I am looking for a .44 special and there are many Charter Arms brand revolvers out there in that caliber. But I know nothing about the quality of Charter Arms brand. Anyone with experience with them in that caliber or in general I would welcome your thoughts as to quality and accuracy.
best
atr
Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !
You opened a can of worms. Good luck.
Charter has been around for a long time. They have went out of business, and restarted at least once. If you keep in mind you are talking about a revovler that doesn't cost a whole lot, my opinion is that the newer ones are good quality. They are about like Taurus, except made in the USA.
Fair assesment..Originally Posted by megasupermagnum
I have owned and Shot, my Charter Bulldog in 44 Spl, for ?? at least 40 years.. It has never failed to go "bang"
When I was younger ...it lived a "bad life" but in the last 10-15 yrs, it has pretty much just rode in the Vehicle...Shoot a box of 50 -100 in an entire Year!!! For Me... It was a great investment, and I would Not part with it...
Oh.... I would Not part with the Pachmayr grip it wears either!!!
A long time ago a family friend bought a CA Bulldog. He would have liked a 'short' .45 colt in a snubby, but, the .44spl was close enough. It was a pure function gun. Finish wasn't great but it had a decent DA trigger and shot where it was pointed every time the trigger was pulled. That was before the last company change.
I have really been tempted by the 3" Mag Pug (I like the .357mag).
"Totalitarianism demands, in fact, the continuous alteration of the past, and in the long run probably demands a disbelief in the very existence of objective truth.” --George Orwell
How can a revolver "go full auto"?
When guns are outlawed only criminals and the government will have them and at that time I will see very little difference in either!
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I would recommend the Stainless version of the bulldog. It is a good gun for the money.
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The Bulldog fills a niche. Light weight and relatively inexpensive revolver, for a caliber that starts with a four. Decent trigger but finish isn't up to the more expensive brands. Have experience with two CA revolvers. The shrouded hammer, Fit for Duty Bulldog and the 22 caliber Pathfinder in the subbie version.
Winelover
It can't, period.
Collector and shooter of guns and other items that require a tax stamp, Lead and brass scrounger. Never too much brass, lead or components in inventory! Always looking to win beauty contests with my reloads.
I have carried a .44 spl Bulldog for years and shot it a lot never has failed.
Happy with mine as well -- SS .44 Special. I load the RCBS Keith.
I have an older one made in the '70's. It's plenty accurate for its intended purpose and has never failed to fire. People get hung up trying to compare them to a Colt or S&W - they aren't on the same level but are perfectly fine for SD and emergency situations. Mine stays loaded with snake shot during the hot months, so my wife has easy access in case a rattler wanders into the yard when I'm not around.
I had a "want" for a .44 Special, and for a zillion or so times peered at the Bulldog which had been in glass display case at LGS "forever". This fact alone -- it's collecting dust for at least one and one-half years after *I* viewed -- God knows how long it had been there before? -- kept asking me, "WHY?" was it still here?
But -- my want level exceeded my logic level -- shop owner would not come down a Penny on price, either -- but after licensing/permit wait, it followed me home.
It is the Stainless Charter Arms Bulldog, s/n 14-49xxx, 2.5” barrel version, and came in original plastic case with papers and its factory grip. After my second time at range I acknowledged the wisdom of others in putting a Pachmyer grip on which made ALL the (comfort in shooting) difference.
After I've had it awhile, in retrospect, I wonder WHY I so wanted it... BUT am delighted to have gotten it and still love it dearly! I have, too a S&W 696-1 which -- also a 5-shot revolver, is most similar. Taking both to range same session, I recall a buddy's comment: "If shooting the Smith is like paddling a canoe, then so is the BullDog -- but it's like paddling uphill." This made no sense, but I cannot dispute his remark. All in all, at the just about one-half price of the Smith, the BullDog remains a bargain worth having!
Re accuracy -- me NOT being any sort of an eagle-eye -- at the twenty-five yard target, rounds from both revolvers similarly resemble a shotshell pattern
Re quality -- I probably only have around 450-500 rounds through the BullDog -- and have yet to experience any problems, challenges, or concerns re its performance.
Note previous posts re the MANY stages of Charter Arms -- which I why I posted the Serial number range of mine. I, too, have heard that for some periods the revolvers produced were purportedly not superb. (???) I have never used it, but the warranty provided -- at least on paper which came with revolver -- seems awesome.
Good luck -- if there was indeed a favourite calibre for my handguns -- it surely would be the .44 Special (the cartridge/load I shoot in my .44 Rem mag's, too!)
geo
Last edited by georgerkahn; 02-02-2023 at 10:23 AM.
No, it can't but if you watch Jerry Mikelik (SP) shooting one you'd think it was "full auto".......
Larry Gibson
“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
― Nikola Tesla
Not that it is particularly applicable to the .44 Special revolvers but my stainless snubby Pug .41 has the chambers machined dead on to the SAAMI tolerances and no slop. So when you put together your ammo you make sure your as-sized boolits are not extra fat or else they embarrassingly might not chamber. And, because the cylinder isn't as long as other brands, make sure your boolits don't stick out too much. For example, I wanted to try out Lyman #410426 but to crimp it the brass would have to be trimmed short. Could get the #410426 modified to a WFN hollow point but this one from Accurate fills the bill with all the right dimensions.
I only have experience with their .38's, but the .44 is just a scaled up version so my experiences should apply. The design is pretty good and all mine have been just as accurate as my S&W and Ruger wheelguns. There seem to be certain eras to avoid. 1980's and 90's guns seem to be the nadir of the line. Definitely cheaper looking and many complaints about defects. The 1960's, 70's, and 2000's on up seem to be really good, all of mine have been. Only thing I really don't like about Charters is the grip selection SUCKS. There's just not much at all to choose from. Fortunately, Hogue now makes an excellent grip for it that strikes a good balance between shootability and concealment.
Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.
I have a 44 special in a Target Bulldog. 4" bbl. Great gun. eats 240gr like a champ. sights are dead nutz on. Had it for about 7 years? ( since before covid )
Oh I forgot... During it's "bad" times...it was always loaded with Rat Shot.. at least #7-1/2 or sometimes 6's, in speer capsules, Boxes of them!!!
It will dispense with Very Large Rats, very well indeed... while No 38/357 ever did!!!
Mine is a 3" BBL, and the Double action is plenty good for distributing "Rat Poison" in short order..
Now days... soft Speer Swaged 240's over about 6 gr Unique (by Memory) and all is Good!!!
I've only owned one, but it worked well. It was an older, 5-shot Undercoverette in 32 H&R. They upgraded it to the new, 6-shot configuration for free (I was told that it is normally $100). They will also provide warranty service for Charter revolvers produced under previous ownership, for a flat $50, plus parts. So far, I have a a favorable opinion of the company.
Amen! My wife is a good enough markswoman that she has killed rattlers by shooting their heads off, but the shot capsules are more forgiving. I killed the biggest rattlesnake we have ever seen on the property with a .44 shot shell - one round was all it took.
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