The Smith and Wesson Governor: Misfit or Misunderstood?

jd67 said:
ok I will tell you how I believe its a misfit......shotguns & the pellets/slugs they spew do better out of a longer barrel....do to the small DIA. of the 410 bore...really 36GA the best size pellet is #7.5 or smaller. I am not saying 410 is bad....just not as efficent as say..a 20ga/12ga would be. As far as the 45LC goes in a gun weighing 2.5lbs I only get 5 shots???? I can carry 3 s&w 638s for the same weight...thats 15 rds. Heck even a model 25 gives me 6 not 5 and then I am "KILLING THEM W/CLASS" Ok lastly.....in the words of Telly..."who loves ya babe?"
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First of all why don't you know all the facts about the gun you're arguing about. Six shots my friend, not 5.

Sent from my Pixel XL 128
 
Hornady triple defense 410 showed the 41 caliber slug consistently penetrating to 14-17 inches on ballistic gel. The two pellets behind it penetrated past 12 inches consistently.

So in my case I'll be firing six projectiles in the first two shots and the next few shots are 45LC Hornady.

If you don't consider that sufficient home defense then you're off your rocker. So much easier to handle than a 12 gauge. Easier to put away as well.

My gimmick of gun, as you call it, will kill just fine. Thanks.

Sent from my Pixel XL 128
 
Mister X said:
I'm not aware of any reputable defensive shooting instructors that recommend them. Doesn't that fact in itself make you stop and think that there are likely some very good reasons behind it even if you don't understand them?

Here are a couple of articles that pretty much cover why .410 handguns don't make a whole lot of sense as a self-defense weapon. They are primarily focused on the Taurus Judge, but most of it applies to the Governor as well.

The Taurus Judge Is Just Not Very Good | Vuurwapen Blog

Hating on the Taurus Judge | Active Response Training

...
Click to expand...

Duly noted . . .
 
The only thing I don't get with the Governor is why anyone would load it with shotshells for defense. There is no .410 load with a better record of stopping bad buys than .45 ACP or .45 Colt, nor will the shotshell increase accuracy.
 
silversnake said:
The only thing I don't get with the Governor is why anyone would load it with shotshells for defense. There is no .410 load with a better record of stopping bad buys than .45 ACP or .45 Colt, nor will the shotshell increase accuracy.
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Tell ya' what . . . I'll hold a Governor in my hand, and you try to come get my wallet . . .
 
After a fair amount of research I had decided on picking up a judge in the public defender variety. My uses were going to be home defense and concealed carry as well as something I could carry in the North Maine Woods.

Now, I settled on it after doing lots and lots of research. Pros for it included cost, and yes, versatility. It definitely held a certain "cool factor" for me also.

When looking at reviews I noticed a lot of the early reviews were poor. The main complaint was that .410 shell fired poorly out of the short rifled barrel. I was a bit dismayed but read on. I noticed later reviews and tests with ammo specially designed to be fired out of such a gun tested much better. Further, 000 buck was devastating at typical SD ranges--as long as you were using a variety designed to fire from a revolver.

Interest renewed, I headed off to my local gun shop and asked to see the Judge PD. I thought it was pretty neat and really liked the price but then noticed the s&w variant next to it. It was a bit larger but I asked to see it--it was a Smith, after all, so it had to be nice. It was larger by a bit and heavier, but was of far superior workmanship and held six shots. Plus, it came with a tritium front sight--nice! Further, I could easily conceal it in my front pocket or IWB in the small of my back. My only disappointment at this time was upon hearing the price. I briefly considered sticking with the judge but reminded myself that a gun is lifetime-enduring investment and that build quality mattered.

I purchased it and it is now my home defense gun. 000 buck is my go to for my small-roomed home. I have it in all cylinders. When I'm outdoors with the dogs, I have 2 buckshot followed by hardcast 45 colt for the black bears. They're no competition for grizzlies and this would handle them fine.

When I'm concealing in public I don't want multiple projectiles with a single pull, so I use Lehigh defense's maximum expansion in their specialized judge/governor round. Needless to say, I feel safe. You should check out some ballistics tests with it. No other firearms can shoot it. In my book this ammo is a huge plus for it.

You can see some testing here:

Taurus Judge/Governor Ammo Test: Lehigh Defense Maximum Expansion 45 Colt review - YouTube
I love the gun because it fits my needs, is a joy to shoot and is overall, a pretty cool idea in my book.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
CamoBlaze said:
After a fair amount of research I had decided on picking up a judge in the public defender variety. My uses were going to be home defense and concealed carry as well as something I could carry in the North Maine Woods.

Now, I settled on it after doing lots and lots of research. Pros for it included cost, and yes, versatility. It definitely held a certain "cool factor" for me also.

When looking at reviews I noticed a lot of the early reviews were poor. The main complaint was that .410 shell fired poorly out of the short rifled barrel. I was a bit dismayed but read on. I noticed later reviews and tests with ammo specially designed to be fired out of such a gun tested much better. Further, 000 buck was devastating at typical SD ranges--as long as you were using a variety designed to fire from a revolver.

