New-to-Me Old Charter Arms Bulldog!

[badge176]

A true friend sells you a gun for the same price he bragged about getting it for 3 years ago... especially when You found him the pretty laminate grips!

209979

.44 Spl, SA/DA, 3" stainless... I'm so happy it's embarrassing!

[Nueces]

I had one of those bull barrel versions years ago, was my sleeping bag gun. Traded it to a pal and wish I had it back. Have never seen another for sale just like it.

[Forrest r]

Owned/carried a bulldog since the 80's, they just flat out work. Every couple of years I get a hair growing & test new loads in it. These are from the last testing.
https://i.imgur.com/fo57jjU.jpg

Hard to beat that hollow based hollow point keith swc.

[azrednek]

I picked up an older one about two years ago for only 175. Saw it on Backpage for 200. Being the cheapskate I am offered him 150. He replied with "if you can meet me in 30 minutes with 175 cash it's yours". I'm lucky I didn't get a speeding ticket racing down the freeway to meet him. My third one. First one used as a car gun in the early 70's was stolen. Second one was among expired pawn tickets I got from my X's lawyer.

In the 70's I got a call from the NYPD asking if I still had the Bulldog i bought in the early 70's in my possession. Apparently the NYPD was tracking down Bulldog owners during the Son of Sam investigation. The cop played dumb and didn't have a straight answer when I asked how he got my name and number. I can only speculate that ATF was some how involved.

[Mr_Sheesh]

How well have people with Bulldogs had them work for them? Friend was always down-talking them; BUT, he'd never owned one, as I found when I asked him. So I was sorta dubious about his claim.

[Thin Man]

Back in the Fall of 1973 SWMBO and I were traveling through the New England states and found ourselves at the Charter Arms factory. We asked if tours were available and were invited right into their facilities. During that tour we were introduced to the Bulldog. After we left the building I began talking about how much I was impressed with the Bulldog and hoped to own one some day. Christmas arrived in about a month. I found a small gift package with my name on it under the tree. To my amazement SWMBO had bought me a Charter Arms Bulldog. SWMBO and I are still together, and that Bulldog still lives here also. When you find a winner (or two) you don't let them slip away!

[azrednek]

In the 70's I was eyeballing the Target Bulldog. By the time I decided to buy one, they were discontinued in 44, 357 only. Anybody have any experience with the 44 target version they can share??

[Forrest r]

Never owned a target model but I've owned several of the 2 1/2" bbl'd versions and had a special order 2" version that I foolishly traded. Owned/used bulldogs for decades, never had a problem with any of them. Why own so many?

Because people would buy them and didn't reload. Most factory 44spl ammo flat out sucks and is $$$. I'd see them for next to nothing at gunshows and would pick them up. I'd bring them to the range with me and when I saw someone with a snubnosed 38spl I'd put some reloads in a bulldog and hand it to them to try. Better than $$$ in the bank.

The bulldogs will not handle a steady diet of hot (21,000+psi) loads, but you'll be hard pressed to wear 1 out using 16,000psi loads. I tend to use/shoot 180gr to 220gr bullets in the bulldogs. The lighter bullets tend to shoot to the poa. More than most likely the bigger (250gr or larger) bullets take a lot longer to leave the bbl (dwell time) and their more muzzle flip.

Standard loads in the bulldogs make for an enjoyable day at the range, nothing better than a ammo can full of wc's loaded with 4.0gr of clays or 5.0gr of bullseye. I use those same loads for the 162gr/175gr/200gr/220gr wc's/hbwc's. Those same loads are also excellent with bullets like the h&g #142/429215/429303.

Anyway I've been a huge fan of the 44spl for decades. I've done a lot of reloading/shooting/casting/swaging for the bulldogs over the years.

On a side note:
Those 429422 bullets pictured above (hb swc) were hp'd on a forster hp tool. They were cast from 8bhn alloy and did an impressive 1000fps+ out of a bulldog. Not only did the hp have excellent expansion/retention, the bullet had excellent compression along with the hb expanding. Excellent energy transfer.
https://i.imgur.com/9Ht2FPC.jpg

Didn't matter if I shot those hb hp swc's in water, dirt, wet pack newspapers, cloth & leather covered water or wet pack. The bullet looked like the 1 pictured above, expansion/compression/expanded base.

