO 50 ‘ . THEY ARE LEAGAL FOR DEER AND OTHER GAME . I WOULD BUY THIS GUN WITH A 6 INCH BARREL .

  • Chris M. January 23, 2013, 3:50 pm

    I’m thinking they should come out with a four shot 20 gauge 6″ barrel. Come on Taurus!

  • mark deal October 9, 2012, 9:40 pm

    I want a pistol and these one is good for killing snakes

  • stephen May 26, 2012, 8:07 pm

    Anyone know where i can get one? seriously.

    • Thomas hudgeons August 14, 2016, 4:18 am

      Judge is at gun shows and at the gun stores…. When I bought mine they said it was just put into the glass case

  • craig April 13, 2012, 12:59 am

    great home defense piece, no overpenetration,light recoil, leaves nasty scars on bad guys ass’s

    • craig April 13, 2012, 1:02 am

      With the .410 that is….

  • Joe April 12, 2012, 7:41 am

    With two bad wrists, I question the recoil of a 28 ga. load (which I am not familiar with). ….Any feedback on this??

    I note the 3″ Judge (that can fires the .454 Casul) is characterized by Rich West as “like holding a howitzer”. My first thought is …. Good bloody luck getting a quick second shot off at an armed burglar/home invader in the middle of the night!! Before this, the only handguns I’ve heard of in .454 were very large, sturdy hunting revolvers.

    • Gavin April 6, 2016, 10:59 pm

      I’m a ten yr’s old and my dad has a 28 gauge shotgun and the recoil is not bad it will make you jump but it’s not bad it is a good round for citmunks control and sqrirrles can be a pain so ” bang ” down they go.

    • 500 smith July 5, 2016, 5:39 pm

      Compared to my 45/70 thats nothing to shoot.

    • Dr. Rich January 27, 2022, 1:16 pm

      I would think that 28 gauge would be a whole lot tamer than 454 Casull, especially if you’re using shot and not slugs.

  • Devan March 17, 2012, 11:52 pm

    The judge, jury and executioner.

  • Lex February 19, 2012, 7:06 pm

    I would like to get in contact with the author of this article, as one of its claims, if true, would be very useful in a law school paper I am writing against the NFA. Please contact me if you get the chance.

  • beavo traveny January 17, 2012, 3:31 am

    Can u shoot the 460 out of the judge that has a three inch chamber

  • Dave Trainmore December 20, 2011, 2:44 pm

    I handled a Raging Judge Sat., and the clerk said S&W was keeping their .460 Magnum proprietary for now. That’s why this beast isn’t chambered in .460. Ha! You can always have your G.S. ream it out for your personal use of your own gun. But the Brass 410 cases may make that superfluous. But its really heavy, and the barrel looks like it would be hard to duplicate. In the S&W Gov., I believe you could screw in a new barrel with a shoulder to catch the shroud, and it would look like those Dan Wesson Alaskan’s from a few years ago. Me thinks a fluted 8 or 9 incher, would duplicate the BPM conversion of the Uberti Walker Colts, but would be much more practical. A slow Walker twist barrel, throated for RB’s, would make any of these shotgun/ pistol cartridge revolvers much more effective at close range, with any size of shot. With 777, those BPM’s are getting up to 1300+fps.. The RB still will be flattened and pretty well spent after going through the face of a 2×6 stud, if you miss a perp.. FWIW, the sobriquet of Wells Fargo Gun also applied to a sawed off or pistol barreled 28 gauge SBS. This was the real last ditch shotgun carried up in the boot of a stagecoach. Remember, the outlaw’s horse was fair game too. But I gotta admit, those new Raging Judges would make a dandy war club, just like the Walkers were. I think this new giant 550 bore, slow rifled, (.560″) Taurus, would shoot a .562 ball, that would swage down in the forcing cone, and duplicate the ghastly wounding abilities of the classic Civil War 58 cal. rifled musketoons. But one thing about these giant behemoths shooting RB’s; is that somewhere between the muzzle and 100yds., they lose their great “Slap”, and start to seriously “Drill” their way through the target. They lose velocity, in spades, but they don’t lose their spin. A RB will penetrate a plank almost as deep at 150yds, as it will six inches from the muzzle, with the same heavy loads. The 45 auto and Long Colt round nosed bullets act like rapiers from the muzzle, onwards. If I got my hands on one of these 28gauge monsters, I’d wring it out with #4 Buck, (.25″), the very first thing.

