The 12 gauge will definitely hit with more authority and with more pellets per shell, but still, is the 410 “enough?” Hmmm. Its actually quite a good upland bird choice. As with the Governor, we felt the patterns were acceptable for close range home-defense situations. When a Gun Tests reader contacted us asking for a comparison of the revolvers versus the most recommended home-defense firearm — a short barreled, pump-action shotgun — we managed to get our hands on several representative models for a head-to-head-to-head comparison. We also noticed the Judge was not as smooth firing in double action, and it did not feel as solid when the cylinder turned as when we shot DA with the Governor. (Photo by Matt Vollman) Brenneke slugs work with rifles and smooth bores, but rifling would make shot loads ineffective and defeat the point of having a universal survival gun. .410 Bore: Capacity: 5+1: Chamber: 3″ Barrel Type: Heavy-Walled: Barrel Length: 14.375″ Sight/Base: Bead: Choke: Cylinder-Bore: Barrel Finish: Matte Blued: Stock Finish: Raptor Grip / Corn Cob Forend w/ Strap: Weight: 4.24: Length: 26.37″ UPC: 015813506496 Theres also a group of gun enthusiasts consider the .410 pistols like the Taurus Judge and S&W Governor are perfect for self-defense. Taylor’s & Co. 1886/71 Classic Rifle Model RIF/S740.457 45-70 Gov’t, 380 ACP Ammunition Testing: Bullet Development Continues, Twelve 22 Long Rifle Cartridges, Shot From a Rifle This Round, 9mm Barrel Lengths Compared In Range Performance Testing, 12-Gauge Mini Shells from Federal, Aguila, and Nobel, Gun Belts: Beat the Sag with Choices from Wright, Bigfoot, Quick-Release Extended Scope Mounts For Carbines & Rifles, SCOTUS Denies Review To NJ AG in SAF-Defense Distributed Case, BATFE Reclassifies ‘Honey Badger’ AR Pistols as SBRs, PROOF Research Introduces the $8500 Conviction Ti Long-Range Precision Tactical Rifle, 30 Carbine Picks: Hornady, Speer, Buffalo Bore Loads Tested. If price is the key factor in a purchase decision, the Judge would fit the bill of an adequate home-defense firearm. Since the Governor was also capable of handling both 45 Colt and 45 ACP rounds (three two-round moon clips and two six-round moon clips are included in the Governor package), we also sent a few rounds downrange to check out the handgun’s accuracy. The Taurus does present a smaller profile than the S&W that may be attributed to the five-round cylinder, as opposed to the six shots available in the Governor. Mossberg's Defensive .410 Shotguns. Spreads of from 1 inch to 3 inches leave little room for error. In low-light conditions like those that might be found in a home at night, we found there was little difference between the S&W and the Judge. Yes, it is a process. The cylinder also turned smoothly with a solid click as the handgun came into battery. But with the right ammo, and at a typical self-defense range, your hunting gun can be used in an emergency situation. Some may say, “It’s a shotgun, therefore it’s got to be good for home defense. It is a caliber, a .41 caliber to be exact and when a handgun is chambered in .410 gauge like the Taurus Raging Judge Magnum Revolver, it can fire .410 shotgun shells or the short .45 Caliber Schofield (.45 S&W) handgun round. FTX slug actually engages the gun’s rifling, and contacts the target nose-on for greatly enhanced terminal performance. Overall, we felt this was a barely satisfactory performance. Further experimentation shows that, at the close ranges of home defense, both the 12 gauge and 410 will deliver all of their pellets to a target. The differences are dramatic, with the buckshot penetrating about 16″ of gelatin. The .410 handgun has emerged as a popular option for self-defense, and Federal Premium® offers a variety of loads for these specialized firearms. If you have read this space for the last couple of issues, you’ll recall that I’ve asked what my fellow gun owners believe would... Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. round ball is made of high-antimony cold-swaged lead to resist deformation and provide excellent penetration. Being able to deliver an effective, accurate and deadly shot into a threat or threats is the paramount factor in any home-defense situation, although this must be weighed against whether or not the homeowner is able to easily handle the firearm. As noted earlier, we found that proper shot and slug placement with the Mossberg was harder than when we were able to sight down the barrel of both the handguns. Is .410 a good self defense round? If you want to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please submit the form below. If you own a 12 and a 20 gauge, your bases are pretty much covered. Because this round is advertised as a self-defense shotshell, all of the test guns used were designed for personal protection or concealed carry. The .410 usually come to mind as an an alternative to the .22 long rifle for rabbits and squirrels. Although tight patterns at close range can be both good and bad, depending upon the skill level of the shooter, we were impressed with the handling ability of the shotgun. 6 shot group was a spread of 8 inches; the Defender spread was 3 inches; the 000 buckshot spread was 2 inches; and the slug hit just slightly high, but close enough to dead center that the results would have been a man-stopper. 