Tractor gun, what do you guys think?

[TripleR]

Strangely enough, I carry a SIG P229 in .40 now and can't wait until we switch to something else. I like the P226 and P239 well enough, but the P229 never fit my hand right. Plus it's really too big for me to carry comfortably concealed with some of the clothes I like to wear (but I still carry it everywhere anyway). I shoot it well and always qualify expert but I just prefer something else. I'm hoping that we'll either be issued a Glock 22 or 23 and a Glock 27 backup, or be allowed to carry a personally owned Glock 27 off duty. It's just a smaller and narrower package which is much easier to conceal. Oh and outside of 1911's my split times are always the fastest with a glock. I really like SIG's, moreso the older ones than the newer ones, but I just never warmed up to the P229.

I guess it all depends on what fits you. My first Sig was a 226 which I later traded for a 228 for concealability; still have it, but don't shoot it much as it's a 9mm. I got my first 229 when a County Sheriff received a 229 as a gift from his Police Officer son which he didn't like. A local Police Chief had a used 226 in .40 that I bought and traded for the P229 and we were both happy.

My duty weapons were a G23 and G27 and I really don't like them though I still have and use them because they are really lite and shoot well. My wife on the other hand LOVES Glocks.

Probably my favorite Sig is the P220 in .45 ACP, but I really like the P229. I didn't like the P239 and gave it to my son.

I don't shoot enough anymore to be really proficient with lots of different guns so my Sigs, Colt Gold Cup and others spend most of the time in my safe.

I carry the Glocks and .38 in case I ever have to use one and wind up in court as that is what I have all my training on.

Don't like the new Sigs either just the classics.

 

[ChuckinNH]

We've had some cougar sitings in Maine including one on the coast but I don't think they have been confirmed. I've read it is coming back to it's eastern range. No Grizzly though! The occasional Black bear and moose running around here on the coast - much more inland. I like wildlife but being stalked by a mountain lion could put a damper on your day. A friend of mine here on the coast was getting firewood and got stalked on his back forty by two eastern Coyotes, which I guess are a little larger. One circled behind him while the other crouched, he was not to far from his house and walked in. He is disabled and has a cane sometimes. I wonder if they could sense that? Weird.

There was a confirmed mountain lion sighting here in NH. Fish, and Game is saying that it was most likely someone's pet that escaped. They have their reasons. I have a friend that is a very competent trapper, and he has been seeing mountain lion scat here for about 5 years now. I have seen some very large coyotes on my land, and measured a track this past winter that was over 3" long, but a coyote for sure.

 

[RalphVa]

During the 3 years of declaring war on the hooved rats, I started carrying my 410 single shot with me on the tractor. It would rest nicely against the throttle bar. The rats are drawn to it. They were also drawn to our 1983 240D. They run away from the 2010 TDI.

Once, when backing out of the carriage house, I spotted 2 rats just down the hill. I picked up the 410 and took down one. I'd only packed one slug shot; so, put tractor in neutral, brake on and back to garage to get more slugs. Backed the rest of the way out and started forward when I sat the 2nd rat, standing there and mourning her buddy. Picked up the 410 again and saw it flinch as it ran away. Its skeleton showed up later down the hill a bit and to the left. During 3 years, I got 13 of the pests. Hadn't seen a one this year until today. May be time to pack the 410 again.

Ralph

 

[MF RED in MT]

Strangely enough, I carry a SIG P229 in .40 now and can't wait until we switch to something else. I like the P226 and P239 well enough, but the P229 never fit my hand right. Plus it's really too big for me to carry comfortably concealed with some of the clothes I like to wear (but I still carry it everywhere anyway). I shoot it well and always qualify expert but I just prefer something else. I'm hoping that we'll either be issued a Glock 22 or 23 and a Glock 27 backup, or be allowed to carry a personally owned Glock 27 off duty. It's just a smaller and narrower package which is much easier to conceal. Oh and outside of 1911's my split times are always the fastest with a glock. I really like SIG's, moreso the older ones than the newer ones, but I just never warmed up to the P229.

