Some of the best-selling revolvers on the
market now are those that are chambered for the 45 Colt/410
Shotshell combination. These revolvers offer a lot of
versatility as a defensive weapon, and also serve well as a
versatile trail gun, taking small animals and birds for the pot,
and as a handy tool for easily disposing of venomous snakes and
other vermin.
Handguns which shoot shotshells have been
around for several decades, starting with single-shot and
two-pipe break-open handguns from over a century ago;
essentially shortened versions of sporting shotguns. These were
pretty popular until legislated out of production decades ago.
Later, there were some cheap one and two-shot pistols made of
low-quality materials with pretty sloppy workmanship, but they
never gained much popularity. In addition, there are some very
high quality derringers on the market that shoot the 45 Colt/410
shotshell combination, such as the Bond
Arms derringers.
It wasn’t until the Taurus
Judge handguns hit the market about five years ago did the
popularity of the versatile 45 Colt/410 shotshell revolver idea
start to take off. The Judge series has been very successful for
Taurus. They are five-shot revolvers that are available in a
variety of configurations, and they are selling really well,
with many who choose to go armed realizing the advantages of
such a versatile handgun.
Back in January of this year, Smith &
Wesson introduced their new Governor revolver the day before the
SHOT Show in Las Vegas, and I
had the opportunity to fire a few rounds through one, briefly
getting to look over the new sixgun. “Sixgun” is the
appropriate term for the Governor, as its cylinder has six
chambers that accept 45 Colt, 410 shotshell, or 45 ACP
ammunition interchangeably, any one cartridge in all six
chambers, or mixed up as the owner desires.
Naturally, the new Smith is going to be
compared to the Taurus Judge by those considering such a weapon,
and the Governor has enough features to hold its own. Offering
one more cartridge in the cylinder is a twenty percent advantage
for the Governor, and the ability of the new S&W to fire 45
ACP ammo is also a real plus. 45 ACP high performance ammunition
is much cheaper to purchase than is good quality 45 Colt
ammunition, and there is also a much greater selection available
on the market. The Governor comes with full moon clips to allow
six of the 45 ACP cartridges to be loaded and ejected at once,
greatly speeding up the loading process. In addition, the Gov
also comes with two-shot clips, to allow loading the 45 ACP
cartridges in pairs, for those who want to mix up shotshells
with 45 ACP ammunition. Very versatile. This ability of the
Smith to fire 45 ACP is a real advantage, and will be a great
help to shooters who balk at the relatively high price of good
45 Colt ammunition. Looking at prices of both 45 Colt and 45 ACP
ammo online at Luckygunner.com,
I find that 45 ACP ammo can be purchased for around 30 cents per
round for cheap practice ammo, and good defensive ammo can be
had for 55 cents per round. In 45 Colt, the prices are over
twice as much for the cheap plinking ammo, and also over twice
as much for good defensive and hunting ammunition. Also, the
ammo selection is much greater in 45 ACP, and if your range
requires the use of lead-free ammunition, you are out of luck on
45 Colt, but good quality lead-free 45 ACP ammunition is readily
available. Smith & Wesson made a wise decision making the
Governor to fire 45 ACP ammo. Another small advantage of the Gov
is that it can use 45 GAP ammo in the clips as well, as
sometimes this ammo can be found at good prices these days. No
big deal, but it is good to know, just in case you run across a
supply of GAP somewhere. Both 45 ACP and 45 Colt are good
defensive and hunting rounds, but I think that most who buy the
Governor instead of a Model 25 or 625 will do so for its ability
to fire the 410 shotshells.
The 410 offers a lot of versatility in a
revolver. As mentioned above, close-range hunting of birds and
small animals for camp meat is a plus, but most will keep the
Governor close at hand for defensive purposes, and in that role,
the Governor’s ability to quick-load the ACP cartridges and
its ability to fire good defensive ammunition such as the
Winchester PDX1, along with its six-shot capacity make the
Governor an excellent choice for such a revolver.
The Governor is built with a Scandium alloy
aluminum frame. Scandium is a Smith & Wesson proprietary
alloy for lightweight frames, and has proven itself well in
other S&W fighting handguns. Scandium-framed handguns offer
a real weight savings over steel, while still being strong,
tough, and durable. The Governor has a stainless steel cylinder,
and the revolver is finished in a business-like matte black. The
barrel is also stainless, and is finished in its natural color.
Critical specifications are listed in the chart below. Linear
measurements are listed in inches. Weight is listed in ounces.
Trigger pull is listed as pounds of force. DA is the
double-action trigger pull, and SA is the single-action trigger
pull.
Weight |
29.6 oz. |
Overall Length |
8.6" |
Overall Height |
5.5" |
Cylinder Length |
2.55" |
Cylinder Diameter |
1.71" |
Barrel Length |
2.73" |
Trigger Pull DA |
10.25 lbs. |
Trigger Pull SA |
4.4 lbs. |
Barrel / Cylinder Gap |
0.005" |
Chamber Throats |
0.461" |
Compared to the five-shot
Ultra-Lite Judge, the Governor weighs about four ounces
more, with a cylinder diameter that is about two-tenths (.02)
inch larger. The grip on the Governor feels perfect in my hand.
