Posted: 3/21/2026 7:44:19 PM EDT
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Picked up a used Governor today for a good deal. Had one a couple of years ago, but traded it off before I could ever shoot it. I know it doesn't shoot 45ACP all that well and the shotgun stuff has limited use...snakes of the reptilian and homosapien variety up close and personal. So, I was really thinking of it as a 45 Colt Scandium framed revolver...until I measured the cylinder throats....462!!!! How in the heck is this going to shoot 45 Colt worth a damn? I guess at the end of the day, it really is just a little shotgun. Anyone discover otherwise with theirs? Is it better with .410 or 45 Colt? 
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| I think it’s designed for the person who really isn’t a gun guy, but wants to be able to shoot snakes & have a home defense pistol. It’s not the best at anything but it has its place. In Texas if you fish then poisonous snakes are a concern…. (not so much where I am). For someone who doesn’t shoot often a 22 isn’t their choice for snakes if they can use 410 shot shells. 45LC has a long history of preventing bad guys from getting to you. Revolvers can be loaded and placed in the drawer of the bedside table and left there for years. For snakes a garden hoe may be a better tool and for bad guys a semi auto pistol may be a better tool. But there are people out there who do not want a high capacity semi auto. |
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Well shoot, op, I picked one up today too! $500 used was too good of a deal to pass up. Attached File I’ve been thinking it’d be a good car gun, and if you needed to defend yourself against someone trying to break open your window. Mixed shot 410 to their face would ruin their day. Otherwise, it’s fun to plink with just like any other gun. And 410 from a handgun is cool. |
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| My Governor shoots 45 ACP better than my long gone 325 Nightguard. Out to 25 yards it shoots comparable to my 625. 45 Colt midrange and cowboy loads shoot just as well. I bought mine on a whim many years ago when the 410 defense ammo was plentiful and relatively cheap. I tested it all out just for fun and realized that it was no joke. The buckshot and #4 loads are what I keep it loaded with as a house gun. |
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Attached File A useful setup for whatever might come along. Just one of many things I have around. |
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Originally Posted By Scooter1942: Picked up a used Governor today for a good deal. Had one a couple of years ago, but traded it off before I could ever shoot it. I know it doesn't shoot 45ACP all that well and the shotgun stuff has limited use...snakes of the reptilian and homosapien variety up close and personal. So, I was really thinking of it as a 45 Colt Scandium framed revolver...until I measured the cylinder throats....462!!!! How in the heck is this going to shoot 45 Colt worth a damn? I guess at the end of the day, it really is just a little shotgun. Anyone discover otherwise with theirs? Is it better with .410 or 45 Colt? https://i.imgur.com/WF1JOfR.jpeg You've discovered the primary issue with .410 revolvers that technically can shoot 45.  It's a cool range toy though at the very least. And maybe it's not that bad once you put some rounds on paper. |
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Not long after I learned of the S&W Governor, I began to look for one for sale from a local source (DFW Texas). I wanted it for a snake gun and because I had a good supply of .45acp and liked the idea of full moon clips and 2 and 3 round clips to have a mixed .410/.45acp cylinder. I found one in early 2013 and paid full retail to get it. I usually never pay full retail for a gun! I liked the concept of the Taurus Judge, but I never would consider buying a Taurus... at any price! I am very happy with mine and never desired to shoot it for .45acp or .45 "long" Colt groups at 25 yards. I see it as a spitting range revolver. Funny thing... I have killed two snakes on my property... with a small number of well placed .177 pellets from my Webley Beeman Tempest. ETA... I have a verified kill of a field mouse at 7 feet behind a cabinet in my kitchen. The woman of the house voted down my idea of taking the mouse to a taxidermist. Go figure! Attached File |
So... I find comfort in the fact that if Trump has to work so hard to go to Heaven, then there is a shit load of Democrats that have no f-cking chance to go anywhere but HELL. Sometimes it is entirely appropriate to kill a fly with a sledge-hammer.
