THE JUDGE

O/T HAS ANYONE TRIED THE 410/45 CAL JUDGE PISTOL,SNAKES ARE OUT AND SHOTGUNS ARE ALWAYS OVERTHEIR.

I went to buy one a few weeks ago and they told me Smith & Wesson was comeing out with one soon so I'm going to wait.

Yeah its a BEAR to shoot. Zero choke so at 15 feet the pattern is gigantic.
If you were going to hand load and use #9 pellets it might be okay for detering snakes but not much else and you'd have to load it down or you'll take a beating trying to shoot it.
The .45 side is better as the recoil is manageable but the long cylinder means accuracy isn't terrific.

i have shot loads for my .45 1911a. local gun shop has them. they will do a job on a copperhead at 8-10 feet

Get yourself a Bond Arms Snake Slayer. A lot smaller to carry and just as deadly. Great for 2 legged snakes also. I take mine everywhere.
BOND ARMS

X2 on the Snake Slayer. Not something you want for a 100-yard accuracy contest, but VERY well made out of stainless steel and has interchangeable barrels if you're so inclined. Can shoot a dozen or so calibers from .22 LR up to .45 LC. Two shots of #4 at 5 yards will do wonders on anything much smaller than a grizzly and I've recovered handloaded 250-grain Hornady XTPs that were perfectly mushroomed even at the relatively low velocity out of such a short barrel. From what the pine log I pulled them out of looked like, I'm glad it wasn't ME they were getting pulled out of! Have not been terribly impressed with the Judges that I've held or shot--nothing wrong with them but they're a handful both figuratively and literally--they're heavy, awkward and not very accurate. All that is fine if you realize it going in, but if you expect to have a legitimate hunting pistol (as opposed to a concealable self-defense gun like the Snake Slayer is intended for) you may not be pleased. On the other hand, it's interesting to see that after years of Taurus imitating Smith & Wesson, the shoe's now on the other foot, and Smith & Wesson, with their Governor series, is imitating Taurus!

Just like you we have problems with snakes in my neck of the woods. I thought that the Judge would be just the ticket to carry for that problem. That was until I saw how BIG it is. I'll stick with my Taurus Tracker and shot shells. It's not any smaller but it is deadly accurate with my hand loads and with 357s, much more effective than 45 Colt.

Friend bought one for his wife (snake control)-she loves it.(she is a big girl!)

I have the Judge Public Defemder. The grip is a bit small for my big hand, but otherwise I like it quite well. I generally let snakes go about their business; if they're too close for comfort I'll grab the hoe. I got my Judge for two-legged snakes. Old, can't see, don't want to worry about having to aim. First round is No. 4 shot (for the face and eyes). Other four are buck.

I've got one, does a number on rats! It's awfully loud though, I recommend hearing protection unless you're doing some impromptu wasting of a home invader in the middle of the night.