10 Gauge .410 Gauge. We did like the red-optic front sight that offered a good sight alignment through the square-notch rear sight — in good light. I can usually keep all three 000 Buck in the black at 50 feet. We liked the way it pointed and how it could be quickly brought onto targets packing a variety of shotgun loads and two different handgun rounds. 8-WIN-S410PDX1). The 410 holds a much smaller payload of shot than 20-gauge or 12-gauge shotgun shells. With the layer, it penetrates just 3.6″, scarcely enough to penetrate skin, and likely not … Maximizing .410 Performance for Hunting and Defense. However, there is less recoil with the .410, and that factor seems to be the main reason for its regular use both in the field and for home defense. We also appreciated the textured synthetic grip and the deeply rounded trigger of the Governor. Henry All-Weather Lever Action H010AW 45-70 Gov’t. Weighing just 4.5 pounds (unloaded) with an overall length of 28.5 inches and sporting an 18.5-inch barrel, we found the shotgun was quite easy to bring to bear on close-range targets. Excellent home and personal defense patterns; High-energy delivery Written and photographed by Ralph Winingham, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers. In addition, our handguns loads for the two revolvers included Hornady Critical Defense FTX 45 Colt, 185-grain loads with an average muzzle velocity of 950 fps and Barnes TacXPD 45 Auto +P, 185-grain loads with an average muzzle velocity of 1000 fps. Up close and personal with a home intruder is not the time to be concerned about whether a home-defense firearm is packing enough punch. The experienced shooters in our test group had no problems hitting the close-range target from the hip, but that might not be the case with someone unfamiliar or unpracticed at this type of shooting. Because of the variety of loads the Governor handles well, a 000 buckshot, followed by a Defender load, followed by two 45 Colt rounds, followed by two 45 ACP loads might be considered a hard combination to beat. We did not have any recoil problems with any of the loads fired in the shotgun, and as we experienced with both the handguns, all ammunition was cycled without a hitch. At the shooting range, the Judge fell a little behind the Governor in performance with every load. While the double-action pull was a little long for our tastes, it was very smooth. 6 shot and other pellet loads might result in a missed shot at a close-range intruder. As mentioned, the majority of the .410 is a 2.5 inch birdshot. I've got a nice Marlin 410 levergun that is really sweet. DEPENDABLE Penetration Cartridges with a history of self-defense use which have characteristics similar to the .410 slug's bullet diameter and muzzle energy include top loads from a 10mm auto pistol, a .357 magnum revolver, and the standard velocity ballistics of the .44-40 and .38-40 rifles. However, we did have a concern about how a very inexperienced shooter might be at a disadvantage in a self-defense situation if he or she has no way to align the sight on a target. Some may say, “It’s a shotgun, therefore it’s got to be good for home defense. Touted as a shock-absorbing “Ribbers” synthetic grip, we found that the feel was a little spongy and we experienced no discernible reduction in recoil compared to the grip on the Governor. We found the feel of the Mossberg Cruiser’s synthetic pistol grip and forearm to be slightly less comfortable than the feel of either of the handguns. Great for self-defense, they are not great for target practice due to their higher price point. While the 410 gauge is the same as the 41 caliber, I still do not think that "I" would carry that .410/22 combo (I call it a "trapper gun")for self defense for a bear. Firing at the Birchwood Casey Bad Guy Target set 9 feet down range, the best pattern produced by the Mossberg was a 4-inch spread with the No. Critical Defense® 410 was developed to provide the best performance for defensive or personal protection situations. To cover a variety of loads that might be used in a close-range, self-defense situation, the ammunition we selected for our testing included: Federal Premium 2.5-inch, 000 buckshot (four pellets) with an average muzzle velocity of 850 fps; Remington Express XLR 2.5-inch one-half ounce No. We next shot a load designed for personal defense, the Winchester Supreme Elite PDX1 .410 Bore 2.5-inch S410PDX1, $11.47/10. Moving back to 21 feet, the tighter groups with the Mossberg continued to produce satisfactory stopping shots. This is more than enough for personal defense . Specifically, a 410-bore (not “gauge” because the 410 is designated by its approximate caliber — .410″ — instead of a gauge) for home defense. Among available sporting .410 shotguns, it's not hard to find quality models with 18.5" to 20" barrels that can be pressed into service for self defense. The 410 holds a much smaller payload of shot than 20-gauge or 12-gauge shotgun shells. The big daddy of the Judge revolvers is the Raging Judge. A good combination would be a couple of Defender loads, a couple 000 buckshot loads, and a 45 Colt round as the final shot. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. 