by Chris Ward
The world around us today, even when we may feel safe and secure inside our homes, can be a scary place to be. Criminals today are not worried about incarceration for crime including home burglaries or assault, and while homeowners can try to ramp up barriers to keep would-be robbers away, an alarm blasting or a home security sign in the front yard just won’t deter them from smashing a window or picking a lock to get in and grab what they can. One thing that will deter a criminal, however, is the end of a gun, be it pistol or shotgun, aimed right at their face when they try to rob a home.
If you’re trying to determine a good gun to buy to help protect your home and family, First Security Services has compiled a list of seven guns they recommend for home security that are easy to use and can help ensure criminals don’t have the upper hand if they make it through the door.
Glock 17
Designed and manufactured by Glock in Austria, the Glock 17 has been used by the Austrian military and other law enforcement since 1982. Today, Glock pistols are used by more than half of all law enforcement worldwide and they make an excellent choice for home protection as well as target shooting. Glock handguns for protection are ideal as they are easy to conceal and carry and have an accurate aim.
Quick Specs:
Overall length: 7.95 inches
Weight: 32.28 oz. loaded
Caliber: 9×19
Magazine capacity: 17/19/24/31/33
AR-15
The AR-15 has become a controversial gun in recent years due to many misconceptions about the gun itself and the fact that it has been used in several high-profile public shootings. Many people believe this gun is a fully automatic “machine gun” type of weapon, but it is a semi-automatic gun just as many handguns and long guns today are. The AR-15 is a lightweight gun that is made from synthetic materials and aluminum alloys. The AR stands for ArmaLite, the company that originally produced the gun and not “assault rifle” as has been a common misconception over the years. ArmaLite sold the gun design to Colt and Colt has been selling it since 1963 to civilians. The AR-15 is a solid choice for home protection and is used in many homes across the U.S. today.
Quick Specs:
Overall length: 39 inches
Weight: 6.55 lb. loaded
Caliber: .223 Remington
Magazine capacity: 5/15/20/30
Smith & Wesson 686
The Smith & Wesson 686 can be purchased in either six or seven shot cylinders and offers a tough frame for continuous firing. The 686 is popular for home protection as well as law enforcement and hunting. It has long been one of the top choices for personal protection and is well-known as a reliable gun. The revolver is simple to use but as with all guns, proper training should be taken to ensure safe handling of the gun and accuracy when firing.
Quick Specs:
Overall length: 9.6 inches
Weight: 39.7 oz.
Caliber: 357 Magnum, 38 S&W Special +P
Magazine capacity: 6/7
Taurus Raging Judge Magnum Revolver
Another revolver that has steadily increased in popularity for home protection over the years due in part by the ease of use, comfortable handling, and overall pricing is the Taurus Raging Judge Magnum revolver. This is a five shot revolver that is made of stainless steel that offers stability when firing, an advanced safety system that prevents firing accidentally and fiber optic sights available for accurate shots. The Judge gun can shoot either .410 gauge shotgun shells or 45 Long Colt cartridges. The gun is lightweight and ideal for bedside firearm protection. As with all guns, be sure to keep the Raging Judge under safe lock and key when not in use for protection or target practice.
Quick Specs:
Overall length: 13.6 inches
Weight: 73 oz. loaded
Caliber: 454
Magazine capacity: 6
Taurus PT92
Another Taurus to make the list is the Taurus PT92 and this is a gun that features advanced safety protocols including a three-position frame mounted ambidextrous safety making this a secure choice for home and personal protection. The gun also features a red indicator to let you know when there is a round in the chamber and a decocker to let you safely decock the gun when it has already been cocked to fire.
Quick Specs:
Overall length: 8.5 inches
Weight: 34 oz. loaded
Caliber: 9 mm Luger
Magazine capacity: 17+1
Colt .380 Mustang XSP
This is a small gun that weighs in at under one pound, has rugged handle grip and is easy to handle when the need arises, thus making it a great gun to have for personal and home protection. The Colt .380 Mustang XSP is an ideal gun for concealed carry and makes a great bedside weapon for protection against home intrusion. This is a single action handgun that is easy to aim with accuracy but is best for those who may have smaller hands and fingers.
