Ghetto Revolver Face-off

Which one would you pick for your only handgun?

  • Taurus small frame, any model (specify)

  • Charter Arms, any model (specify)

Results are only viewable after voting.
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Smaug said:
Slamfire, I’d forgotten about Charters breaking firing pins. It’s mostly from dry firing, right? They should really address that. I guess snap caps are a must, for them.
Click to expand...

Yes dry firing. Snap caps peen out in short order, the only real solution was not to dry fire my Bulldog.

Had two pistols bust transfer bars. The first was a FIE Hombre. The second is my first production year stainless SuperBlack Hawk

8T05jFx.jpg

transfer bar broke at the range. When the transfer bar breaks, the gun will no go bangy.


OxdQZcn.jpg


7SkgaFS.jpg


The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.

Scotty, Star Trek III the Search for Spock
 
Smaug said:
I recently read a review on a Charter Arms revolver, one of the new ones. From the family owned company.

The author said that the trigger needed smoothing up with lots of dry firing. He had to do it and catch the hammer with his finger each time hundreds of times because he knew the transfer bar or firing pin would break if he dry fired at that much otherwise. I wonder if it would also break with snap caps, or if it’s just dry firing?
Click to expand...

I do the same thing, with the .44 Bulldog I currently own.

It's the transfer bar that breaks, not the firing pin. And it will break with dry firing with snap caps. Always breaks the same way, in the same place (right where it widens out to the "flag"). And it's a screaming PITA 3 hand job to replace.
 
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I had to go with Charter arms (Made in U.S. of A). My .45 Bulldog had to go to the factory for a defect and I had it back in a week. My GS said if it were a Taurus it might take months to get it back (presumably ship it back to Brazil?)

Now if I am going Charter Arms and for carry, maybe the .327 Magnum I think they have one with 8 shots.
 
lee n. field said:
I do the same thing, with the .44 Bulldog I currently own.

It's the transfer bar that breaks, not the firing pin. And it will break with dry firing with snap caps. Always breaks the same way, in the same place (right where it widens out to the "flag"). And it's a screaming PITA 3 hand job to replace.
Click to expand...
Snap caps are supposed to protect the firing pin though they do wear out after so much use. Well, guess I just have to shoot more live ammo. Other than the expense (.45 Colt) it sure is a lot of fun!
 
I'm gonna pick this 856 38 spl +p 3" stainless model for its ghetto style:

https://www.taurususa.com/revolvers...8-spl-p-matte-stainless-3-00-in-vz-black-gray

Taurus_Defender_856_2-85635NSVZ_R-f467cc9c.webp
 
I own four Charters, ranging from 1966 to 1987. Three are Undercovers in .38, and one is an Undercoverette in .32SWL. I like them all, and the three .38s are solid shooters. I have yet to try the 'Ette.

I have two "J-size" shorter-barreled Taurus revolvers, from the mid-nineties. Both of those are in stainless, and both have three-inch barrels. One is a 85 in .38 Special, and the other a 941 in .22WMR. Both are very handsome revolvers.

The gun that would make the cut for me would be a (preferably-vintage) Model 94 in .22LR. There isn't much I can't do with nine rounds of quality .22LR ammunition on hand. I would want a barrel no less than three inches in length (my current 94 is a four-incher.)
 
When I lived in New Orleans I had a break in. They stole my Glock and my tomcat 32. I moved and would not bring any of my other guns over from where I had them stored. So I carried a 1971 charter arms that I got for 50 bucks as a gunsmith special. I put 50 dollars worth of springs in it. I had a twenty gauge single shot and pump in a closet. They didn’t steal them and they were enough at home to do what need be. So to answer charter arms og vintage not 80s. I might try a newer bulldog in 44 special.
 
Blkhrt13 said:
When I lived in New Orleans I had a break in. They stole my Glock and my tomcat 32. I moved and would not bring any of my other guns over from where I had them stored. So I carried a 1971 charter arms that I got for 50 bucks as a gunsmith special. I put 50 dollars worth of springs in it. I had a twenty gauge single shot and pump in a closet. They didn’t steal them and they were enough at home to do what need be. So to answer charter arms og vintage not 80s. I might try a newer bulldog in 44 special.
Click to expand...
You ain't as defenseless as most think with a 20ga single shot and a .38 Spl
 
I have both.

Taurus, no question.

The Charter is the worst firearm I own that was made after 1930.

It was almost unfireable when new. Every part inside of it has rough surfaces. Shooting it double action felt as if it was buried in a sandbox.

i-f5sSLwz-M.jpg

The hammer. You can see how deep the ridges were and the buildup of metal on the edge. Every part was like that. I bought it as a project but never expected this low level of quality.

It was $200 new so I'm not crying about the cost. I am surprised that any manufacturer would put out such a poor product.

My Taurus Ultra-Lite bought in 2002 is a much better firearm in accuracy, reliability and especially quality.
 
Older charter arms. Would be my pick. I’ve owned both charter and Taurus. Can get turds with both.
 
There's a difference between older, pre 1990 Charters and modern Charter, just as there is with older Taurus and current Taurus.

