Charter Arms Bulldog

[nhithaca]

Are you sure that it is SS? Looks like a blued gun with the bluing removed. But I'm sure it will shoot fine. Try and stay on the lighter side for the reloads unless you like pain.
Gun predates the current company located in Shelton (original company located in Stratford from 1962 until 1991). Must be at least 30 years old.

[Texas by God]

It looks "Tuff Enuff"( apologies to the Fabulous Thunderbirds) to work, although I would tighten that ejector rod end- I don't think that the coil spring is supposed to show......
My brother had an early blued model and it was an excellent carry gun around the farm. And in town - but that was a jail-able offense even in Texas back then. The goober sold it or traded it before I could talk him out of it. We would shoot the snot out of it with 6grs of Unique and commercial 240gr swc cast and it was a decent shooter.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Battis]

Yeah, I'm going to take it down, fix that spring, see what's what inside. I also thought it had been blued at one point but the store said it was stainless, and it does look stainless that's been scrubbed or brushed or abused somehow.
There's an old dog in the shop that wanders around, a Boston Terrier, which is part English BULLDOG. Anyways, I bent down to pat the little bugger and she snapped at my hand. Hope that's not a sign...

[Electrod47]

I own 3 Charter Arm Bulldogs. 2ea 3" and a 1 1/2" Boomer w/magnaport. All .44spl My favorite load is a 200 grain DEWC from Matt's Bullets with enough Bullseye to give me 800fps. Shoots double action smooth and easy. I also have a .38spl Undercover since 1972 as a Concealed Carry before there was Concealed Carry. I own a lot of what some might call quality arms. But, the Bulldogs have always been my guilty pleasure. Their light, handy and on my hip here on the Ponderosa daily. Your gun looks a little rough, But Buddy I would have fell over myself to close that deal.

[Battis]

It does look rough, but then again, it's not a Charter Arms Poodle.
I called Charter Arms to ask about that extractor. They might, or might not, have one from another model that fits. I could send it back to them...naw. Nice people.
I like the Louis L'Amour quote.

[Battis]

The spring was an easy fix. Now I wonder if it had been a blue gun? Inside the trigger guard is blue. How can you tell for sure? If it had been blued, I could reblue it and make it look a little better.

Well, it's very magnetic and it took PermaBlue nicely.
I called Charter Arms again and gave them the serial number. It was made either in 1978 or 1980, in blue.

[pietro]

I called the shop and they told me that the gun is worn and it looks old, but it's functional. They're going to hold it until I get there today. Sounds interesting.

The current CA customer service will fix you up, aiming at a repair turnaround of unser 20 days - per the current CA prexy, Nick Eger (during a converstaion with him when calling CA on a Saturday AM about a repair status on a new Pathfinder.

I've had zero issues with my Bull Dog

[MOA]

The spring was an easy fix. Now I wonder if it had been a blue gun? Inside the trigger guard is blue. How can you tell for sure? If it had been blued, I could reblue it and make it look a little better.

Well, it's very magnetic and it took PermaBlue nicely.
I called Charter Arms again and gave them the serial number. It was made either in 1978 or 1980, in blue.

Yes, it looks like the model I was selling in 1981. They were all blued. I don't believe they were offered in stainless at that time. At least we never carried any in stainless an many of our models we carried were both blued and stainless if available.

[georgerkahn]

"Worn and old but still functions" they told me on the phone. Sounds like me.
Anyways, 40 minute ride each way and now it's home.
It's stainless that's been brushed, cleaned, or whatever. One of the prongs on the extractor is broken but the cases still eject. Numrich is out of them but I'm sure I can find one.
The rifling looks good. The action is very smooth.
It came with 15 reloads and another five or so pieces of brass. I'll tear the reloads apart and start over.
It's surprisingly light. Nice big grips.
Probably won't win Best In Show but what the heck.

Again, my most sincere congrats! From the photos, it almost is prettier than mine -- also a stainless model. You will like the grips when shooting is my wager! I have medium-large size hands, and mine also has a rubber grip on it; but, smaller than yours. I have taken a piece of leather which I have on the starboard side of the grip which enables much better "natural" grip and control. If there is a brand name on your grips -- I may have interest in looking into a set. Oh -- fyi, mine has a 2.5" barrel, and a serial number of s/n 14-49xxx -- perhaps yours and mine are in fact similar!
BEST wishes!

A good "PS" is from reading another thread on this wonderful forum I learned a real neat trick you may wish to try? Just put some plain-Jane Flitz polish on a patch and gently rub, rub, rub. I acquired a well-used S&W Model 64 -- and less than 1/2hour time plus 1/2 small tube of Flitz... did miracles to its looks. Allllmost like new

geo

[markX]

Nice pickup!

