Using the S&W Governor as a self defense weapon ?

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Whitwabit

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Anyone using a Governor for your night stand weapon ?? Or as a varmint pistol out on the farm ??

I've thought of getting a Governor for a varmint gun living here out in the country and for a home defense gun that my wife could use also if needed .. How is the recoil with the 410 shell ?? I've shot a 410 rifle a few years back but that was with 3 inch rounds and they would seem rather stout in a hand gun I would think .. have looked on u-tube but it really doesn't demonstrate how much recoil there is .. and the S&W uses 2 1/2 inch 410 rounds verses the 3 inch rounds in most 410 rifles .. being able to shoot .45 Colt/.45 Auto/.410 I think could be a real advantage ..

At about 29 oz the pistols mass should help with the felt recoil

I like the ability to use any one of three different rounds in the same pistol .. even a mixture of the three different rounds at the same time intrigues me !! But must say I'm not a wheel gun person not owning any presently the last one 30 some years ago .. have had many autos since then ..

Any info would be greatly appreciated !!
 
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Don't have a Govener. I do have a Taurus Judge that was purchased before the Gov. was available it's a 2-1/2" chamber with 3" barrel. At ten yards, the pattern from the buckshot shells is pretty lethal looking. It's been a few years since I've shot it, but as I recall the #4 buckshot patterned better from this particular gun that the discs in the other brand. The .45 Colt rounds shot ok. Really didn't shoot for groups since the PD rounds cost over $1.00 each. Bottom line, at in the house range, the .410 buckshot rounds are certainly appropriate for self defense.
 
Many people poo-poo the Governor and Taurus Judge. I do not. I prefer to have it when I'm a camp host. It's an intimidating firearm by itself and most defensive gun uses don't involve discharging the weapon.

The .410 defensive shells are fairly stout but won't knock you on your butt. I enjoy shooting mine.
 
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Hello, for some reason the gov. Doesn't get much good pr on this forum. I love mine, I got a judge when they first came out, and like it. I sold it the day after I got a governor. It's my yard, farm,tractor, walk in the woods. I reload and love 45LC! Mine is most accurate with 45acp, did I mention I love moon clips! I carry mine in a shoulder bag or owb holster. Go gov. And you want regret.
 
I picked up a Governor specifically as a possible carry piece. With the new Winchester defensive 410 loads, the three wadcutters and load of BB's in each shell should pack a lot of wallop without a lot of risk of overpenetration.
 
If I was going to use the Governor for self defense, I would load it with 45 Colt, probably Speer Gold Dot 250 gr.

A .410 shotgun might be a good choice for small game, I wouldn't want to rely on it to stop human beings and the ballistics don't get any better out of a short barrel.
 
I bought a 3" chamber, 3" barrel stainless Taurus Judge and installed Crimson Trace laser grips. It is used as a nightstand gun and occasionally carried as a snake gun loaded with 3" shotshells.

I bought it as a 3" .410 shotshell handgun. I have other .45 ACP, .45 Colt, and .454 Casull handguns with better rifling than the Judge or Governor for accuracy.
 
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"I've thought of getting a Governor for a varmint gun living here out in the country and for a defensive gun that my wife could use also if needed"


I get quite a few women in pistol classes. Half of them that bring a gun start the conversation with "XXXX bought this gun for me and I hate it." If she likes shooting a large hard kicking gun as her first handgun, she is very unusual. And the implication that it will somehow make up for no training and poor shooting is a common myth; it won't.
 
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I've never owned either, but have been tempted many times to purchase one! However, ANY gun you can shoot accurately, regardless of caliber is the one you want to be using as a personal defense or whatever use you come up with! I keep a S&W Backpacker in 44mag loaded with 44spls as my EDC and night stand gun...so to each their own!
 
OKFC05 said:
"I've thought of getting a Governor for a varmint gun living here out in the country and for a defensive gun that my wife could use also if needed"


I get quite a few women in pistol classes. Half of them that bring a gun start the conversation with "XXXX bought this gun for me and I hate it." If she likes shooting a large hard kicking gun as her first handgun, she is very unusual. And the implication that it will somehow make up for no training and poor shooting is a common myth; it won't.
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You injected all those thoughts as they are not mine !!

I didn't say any thing about lack of training that she has or that it would be the first pistol she has shot .. I didn't say anything other then she would use it also .. As she shoots my 40 Compact and my Sig P229 Legion in 40 S&W .. along with several other pistols and has been shooting for over 40 years I really don't think she would have any more trouble shooting it then you probably would !!!! Maybe even less !!
 
It could suffice as a self-defense weapon, but the same can be said about pretty much any handgun. There are much better choices available. When there are as many naysayers(including nearly every professional defensive shooting instructor) as there are regarding the Governor(and Taurus Judge), I think it wise to take notice as there are likely very good reasons for the opposition even if you don't understand it.
 
Whitwabit said:
You injected all those thoughts as they are not mine !!

I didn't say any thing about lack of training that she has or that it would be the first pistol she has shot .. I didn't say anything other then she would use it also .. As she shoots my 40 Compact and my Sig P229 Legion in 40 S&W .. along with several other pistols and has been shooting for over 40 years I really don't think she would have any more trouble shooting it then you probably would !!!! Maybe even less !!
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Good to know. Then if you both like it, that's the one to get.
 
While I've never owned or shot one, the reason is because I do not "get it" about these types of handguns.