Quick Specs:
Overall length: 5.6 inches
Weight: 12.3 ounces unloaded
Caliber: 380
Magazine capacity: 6
Winchester 1897 Pump Action (Model 97)
Undoubtedly there is no noise more terrifying to a burglar than the loud noise of a 12-gauge shotgun being pumped for action. Even when these guns are empty, the noise can be scary. The legendary Winchester model 1897 has not been produced for more than a century, but even today it is not only a beautiful collectors’ piece, but it remains one of the most popular guns for home protection. The Winchester 97 has long been used by law enforcement as a “riot gun” and was used in World War I as well as World War II and Vietnam for the military. While there are numerous shotguns and rifles available for home protection, the Winchester 97 is still one of the most popular still available today.
Quick Specs:
Barrel length: 19 inches or 30 inches
Weight: 8 pounds
Caliber: 12 Gauge or 16 Gauge
Capacity: 5
While we can suggest the seven guns for home security, it is up to you to make wise decisions and take time to learn to use the guns correctly. Be sure to take a gun safety training class and learn how to use your new gun safely. Also, it is very important to keep your gun out of reach of children and others in your home with the use of a locked gun safe or locked gun cabinet where others cannot access it. It’s great to have a good gun for home protection and thankfully most will never have a need to use it, but it’s very important to take precautions to keep those who live in or visit your home safe from improper gun handling or storage.
This list is useless. It includes a shotgun that is old and finicky when Mossberg and Remington makes many modern choices. The other guns chosen could be replaced by many other choices that are just as good. I suspect this person is not a gun person. Yes, I am another expert.
I agree. The .410 choices for self-defense ammo is great. From experience, the S&W Governor is of high quality, it is reliable and it fires everytime.
The S&W Governor is the perfect home defense gun. The quality of the gun is great! The variety of ammo is awesome! .410 Home defense ammo is perfect for the first few rounds, .45 ACP for the next and .45 LC hollow point to finish the job!
The author has obviously not spent much time shooting a Winchester Model 1897. Not only are the ergonomics awful, the lack of an interruptor can lead to accidental slam fire which is about the worst thing that can happen in CQB or decoying ducks. Anyone who has shucked-and-jived a M1897 on purpose knows that the first shot is the only one that hits the B27.
The AR stands for Army Rifle as ArmaLite referred to it during development.
The initial plan at Armalite was to produce fine sporting firearms for the commercial market.
Thus, the AR-1 Parasniper, a lightweight bolt action rifle was built in 1952. It wasn’t until the AR-5 that Fairchild changed the strategy of focusing on the commercial market and, then entered the military market.
The best gun for home defense? It’s the one you have within arms reach when the shit hits, Period!
I’m not going to dissect the article or the recommendations contained therein, but I am a former LE officer and for the last decade I’ve owned a private security company. In addition, I’m personally licensed to provide armed security. All this being said, I certainly don’t claim to be the expert or authority regarding home defense weapons. As soon as I finish typing this comment, I intend to do a little research on First Security Services because their recommendations are all over the place to say the least.
I’m disappointed they didn’t include my favorite. Hand grenades.
Ditto… I have an 870 Rem. 20 gauge with a cylinder bore 18 in. bbl.
An ar15 for home defense…wow! maybe if you are ourdoors on your front lawn fending off a group of hungry coyotes? The AR15 is too loud to shoot indoors without blowing up your ears, and too long to carry indoors around tight corners. The S&W revolver/Glock 17 pistols………….absolutely!
I’ve always believed in having the 20 gauge handy that my wife can also shoot. I put a small flashlight on mine, and also tried a handgrip (which I took off…I might try a raptor grip). I do also have a revolver on the nightstand that she can also shoot loaded with quality frangible bullets. Does anyone else use those in their home defense gun? Seems like a good idea to avoid overpenetration.
Nonsense!
The Taurus Judge or its S&W counterpart are both lousy guns for home defense. Their pattern spreads too quickly and testing proves they lose their power very quickly. They are inaccurate and lacking penetration at all but near bad breath distances.
The Winchester 1897 Shotgun while I would love to have one is hard to find and expensive for those who don’t already have one. And, they are not as reliable as the newer and cheaper Mossberg 500/590 series or the Remington 870s.
Another expert i see. In fact, the S&W govenor is a nice shooting gun with nights sight (front) and accurate laser. When shooting .45 acp it is very accurate and recoil is on par with .38 spl +P loads due to its ergonomics. It is handy for shooting water moccasins in the swamp with a mix of bird shot,buck shot and 45 acp or 45 long colt holding 6 rounds. The buck shot is effective on humans at 10-15 ft. Ascertained Through significant testing. But, what do i know.