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I find it to be a surprisingly handy revolver. And it's well made. Winchester makes defense 410 shells. I run every other one of those and a 45 colt. Believe it or not it's not the most inaccurate thing I have ever shot and steel targets at 25 are a breeze as long as you don't want to place your hand over the group. |
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Originally Posted By Scooter1942: Picked up a used Governor today for a good deal. Had one a couple of years ago, but traded it off before I could ever shoot it. I know it doesn't shoot 45ACP all that well and the shotgun stuff has limited use...snakes of the reptilian and homosapien variety up close and personal. So, I was really thinking of it as a 45 Colt Scandium framed revolver...until I measured the cylinder throats....462!!!! How in the heck is this going to shoot 45 Colt worth a damn? I guess at the end of the day, it really is just a little shotgun. Anyone discover otherwise with theirs? Is it better with .410 or 45 Colt? https://i.imgur.com/WF1JOfR.jpeg I’d probably have a hard time not taking that price too. It’s really more of a kit gun to me. Doesn’t really do anything well. But if you understand its limitations it does have some values. I view it more like a snake gun. But my J frame 38 with CCI snake shot does okay. A full blast of 410 shotshell will do better. Hiking in certain areas I will always bring that 38. With 2 shotshell shells and then 3 38+Ps to back it up. |
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| I always thought it would make a good multi-purpose vehicle gun. Birdshot, buck shot, slug, .45 Colt. Someone tries to jack you at a stop light, give them a face full or Buck or Bird. I used to have one, but now just have a Taurus Judge. I carry it when I'm setting-up targets in the desert as a snake gun. Probably also a good property/yardwork/tractor gun for snakes, rodents, wild dogs, fools, etc. |
| My son has one and I actually like it myself. It's nice to be able to shoot 45 acp, as that is what we primarily shoot out of it with some 410 on the side. He was looking at the Taurus version but from what I have read they are not very good and not able to shoot 45 acp. |
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Mine shoots .45 ACP just fine. Accuracy is good. The problem is the trigger is incredibly heavy and you can't really fix it if you want the thing to still reliably ignite shotgun primers. It has to have a pretty heavy hammer spring for that. As far as defensive 410 shotgun shells go the Hornady Cock & Balls variant would be my choice. It has a FTX projectile that engages the rifling and two lead balls behind it. It's also not as arthritis-inducing as the Winchester PDX shells. I wasn't terribly impressed with bird shot as it ends up hitting in a donut pattern, at least with what I tried. |
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The whole Judge?govenor thing has always struck me as a very goofy kind of gun with silly balance. I have to believe many folks bought them for a self defence gun that they didn't have to aim and I believe they might be very disapointed with the end performance. Could be a decent pest gun around a farm or whatever, I am kind of happy with my Charter Arms 44sp . Trigger and action is pretty rough but with the short barrel it shoots 44sp shotshells pretty good at pests and with regular 44sp loads it should handle bigger varments . really is a pocket sized gun that carries a lot of value to me. I believe I grabbed it from the used case at my local shop for $275 I am a s&W fanboy but the govoner just doesn't get me excided but then I am a cheap SOB so I suppose if I came across a real cheap one I might consider it. |
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These would be cool. mag tech makes brass shells if you reload. Just never found a good purpose for guns like this, had a judge and a bond derringer, eventually sold them Attached File |
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An aquantaince of mine who owns acreage in N Central AZ but worked a few years out of state came home to an inordinate (like stupid number even for his area) of rattlesnakes, inside the house, outside the house, same with all of his outbuildings. He bought a Governer and a load of ammo. I've killed many snakes with .22 shot shells as a 12-15 year old it works well, many with 38, 45 acp, and now 44 shotshells/12 & 16 gauge and never found any wanting but he claimed the 410's up close were really effective. He carried the Governer at 3 o'clock on the belt all shotshells and a 9mm semi in a shoulder holster. For months he did that till he figured the house was clear. Still does the same when going outside. I'm up to my neck in lion/snake country, but my daily driver is a 44 mag with 1 (or 2) shot shells up first, Not that the 22's, 38's, 45 acp's didn't do the job. There's a 1950's K-22 masterpiece at the back door that every family member can grab if a rattler is snuggled up under the drivers door and they need to get to work  There's also a SXS 16 gauge if they aren't up against the house or under a vehicle.I can say that "dead", very dead snakes who've been head shot with 22/38/45acp shotshells will often writhe about as if still living (but not) for quite some time. The threat is gone, the creepiness remains. 16/12 gauge removes ALL doubt. 44 shotshells in my experience fall right in the middle of the 45 acp to 12 gauge range. They are noticably more violent than the 45's that have killed many snakes here. My friend with the Governer says he gets instant, total results from those 410 shells. |