As I guy that owns way more handguns then he could ever need, the reason I've never owned a .410 handgun is because I see it as nothing more then a joke (or as one said much nicer, a "novelty").

But hey, if it floats your boat, go for it.

But I think you need to give a bit more consideration to it's use as a handgun for personal defense.
 
Muss Muggins said:
Good lying around the house pistol. I've got two ACP, a slug, a triple copper disc, and two Long Colt in mine. As for the naysayers, and there will be plenty, I know I don't want to get shot with it . . .
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What kind of groups do you get with that assortment of ammo?
 
I have a governor and it is a lot of fun to shoot at my local indoor range. The 45ACP's are easily controlled one handed I practice both left and right handed with them. The 45 long colt are two hands, they give quite a kick but are manageable. With 410's I shoot only Hornaday slug with 2 35 cal balls at the range, it's what they have in stock and the bullet trap would bounce back anything smaller than 00 buck, it hits a bit harder with the 410's than the 45LC in my opinion.

If you plan on using 410's a lot then a lot of practice in recoil control would be called for.

Currently the Gov has three 410's 3 plates and 25 balls and 3 45LC loaded while it sits ready in a safe.

I like to close out a shooting session with the Gov by a round of 410's, they seem to help clean the gun. My normal pattern with the slug and 2balls at 10 yds is about 4 to 6 inch line going down and to the right.
 
Kanewpadle said:
Just curious, what's the thought process behind the loads?
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Because I can. It's a hallway gun. 20-25 feet max. They'll all go in the ten ring with purpose at that distance. I stage it so the triple disc comes out first. Only thing that gives me trouble is I have to put the two ACP's in a row . . .
 
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Muss Muggins said:
Because I can. It's a hallway gun. 20-25 feet max. They'll all go in the ten ring with purpose at that distance. I stage it so the triple disc comes out first. Only thing that gives me trouble is I have to put the two ACP's in a row . . .
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Interesting. Why do you have to put two 45 ACP in a row? Design? And what's up with the triple disk thing? Is it a hard hitting round?
 
Kanewpadle said:
Interesting. Why do you have to put two 45 ACP in a row? Design? And what's up with the triple disk thing? Is it a hard hitting round?
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think the reason is the 45 ACP's have to use a moon clip because the case is shoulder less .. and the clips come either in a full 6 shot moon clip or a 2 shot partial moon clip .. so you have to load the 45's in multiples of 2 or 6 according to which clip you have .. they come with both and are pretty cheap .. least believe that is the reason(s) ..
 
Whitwabit said:
think the reason is the 45 ACP's have to use a moon clip because the case is shoulder less .. and the clips come either in a full 6 shot moon clip or a 2 shot partial moon clip .. so you have to load the 45's in multiples of 2 or 6 according to which clip you have .. they come with both and are pretty cheap .. least believe that is the reason(s) ..
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This ^ ^ ^ ^. As for the triple disc, it's an interesting option to the 000 buckshot rounds . . .
 
Muss Muggins said:
Good lying around the house pistol. I've got two ACP, a slug, a triple copper disc, and two Long Colt in mine. As for the naysayers, and there will be plenty, I know I don't want to get shot with it . . .
Click to expand...

Sure would seem to make a ballistics analysis, or maybe coroner's analysis interesting, but I really know nothing about that except from TV, movies, and internet discussion !
 
The issue with 410 out of a handgun is the lack of velocity behind all that potentially useful buckshot. Buckshot's light weight means that if you take enough heat off it, it can start to fail, and you might be throwing large numbers of less than effective projectiles. I've never said for sure that the 410 handgun is without merit, but criticism's of it certainly do have merit as well.

As for the discs, I'd say they are completely and utterly in every single way inferior to round ball in reality. Ball and buckshot are virtually even, meaning they resist tumbling and even if they tumble in terminal performance, they are guaranteed to crush nearly identical cavities every time; the short flat disc runs the risk of flipping and presenting a least surface of resistance crush path which can actually minimize its effectiveness, i.e. you shoot a quarter at someone expecting it to crush a quarter size crush cavity but instead it flips sideways and instead cuts a disc path through that does very poor damage, and very little cavitation.

tl;dr Ball and long conical resist flipping at best in terminal ballistics, or in many cases can take advantage of it, whilst the short conical disk is at high risk of being flipped from its most destructive trajectory and face to the least. We don't even have to get into the lack of weight, and obviously it not only suffers from lack of sectional density but also stability.

If you are going to shoot 410 for multiple projectiles, 000 buckshot would appear to be the choice, and copper discs are a very poor choice.
 
My wife likes my 686

OKFC05 said:
"I've thought of getting a Governor for a varmint gun living here out in the country and for a defensive gun that my wife could use also if needed"


I get quite a few women in pistol classes. Half of them that bring a gun start the conversation with "XXXX bought this gun for me and I hate it." If she likes shooting a large hard kicking gun as her first handgun, she is very unusual. And the implication that it will somehow make up for no training and poor shooting is a common myth; it won't.
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A large gun is easier for her to control without a lot of practice since she doesn't shoot that often. She also prefers revolvers, which I think is wise. As for the HD role, it's as good as any. As a camp/trail gun, it would be very versatile whether defense or a varminter. It's like a .500 S&W. If you want one, that's great and if it does a good job for you then that's even better.
 
I do not own either one. I am a revolver guy but these 410/45 from Taurus and Smith seem out of balance with the extra long cylinders.
And just my opinion, both are ugly.
 
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