My duty firearm was a Sig P226 9mm along with a 1970's era chiefs special model 60 that I had the hammer bobbed off for a pocket backup gun (funny, we were not required to qualify with our back up firearms back then, rifles or handguns). Back in those days , the very very early 90's, the P226 was only available in 9mm with a 4.4 inch barrel and the P229 was only available in 40 S&W with a 3.86 inch barrel. I also sometimes carried my H&K P7 M13, love that firearm (am thinking of mounting it on the inside area roof of my tractor cab along with my Stag model 5TL :thumbsup, but is a little heavy for concealed carry :thumbsup:. In those days, the department only allowed full size semi automatic firearms with the longer barrels for duty and there was not much grip sizing available to fit different size hands. B.T.W. a few deputys were still carrying 6 shooter wheel guns . KC

 

[Skyco]

At 5 paces it would not penetrate 1/4" plywood my target was attached to with 00 buck shot! What a freaking joke!! Those who don't know better try to claim that their .410 will shoot 00 buckshot at over 1100 fps. as listed on the box. Wrong! That's based on it exiting a 20" barrel. With a Judge, you're basically just firing the cartridge. The best I got was about 600 fps based on using 2 different chronographs. Most were closer to 450 to 500 fps!

.

Odd. I chrony'd 850 out of my Judge 3" barrel with the Federal Personal Defense Buckshot loads. A friend got the same, with his Judge, and his chrony.
He also tested penetration and would penetrate 4" of pine at 10 ft.

Maybe you bought the Harbor Freight Judge instead of the real thing:laughing:

 

[Dargo]

Odd. I chrony'd 850 out of my Judge 3" barrel with the Federal Personal Defense Buckshot loads. A friend got the same, with his Judge, and his chrony.
He also tested penetration and would penetrate 4" of pine at 10 ft.

Maybe you bought the Harbor Freight Judge instead of the real thing:laughing:

I don't know what to tell you other than my experience with two different ones that apparently was echoed by an independent magazine. As I mentioned, I've been collecting for over 30 years and have more firearms than some small gun stores (wife not happy with that), and the Judge is the biggest joke I've run across in 30+ years. It's nothing more than a gimmick that, unfortunately, leave some people thinking they are well protected when, in fact, they'd be better off with a .22 pistol.

I have several Taurus firearms in my collection. Many are what I'd consider good bargains for what they are with surprisingly good workmanship. The Taurus Judge with it's hokey produce shoot ad is an embarrassment for their company. If you have one and are so attached to it that you won't consider a better personal protection piece, I'd strongly recommend .45 LC rounds in each chamber unless your target is snakes or mice. I wouldn't be so critical of it if it were advertised as a snake or rodent gun, but that's not how it's advertised. Otherwise, both Judges I owned had especially poor workmanship in their build with sharper edges with rough feeling actions as compared to other Taurus pieces. It felt like it had the build quality of a Jennings or Raven pistol. My guess is that Taurus is running them out as fast as possible before the gig is up on that particular firearm.

 

[mustangsallysdad]

I don't know what to tell you other than my experience with two different ones that apparently was echoed by an independent magazine. As I mentioned, I've been collecting for over 30 years and have more firearms than some small gun stores (wife not happy with that), and the Judge is the biggest joke I've run across in 30+ years. It's nothing more than a gimmick that, unfortunately, leave some people thinking they are well protected when, in fact, they'd be better off with a .22 pistol.

I have several Taurus firearms in my collection. Many are what I'd consider good bargains for what they are with surprisingly good workmanship. The Taurus Judge with it's hokey produce shoot ad is an embarrassment for their company. If you have one and are so attached to it that you won't consider a better personal protection piece, I'd strongly recommend .45 LC rounds in each chamber unless your target is snakes or mice. I wouldn't be so critical of it if it were advertised as a snake or rodent gun, but that's not how it's advertised. Otherwise, both Judges I owned had especially poor workmanship in their build with sharper edges with rough feeling actions as compared to other Taurus pieces. It felt like it had the build quality of a Jennings or Raven pistol. My guess is that Taurus is running them out as fast as possible before the gig is up on that particular firearm.

