Smith Governor

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TheGlobalRep

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Has anyone shot the Governor? I just picked one up yesterday because I liked the 6 shot capacity and ability to shoot several calibers including the 45 ACP. Seems to balance well and is not too heavy to conceal carry.Any feedback?
 
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Never shot one or the judge but am curious as to how they group with bullets and pattern with shot.
A friend borrowed a judge and said it didn't do well with 45 LC or shot shells but did well with .410 slugs.
I don't see how any rifled tube can pattern shot very well but I usually learn something new almost every day.
 
S&W New Governor

Pick up a copy of the guns Magazine February 2012. I just received mine in the mail. There is a full article on and shooting statistics by Holt Bodinson. It is an interesting gun.

Nick
 
No disrespect, but, I feel the revolver chambered in .410 shotshell is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. I don't blame S&W, in this particular instance I blame Taurus. I can hardly fault them for creating a gun market where there wasn't one to begin with. Kudos to them for that. Similarly, you can hardly blame S&W wanting to get in on this new cash cow.

I'm just not certain what they expect the user to do with that .410 shotshell. I suppose you could kill a rabbit or squirrel if you were close enough. I know someone makes a specialty shotshell just for .410 revolvers, but I doubt it would be any better than 45LC or 45ACP for defensive purposes.

Now, the drawbacks. For the revolver to chamber a .410 shotshell the cylinder has to be very long compared to any other conventional handgun cartridge. Then when you go to use that conventional hangun cartridge (45LC & 45ACP in the Governor or 45LC in the Judge). You end up with a ton of freebore. Excessive freebore is not conducive to accuracy.

There are other revolvers out there that chamber the 45LC and the 45ACP. Which brings us back to the .410 shotshell. What does the .410 shotshell bring to the party along with a rediculously long & heavy cylinder that the 45LC and the 45ACP can't do equally well or better on their own. If you're looking for snake medicine, I believe CCI makes shotshells in 45LC & 45ACP. I killed a rabbit for the pot with a CCI shotshell in 38 Special at 10 yards.
 
I cannot make any remarks about the Taurus or the S&W Governor.

I can make some remarks about the Speer shotshells, in 44 Mag and 45 ACP, as well as back in the day when I loaded my own 44 Mag shotshells with the Speer capsules.

I cannot tell you how much small game the wife and I have shot over the years with the 44, and I with the 45 ACP.

They seem dang near effective as a 12 ga... Well ok, maybe a 2 3/4" 20ga...

They are most effective.

I have killed some small game and snakes, with the Speer 9mm and 38 shotshells, and the wife has killed some big snakes with the 38's in a 2" S&W Centennial.

As can be expected the 44 and 45's are more effective on small game.

Now to the Taurus and S&W .410's.

IF the .410 revolvers are more effective on small game than the 44 and 45 Speer shotshells, then IMHO they are worth the money.
And there are 45 Colt loads safe in these guns that could protect you from a bear. I would not consider these revolver's primary hunting guns, but they should be great at survival/foraging revolvers.

I will never buy one, simply because I find the 44 Mag, and 45 ACP shotshells to be most effective for me, and I have a system, loading gear, holsters etc, enough to keep me using them.

"Shotgun Revolvers" whether with Speer shotshells, or with one of these .410 revolvers, are most usable in my experience.

They have furnished me many a great meal.
 
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I bought one a couple of weeks ago too but I haven't shot it yet... I bought it as a home defense gun (not my only gun) and have it loaded with 000 buck... I really do need to get it to the range and try it out... Later, Dave
 
Dave, if you would give it a try with .410 shells with No 7 1/2 and No6 shot, as well as 45 ACP and 45 Colt loads, and let us know how she performs...
 
I really like mine. It shoots both lc and acp very well. You need to stick with 410 ammo made for handguns to get good results. The handgun ammo uses a different wad to controll the shot due to the rifling. Regular shotshells didn't do too bad for close work. The federal buckshot is very good for self defense. I look at this as a mountain gun with options.
 
Thanks, I figure there's a lot of folks, ranchers, etc.. that will like to carry it for "critters". I would believe that combined with the fact that Since it shoots several of the calibers I already own, is fairly lightweight for a gun that size and "ups" the chance of a .410 hitting an intruder for someone who doesn't shoot much like a wife. I always appreciate the feedback. (come on...these all sound like good reasons to buy another Smith, right?)
 