Oh look!Another article about home defense guns.This is unheard of.Lets see.Live alone?Any gun that catches your fancy and your good with will do.Wife ?Kids? Then a a 20ga shotgun.A youth model with shortend stock.Everybody goes to the range with a a clay pigeon thrower and practise,practise,practise.A shotlock mounted to the wall and each trained family member has the code.Now wheres dinner?
So … if I’m reading this right… what you should have for self defense is an auto pistol or a revolver or a battle field rifle or an antique shotgun …OK, got it. How much more of a generic article could you write?? So in choosing a vehicle for everyday use you should get either a two door, or a four door, a hatchback, or a sedan or a 3/4 ton pickup truck. Oh and don’t forget to get one with four wheels ….
20 ga pump, pistol grip, 18 1/4 inch barrel firing low brass # 1 buckshot.
Ruger SP 101, 2 1/2 inch barrel, firing hand loaded 148 gr hollow base wad cutters loaded backwards, 3 gr red dot, mag primers.
winchester 1897???really?Good luck finding one.There are worlds of more modern shotguns out there to choose from.
Yeah, I did a double take on that one, I’m pretty sure they haven’t made the model 97 since 1957. I’d think a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 would be more appropriate.
I am surprised he didn’t suggest the SPAS 12 or the Street Sweeper shotguns.
… or a German 88 …
I think any good semi auto, double action is a good home protection firearm. .32, .380, 9mm, .45
You can leave a round in the chamber and not have the safety on.
It is exactly like a revolver on the first shot.
A short barreled shotgun (18″) sounds good, but it’s still too long to maneuver inside you home.
SAFETY CONCERNS: If you have other family members in the house: 1) Ammo choice: Over-Penetration.
You do not want to shoot your kids in the next room. Choose the right ammo for your particular home.
2) Lock box with fast push-button unlock.
Best of all is to buy a security system. Then you don’t have to worry about any entry into your home.
Don’t get gun-happy and shoot a family member that gets up in the middle of the night.
Try to be calm and use your head.
Where to start, seven guns for home security, hmmmm lets narrow this down a little,
1, a glock 9mm. 17, 19, 26, 34, any or all and a box of magazines. or swap this for a 1911 and a box of magizines. I don’t think you need both. I have both, but need and want anr different.
2, a 38 special revolver, 4 or 6 inch.
3, 20 guage pump, mossberg, maverick remington, any or all.
4, Ar-15 in 5.56.
5. A ruger 10-22 and a box of 25 round ruger mags. not really necessary but how can you not have a .22?
there you have it.
The rifle and the shotgun are OFFENSIVE weapons. The handgun is a DEFENSIVE weapon. The Tauras 92 and the Beretta 92 are too large for a woman’s hand plus while the 9mm has probably killed more men than any other round made, it was developed for automatic weapons and thus it perpetuates the more is better mentality, better known as the Bruce Willis “spray and pray” method of shooting.
Better than nothing, the .380 is a woefully pathetic round.
AR’s are better for outdoor use then home defense guns. Shotguns will do the trick but the 1897 is too long for inside the house and during the excitement, when you rack a round, you’re likely to choke up and rip the top of your hand. A less expensive Mossberg 500 with a shorter barrel and possible pistol grip only is recommended. For the ladies, unless they are going to take he time to become very familiar with their gun, a revolver is best. With a semi-auto there are things to remember: chambered round? Safety on/off? Now she finds out it’s a false alarm. Removing the magazine doesn’t make the gun safe. Decocking, removing a chambered round – maybe in the dark takes good familiarization. With a revolver you pull the trigger or not and you don’t need a .357 which could penetrate walls and hit the children in the next room. Wadcutters work well if you learn to shoot.
Anyway. One man’s opinion.
Another expert. Actually .380 and .22lr are responsible for the most deaths by calibers. Look it up. So a lehigh defense bullet in .380 at 1050 fps is woefully inadaquate that penetrates 16″? But a 9mm 147g at 1050 fps that penetrates 15″ is somehow the standard for self defense. Please speak with facts not fiction. Facts dont care about your feelings.
