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Old October 13, 2006, 01:37 AM   #13
gvf
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Join Date: July 30, 2006
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A Thought and a Shooting Review I Found

Review I saw that sounded interesting. This guy did apparently use slugs. What intrigues me is perhaps, in a self-defense (including CCW) mode, a way of using a .410 in some non-lethal but damaging load as a first shot - can't imagine it wouldn't give an assailant pause for a second, a .410 from a few yards with a damaging load - "shock and awe"- then in the pause sharpen the aim: he runs or falls fine, he keeps coming or there's any doubt: you fire the second shot ( and more) in .45lc.

"The Taurus 4410
by alandp on Mon 21 Aug 2006 05:03 PM CDT | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Way back last September I mentioned a new Taurus revolver that uses either the .44-40 or the .410 shotshell. I had just read about it in the new Gun Digest and it wasn't yet on Taurus' website at the time. The writer in the Digest had it slightly wrong, it actually shoots either the .410 or the .45 Colt, and it has since been added to the website here.

Back in June, Jim Shepherd of Shooting Wire got one of these guns and sent a review of it in his regular email. He doesn't have a web archive for these emails yet, but I asked him today via email about this, and he said he had no problem with posting the emails, as long as credit is given. So here is his review of the Taurus 4410, all credit due to Jim Shepherd of Shooting Wire.


Photo from Taurus website. Call It What You Like...

Occasionally, I take advantage of the opportunity to try out new shooting products. Not being a ballistics expert, a gunsmith, or even a high-level competitive shooter, my reviews omit the confusing tables of chronograph results, ballistic tables and powder blends. I also am totally uninterested in writing long dissertations on the history of various calibers.

In other words, I consider myself the "average guy" and look at new products in that light. If they require specialized educations, multiple lessons for accurate operation, or excessive maintenance, I'm not really interested. When it comes to firearms, I'm Frank Lloyd Wright - I believe form follows function. I appreciate the artistry of fine engraving and the beauty of fine wood firearms furniture, but I'm a nuts-and-bolts shooter.

That's why I've been waiting -impatiently- for the arrival of a new revolver from Taurus.

Bob Morrison, Taurus' CEO, has been telling me about a new revolver for both the trail or the home. Personally, I'm skeptical at the idea of a multi-purpose firearm. Afield, I'm torn between carrying a heavy-hitting revolver (big animals) or a small shotgun (snakes). Usually, I wind up carrying a .22 caliber revolver with at least two cylinders full of snake-shot and hoping I don't run across a "significant" animal.

Late last week, the gun store called to tell me my package had arrived.

What had arrived was the new Taurus Model 4410 - a revolver that accommodates either .45 Long Colt or .410 shot shells.

The .45 Long Colt cylinder is elongated in order to handle 2 1/2" .410 shotgun shells - giving it a passing resemblance to a flare gun.

Built on Taurus' compact revolver frame, the 4410 is capable of packing stopping power into a 32-ounce package. With Taurus' "ribber" grips (ribbed rubber), it has been designed to fire the .45 Long Colts or .410 slugs without administering excessive punishment to the shooter.

With that combination of user-friendly, target-unfriendly rounds, the 4410 offers the stopping power of a heavy centerfire round combined with the snake-blasting capabilities of the relatively-mild .410 shotgun load.

With that in mind, I happily headed out to the range to see just what the little revolver could do. Morrison had already told me they had achieved some "spectacular" test results on targets at car-jacking distances. Since car-jacking to me implies "up close and personal" I tried the gun at a variety of close ranges.

It didn't disappoint. As expected, the 250-grain .45 Long Colt rounds (from my cowboy action pistol) delivered good results, blithely ventilating the requisite water-filled plastic jugs with very good accuracy. With the .410 shot shells (#6 shot), the little pistol was more than capable of zapping water hose (my snake simulation) at ranges up to twenty feet. Beyond that, I didn't figure there was any need to be shooting snakes. I didn't figure any closer was worth risking a richochet of shot from the hose.

When I decided to load.410 slugs, the 4410 demonstrated awesome stopping power. At eight feet, the slugs didn't ventilate my plastic jugs, they eviscerated them. That "little .410" round in slugs roughly equivalent to three rounds of 9mm - simultaneously delivered. The .9mm pistol may be criticized for a lack of stopping power, but there's no doubt that three .36 caliber slugs deliverd simultaneously packs a serious wallop.

As promised, the 4410 is a serious option to consider if you want home defense without the considerations of over-penetration and unmanageable power. With a mix of shotshells, slugs and .45 Long Colts, it offers everything from warning capability to lethal stopping power.

The 4410 certainly isn't the only handgun offering that choice of .45/.410 rounds. One well-known option is the Bond derringer. It's a pocket cannon, but candidly, I have problems bringing it to bear accurately - that's no fault of the Bond, it's my presbyopia.

The 441-even in the 2 1/2 inch barrel length I tested, let me put the .410s on target quickly and group the .45 Long Colts respectably out to ten yards -perfectly adequate for either a personal defense weapon or a trail gun.

Taurus' website suggests taking a case of .410s out to the range and trying it on clay targets. Frankly, I think that's beyond my abilities. As a farm boy, it would certainly have been useful - and fun - when evicting rats from corn cribs.

The 4410 will need a bit more cleaning than the average revolver. Due to the long cylinder, cowboy load 45s will leave residue in the cylinder and the .410s mean the barrel needs a good cleaning on a regular basis as well.

Available in a short (2 1/2inch) or long (6 1/2 inch) barrel lengths, the 4410 offers the choice of blue or stainless finishes, and is a double/single action. The MSRP is $469 (blue) or $531 (stainless).

A note of caution: since it is a handgun capable of firing shotshells, the 4410 isn't legal in California.
Thanks again to Jim Shepherd and Shooting Wire.
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