Governor fires Judge...finally Taurus free... Governor review

[redneckemt]

Anybody had the chance to use the Governor on a snake with 410? How did it work?

I remember reading the reviews when the Judge came out. The balistics weren't impressive for 410. Was wondering how the Governor does. Also taken into consideration when the Judge first came out there weren't any 410loads just for a pistol.

 

[Kouki]

Wonderful review. I hadent even considered one before. Now my gears are turning.

 

[IkenI]

I took my new Governor to the range today and fired .410, .45 Colt and .45 ACP. After a box of .410 I was noticing the recoil some. The .45 Colt (just had a few HPs) was accurate and much milder recoil. The best tho' was the .45 ACP - very light recoil and outstanding accuracy. The .410 I shot was #4's and 6's and no snake would have survived any one of the shots. Mine's to be used as a camp/kayak gun in snake territory so I doubt I'll ever buy personal defense .410 loads for it. It's a fun gun!

 

[bill1917]

I am curious. If S&W can make this gun work with .410, 45 acp, and 45 Colt, why not a regular N frame (625, for example) that can handle 45 Colt and 45 ACP?

 

[rwsmith]

That is

That is a beautiful piece of work. Though Taurus is making good guns these days it isn't an S&W. I looked at them before going for broke and getting my 686. And about those large farm animals...????

 

[TheMystro]

Years back I purchased #9 shot for snakes. It would work but there is no reason not to just buy #4 shot and use it for small game and snakes. #4 shot will turn snakes into a mist. It would also jack up a charging dog. Federal 000buck designed for the shot pistol will impress you how tight and accurate all 4 rounds hit at 10 yards. It would also make a good hunting round for mid size game in a survival situation.

 

[dla]

Years back I purchased #9 shot for snakes. It would work but there is no reason not to just buy #4 shot and use it for small game and snakes. #4 shot will turn snakes into a mist. It would also jack up a charging dog. Federal 000buck designed for the shot pistol will impress you how tight and accurate all 4 rounds hit at 10 yards. It would also make a good hunting round for mid size game in a survival situation.

Just curious, do you have any photos or test data to back up any of your claims?

The Box O' Truth #41 - The Taurus Judge Vs. The Box O' Truth - Page 1

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Years back I purchased #9 shot for snakes. It would work but there is no reason not to just buy #4 shot and use it for small game and snakes. #4 shot will turn snakes into a mist. It would also jack up a charging dog. Federal 000buck designed for the shot pistol will impress you how tight and accurate all 4 rounds hit at 10 yards. It would also make a good hunting round for mid size game in a survival situation.

I wasn't going to get involved in this thread, but having experience with both,
The Judge & The Governor, I feel that I should say something because
my experience is vastly different than the above quote.

I've shared it (experience) more than a few times before, so, instead of repeating it,
here's one of the previous threads. Since those posts I have used The Governor,
with 000 Buck, and came to the conclusion that the .410 rounds are not for me.

LINK >> http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/204315-governor-410-loads.html

One other thing I should mention. This past Christmas, my son-in-law & I were talking and
it came up that he also had a Judge he had purchased specifically for small game hunting.
When I asked how the .410's had performed for him, he said, "I didn't get that far."

He explained that while trying out the gun that he was lucky to get one, maybe two,
pellets in a pop can at 30 feet with #4's. He sold it after that first range session.

Currently, when I do rely on The Governor for critter duty, I rely on MagSafe rounds in either
.45 acp or .45 Colt. I'm finding the MagSafe extremely effective in .32 H&R Magnum so
am sure that the bigger .45's should be at least equally effective, if not more so.
When I say effective, I mean on real critters, not paper.

 

[Pilgrim]

Just curious, do you have any photos or test data to back up any of your claims?

The Box O' Truth #41 - The Taurus Judge Vs. The Box O' Truth - Page 1

more testing here:
The Judge - YouTube

 

[TheMystro]

I am not sure why the perormance is so much better with my Governor over my old Judge Public Defender??? The barrel length is close to the same. The shorter the barrel the better with the shot gun rounds. S&W seems to have done somthing different beside a better quality gun all around.
I found the accuracy wasnt even close between my Public Defender and Governor(judge was o.k but the Gov is a tack driver).
The shot pattern was a big difference between the two guns being twice as tight out of the Gov than Judge.
I have killed gray squirrels with #4 with my Judge at 20 feet with one shot. The shot pattern is twice as tight with the Governor but my favorite shot shell is he Federal 000 personal defensive round. It's a 4" circle of death at 20yards.
I am a long distance pistol shooter. I would love to see Hickok45 get his hands on a Governor. I guarantee he would hit the 200 yard gong every time.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Based on my experience, it wasn't the pattern that I had a problem with, out of either
The Judge or Governor, it was the limitations of the .410 shell itself, especially
out of such a short barrel. At least that's what I think it is.

I know for an absolute fact that I got 3 good hits on the 'Possum, pictured in the linked
thread, with the 3" 000 Buck and it didn't go down until I hit it with a .45 Colt round.

That was the night that I heard myself blurt out loud,
"I would be better off with a Louisville Slugger."

I did some research before I purchased my Judge and learned that to get full power out
of the .410, something like an 18" barrel was needed. Based on that I knew that
the .410 was going to be at a disadvantage in a short barrel.

At this point in time I have used the old school 3" .410 loads in The Judge I had, and the newer
"self defense" loads in The Governor and neither have performed very well on real, live, critters.
On paper they look impressive.......

