S&W Governor

[haymaker]

Having a Blackhawk .45 convertible I thought it would be nice to have a DA revolver that would shoot the same combo. So, I bought a S&W Governor. I've only put a few rounds through it but so far I like it. DA revolvers feel great in my hand.

My question is: with the scandium frame, how heavy a load can I safely shoot with the Governor in either .45 acp or .45 Colt without causing too much stress on the gun?

 

[Sevens]

Pretty sure that the Governor is very "normally" rated for SAAMI spec on both those cartridges, which is to say that you're safely limited to the typical loads made by the known manufacturers.

That means pretty wimpy .45 Colt and not the "FOR RUGER OR FREEDOM ARMS ONLY" type of harsh, modern, performance oriented .45 Colt loads.

Both .45 Auto+P and standard .45 Colt maximum pressures are of a sedate 23,000 PSI and 14,000 CUP respectively.

 

[haymaker]

I was thinking with .45 Colt I wouldn't go any hotter than the non +p loads from Double Tap, Underwood, etc. When reloading I'll stick with whatever loads the loading manuals say.

 

[5thShock]

Have you shot any 410 yet?

 

[haymaker]

The only .410 I've shot were a couple of rounds of #4 shot and 2 rounds of 00buck. I haven't had a chance to check for pattern or penetration. I've only shot a few rounds of .45acp and .45colt through it.

I'm having a little buyers remorse. It's not a gun I need but I thought it would make a nice companion to my .45 Blackhawk and my other .45 autos. I think it will make a nice hiking companion. So far the one thing I really like about the Governor is it fits my hand like a dream. It is very comfortable to hold and shoot. The weight is great and it should pack easily. It isn't much bigger than my Smith model 66. I think the more I shoot it the more I will like it.