Smith & Wesson Governor

About the Smith & Wesson Governor

The Smith & Wesson Governor is a six-shot, double-action/single-action revolver capable of firing .45 ACP (with included moon clips), .45 Colt, and 2.5-inch .410 bore shotshells in any combination from its elongated cylinder. Built on S&W's lightweight Z-frame with a scandium alloy frame and stainless steel PVD-finished cylinder, the Governor weighs only 29.6 ounces despite its multi-caliber capability. The 2.75-inch barrel provides manageable overall dimensions of 8.5 inches in length and 5.5 inches in height, making it viable for both home defense and concealed carry. The front sight features a dovetailed tritium night sight for low-light target acquisition, paired with a fixed rear sight. The Governor ships with a Hogue synthetic rubber grip that helps manage recoil across all three calibers, and full moon clips for rimless .45 ACP cartridges. The trigger provides a smooth double-action pull of approximately 8 pounds and a crisp single-action break at approximately 4.5 pounds.

The Governor was Smith & Wesson's direct response to the enormous commercial success of the Taurus Judge revolver. By adding .45 ACP compatibility and using a premium scandium alloy frame with tritium sights, S&W positioned the Governor as the refined, feature-rich alternative in the .410 revolver category. The name 'Governor' was chosen to one-up the 'Judge' in the hierarchy of authority.

Smith & Wesson Governor specifications

The Governor was introduced at the 2011 SHOT Show as Smith & Wesson's answer to the Taurus Judge, which had popularized the .45 Colt/.410 bore revolver concept. The Governor improved on the formula by adding .45 ACP capability via moon clips and using a lightweight scandium alloy frame versus the Judge's steel or polymer construction. The Z-frame is unique to the Governor and is sized between the medium L-frame and large N-frame to accommodate the elongated cylinder required for .410 shotshells. The rifling twist rate of approximately 1:15 inches (381mm) is a compromise between the slower twist needed for shotshell pattern consistency and the faster twist required for adequate .45 caliber bullet stabilization. With .410 shotshells, the Governor functions as an extremely close-range defensive tool; with .45 Colt or .45 ACP, it serves as a conventional revolver. The stainless PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) cylinder finish provides enhanced corrosion and wear resistance. An optional variant with Crimson Trace Lasergrips is available for enhanced target acquisition. Weight listed is 29.6 oz (839g) empty. The muzzle velocity and energy figures are for .45 Colt 225-grain loads from the 2.75-inch barrel; velocities from this short barrel are notably lower than from full-size revolvers.