When is a revolver no longer a revolver? That's a question worth asking when witnessing the Taurus Judge Home Defender, introduced on September 15 on the north American marker by Taurus USA, the US-based subsidiary of the Forjas Taurus group of Brazil.

Meant to revamp the Taurus Judge line of large-size revolvers, the new Judge Home Defender model was conceived – you guessed it – for home defense and property protection, and comes with a single/double action trigger and a matte black finished alloy steel cylinder that allows the use of .45 Colt ammunition or .410 gauge shotshells, giving you access to the best of both worlds for close-range protection against violent intruders.

To withstand the wildly different levels of pressure among the two different calibers, the barrel and cylinder of the Taurus Judge Home Defender are also manufactured out of matte black finished alloy steel; the 33 cm / 13" barrel is rifled, with six right-handed grooves and a 1:16" twist rate.

The frame features a top Picatinny rail for optics and two steel blast shields, one on each side, so that left-handed and right-handed shooters alike can fire the Taurus Judge Home Defender with confidence knowing that gases escaping from the cylinder gap can't burn their support hand.

Standing at 49,5 cm / 19.5" in overall length and weighing in at approximately 1,6 kilograms (58.60 oz.) when empty, the Taurus Judge Home Defender features no iron sights; a rubberized, black polymer pistol grip (compatible with aftermarket Judge grips) and a black synthetic handguard with a front Picatinny rail portion for tactical accessories are there to improve its controllability and shooting comfort.

The Taurus Judge Home Defender revolver is available on the US market at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $729.99; for information concerning availability and price outside of the United States, reach out to your closest authorized Taurus importer.