S&W GOVERNOR

[Thomasino]

I just bought this Smith & Wesson Governor:
Model GOVERNOR(R) | Smith & Wesson
I am wondering what your opinions are of this particular revolver, any tips you might have, holsters, both target and self defense ammo, etc. I haven't had the chance to shoot any rounds out of it yet cuz I just got it, but have dry fired it and the trigger seems to be just top rate. Please feel free to give your opinion in regards to this revolver.

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[D Brown]

I would rate the trigger on mine as TEN PLUS. Just about as good as a S&W can get!

Enjoy your new Governor!

 

[URIT]

I like my Governor and have used it as my nightstand "go-to" gun for the past 5 years. I have it loaded with 410 double ought and 45 Colt in every other cylinder. The Governor feels much like my old S&W 19-4 duty revolver when fired. It's a keeper!

 

[686-380]

You may encounter several naysayers here but I love mine. For me, it's not just about the ammunition it uses but the intimidation factor it presents.

There's more to self defense, than simply discharging a weapon.

Also, I'm a sucker for revolvers.

Don't try birdshot .410 rounds. They'll likely bind up the cylinder.

 

[mag318]

While many scoff at the Governor I think it's a versatile and fun revolver. With Federal 000 Buck handgun loads it shoots tight patterns out to 30 feet and beyond. S&W sells a lot of these and for good reason.

 

[jughed440]

Some like to call the Governor a "gimmick", but it's not. It's fine for nightstand and woods carry. Although i have only shot .410 out of it so far, I love mine for woods carry and pest control. The holster i use is the well made DeSantis "Dual Angle", which can be used for cross draw, and regular draw.

 

[Rpg]

I'm one of the folks who scoff at the Governor and think it a gimmick. I have no use for one.

If you want to use it for self defense, I'd suggest you use 45 acp or 45 lc ammo not the 410 stuff.

 

[Thomasino]

I'm one of the folks who scoff at the Governor and think it a gimmick. I have no use for one.

If you want to use it for self defense, I'd suggest you use 45 acp or 45 lc ammo not the 410 stuff.

and your reasoning

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[rock doc]

I keep mine next to my side of the bed, ready to go. I've shot 45 LC, 45 ACP and 410 loads thru mine. I even dispatched an ill rabbit with a 410 round. Right now, it is loaded with six rounds of Winchester SXZ 410 (000 buckshot). I even plugged the hole, thanks to Bullseye Smith, and bought round to square butt conversion grip thru S&W's website. I also bought a holster off of the S&W website.

 

[Mr.Harry]

I do think they're ugly as sin, but beauty is in the eye....
I do NOT think "gimmicky" is an appropriate word for them as I don't see how they wouldn't be quite effective for personal defense. "Novelty" might be a better word. .45 long is .45 long. That stops stuff great and small. As for the .410 loads, it's my understanding that due to the popularity of The Gov and the Taurus version, and probably the derringer type pistols chambered for it too, that many ammo manufacturers have come up with a variety of new loads/designs in the .410 shotshell that really are quite devastating for personal defense. Enjoy.

 

[Rpg]

and your reasoning

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They are over large: that huge cylinder necessitated to take 410's makes an ungainly pistol. These are clumsy guns that can't realistically be carried much farther than from the car into the range. Certainly not a handy gun to carry.

The huge chamber throats to accommodate 410's is over sized for 45's of any sort. The long chambers for 410's have 45's rattling down an extraordinarily long unrifled tunnel to get to the barrel and some rifling. This results in significant velocity loss in the only useful ammo available for the gun: 45's - lc or acp.

The shotgun application is useful for shooting pests at arms length , but so is a 22 pistol. And the 22 is useful at longer ranges.

410's are marginal in a shotgun: experts' application but not a good choice for much of anything. Folks who are knowledgeable shooters understand this.

The Governor does nothing well. A 1911 is a much handier platform for a 45, any 22 pistol is a better varnimt gun. The shotgun application is a joke in a stumpy revolver.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Good hallway gun. I use the Winchester PDX1 .410 rounds, copper discs over BB's. I suspect it'll do the job . . .

 

[Thomasino]

I took my Governor to the range today for its first road test and Come Away with mixed results. First off when it fired it was very accurate and nice to see, but secondly, I am getting light strikes, failure to fire, especially on the 410 shotgun loads. I am getting about 20% failure with the 45lc , and 50% failure with the 410 shotshell. So I brought it home and try to adjust the main string with the strain screw. Come to find out the strain screw was turned all the way, in as far as it will go, so there is no adjustment I can make with it. I did have in my Supply another strain screw from a Smith & Wesson 686 revolver which is a 16th of an inch longer than the stock strain screw, so I put it in to try it. I don't know if this is a good test or not but I primed up 18 rounds of Long Colt and found the point where the rounds were consistently being fired and had a half of turn extra on the screw, and that's where it stands right now. I have done some research online and this appears to be and issue others have had with this gun and some have sent it back to Smith & Wesson and they put a new firing pin and strain screw in they're gun. Looks like I might be calling Smith & Wesson Monday and seeing what they have to say.

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[Muss Muggins]

Unless you're a gunsmith, just send it back. Or let somebody else shoot it . . .