 

[TheMystro]

That is weird. I mentioned earlier in another Governor post that I shot a farm hog in the back of the head with Federal 000buck and it was devastating. Looked like a sledge hammer hit it.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

That is weird. I mentioned earlier in another Governor post that I shot a farm hog in the back of the head with Federal 000buck and it was devastating. Looked like a sledge hammer hit it.

I know, if I'm not mistaken I made a brief comment in that thread as well.

With all due respect, I have yet to see anything,
.410 related, that I would call "devestateing."

I feel lucky if I can use the word, effective.....

 

[IkenI]

Well, mine's a camp gun - not a squirrel or bird gun, and certainly not a home defense gun. Snakes will be out soon and I'll be willing to bet it will be devastating on a cottonmouth or copperhead at about 6 feet with #6 shot. I'm basing that on what it does to a Coke can at that distance. Anyway, here is a pic of the holster I got for it. Fits well and works strongside or crossdraw for when I'm carrying a long gun. Galco DAO made for the Gov.

 

[Capt Crunch]

I would strongly suggest trying .410 that was specifically designed for shot revolvers. In particular, the PDX-1, there are plenty of videos on Youtube that show their effectiveness you can do the searching yourself. These naysayers pop up in every Governor post made and other than Ogy who simply has not had good personal experience with the weapon, I believe most are just people who don't like Taurus and are imprinting those emotions onto the Governor.

I've had excellent experience with mine and I too have had exceptional accuracy with the 45LC. The PDX-1 that I have shot has always given me good groups of the 3 disks and for someone who lives in a small apartment, I believe it's a great choice for home protection. As I've explained previously, I have a 590 but in a small apartment, a full size 12 gauge can be a bit unwieldy.

Anyhow, as I take any chance I can to show mine off, here's a quick pic of my Gov.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

CC, thanks for not lumping me in with the "naysayers," having that happen
is exactly why I had stayed away from this thread for a while.

Trust me, no one could have been more dissapointed about the
performance of the .410 bore loads than I have been.

With that said, here is a thread where I posted (long posts)
about the role my Governor plays around here.

LINK >> http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...639-concealed-carry-weapon-half-equation.html

 

[BananaDoc]

Cool review! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Question: What are the "spots" on the frame near the cylinder release? They are very visible on your third photo... almost like a splash of bleach on denim? I have seen them on some photographs of the Gov, but not all.

BTW-- Hornady just launched a Critical Defense .410 for 2013. You may want to have a look at their site...

Critical Defense® 410 Triple Defense

You spent YOUR money. You bought YOUR gun. It makes YOU smile. That, to me, sounds like a win!

 

[smokey04]

Am I correct in guessing that if .45ACPs can be used with moon clips then .45 Auto Rim cartridges are also useable?
I dismissed the Judge/Gov. as a marketing gimick when they came out, but it looks as if that is not the first mistake I've made in this century.
I live in a small town in the SE corner of Alabama and my yard is on the edge of the city limit backed by acres and acres of military reservation woods and fronted by wooded lots that no one takes care of.
Needless to say,my location seems to be in the middle of the "snake interstate". Spring, summer, and fall they go back and forth like they own the place. For several years I used a Mod. 60 with shot up front, but two years ago I got a Mod. 317-2 in .22[much lighter in my britches] and have not had any problem dispatching two 4&1/2 foot copperheads and several rattlers from 3&1/2 feet to 5 &1/2[nearly 6 feet].CCI shot shells are the ticket in my guns and I have had no "close calls"with wounded snakes.Shoot once,end of story.
While this appears to be the solution for a snake gun, it does not address the problem of occasional rabid 'coons, fox, yodel dogs,feral cats and other unsavory varmints that sometimes raise their the ugly heads.
The Governor may be something I will look into so I don't have to carry two guns in the woods.
Thanks for the report, Mystro, I'll look into the possibilities as they apply to my needs. Nick

 

[dla]

Am I correct in guessing that if .45ACPs can be used with moon clips then .45 Auto Rim cartridges are also useable?
I dismissed the Judge/Gov. as a marketing gimick when they came out, but it looks as if that is not the first mistake I've made in this century.
I live in a small town in the SE corner of Alabama and my yard is on the edge of the city limit backed by acres and acres of military reservation woods and fronted by wooded lots that no one takes care of.
Needless to say,my location seems to be in the middle of the "snake interstate". Spring, summer, and fall they go back and forth like they own the place. For several years I used a Mod. 60 with shot up front, but two years ago I got a Mod. 317-2 in .22[much lighter in my britches] and have not had any problem dispatching two 4&1/2 foot copperheads and several rattlers from 3&1/2 feet to 5 &1/2[nearly 6 feet].CCI shot shells are the ticket in my guns and I have had no "close calls"with wounded snakes.Shoot once,end of story.
While this appears to be the solution for a snake gun, it does not address the problem of occasional rabid 'coons, fox, yodel dogs,feral cats and other unsavory varmints that sometimes raise their the ugly heads.
The Governor may be something I will look into so I don't have to carry two guns in the woods.
Thanks for the report, Mystro, I'll look into the possibilities as they apply to my needs. Nick

If you have no problem with CCI's 22lr shotshells, then you'd love them in 38spl/357 and even more so in 45acp and 44mag. Of course those shotshells would also give you a "snake" solution for use with a more optimal self-defense firearm as well.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Because this thread has the most images of Governor leather going,
I'll add mine since I don't think it has been represented here yet.

As I mentioned in the last thread I linked, I use it on it's own belt, without running
it through any belt loops, so I can change positions if I have to go prone etc...

I'm a dedictaed cross-draw carrier and was quite impressed with this holster,
in spite of the fact that the cross-draw cant is steeper than what I'm used to.
Actually, for how I use The Governor, this angle works quite well.