My choices for home defense are a 12 gauge Remington 870 riot gun, a Colt .45 automatic in both Commander and Government model variations, a S&W 586 .357 magnum and last but not least my BUG, a S&W baby Chief in 38 special. No black plastic, I guess that makes me old school…
There’s always been talk about a bad guy hearing a pump shotgun being racked and scaring said bad guy off. However, If the bad guy is in my house I don’t want him to know that I’m armed and if he hears that shotgun being racked it’ll give away your position and he might possibly start spraying bullets your way.
The Mustang… I sure hope the new ones are better than the older ones. My ex had one and it wouldn’t run with any hollow points and inconsistently with roundball ammo. It was a really sweet little piece but way to flawed. When it was stolen it was replaced with a Sig P 230. Now that was and still is a sweet little piece. Runs good with any ammo, doesn’t have to be carried cocked and locked, de-cocks safely and I was amazed at the accuracy of that little gun. All that being said, anything is better than being unprotected.
To start the AR is fine if you live where I do, on large acreage with nearest neighbor 1/2 mile away & out of site. But…What is “next” to you on your bed stand? Not your AR! (nor your shotgun) I have one on the back of the bedboard & if time presented an opportunity, I would grab it.
What’s next to me is a S&W M625 45acp, with several moon clips right close! No muss, no fuss. No safeties or mags to worry about. Pick it up & shoot! There are several around the house in nice easy to reach places.
Not to say autos are not good! Next to the 625 is a 4513 TSW, with a 1911 Kimber in the space above it.
“I” prefer revolvers for “GO TO” guns, not only for me but for the wife. Keep it simple, stupid!
And, I am a 1911 guy. First one at 12yo in 59, carried in VN, shot in matches, etc, etc. Great gun, have about 20 of them – but my night gun is the 625 (w/trijicon sites).
Yes, I’m an expert with it but even more so with the 1911, but, I don’t think anything can beat the pick it up & shoot simplicity of the wheelgun!
Of the seven firearms listed there is only one one that I would consider to be near the top of any of my lists. Notwithstanding, this list is not about me, and even if one were to pick what I consider to be the most loathsome choice offered, practice with it and become proficient enough with it to protect their family, then that has to be a good thing.
The article about 7 firearms for home security, I have an issue with two of your selections:
1) Taurus Judge I do not believe that you really want to list the caliber as .454 as someone may become confused and think the pistol can also shoot .454 Causull rounds? Always thought Taurus should build a wheelgun that can handle .45 LC, .410 shotshell, .454 Causull and .460 S&W in their “Raging Bull” line.
2) to pick the Winchester ‘97 over the model 12 or Remington 870 is I think a foolish choice, but if you want to do it then follow thru with the additional replica choices as well! These shoot well enough for Home defense but the abundance of the other two models, used, are equally inviting and most gunsmiths can remove the plug in the magazines that limit the amount of rounds. There is no benefit from having an external hammer on the 97 compared to the hammerless 12.
Breaking News — The Taurus Raging Judge CAN shoot .454 Casull (I am holding my Taurus RGM in my hand right now).
Also it shoots six (6) rounds–not 5 as stated in the article.
Whoever wrote this article knows nothing about this particular revolver.
The Winchester Model 97 was produced from 1897 to 1957. There are many still out there in quite usable condition, as Cowboy Action Shooters can attest. One interesting feature of the Model 97 (and several other Winchester pump guns, both shotgun and rifle) is the ability to fire rapidly by holding back the trigger while cycling the foregrip.
Like many other comments there are better choices out there…
But the one thing that should have been said is that ….the best home defense gun is one that you can get to the quickest …….I have talked to people who said theirs was in the top of the closet, with no ammo in it for “safety”….mine is always on my body and on my nightstand when I sleep….the only time I do not have it on me is in the shower.
There are times when I read articles in Guns America that it reminds me not to put much credibility in the article and that it’s “ for profit” and not necessarily what’s best for your protection. This article is one of those. Come on. I expected to see discussion about a sawed off shotgun or a particular caliber or even a wheel gun verses a semi- auto.
This article is pure nonsense. Unfortunately now I’m wondering how much manufactures money slant all of your articles!
If anything, this article is a sound reason to not trust First Security Services’ professional recommendations, especially when assessing the likely needs and abilities of a homeowner.
Only 2 of the “recommended” weapons don’t have serious (and obvious) drawbacks in a home-defense scenario (3 if you don’t consider the over-adorned AR-15 pictured as “recommended configuration).
