Does the Smith & Wesson Governor Really Shoot Shotgun Shells and Bullets?

Hand-held shotguns are odd ducks. Can I say that? Actually, I can’t because, at least according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and firearms they’re not shotguns at all but rather handguns.

Here’s the distinction. Shotguns by legal definition have a smooth bore. They are also required by law to have barrels of at least 18 inches in length. The reason that revolvers like the Smith & Wesson Governor and Taurus Judge legally exist is that they have rifled barrels. And that’s what leads to the question of the day. Can they really shoot both shotshells and standard cartridges?

Technically the answer is yes. To see if they can do it well I’ve been testing a Smith & Wesson Governor with shotshells, .410 slugs, .45 ACP, AND .45 Colt ammunition. Here’s the skinny.

Let’s start with shotshells. The rifling does a masterful job of flinging shot much like those old-school rotary lawn sprinklers. With both #7 ½ and #8 shot sizes, I could reliably break clay targets out to about 10 yards. At 15 yards, I might get lucky and punch a couple of pellets through the clay, but I rarely broke one.

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