[CJR]

A little history on Charter Arms Bulldogs.

Many years ago, 1960s era plane hijackings to Cuba were prevalent. At that time, the US Marshall's service was given the task to "ride shotgun" on all plane flights during this period. The US Marshall's service began evaluating carry weapons for the air marshalls. Out of ALL the weapons tested, they chose the Charter Bulldog in 44 Special. With the abundance of Colts,S&W, etc. available, they chose to use the Charter Arms Bulldog 44 Special. The Bulldog testing included trying to blow the Bulldog up by increasing the powder charge. When they got to 44 Magnum pressures, the Bulldog would not cock, but it never burst apart.

The NRA tested the Charter Arms Bulldog years ago and commented that quick accurate follow-up shots were evident on target. I personally found that the quick,accurate follow-up shots of Charter Arms Bulldogs was indeed a fact. Three shooting buddies and I were doing "room-clearing" exercises with four(4) different Charter Arms Bulldogs. The drill was simple; enter a room, place two(2) rounds on the threat, then proceed to next room, repeat two(2) rounds on threat, reload, proceed to next room, etc., etc. When we examined all the targets, from the four(4) different Bulldogs, we found that all the quick-fired two(2) rounds were almost always touching. I have never seen that with any revolver unless its been tricked up.

A month or so ago, the NRA Shooting Times magazine did an article on some famous gunfights. The winner used a 44 Special handgun. Likewise, another article described a lawman hired by the FBI to instruct their agents in gunfighting skills. Guess what that lawman used prior to coming to the Bureau; a 44 Special.

Finally, John Taffin lists the Charter Arms 44 Special Bulldog in his list of Top Guns and packs one all the time. A 250 gr. 44 Keith bullet around 750 fps out of Charter Arms Bulldog is a lethal/effective/accurate round. Likewise, it's one of the most concealable revolvers available. What's not to like about Charter Arms Bulldogs in 44 Special?

Best regards,

CJR

[Gray Fox]

Understanding that each gun is different, what diameter do any of you folks size boolits for the Bulldog to? GF

[Thomas Traddles]

I size mine to .430. They could probably stand .431 as they are a tad small for the chamber throats, but I haven't molds that cast that large and haven't gone to the trouble to "Beagle" them to get them there. They are accurate enough and I am quite satisfied. I have a CA Mag-Pug that has large chamber throats as well, but it is accurate with my bullets sized to .359. I have to admit that I love my CAs, and this coming from a guy who has an LCR and a Colt DS!

[CJR]

Gray Fox,

For a long time I sized my Lyman 429421 250 gr. bullets to 0.430"D. Then I went to 0.431"D.

Best regards,

CJR

[richhodg66]

I bought a used one in '89 or 90. Still have it, sits loaded in a desk drawer. I take it out and run a box of handloads through it a few times a year. Always works, never had a lick of trouble with it and it's as accurate as such things in my hands are.

I've heard people badmouth them too. Only thing I can figure is that Charter Arms has gone under and come back under new management a few times and maybe the quality control hasn't been good with all of them, but I like mine and have no plans to ever get rid of it.

[azrednek]

Understanding that each gun is different, what diameter do any of you folks size boolits for the Bulldog to? GF

I always used .431 in all my sized 44's. Years ago when I started casting. I was loading my Bulldog with a Lee 246 RN cast from straight clip-ons. I shot them as dropped with no sizing.

[fjruple]

I picked up an older one about two years ago for only 175. Saw it on Backpage for 200. Being the cheapskate I am offered him 150. He replied with "if you can meet me in 30 minutes with 175 cash it's yours". I'm lucky I didn't get a speeding ticket racing down the freeway to meet him. My third one. First one used as a car gun in the early 70's was stolen. Second one was among expired pawn tickets I got from my X's lawyer.