  • Cesar Navarro September 19, 2011, 8:05 pm

    THE BRAZILIAN TAURUS IS A ONE GREAT GUNS PRODUCER!
    IS A ONE GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THE AMERICANS PRODUCERS.

  • Franchesca Callaway September 14, 2011, 8:12 pm

    I own one..its huge!!

  • Dennis September 13, 2011, 5:01 am

    THERE MAY STILL BE HOPE — I’ve been studying all the photos I can find of the Raging Judge 28, and noticed a HUGE similarity to the Raging Judge Magnum. In fact, unless someone can prove me wrong, I think it may be possible to take a Raging Judge Magnum, bore out the barrel and machine a new cylinder to accommodate .28 gauge shells. I’m thinking that is how they made the prototype. Makes sense since the .410 shells are 3″ and the .28 gauge are 2.875″; also, the difference of the bore dia is only .14″ which is only .07″ to each side! Of course you would have to get the appropriate tax stamp from the ATF and get a class III gun shop to make the alterations, but I think it’s doable. Might be a big winner for Red Jacket to add to their standard services.

  • Dennis September 8, 2011, 5:26 pm

    >>I just called Taurus today to ask when this gun will be on the market. The lady I spoke with told me that at this time they no longer have plans to produce this weapon. — WOW that sucks! This would have definitely been my next gun purchase. Score one for the gun opponents!

  • thomas August 30, 2011, 1:30 am

    i own the regular judge with a 3″ cylinder and 3 1/2 barrel i would like to have one in the .454 casul round i heard about them after i bought mine been thinkin bout gettin my mom a public defender may get the snub nosed version of the .454 casul judge

  • James July 21, 2011, 10:46 pm

    What I wish is that Taurus would make a Judge that would accept not only the .45Colt but also the .45ACP, .45 Colt is rather difficult to find and when the ammo is found unfortunately it is rather expensive, about twice the price of .45ACP ! Shot my Judge the other day with some #6 .410 shot, needless to say for any decent penetration I had to get rather close to the target ! As a side note or any of you who do shoot the .45 Colt in your Judge,AVOID reloaded ammo ! Sometimes especially at swap meets, yard sales, etc a person may find reloaded ammo(especially in the Western States) for sale very cheap compared to new ammo,unless you know who reloaded the ammo, do not buy it ! I purchased a box of reloaded .38 special ammo at a swap meet, one round had no powder in it and when I fired it the bullet stuck inside the barrel of my gun !I had one hell of a time getting the stuck bullet out of the barrel ! So avoid reloads, as your life could depend on your ammo !

    • thomas August 30, 2011, 1:25 am

      i modified my cylinder on my judge to accept 455 tracker stellar clips in .45 acp lot cheaper just for shooting for fun

  • Rich West July 15, 2011, 2:05 am

    Looks like it never happened and it doesn’t need to. I have what Taurus calls the Raging Judge and as you know, it thankfully is not a 28 gauge but does fire the everything the original Judge and 3 in chamber Judge but also fires the impressive 454 Casull which is way better plus it holds 6 rounds as opposed to the originals 5. A gun that fires so many different types and sizes of ammo is certainly much more desirable than a 28 ga. 5 shot. I am disappointed that they discontinued the .22 cal conversion for the 800 series auto.

    • Rich West July 15, 2011, 2:28 am

      BTW, Even though it weighs nearly 5 pounds firing the RJ with casulls is like holding a howitzer and the fireball and sound are more than impressive. It’s def the fav handgun in my collection. I recommend it highly but hold on tight!

  • Justin June 24, 2011, 12:19 pm

    It sounds to me like Most of you are BITCHING Some of you have the right idea behind this gun so for all of you BITCHING SHUT UP and let tarus do their thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • James April 24, 2011, 7:50 pm

