Taurus Decoder Ring: A Cute Start

Every gun manufacturer has their own naming-convention gobbledygook. They have names based on years, calibers, sizes, capacity, extremeness. Yes, I wrote that: EXTREMENESS. 

Smith & Wesson is infamous for it; at least the gobbledygook part. I don't know if it was Handgun Radio that came up with the innovative concept of a Smith & Wesson Model Number Decoder Ring, but that's where I heard about it.

Well, Taurus is modestly confusing the hell out of me. I get tripped up constantly by the GX series. And I am feebly coming to grips with the numbering of its revolvers. But I still don't know what to call my 22 Poly, uh, PT-22 PLY ... yah!

Where to start? I could start chronologically, but that could be boring. I think I'll start with the easy route, because then I probably won't screw it up. Also, the first gun is sort of cartoonish, so it's like we are starting at an elementary (school) level. REMEMBER: Guns are not toys!

The Judge Series (2006-present)

The Taurus Judge was originally named the 4410. The "Judge" name came about, because judges were carrying the 4410 in Miami.

Credit: TaurusUSA.com

Judge (Models 2-441031T, 2-441039T, 2-441061T, 2-441069T)

barrel lengths: 3" or 6.5"
weight: 29 oz or 32 oz
material: steel alloy or stainless steel
finish: black oxide or stainless steel
The original Judge.  

Credit: TaurusUSA.com

Judge Public Defender (Models 2-441031TC, 2-441039TC, 2-441029TCPLY, 2-441021PFS)

barrel length: 2.5"
capacity: 5 rounds
weight: 28 oz or 27 oz
material: steel alloy or stainless steel or polymer
finish: black oxide or stainless steel or black plastic

It sounds funny that this version of the Judge is called the Judge Public Defender, but it is seen over and over again that line extensions can get a little goofy. Maybe they could have changed the name of the series to: the Courthouse.

The difference in weight between metal and polymer Public Defenders seems ridiculous.

Credit: TaurusUSA.com

Judge Magnum (Models 2-441031MAG, 2-441039MAG, 2-441061MAG, 2-441069MAG)
barrel length: 3" or 6.5"
capacity: 5 rounds
weight: 37 oz or 48 oz
material: steel alloy or stainless steel
finish: black oxide or stainless steel
The magnums have 3" chambers.

Raging Judge (Models 2-51039, 2-51069)
barrel length: 3" or 6.5"
capacity: 6 rounds
weight: 61 oz or 73 oz
material: stainless steel
finish: stainless steel
The Raging Judges add a .454 Casull capable chamber, but the chamber is not .410 magnum capable. 

NEXT: Taurus Decoder Ring: GXeses

The Most Pedestrianly Exciting Shot Show 2022 Release

There is enough to be all aflutter about a few releases that were actually or sort of made at Shot Show 2022. 

Mega-boutique gunmaker KelTec's P15 demands a response from the blue-collar gun makers. 

.30 Super Carry raises many questions including: (1) Is it hype? (2) Will it ka-BOOM pistols? (3) Will it gain traction? 

A four-column (A)rmalite (R)ifle magazine receiver. 

A hunting cartridge that is perfected for a shorty bolt-action. And it is 8 or 9mm or something.

Franklin Armory's ridiculously expensive G-S173 binary trigger system (pretty much everything but the frame, barrel, and recoil rod and spring). 

credit: TheFirearmsBlog

Harrington & Richardson has been reinvented with a retro M-16A1 clone being its first release. H&R really does still holds some trademarks to and full technical specifications for the M-16, because H&R was one of the original manufacturers. And guess what. Palmetto State Armory bought H&R in the Remington liquidation.

So what's the big news? Taurus has a .327 Federal Magnum revolver already cataloged on its website. It looked very exciting, because it looks very similar to the 856 UL revolver - the 6-shot .38-Special Ultra-Lite version of Taurus's 5-shot model 85. Unfortunately, the current offering of the Taurus 327 is a full-weight albeit snubnose 6-shot format tipping the scales at 22 oz. It's at a nice MSRP of $371 and 5 cents.

I really hope Taurus has a 327 UL in its back pocket. Maybe it will be called the 3277 UL - keeping the trend going for Taurus of adding a round at the same time that the Ultra-Lite version appears.

credit: Shooting Illustrated

Revolvers Are Great: Interlude (Part 2)

PREVIOUS in series: Revolvers Are Great (Part 1)

While skimming through my Facebook feed, I saw a post from the I'm with Roscoe group. The group member shared a picture that included this beauty:

Credit: Sportsman's Warehouse (Taurus 692 "Essential")

It looked so cool that I thought this Taurus 692 with additional cylinder and crane was photoshopped. Nope, it's real. While looking up information, I discovered an article on Personal Defense World about taking the Gunsite Academy revolver course with the Taurus 692 ported edition.

Credit: Personal Defense World

Bell only made one modification to the gun - a Hogue Monogrip ...

Credit: Amazon.com

and he used Black Hills .357 Cowboy Action Shooting cartridges.

Yes, the article is about the revolver, but William Bell's write up about the course includes how the course covers "Cooper's Color Code" and "interrupting the 'OODA Loop' of an attacker." Being reminded of Col. Cooper's Color Code and being introduced concept of effecting someone else's OODA Loop as a tactic is really intriguing.

