S&W Governor .410 Slugs Ballistic Test VS .40 S&W 

Thank you

I just thought about it, that I think it is possible that the broken chronograph might still "work". It has a 1/4" jack that plugs into a phone and runs on an app. Not that I wouldn't have gotten a new one as it simplifies my recording, but it's interesting to know.

You can't shoot it if it's off to the side but those are expensive. Might be worth it for a reloader though. I've seen people build battery packs the labradar so it lasts longer on the range for prs load sessions.

Thanks!

Well slugs are still an adequate option in lieu of .45 Colts. I know I can go online and order 1/4 or 1/5 oz slugs for less than I can a box of 50 for .45 Colts right now. I wouldn't suggest trying them at longer ranges outside of their intended effectiveness, but for up close and personal they would work just fine. Plus, you don't need to be as ammo picky as you do with the buckshot loads to get good performance.

The worst part is most lead 410 slugs are actually between .389 and .400 diameter. They are hollow base and soft lead. This is because manufacturers aren’t always sure what choke shotguns are going to be used for 410 slugs that they make. Exception to this is brenneke slugs which are alloyed not soft lead and have base wad on them. Either way results from a judge/governor are not going to be good. I tried a couple of Remington sluggers in my judge and it was pretty bad accuracy even at 10 yards!!!

You are 100 % correct.

And I would add- just buy a .45 colt revolver. Shorter, more compact gun, and includes a longer barrel, better ballistics, and always more accurate.

Except it did perform well. At the intended ranges of a Judge/Governor revolver's expected usage it did just fine. Sure, .45 Colt will be more accurate, it's a .45 bore firearm. But from 7 yards or less, it's not going to make a big enough difference to matter in terms of accuracy. And if you're using a Judge/Governor or any short barreled .45 Colt firearm at extended distances, you have bigger problems to worry about. Right now, .410 slugs are fairly available online and cheaper than buying a box of 50 rounds of .45 Colt in any type of load. Usually all that's available at the moment are lead nose cowboy loads. It's not a question of is .45 Colt a better solid projectile than a .410 slug, it's is the .410 slug adequate for self defense and the answer is yes. Compared to .410 buckshot in such a gun you don't need to be as picky about the load when running a 1/5 or 1/4 oz slug, where as the buckshot load if the powder charge isn't intended for use in a handgun causes lead shot to slam together before leaving the barrel and increasing your pattern exponentially, not to mention hurting penetration.

@@jw-sigp2258 1/5 oz slugs always pattern worse than 1/4 oz slugs I've noticed in my time with Judges and with my Raging Judge Magnum. In short barrels, yeah 10 yards, maybe 12 yards maximum is a slugs effective range. 1/5's like to go low and right or low and left, 1/4 oz tend to be more true to point of aim but if a particular brand is off, it's usually just a vertical drop by several inches. That being said, a Judge with a 3 inch barrel, a Governor with it's 2 inch barrel, or a Public Defender with a 2 inch barrel aren't intended to be shot beyond 7 yards with any load. Not that they cant shoot farther, just not what they were made for. And in that capacity in those distances, the slugs do adequate for self defense IF you don't have .45 Colts or handgun loads in .410 buckshot. I would want a .45 Colt over .410 slug if I wanted a solid round, preferably a wadcutter for such a short barrel. But, finding those on the market right now isn't easy. In fact, most .45 Colt on the market right now is 250gr lead round nose stuff and it's not that impressive either. .410 slugs however are more available online and being 1/5 or 1/4 oz isn't a big deal at those shorter ranges. And I think that's the point being displayed here. It's not a question of what's better... I think anybody who's shot guns like that knows that already. It is however a question frequently of "Will this work though?" and the answer is yes.

.45 long colt only thing you can count on with with those pistols. One yard away Maybe a good snake defence with bird shot. Have you done that video yet?

That's what they tell me.

@@GunSam Maybe you got the wrong. Here it is a remington ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E0-uzAkf0aA.html

it might be illegal. Just due to laws and handguns can't be above .50 caliber. I am not an expert on it though.

@@GunSam I am definitely not an expert either, but what if they could classify it as an " other than" firearm, like the shockwave? Also, I didn't know about the 50 cal rule for handguns.. Sometimes I wonder if the ATF just pulls stuff out of a hat or something.

Correct. In many areas it would be classified as a destructive device, plus the sawed off shotgun issue. Here in Kalifornia, any revving shotgun is an "assault shotgun" (think the old Streetsweeper), so we can't have the Circuit Judge carbine, which might be halfway useful, as well as fun. And of course the Judge and Governor are prohibited, because they are deemed sawed off shotguns under our laws. No big matter, because I don't need one. But of course it is the principle of the matter.

There is a " carbine " version in 28ga , 20ga is too large for the frame size . For the Brazilian market , Judges are offered in smoothbore , which could make the concept actually worthwhile . In the US , it would be under the NFA as an AOW ( Tax Stamps , long wait , etc ) . Or If you were interested enough , you could do a Form 1 , and rebarell to a smoothbore , but see above , plus Gunsmithing costs .

Most ammo in it isn't great. The flip side is if you use nothing but .45 Colt or nothing but a quality 000 buckshot, or both, it has potential. Six rounds alternating the Federal 000 handgun which patterns only 6" at 7 yards with some hot .45 Colt would be quite awesome. The problem is it chambers ammo that should never be shot in a handgun, as long as people understand this they can do alright with them. But really you have to be a firearms enthusiast to know this, so that being said the Judge and Governor are for people who have everything else lol

And its priced as such!

Actually , their Starfire line was decent ammo . And actually mfg in Nevada , not Korea .

At the end of the day, there's nothing wrong with a S&W six-shooter that shoots 45 Colt and can also take 45 ACP with moon clips. Everything else is gravy.

@@vlogfriendsutopia if thats your jam, go with it. Im just not a fan of any of those calibers, and all of the governor style revolvers are just too bulky and heavy for what they are, in my opinion. I carry an lcr 357, so im a wheel gun fan, just not of those abominations. Lol

@@Brykk They're the same height, width, and length as any other large K or L frame revolver, so the size complaint isn't really very logical. Other people might say, "Well if it's the same size as a 44 Magnum, I'd rather have that." But here's the thing; a 255 grain 45 Colt Keith style hard cast semi-wadcutter flatnose at 1,000 FPS will go through a whitetail tip to tail. There's really no reason for any extra thump beyond that, as experienced hunters have used that exact load to take everything from hogs to grizzlies and African game.

@@Brykk I'm in favor of .45 Colt/ acp Revolvers . But even within the Taraus product line , they have small-ish frame revolvers in those calibers that are way smaller , much higher velocity with same ammo due to proper chambers and throats instead of huge freebore , and much better accuracy .

Buy American when you can !!

Totally lost!

I agree, with one exception: the old rimfire stuff (although I don't believe they actually manufactured it, it did say PMC on it). PMC Scoremaster shoots under MOA from a couple different rifles I've run it through...on par with Lapua and Eley match ammo!

You are paying target ammo prices use it as such.