The AR15 is not really good for home defense, I know everyone thinks it is. But only if you want rounds flying through your whole house and possibly your neighbors house too. With the right ammo it could be right for some situations. But they’re few and far between.
This is a false but common misconception. 5.56 loses much of it’s effectiveness as soon as it touches ANYTHING more dense than air. Drywall, foliage, etc–these immediately cause such a lightweight and fast moving projectile (i.e. 5.56, especially 55gr) to fragment/veer off course/keyhole.
5.56 is perhaps one of the least likely rounds to “go through your whole house and possibly your neighbors house too.” 9mm is more likely, so is buckshot, as well as an old-fashioned musket balls.
If you want penetration through drywall, brick, foliage, etc…choose a heavy and slow moving projectile. If you do NOT want something to penetrate drywall, foliage, brick, etc…choose a fast moving and lightweight projectile.
You can find plenty of tests/data online if you spend some time searching.
One subject that hasn’t been brought up. A lot of people cannot afford two pistols, CDC carry and home defense. Except for the Colt .380 the rest are bulky for most persons, not an ideal carry weapon. A .380 or a .40S&W covers both bases quite well.
Hello
I’m not going to try to disparage this article, it undoubtedly serves a real purpose. I would like to add my comments regarding the Colt .380 Mustang, however.
By adding the comment “…best for those with smallish hands and fingers” many people will be drawn to a gun such as that for their wife, girlfriend, or maybe both (not judging…)
I’m not going to comment on the drawbacks of the chambering itself, Mr. Hunter echoes my sentiments there.
I would like to mention however, that so many of those pocket pistols are very difficult for folks with “smallish hands and fingers” to manipulate. They cannot rack the slide reliably.
On a path forward, I would like to applaud S&W for their “M&P 2.0 E-Z .380” pistol. While it’s currently only available in .380, almost undoubtedly we will see an offering soon in 9mm as well.
It’s the first semi-auto pistol to my knowledge that was specifically designed to be easy to manipulate, and it does a magnificent job in that regard. Easy to rack, easy to load mag’s, etc. for those “smallish hands and fingers”
A prospective buyer may have difficulty finding one to examine because they are perpetually sold out everywhere around me, and they are hard to find on-line as well. I think S&W hit on something very significant there.
Thanks for the article and the forum.
Some great guns, but for home defense???
A .223/5.56 ‘s extreme penetration makes it dangerously irresponsible, if you have people in other rooms or even neighbors close by.
The Judge is “lightweight”?? At 73 oz (4+ lbs) for a handgun, then that makes a Desert Eagle a pocket pistol??
A long barrel anything in home defense? Maybe if you have no interior walls or corners to navigate around.
For most of the population, hitting a potentially moving human target with a handgun while under assault, is dubious at best. For my money, a short barrel shotgun, preferable in .410 or 20 gauge (short time to target reacquisition, and perfect accuracy not required), and a high capacity 9mm with subsonic rounds, ideally hollow point, at far better alternatives than many of the options listed. Lots of power is great; but a .22 hitting the perp, is better than a .357 going wide, and the .22 time-to-reacquire is way faster.
It would be nice to take out the intruder without killing the kids in the next room or the neighbors next door. We don’t need a contest over mine is bigger than yours.
‘A .223/5.56 ‘s extreme penetration makes it dangerously irresponsible, if you have people in other rooms or even neighbors close by.”
Wow, are you serious? Even a simple Google search should teach you how completely incorrect that statement is.
A .223 is FAR less likely to overpenetrate compared to 00 buck or handgun rounds.
“Raging” Judge is the model that also shoots .454 Casull (as shown on in pic). That may be a bit much for home defense unless grizzly bears are the likely home invaders where you live. All other “Judge” models can shoot .410 shot shells or .45 Colt but cost a LOT less and some actually are lightweight by today’s standards (.454 Casull revolvers are not and you wouldn’t want to shoot anything of that bore that is!)
Any of the standard Judges loaded with Home Defense .410’s would be good choice that other adult family members should be able to handle. Polymer models don’t weigh much more than an average .38 Special.
Article like these such as the ” best guns for whatever” are useless. Any modern handgun, rifle , shotgun will do as long as it’s functional, safe to use, and not a gimmick or novelty gun. I would rather see a article on characteristics a gun buyer should look for in a gun for self and home defense. Items such as night sights, laser sites, tactical lights should be considered. Caliber, magazine capacity, storage are another set of categories that should be considered. Two other points that don’t get much consideration is the though of a discharged round going through a wall, and hearing protection. Firing a shotgun, rifle or large caliber handgun in the house especially in a hallway could result in hearing damage.
