Has anyone used a charter arms 44 w/cast boolits

[seabreeze133]

I am considering a Charter Arms 44 special for an alternate carry revolver and have some questions.

First I have a boatload of Keith boolits that weigh 265 grains when cast of WW left over from a Marlin 1894 and would like to use them if possible.

Also have an older NEI 224 gr bevel base bullet mold that could work.

Objective is to have a lighter more easily concealed gun than my Combat Commander and have decent, but not gun wrecking, velocity. I do not use factory bullets in handguns.

Questions are:
Has anyone slugged the bore and chamber mouths on their Charter Arms 44?
Are u happy with the accuracy?
Does it to point of aim with your load?

Thanks

seabreeze

[pworley1]

I don't shoot anything that heavy, but see no reason why you couldn't. I shoot the Lyman 429215 over 7g of unique and it works well for me.
I have a stainless 44 bulldog.

[duke76]

I have shot some 200 grainers, full wad cutters,I also shot some 245 grainers and they shot high and the sights are non adjustable. I measured the throats and they were all 431 diam and my pin gauge slid right through the barrel with no constriction so I see no reason why it shouldnt shoot great, I was using 7 grains of unique, It shot as well as I expected with the short barrel and is a very nice gun for the 350 dollars that I paid for it last year, its no Smith but the price tag wasnt Smith either.

[bouncer50]

I shoot a lee 240 grains out mine and it shoots to the point of aim. I believe the factory lead bullet is 246 grains.

[cabezaverde]

I size .431 for mine as well. 200 grain flat points work well and shoot to the sights

[richhodg66]

Mine is a good little revolver. The old Lyman 180 grain Wadcutter is nice to shoot in it. Heavier bullets and loads get unpleasant to shoot pretty fast in a gun that light.

[Treeman]

I filed down the front sight to regulate mine with the 200 grain cast FN that I normally shoot.. It leads a little but brushes clean easily and shoots where it is aimed. Factory regulation was for 246 grain loads.

[Thumbcocker]

Would you care to share load data on the WC? I have the accurate button nose cast up and it weighs 190 grns.

[Animal]

Great timing for the thread. I've been eating and sleeping cast bullets in my .44spl Charter Arm Target Bulldog for the past couple of months. In fact, my fingers still stink of Lee Alox from the loading session I just completed less than 10 minutes ago.
My throats also seem to be pretty close to .431. I can get away with using a perfectly concentric .430 bullet with great accuracy and very little clean-up, as long as I'm using a soft alloy. Right now, the Saeco #420 (200-210gr) bullet is a dream come true for this particular gun. They drop a bit larger than .430 but size to a perfect .430.
I tried 240gr bullets, but the recoil was too harsh for the purpose of the load. They did great target work, but I wanted something that was a little friendlier for follow-up shots.
200gr bullets take the harshness away and still provide the velocity that should be good in a defensive round.
My gun is a 4in and has an adjustable rear sight. For a fullsize gun it is very light. I carry a fullsize 1911, but I wouldn't hesitate to carry my Bulldog.
You might want to change grips. For me, Pachmeyer makes a very nice difference in comfort and makes using speeloaders a bit easier.
Charter Arms service is top-notch. I sent the gun back when it was new due to a crane alignment problem. I got the gun back in two weeks with the problem fixed and they even performed a sweet trigger job that I didn't even think to ask for.
Those guys are great.
The only gripe I have with the gun is the fact that the chambers are a bit tighter than I care for. I like to expand my cases in other revolvers enough so that I can start the bullet into the case by hand. I can't do this so easily with my Bulldog or it will bulge (i never considered it a bulge in other guns) the case and prevent cambering. I've noticed that if any part my round has a diameter of .455 or higher it will not drop freely into the cylinder. This isn't a deal breaker for me though, I've learned how to work with it. I simply don't open the case as much and I take the extra time to make sure the bullet pushes in nice and straight without cutting into the lead. I'm guessing that Charter Arms is working under the impression that their customer base only shoots jacketed bullets.
Even with that gripe, I still love that gun.

[davidheart]

I'm sorry but.... are Charter Arms guns any good? I've always avoided them like the plague but I've never owned one or know anybody who does. All I know is I picked up a snub Charter Arms 357 in a gunshop a while back ago and opened and closed the cylinder and the cylinder was not tight at all. When closing it the back of the cylinder would slide heavily on the frame.

Maybe it was just one out of spec gun... but are they any good?

[Animal]

I'm sorry but.... are Charter Arms guns any good? I've always avoided them like the plague but I've never owned one or know anybody who does. All I know is I picked up a snub Charter Arms 357 in a gunshop a while back ago and opened and closed the cylinder and the cylinder was not tight at all. When closing it the back of the cylinder would slide heavily on the frame.

Maybe it was just one out of spec gun... but are they any good?

