S&W Governor? Gimmick or Good Idea?

[Dog Soldier]

Mavracer, Sorry I don't consider the .410 an elk or moose load. These are self defense rounds at close range. "playing fast and loose"? Which means what?

 

[mavracer]

These are self defense rounds at close range

They are too inaccurate, inconsistent and lack penetration for consistent performance. I'll take plain old 250 SWC out of my smaller lighter 44 bulldog all the time.

 

[Joezilla]

Here's an interesting video test that someone conducted using Federal Premium Home Defense 000 buck at various distances using the Governor...



.
.

That shows that the Fed Premium 000 ammo patterns pretty good out of the Governor. I don't have one and probably won't get one unless I win the lottery, but it is an intriguing firearm.

Joe

 

[Dog Soldier]

Mavracer, Is that "Fast and loose"?

 

[JFrame]

Here's an interesting video Jerry Miculek made of different .410 shells fired from a Governor.

His test of the .410 Federal Premium 4-shot 000 buckshot on ballistic gelatin (at 5 yards) takes place at about the 6:00 mark. The pattern was under 2 inches with an average penetration of 12 to 13 inches.



.

 

[mavracer]

No Dog a 250gr SWC from a 44 special would be the "hard and fast" definition of "has worked"

 

[35 Whelen]

My buddy brought his Judge to the house to shoot. With .410 shot loads, it was a joke. We didn't try any 45 Colts, but I'd expect similar results. As far as a snake gun, I can tell you from having killed dozens of diamondbacks with 3" and 4" .38 Specials stoked with shot capsules that a 45 Colt or .410 load would offer nothing extra besides recoil and noise.

I can see but one legitimate use for the revolver and that would be home defense. Especially for those who aren't proficient with a handgun. Stoke the thing with .410 buckshot and one has the ability to unleash a lot of .375" lead projectiles in a short period of time. Before someone points out velocity loss in the short barrels, I'd remind y'all that legions of men were killed with C&B revolvers in the Civil War and during the taming of the West.

35W

 

[mavracer]

I'd remind y'all that legions of men were killed with C&B revolvers in the Civil War and during the taming of the West.

Of course the vast majority died well after the fight was over usually from sepsis.

 

[RPRNY]

Just finished watching a Hickok45 video on the S&W Governor. Hickok admits at first he dismissed it as yet another gimmick. But as the video proceeds you can tell he really like this puppy.

And in another of his walk-in-the-woods videos, he's REALLY enjoying the Governor.

Any opinions based on experience?

The Governor was introduced to compete with the popular and commercially successful Taurus Judge. The reason the Taurus Judge was developed: somewhat odd firearms laws in Brazil, problems with car-jackings, and the threat to members of the judiciary!

The original Judge was not offered (and I believe cannot be offered in Brazil) in 45 Colt. But a 410 shot shell smoothbore was legal. It was designed as a defensive weapon chiefly for car-jackings. Given the restrictions in place and the need, it seems to have been a good design. The addition of rifling in the barrel for the US market (to address our unique firearms laws) made it a bit odder perhaps. The development of a number of different 410 loads and 45 colt loads for the Judge and Governor seems to have made the proposition somewhat more viable.

Who's to say? One man's gimmick is another man's pet.

 

[MartinS]

"Of course the vast majority died well after the fight was over usually from sepsis."

A world without antibiotics will do that.

 

[RealGun]

My buddy brought his Judge to the house to shoot. With .410 shot loads, it was a joke. We didn't try any 45 Colts, but I'd expect similar results. As far as a snake gun, I can tell you from having killed dozens of diamondbacks with 3" and 4" .38 Specials stoked with shot capsules that a 45 Colt or .410 load would offer nothing extra besides recoil and noise.

I can see but one legitimate use for the revolver and that would be home defense. Especially for those who aren't proficient with a handgun. Stoke the thing with .410 buckshot and one has the ability to unleash a lot of .375" lead projectiles in a short period of time. Before someone points out velocity loss in the short barrels, I'd remind y'all that legions of men were killed with C&B revolvers in the Civil War and during the taming of the West.

35W

The little bit of pattern spread with shot loads does not make up for a lack of skill in shooting the gun or being too excited to aim, sight, and squeeze properly. Nicking someone with one of the pellets is probably not going to get the job done, but it might provide time to make a more careful shot.

 

[35 Whelen]

Of course the vast majority died well after the fight was over usually from sepsis.

I'd love to know your source of this information. I've read/studied quite a bit of Texas history and the issunce of C&B revolvers, even the archaic Colt Paterson, were profound game changers for The Texas Rangers in their battles against the Comanche Indians.
Besides, who cares if/when they die, so long as they're incapacitated.

35W

 

[mavracer]

I'd love to know your source of this information.

I myself have read quite a bit of Texas history and US civil war.

I've read/studied quite a bit of Texas history and the issunce of C&B revolvers, even the archaic Colt Paterson, were profound game changers for The Texas Rangers in their battles against the Comanche Indians.

It wasn't the power it was the repeating part.

Besides, who cares if/when they die, so long as they're incapacitated.

Well because most folks who die of sepsis wouldn't be incapacitated for a couple days when they start getting sick.