My point is if someone wants to talk about home defense with a firearm make in an intelligent article with useful information. Not an article that is directed at the gun store commando/ mall ninja types.
BTW since when is a shotgun with a 30 in barrel a good idea for home defense? Imagine getting around a house with that thing at night. It will be far too clumsy.The home owner will probably do more damage knocking over things that than the bad guy(s) could possibly do.
With the exception of the Glock 17 I wouldn’t recommend any of these firearms as a general choice for home protection. The AR15 works very well in some situations but not all. If you’ve ever shot a .357 magnum inside an indoor range you’d realize that the excessive flash and bang makes it a poor choice for shooting inside your home. The rest of the choices are just dumb there are far better options even in the same class of firearms.
Here’s how I know you aren’t qualified to write an article on home defense:
“Undoubtedly there is no noise more terrifying to a burglar than the loud noise of a 12-gauge shotgun being pumped for action. Even when these guns are empty, the noise can be scary.”
I thought the same thing; the follower prevents racking an empty shotgun.
A self defense weapon must first be reliable (if it doesn’t go “bang” everytime the trigger is pulled it is worthless!). Next, the weapon must be accurate (it doesn’t make any difference if it always goes “bang” but it can’t be accurately shot), and the caliber must be sufficient to stop your adversary. These three requirements are mandatory. Finally – a person must be willing to allocate the time and practice necessary to become totally familiar and competent with their chosen weapon. Too many people think they can just buy a weapon and voila – they are prepared to defend yourself. It is just not that simple. I can’t tell you the number of times someone has shown me or told me about their “self defense” weapon and when I ask them how it shoots they say, “Oh – I haven’t shot it yet but plan to real soon!”
The AR stands for ArmaLite Rifle, at the Armalite Division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation, designed by Eugene Stoner, Robert Fremont and James Sullivan.
I could pick this article apart like another reader did, so I will a little. I am disappointed that a generic article such as this possibly passed as advice to someone reading/seeking advice for the first time. Superior choices to weapons shown……… could and should have been used.
A Pump Shotgun without question is the weapon for home protection.Forget pistols unless you train consistently and an AR15 can shoot through walls killing or wounding other people in the house or nieghbors. Both require skill and motor skill under tense situations…point and shoot can be done by anyone of any age.
There were some strange choices here…like Joe Biden was used as a resource….where can I find an old Winchester 97 for my man cave ?
I prefer the S&W Governor for home defense with .410 critical defense ammo. Even my wife fires it with confidence. Compact, sturdy and 6 rounds of don’t **** with us. Great weapon.
Interesting choices , some I agree with and others I don’t. I will just point out some errors as I see them. First the AR-15 with the scope and flashlight probably weighs more like 9 pounds. You can also buy 40, 60, and 100 round magazines and drums. Second the Raging Judge shoots a 454 Casull as is marked on the barrel. The recoil of that round is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced shooters. The Taurus PT92 is a copy of the Beretta 92 and there are better made large capacity 9mm out there like Sig Sauer, Smith and Wesson, CZ not to mention many different 1911 framed guns in several calibers. As a longtime seller of firearms I wouldn’t recommend a 380 of any make for protection. Just don’t think they have what it takes to disable an attacker, not to mention they by design (short stubby bullet) have feed issues. You finish with a Winchester 97, a gun designed 2 century’s ago. There are so many better choices like a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 590. I’ve seen many of the old Winchesters that are so worn out that the hammer falls after pumping a round into the chamber, or you could push the hammer down with out touching the trigger. The 97 is really a gun that in most cases should be a wall hanger on your man cave’s wall. IMHO
Quick correction- the Taurus Raging Bull shoots .454 Casull, there is no raging judge.
And I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be shot with a .380. Modern self defense ammo had made this a more viable round.
Otherwise, your assessment is pretty spot on.
It seems Taurus USA disagrees with you.
http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=702&category=Revolver
Sounds like some government agents have a nice little profitable side line business! There is a lot of money to be made in guns and credentials being sold on the US black market. Look at the fortune AG Eric Holder made in his Fast and Furious enterprise!