    This past weekend I had the good fortune to buy a used .45/.410 Thompson contender, today I got to try the weapon out, first with two rounds the seller gave me with the gun and several 2 and a half inch #8 .410 shot , and several 3 inch #8 shot ! The quality of the Thompson contender is superior to the Taurus, trigger pull and feel of the pistol was very good and with the 10 inch barrel very accurate, I shot the contender at a plywood board alittle less than an inch thick from about 30 paces, the #8 shot shell was joke, hardly any penetration, the 3 inch shell had better penetration but definately more felt recoil ! The best rounds were the two that the seller gave me which were both the 2 and a half inch shells , the buckshot tore right thru the plywood and left an exit hole alittle bigger than the size of a silver dollar ! And the other shot shell a #4 had far more penetration than the #8, but the buckshot was by far the best for self-defence, my air-gun gives more penetration than the #8 shot shell ! The felt recoil is great with the 3 inch .410 shell , one can only imagine the recoil with the 28 gauge, but then Taurus will use rubber grips , the Thompson contender uses wooden grips ! Thompson sells extra barrels for their contenders , almost every caliber from .17HMR to .45/70 including .308 and 30-06 ! I can only imagine the ungodly pain of shooting the .30-06 in a handgun !!!!!

  • James April 23, 2011, 11:16 pm

    Just got back the other day from a trip to California and I noticed while in California that the Taurus judge as well as the shotgun derringers are all illegal to own there, seems that in the State of California the judge and the shotgun derringers are classified as sawed off shotguns hard to believe as neither the judge or the American Arms or Bond derringers have smooth bores but are rifled and are not shotguns ! But then California is different country with rules made by liberals ! The raging judge should be a great trail gun used against snakes or used against packs of stray dogs in rural areas(an incident occured last year in one of our southern states in which a man and woman were attacked and killed by a pack of stray dogs). During these bad economic times more and more people can not bear the expense of keeping their pet dogs so they just turn then loose and man’s best friend to survive forms packs and kills as has happened in several parts of the country and humans become their prey ! The .45/.410 Taurus judge can be a life saver ! And the raging judge with buckshot should be ideal for larger and more dangerous animals !

  • Rick April 22, 2011, 10:20 am

    It doesn’t look like any time soon, because although it’s listed in Taurus’ 2011 What’s New Catalog, the page is inactive (i.e., grayed out with some kind of symbol (“Stop?”) on it. Further, the interactive features (enlarge, etc.) don’t work like the other pages do, either.

    http://www.taurususa.com/2011newcatalog/?catalog_page=6

  • James April 21, 2011, 10:52 pm

    All I can say is wow ! I would love to try out the Taurus raging judge, should be a real hand full, a great Alaskan survival revolver especially with buck shot or slug, the Taurus judge is a great revolver when used with the right load , forget the #8 or #9 .410 shot, lots of noise and recoil but beyond 20 feet very little penetration best used with buckshot, slug,#4 shot or .45 Colt ! Hope that the new 28 gauge raging judge will be offered to the public soon and the great liberals in our government do not prohibit it’s sale as I am sure that they will try ! If the raging judge is made avalible to the public I hope that there will be some better varity of 28 gauge ammo avalible to the public as now ammo is very limited to just #6 or #7 shot shells !And maybe some good center fire revolver ammo in .55 caliber as the present .50 caliber bullets are too small to work in such a large diameter chamber ! As a side note as of today April 21 , 2011 has this weapon been approved for sale to the public ?

  • william April 17, 2011, 11:15 pm

    Proud owner of a judge here. The “raging judge” will be my next gun purchase… Already lookin forward to the nxt gun show… Will there be a lefty version?

  • Tom Kyper April 9, 2011, 6:46 am

    I’d still like to try to convince Taurus to make this in a 3 inch barrel so I could attempt to conceal carry and for
    quick unholstering.

  • Eastwood43 March 28, 2011, 12:05 am

    I also have a judge public defender poly but do like the idea of the 28 ga. i did just see the weekend the 410/45lc/ 454 in a store so i now those are already on the market. i just cant wait to see this 28 ga when it comes out. and i believe both are called raging judges’. the 410 one that is already out it is a very large revolver.

  • Gun Cabinets March 26, 2011, 10:30 am

    I own the Taurus Judge now cant wait to own the Raging Judge. Yep Here Comes The Judge!!!

  • Dennis March 9, 2011, 9:59 pm

    I own the Taurus Judge now cant wait to own the Raging Judge. Yep Here Comes The Judge!!!

  • John m March 1, 2011, 10:59 pm

    i dont know how much in pesos but it run u about 900 green backs

    • David Lynn Hays March 7, 2011, 2:10 pm

      Where can a person with 900 or so Greenbacks purchase one or two of these hand cannons in the USofA?

