At the 2023 SHOT Show, Taurus USA followed its annual tradition of introducing a bunch of new guns all at once, but this year, the gunmaker pulled out all the stops with five new Taurus revolvers.
The gunmaker introduced the first-ever optic-ready revolver and extended a popular line with a couple of Ragers, but what people really loved was the promoted Judge.
Taurus Judge Executive Grade
While a higher-ranking judge is called a justice, everybody understands what Taurus was doing with the Judge Executive Grade. It’s a premium variant of the popular 45 Colt/.410 revolver.
In advertisements, Taurus said the new Judge “heightens (the design’s) legacy — and your collection — with luxe styling, function-forward advancements, and aesthetics galore.”
On the product page, Taurus explained how exactly it keeps Executive Grade models so posh and exclusive, separating them from inferior designs.
“Each Judge Executive Grade is assembled by hand in a separate room by a team of specially trained gunsmiths, ensuring that the fit and finish is exquisite,” the company said.
Inside that room, they hand-tune the single-action trigger, hand-polish all the stainless-steel components — the frame, cylinder, and barrel — and, I suppose, gently attach the walnut grip. If this isn’t your style, there are more new Taurus revolvers for defense and hunters.
Specs:
Caliber: 45 Colt / .410
Capacity: 5
Sights: Brass front, fixed rear
Action: DA / SA
Overall: 9.5 inches
Barrel: 3 inches
Weight: 36 ounces
Price: $950
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New Taurus Raging Hunter Revolvers
Another big reveal was Taurus expanding the Raging Hunter series with a .500 S&W Magnum model and a .460 S&W Magnum with a 10-inch barrel.
Raging Hunter .500 S&W Magnum
The appeal of the .500 Magnum is that it’s the most powerful revolver load available. The gunmaker described the new revolver to be “the perfect companion as a backup gun for dangerous game hunts, or a primary gun for anything that walks on four legs.”
Of course, with every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. While the .500 Magnum is powerful enough to put down just about anything on land, it’ll also deliver around 45 ft-lb of recoil energy. For taming that recoil, the new Raging Hunter has a host of features such as custom porting, a cushioned grip, and a heavier unfluted cylinder.
SPECS:
Caliber: .500 S&W Magnum
Capacity: 5
Sights: Fixed front, adjustable rear
Action: DA / SA
Overall: 13.1 inches
Barrel: 6.75 inches
Weight: 63.6 ounces
Price: $1,070
Raging Hunter 10-inch Barrel
Look at it. It’s huge. Yuugge! It’s like something out of a Robert Rodriguez movie. But there is a point to the length and girth. While Taurus added the .460 chambering to its Raging Hunter revolver line last year, the newest model features a 10-inch barrel and is equipped with a proprietary 2-inch compensator designed to manage the recoil of the .460 Magnum load. The company says it makes shooting a .460 feel like shooting a .44 Magnum — about a 25% reduction and a drastic improvement.
Otherwise, the new Raging Hunter features an accessory rail above the barrel for optics and another below — a first for the revolver line — so you could mount the gun on shooting sticks or even a tripod for a more stable shooting platform that, along with the long barrel, will allow hunters to take full advantage of the .460’s ballistics.
SPECS:
Caliber: .460 S&W Magnum
Capacity: 5
Sights: Fixed front, adjustable rear
Action: DA / SA
Overall: 16.22 inches
Barrel: 10 inches
Weight: 71.26 ounces
Price: $1,270
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New Taurus T.O.R.O. Revolvers
In advertisements, Taurus introduced the first-ever red-dot-ready, small-frame revolver and I’ve not been able to disprove that with a Google search, so it must be true! All joking aside, if you like red dots and revolvers, you’re in luck. Taurus introduced two revolvers equipped with the Taurus Optic Ready Option, or T.O.R.O. Get it?
The feature allows you to mount any compact red-dot optic that’ll fit the Holosun K-footprint.
Taurus Defender 856 T.O.R.O.
The Taurus Defender 856 T.O.R.O. is a small-frame revolver chambered in .38 Special, but it can also fire +P loads. It features a 3-inch barrel, night sights, a double-action trigger, a six-shot cylinder, and it’s available in stainless steel.
SPECS:
Caliber: .38 Special +P
Capacity: 6
Sights: Removable front, fixed rear
Action: DA / SA
Overall: 7.5 inches
Barrel: 3 inches
Weight: 23.5 ounces
Price: $461
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The Taurus 605 T.O.R.O.
The Taurus 605 T.O.R.O. is nearly identical to the Defender revolver, but it’s chambered for .357 Magnum (so it can also fire .38 Special), and it comes with a black matte finish.
SPECS:
Caliber: .38 Special/.357 Magnum
Capacity: 5
Sights: Removable front, fixed rear
Action: DA / SA
Overall: 7.5 inches
Barrel: 3 inches
Weight: 23.52 ounces
Price: $451
According to Taurus, all the new guns will be available in stores soon.
READ MORE — Hottest New Guns and Ammo From the 2023 SHOT Show!
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