Wide open Spaces by David Maccar 4/30/2021
These niche .410 wheelguns have been popular for a decade, but they have plenty of haters.
A little more than 10 years ago, two gun companies made a lot of noise with a new kind of revolver. The Taurus Judge and the Smith & Wesson Governor debuted around the same time, creating waves across the self-defense market. Both guns are double-action revolvers that can fire both .45 Long Colt centerfire ammunition, as well as 2.5-inch .410 shotshells.
The Governor can also fire .45 ACP rounds with the use of a moon clip and has a six-round cylinder, whereas the Judge revolver cannot and originally came with a five-round cylinder.
Why would anyone want a gun like this? In theory, this handheld, six-shot, revolving shotgun makes sense. While the .410 has long been thought of as a small game and pest gun, self-defense .410 shells are quite formidable at in-the-room ranges for personal defense. Most would consider either gun, even their short-barreled versions, too bulky for concealed carry, so these would be mostly home-defense guns.
More:
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/410-handgun-the-pros-and-cons-of-these-heavy-duty-revolvers/Not covered in this article is the 45/410 Thompson Contender. With its 10 in bbl and a removable choke that stops the spin of the 410 pellets. It's shot patterns are usable for quite a distance. I've shot quite a few moccasins with mine out of the trees on the water's edge.