My rationale, last June 13th, as I perused the display cases in a newly opened gunstore, was to get essentially a .45 ACP 325 Night Guard. Yeah, that cylinder is a bit longer - and it weighs 1.8 oz more - but it has the same attributes: fixed sight, front tritium Night Sight, Al/Sc frame, black SS cylinder, etc. Oh - it will also chamber .45 Schofield & Colt as well as 2.5" .410 shotgun shells. Did I mention that it is over $300 less than the 325NG? That was a first for me - an impulse buy!

I did put my backup 'S&W/Hogue .500 Magnum monogrip' on my Governor the first week I owned it - and ordered a S&W/DeSantis leather holster, too - got it in a week.

I've shot everything from 7-12yd. Ball ammo in .45 ACP, 230gr FMJ UMC 250 pack from WallyWorld, hits in the 2.5" diameter black circles I drew in paper plates - maybe a 1-1.5" circle at the lower part of the circle, but still all in the black. Decent grouping for hand held (The gun... not the target!). Switched to 250gr Speer Gold Dots and 255gr LSWC's, both at ~820-840 fps, and got tighter groups - centered, too. 200gr LRNFP in .45 Schofield cases opened up a bit and were all below the black centered circle - but on the plate. Shot shells were everywhere - mostly missing the plate at 12 yd. The Win PDX1 trio of discs were still on the plates at 12 yd - barely - the sabot nicked the bottom of the plate at 7yd. Even on a large silhouette target sheet, I never counted more that ten of the twelve BB holes - they either passed through a disc's hole or missed the paper. To me, they are worrisome re collateral damage. I guess I'll look at .410 shell use as a novelty and stoke it with the 250gr Gold Dots in .45 Colt for home defense.

003-1.jpg


You can see the OEM grips alongside the X-frame grip on my Governor, as well as some of it's 'diet'. To those who would denigrate the Governor - without ever handling one, much less shooting one, I say phooey. You don't have to like it - my liking it is what matters - to me. It has a home here. YMMV.

Stainz
 
My dad has a judge public defender. I find it to be quite entertaining to shoot. As far as effectiveness the 000 buck defense rounds, pdx 3 disk loads and 45lc all are accurate for me at around 20 feet. Shooting bird shot for defense seems pretty worthless unless you just want to pepper someone to slow them down? (not advising this). for snakes I'm guessing that would work quite well

I wish 45lc wasnt so expensive as I would like to shoot it more often.
 
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My son just bought one and all I can tell you is it shoots very well for a defensive handgun intended for relatively close range. A little better with the 45acp than the 45 LC and I would not want to get shot with any birdshot or .410 defensive load inside 20 ft, especially in the face or groin. My daughter-in-law loves it and has already adopted it as hers. Guess he will have to buy another for his field work. Certainly no more difficult to carry than my 29 or 625 Mtn. gun.

He too thinks he will change the grips. He tried my x-frame grips from my Mtn. Gun and like them, but is looking for wood.
 
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Governor

I`ve had one for about 6 months now. I`ve taken it to the range everytime I go and it`s Flawless. Never a problem and extremely accurate with both the .410 00Buck and .45ACP. I`m shooting at about 30-40ft,it just eats the center out of the target. Very Nice Home defense weapon and also my EDC. Always Carry,Never Tell.
 
My question is this. Are any of you Governor/Judge owners using either gun in the self defence role. If so, what ammo do you depend on for self defense.
 
Ammo

Tyrod said:
My question is this. Are any of you Governor/Judge owners using either gun in the self defence role. If so, what ammo do you depend on for self defense.
Click to expand...

I`m using Federal 000Buck {4 pellets per round} for my first load {and it`s always loaded},Also I carry 2 moon clips of six of Winchester Ranger 230gr JHP as reloads. That`s ny EDC setup.
 
Tyrod said:
My question is this. Are any of you Governor/Judge owners using either gun in the self defence role. If so, what ammo do you depend on for self defense.
Click to expand...
This is a very poor self-defense weapon unless you're being attacked by watermelons.

These revolvers are a gimmick that appeals to some, but thinking they are serious self-defense weapons is a dangerous mistake.
 
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