  • David Lynn Hays February 20, 2011, 2:44 am

    Well, now I am sold on this gun, sight unseen! I have a couple of Judges guarding the digs at present.
    It would be wonderful to add a Supreme Court Judge, 28th, to the list of bought judges.
    How do I get one of these things? How much will it set me back in pesos, pounds, euros,
    or yen?
    [email protected]

  • zhintaru February 6, 2011, 7:04 pm

    god..im gonna love to have this with my collection..

  • Tom February 5, 2011, 1:05 pm

    Follow my thoughts on this. I like the idea of a Bond Arms derringer type in a 28 gauge pistol size. Or even a short barreled 28 gauge shotgun over/under with a pistol grip. I guess it would be classified an AOW or maybe like those Serbu Shortys which are sawed off shotguns. Rifle the barrel if you have to.
    A double barrel 28 gauge of a foot or less with a pistol grip would be easy enough to handle and would fit the bill for home defense perfectly. You could even carry it in a holster and have snake round bird shot in it for outdoor use. It wouldn’t shake your hand apart like a 12 gauge. Someone should design one.

  • Robert February 2, 2011, 11:49 pm

    They should make it a “Paradox” Pistol . Holland and Holland had a 28 gauge Paradox at one time and they are making a 12 gauge Paradox right now. Hamilton Bowen made some custom Colt pistols as “Paradox’s” and had ATF approval on them without a “stamp”.

  • larry fouse January 30, 2011, 1:07 am

    The raging judge in 28 gauge will not be put in production do to the atf they feel its the same as a sawed of shotgun so there no plans for taurus to make for the public boy did i want one though

    • Administrator January 31, 2011, 12:23 am

      This is reported to be canceled and the gun is going forward.

      • MrDusty February 18, 2011, 1:49 pm

        So it is or isn’t going to go forward? I’ve heard some conflicting reports, but if this gun is put into production I’m pretty intrigued over whether it’ll be a smoothbore or not. I’m not a fan of the pepperguns considering they have crap accuracy from the rifling and .45 LC’s have to make quite a jump…but if a company started making slugs for this beast we’de finally have something comparable to the old .577 Enfields.

        I mean who of all the huge-bore fans out there wouldn’t want to be able to FINALLY touch off a slug bigger than .50 for once since the 1930’s? The .500 SW and the likes are powerful but the penetration is ridiculous, and since a lot of people use 12 gauges for defense (slug or shot) I can’t see it being all that outlandish to use this for an in-home piece. It’s a huge, probably rather unwieldy pistol but I’d imagine it’s easier to swing around a corner than a rifle length weapon of any kind.

  • Thomas January 27, 2011, 5:39 pm

    @Gun Guy, Calvin is correct. If this were indeed a smooth bore it would only require a $5 transfer tax. It would be classified as an AOW (any other weapon) which only requires the $5 transfer. ATF states that it does not have a shoulder stock and is not designed to fire from the shoulder……if it were a short barreled shotgun/rifle or full auto or sound suppressor (silencer) it would then be subject to yhe $200 transfer. This is all supposing that your state allows such a thing. Even though the 28 ga is approx .55 caliber, (my understanding is) if the ATF .50 caliber guage does not fall out the end of the barrel (muzzle end) then it is legal. As a normal slug (bullet) may cause issues going through a constriction (reduction) of .05 there shouldnt be such a problem with a standard Foster type slug

  • CS January 23, 2011, 12:27 am

    I heard that Taurus decided to not go forward with the Raging Judge. That is extremely disappointing, especially given the innovation and forward-thinking that Taurus has been showing lately. Bring us this gun!

  • RT January 21, 2011, 8:53 pm

    This will be my next woodcock gun!!

  • Dennis Crabtrey January 21, 2011, 4:49 pm

    Sounds nice but isn’t there a restriction on handguns to .50 cal and smaller? Even with a single projectile load (new cartridge caliber or slug load) you still have the government to deal with. I can’t see it getting past the daydream stage.

    The current Judge works with two cartridges that just happen to interchange.

    • Mike May 13, 2011, 12:24 am

      As a handgun it is really only a .45. A 28 gauge birdshot round is plenty legal. Plus they are already selling, they’ve been past the dream stage.