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Originally Posted By Scooter1942: Picked up a used Governor today for a good deal. Had one a couple of years ago, but traded it off before I could ever shoot it. I know it doesn't shoot 45ACP all that well and the shotgun stuff has limited use...snakes of the reptilian and homosapien variety up close and personal. So, I was really thinking of it as a 45 Colt Scandium framed revolver...until I measured the cylinder throats....462!!!! How in the heck is this going to shoot 45 Colt worth a damn? I guess at the end of the day, it really is just a little shotgun. Anyone discover otherwise with theirs? Is it better with .410 or 45 Colt? https://i.imgur.com/WF1JOfR.jpeg |
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I don't have a use for one but I certainly don't think they are useless or stupid. It's slightly wierd when people who live in urban areas condemn firearms as "stupid" just because it's not suitable for their suburban block or in their cubicle at work. My work truck always has a (besides my sidearm) 12 gauge and a scoped rifle, those coyotes are NOT going to kill themselves on my 45 minute to 1 hour commute, on dirt roads
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Originally Posted By Jupiter7: These would be cool. mag tech makes brass shells if you reload. Just never found a good purpose for guns like this, had a judge and a bond derringer, eventually sold them https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/423396/IMG_3487_jpeg-3735114.JPG I kinda want a few boxes just because. |
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Originally Posted By Jupiter7: These would be cool. mag tech makes brass shells if you reload. Just never found a good purpose for guns like this, had a judge and a bond derringer, eventually sold them https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/423396/IMG_3487_jpeg-3735114.JPG I have heard of some reloaders using .444 Marlin cases and loading to midrange .45Colt levels and getting good results. Sort of a "stronger .410 brass hull slug" kind of experiment. But yeah, IF i had one of the .410 revolvers, I would probably use brass hull .410 slugs or shot loads. If for nothing else, because they look cool. |
| They work for very short range hunting. IMO they are a decent survival pistol, but not much else. I mean you can load it with 45LC for Bear Protection or hunting larger game. You can load if with bird shot for protection from snakes, hunting small game at close range. |
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Originally Posted By RogueSpear2023: They work for very short range hunting. IMO they are a decent survival pistol, but not much else. I mean you can load it with 45LC for Bear Protection or hunting larger game. You can load if with bird shot for protection from snakes, hunting small game at close range. I really haven't seen anyone post patterns from a Judge, a Governor, or from a Bond Arms Derringer. Nor have I seen a target shot w/ .45 Colt or .410 slugs from one of those that I can think of. |
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I don’t buy S&W because of their ‘Hillary Holes’. Even The the Governor has one. I kind of want the Taurus Judge Public Defender in stainless. When I went to buy one a year or so ago, it didn’t feel like $500-$650 worth of gun depending the plastic or metal frame. The fiber optic site looked insultingly cheap as shit. The orange ‘fiber optic’ tube kind of slid back and forth within the housing. The employee brought another one out and same thing. I asked if all of them are like this and he was like “uhh yea I guess”. If the price were negotiable I’d have offered a firm $300 for the stainless model. I may end up getting one, there are just another guns on my list first now. I think it would make a great bedside defense point and shoot gun. Back to The Governor…… it’s $900! I just picked up a freaking Colt Python for not to much more than that. 😂 |
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Originally Posted By CockySC99: I don’t buy S&W because of their ‘Hillary Holes’. Even The the Governor has one. I kind of want the Taurus Judge Public Defender in stainless. When I went to buy one a year or so ago, it didn’t feel like $500-$650 worth of gun depending the plastic or metal frame. The fiber optic site looked insultingly cheap as shit. The orange ‘fiber optic’ tube kind of slid back and forth within the housing. The employee brought another one out and same thing. I asked if all of them are like this and he was like “uhh yea I guess”. If the price were negotiable I’d have offered a firm $300 for the stainless model. I may end up getting one, there are just another guns on my list first now. I think it would make a great bedside defense point and shoot gun. Back to The Governor…… it’s $900! I just picked up a freaking Colt Python for not to much more than that. 😂 Smith is slowly introducing new models w/o the Hillary Hole. |
I sell firearms produced by the finest child labor in the world, be it Filipino, Muslim, Mormon, Arizonan, or Texan.
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Originally Posted By backbencher: Smith is slowly introducing new models w/o the Hillary Hole. Originally Posted By backbencher: Originally Posted By CockySC99: I don’t buy S&W because of their ‘Hillary Holes’. Even The the Governor has one. I kind of want the Taurus Judge Public Defender in stainless. When I went to buy one a year or so ago, it didn’t feel like $500-$650 worth of gun depending the plastic or metal frame. The fiber optic site looked insultingly cheap as shit. The orange ‘fiber optic’ tube kind of slid back and forth within the housing. The employee brought another one out and same thing. I asked if all of them are like this and he was like “uhh yea I guess”. If the price were negotiable I’d have offered a firm $300 for the stainless model. I may end up getting one, there are just another guns on my list first now. I think it would make a great bedside defense point and shoot gun. Back to The Governor…… it’s $900! I just picked up a freaking Colt Python for not to much more than that. 😂 Smith is slowly introducing new models w/o the Hillary Hole. Tempting! |
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Originally Posted By backbencher: I really haven't seen anyone post patterns from a Judge, a Governor, or from a Bond Arms Derringer. Nor have I seen a target shot w/ .45 Colt or .410 slugs from one of those that I can think of. Originally Posted By backbencher: Originally Posted By RogueSpear2023: They work for very short range hunting. IMO they are a decent survival pistol, but not much else. I mean you can load it with 45LC for Bear Protection or hunting larger game. You can load if with bird shot for protection from snakes, hunting small game at close range. I really haven't seen anyone post patterns from a Judge, a Governor, or from a Bond Arms Derringer. Nor have I seen a target shot w/ .45 Colt or .410 slugs from one of those that I can think of. I have a Governor somewhere, I need to make a range trip and take photos. Haven’t loaded any 45 Colt, no dies for it… but maybe I can figure out something. |
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Here's a completely scientific and rigorous evaluation of ammo grouping in my S&W Governor. The players are Federal Personal Protection #000 Buckshot, WInchester #6 shotshells, and some Magtech Cowboy Action .45 Colt that someone gave me years ago. All shots were taken at 15 yards, which I would say is a fair practical range for this application. Target was 36" x 36" cardboard.  Winchester #6 shot - Aiming point was center of target. As you can see, the shot was spread pretty evenly over the entire target.  Federal #000 Buckshot - Aiming point was center of target. Pretty fair pattern, although I can't be sure what happened to the 4th pellet (possibly it passed through the one of the other holes? I like to think so, anyway) This was advertised as 850 FPS on the box.  Magtech .45 Colt - Aiming point was green dot. Again pretty fair group. This was pretty slow ammo, I doubt it's much more than 650 FPS though I didn't chrono it. With faster ammo, it's likely the hits would be closer to the point of aim.  TL;DR summary: At 15 yards, the Federal 000 buck and 45 Colt would be effective on man-sized attackers. Though only moving at about 850 FPS, there's a lot of hate headed your way if someone empties a cylinder of this buckshot on you. The #6 shot doesn't seem good for much more than giving you a rash at 15 yards. For use on snakes and similar small critters, I'd like to be within 7-10 yards to have a fair chance of this ammo doing much good. |
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