P1060657

Taurus is showing off a new product: a kit they claim will help you survive for 24 hours no matter what. And when they lifted the lid on the boxes, we noticed a few items were missing. There was a huge honkin’ firearm, but where’s the water? Food? Shelter? Looks to me like we’ve skipped a couple blocks on Maslow’s pyramid. Make the jump for the full list from their press release and chime in with your thoughts on what else they could have added to the package . . .

                  FIRST 24 JUDGE KIT SPECS

  • Taurus Judge (XCOAT Tan) .45 Colt/.410
  • AimPro Tactical Enhancement Package
  • I-Series SKB Case (FDE)
  • Bianchi Speed Strips-Qty 2
  • CRKT Sting (FDE)
  • Brite-Strike® ELPI (FDE)
  • Brite-Strike® APALS (green/red/white) 1 of each color
  • Hogue Inc. Mono-grip
  • Zippo Fire Starter kit
  • Suunto Compass
  • Energizer batteries (AA)-Qty 6
  • Slim Line caddy for batteries
  • 550 Para cord bundle (20ft)
  • MSRP: $1499

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117 COMMENTS

  2. This sounds like they’re trying to make a small durable-goods kit, not a true survival kit. Perhaps they decided that nobody would want to pay for Taurus-brand water.

    • Could include some water sanitation tablets instead. A Lifestraw or something similar would be preferable but too big to fit.

      Anyway this is kind of a silly way to move more Judges. Hardly my first choice for a woods/survival gun. Even .45 LC would barely stop a coyote with a barrel that short.

      • They sell this same kit in 357 instead of a judge. That, at least, would be useful for more than snakes and squirrels.

        • They do have another kit in 357. Or at least it looked like 357 or 38. And their rape kit seems to be missing duct tape.

      • Yup, if I’m using .45LC, its in the gun it works best in. A Colt Peacemaker.

  3. Survival straw for water?
    How about a holster for the gat?
    The prepper community is pretty big, they will likely sell a lot of these things.

    • Agreed with the holster and the straw. However. This is known as the “First 24 Kit” Not the “3 week survival kit”. I think that with the exception of water, you can get everything you need with the contents of this kit. The paracord can be used to build a lean-to, the Judge to get small game, etc. I would also like to see more ammo in the kit.

      • With the exception of water… is a pretty big exception. A water filtration device would at least address part of it…

        • You can survive 24 hours in any climate without water.

          In some I can’t guarantee you will hit hour 25, but this is “24-hours Only”

          On a side note, this kit is pure stupidity, if you can’t survive 24-hours without having this kit, you probably won’t WITH it.

      • “small game” after you hit it with those critical defense loads, you won’t have much game left to eat.

        a well placed .22 would be much more effective, quieter, and lighter to carry.

        make this kit with two handguns: a taurus .22 auto, and your flavor of defensive handgun.

    • I don’t know about the judge, but a 617 (which is in the other kit) will fit in most front pants pockets. They could sure use a sheath for the knife though.

  5. Not sure what the tan judge sells for, you can buy a regular model foe 6 Benjamin’s, or less. So that means your paying $900 for the case and trinkets. Doesn’t sound exactly like the deal of the month!
    What am I missing?

    • You can get a case, rope, water sanitation tablets, a canteen, some basic medical equipment, paracord, a couple MREs, holster and a compass and map for less than 900, right?

      So why not just buy the gat of your choice and all the stuff I mentioned? That way it is cheaper and more suited to your needs.

  6. Holster and water sanitation/filtration are two that would be easily added. Food and shelter are great and all, but the food would be something that would have a shelf life and is a big space consumer. The shelter is the same way. Doesn’t have a shelf life, but it would take up a lot of space. If they were offering this up as a larger pelican rifle size case or something I could see them including more stuff, but people want something light weight and easy to carry and adding 10 pounds worth of stuff and and extra 2-3 feet of case doesn’t lend to that very well.

  7. Quality. In ’08 I bought a Taurus revolver with a lifetime guarantee. I learned that “lifetime guarantee” meant it would take a lifetime to get them to fix it. I decided to pass my problem onto someone younger, who might live long enough to get it corrected. Maybe their QC is improved but I’ll never know. P.S. Also owned a ’98 Ruger Red Label in stainless. It would randomly disassemble itself…after three trips to the factory (each after rooting through a foot of near-freezing water in a duck blind to retrieve parts) Ruger replaced it with a new non-stainless version. Gunsmith who accepted shipment said “You’re gonna be a good customer.” I truly hope its design has improved…but I’m not gonna find out.

