The S&W Governor is a 6-shot DA/SA revolver chambered for three cartridges: .45 Colt, .45 ACP (with the included moon clips), and .410 shotshells. S&W introduced it in 2011, five years after Taurus had established the multi-cartridge revolver category with the Judge. Where the Judge holds 5 rounds in a DA-only trigger, the Governor adds a sixth chamber and a SA mode, built on S&W's Z-Frame with a scandium alloy frame and stainless cylinder.

At 30.2 oz with a 2.75" barrel, the Governor is a full-size revolver that won't disappear in a holster. The .45 ACP compatibility via moon clips is the feature that separates it from the Taurus Judge — if you already stock .45 ACP, the Governor runs it without a dedicated cylinder swap. The S&W internal lock (the "Hillary hole") is present and draws complaints from some owners, though it can be left empty with no effect on function.

S&W's entry into the multi-cartridge revolver market arrived with a premium over the Judge. Buyers are paying for the Z-Frame construction, the added capacity, and the DA/SA trigger. The .410 shotshell performance from a 2.75" barrel is modest — birdshot patterns open quickly at close range, useful for snake defense or a distraction round, but not a substitute for a purpose-built defensive load. The five-year gap between the Judge's 2006 launch and the Governor's 2011 release tells its own story: S&W watched Taurus prove the market before committing to a competing design, then built a more expensive, more capable version of the same idea.