In the 70's I got a call from the NYPD asking if I still had the Bulldog i bought in the early 70's in my possession. Apparently the NYPD was tracking down Bulldog owners during the Son of Sam investigation. The cop played dumb and didn't have a straight answer when I asked how he got my name and number. I can only speculate that ATF was some how involved.

azrednek--

Same thing happen to me I picked one of the first .44 Special Bulldogs that came out in the early 70's. I got a call from the ATF one day to come out and see my Bulldog. The agent told me that they were tracking down all of the .44 Bulldogs to their owners as it was the gun used by the "Son of Sam" killer in NYC. At the time only several thousand Bulldogs were sold. Great carry gun for a quick shot close up. I found that due to its light weight some of the factory .44 Special cartridges the bullet head would back out in the cylinder and jam the revolver on several rapid quick shots. I have found the best rounds were normal loads for the .44 Russian which provide quick reloading and extraction.

Cheers

--fjruple

[Petrol & Powder]

The Bulldog is an interesting revolver. I totally agree with Forrest r concerning factory 44 Special ammunition - It FLAT OUT SUCKS ! This is unfortunate because the 44 Special is an outstanding cartridge when handloaded. You don't need to push the envelope to get that great performance out of that cartridge but some 44 Special loads will be a little beyond acceptable specs.

Back about 20 years ago or so, I had routine access to a chronograph and did a lot of testing. The poor performance of factory loaded 44 Special was difficult to believe. Not only was it shockingly slow but it was also grossly inaccurate.

I also agree with Forrest r that bullet weights around 200 grains and around 16,000 psi, is the way to go in the Bulldog. The SAAMI limits for 44 Special are 15,500 psi, so that's a little beyond the maximum pressure but that SAAMI limit is very conservative for modern 44 Special guns. With a 200 grain lead bullet you can easily get to 800 fps in a 3" barrel without being reckless.
I would avoid "Skeeter" 44 Special loads with 250 gr bullets running 900-1000 fps; as those are beyond what a CA Bulldog can take for any length of time.

Charter Arms has gone through a few iterations over the years and their quality has not been consistent. The design of the Bulldog is decent but the execution of the design has been problematic at times.

[azrednek]

The Bulldog is an interesting revolver. I totally agree with Forrest r concerning factory 44 Special ammunition - It FLAT OUT SUCKS.

I like this Fiocchi 44 Special ammo accurate in my S&W 624 and not to uncomfortable when shot in my Bulldog. My very un-scientifically judgment based on felt recoil. It has more oomph than standard 44 Special factory ammo and a lot more than the wimpy cowboy stuff. Lacking a crony I can't honestly say there is sufficient velocity for the HP to expand. I do feel confident enough with the Fiocchi ammo that I pack it when carrying my Bulldog concealed. Price not to bad especially when compared to the CAS ammo.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/fiocchi-shooting-dynamics-44-special-sjhp-200-grain-50-rounds?a=1593891

Next time I order ammo online, I want to give this one a try. The advertised muzzle velocity of 1,500 FPS with a 165gr J-word I bet is the cat's sneeze for the Bulldog.
https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/hornady-critical-defense-44-special-ftx-165-grain-20-rounds?a=1585726

[CJR]

Some documented Unique loads to ponder for the Charter Arms Bulldog 44 Special:

Lyman 45 Ed Manual: 245 gr, 429421 (Keith/ 8 gr. Unique/ 1000 fps/ no pressure listed

NRA Handloading Manual: 250 gr. cast SWC/ 7.5 gr Unique/ 928 fps/ 11,250 CUP

Lyman 50 th Ed. Manual : 245 gr. 429421(Keith)/ 6.9 gr Unique/ 767 fps/ 13,300 CUP

A couple of comments on these documented loads:

1. The NRA load is what many refer to as the Skeeter Skelton load.
2. I believe the NRA had all their loads pressure tested by H.P White Labs in Maryland.
3. I know that Unique was reformulated years ago to make it cleaner burning. As far as I know the new cleaner burning Unique generates the same pressure as the dirtier version.
4. I've used the 7.5 gr. Unique charge(dirty & clean Unique versions) behind my 250 gr. 429421 (Keith) bullet for many, many years in my Bulldogs and never experienced extraction or any other problems like blown/flattened primers, etc.
5. Looks like maybe another pressure testing source needs to be found for the 44 Special Unique loads for comparison..