Davidheart, I know exactly what you are talking about. Mine has the same play. I think it is intentionally designed to be loose until the hammer makes contact with the frame. CA has some 3point locking system they designed into their revolvers. I've played around with mine a bit and found that once the hammer makes contact with the frame, while the trigger is still pressed, the cylinder is locked up very tight. In short, the play isn't present while the primer is being struck. But once you let off of the trigger, yes, there is a bunch of play. I'm no gunsmith, but none of that play seems to have any bearing over how well it shoots. At least, this is what I've experienced.

[Don Purcell]

Back in the later 70's I shot 250 gr. Keith with 7.5 Unique. Somewhat brisk. Veral Smith tells of loading his with 280 gr. WFN and powder charge heavy enough to get it to shoot to the sights.

[mac60]

Mine is stamped charter 2000. I'm not sure what years that covers, but I've had it maybe 10 yrs (?). Whenever I take it to the range to practice with it (it's my carry gun) I shoot the Lee tl430-240-swc over 6.0 gr. unique. It's no bullseye gun, but I don't expect that from it. It shoots where I point it at 7 yds. I've never slugged the bore, but it shoots a .431" boolit just fine.

[Four-Sixty]

I bought a .32 caliber Undercoverette for the Wife. I special ordered it from my local dealer. I've seen some of the crane to frame fit on the Charters, and was hesitant, but really wanted to try .32 caliber as I was sure the Wife would not want to shoot 38 Special.

It took about 2 months for the gun to come in on the special order. I dry fired it and noticed a bit of grit in the trigger, which was heavy. I did not have time to really disassemble and clean it as a chance to take the Wife to the range came up, and I wanted to put the revolver in service.

Two range trips later (about 150 rounds), the trigger has gotten a lot better I'd say! It does not seem anywhere near as heavy when new. The gritty feel of the trigger is also gone! I own a Smith 637, and am thinking of replacing it with a 44 Bulldog. The Charter grip is much bigger than the 637, and fits my XL hands much better. I do agree that the Charter grip feels 'cheezy'. However, I think a Charter in 38 Special is also in the cards for me.

While the Charter does not look quite as pretty as a Smith, I think it can be a very functional gun. It is much more affordable than a Smith. I am sure I will buy more of them.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I bought an older blued 3" .44 Special years ago and carry it as a back up on duty as a peace officer and have for many years. I carry Keith 240 gr cast RCBS 44-250-K cast ww sized .431" lubed with Lyman Alox over 5.2 gr Bullseye. The gun and load work fine for 5 shots but it's not pleasant to shoot much more than that. I do not carry a re-load. It's the best back up available IMO.

Charter Arms, like everything else has made slightly different versions of their models down through the years, the guy I talked to said the older blued 3" models were great so I bought one. It has never failed me.

[cabezaverde]

Mine is also one of the 3" blued that I purchased used back in the early - mid 80's. My understanding is that they are pretty well regarded.

[Love Life]

I'm sorry but.... are Charter Arms guns any good? I've always avoided them like the plague but I've never owned one or know anybody who does. All I know is I picked up a snub Charter Arms 357 in a gunshop a while back ago and opened and closed the cylinder and the cylinder was not tight at all. When closing it the back of the cylinder would slide heavily on the frame.

Maybe it was just one out of spec gun... but are they any good?

I love them. My charter snubbie has over 8,000 rds fired through it. Sho' am good!

[seabreeze133]

Well gentlemen Please accept my humblest thanks for your insight and advice. I had to go to the big city today to escape issues and stopped by my 2nd favorite dealer to see a CA 44 SS in person. They had 2 in stock and I picked the one with the best chamber mouths. That is, dropped a .429 factory bullet in each chamber mouth and one had good ones.

Brought it home, spouse caught me sneaking it in and decided it would be a good present.....to her.

Now have to scrounge more $$$ so I can have one. Hmmmmm.

Brother suggested (he be smarter than me) I mix 1 WW and 3 PB and have one hole of my 224 gr NEI mold hollow pointed. Sounds good to me to have a HP 200 or so gr boolit at about 700 fps for carry. He also suggested this sight may have advice on a person to do this.

Also bought a box of 165 gr Hornady Critical defense ammo in case I had to deal w/walking dead on the way home.:o) Other choice was some 180 gr Hornady HP. Anybody have experience w/the 165 gr? Is this thing too hot for lotsa use?

Now I will need a paddle holster that can be set for strong side or cross draw. Seems as if there is a firm with a name like Taglo that makes good leather for a fair price. made in Portugal.

Thanks again for past advice and look forward to additional opinions.

seabreeze

[Animal]

Seabreeze, congradulations on your (wifes) purchase:kidding:. I think you will both enjoy that gun. My motivating decision to purchase mine was so that my wife could have something that she can shoot well. She hasn't shot it yet, but I'm sure she will like it when she does. She does well with revolvers.
I only put 50rnd of factory jacketed through it, so I don't have much to say about it. It shot well, and let me know it was was functioning good, that is about it. I've fired up the pot and haven't looked back since.
I use a Galco leather holster. I can't remember what the technical term is, maybe a pancake holster. It keeps my fullsize 1911 high on my hip with very little effort. If Galco makes something similar for your Bulldog, you will probably like it.
My Bulldog likes 50/50 COWW/pure lead + 1% tin. I haven't tried softening it anymore than that. Enjoy your new adventure.