I have to agree with you...it's also interesting to note that Bond Arms markets their .410/.45LC primarily as a snake gun. Makes better sense from a marketing standpoint...similar thing with my Seecamps...not advertised or marketed as a target pistol, but as a last resort "stick it in their ribs" handgun...it doesn't even have sights. If I'm going to carry something the size of a Judge, I feel better served with my J frame S&W model 640 in .357.

 

[Lyrch75]

If it is a gun that you are going to leave on the tractor, make certain it is stupidly robust. The dusty environment of a tractor and gun oil will really challenge a firearm's functioning.

When working around the house/main property I just have a pistol on me. When I am at the wider open properties I have an AR-15 with me. groundhogs around here don't realize that a tractor means "get in da hole!" just the same as a pickup. So I get a few early season cheating kills on them before they get sufficiently spooked that I can't get them from the tractor seat.

 

[jdgreg]

just curious if anyone has rifle racks on their ROPS ?

I have them, but they're mounted on the back side, and used to carry shovels and the like. As far as a weapon, when I think I may need it, I carry my usual piece, Ruger LCP. Only a 380, but has plenty of juice for all kinds of varmints, 2 legged and 4. :thumbsup:

 

[MF RED in MT]

I don't know what to tell you other than my experience with two different ones that apparently was echoed by an independent magazine. As I mentioned, I've been collecting for over 30 years and have more firearms than some small gun stores (wife not happy with that), and the Judge is the biggest joke I've run across in 30+ years. It's nothing more than a gimmick that, unfortunately, leave some people thinking they are well protected when, in fact, they'd be better off with a .22 pistol.

I have several Taurus firearms in my collection. Many are what I'd consider good bargains for what they are with surprisingly good workmanship. The Taurus Judge with it's hokey produce shoot ad is an embarrassment for their company. If you have one and are so attached to it that you won't consider a better personal protection piece, I'd strongly recommend .45 LC rounds in each chamber unless your target is snakes or mice. I wouldn't be so critical of it if it were advertised as a snake or rodent gun, but that's not how it's advertised. Otherwise, both Judges I owned had especially poor workmanship in their build with sharper edges with rough feeling actions as compared to other Taurus pieces. It felt like it had the build quality of a Jennings or Raven pistol. My guess is that Taurus is running them out as fast as possible before the gig is up on that particular firearm.

If you and others are open to and interested in some good valid information about the Taurus Judge ammunition written by others, please read these articles:

Handloader Magazine, June 2010, by Dave Scovill, on page 8 thru page 11 states the Federal Personal Defense .410 ammunition in 2.5 inch shells; #4 shot = 835fps; 000 buck = 892fps. :thumbsup:

Guns & Ammo, June 2010, by Dick Metcalf, on page 55 thru page 57 states the Winchester PDX1 .410 ammunition in 2.5 inch shells; 3 Defense Disc projectiles with 12 BB shot = 752fps, and the 3 disc penetration is about 10.5 inches, a long with the 12 BB shot penetration is about 5.5 inches both in 10% ballistic gelatin (5 rounds of this ammunition has 15 Defense Disc projectiles and also 60 BB shot is a lot better then 5 rounds of .22 long rifle 40 grain ammunition inside of a house). :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I know you have had a bad experience with your Judge regarding ammunition choices, but you were never specfic as to the exact ammunition you were shooting and getting 450 to 500fps readings?

I hope this information can give you and others some good specific information on the Judge ammunition that is available for it. KC

B.T.W. I have been collecting for about 50 years and I know there are many types of different choices for firearms and what goes a long with the firearm choice are many, many, and many more choices of different types of ammunition. You might say making these choices can result in the Good, the Bad, and also the Ugly.