Taurus Judge vs Public Defender: Side by Side Comparison

The Taurus Judge is a lesson in marketing and branding any company should take note of. The Taurus Judge wasn’t always the Judge. Originally, Taurus called it the 4410. In this mid-2000s period, they were creating a series of snub nose, magnum-powered revolvers, and the 4410 offers a .410 variant to join the .44 Special, .41 Magnum, and .45 Colt models. Later the same year, they introduced the Taurus Judge. 

The Executive Vice President of Taurus learned that judges in Miami were apparently carrying the 4410 under their robes in high-crime areas. Armed with that knowledge, they renamed the gun to the Judge and changed the model number to 4510. A lesson in marketing can be derived here because proper branding can take you far. 

The Taurus Judge became a hit and quickly became one of the highest-selling firearms of that year and several years after. Heck, in 2022, according to Gunbroker data, it was the Number 2 revolver sold in the United States. Anything that is inherently illegal in California is going to be cool, and the Judge might not be a short-barreled shotgun federally, but it is illegal in California. 

Taurus had a golden calf (pun intended) with the Judge and milked it. This created additional Judge models and the offspring of the Judge known as the Public Defender. This led a few people to ask what the difference is between the two. If you’re one of those people, well, you’ve come to the right place. Today we are breaking down the Taurus Judge and Public Defender revolvers so you’ll not only know the difference, but can make a well-informed decision. 

Spec Comparison

Taurus Judge

• Final Grade : C-
• MSRP : $619.99

Caliber 45 Colt/410 2.5in

Action DA/SA

Capacity 5

Front Sight Fiber Optic

Rear Sight Fixed

Barrel Length 3.00 in

Weight 29 oz

Frame Stainless Steel

Check Price

Taurus Judge Public Defender

• MSRP : $569.99

Caliber 45 Colt/410 2.5in

Action DA/SA

Capacity 5

Front Sight Fiber Optic

Rear Sight Fixed

Barrel Length 2.00 in

Weight 28 oz

Frame Stainless Steel

Check Price

What They Have In Common 

Obviously, they have a lot in common. They are both revolvers that chamber .410 and .45 Colt. They are traditional double-action designs and feature the same light rifling that prevents them from being NFA weapons. They are the same gun in many ways. The best way to say it is that every Public Defender is a Taurus Judge, but not every Judge is a Public Defender. 

The Main Difference 

The biggest differentiator between the two wheelguns is size. Look at the Taurus Judge as the full-sized monster of the family—the OG, if you will. The Public Defender? That’s the compact little brother. It’s got a shorter barrel and a notably trimmed-down frame, obviously. Most folks aim the standard Judge at defensive shooting, running it as a proper woods or property gun. Even the Judge with a baby three-inch barrel still stretches out to 7.5 inches overall.

You’re slinging .410 shotshells that are at least 2.5 inches long, and that big boy of a round requires a long cylinder, which, naturally, creates a long gun. The Public Defender is a solid step toward making this revolver easier to conceal for the everyday guy, and that’s the market it’s aiming at. The Public Defender barrels are chopped down to 2.5 or even a short two inches, depending on the model you snag. It gets to the point where the cylinder is actually a tad longer than the barrel. That’s wild.

While the Judge’s shortest pipe is that three-incher, they also make models with barrels that run all the way up to a massive 6.5 inches. These great big long boys are surprisingly capable, giving you a velocity bump and a better sight radius to work with. That makes them a bit better as true outdoor and woods guns, though you’ll have a hell of a time trying to carry one discreetly.

The Public Defenders are the lighter guns, but we’re only talking about a couple of ounces. The standard Judge comes in at 29 ounces unloaded, and the Public Defender with a 1 2-inch barrel shaves that down to 27 ounces. Size might be the main deal-breaker, but there are some other interesting quirks between these two models that go way beyond just the dimensions.

Upgrades and Accessories for Taurus Judge

Grips Hogue 73000 Tracker and Judge Rubber Monogrip		Cobblestone texture provides an efficient non-slip, non-irritating stippling pattern Will not fit Raging Judge or Raging Bull	Buy on Amazon
Holster Comp-Tac Dual Concealment IWB/OWB Holsters		Fits 3in barrel model	Check Price

Caliber Differences 

There are a few caliber differences worth noting. The basic calibers of both the Judge and Public Defender are .45 Colt and .410, but that doesn’t tell the complete story. Several of the Judge models of the 4510 offer a 3-inch chamber to hold the longest .410 shotshells. The Public Defender model does not offer any 3-inch chambered variants of the gun. 

Speaking of powerful, the Raging Judge models are capable of chambering the .45 Colt, .410 up to a 3-inch chamber and the very powerful .454 Casull. This is a big step up from .45 Colt and enters the Judge into big and dangerous game categories. 

Notable Differences 

You’ve got the size difference down, but the truth is, the Judge and the Public Defender have a handful of interesting, albeit minor, differences that are worth a serious look.

The Public Defender line is where Taurus decided to mix it up a bit. You can find variants rocking a bobbed hammer for snag-free concealment, which locks it into a strictly double-action-only configuration—not a bad move for a carry gun. They also have the Public Defender Poly, which swaps the traditional frame for polymer. This drops a little weight without sacrificing any of the necessary structural integrity.

When it comes to the grips, the standard Judge gets an ergonomic upgrade with newer, larger grips that really fill your hand. The Public Defender models, however, stick with the smaller, ribbed grips. It’s a trade-off: they’re trying to max out comfort while keeping concealability a priority.

Here’s a weird one: the Public Defender models actually get better sights in some configurations. The metal frame versions of the Public Defender use a fixed rear sight, but the Polymer model gets an adjustable rear sight. The massive Raging Judge variants get a proper rear sight. The standard Judge doesn’t get that kind of love? The user gets stuck with just a high-visibility front sight. It’s a strange design choice. Usually, smaller guns have trash sights, but the opposite is true here.

Finally, the Judge series has been treated to the Executive Grade treatment. This includes an optics-ready model. This is Taurus offering the absolute best of the Judge line in terms of quality and design. It’s a handful of good-looking guns, but sadly, the Public Defender hasn’t been shown that kind of love yet.

Are any of these small differences enough to make you choose one over the other?

Long Live the Judge 

It’s surprising how well the Taurus Judge continues to sell. They continue supporting the weapon, and it’s an interesting gun that could be a niche tool for many. For me, I wanted a fun gun, and that’s the best role for the Judge to serve. I have a full review of it here. The Public Defender might be smaller than the Judge, but it’s still quite mighty. 

Hopefully, we’ve dialed in the differences, and you now know the various size, caliber, and notable differences between the two platforms. Do you have any other questions? Please feel to ask below. Do you have a preferred Judge model? Let us know below.