    • Did you try duct tape, bent nails and paracord?

      That stuff always helps, that or buying a Baikal shotgun. They are popular, at least here in Norway as working gats.

  8. Food, matches, map, cellphone, the list could go on. But it’s just a gimmick, just another way to box up a gun and charge more money. All the power to them. But absolutely nothing I am interested in.

    If I was feeling cynical I’d point out that I wanted a real caliber. A 38 even. I’m not impressed with a 410 revolver. Not unless if this a kit to help you brave the sewer system.

    • A cellphone? In a situation where this kit (or at least the idea behind it) is necessary, what makes you think infrastructure will still be up and running reliably?

      • Cell phones are very useful in a survival situation, especially smartphones. They can be used as flashlights, they can have first aid manuals loaded onto them, maps, ect,…

        • Yup that is one reason I have a smart watch now. With my phone, my watch, and my edc flashlight, I have 3 flashlights available at all times. 🙂

    • It’ll shoot 410, .45, and .45 long colt. That’s a pretty big caliber list, it would make sense to have a multi caliber sidearm in an emergency situation.

      • As I understand it, .45 Colt and .45 Long Colt are actually the same thing, no? I am assuming it would NOT fire .45 AutoRim

        • .45 ACP and .45 LC are around the same power overall but are not the same cartridge, the LC won’t fit in a .45 ACP chamber. .45 Auto Rim is a .45 ACP cartridge with a rim on it for use in the M1917.

        • I’m sorry, guess I wasn’t clear. I knew that .45 ACP was not the same as .45 Long Colt. What I was driving at was that I believe sometimes .45 LC is sometimes referred to as simply .45 Colt.

        • I’ve got a Raging Judge Magnum (the .454 version) and I’ve tried to fire .45 Auto Rim out of it for laughs, with mine the rims are too thick on a .45 Auto Rim to close the cylinder

    • Ever seen an MRE? Those packages are big. I think the whole point of this is the bare essentials for the first 24 hours (hence the name); it’s not supposed to be the “end all, be all” survival kit.

      • I am going to eat in the first 24 hours, and I would prefer eating a MRE instead of eating the case.

        • Cant tell if you are a troll or just a little dim. This is a kit that is suppose to get you through the first day of a SHTF situation. If you’re more concerned with eating a MRE than getting to your actual supplies… Well you should turn that gun on yourself, because you are not going to make it anyway.

        • If my plane crashes then I would rather wait for rescue while eating a MRE instead of going out and being killed by a moose or something.

        • That wasn’t a joke…Moose are very dangerous creatures. Those antlers aren’t for decoration. Ask anybody who lives in Canada, Alaska, Russia or Scandinavia (don’t ask someone from Denmark, they don’t have anything dangerous).

          PS: This isn’t a end of the world kit, this seems to be intended for plane crashes and if you get lost or stranded in the wilderness.

        • Okay, lolinski’s next post (can’t reply to that one, guess it is too deep in the thread) sounds like a Monty Python joke. Sorry, that’s what came to mind (“a moose bit my sister once”). But yeah, moose aren’t something to tangle with. Anyway, moving on…

          Maybe the point of not including food or water is to use the pistol to obtain some from fellow survivors? I hope that’s not what they were thinking…

      • MRE’s can be down loaded pretty small. Most of the bag size is napkins and crap, the actual food is a box about the size of a small android tablet. 2 days worth of downloaded MRE’s could probably fit underneath the foam, 1 definitely.

  10. A functional compass and a signal mirror would add a lot. The included knife is something of a waste, as well. First order of business would be throwing everything in a backpack that holds 10x more stuff and weighs a third, or less the weight of the case.

  11. While the kit is obviously gimmicky and probably not worth the price. The food/water criticisms aren’t really valid. The average person can survive without food for way longer than 24 hours, and at least 24 hours without water.

  15. It just says its for the first 24 hours. You can use the Taurus to get the other stuff or you won’t need the other stuff when you get caught by the LEOs with the Taurus.

    • Slave state resident? Regular civilians not allowed to have those scary guns in what looks to be a lockable case? Or talking about a martial law situation?

