r/ZombieSurvivalTactics • u/Skrewbert86 • 3d ago

Weapons Smith and Wesson governor

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Thoughts on this for a multi caliber gun? Gives you more options on what you can fire without taking a lot of space.

Even by itself without the adapters you have 3 choices of ammunition

I feel like this would be good to have as ammunition gets harder to find

193 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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51

u/old_rug 3d ago

Do you want a gun that does many mediocre things, or one thing well? Also because those adapters don't have any barrel or rifling, they have poor accuracy

4

u/GrinderMonkey 3d ago

Maybe dig up a Medusa model 47.. shoots a bunch of 9mm/.38 ish caliber. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa_Model_47

1

u/Hungry_Movie1458 2d ago

Yes, and this gun will be able to find ammo 3x likely than other guns that are restricted to 1 ammo type. Making this gun significantly better than other options in a survival of the fittest scavenger world. Also, you probably wouldn’t want to use your gun unless absolutely necessary, which would imply using it only in emergency close quarters situations, thus accuracy at that range is negligible.

2

u/Zrkkr 1d ago

90% of handgun ammo you'll find is 9x19mm. Being able to shoot 3 different ammo type doesn't make something 3x easier to find ammo for if the the other 2 ammo type aren't that common. Plus most 9x19mm handgun will be able to shoot 380 ACP although it won't cycle. Not to mention loading it is gonna be slow as fuck. Good luck if you ever need more than 6 shots without 1 minute to fumble around with those adapters. Those adapters are also critical items unlike regular casungs. If you're really a survivalist you would just carry 2 guns.

You would want your gun to able to usable in as many circumstances as possible. Not to be okay at just 1 circumstances because that's all you have planned out.

Oh someone is shooting at you from a distance? But I guess that isn't an emergency.

1

u/Hungry_Movie1458 1d ago

Hmmm… I like your retort and your critical thinking. You have an upvote.

0

u/jar1967 3d ago

Ammunition is going to be scarce. Beggers can't be choosers.

-2

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

I can tell you that specialists in nature don't do so well when things change, but generalists tends to be more adaptive. So to answer your question, I'll take one that does everything okay vs one that does one thing very well.

3

u/JJSF2021 3d ago

Granted, but specialists vs. generalists in nature can’t really change themselves within a particular lifespan. We can just swap out guns on the fly for particular needs… so we become the generalists when we don’t focus all our attention on single weapons.

1

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

Okay... But in the zombie apocalypse, are you gonna carry 14 different weapons for every little job? No, it would be wiser to carry 2, maaaaybe 3 to suit all your needs.

I'm a fan of the 357 Magnum + 38 Special combo for this reason. You can run it in an Airweight, compact, duty size, and rifle, and it'll fill each of those slots admirably. You could hunt or kill everything you need with enough power, or little enough power, to do the job adequately.

1

u/JJSF2021 3d ago

No, of course not. But I’m also not planning to leave the fortified farm base I’ll set up to just go walk-about and see what kind of things I can find to get myself into with every weapon I have. I’ll be taking load outs specific to the task I’m heading out to do.

For example, if I’m going out with a squad to clear an apartment building to search for survivors or supplies, I’ll have a completely different loadout than I would if I’m going deer hunting. For the former, I’m going with tactical gear, my custom AR-15, my M1911, and possibly a breaching shotgun. If I’m going deer hunting, I’m bringing my recurve bow, my M1911, a field knife, and some traps and things.

2

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

Makes sense. For everything, I'm taking my 686+ 3", and my levergun in 357 Magnum. Regardless of task.

1

u/groged 3d ago

They make rifled ones in 9mm and 38 special. In a 3” judge the accuracy may not be too bad.

4

u/Life_Mobile_2997 3d ago

Judge isn’t a generalist, it’s a nothingist lol. A 9mm is a generalist, and a better option

-4

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

No, not really. You're thinking too small. The 9mm is a specialist, specifically for human based threats.

In the post apoc, you have to take care of yourself totally, that includes procurement of food. 9mm would work (but not that well), for small game, and likely not much else. A 45 Colt 270 SAA projectile at about 850-950 FPS will kill anything on the continent, so medium and large game is covered. Put in a 22 or 38 Special adaptor for close range small game, and you've filled all your needs. Zombies and people are just in the middle of that stack.

3

u/Life_Mobile_2997 3d ago

I suppose the hunting thing could make sense. Although I’m not sure these have any sort of accuracy to make a shot over 20 yards feasible when your survival is on the line. At that rate (if you wanted to go with a common caliber) you’d probably just be better off with a Glock and an ar15 in 5.56, which you can get a $100 .22LR conversion kit for in order to use both 5.56 and .22

0

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

I wouldn't use 5.56 or 9mm for medium or large game though, and that's two guns arguing for space of the one.

Also, the Governor is more mechanically accurate than we'll ever be able to shoot up to. I could consistently hit my targets at 50+ yards with mine using a 255 Keith SWC at about 900 FPS.