I'm a big current Taurus fan, they can still churn out a lemon and take a couple weeks to get it back to you, but they've come a long way from the horror stories I've heard about from those who had tried to deal with their customer service 10 or 20 years ago. That said, it's not a guarantee you will need to send anything back, with modern Charter it feels like its destiny is to be sent back for servicing. My Professional had to go back after a few months with a busted transfer bar.

I really want to get the Taurus 942, it has been on my list for almost 3 years now and I can't find any, but it's an 8 shot .22 revolver that should cost under $300 and as long as it works I can't imagine has a worse trigger than any modern small frame Ruger or S&W .22 does. I also want to further personally test Taurus guns, the two I've bought new the past couple years have been trouble free and plain fun to shoot, but I want to see if Taurus can keep that streak going with their revolvers.
 
aaaaa said:
I had to go with Charter arms (Made in U.S. of A). My .45 Bulldog had to go to the factory for a defect and I had it back in a week. My GS said if it were a Taurus it might take months to get it back (presumably ship it back to Brazil?)

Now if I am going Charter Arms and for carry, maybe the .327 Magnum I think they have one with 8 shots.
Click to expand...
Charter doesn't make a .327 anymore and the one they did only held 6.

And your LGS is probably rattling off anti-Taurus talking points that stem from stuff 10 or 20 years ago when Taurus was really bad. These are the type of people who will tell you .32 is "a buck a round" and is "no different than a .22" and say it with confidence.

That's not to say Taurus can't have issues that delay returns, I mean, we're in the era of "supply chain shortages" that is causing slow turnaround times and high prices, so it's possible.
 
I have four Charter Arms revolvers. Two had to go back to the factory.

I think I've had eight small-frame Taurus revolvers. One had to go back to the factory.

The Charter Arms are lighter than the steel Taurii and on average have a better trigger. It's a weird, toylike trigger, but not heavy. If a CA proves to me that it works, I have no problem carrying one. I carry my Bulldog sometimes. It seems larger than a J-frame. I like that they come in atypical calibers like 44 special and 32 H&R.

The Taurii are a bit heavier if they're steel. The triggers range from stiff to nice. I prefer a nice Taurus trigger to a regular CA trigger, but with Taurus it's not always a nice trigger. The Taurii are close copies of the S&W j-frame. If a Taurus revolver proves to me that it works, I have no problem carrying one. I have carried various versions of their Model 85 since 1990 or so.

My Bulldog and one of my Model 85's. Neither one is fancy. They both go bang every time and have decent combat accuracy.

Charter Arms Bulldog 44 Special

Charter Arms Bulldog 44 Special


Taurus Model 85 38 special DAO

Taurus Model 85 38 special DAO

 
eddiememphis said:
I have both.

Taurus, no question.

The Charter is the worst firearm I own that was made after 1930.

It was almost unfireable when new. Every part inside of it has rough surfaces. Shooting it double action felt as if it was buried in a sandbox.

View attachment 1105161

The hammer. You can see how deep the ridges were and the buildup of metal on the edge. Every part was like that. I bought it as a project but never expected this low level of quality.

It was $200 new so I'm not crying about the cost. I am surprised that any manufacturer would put out such a poor product.

My Taurus Ultra-Lite bought in 2002 is a much better firearm in accuracy, reliability and especially quality.
Click to expand...

Project gun. That describes my recently bought C.A. was as well. Some of the project was due to my preferences, some of the project was playing quality control fixer.
 
TTv2 said:
I really want to get the Taurus 942, it has been on my list for almost 3 years now and I can't find any, but it's an 8 shot .22 revolver that should cost under $300 and as long as it works I can't imagine has a worse trigger than any modern small frame Ruger or S&W .22 does. I also want to further personally test Taurus guns, the two I've bought new the past couple years have been trouble free and plain fun to shoot, but I want to see if Taurus can keep that streak going with their revolvers.
Click to expand...

I have a 3" Taurus Model 85 that was bought new in 2000 along with a new Model 856 bought this year and a 22lr Model 942 bought last year. The 856 and 942 are both 2" models. I haven't had any issues with all three of them.

The two handguns I grab when going fishing or for hikes is either my Glock G44 or my Taurus 942. And both go with me every time I go to the range. The Taurus 942 is fun to shoot and easy to carry when hiking or fishing.

Before purchasing the 856, I looked at them along with the Charter 38 and Rock Island 38. Out of the three, the Taurus had the best fit and finish, best lockup, and best trigger.

After reading all of the stories here and on other forums, I will stay clear of any new Charter Arms revolvers. Now I wouldn't hesitate to buy an older one.

And yes all rimfire revolvers are going to have a heavier trigger pull compared to their centerfire counterparts. This is due to rimfire primers being harder to ignite versus centerfire primers. There really is no way around this.

Now for my idea on "ghetto" guns. I don't consider Charter or Taurus as ghetto guns. Yes both companies have had ups and downs when it comes to quality but there are far worse revolvers that were made in the past. A lot of the foreign made revolvers imports were horrible, especially some of the very cheaply made revolvers from Germany and Italy.
 
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