Governor vs. Judge

[J Rich]

I will be in the market shortly for one of these. I know the obvious differences like 6 vs. 5 shot, .410/45lc/.45acp vs. .410/45lc, and the price diff $100-$200.

I would like others opinions and some other differences I may not know about. Thanks

 

[ken158]

My thoughts are to never buy a gun without considering resale value if I don't like it. I think extra paid for the S&W will put you far ahead in the long run.

 

[Old Fashioned Six Shooter]

I'll be honest in that the #1 difference that I took into consideration when I bought my Governor was the fact that the Governor is a S&W product as opposed to the Judge being a Taurus product. I have never been impressed with the overall quality, action smoothness, or cosmetic fit and finish of Taurus products. I also liked the tritium front sight, the fixed rear notch, the ability to fire .45 ACP in moon clips, the lightweight Scandium frame, and the 6 shot capacity of the S&W.

 

[Coelho]

"the Governor is a S&W product as opposed to the Judge being a Taurus product"

Yep, that about sums it up.

 

[Dragon88]

Judge = Taurus = junk.

Governor = S&W = quality.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

I had a stainless steel Judge chambered for the 3" shells and now have a Governor. While the Judge is slimmer it was quite a bit heavier than the Governor.

Overall the Governor is a much better revolver........

 

[mag318]

Owning both I am of the opinion the Governor is a much better revolver. The quality difference between the two is like night and day, go with the Smith.

 

[rilkil23]

Governor is impossible to find in my local area while the Taurus is everywhere. I will wait for the S&W offering.

 

[Allen-frame]

I now currently own, carry, and shoot my very own Governator.


http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...nor-associates-range-pictures-12-31-11-a.html

I have never even considered owning a Judge, having sold many
and inspected and shot a few at the range.

A knowledgeable gunsmith and salesman at the Miami show this
past weekend compared the two;
A Mercedes to a hyundai.

For its intended purpose buy the Gov. and cry only once.

Allen Frame

 

[chief38]

I have shot both the Governor and the Judge within the last year. I have to say I am not impressed with either one! They are big, bulky, heavy, and hard to conceal. I truly don't understand why so many people buy them. If a shotgun is what they want, then they should get a shotgun which is much more potent, easier to shoot accurately, and probably less expensive. If you want a compact carry gun, there are many many revolvers and pistols better suited to CCW. IMHO the guns in question here try to be a "jack of all trades" and I don't think they accomplish anything really well.

Some of the adds I have seen for the Judge were with attractive slim woman carrying them - yea right! I would like to see how a 120 pound female can carry one of these suckers on her person all day long. I am not in favor of a woman (or anybody for that matter) carrying a firearm in a purse, pocket book, attache case, etc. Too easily misplaced, forgotten, stolen, left in a car or office, etc.

IMHO both of these revolvers are just kind of a marketing ploy to sell more guns. My feeling is that in a few years both the Judge and Governor will be ancient history. It will be interesting to see.

That is my personal opinion, but just the fact that S&W copied the Taurus Judge makes me believe many others disagree with me, which is what freedom is all about.

Chief38

 

[brucev]

Between the two, I'd buy the S&W Governor. For limited use, I think the Taurus Judge would be fine. But I think the materials and care used in producing the Governor would result in the S&W revolver being much more durable and reliable. Additionally it is more versatile in the ammunition that can be used in it. I am not likely to ever buy either one, but that does not matter. There are many people who have and will buy these revolvers. What I might think is irrelevant. What matters is what they think. Cool.

 

[Old Fashioned Six Shooter]

I never understand why everytime someone wants to discuss the Governor (or the Judge for that matter) the naysayers always pop up badmouthing it. If someone is purporting it as the "ultimate combat weapon" sure, we might want to call B.S. But it is what it is...a cool gun that can shoot lots of different rounds including shotgun shells. I didn't buy mine to carry every day for personal protection. But if I did, I wouldn't feel the least bit handicapped as long as I selected my ammo carefully. I also have an American Derringer Model 1 in .45 Colt/.410. And it is cool too. Is it the "ultimate hide-out backup gun?" Well no...but it is a lot of fun at the range to show someone who thinks they've seen and shot everything. We buy a lot of guns because they are cool and fun and most importantly...because we can. If we only bought guns that were practical, we would really be missing out on a lot of enjoyment. If people think the Governor/Judge concept is bad...I'd hate to hear what they would say about the Serbu Super Shorty! Come-on...live a little!

 

[Tyrod]

Lemme see, you come to a S&W forum to ask about a specific S&W vs Taurus gun. What'd you expect? Go over to the Taurus forum and ask the same question. Bet you get a different response.

 

[mc5aw]

The beauty of this forum is that expert advice can be garnered from knowledgeable and experienced S&W enthusiasts. If the Gov is recommended by someone of Allen-Frame's expertise, then it's good enough for me, no questions asked.

 

[Will Carry]

I have shot both the Governor and the Judge within the last year. I have to say I am not impressed with either one! They are big, bulky, heavy, and hard to conceal. I truly don't understand why so many people buy them. If a shotgun is what they want, then they should get a shotgun which is much more potent, easier to shoot accurately, and probably less expensive. If you want a compact carry gun, there are many many revolvers and pistols better suited to CCW. IMHO the guns in question here try to be a "jack of all trades" and I don't think they accomplish anything really well.

Some of the adds I have seen for the Judge were with attractive slim woman carrying them - yea right! I would like to see how a 120 pound female can carry one of these suckers on her person all day long. I am not in favor of a woman (or anybody for that matter) carrying a firearm in a purse, pocket book, attache case, etc. Too easily misplaced, forgotten, stolen, left in a car or office, etc.

IMHO both of these revolvers are just kind of a marketing ploy to sell more guns. My feeling is that in a few years both the Judge and Governor will be ancient history. It will be interesting to see.

That is my personal opinion, but just the fact that S&W copied the Taurus Judge makes me believe many others disagree with me, which is what freedom is all about.

Chief38

Everything you say is true. Yet everyone who owns one of these revolvers loves them and it has been one of the hottest selling guns in the world. I don't understand it but I'm starting to want one. Somebody SLAP ME!

 

[auburn2]

I don't think they accomplish anything really well.

They are both cool, at the very least they accomplish that well. I would also argue that either a judge or governer loaded with 45LC hollow points (or .45 ACP) would be near as good as it gets in terms of a home defense handgun.

I would love to own one, I just have other things, including other firearms I am currently more interested in trading greenbacks for. If I thought they were going away that might change.

 

[halco46]

Governor

My Governor wins by a landslide..goes "Bang" everytime..shoots accurate..easy to conceal with an IWB..No Negative issues at all!. Love it!.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

One comment about the Governor that's neither here nor there.
A couple of weeks ago my wife shot the Governor for the first time and when I handed it to her she held it up in her hand and looked at it closely before saying, "This gun looks scary."

She shot it, she liked it and found out that it wasn't as scary as she thought it was......

 

[J Rich]

Thanks for the input. While I do sence a few bais opinions, its to be expected. Whice ever one my wife chooses she wants it won't be for everyday carry, its more for fun.

One other question the judge comes in many models like, barrel lengths, and frame materials. Does the governor come in different barrels, and frames.

Thanks for the info.

 

[AABEN]

I think the Governor is 6 rounds ? the Judge 5 rounds ?