The Governor??

fcolins357 · Jun 9, 2011

Question for you folks; have any of you folks seen the new S&W Governor? Any thoughts on this particular revolver?
I love the idea of several ammo options on one gun frame. I don't know about the moon clip thing for the .45 acp though? The Taurus 9mm revolver I had had a moon clip and I hated it! It didn't seem to hold the rounds very well. But I loved the fact of shooting 9 mm rounds in a revolver and my auto-loader!
So, I'm anxiously waiting to see one of these little puppies up close and personal!
A .410 shotgun shell, a .45 long colt AND an acp, WOW!!

mes227 · Jun 10, 2011

fcolins357 said:
Question for you folks; have any of you folks seen the new S&W Governor? Any thoughts on this particular revolver?
I love the idea of several ammo options on one gun frame. I don't know about the moon clip thing for the .45 acp though? The Taurus 9mm revolver I had had a moon clip and I hated it! It didn't seem to hold the rounds very well. But I loved the fact of shooting 9 mm rounds in a revolver and my auto-loader!
So, I'm anxiously waiting to see one of these little puppies up close and personal!
A .410 shotgun shell, a .45 long colt AND an acp, WOW!!

I pick up mine tomorrow. There are a couple of detailed threads on other forums showing detailed photos and some range results. I'm buying mine as a plinking toy - I think its a great choice for that. I think it's ok for SD, but there are better choices (and it's too bulky for a regular carry piece). I think it's over-rated for much else though a few have posted reviews about using the Judge as a ranch/fence-line gun which makes some sense). I used to think the Judge was a bad idea, but the more I read and the more range videos I say the more I warmed to the idea. And I love the multi-caliber aspect - both for plinking and as part of my bug-out kit.

And I do think the Governor has bested the Judge by a wide margin - front tritium night sight, 6 rounds v. 5, scandium frame, S&W quality and 3 calibers. It's not available in 3" chamber but honestly I wouldn't want that, makes a bulking gun more bulky and totally unbalanced. As to moonclips, I have 4 other revolvers that use moonclips: M610 (10mm/.40), 625JM and 625 Night Guard (both .45 acp) and Dan Wesson .460 Rowland/.45 acp. The moon clips take a little getting used to but have some advantages, mostly very quick reloading. You really need to invest in a mooning-demooning tool if you're going to use them much, but that's a minor investment and a huge convenience. That said, I also shoot .45 Auto Rim so that I have the option of not using moonclips (which will also work in the Governor).

DeadWhiteGoose · Jun 10, 2011

Can't get em out here in California I'm pretty sure. I was told they treat them like a short barrel shotgun because of the .410 loads. Lame

xrmattaz · Jun 10, 2011

I want one, now.

Never felt the need or saw the usefulness before, but watching Jerry Miculek yesterday, on one of those TV gun shows, put 6 rounds of the latest/greatest .410 self defense loads on a target in 1.2 seconds intrigues me. Made a big 'ol mess out of that paper target, anyway......

I like Scandium. My 329PD is my favorite daily carry, and a superb .44 Special.

Saving my pennies.

H Richard · Jun 10, 2011

I have fired the Governor and the Judge and I can honestly say I prefer the Governor. For the use it was intended, you don't want a 3" chamber, it makes the gun too big and it is more difficult for women to handle. With the loads now developed for .410 handguns, you have quite a selection. The felt recoil is handled well with the Governor, and is very controllable.

.357magger · Jun 10, 2011

My intent is not to start a flame war but...what will this gun do that a .45 colt or .45 acp revolver won't do?

I "get" the birdshot potential for snakes, rats and such but what I don't "get" is the defensive potential of either buck, ball, or disc loads over say a 25 or 625 in either .45 flavor. What's the deal? Not too many issues a solid hit with even a mild .45 colt or acp won't solve.

Not that anyone has to justify another gun purchase, more power to ya and great that we can still do so but I just don't get it.

Holler back.

TAROMAN · Jun 10, 2011

If I had access to a skeet range, it would be fun to try it on flying targets. Beyond that, I'd be hard pressed to really find a niche for it.

Loco Weed · Jun 10, 2011

I have an ultralight Judge which is used only for rogue snakes and I don't plan on replacing it. But... I was in my LGS the other day and they had a Governor which had already been sold. I lusted after it because of the higher quality than my Judge and simply because it was a S&W and I didn't have one. Once they become more widely available I think they'll give the Judge a run for its money.

m657 · Jun 10, 2011

I thought I was enchanted by the idea but in my hand it was not only ugly but ungainly and unbalanced.

To each his own. There's plenty of other items on my list so I won't suffer too badly not lusting for this model.

mes227 · Jun 11, 2011

.357magger said:
My intent is not to start a flame war but...what will this gun do that a .45 colt or .45 acp revolver won't do?

I "get" the birdshot potential for snakes, rats and such but what I don't "get" is the defensive potential of either buck, ball, or disc loads over say a 25 or 625 in either .45 flavor. What's the deal? Not too many issues a solid hit with even a mild .45 colt or acp won't solve.

Well, your point is solid! I have a couple of 625s in both calibers, a Ruger Alaskan in 454c/45c and a Dan Wesson in 460r/45c, two 1911s and now a Governor, so you can say I'm fond of .45s. I don't think the Governor loaded with .410s would be my first choice for SD or HD, but some of the newly-develoed loads are very interesting and I think we're going to see some real innovation in this area.