Resources for further study:

Wikipedia article on "OODA Loop"

Col. Jeff Cooper's Color Code

Revolvers Are Great (Part 1)

Well, we are in a holding pattern for my wife's pistol-purchase permit. And my wife doesn't want to hear a thing about guns - for her - until she can get her hands on some and buy one that day.

In the meantime, I had been convinced that she would end up with a single-stack 9mm or .380. Now I'm not so sure. She shoots revolvers well, and she likes how easy it is to see that they are loaded. Also, I'm getting intrigued by revolvers again. I haven't had one for a long time, and I might even consider getting one - or two - for myself.

Besides my wife's attraction, why the change of heart? I'm concerned about capacity, but single-stack guns don't have much anyway. So then I was considering a Ruger Security-9 Compact, which is pretty thin for a double-stack gun and doesn't weigh too much. But more weight is more weight. 

Also, on a totally frivolous note. I like the idea of a derringer back up to a .38 revolver.

Back to what my wife wants.

She really liked the .357 Magnum Ruger LCR. But it's a little pricey. She shot the J frame lightweight S&W and thought it was okay. I was not all that impressed with the Taurus revolvers. They all seemed to weigh too much, but I kept seeing ads for this thing:

The Taurus 856 Ultra-Lite. 

And I was at a gun store and handled the polymer Taurus Public Defender. And the trigger was - good!

And my wife wants a gun with some color - if possible. So more wheels started turning. Though some semiautos have a pallette of colors. 

credit: GunsWeek.com, Taurus Spectrum

 

Some revolvers are even gaudy.

Credit: Charter Arms, Undercover Lite

And some revolvers are in colors that might be acceptable to my wife.

Credit: TaurusUSA.com, 856 Ultra-Lite

NEXT in series: Revolvers Are Great: Interlude (Part 2)

A Little (Gun) Color

Today, I went and checked out the brand-new gun range that I watched being built a few miles from my home. I wanted to see if it was an appropriate place to take my nine-year-old-son, and if they had a handgun that my wife might be interested in.

They had the obligatory wall of rental guns, so I looked to see what my son could shoot and my wife might like to try. Standing there, I actually found it difficult to distinguish among those autoloaders, because - save one - they were all totally matte black. Now poor lighting might have contributed to my difficulty, but the situation got my wheels a turnin', especially since color choice is a major part of what my wife wants.

I've always liked guns with a little character, but I like original finishes and modern guns, so I generally end up with the oh so exciting black polymer frame and stainless steel slide - or something damn well similar to that.

So what colors do I want to see? 1911 nickel with pearl grips.

credit: ArmsBid.com

Wood furniture on something

(Even on a fancy AR).
Parkerizing.
Case hardening.
Blueing.
Damascus steel.
Those are all out there, but not popular - or cheap.



And my wife wants to see a little feminine color from an Italian manufacture (Talk about narrowing down the choices.).

credits: TinCanBandit.blogspot.com, EAACorp.com, EAACorp.com, GunsAndAmmo.com

Maybe Cerakote is in my future. Maybe home blueing.

Taurus (Airsoft) PT92 by KWC Review: Unboxing

(Mock) Unboxclamshelling
I bought this airsoft pistol some time last year, so this is a mock first look at the airsoft springer Taurus PT92 manufactured by KWC.

I was looking for an analog for my Ruger P95, but the only thing available were airsoft replicas of the Ruger P89, and they were of much lower quality. Also, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on my first airsoft pistol, so I went for a spring-powered pistol with a metal slide.

Specs
Taurus PT92 airsoft handgun manufactured by KWC for Softair (Cyberguns)

Overall length: 8-5/8"
Overall height: 5-5/8"
Overall width: 1-1/2"
Weight w/magazine: 18 oz
Caliber: 6mm
Velocity: 328 fps
muzzle energy: .44 ft-lbs
Capacity: 12
Sights: fixed
Action: Single, slide cocking, spring powered

The hammer cocks but has no function in firing the gun. The trigger is about 3 lbs, has progressive tension, and is gritty, so it is not a perfect analog for any real gun that I have fired -  well, except for the grittiness (Ruger P95) and the progressive tension (DAO Beretta 9mm PX4 Storm).

Other issues for using this as an analog for a real gun: The frame-mounted, ambidextrous safety is a dummy. Next to the trigger guard is the actual safety. The gun is light compared to a real full-size pistol, but not distractingly so. And of course, the recoil is "non existent," but it does shake when fired.

 To Be Continued, NEXT: Range Review

Taurus PT22 Ply: Small (Shoot A Lot) Pocket Pistol

Range report coming up. It's been a while since I took it to the range, but It's been just as long since I've analyzed what happened. Looking for my range bag right now.

Previous Article: Small (Shoot A Lot) Pocket Pistol Shopping

Small (Shoot-A-Lot) Pocket-Pistol Shopping

Research, On-line and Off-line Handgun Shopping

I did a lot of research selecting a small handgun that I can carry all the time. Trying to reconstruct my thought process and my trip to two stores is like trying to remember what happened the day of and during a bad car wreck. So here goes:

Duel Purpose

I feel like Alton Brown - always having to have my guns and other tools be "multitaskers." My P95 had to be a house gun and a CCW. My pocket knife had to be utilitarian and tactical. And now my small handgun has to be a pocket pistol and my range-time tool. But I don't think that I am much different than a lot of other gun owners.