Interest renewed, I headed off to my local gun shop and asked to see the Judge PD. I thought it was pretty neat and really liked the price but then noticed the s&w variant next to it. It was a bit larger but I asked to see it--it was a Smith, after all, so it had to be nice. It was larger by a bit and heavier, but was of far superior workmanship and held six shots. Plus, it came with a tritium front sight--nice! Further, I could easily conceal it in my front pocket or IWB in the small of my back. My only disappointment at this time was upon hearing the price. I briefly considered sticking with the judge but reminded myself that a gun is lifetime-enduring investment and that build quality mattered.

I purchased it and it is now my home defense gun. 000 buck is my go to for my small-roomed home. I have it in all cylinders. When I'm outdoors with the dogs, I have 2 buckshot followed by hardcast 45 colt for the black bears. They're no competition for grizzlies and this would handle them fine.

When I'm concealing in public I don't want multiple projectiles with a single pull, so I use Lehigh defense's maximum expansion in their specialized judge/governor round. Needless to say, I feel safe. You should check out some ballistics tests with it. No other firearms can shoot it. In my book this ammo is a huge plus for it.

You can see some testing here:

Taurus Judge/Governor Ammo Test: Lehigh Defense Maximum Expansion 45 Colt review - YouTube
I love the gun because it fits my needs, is a joy to shoot and is overall, a pretty cool idea in my book.
Click to expand...

See, now to me this is where the Governor shines - you can have birdshot or buckshot for woods use, plus it can chamber bullet designs that wouldn't fit in anything else. Very clever idea from Lehigh Defense.
 
Mister X said:
You could label it a viable weapon, but the same could be said about a Rohm .22 short revolver or any firearm that will fire, but there are so many options that are infinitely better that it simply makes no sense to choose it as a defense weapon.

The only misunderstanding as I see it is that many people(often inexperienced and uneducated) buy it under the false perception that they are getting a versatile, effective and powerful handheld shotgun, but that isn't the reality. Choosing a Taurus Judge or S&W Governor is analogous to having a goal of wanting to learn effective real-world H2H self-defense skills and get in better physical condition and subsequently taking Tae-Bo classes.

I'm with the "nastygrams." I can see them for poisonous snakes at close range, but am not sold at all on .410 ammo for self-defense when attacked by large, aggressive humans. Neat novelty guns, though. - Massad Ayoob
Click to expand...

Despite all of this, you have refused to acknowledge ballistic tests in the past of the .410, 45 Colt fired through a Governor. Are you being obtuse deliberately?

Look at the numerous test firings at gel with these calibers.
Yep, you're one of those relegated ignorant snake gun shooters, that believes Smith invested all those dollars and market research to compete with the Judge, only to be qualified as a "good snake gun". Poor conclusion.
 
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No one claimed 410 had more stopping power than 45. Obviously 45 wins there.

Sent from my Pixel XL 128
 
Gulfecho said:
Despite all of this, you have refused to acknowledge ballistic tests in the past of the .410, 45 Colt fired through a Governor. Are you being obtuse deliberately?

Look at the numerous test firings at gel with these calibers.
Yep, you're one of those relegated ignorant snake gun shooters, that believes Smith invested all those dollars and market research to compete with the Judge, only to be qualified as a "good snake gun". Poor conclusion.
Click to expand...

I've seen a couple of ballistic tests and wasn't all that impressed. Are you saying the Governor is actually superior in this regard to most other options?

The snake gun quote was from Massad Ayoob. Most other instructors say similar. Are they all ignorant?

S&W maufactured the Governor because Taurus was raking in the money with the Judge. Nearly all of the die-hard advocates of these guns I've come across are neophytes.

Ballistics aren't everything and unless the Governor offers some substantial advantage in that area, what does it have going for it? Nothing, it is a very large, awkward, heavy, expensive snubnose revolver.

The Governor is large for CC, comparatively slow to draw and has poor accuracy and inherent weapon retention traits. For home defense, it has limited capacity and it's size prohibits it from being a 24/7 gun. It can't easily be slipped in a pocket like a J-Frame or comfortably worn at all times when around the house. If investigating a bump in the night, I almost always default to a enclosed hammer snub for it's extreme close-quarter advantages, but the Governor doesn't have those advantages. If someone is kicking in my door and I have a little more time and distance, I myself want a high capacity weapon.

For protecting my life and the lives of my family, I want what I determine to be the best tool for the job. So, what specifically does the Governor do better than anything else that makes it the best choice for defensive purposes?
 
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comiskeybum said:
No one claimed 410 had more stopping power than 45. Obviously 45 wins there.

Sent from my Pixel XL 128
Click to expand...

Something like 2.5" 410 000 Buck from Federal shoots 280 grains of shot at 1200fps. That's quite a bit more energy than a 45ACP or Colt. I'm not saying it's better, but I could see a case being made.

I don't think there's enough data out there to compare to two intelligently (which never stopped an internet debate).
 
wadcutter1 said:
Something like 2.5" 410 000 Buck from Federal shoots 280 grains of shot at 1200fps. That's quite a bit more energy than a 45ACP or Colt. I'm not saying it's better, but I could see a case being made.
Click to expand...

1200fps is ridiculous. You'd be lucky to get 900fps from a handgun. And I'll say it again, .36" 70gr balls are not the same one large slug. Inadequate times 4 is still inadequate.

One 255gr flat nose lead bullet at 950fps is vastly superior.
 
I never imagined there would be two pages of comments on the Governor/Judge revolvers. I have seen lots of them sold to elderly clientele. The only young person I have ever seen handle one of those guns was the salesman at Reeves Ace Hardware.
 
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