 

[35 Whelen]

I myself have read quite a bit of Texas history and US civil war.

Good. Then it'll be easy for you to quote your sources.

It wasn't the power it was the repeating part.

Exactly, and you just affirmed my point, firepower. And speaking of that, one of these revolvers cylinders loaded with 2 1/2" 4 ea. 000 buck loads sends 4 projectiles with each pull of the trigger. What's not to love?

Well because most folks who die of sepsis wouldn't be incapacitated for a couple days when they start getting sick.

You're grasping at straws now.

35W

 

[mavracer]

Googled "civil war sepsis" got 3.5 million hits, most use 2/3rds as the number of deaths that didn't occur on the battle field but from disease afterwards.

 

[buck460XVR]

Who's to say? One man's gimmick is another man's pet.

Exactly. What's a Mare's Leg? How about Pistol grip shotguns and thumb-hole stocks on Turkey guns. How about those odd ball cocking serrations on some 1911s and fancy engraving on a B-B-Q gun? NAA derringers? How about the pointy red tips on handgun ammo, or even the names of some SD ammo?The gun world has always had designs/accessories that many called gimmicks, while others were endeared with 'em. To each their own, who cares as long as it works for you and trips your trigger. While I don't own a Judge or Governor and don't care to, I know folks that do. Unlike some here, I think no less of them because of their choice of firearms. Instead, I appreciate the fact there are so many choices out there and there are others that like me, are enamored with the shooting sports.

Dumbest thing ever? Seems they sell and make money. As a S&W stockholder, I see nuttin' dumb about it.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Dumbest thing ever? Seems they sell and make money. As a S&W stockholder, I see nuttin' dumb about it.

I stand by what I said, it is just about the dumbest and most useless pistol S&W has ever made. I cannot imagine carrying one of those ridiculous things anywhere when a more compact 357 Magnum would do the same job. One will never make it into my safe.

However I will grant you that when I toured the S&W factory a few years ago I saw bins and bins full of frames in various states of completion for the things. So obviously somebody likes them. I see guys oogling them at gunshows all the time. I would be curios to know how many of them actually get brought out and shot very often.

 

[kozak6]

I think the only thing the Judge is good for is as a .410 AOW alternative, which is an amazingly narrow use. I would think it would be so narrow there wouldn't be a market for it, but here we are. That, or if you have some particular hankering for a huge, heavy, and expensive dedicated snake pistol.

And like any other defense shotgun, if you are going to fire shot, it needs to be buckshot for it to be effective. Which it can be, as Federal's 000 buck is no joke. Anything else doesn't offer enough penetration and/or spreads too much.

If it turns out you just want a .45-ish caliber revolver and don't really need some silly .410 AOW analog, the $700+ you'd spend on a Governor will give you some options.

 

[RealGun]

I stand by what I said, it is just about the dumbest and most useless pistol S&W has ever made. I cannot imagine carrying one of those ridiculous things anywhere when a more compact 357 Magnum would do the same job. One will never make it into my safe.

However I will grant you that when I toured the S&W factory a few years ago I saw bins and bins full of frames in various states of completion for the things. So obviously somebody likes them. I see guys oogling them at gunshows all the time. I would be curios to know how many of them actually get brought out and shot very often.

Actually, a "compact" 357 Magnum is a dumb idea, requiring custom ammo or use of only 38 Special. Suits many people, I suppose. I own three such guns that just sit in my safe, with my Judge close by.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Actually, a "compact" 357 Magnum is a dumb idea, requiring custom ammo or use of only 38 Special. Suits many people, I suppose. I own three such guns that just sit in my safe, with my Judge close by.

Perhaps I should not have used the word 'compact'. A Model 27 is a full sized 357 Mag and it is much smaller than the Judge. I cannot imagine carrying the Judge in any sort of holster comfortably and the Model 27 will do everything the Judge claims to do. .410 shotshells in a revolver are ridiculous.

But what do I know.

 

[RealGun]

Perhaps I should not have used the word 'compact'. A Model 27 is a full sized 357 Mag and it is much smaller than the Judge. I cannot imagine carrying the Judge in any sort of holster comfortably and the Model 27 will do everything the Judge claims to do. .410 shotshells in a revolver are ridiculous.

But what do I know.

I think the 3" cylinder is bizarre looking. I like my 2 1/2" cylinder, 3" barrel. I find it carries nicely in Galco's DAO specific to that gun and worn as the cross draw option. It then is also reachable when seated in a vehicle, ready for that car jacking fantasy.

My Judge mates with a .410 Coach Gun, now strapped Sicilian style (not shown). I have also since added Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips.

 

[mag318]

Lehigh defense has a unique solid copper 45 Colt load with a projectile that is so long you can only use it in the Governor or Judge. I have shot this load and it is impressive to say the least.

 

[RealGun]

Lehigh defense has a unique solid copper 45 Colt load with a projectile that is so long you can only use it in the Governor or Judge. I have shot this load and it is impressive to say the least.

I have some of those, but at that price I would only shoot them at a live, deserving target.

That would be a good one for hickok45, if he hasn't done it already. It has been out for a while now.