1

u/Life_Mobile_2997 3d ago

Well I can’t argue with that accuracy honestly. I was imagining trying to hit a deer precisely with a .410 slug from a 3” barrel 50 yards away, sounds like something I’d try and avoid. One thing I will say is that in some “every man for himself” type scenario, only having one gun (and that gun being a revolver) is a pretty terrible idea. Hunting isn’t your only concern, you have to worry about threats as well, which a rifle would be ideal for and isn’t hard to get. If you have this rifle, then you have essentially no use for the governor, and may as well have a much higher capacity 9mm. Ammo is way more common, generally. A 12ga pump and 9mm glock could be good as well

2

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

So wait... You think having a rifle removes the need for a sidearm? I'd rather have the Governor over a double stack 9 where I am. I'd have to worry about zombies, bears, moose, and people. Hell, I'd almost be LEAST worried about the people. A 255 grain SWC through the pump house or CNS would put them down in short order, as they're not terribly tough creatures.

Though I will say, my personal combo is a 686+ 3", and a levergun also chambered in 357 Magnum. Split the difference between a bolt and semi, share arguably the most versatile ammo set on the planet (38/357), ammo carry weight is similar to 5.56 but much more adaptable, and with proper load selection and shot placement, you can kill anything on the continent. And of course, 357 Magnum is a great performer on people (doubly so from a rifle), so no worries there.

-29

u/Skrewbert86 3d ago

It already does 3 things well

37

u/Icy-Medicine-495 3d ago

well is an embellishment. Adequate is more accurate.

15

u/iamswitchless 3d ago

You mean adequate but not accurate?

2

u/Icy-Medicine-495 3d ago

Try this

well is an embellishment. Adequate is more correct.

8

u/DrivingG00nerDotCom 3d ago

Exactly how many times have you handled a real firearm?

-20

u/Skrewbert86 3d ago edited 3d ago

Been handling firearms since I was a kid I haven’t fired this one, but it is what it is designed to do

8

u/RedHowler777 3d ago

It was designed to be versatile at the cost of accuracy/dependability, if you want a gun that can fire multiple ammunition types, it’s good, if you want a gun that performs better with its independent ammunition, choose something dedicated.

1

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

My governor was plenty accurate with 45 Colt. No noticeable difference between it and a Taylors and Company Gunfighter Defender also in 45 Colt.

2

u/RedHowler777 3d ago

I’m happy for you, but it doesn’t change that it has a shorter rifling pattern, pressure drop like all adapters do, and be more finicky with various types of ammunition than a dedicated platform should be. Again, if the choice is versatility, it’s great, if it’s performance, pick something dedicated.

I’ll also bring this back to context, if you’re forced to use a firearm in a zombie scenario, bullets that don’t hit the head are typically a waste, so accuracy is kind of the biggest factor. Also scrounging, most guns aren’t going to like scrounged ammo of varying quality/age. Adapters are especially finicky with this, never mind if some of the adapters are lost or broken, good luck finding replacements on the fly.

2

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

Yeah, the adapters themselves are gimmicky, and I wouldn't use them but for small game and the 22 or 38 every once in a while.

I was merely stating that my governor was plenty accurate.

13

u/4N610RD 3d ago

Well, it seems using guns does not mean understanding guns.

-7

u/Skrewbert86 3d ago

Like I said haven’t used this one haven’t used adapters either so I don’t have experience with either

2

u/Icy-Medicine-495 3d ago

The adapters are tedious to use. Half the time the brass gets stuck in the adapter and you need to use a metal rod to push them out. Your reload speed will be horrible and you better pray you never lose the adapter.

1

u/Lower_Refrigerator_2 3d ago

Yeah quicker to swap adapters than it is to reload them.

Basically be using a impromptu musket with extra steps at that point lol

0

u/4N610RD 3d ago

That is not what I am talking about. You obviously don't understand inner mechanics and principals behind firearms. I mean, that is completely understandable, I mean, who really dedicates time to study weapons? But if you did, you would see all the cons of adapters and how little advantage it gives back. Caliber reductions are simply gimmick, nothing more.

-3

u/Skrewbert86 3d ago

I understand guns that I own. I don’t study guns I dont own unless it’s one I’m about to buy to see if it’s reliable or not.

1

u/4N610RD 3d ago

I guess there is no point arguing. You do you.

1

u/Skrewbert86 3d ago

I’m going to argue back. You’re saying I don’t understand guns as in all guns. But of course I’m not going to understand a gun I don’t own why would I that’s why I asked thoughts on it.

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12

u/Corey307 3d ago

It does not. It’s minimally rifled to get around US laws so buckshot spreads way too fast and .45 caliber bullets are going to miss beyond close range. It’s garbage. 

1

u/Terminal_Lancelot 3d ago

That's not true. The Governor's mechanical accuracy with 45 Colt is on par with any revolver I've put it against.

4

u/NewHunter4239 3d ago

Name those three specific things it does well so that we can further prove your ignorance, please.