  16. This kit reminds me of the S&W Disaster Ready Kit that was sold a few years ago. It was built around a Sigma in 9mm or .40 S&W and had lifeboat rations for food, but no water. Much more practical. I think they had one with a revolver in .50 S&W, too.

    This kit (Like the earlier S&W kit) needs a holster and other items for carrying the kit components outside the case. Along with straps for carrying the case as a backpack.

    • OOPS–missed this post when I made mine below–you get first credit 😉 As I recall, the S&W kit also had a couple of those “space blankets” too, I thought it had water purifier tabs, maybe I’m wrong.

  17. That kit looks as useful as a chocolate teacup. It is really all about the weapons in there. I know it’s not really the same, but what they could do with it is make a gunfight kit. Take away the cordage, the compass, the firestarter kit and replace it with first aid and more ammo, and you’re getting somewhere.
    On the lines of the question, some canned H20, a couple of MREs, water sanitation systems, first aid, and a roll of Gorilla duct tape.

    • Now we’re talkin’. Though I’d be leery of anything marketed as a “gunfight kit” from the standpoint of LEO’s or a jury. If you’re going to seriously sell it as such, ditch the Judge and put a real revolver (.357 Mag/.38 minimum) in there.

      • Sorry I’m so late to reply. I agree, maybe a ‘ Compact Defence Kit’ would be more apt. What weapon would you suggest as the gat? And what would your knife of choice be? I would have a Glock 36 or the compact model, I cannot remember the name. A Ka-Bar neck knife would do the trick.

  19. It’s like a Happy Meal for retarded, rich mall ninjas.

    With the exception of the gun itself, I’ve put together better kits first thing in the morning.

  20. It looks ok. For 5 or 600bucks less. .357, .45acp or 12gauge shotgun would be my choice. If SHTF big time an ar or ak.

    • Remember the Mossberg JIC (“Just in case”) thing? A pistol-grip Mossy 500 in a waterproof cylindrical canister? Don’t recall if it included any of the other “survival” stuff…

    • By “high capacity” did you mean “standard capacity,” or are you talking about a GLOCK with a 33 round magazine?

  23. Well all the water, food, and shelter just won’t really fit in the box. Still, not a horrible kit. Kind of pricy for what it is, IMHO.

    • Cheap filter straw, a couple of energy bars, folding emergency blanket and a small plastic tarp. I figure that’s about 10-16 ounces of additional weight.

      • Fair enough. But that’s still enough to pretty easily fill another box like the one this kit comes in.

  24. 24 hrs… Not weeks. Gosh. You can go days without food or water. Plus if you know how to collect water and how to identify plants you can easily survive for months.

    • Getting hydrated sooner is necessary if you’re sick, injured, trekking through dry or desert conditions, ingesting dust or grit, working your ass off etc.

    • So I’m guessing you’re seeing what I’m seeing: a dangerously false sense of security for those with no trail sense.

  27. for that type money , I would sell 357/38 special with 4 in barrel, and a shoulder stock add on, that would also serve as holster like the old Luger pistol , put a compass on the side of the holster heavy duty made , two speed loader clips and a box of 357 mag. and 38 special + P, and a heavy duty folder knife with 6 inch blade and belt pouch for clips and knife,,, that’s a real survival kit…

    • Now you’re talking.

      Question Of The Day: Your 72 hour kit takes up 1 cubic foot of space. What’s in it?

    • Good point. That said if you buy fourteen “First 24” hour kits you can survive for two weeks right? Of course the included watch would need a day-of-the-month display. 😉

  29. No mention of ammo and firearm in same case. It can’t be shipped that way and, if added later, in some states, it can’t be transported that way.

  30. I would say don’t buy this kit. Where are they figuring you are going to keep this case? in your vehicle, and take it in with you when you are home?
    My advise…
    Write a list of the needs & wants that you can think of.
    Once complete, hit up the interweb and look at other peoples lists.
    Adjust your list if needed.
    Secure the items that you don’t already have.
    Buy a pack that will hold your essentials.
    Fill that pack and carry it anywhere you would carry this case they are trying to sell.
    Save a lot of money by not wasting it on this kit.

    You should be carrying everything you would need for the first 24 on you daily as part of your EDC supplies anyway.

    • Your last line nailed it. If your EDC, stamina and ingenuity wont get you through 24 hours you need to rethink your EDC, do some training and read a reputable book on survival. In a situation where fire making tools, weapons, and such are necessary gathering food is hardly a first day project though in some environments finding water might be (I wonder if the case works to boil water in?)

