The other unique entry for .410 defensive shotshells is Lightfield's Less Lethal 4-Ball Rubber Buckshot. The hard .41-caliber balls fly fast and hit hard, but drop their energy very rapidly to reduce the damage to an assailant or to household materials. This round also produces an exceptionally low level of recoil. The goal is to give home defenders a first-shot option that is in harmony with their local regulations, or to protect other members of the household from over penetration of heavy lead shot through walls. In the Governor, Lightfield’s rubber buckshot produced 8-inch groups at 7 yards.
.410 Slugs
Readers have expressed curiosity about slug performance from .410 revolvers compared to .45 Colt loads, and in the case of the Governor, .45 ACP loads. In short, they don't. Remington and Winchester slugs perform swimmingly from long-barreled smooth-bore shotguns. However, these .41-caliber projectiles rattled down the Governor's short .45 caliber barrel to produce 6- and 7-inch groups at 7 yards, and to wander all over the targets set out at 25 yards. Add to the slug shell’s lack of accuracy a sun-bright flash and loud report, and it's time to move on.
.45 Colt & .45 ACP
Some folks complain that you can't hit the broad side of a barn with .45 Colt loads fired from a .410 handgun. This is an exaggeration, though short-barreled defensive handguns will not produce cloverleaf patterns at 25 yards. Combine a shorter barrel with a longer cylinder, which increases the travel distance of the bullet before it hits the rifling of the barrel, and you are going to lose some performance. This is one of the trade-offs of being able to shoot .410 shotshells in a handgun.
The Governor produced solid defensive accuracy at 7 yards with .45 Colt loads. Groups ranged from 2 inches to 3.15 inches, with the best five-shot averages produced by Winchester's PDX-1 225-grain jacketed hollow points at 2.5 inches. At 25 yards, groups opened up into the 5- to 6-inch range. Once again, the Winchester PDX-1 produced the best five-shot averages at 5.25 inches. This is another reminder that .410 handguns are for short-range defensive applications.
I was curious to find out how the .45 ACP rounds were going to perform. It was interesting to see the shorter rounds produce results that were just as good as the longer .45 Colt loads. Of the .45 ACP loads tested in the Governor, Black Hill's 230-grain jacketed hollow points beat out the competition with 2.25-inch groups at 7 yards, and 5-inch groups at 25 yards. The use of .45 ACP provides less-expensive practice fodder and an important defensive option if .410 shells or .45 Colt become overly expensive or hard to find.
Final Thoughts
As a defensive handgun category, .410-capable revolvers continue to be hotly debated. With only about five years of successful sales behind them, these guns seem to have the same kind of effect on the shooting community as summer blockbusters do on movie goers. Despite the fact that critics reject them, saying they have no redeeming features, shooters keep buying these revolvers hand over fist. Even though the critics don't take them seriously, the demands of .410 revolver fans are just too much for attentive gun manufacturers and ammunition companies to ignore.
If you like the .410 revolver concept then the Smith & Wesson Governor offers another choice with an excellent feature set. This revolver is well made, reliable and it has the Smith & Wesson qualities that revolver fans are looking for. The six-shot cylinder is only ¼ inch wider than the five-shot cylinders of the Judge. That's hardly a sacrifice for an extra shot, a third caliber and night sights, all presented in a package that weighs the same as the Judge standard steel-frame models. The Governor costs around $125 more than the average Judge, but with the added features, it’s well-worth considering.
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Model: GOVERNOR (Z Frame)
Action: Double-Action Revolver
Caliber: .410 2-1/2” Shotshell, .45 ACP, .45 Colt
Material: Scandium Alloy Frame/Stainless PVD Cylinder
Finish: Matte Black
Front Sight: Dovetailed Tritium Night Sight
Rear Sight: Fixed
Grip: Hogue Synthetic Rubber or Crimson Trace Lasergrip
Barrel Length: 2.75 Inches
Overall Length: 8.5 Inches
Height: 5.5 Inches
Weight: 29.6 Ounces
Width: 1.75 Inches
Capacity: 6 Rounds
Twist: RH 1:15"
Rifle Grooves: 6
Other Features: 2-Round and 6-Round Moon Clips Included For Use with .45 ACP
Suggested Retail: $679, With Laser Grip: $899
Check out the S&W Governor Photo Gallery.