IMO there seems to be two areas where I think there might be some added value, especially as these SD/HD loads evolve and improve: the spread offered by the speciality loads (like the "discs") gives a home defender, terrified in the middle of the night and with limited experience, a substantially greater chance of connecting with the target (though, admittedly, each disc or pellet has limited stopping power as compared to a .45 acp JHP). And there's much less chance of accidentally killing a neighbor if you live in close quarters. Both are worthy considerations but won't be the right choice for everyone - I'm a reasonably good shot and don't live in close quarters, so my HD guns are an S&W M&P .40 & two 1911s; my hiking carry is either a .41m, a .44m or a .45c with hot loads.

fcolins357 · Jun 11, 2011

I appreciate all who posted responses. Some very good points were made and I respect them all. When my LGS finally receives some of these then I'll be able to see up close how these guys look.
After the "looking" portion, then I'll decide if I could see myself getting one. I don't think I'll get over the allure of different ammo packages on one gun. But hey! What's life without a little diversity?!

scooter123 · Jun 11, 2011

IMO it's an answer to a question that never should have been asked.

Shotshells don't pattern well out of a rifled barrel, so the effective range will be limited, perhaps 10 feet or less. With the reduced charge weight of the 410, you'll have to be very aware of the patterning limitations before relying on it for defense against a critter such as a poisonous snake. As for it's use against larger predators, this isn't a 12 gage handgun and it won't blow an assailant in half, unfortunately there are a lot of customers of these gun with the misconception it will.

As for the 45 LC or 45 ACP, both are very worthy calibers. However, if you compare something like a 625 or 325 NG, to the Judge or the Governor, you'll see why I think it's an uneeded solution. Fact is that you'll be far more likely to carry the 325 NG than the Governor and a gun sitting in a safe at home is pretty useless if you need it somewhere away from home.

bpeddicord · Jun 11, 2011

Governor

I live back in a valley in east Tennessee. The idea of the multi caliber gun like the Governor in indeed intriguing, but for my personal use, I will stick to my S&W 629. Here in these mountains, it isn't uncommon to run into anything from racoons to bears and encountering copperheads and timer rattlers are everyday occurances when you are hiking or walking near my home. I have also run into the occassional odd acting tresspasser on my property. I feel the 629 will handle anything I might encounter. I still may buy one just to plink with. It could turn out to be a fun gun to take to my range.

turbo38gn · Jun 11, 2011

Some funny stuff here, specially the posts about how a 410 is useless for HD... I wouldn't want to get hit by the wad from the 410 let alone the lead.. I'd be willing to bet no one here would wanna get hit by a 410 either...

mes227 · Jun 12, 2011

scooter123 said:
IMO it's an answer to a question that never should have been asked.

Shotshells don't pattern well out of a rifled barrel, so the effective range will be limited, perhaps 10 feet or less. With the reduced charge weight of the 410, you'll have to be very aware of the patterning limitations before relying on it for defense against a critter such as a poisonous snake. As for it's use against larger predators, this isn't a 12 gage handgun and it won't blow an assailant in half, unfortunately there are a lot of customers of these gun with the misconception it will.

Have you seen some of the You Tube videos on the Judge? It patters much better than I had expected.

681ismyfavorite · Jun 12, 2011

since s&w is biting on what taurus beat them to.....they have to add a twist by adding the acp cartridge option......

Stainz · Jun 12, 2011

Of course, a 629/29 has ammo versatility... .44 Russians, .44 Specials, and .44 Magnums. Of course, you can find some .44 Specials at a gun store - Magnums even at discount stores. Try to find .44 Russians!

So, the nod goes to the Governor... not for .45 Colt or .410 shotgun shells - not a wide range of either will be found outside a gunstore. But - .45 ACPs are everywhere - even still at WallyWorld - 250 230gr FMJ in UMC brass bulk packed ~$85. Hard to beat that on a Sunday afternoon. Of course, my wife complains about my 625JM and my similar, but detuned, ball ammo and it's recoil. That Governor is lighter - it will bounce a bit with ball ammo. Still, I will look one over with open eyes... and, probably, a closed wallet... when my local pusher gets one.

Stainz

steamloco76 · Jun 12, 2011

My favorite local gun store received its first shipment of Governors last week. I handled one, got to dry fire it SA and DA and must say it is a VAST improvement over the Taurus Judge clan. The same shop has six Judges of various kinds in stock. All; and I mean all of the Judges have trigger and timing issues now. The Governor had a good, typical S&W trigger, nice fit and satin black finish and decent synthetic grips. The six-shot cylinder really isn't much bigger than the Judge's five hole'r. It is very large though.

I may have to get one to play around with at some point. The 45 ACP capability along with .410 bore could be some range fun. No way I'd carry something as large as the Governor for self protection and for home use, I'll stick with my 12 gage pump. Swack-swack

mag318 · Jun 13, 2011

Each time I have a range session with my new Governor I like it even more. This is a wonderfully versatile revolver and great fun to shoot. Both 45 acp and 45 Colt group tightly shooting to the point of aim. The new defensive shotshells from Winchester and Federal would stop any zombie in their tracks. It will be interesting to see a year from now how this model sells, I personally think it's going to do quite well. Smith & Wesson has hit another home run with the Governor.

Roadranger · Jun 13, 2011

At least, they hit the ball into the outfield. My perception of the 410 revolvers comes from what I have seen or heard in my CCW classes. Some folks seem to think one does not need to aim a shotgun, be it a 870 or a 410 revolver and have bought the Judge for that reason, ie. no training required! I have seen the Judge patterned om B27 targets at 10 feet or so. Very impressive with 4's,6's, and even 71/2's. The buckshot, when aimed right is very impressive also, but less margin for error. Slugs are useless in the 410 revolvers as they weigh less that 100 grains, so use the 45 Colt, and now the 45acp in the Governor. I'd rather see a M25 or M26 in 45 Colt/45ACP with a 5" barrel since we've developed the 2 caliber technology. Bob!!

The Governor??

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