      Take the contents of this kit, throw in a little scavenging and ingenuity and the first several days should be covered in all but the most hostile environments and if you’re going into any of these (or traveling through them) without some more advanced training on the conditions and some more detailed gear you’re just being foolish.

      I don’t consider it wise to drive to the corner market without a pistol, spare mag(s) a small flashlight,a strong folding knife and a fire source (read lighter). That plus simple scavenging covers the important stuff in the kit. I suppose if I lived outside the temperate zone I’d have different things in my second level equipment stored in my vehicle but water and food are still very low priority items, at least here where running fresh water is so common as to be a nuisance.

      As for this kit: I’d definitely replace the revolver with something different, probably a .357 as others have requested. A bit of cordage is nice and any knife from CRKT ought to get through a single days work. Flashlights are very nice but I don’t see packing all those batteries to make it through 1-24 hour day unless you’re going to spend it underground. More ammo would be a must IMO, the only reason I can think of to need a gun in the first 24 would be either protection from other people or signaling, both ammo intensive activities.

      Frankly for the cost of this kit a much better collection of gear could be had. Perhaps a better question would be what would be in your $1500 24hr kit (perhaps with similar weight/size constraints).

      For mine something like an SP101 or any stout full size revolver in .357. (Enough for deer, useful in an violent encounter) 100rnds ammo, cordage, large strong fixed blade knife, bright LED flashlight with 2 spare batteries a couple of Bic lighters (or zippo with flints and can of fluid (my preference and immensely useful in a variety of ways), small-medium folding knife, a handful of ibuprofen, loperamide (or codeine where legal) and Benadryl, a few gelling bandages, a metal container for carrying/boiling water (empty), thick socks and a good pair of shoes and a space blanket. Surely I’m still under $1500, not too over the space and weight and in my location/life/commute/work such a kit ought to get me back to civilization in good form. I might turn up a little hot/cold, bug bitten and hungry but it’s 24 hours! It’s hard to imagine failing to survive 24 hours in my environment even with nothing unless it’s the dead of winter and you’re caught without cover and poorly dressed for it, which is a whole other order of problem. I might throw in a small flask of something that warms the soul if not the body to stave off boredom while sitting around doing nothing fro 24 hours, which is mostly what surviving one day consists of.

  31. “Question of the Day: What’s Missing from Taurus’ “First 24″ Kit?”

    I know. The prepaid FedEx shipping label for when you have to send it back to get it fixed right after you buy it.

    Yeah, cheap shot. But I’ve been a Taurus cheerleader for years and I just bought a PT1911 last week and take a quick guess where it’s going next week…

    Just annoyed.

    • Too true. I just got my practically new TCP back from the shop for premature mag release. I’ve set a 750 round lifetime limit on the little guy, which is just fine for a cheapie “get off me” gun, but not much else.

  32. If I must I’ll take the 357. Would prefer a double stack 9mm or .40. I would add a first aid kit with quick clot, a map holder, duct tape, and a foil survival blanket or two. A life straw would be a bonus but not really needed for 24hrs. A gas mask might be beneficial (albeit a bit paranoid) as well in case you found yourself near a chemical spill or forest fire.

    For 24 hr duration survival I figure you need air, to stop any bleeding, and to temporarily treat an injury. You also need to keep from Freezing to death in the cold, and defend yourself if need be.

    Interesting concept, but gimmicky….

    • If you really want to bare bones it, quick klot, a knife, a pistol, a space blanket some cordage and a fire starter. It might not be comfortable but as you pointed out, if you’re breathing, not bleeding and not freezing 24 hrs should be a snap.

  33. Leatherman or Gerber multi-tool, decent blade, fire starter, drinking straw/iodine tabs, water bladder and space blanket. Be better if it came with a Camelbak or Versapak over the shoulder bag so you can build your bag.

  35. I think they intend for you to use the “huge honkin’ firearm” to get all the water, food and shelter you want.

  37. It’s a 24 hour kit, not a bug out bag. Remember the rule of 3. Most adults can go 3 days with out water and 3 weeks with out food. First priority is security 2nd is shelter. I can cover security and shelter with this kit.