Best regards,

CJR

[John Boy]

Might be interested in the Bulldog's on Charter's website ... https://charterfirearms.com/products/boomer

[azrednek]

About the same time I got my Bulldog in the early 70's. I was just getting into reloading. I very foolishly used Elmer Keith's 44 Special pet load i found in a gun rag article. Being young, not to bright and having the very typical young male feeling of being invincible. I usd Elmer's pet load for a cast bullet and not knowing better. I used what was then named Herter's half-jacket bullets.

How I managed to get four shots being barely able to hold on to the Bulldog from way over the top recoil I can only guess. Apparently my lucky stars were in alignment. Other than a very sore wrist no serious injury. The Bulldog locked up after the 4th shot. Couldn't shoot double action and unable to cock hammer. With a piece of wood I managed to beat the cylinder out along with the loose and bent ejector rod. Later making my very first visit to a gunsmith.

[Catshooter]

I must have bought my first Bulldog in '73. Elmer's load of 17.5 grains of 2400 behind his 250 grain bullet was stiff in the recoil department. :) Gun held up fine though. I did soon drop down to the 7.5 grain Unique Skeeter load though.

Charter did indeed go through several ownership changes over the years. There was an excellent thread over to the Leverguns forum some years back about it. The long and the short of it was if it says "Charter Arms" you have a good chance of a good gun. The others, well . . .


Cat

[CJR]

Since we're talking about Charter Arms 44 Special Bulldogs, here are a couple of tips:

1. Occasionally, you will find a Bulldog that missfires. The solution is simple. Empty the Bulldog,hold it vertically(muzzle pointed straight-up), slowly DA the trigger and WATCH the Transfer Bar. The Transfer Bar should slide upwards and STAY IN CONTACT with the firing pin until the hammer falls. If the Transfer Bar is leaning back from the firing pin, misfires will occurr ocassionally because the hammer will hit the Transfer Bar and drive the Transfer Bar forward to lightly hit the firing pin and bounce back to hit the hammer again and effectively reduce the firing pin impact. The solution is to simply bend the spring (on trigger) that holds the Transfer Bar against the Firing Pin during DA. If you are uncomfortable doing this, take it to a gunsmith and tell him to SLIGHTLY bend the spring (in contact with Transfer Bar) so that the Transfer Bar ALWAYS STAYS IN SLIDING CONTACT WITH THE FIRING PIN during DA. When the trigger is released, after DA, the Transfer Bar drops down so that the Hammer rests safely against the frame.
2. Don't go to lighter hammer springs.
3. The Bulldog can be made more concealable with different grips or moding the original rubber grip. Eagle Grips used to make grips for the Bulldog called "Secret Service" grips, they are very compact. Or pull the rubber grips off and shorten the rubber grip on the bottom. The rubber grip should have about 1/4" rubber left on the bottom of the frame so that you can't see the bottom of the frame when the grips are on. Use sandpaper to finish the hacksaw-cut rubber.

There are other things that can be done to the Bulldog, but the above mentioned are the most important to improve compactness and reliability.

Best regards,

CJR

[azrednek]

I hope my previous post doesn't discourage anybody from considering a Charter Arms revolver. Keep in mind I used a cast bullet load with jacketed bullets. We also need to consider loading data from an early 70's gun magazine. I'm sure there was a disclaimer and a warning to reduce and work up to it slowly but in my early 20's as I mentioned I thought I was invincible. Also bear in mind duplex and triplex load data often appeared in gun rags back then.

[azrednek]

Might be interested in the Bulldog's on Charter's website ... https://charterfirearms.com/products/boomer

The Boomer looks like a bad assed car gun. I don't however care for ported barrels for a self defense gun. The muzzle flash when shot in the dark can easily cause temporary blindness to the shooter. Not something I'd want to deal with in an attempted car jacking for example.