I took my Governor to the range today for its first road test and Come Away with mixed results. First off when it fired it was very accurate and nice to see, but secondly, I am getting light strikes, failure to fire, especially on the 410 shotgun loads. I am getting about 20% failure with the 45lc , and 50% failure with the 410 shotshell. So I brought it home and try to adjust the main string with the strain screw. Come to find out the strain screw was turned all the way, in as far as it will go, so there is no adjustment I can make with it. I did have in my Supply another strain screw from a Smith & Wesson 686 revolver which is a 16th of an inch longer than the stock strain screw, so I put it in to try it. I don't know if this is a good test or not but I primed up 18 rounds of Long Colt and found the point where the rounds were consistently being fired and had a half of turn extra on the screw, and that's where it stands right now. I have done some research online and this appears to be and issue others have had with this gun and some have sent it back to Smith & Wesson and they put a new firing pin and strain screw in they're gun. Looks like I might be calling Smith & Wesson Monday and seeing what they have to say.

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[Thomasino]

I had an extra strain screw from a Smith & Wesson 686 that is a bit longer than the stock screw, and installed it on my governor. Went to the range today and shot 30 Long Colt and 30 ACP and they all shot perfectly. It appears that the strain screw and mainspring combo Smith puts in the revolver is borderline as far as go or no-go firing. I didn't get a chance to shoot any 410 shotshell out of it and maybe we'll attempt tomorrow to do that. This revolver has such a nice trigger on it and so easy to shoot accurately it is silly. Not really overly excited about the 45 ACP, but they do well enough out of this gun. If I loaded up for self-defense I will put in a couple rounds of 410 000 and the rest Long Colt.

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[one eye joe]

I took my Governor to the range today for its first road test and Come Away with mixed results. First off when it fired it was very accurate and nice to see, but secondly, I am getting light strikes, failure to fire, especially on the 410 shotgun loads. I am getting about 20% failure with the 45lc , and 50% failure with the 410 shotshell. So I brought it home and try to adjust the main string with the strain screw. Come to find out the strain screw was turned all the way, in as far as it will go, so there is no adjustment I can make with it. I did have in my Supply another strain screw from a Smith & Wesson 686 revolver which is a 16th of an inch longer than the stock strain screw, so I put it in to try it. I don't know if this is a good test or not but I primed up 18 rounds of Long Colt and found the point where the rounds were consistently being fired and had a half of turn extra on the screw, and that's where it stands right now. I have done some research online and this appears to be and issue others have had with this gun and some have sent it back to Smith & Wesson and they put a new firing pin and strain screw in they're gun. Looks like I might be calling Smith & Wesson Monday and seeing what they have to say.

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I WOULD CALL S&W, AS YOU PLAN, AND ASK THEM FOR A SHIPPING LABEL. PUT YOUR ORIGINAL STRAIN SCREW BACK IN IT, AND SEND IT BACK. MAKE USE OF YOUR LIFETIME WARRANTY---YOU PAID FOR IT......

 

[one eye joe]

I keep mine next to my side of the bed, ready to go. I've shot 45 LC, 45 ACP and 410 loads thru mine. I even dispatched an ill rabbit with a 410 round. Right now, it is loaded with six rounds of Winchester SXZ 410 (000 buckshot). I even plugged the hole, thanks to Bullseye Smith, and bought round to square butt conversion grip thru S&W's website. I also bought a holster off of the S&W website.

IMHO, ITS AN ATTRACTIVE WEAPON, AS YOU HAVE IT DRESSED OUT, WITH THE S&W GRIPS AND HOLSTER.........

DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE PLUG, AND REPLACE THE IL, IF YOU EVER NEED TO SEND IT BACK TO S&W, FOR SERVICE.....

 

[comiskeybum]

I love my governor and have never had issues with it. When i worked at the gun store I would sometime carry it OWB in the holster I will show pictured. The hornady triple defense round is loaded x4 with Hornady critical defense .45LC x2. It can be hard to clean due to the black color but I always look at revolvers as tools anyway.

 

[Oldfrt]

I have never had any round fail to fire in my governor, and I have done lots of 410's, 45LC and 45 ACP's.

 

[Echo40]

I don't own a S&W Governor, but I do own a Taurus Judge Magnum which serves as my bedside Home Defense firearm. (I would have gotten a Governor, but sadly S&W doesn't offer a "Magnum" variant with a 3" Cylinder.)

Anyone who calls the Judge or Governor a gimmick or a novelty hasn't seen what they can do when loaded with proper ammo like Federal Premium .410 Handgun 000 Buck...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=256aNCB4AVo[/ame]

No other handgun can launch 4 (5 in 3" shells) 9mm/.36 caliber projectiles in a tight pattern with each pull of the trigger for a grand total of 24 (20 out of the Judge, 25 out of the Judge Magnum in 3" shells) with a full cylinder dump.
That's why I always laugh at the Mall Ninjas who try to put down the Judge/Governor by arguing that 5 rounds is insufficient and that a double stack semiautomatic pistol is better. You can't put out that many projectiles anywhere near as fast as you can with a Judge/Governor, much less hope to equal the odds of a one shot stop.