[Battis]

Actually, it was a blued gun that had been stripped, scrubbed and brushed. NHITHACA called that right a few posts back. I'll reblue it (or try).

[lee n. field]

A store and hour or so from me lists a Charter Arms Bulldog 44 SP for $249 (plus some ammo included).
That sounds kinda low. From what I've read, there were good years and bad years from Charter Arms. Were the bad years really that bad?

Used, I assume. I paid that for a 2010 vintage DAO Bulldog, last year.

Bad years. Internet hearsay (YMMV) is, avoid the Charco years. See the second post here.

Transfer bar on Charters is prone to breaking.

[lee n. field]

"Worn and old but still functions" they told me on the phone. Sounds like me.
Anyways, 40 minute ride each way and now it's home.
It's stainless that's been brushed, cleaned, or whatever. One of the prongs on the extractor is broken but the cases still eject. Numrich is out of them but I'm sure I can find one.

You can probably get the part from Charter, but if it were me I'd send it in to Charter.

BTW, something's wrong with the ejector rod. The spring loaded collar should be snapped into a recess in the frame, not up against the knurled end of the ejector rod.

It came with 15 reloads and another five or so pieces of brass. I'll tear the reloads apart and start over.
It's surprisingly light. Nice big grips.
Probably won't win Best In Show but what the heck.

4.6 grains Bullseye, 200 grain wadcutter, works for me.

[pettypace]

Probably won't win Best In Show but what the heck.

All the better. Then a little work with a hacksaw and file and some silver solder won't be so painful. That will make your Bulldog about the same size and weight (empty) as a (steel) J-frame Smith.





Loaded with a 200 grain wadcutter to about 700 f/s, the 2" Bulldog should have about the same wound mass and 50% more penetration than the classic "FBI Load" from a 4" barrel.

[Battis]

I fixed the spring on the rod (it had been assembled incorrectly). I called Charter Arms about the ejector - I'd have to send the gun to them to see if they might have one that fits. Not worth it.
I have a S&W .38 Airweight. Nice gun.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

The current Charter Arms will work on the early ones for a fee (maybe $49.95). Their current production is under extended warranty (life?) I've got a very old one and a recent one, had the .44 Target and sorry I traded it. Recoil is significant with PMC 240 gr factory SWC, 200 gr Cowboy is better, but lighter 180-200 grain is better. My sights do shoot point of impact at 25 yards with the 240's. I've carries them quite a bit, excellent snake gun, a lot more shot than the .38/.357's.

[nhithaca]

I agree with MostlyLeverGuns; the factory 240 grain loadings for the 44 Special are a little much for sustained shooting with the 2" Bulldogs. I bought 44 Russian cases from Starline and load 180 and 200 grain bullets at about 700 fps. Plenty of punch at 0-21 feet for anything you may run into. Remember, the Brits were using 38 S&W revolvers during WWII loaded with 180-200 grain bullets traveling at about 650-700 fps. A 44 will just hit that much harder with the greater diameter.

[Battis]

In the Reichrevolver .44 Russian I load .429” 244 gr cast bullets with approx 17 gr FFFG Goex. Using smokeless instead of BP changes everything. I'll get lighter bullets for the .44 SP, or maybe use the .44 Russian cases with smokeless as a ".44 SP short.

[bpimwheel]

A pair of 44 Special Charter Arms Bulldogs.
Each in a Bucheimer Federalist holster.
One left hand, one right hand.


All stainless steel, 5 shot, pocket hammer, pachmayr grips.
Made when CA was in Stratford, CT
Top one made in 1981 (first year of stainless) Mag-na-ported
Bottom one made in 1982
Both barrels cut to about 2 inches and front sight silver soldered back on.

For those that are interested, here is the history of the four companies that were Charter Arms and timelines for their revolvers.
https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/CAR/car.html

Both are excellent shooters although with 240gr over 6.2 Unique they can be a handfull but manageable.

[smkummer]

Could you just send the cylinder to charter for repair? Save a bunch on shipping. Anyway, back in the 70’s, I had a 3” nickel charter bulldog. I only shot it a few times. Like stated here, concealed carry didn’t really exist back then. I was more into precision shooting back then. Wrote to charter about a target sight and they suggested I purchase the then new target bulldog with a. 4” barrel and adjustable sights. So I traded the gun and then missed it when CC carry became an option. Just about 3 years ago, I bought that well worn target bulldog for maybe $250 and love it. It’s stuffed with the skeeter load for business use and resides concealed in my truck. If needed, hopefully the perp looking at those big bullets stops his aggression without a shot being fired!