0. Calibers like the .410 and 20 gauge are suitable for self-defense believe it or not, especially in the short range of most homes. Our Team Said: Pump-action shotguns produced by Mossberg are among the most popular field and self-defense firearms in the country and this model lived up to that reputation. 12 gauge velocity averages out to 1285 fps, while the 410s average 959. We believe the capability of the two pistols to fire handgun loads was most likely a key factor in their heftier price tags. Our Team Said: Slightly greater recoil, balance not equal to the S&W, and less-than-stellar accuracy results with all loads were the factors in ranking the Judge as third in a three-way race. 6 shot with an average muzzle velocity of 1250 fps; Winchester PDX1 Defender 2.5-inch loads containing three plated defense discs and 12 plated BBs with an average muzzle velocity of 750 fps; and Winchester 2.5-inch hollow-point rifled slugs (one-fifth ounce) with an average muzzle velocity of 1830 fps. The price difference between the two revolvers was relatively small, with both handguns well above the retail price of the pump-action shotgun. The black ramp tritium insert, while adjustable, was not difficult to see on a target, but did not stand out quite as well as the Judge’s red fiber-optic sight. 6 or any other bird shot. Moving onto the shooting range, the Governor produced results that were quite impressive. Although reviewed by GT in a slightly different version in August 2009, this examination of the popular hand cannon went into further detail on how it handled and punched holes in paper at self-defense ranges. Once again, all were what we would consider an effective and deadly group for a home defense firearm. This website contains many older reviews. Each of the hits with the various loads would have been what we would consider a man stopper. The standard 000 buck 12 ga loading features eight pellets. Birdshot comes in various sizes, but each shell more or less contains a half ounce of shot. The results there show that 410 buckshot can be effective; bird shot, not so much. Moving out to 21 feet resulted in an 18.5-inch spread with the No. Each .35 cal. That is why it is considered a pro’s shotgun, not a beginner’s tool, in most wingshooting circles. The .410 shotgun is not a gun that is a necessity for a survivalist or prepper. Bond Arms Patriot. The matte-stainless-steel finish was not quite as sharp and distinctive as the finish on the Governor, which cost the Judge a few appearance points. Our only concern was the tight patterns with the No. With a 2.5-inch barrel, the Governor was a half-inch shorter than the Judge, measuring 8.5 inches in length. Pretty much every major ammo manufacturer loads a 3" .410 shell with five 000 buck pellets. Interested in more information on the 410? Great for smaller stature people. If shooting a low-recoil shotgun from the hip is your game, the diminutive .410 pump may be just what fulfills your needs as a homeowner interested in a good close-quarter defense firearm. Remington features their four-pellet load of 000 Buck in a 2-1/2-inch .410 format called Ultimate Defense. Recoil with all the loads was surprisingly mild, which we attributed to the high quality heft and feel of the revolver. With four 000-buck balls, this is a heavier load than some we have tested in the past. Revolvers shooting .410 compete heavily with the Pocket AR/AK for the worst self-defense guns made. Weak caliber…even with slugs. 6 shot; a 3-inch-high spread of 8.5 inches with the Defender load; a three-inch-high spread of 10 inches with the 000 buckshot; and an off-the-the target high hit (about 12 inches above the hold point) with the slug. However, the action-release button is tucked up behind the left side of the trigger guard and can be a little difficult to operate, particularly in a speed mode or when under pressure. These beefy guns … The 45 Colt three-shot groups came in at 1.5 inches at 9 feet and 3 inches at 21 feet, which was also considered above adequate for a revolver with a 2.5-inch barrel. That is a really good question. Having an overall height advantage of one half-inch (5.5 inches), along with a slightly larger width, we found the S&W to have a better heft of the two handguns. In such a life-or-death scenario, a reliable, easy-to-handle, and effective self-defense tool is essential. Its shot pattern is perfect for this type of shooting. Capable of shooting a .45 Long Colt or .410 cartridge, the Smith and Wesson Governor is a top choice for self-defense. If you are concerned about home protection and self-defense, you may want to consider the statistics on home invasions and all your options. Just in case you're wondering, the answer is yes the Triple Defense shell can be safely fired in most . Specifically, a 410-bore (not “gauge” because the 410 is designated by its approximate caliber — .410″ — instead of a gauge) for home defense. Like the other Mossberg pump-actions, the safety is located on top of the receiver — we liked this feature — to allow for quick and easy access. During the range time, these comfort factors were a major contributing factor to the Governor’s accuracy with all the test loads. The model we tested in this self defense trio (the Mossberg was also reviewed by GT in October 2012) is designed to be compact and easy to handle, particularly by an inexperienced shooter. Each of the firearms (all have been