  38. Ya know, Smith and Wesson did the same thing with one of their low-end polymer semiautos, maybe a Sigma? They included some water purifier tablets, a couple of those reflective “space blankets”, and some kind of protein bars, akin to the old Army “D” ration. And the tariff was quite a bit less IIRC. As far as this kind of gimmick goes, that one made a bit more sense, may have even had some first-aid stuff and the ol’ fishin’ line and hook, I don’t recall.

  46. I have no idea what some of the items are in the parts list and I am not going to look them up. Here is my simple list in order of priority:
    (1) Handgun
    (2) Ammunition
    (3) Fire starter
    (4) Knife
    (5) Water purifying straw
    (6) Metal cup
    (7) Water storage container
    (8) Paracord
    (9) Flashlight with batteries
    (10) Compass

    These items combined weigh next to nothing, will easily fit into a large hunting-style fanny pack, and pretty much insure your survival for 24 hours in any possible condition short of being stranded in the middle of a desert on a 100+ degree day with no shade and no water.

    Now, add some plastic or a small tarp and you have the makings of a survival kit for days and possibly indefinitely if you have good survival skills.

  49. If you’re talking about the type of survival where you need a fire-starting kit you want a survival rifle, not a pistol.

    And if I was building a kit around a pistol this would be a less-than-ideal choice anyway.

  51. Needs a holster. If SHTF then I’m carrying that thing on my hip. But holsters are pretty personal so people need to choose a good one.

  53. What is it missing? How about a f@cking lawyer?

    Cuz if you ever shoot somebody with that piece of garbage, you’re gonna need one.

  56. Well, this is a first 24 hour survival kit, you can go 24 hours without food, shelter, and water, depending on your environment.

  58. The Mossberg JIC did include a sardine can survival kit. It had like waterproof matches and some fishing line and hooks or something. The waterproof tube was kind of cool. A little bulky. At $350 though, I think the Mossberg was a much better deal. I’ll buy my own knife.

  59. I build and sell survival kits and bug out bags. I sell them to whoever contacts me. My bags cost around 1300-1800 and carry way more gear way way more. I sell a cable back plus water purification tabs and water purification pump 150 of rappelling rope plus harnesses and rings. I also sell two man tent, cook set, collapsible eating set, 40 Chem lighys, a lighter, magnesium fire starter, cotton and wax kindling, fishing utensils no poles, a 22 caliber collapsible survival rifle, 20 batteries a led powers flashlight, wind up radio, small game snare kits, and sewing kit. That’s an average build. So Taurus you failed.

    • But what if you had to make a kit with the same footprint? What would be different about it? Describe your thinking, add some jpegs and I’ll publish it. Send it to [email protected]. Thanks!

  60. Now that I think about it I actually have a 24 hour kit I just don’t think of it that way exactly:

    A camel back, backpack, AR, 8 loaded mags, 300 more rounds on strippers, binoculars, compass, chemlights, flashlight and batteries, a complete and serious first aid kit (not a band aid in it) for major trauma and heavy bleeding as well as a fist full of meds of various type, 2 maps one topographical the other road of my area, a stout knife and SOG hawk, gloves, goggles, ear pro, 4a rifle plates and carrier, a folding knife, a fire starting kit, a handful of candle stubs and bics, 50′ of para cord, a multi tool, space blanket, zip ties of all sizes, signal mirror, and various sundry odds and ends. It’s not really a survival kit though, it’s an ‘assault pack’ designed (with a little food added) to keep one moving and/or fighting through one short engagement.

    I suppose it would do fine for just hanging out in a poorly appointed place for a day and a night though. Then again, some comfy jammies and something to read would accomplish roughly the same thing.

  61. A better case? this pelican hard case just screams “I have valuable shit i cannot part with!”

    throw all this shit in a jansport pack like the kids these days carry, with molle webbing and suspension stuff inside it.

  62. with the kit, you can do what the average thug is already doing: take the things you need from someone who has them.

    Around here, such a thing is needed to protect yourself from those who’ve been taking from others their entire life. When the welfare stops, you think the guy who gunned down his brother for “disrespect” is going to be more civilized when ATMs, drive-thrus, and phones stop, and he knows police response is hours away?

    Ask Compton, New Orleans, etc how civilized urban centers are, and how long your shelter and food remains yours, before it ends up looted and left along the street,

    Only criticism of that pack is the choice of firearm. 45/410 pistol? no thanks.

  63. If they slap some Zombie decals on the box I am sure they would sell like hot cakes to all the Walking Dead fans. People will buy all sorts of crap if it is packaged right for the Fad of the Day.

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