  • Overload January 21, 2011, 4:47 pm

    For what it’s worth, I’ve shot muzzle-loading 54 cal. percussion and flintlock single-shot pistols with 40 grs. of 3Fg and a .535 patched round ball which were pretty effective to 50 feet or so. I’ve killed rabbits and birds with these shooting the same 40 grs. of 3Fg and 3/4 oz. of No. 6 or 7-1/2 shot, and 28-ga. plastic wads. Unchoked smoothbore pistol is good to 7-10 yards.

  • Jim Keener January 21, 2011, 4:35 pm

    Now do you really think that a major manufacturer would go into production of a new firearm without clearing it first with BATFE? As long as it has rifling, whether bulleted ammo is available or not, it ain’t a shotgun. And if they make a rifled slug for it, that doesn’t change anything.
    Even if this new gun is just a curiosity, I think it’s still a more practical gun than the 45/410 Judge. I love the idea of versatility, but the Judge is a perfect example of a tool that does several things, and does none of them very well. It’s notorious for its lack of accuracy with .45 Colt ammo, and not all that impressive as a shotgun either. It’s fine as a close range blaster, but too big to be really attractive as a CCW gun.
    The .45 Colt is actually my favorite handgun caliber, and I carry my S&W Mountain Gun all the time as a trail gun. If you want to shoot birdshot, there are .45 Colt birdshot rounds that do just as well as the Judge at close range. And with regular .45 ammo, you can shoot anything from creampuff Cowboy loads to 300 grain cast bullets that will take down an elk with no problem whatsoever. Accuracy is superb.
    I know that the Judges are selling like hotcakes, and they have a great advertising campaign going. As for me, I’ll stay with my regular .45 Colt revolvers, thank you very much.

  • Mike Washburn January 21, 2011, 7:03 am

    Looks like another ill-conceived range toy to me. What is it for? Will it bring down a bear as effectivly as the .454 Casul? Will it out perform a .40 S&W auto with a laser pointer and light in a home defense situation? Are there reloading dies available in 28 ga (for less than custom prices)? How many rounds fit in the cylinder? It makes me curious as to why this detail wasn’t mentioned.

    • ranger_dog February 7, 2011, 10:17 pm

      reloading would be easy and since it is shotshell, you need a shotshell loader in 28 gauge, not dies like for different pistol loads. Can easily get a MEC loader for under $200. I personally would want one only chambered in 2 3/4″ to keep weight and recoil down. For home defense, I’d load it with 1 buck in 5/8 ounces, which would give you about 6 – .30 cal balls of lead coming out of the barrel at an estimated 900 fps (less than a standard of 1200 because of reduced barrel length) I am not an expert on the speeds but guessing you could achieve more or less depending on how “hot” you want the loads. If you have ever shot a 28 gauge, in my opinion, they are much more mild recoil than any 20 gauge load. That’s why I had both my kids start on that load at young ages (8 for my son, 9 for my daughter)

      • tom watson June 17, 2011, 11:00 am

        I have shotguns in 12-20-28&410 the 28s are my favorite. If taurus produces the raging judge i will buy one.

  • Richard Albarino January 21, 2011, 2:54 am

    What’s the kick on this? Love the idea, a really potent home defense weapon not requiring sharpshooter skills, but what’s the kick like (compare, say, to shoulder shot gun). And what’s the pattern, at what range? Can a woman handle this, I mean, not the ones I see at the range, but an ordinary house wife whose limit is 9mm.

  • joe jennings January 21, 2011, 2:36 am

    When does this 28ga pistol suppose to hit the market? Got two taurus 45lc/410 pistols now and I just got the new taurus circuit judge the other day. They are all fun to shoot. I shoot 28ga also and I have already loaded up some 28ga slugs and buckshot loads just haven’t got to the range yet. Bring on the raging 28, I’m ready.

  • Shadow January 20, 2011, 10:21 pm

    It’s not a SBS unless it has a stock attached and is capable of being fired from the shoulder. It is simply a large bore handgun

  • Mehul Kamdar January 20, 2011, 9:45 pm

    Would be an excellent home defense gun.

    Just FYI – wasn’t there a US gunmaker (now defunct, I think) called Thunder Five or something like that who built a 410 / 45 LC revolver before the Taurus Judge?

    • Administrator January 21, 2011, 12:50 am

      Yes, that is who I was referring to. It was a novelty gun before the Judge.

      • 500 smith July 5, 2016, 5:41 pm

        So was the saiga 12..

