Smith and Wesson Governor

[nathajw]

Anyone own one? I've been looking at them for a new self defense bedside piece. You can shoot 2 1/2 .410 shells or 45 on moon clips. Want something that's simple/small that the wife could shoot and actually hit someone if needed. #4 buckshot for example.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[HighStickHarry]

Bedside should always be a shotgun.

 

[anon_ph7vrsh7abnty]

Originally posted by HighStickHarry:
Bedside should always be a shotgun.

Ummm... it's loaded with shells.

 

[HighStickHarry]

A handgun is harder to grab in a sticky situation, kevkev.

 

[nathajw]

Mossberg is under the bed but I disagree. If someone gets up on you or comes around a corner and they knock the barrel away you're SOL. Someone gets up on me with the Glock or 38 and no matter what I'm falling back and they're getting a few in the gut. If I had the money I'd use a Kriss Vector over both.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[nathajw]

So in a sticky situation its easier to pick up a 20" or more barrel, turn it before he gets to you, and then fire instead of a revolver loaded with 410 buckshot that's 2 ft from my head? Right.

This post was edited on 1/27 1:01 PM by nathajw

 

[Deepfork]

My beside gun is a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm.

 

[anon_ph7vrsh7abnty]

By that logic, cops carry handguns because they don't get in sticky situations.

Is that right, lowtwig?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[H Town Poke]

Big fan of shotguns when you have decided to barricade you/family in your room while waiting for the police. Not so much when you have to leave your room to grab kids. Shotgun takes two hands to operate effectively and moving through your home with one while trying to carry small kids that are sleepy or scared may not be the best idea.

I have not shot a Governor, but it seems to me like it doesn't do the shotgun role very effectively. I would have to try and pattern one to see what the spread looks like with a decent self defense 410 round (if there is such a thing). My pistol is my primary home defense weapon. It has night sights and a 500 lumen Surefire light attached. I also have a Benelli M4 shotgun. I have tested with multiple brands of 00 buck defense rounds so I know how it will pattern at the distances I would need to use it at.

I would hate to have to make an accurate shot that requires a pistol caliber round and only have 410 shot. Worse, IMO, would be alternating shot with one of the pistol caliber rounds. I don't want to try and remember in the heat of the moment if the chamber is on bird/buckshot or .45. It's more than I want to think about at O shit thirty and my adrenaline is pumping.


If you have a shotgun for home defense, I recommend trying out a few different brands of whatever you are thinking about keeping it loaded with to see what it likes best. I start at about 5 yards and move back until I am not getting solid center of mass groups. That lets me know the effective distance of my shotgun. I consistently got the best pattern with this brand, but yours may be totally different.

This is 5 rounds of Remington Managed Recoil 00 Buck fired in about two seconds at approx 5-7 yards. I wanted to see how it grouped at bedroom/hallway distances while trying to fire it quickly. When I pattern, I take my time with 5 shots to see what the true spread looks like.

 

[nathajw]

Originally posted by H Town Poke:

I have not shot a Governor, but it seems to me like it doesn't do the shotgun role very effectively. I would have to try and pattern one to see what the spread looks like with a decent self defense 410 round (if there is such a thing). My pistol is my primary home defense weapon. It has night sights and a 500 lumen Surefire light attached. I also have a Benelli M4 shotgun. I have tested with multiple brands of 00 buck defense rounds so I know how it will pattern at the distances I would need to use it at.

I would hate to have to make an accurate shot that requires a pistol caliber round and only have 410 shot. Worse, IMO, would be alternating shot with one of the pistol caliber rounds. I don't want to try and remember in the heat of the moment if the chamber is on bird/buckshot or .45. It's more than I want to think about at O shit thirty and my adrenaline is pumping.

Check out the video. Federal 2.5 000 Buck at 8:30 mark. That's going to leave a mark.

The gun is mostly bedside for the future wife (I may end up liking it too) but I'm still reaching for the Glock. She needs a revolver.

Federal 000

 

[Ostatedchi]

Originally posted by Deepfork:
My beside gun is a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm.

Same here. My carry weapon is the same thing in the shield.
However, I do keep my bedside weapon in a safe in the dresser drawer that opens by a quick fingerprint press.

 

[nathajw]

I do keep my bedside weapon in a safe in the dresser drawer that opens by a quick fingerprint press.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Do you have a link to yours? Do you like it and/or is it worth the money? I've been thinking about something like this for a while.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[tcpoke]

Where the hell do you guys live that you are so concerned about someone breaking into your home with the intent to do harm to you and your family?

