Rossi Circut Judge... Yes or no?

No, I don't own one / and I think the concept is interesting ...but I don't think its that practical / or at least not practical for anything I need a weapon to do....

A standard pump or semi-auto shotgun in .410 has at least 3 shots / and if you can legally take the plug out ....most of them will shoot 5 shells. A good utilitarian pump gun like the Browning BPS is available in a .410 .

The .45 LC isn't an especially attractive caliber to me ..or at least nothinig there that a more modern caliber .....44 mag, .357 mag or even a .45 acp can't do.

If I wanted to carry a modern .410 shotgun ...and a .44 mag or .357 mag revolver in a holster...in effect I have the same capability - or more, because I'd have at least 9 shells ( 3 in shotgun / 6 in revolver --- or maybe 5 in shotgun and 6 in revolver) / and frankly much higher quality weapons in the dedicated shotgun and dedicated revolver / although its 2 weapons....and while the Rossi is cheaper / it just doesn't make sense to me.

To me its a novelty ...and I've seen them for sale at my local gunshows over the last few months....
 
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Remember the old western movies: The characters who didn't know anything about guns and/or couldn't shoot straight were assigned shotguns. I suspect their real life counterparts are the market Rossi is targeting with their Circuit Judge.

The .410-bore patterns the poorest of the popular shot shells. Do you really think shooting a 41 shot shell in a 45 rifled barrel is going to improve it's performance?

I'm with my buddy, Big Jim, on this one -- The Circuit Judge is, at best, a novelty. Don't get me wrong, I have several .45 LC revolvers and .410-bore shotguns; but, I have absolutely no desire to combine them.
 
briefly delurking

I purchased a Circuit Judge in 410/45 last fall. I didn't get a chance to shoot it until a trip back home to Ohio in December. Most folks will tell you all of the negatives of the Judge line. I can tell you that my dad and I had more fun shooting this rifle than most anything else that we've shot in the last few years. Completely impractical but will put a smile on your face if you take it for what it is. We enjoyed some "cowboy load" 45 ammo in particular. I wouldn't choose it as my only long gun, but I am definitely happy that I made some room for it. Let us know what you decided.
 
Oneounce,
They seem to work as intended. We were shooting with long sleeves but no gloves. My wife, my dad, and I all shot without any problem. My biggest complaint is how cheap the sights feel. They are made of plastic and seem like they could break easily. My haven't, but I wouldn't be shocked if they ever did. I'm not really sure why they chose to go so cheap, but then again not too many people ask for my financial advice.
 
If the 45 colt shoot semi-accurately I think the 45/410 would be a fun gun and still kinda practical. Same goes with the 22/22mag. Wish they weren't made by Rossi. If I find a good deal on one I'll probably buy one years down the road.
 
Oh wait, just read that the 410 barrel is rifled. So why have it shoot 410? Lame, I think the 22/22Mag would be a fun plinker still. Should have made one in 38/357 instead of 45/410 if they were gonna rifle the barrel.
 
Well, the barrel is rifled f0r the .45 LC. It c0mes with 2 screw in ch0kes- 0ne is just sm00th, the 0ther has straight rifling. [ my "o" desn't wrk].

T sht bird sht
, yu use the straight rifling. Fr the .45 LC, yu use the smth tube. Yu als use it fr the >410 Winchester PDX defensive rund. It has 3 cpper disks [which engage the rifling] and abut 12 BB's [in the 2 1/2" shell]. Awesme rund fr a 410.

Als, there's a 250 grain .45 LC rund with a big hllw pint bullet that is impressive.

:o
 
I'm rethinking the concept after reading a recent posting in TFL's handgun forum: The revolver version, the Judge, makes a great snake handgun. A .410-bore shot shell puts out a lot more than a conventional revolver capsule shot load.
 
The revolver version, the Judge, makes a great snake handgun. A .410-bore shot shell puts out a lot more than a conventional revolver capsule shot load.
Click to expand...

And I can tell you that standard 38 shot caps are hell on snakes, there is no need whatsoever to fire 410 loads at them. Plus, you don't have to buy a taurus!

Well, the barrel is rifled f0r the .45 LC. It c0mes with 2 screw in ch0kes- 0ne is just sm00th, the 0ther has straight rifling. [ my "o" desn't wrk].
Click to expand...

Why the hell would you make a rifled choke for a rifled bore???

I'm told rifling will make a terrible pattern, but will a smooth choke fix this? If so, then I think the option to shoot 410 and 45 colt loads accurately would be a functional firearm.
 
Don't own one, haven't shot one, have handled/examined them. Wouldn't buy one. I'm happy with conventional large bore revolvers, if I need one of those (have .44 Mag SA Rugers and a S&W Mod. 29), and can't see any use in a "neither fish nor fowl" chimera - no matter how popular it is.

But if you want one, it's your money.
 
^Why the hell would you make a rifled choke for a rifled bore???

I'm told rifling will make a terrible pattern, but will a smooth choke fix this?^


The smooth choke is just basically a thread protector, used when shooting the .45 LC or the Winchester >410 PDX defensive round with the copper disks, or .410 slugs.

The other choke has lands and grooves but they are straight-not spiraled.
Used when shooting any type of shot. This choke tends to straighten out the chaotic flow of the shot imparted by the rifling, thereby minimizing the pattern size.

By the way, the PDX round tends to put the copper disks in the center of the pattern [ because they are engaged by the rifling] and the BB's spread out pretty good [also because of the rifling].

Seems to me for a home defense weapon you'd want a large pattern.
 
I have a .45/.410 version and love it. Pretty accurate gun surprisingly. I just leave the thread protector in always. Federal 000 3 inch are fun and for hunting Hornady ballistic tips are nice. It's one of my favorite guns to shoot at the range.
 
Seems to me for a home defense weapon you'd want a large pattern.

Some folks agree with that idea. Others don't.

I don't think of a shotgun as a "to whom it may concern" weapon, unless there's a guarantee there are absolutely no friendlies/noncombatants downrange and therefore in danger from 'friendly fire.' I want everything coming out of the muzzle to go where I want it to go, not where the vagaries of physics sends it, and as I see it, it's my job to hit what I shoot at, no matter what I'm shooting.

Anyone who wants a scattergun is welcome to them, it isn't my job to tell anyone else what they should want. But narrow assumptions can lead to wrong conclusions.
 
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