S&W GOVERNOR

Thomasino said:
I have been shooting my governor quite a bit lately and finding the 45 ACP more accurate than I expected. At 21 feet I was keeping a silver dollar size hole in the Target without an issue.....
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Keep that to yourself. Some people like to pretend that anything coming from the barrel of a Governor is harmless and couldn't hit or bust through wet newspaper @ 10 feet away. Don't play with their heads.
 
jughed440 said:
Keep that to yourself. Some people like to pretend that anything coming from the barrel of a Governor is harmless and couldn't hit or bust through wet newspaper @ 10 feet away. Don't play with their heads.
Click to expand...

Yep, apparently the Judge and by extension the Governor is just such a abysmal design that it can bend the laws of physics, thus reducing even otherwise powerful rounds like .45LC/ACP to a virtually harmless state.

Ah, but in reality the design does seem to indeed have one anomalous ability that defies comprehension, and that's the uncanny power to drive certain individuals into a state of irrational anger/disgust so strong that it stupefies even those with a wealth of knowledge/experience with firearms to the point that they make statements about the ballistic performance of ammunition fired from .410/.45 Revolvers which are physically impossible.
 
I bought a Governor several years ago when my LGS received one. I would label it unique rather than any of the other adjectives. It has the Scandium alloy frame and it will shoot .45 acp and .45 Colt as well as 410 shotshells. I have carried it in a Disantis holster as a sidearm when hunting and I do not find the weight bothersome to my 69 year old frame. I load it with Buffalo Bore .45 Colt standard pressure Outdoorsman cartridges. I have a lot of fun with it and again it is a unique handgun in my collection. I would not feel under gunned with the Federal 4 count 000 Buck shotshells although I would more likely use .45 Colt which I reload for Cowboy Action Shooting.
Personally I would never like to be shot with anything including .22 rimfire.
 
Joker18 said:
Yep, and when S&W stop manufacturing it, the Governor's value will rise as a collectible due to the uniqueness of the Scandium frame plus the fact it is a Smith and Wesson.
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Living up to your screen name, I see.
 
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No, he's actually right.

Just look at the MIL Thunder 5, the ancestor of the Governor, its a collector's piece now despite being an ugly firearm by a no-name brand, ergo if the Governor were to go out of production, it's very likely that it could eventually become a sought-after firearm amongst collectors.
 
Federal 000 jam?

Took my new gov to the range a few days ago to shoot a mix of 45 colt,45 acp, and Federal .410 handgun 000. Had a great time 'till I got to my third Federal. After firing, the cylinder jammed and couldn't be opened without a healthy thump against the carpeted shooting bench.

Later I noted that the base of the offending shell had a pronounced bulge over a length of about a 1/16 of an inch. Since then I've loaded the three types of ammo and noted that all seem to have a fair amount of daylight showing between the base of the cartridge or shell and the face of the frame (headspace?)

I'm reluctant to fire the federal again and worse yet to rely on the gov for nightstand security. Thoughts?
 
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ridemgis said:
Took my new gov to the range a few days ago to shoot a mix of 45 colt,45 cap, and Federal .410 handgun 000. Had a great time 'till I got to my third Federal. After firing, the cylinder jammed and couldn't be opened without a healthy thump against the carpeted shooting bench.

Later I noted that the base of the offending shell had a pronounced bulge over a length of about a 1/6 of an inch. Since then I've loaded the three types of ammo and noted that all seem to have a fair amount of daylight showing between the base of the cartridge or shell and the face of the frame (headspace?)

I'm reluctant to fire the federal again and worse yet to rely on the gov for nightstand security. Thoughts?
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Sounds like it needs a trip back to the mothership. Those shells ought to fit snuggly inside of the cylinder with little to no visible light between the rim and the frame.
Granted that I'm basing this on my Taurus Judge Magnum, but the Governor is a clone of the Judge and it's highly unusual for a Taurus to have tighter tolerances than a Smith & Wesson.

At any rate, I would at least call up S&W about the matter because that is most certainly not normal . I've never heard anyone having such issues with Federal .410 Handgun out of a Governor, nor even a Judge or BFR for that matter.
 
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Thanks for the reply. I noticed a couple of errors in my original post:
I was shooting ACP not caps! And the gap in question is 1/16 not 1/6 - jeez that would be a disaster.

Even the 45s are a sloppy fit with plenty of room to slide back & forth between the cylinder and frame (breachface?).

I guess it's going home.
PJ
 
Yeah, even with the corrections you made, it still shouldn't be that loose. In my Judge, .45LC is just a teensy bit loose, just enough that if you tilt the gun back and shake it a bit the cartridges can back out of the cylinder slightly and come into contact with the frame, but even then they don't back out nearly enough to lock up the cylinder nor for the cartridges to bulge when fired.
Granted that the Judge is a slightly different animal from the Governor since they Governor has a larger cylinder for an additional shot and clearance between the cylinder/frame would have to be slightly larger to accommodate the thicker rim of .45 ACP + the Moon Clip, but it still sounds excessive even with that in mind. (Plus the ammo malfunction sort of speaks for itself.)
 
I have been shooting my governor excessively lately, being it's a new handgun and also that it is enjoyable to shoot a variety of an ammo. It has literally been flawless being 100% functional. I enjoy the versatility of the three different rounds it shoots and each has its benefit. For quick reload nothing beats the 45 Auto using the moon clips. As far as the 45 Colt, not much beats it for power with a 250 grain bullet being pushed by a heavy Colt load. Then there is the 410 shotshell self defense ammo that is just flat-out destructive. To me it is a great self defense gun for home which can be loaded up in various ways.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
 
Groo here
If I was going to hike around in the wilderness this is the gun I would
choose.
Three types of ammo,light weight,and makes big holes.
45acp in clips for SD, Hard cast 45colt for woods carry,410 for snakes.
Now, if there is a 410 flare, all done!!!!!.
 
Fill it up with concrete, use it for a doorstop, and get a real gun.

ETA: Same for the Shockwave.
 
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