I'm all for guns. I own four. But they are all locked up in a gun safe far from the reach of my bed. Being assaulted in my home is way down the list for me in terms of fears.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Pokes15]

Originally posted by tcpoke:
Where the hell do you guys live that you are so concerned about someone breaking into your home with the intent to do harm to you and your family?

I'm all for guns. I own four. But they are all locked up in a gun safe far from the reach of my bed. Being assaulted in my home is way down the list for me in terms of fears.

Posted from Rivals Mobile

It doesn't matter where you live anymore. Watching the nightly news any day of the week reaffirms my decision on keeping a gun handy while the rest are locked in my safe.

 

[JonnyVito]

By my bedside I keep either my 45 or my 357 mag. I really like the 357 as it is a revolver and has less of a chance of things going wrong. I keep a pistol because I have dogs and the intruder would have to go through them to get to me. So I keep the pistol for a more accurate shot so I hopefully don't hit one of them.

I do worry though with the pistol about it going through the wall and into a neighbors house. Should I keep the 9mm by my bed instead?

 

[Ostatedchi]

Yeah, I really love it actually. Fits in the main drawer. No one knows it is there. And I can get into it in about 3 seconds. It holds both 9mm's and a few boxes of ammo. Best 167 dollars I ever spent.

http://www.amazon.com/BARSKA-Opening-Biometric-Fingerprint-Safe/dp/B004FO37AC

 

[Pokes15]

Originally posted by JonnyVito:
By my bedside I keep either my 45 or my 357 mag. I really like the 357 as it is a revolver and has less of a chance of things going wrong. I keep a pistol because I have dogs and the intruder would have to go through them to get to me. So I keep the pistol for a more accurate shot so I hopefully don't hit one of them.

I do worry though with the pistol about it going through the wall and into a neighbors house. Should I keep the 9mm by my bed instead?

You'll only have to worry about the bullet going through sheetrock and hitting someone in another room, I wouldn't worry about it going through your exterior wall unless its some really thin material. The revolver is a good choice, because like you said there is less of chance for something to go wrong. Plus, no safety to deal with. Just point and shoot.

 

[Ostatedchi]

Originally posted by tcpoke:
Where the hell do you guys live that you are so concerned about someone breaking into your home with the intent to do harm to you and your family?

I'm all for guns. I own four. But they are all locked up in a gun safe far from the reach of my bed. Being assaulted in my home is way down the list for me in terms of fears.

Having the pistol by the bed is just like buying car insurance or home owners insurance. You hope you never have to use it. But when you need it, you better have prepared. I agree with you that the likelihood is way down on the list of bad things that could happen to me.

That's why I compromised and got a safe I could get into quickly and was close at hand. My shotguns and rifles are in the other room stored separately from any ammo. But I wanted something 'just in case'. But, I believe keeping loaded handguns away from children was critical.

I think I struck a good balance between ease of access and safety. Which is my duty as a responsible gun owner.

 

[H Town Poke]

Originally posted by nathajw:

Check out the video. Federal 2.5 000 Buck at 8:30 mark. That's going to leave a mark.

The gun is mostly bedside for the future wife (I may end up liking it too) but I'm still reaching for the Glock. She needs a revolver.

After watching that, I would be much more comfortable depending on one. I (very incorrectly) assumed the groups out of the short barrel would be much worse. That Federal 000 buck seems like the way to go if your gun likes it as much as his.

Make sure you work with her on trigger awareness. The singe action pull is going to be very light and you don't want her walking around with the hammer back. If the double action pull is too much for her, I would make sure you teach her to only pull the hammer back on that thing right before she breaks a shot.

 

[H Town Poke]

Originally posted by Ostatedchi:

Originally posted by tcpoke:
Where the hell do you guys live that you are so concerned about someone breaking into your home with the intent to do harm to you and your family?

I'm all for guns. I own four. But they are all locked up in a gun safe far from the reach of my bed. Being assaulted in my home is way down the list for me in terms of fears.

Having the pistol by the bed is just like buying car insurance or home owners insurance. You hope you never have to use it. But when you need it, you better have prepared. I agree with you that the likelihood is way down on the list of bad things that could happen to me.

That's why I compromised and got a safe I could get into quickly and was close at hand. My shotguns and rifles are in the other room stored separately from any ammo. But I wanted something 'just in case'. But, I believe keeping loaded handguns away from children was critical.

I think I struck a good balance between ease of access and safety. Which is my duty as a responsible gun owner.

TC,

I agree with Chi. Statically, I am probably more likely to get hit by lightning, but I would rather be prepared and not need it than to need it and be SOL.