  • cousindad January 20, 2011, 8:07 pm

    A Remington 12 ga shotgun with a pistol grip is an AOW because it has a forend and was not intended to be fired with 1 hand.
    The 28ga pistol with a rifled barrel is a pistol because it is designed to be fired in 1 hand. Make a 12ga revolver with a rifled barrel and it too is a pistol.

  • Bullboo1 January 20, 2011, 8:01 pm

    28 guage is pretty decent for a home defence revolver its about time they make decent shotgun hand guns that are legal for defense as they are great for use in a room or car but not much else as a running fire fire fight would make them useless as well as concealed carry…to big.

  • CollinLeon January 20, 2011, 7:13 pm

    Having shot a 12-gauge pistol grip shotgun with one hand before, I can say that very few people would be interested in a 12-gauge pistol. It really tears up your wrist.

  • Calvin January 20, 2011, 6:05 pm

    Yeah, I’m wondering about all this! I really, really have been wanting the CCW version of the 45 Judge (the “Public Defender”) for a long while. This looks even better – however, I thought the 45LC/410 derringers (and Judges) got around the law by the rifling in the barrel and the the fact there was an existing centerfire cartridge that could also be shot out of the same device. The “Raging Judge” sounds to have the rifling, but is that alone enough? As I understand it, a short barreled shotgun is a NFA item and requires a $5 tax federal stamp. (after a back ground investigation and registration) So, while the 45LC/410 devices have been flying under radar – what about a 12 gauge short-barreled shotgun with only a pistol grip, *and a rifled barrel?* Would this still be a controlled itme or would this be legal as a Title 1 (non-NFA) firearm? If not, how would the Raging Judge qualify? There are no centerfire cartridges that can be fired from it and none (as I understand it) that could be produced/sold in the USA as I believe anything over .50 is considered a “destructive device.”

    I can see other potential issues, lets assume that if one were to only ever load slugs – does that make it a non-shotgun? What about the short-barreled shotgun example? What if you never loaded shot in a short-barreled shotgun? Would it be a title 1 pistol?

    This will be interesting to see shake out!

    • brian January 21, 2011, 12:47 am

      you bring up a few well thought of points and I am to wondering now the answers to these questions.

    • The Gun Guy® January 23, 2011, 1:14 am

      Calvin,
      Your thinking is right, but, your figures are wrong. The “$5 Tax Stamp” you mention is, in fact, $200. The fact the “Judge” revolvers does not require this is that it is a rifled-barrel firearm. The fact is will chamber and fire .410 shotshells is icing. Thompson/Center offered a similar item (single-shot) many years ago but, after a time, dropped it. It used a proprietary cartridge with a plastic shotcup which was stripped open by a screw-on device that appeared to be “straight-rifled.” Later, T/C offered a .45/.410 barrel for the Contender pistol.

      Rick

    • Johnny February 24, 2012, 2:21 am

      Hey! What do you guy’s think about the AK 500? With a 3″ & 6″ barrel.

    • Roallin February 19, 2013, 5:46 pm

      SBS is shotgun with a short-barrel that was originally designed to be fired from the shoulder. This would be a shotgun that was originally designed with a stock and had the barrel cut down. Since the original weapon was stocked, even if the stock is removed, it will always be a shotgun. If the parent weapon was designed without a stock, such as a pistol grip shotgun, and the barrel was cut down, it can be registered as an AOW ($5 tax stamp). In the case of the Taurus Judge 28, it is neither a SBS or AOW. Since the barrel is wider than half and inch, the NFA would classify this as a Destructive Device, requiring a $200 tax stamp. One thing to keep in mind is that all shotguns are Destructive Devices by NFA definitions. They are granted exemption for sporting purposes. This is not always the case, as in this pistol and other shotguns such as street sweepers.

  • Mike (Fuzzy) January 20, 2011, 5:56 pm

    I have a Judge 45LC/.410. Now I gotta have to have one of these!!!!!

  • Fred January 20, 2011, 5:50 pm

    I thought the Raging Judge was initially supposed to shoot .410/.45LC but also capable of .454 Casull. What happened to THAT gun?

    • brian January 21, 2011, 12:43 am

      Thats what I thought also, do they have both the 454 and 28 gauge models or did they scrap that idea and just do the one? I was kinda looking forward to the 454 version.

      • Robert January 21, 2011, 1:25 am

        The Raging Judge 454 / 45 / .410 is already out. Built on the large frame with six round capacity. I just sold our first one the other day. It weighs 3 lbs. 13 oz. with 3″ barrel. It is cartoonishly large and very much the center of attention in the shop. Have more on order and more customers waiting.