The finger grooves are properly placed, and the synthetic rubber
is well-textured, but not abrasive. It is as if I grabbed a ball
of modeling clay and squeezed it into the perfect grip. The grip
is not overly large, and conceals well, but gives purchase for
all fingers. Any grip that is compatible with a S&W K/L
frame will work on the Governor. The Governor is also available
with the excellent Crimson Trace Lasergrip, which is a good
asset to have in low light. On that topic, the Governor has a
tritium insert in the front sight to assist with accurate shot
placement in low light conditions, which every defensive firearm
should have.
I tried the Governor on various targets using
several brands and types of 45 ACP, 45 Colt, and 410 shotshell
ammunition. I was particularly interested in its practical
accuracy using defensive 410 ammo, such as 000 buckshot and
Winchester PDX1. The Governor can use any 2.5 inch 410 shells,
and I also tried some number four birdshot loads, to check for
patterning for use against venomous snakes and such. The PDX1 is
a very good defensive load, having three flattened lead disks
and twelve BB-sized plated lead shot. At across-the-room
distances, the three disks would impact in one tight, centered
cluster, with the BB shot patterned in a circle around them,
covering roughly the whole chest area on an adult human-sized
silhouette at sixteen feet. Perfect. At the same distance, the
four-shot 000 buck Federal load would tightly cluster, and point
of aim was dead on at that range. The double-action pull
measured heavier than it felt at just over ten pounds, but felt
more like a smooth eight pounds. The single-action pull was
Smith & Wesson crisp. The trigger pulls aided in accurate
shot placement, and I fired all defensive loads in the
double-action mode, as would most likely be used in an unsavory
social situation.
Accuracy with the 45 ACP and 45 Colt
ammunition was better than I expected after measuring the
chamber throats. Being .01 over bullet diameter, I was
concerned, and with some ammunition that concern was justified.
My favorite handload with a 200 grain cast lead bullet, which
performs very well out of most 45 auto pistols, grouped no
better than six inches at twenty-five yards, from a Ransom
Machine rest. However, some other ammo did pretty well.
Buffalo Bore Plus P 230 grain jacketed hollowpoint grouped five
shot clusters into two and one-half inches at twenty-five yards,
and the same brand 230 grain FMJ loads did almost as well, as
did the Cor-Bon 200 grain hollowpoint ammo. My favorite 45 Colt
load for the Governor is the Buffalo Bore standard pressure, low
flash 225 grain full wadcutter load. This bullet has a
full-caliber flat nose, hits hard, and leaves the muzzle of the
Governor at just over 930 feet per second. This is not a Plus P
rated load, and the ammo can be used in any 45 Colt revolver
that is in good condition. Accuracy was also pretty good,
grouping five shots into two and three-quarters inches at
twenty-five yards. Other ammo tested grouped between three and
seven inches. With this revolver, a little experimentation with
different ammo pays off. With all 410 shotshell loads tested,
the Governor performed very well, impacting at point of aim at
all practical ranges for such ammunition.
Reliability was excellent, with no failures
to fire, and no extraction problems, even with the hot Plus P
ammo.
The Governor is a very good, very versatile
weapon, effectively filling the roll of trail and camp gun, home
defense, and defense while out and about. It is light enough to
carry concealed in a good holster such as the Simply Rugged
Sourdough Pancake pictured here. That holster is also very
versatile, with the ability to carry strong side, cross draw,
inside the waistband, or suspended from a Chesty Puller shoulder
rig. For a handgun to keep in the vehicle, it would be hard to
beat the Governor loaded with PDX1 or just number four birdshot.
Even while fighting from a seated position, it would be easy to
give a car-jacker a face-full of trouble.
The tritium night sight makes the Governor
easier to use in low light, but for maximum usefulness from a
variety of awkward positions, I love a Crimson Trace Lasergrip,
so I placed one on the Governor. The Governor is also available
from the factory with the CT Lasergrip, and it is a worthwhile
option. All of my defensive carry guns wear Crimson Trace
lasers. In dim light to total blackness, CT lasers own the
night, and give an advantage to their user. In a fight, I want
every advantage that I get, and a good laser helps me to put
more bullets into the target, faster, with greater accuracy in a
low-light situation.
The Governor is Smith & Wesson’s answer
to the need for a versatile, reliable, powerful, well-built
revolver that can handle a variety of needs, and handle them
well. The S&W Governor is built right, and built in the USA.
Check out the Governor online at www.smith-wesson.com.
For the location of a Smith & Wesson
dealer near you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com.
To order the Governor online, go to www.galleryofguns.com.
To order good 45 Colt, 45 ACP, or 410
shotshell ammunition, go to www.buffalobore.com,
www.theamericanmarksman.com,
and www.luckygunner.com.
To order the Crimson trace Lasergrip, go to www.crimsontrace.com.
Jeff Quinn