examined in previous GT reviews) is specifically designed for close-quarters action, such as when an intruder has illegally entered a residence, placing the people living in the home in a potentially life-threatening situation. He begins by comparing 000, or “triple-ought” buckshot, in 2.75″ 12-gauge shells and 3″ 410 shells. While chambered for 3-inch shells, we limited our range time to the 2.5-inch loads to maintain a proper comparison (the handguns in the test only handle 2.5-inch shotgun shells) in the three-way test. However, if price is the major deciding factor in selecting a home-defense handgun, we would consider the Judge to be an acceptable selection. In contrast, the .410 #4 birdshot load penetrates only 4″ of gelatin without a heavy clothing layer. The action was very similar to large-caliber S&W revolvers that have found favor with many handgunners. Next, we get to the firearm category that encompasses the Mossberg Shockwave and Remington TAC 14. The smaller 20 gauge delivers 70% of the lead with a 40-50% reduction in recoil when compared to 12 ga. #3 Buck is recommended. The slug shot was still dead center in the chest of the target. First Look: Marlin Model 1895SBL 45-70 Gov’t. We found no faults in the solid design and workmanship in the Governor, although we would have preferred a different front sight. Recoil when shot from the hip was not a problem with any of the test loads. The .410 handgun has emerged as a popular option for self-defense, Home and carjacker defense are probably what this gun is good for in the self-defense realm. With the development of the .410 handgun ammo, appears that a good .410, at home defense ranges, (3 – 7 yards), would work well. DEFENSE-CENTERED DESIGN. Tipping the scales at 32 ounces, we found that the Judge was slightly muzzle heavy with a 3-inch barrel and did not feel as balanced in the hand as the Governor. Right?” Well, no. Acting on a reader request, we conducted a multitude of tests on a trio of readily available self-defense firearms that included a Taurus Judge (handles .410-bore shotshells and 45 Colt) that retails for $629; a Smith & Wesson Governor (handles .410, 45 Colt, and 45 ACP) that retails for $809; and a Mossberg Model 500 Cruiser that sells for $467 and fires .410-bore shotshells. This concept has led to the development of revolvers designed to handle the .410 loads and their being promoted as good choices for home-defense situations. I own both, love both, and have lots of fun shooting them. 6 shot was 13.5 inches; a 6.5-inch spread with the Defender load; a 4-inch spread with the 000 buckshot; and the slug hit about 2 inches above the hold point in the center of the chest. Here are our findings: Good feel, solid heft, nice trigger, and very nice patterning performance at close-quarter targets moved the S&W to the top of our list. The test gun: a Saiga .410 shotgun with 4x scope. Is the 410 good enough for you? Moving back to 21 feet, the spread of the No. A little lighter would be better, in our opinion. Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. This in itself is an effective indicator that the 410 is substantially weaker than the 12 gauge. Our advice for those using the Judge in a home-defense situation is to avoid the No. .410 Shotshell Particulars. In this part of the GT evaluation and match-up, our focus was on the handling ability of the three firearms and their patterning performance at close-quarters ranges. The Patriot is a newer model with a slightly extended grip for better control when … The tiny popper has been around for a long time on skeet fields or in hunting situations; and is often mistakenly used as an introductory gauge for beginning shooters. 20 Gauge. We thought the plastic was just a little slick to the touch. Mossberg had a .410 pump with a “spreader barrel” and a forearm with a built in light in their catalog, but never saw or even heard of any dealer being able to get one. This article leans to the Mossberg 410 HS (aka the Home Security). While it is good for small game/birds & finishing off critters in a pan trap, I would not depend on it for my protection against bears. Additional testing of the trio will cover the punch factor of whether there is a significant difference between the energy delivered on the target when the rounds are fired through short-barreled handguns or down the 18.5-inch barrel of the pump-action shotgun. Ultimate Tactical Self-Defense And Hunting Weapon That Doesn’t Require A Firearms License! Created by Federal for use in the Taurus Judge revolver, this ammunition, like all Federal Premium Personal Defense Ammunition, is the choice of law enforcement agencies worldwide. The .410 handgun has emerged as a popular option for self-defense, and Federal Premium® offers a variety of loads for these specialized firearms. Our Team Said: Although the price tag of the Smith & Wesson was the highest among our three firearms, its accuracy at close-quarter, self-defense ranges; handling ability and crisp trigger pull, plus the revolver’s capability to handle a variety of loads moved it to the top of our list. Slightly lighter than the Taurus Judge we matched it against — weighing in at 30.9 ounces — the Governor was a better-balanced handgun and was also easier to bring to bear onto a target than the hip-shooting Mossberg.