        • REGINALB A. RANKIN April 13, 2011, 11:05 pm

          WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GUN. TOLD THE THE RAGING JUDGE NOT BEING SOLD.

        • rob March 3, 2014, 7:52 pm

          i have a 3” judge will it fire a 454 casul

          • Administrator March 4, 2014, 7:01 am

            Good luck with that. If you can get the shell in, it isn’t made for high pressure cartridges.

    • Rich West July 15, 2011, 2:09 am

      Looks like it never happened and it doesn’t need to. I have what Taurus calls the Raging Judge and as you know, it thankfully is not a 28 gauge but does fire the everything the original Judge and 3 in chamber Judge but also fires the impressive 454 Casull which is way better plus it holds 6 rounds as opposed to the originals 5. A gun that fires so many different types and sizes of ammo is certainly much more desirable than a 28 ga. 5 shot. I am disappointed that they discontinued the .22 cal conversion for the 800 series auto.

      They produced it and I have one. There is no 28ga in the catalog nor any mention of it at the Taurus website.

  • Cliff January 20, 2011, 5:04 pm

    If it is .55 caliber then I don’t think it will be a legal Concealed Carry, at least in my state – Oklahoma) where anything over .45 is not allowed.

    • Joe - March 30, 2011, 8:10 pm

      I think that wouldn’t be the only challenge involved in trying to conceal this hogleg.

      • X May 9, 2011, 2:21 pm

        That’s exactly why I love my state government for allowing open-carry. There’s no better way to to say “Think twice, buddy!” than having a behemoth like that strapped to your side.

    • justin October 24, 2013, 12:56 pm

      Thats not true given the fact that you can go to a gun shop and buy a s&w 500 mag

  • Bill Lathrop January 20, 2011, 4:55 pm

    Should be outragiously wild

  • BILL RAMOS January 20, 2011, 4:22 pm

    BARREL IS RIFLED WHICH SPREADS THE SHOT PATTERN A LITTLE MORE, CLOSE RANGE AND WITH A 2 1/2 BARREL
    I CAN HIT TARGETS AT 25 YARDS. THE WINCHESTER PDI MADE FOR THE JUDGE IS ALL YOU NEAD WITH 3 ROUND COPER
    DISKS AND 12 BB S WILL DO THE JOB. THE 45LC DEFINITELY IS VERY ACCURAGE AND GIVE YOU MORE RANGE. MORE EXPENSIVE THOUGH, SOME SAY YOU CAN USE A MOONCLIP WITH 45 ACP AMMO, BUT DO NOT DO IT. ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO HAVE
    TRIED IT, HAVE HAD JAMMING PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF TIGHT CLEARANCE AND POOR ALIGNMENT FROM CYLINDER TO Barrel.

    • gabe March 15, 2011, 4:40 pm

      well .45lc is 25$ for a box af 20 if you reload the about 3-4$ for 20

    • Travis September 19, 2012, 9:14 am

      The moon clip is strictly for the Smith and Wesson governor

  • Dale Wolff January 20, 2011, 3:50 pm

    Is there a 55 cal pistol bullet? Or is the 28ga Judge 5 28ga shotshells.

    Just asking

    • Administrator January 20, 2011, 4:57 pm

      There is no corresponding pistol caliber to 28 gauge shells like the .45LC with the .410 shotshell. Presumably they will come out with a slug load for it though, or maybe even a jacketed sabot. The barrel is rifled as it has to be by law for it now to be an AOW shotgun at this short length.

  • roy ballard January 20, 2011, 2:47 pm

    is the barrel smooth or rifled? i thought it was illegal to have just a shotgun pistol.

    • Austin April 6, 2011, 10:27 pm

      It is rifled. It has a very wide spread. What they could do, is add a foregrip and sell it as an AOW. You are correct. Some idiot decided that a smooth bored pistol is too dangerous to be in the hands of responsible law-abiding citizens.

      • Al December 15, 2013, 6:46 pm

        I have a 12Ga that is smoothbore that is registered as a pistol. It was manufactured as a pistol and is registered as such. It is not a sawed off shotgun.

  • Adam Reynolds January 20, 2011, 1:18 pm

    Can’t wait to own one. Thanks again Taurus.

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