[Charley]

Have a four inch "Target" Bulldog. Not a target gun by any stretch, but a decent DA revolver. 180-200 grain cast is a lot more comfortable to shoot than heavier stuff.

[2wheelDuke]

Well gentlemen Please accept my humblest thanks for your insight and advice. I had to go to the big city today to escape issues and stopped by my 2nd favorite dealer to see a CA 44 SS in person. They had 2 in stock and I picked the one with the best chamber mouths. That is, dropped a .429 factory bullet in each chamber mouth and one had good ones.

Brought it home, spouse caught me sneaking it in and decided it would be a good present.....to her.

Now have to scrounge more $$$ so I can have one. Hmmmmm.

Brother suggested (he be smarter than me) I mix 1 WW and 3 PB and have one hole of my 224 gr NEI mold hollow pointed. Sounds good to me to have a HP 200 or so gr boolit at about 700 fps for carry. He also suggested this sight may have advice on a person to do this.

Also bought a box of 165 gr Hornady Critical defense ammo in case I had to deal w/walking dead on the way home.:o) Other choice was some 180 gr Hornady HP. Anybody have experience w/the 165 gr? Is this thing too hot for lotsa use?

Now I will need a paddle holster that can be set for strong side or cross draw. Seems as if there is a firm with a name like Taglo that makes good leather for a fair price. made in Portugal.

Thanks again for past advice and look forward to additional opinions.

seabreeze

Congrats to your wife then.

That reminds me of how my dad got his stainless Bulldog. I went to the gun show several years ago, maybe 2007 or so, because h wasn't living in GA yet. I found a decent price on a brand new stainless Bulldog. Dad always talked about them, and I was considering it for an off-duty piece to replace my .38 snub.

It was right before Dad's birthday, and I hadn't got him anything yet. Neither had my mom or brother. So he got the Bulldog. It shoots pretty well with his cast loads. It's only starting to feel broken in now years later.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I don't have a Charter Arms Bulldog. I never could find one. However I did find a S&W 696 which is pretty close.

I loaded 190 gr SWC's over 5.0 gr of W231 for my light load and H&G 503's in hps and solids at 245-265 gr. over 5.5gr of W231.

The light load shot 6-8" high at 20 yards and the other load shot to the sights so I kept it and ditched the light load.

I have since bumped that heavy load to 6.0 gr of W231 and only shoot the solids which shoot right to the sights. There is no leading whatsoever. It should be running 750-800 fps from my 3" bbl.

Pretty formidable round, and not going to kill your gun by beating it to death.

Your gun will probably yield about the same results and these loads are not unpleasant to shoot in any way.

Net result is that hitting something with the heavier 265 gr boolit is going to hurt more than a 200 gr boolit, and with this gun you really only need one load. Plus you already have the boolits.

If you need info on loading this round I'd suggest a Back Issue #236 of Handloader Magazine which has an article by Brian Pearce on loading the .44 Special in several different pressure ranges. It pretty much covers everything there is to know about this cartridge.

Hope this helps.

Randy

[al bundy]

The best load I've used in my SS Bulldog is 260g LFN sized .430 with 5.0 grains of Win231 averaged 650 fps. Recoil seems mild, and is quite asccurate

[Duster340]

Congrats on your (your wife's) new purchase Seabreeze. I'm a Bulldog fan too. Put over 1000 rds through my new model Bulldog 2 1/2" barrel. All but 100 have been cast. I feed it cast WCs in 116, 162 & 208 gr. 172 gr RN, 200 gr FN, 215 gr & 255gr SWC s. Have worked up very nice /accurate loads for each with a variety of powders, i.e. Unique, Red Dot, Bullseye, Blue Dot, & 800X. I hit all screws w blue Loctite because they were backing out after a few 100 rds. I absolutely love the Bulldog it's very accurate, lightweight, easy to conceal and packs a decent punch. Enjoy your new "pet ".

Here's a pic of some my dog food :mrgreen:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f105/emandm/Hunting/IMG_0392_zps0322cad1.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/emandm/media/Hunting/IMG_0392_zps0322cad1.jpg.html)

Be well

[Animal]

Duster, care to mention any details about your 208gr WC? I've been curious a defense load with a wc.

[OBXPilgrim]

It looks like the discontinued Lee factory WC

[cabezaverde]

It looks like the discontinued Lee factory WC

I (stupidly) sold one of these a while back to a guy on this board. But I do like the 200 grain WFN mold I have.

[Duster340]

Duster, care to mention any details about your 208gr WC? I've been curious a defense load with a wc.


It looks like the discontinued Lee factory WC

Yep, old Lee WC Molds. You see them come up on Ebay fairly often & usually at low prices . The 208 gr really shoots well in all my 44s special & magnums loaded from mild to wild.

[Good Cheer]

Bought my mom a Charter Arms .357 in the late seventies. It was a nice carry.

Her FBI agent boy friend liked the 296/backwards hollow base wadcutter loads.:rolleyes: