Opinions on the S&W Governor

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PT-92

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Because of the bad economy, I am primarily looking to purchase guns only of which I have plenty of existing corresponding ammo on hand.I have a
major itch​
 for a .45ACP revolver (to reiterate, I have lots of .45ACP on hand) and I have narrowed it down to either the S&W 625 or the Governor. This would be for plinking and just a 'take out to the range' fun kind of gun if you will (possibly a HD weapon at times contingent on the circumstances). There is a substantial difference of almost $300 in price so although I have always lusted for a 625, the price is/has been too steep (difference now is I have some tax return cash on hand). Yet the Governor looks really neat in that it fires three different calibers of ammo (as opposed to the Judge of which I have ZERO .45LC on hand or .410 for that matter).

In essence, do you think the Governor would be a fun range gun and while not on the same accuracy/durability and aesthetics level as the 625 would nevertheless be a worthy purchase for a guy looking for a .45ACP revolver?

Thanks in advance.

*edited to add the price difference is not so significant after all.

-Cheers
 
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Interesting take as compared to the usual 410 super weapon. Maybe SW can cut down the governor cylinder so it only takes 45 LC and ACP. Make it a better size. Call it the Lt. Governor and get rid of the 410, watermelon killing BS.
 
Glenn, what about its use as a .45ACP range gun--Is it ridiculous or somewhat worth considering (I really don't plan on using the 410/45LC side of the gun).

Again, the only reason I am considering this is it might be a little more affordable than the S&W 625.

-Cheers
 
IMHO, you'll be a lot happier with a 625. Since I reload, I use my 625 a lot more than my 1911. The moon clips make case recovery very easy.
 
do you think the Governor would be a fun range gun and while not on the same accuracy/durability and aesthetics level as the 625 would nevertheless be a worthy purchase for a guy looking for a .45ACP revolver?
Click to expand...

OK, I'll say it: Those .45/.410 revolvers are gimmicks, IMO, yet they seem to be selling like hotcakes.

Personal opinion aside, they have what seems to be a well-deserved reputation for poor accuracy, and too may compromises are introduced into a design intended to shoot a .45 & .410, so neither is particularly effective.

I recently shot one and was unimpressed. You may be underestimating your "fun" bar, as most, even shooting "for fun", end up frustrated when the gun clearly doesn't deliver in the accuracy department.

The difference in price is worth it, IMO, so I'd go with the 625 if it were me.
 
I have the performance center 625 chambered in .45 acp, and a 625 mountain gun chambered in .45 colt.

I love the 625 shooting .45 acp, and at our local shoots it's one that is most requested to shoot when we swap around. It has excellent accuracy and the trigger is good even in double action.

Haven't shot the governor yet. I would like to add one to my collection as a novelty, but I don't really expect much in the accuracy department.

If you are looking for accuracy, go with the 625. I am sure you can find a used one out there comparable to the governor.

My two cents.
 
Well, to me the only real advantage of the Governor, if one exists, is the ability to shoot .410 shells for maybe snakes. Having long admired the M-625 I know they are not cheap, but if it were me that is what I would pursue. I understand your desire to shoot .45 cheaply, but wonder if you might be disappointed in the long run.
 
FWIW a recent "Gun Tests" article on the Governor revealed that commercial .45ACP loads chrono'd a good 200+/- fps slower out of the Governor than a M1911. It also delivered groups in the 3"-4" range @ 15yds off a rest; certainly combat-accurate, but not what I would expect from a traditional S&W revolver. I've never met a S&W .38/.45 revolver that wouldn't deliver groups half that size ~15yds using good shooting technique without a rest.

IMHO both of these problems can be attributed to the very long jump the bullet must make to reach the forcing cone.

BTW the Governor will not function with .45 Auto Rim because it headspaces partially from the moon clips so it can also work with .45 Colt and .410. Traditional .45ACP Smiths have a step machined in the chambers to headspace standard .45ACP correctly even without the clips, although the empty cases may have to be punched out of the cylinder one at a time with a tool.

IOW the Governor does NOT meet my general expectations for what I'd want from a .45ACP Smith, although YMMV.
 
I have a 45/410 pistol and the only good thing about is that I can shoot empty milkjugs at 20 feet and dump the shot out when I am done since it cant go through both sides, great for reloading. Also with 45 colt at that low velocity from a short bbl I can usually recover the bullets a couple inches into my dirt backstop and melt them down to cast. :D
For range use and just messing around the campsight it is fun, just dont plan on using it to protect your life.
 
Get the 625. The Governor/Judge guns are so ugly the extra cost is well worth it to not have to look at them.

Seriously, I suspect the novelty of the Governor/Judge guns would wear off quickly and you'd be left with a "wonder why I bought this" gun.
 
Thanks for all of the feedback guys (this site never ceases to amaze me...:)). I agree with the consensus that the 625 is hands down the best option in the .45ACP caliber vs. the Governor--it's just that the price difference is huge (at least for me subjectively speaking). Yet the rewards for 'biting the bullet' so to speak on this one are obvious.

One note is that while reading Gun-Tests review of the Judge vs. Governor, they said that "their sources" indicated that Taurus would soon announce the availability of the Judge with the .45ACP option. In the end they chose the Judge as their recommended choice but have generally good things to say about both.

-Cheers
 
IMHO, and contrary to a few well known gunwriters. I see no use for the Gov or the Judge, unless you want a short range shotgun.
 
Another way of looking at it, is the long term value. Buying the 625 is like money in the bank IMHO.

Maybe used Arnold's will start coming out of the wood work in big discount's.

I'd give a few hundred for one.
 
the use of mandatory moon clips is a deal killer on the governer, so is the short barrel.
however, if you do get the 625 you can still use a pretty little cartridge called the 45 autorim.
 
If you're mainly looking for a .45acp shooter, you should keep an eye out for a used M25 or even a Taurus Tracker in .45acp....the Trackers had a good reputation....
 
" A well deserved reputation for poor accuracy". I don't know about the governor , but that is a totally false statement when refering to the Judge or the Raging Judge. I have shot both guns in all their respective " available rounds" against a Ruger Alaskan in the .454 and a Blackhawk in the .45LC and find both Judges to be pretty much the same against another with close to the same length barrel, especially with the Raging Judge and the same length barrel for the most part as the Alaskan. But of course less accurate with the shorter barrel of the Judge, but not any more so than the short barreled Smith .357 and the short barreled Tracker .44mag with .44 special loads I shot it against. So I will respectively , speaking from experience , disagree with that statement and I'm sure a lot more Judge owners or people who have had a lot of experience with them, will as well!
 
IMHO, this pistol and the Judge are one of those "cool" ideas that really isn't practical. They'll big, heavy, and shoot none of the three calibers well...just adequately. A long time ago this same pistol was a momentary rage in the gun mags; the Thunder 5, I believe it was called. Shot 45's and .410, was heavy as hell, and inaccurate. Died a natural death, as will these guns.
 
The Smith Governor and the Taurus Judge line are built a lot better than the old Thunder fives were and are way more accurate. They have a following that the Thunder Five never had, and with Taurus upping the anti by introducing new models every few years, whether you like them or not or whether you think they adequately serve a purpose or not, their popularity continues to rise. People are learning to make decisions for themselves by actually shooting these guns instead of reading articles posted by opinionated people, most of whom have never even held one in their hand much less shot one. And undoubtably just as I do, they like they way they perform and have fun shooting them. I don't think they will be going anywhere, at least not in the forseeable future.
 
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