Thunder 5 still alive?
- Thread starter hogdogs
- Start date
Sgt.Fathead
Moderator
Heard that they ran into machining difficulties w/r/t mass production and then the Taurus Judge models came and buried them. It was an ugly, interesting looking piece.
FireForged
New member
I have seen the taurus version and its nice.
Mike Irwin
Staff
The ORIGINAL "answer" in search of a question that should have never been asked.
It looked like it was made in a HS machine shop class. They reportedly worked - and have a 3" chamber. No reports of them launching their barrels, either. The 'best' of the .45/.410 revolvers is likely the venerable Magnum Research BFR so-chambered - at a kilo-buck MSRP, of course, and huge.
I was bit by the Judge bug a year and a half back. I had two fortunate occurences when it bit. First, the SS one I decided to buy was being sold when I arrived at the pusher's. Second, I got to shoot a day-shooter's blued one a few days later - barf! Swirl pattern with the bird shot, no grouping with Cowboy ammo in .45 Colt. Believe me, a .45 Colt DA, like one of my pair of 625MGs, is a far better protector. Of course, minutes earlier, and I might have been real upset - and owned one. Thank you traffic lights!
Stainz
I was bit by the Judge bug a year and a half back. I had two fortunate occurences when it bit. First, the SS one I decided to buy was being sold when I arrived at the pusher's. Second, I got to shoot a day-shooter's blued one a few days later - barf! Swirl pattern with the bird shot, no grouping with Cowboy ammo in .45 Colt. Believe me, a .45 Colt DA, like one of my pair of 625MGs, is a far better protector. Of course, minutes earlier, and I might have been real upset - and owned one. Thank you traffic lights!
Stainz
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
I was alway curious why they couldn't use a screw in "choke" tube like the Thompson Contenders use... I have a 16" 45 Colt / 410 vent rib barrel, & just traded in a 10" 45 Colt / 410 barrel, & both shot good pellet patterns out of the rifled barrel because of the straightening grooved choke type insert that is put in place fo 410 use, then unscrewed for use with the 45 Colt...
I leave the 16" shottie barrel on a carbine stock ( legal because it's a rifled barrel ), but couldn't see any use for the 10" barrel... as a snake gun maybe, but I'd rather have a repeater for that purpose... the 16" barrel is an excellent rabbit gun out to about 40-50 yards with no doughnut pattern in the shot, because of the insert
I don't have an interest in the Judges, but would think that any owners could get the straightening insert from Thompson Center ( along with the tool to remove / install the insert ) & have a deicent gun smith thread the inside of the end of the barrel to fit the insert... I'd bet the results would be worth the work & expense if you like / need that kind of gun...
I found this pic showing the end of the barrel, the choke tube, & tool, for anyone not familiar...
I leave the 16" shottie barrel on a carbine stock ( legal because it's a rifled barrel ), but couldn't see any use for the 10" barrel... as a snake gun maybe, but I'd rather have a repeater for that purpose... the 16" barrel is an excellent rabbit gun out to about 40-50 yards with no doughnut pattern in the shot, because of the insert
I don't have an interest in the Judges, but would think that any owners could get the straightening insert from Thompson Center ( along with the tool to remove / install the insert ) & have a deicent gun smith thread the inside of the end of the barrel to fit the insert... I'd bet the results would be worth the work & expense if you like / need that kind of gun...
I found this pic showing the end of the barrel, the choke tube, & tool, for anyone not familiar...
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