Bought a Charter Arms 'cuz they can't be that bad.....

NIGHTLORD40K

NIGHTLORD40K

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...and, wouldn't ya know, it was broke.

Picked it up this little Pathfinder snubby last week, and took it out to the back yard to plink some tin cans. All I got was 'click, click, click.' -almost no primer indents.
IMG_0217.jpg

Well, they come apart easy enough. Problem was pretty obvious-
IMG_0220.jpg

Broken firing pin. A little bit of the tip actually fell out of the channel and was likely preventing it from its full travel.
IMG_0219.jpg

Not sure what it's made of but it's nonmagnetic. Bronze maybe?
Charter doesn't sell them, or at least doesn't list them on their website. 😠 $13 in stock at Numrich, though.
Oh well, the gun was used and cheap. Fortunately it also looks like a cheap and easy fix.
Turns out they are that bad- at least this one was! 🤪
 
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I never had a problem with mine until I sent it back to them for their spurless hammer. Had to send it back to them three more times trying to get it to work and finally gave up and gave it away. The gunsmith I gave it to said they really screwed it up. To this day he still has problems with the new parts they added. He put the original parts back in and it works most of the time now.
 
I know the transfer bars they use now are MIM, but wouldn't put it past them to use MIM for the firing pin too.

Charter has some neat designs (Pitbull, Professional) and I like that they make a .45 Colt snub, but they make revolvers to meet a price point and the result is a garbage product. I've been lucky my Professional works fine and hasn't broken another transfer bar, but I avoid the brand like the plague now and with Taurus being better in terms of price and quality, they're my budget revolver choice now.
 
any guesses as to why the firing pin broke? you can replace it, but I'd be 50/50 on if it will just break again.
 
film495 said:
any guesses as to why the firing pin broke? you can replace it, but I'd be 50/50 on if it will just break again.
Click to expand...
My working theory is that Charter, in an effort to minimize part #s, simply drills the firing pin channel a bit higher on the rimfire frame, but apparently uses the same firing pin and transfer bar (Numrich calls it a hammer block, but it really isn't) as the centerfire guns. In order to eliminate all pin to cylinder contact, that would require very precise machining of the frame, pin, cylinder, crane, etc.....and precise this thing ain't. The crane has some slop, the hand and ratchet lockup vary with the amount of pressure you give the trigger, and the firing pin wobbles around quite a bit in its' channel.
It appears that the pin was smacking the cylinder on at least two charge holes, probably during dry-firing. Dry firing is always a risky proposition with any .22, but some tolerate it better than others.
This one, probably not so much.
 
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I have 2 Charters, an Undercover, and a Bulldog. Both very early production models. Never a problem with the Undercover, and the Bulldog is still unfired, NIB.
The UC was my first Snub and probably the gun that started my revolver addiction.
 
ontarget said:
I have 2 Charters, an Undercover, and a Bulldog. Both very early production models. Never a problem with the Undercover, and the Bulldog is still unfired, NIB.
The UC was my first Snub and probably the gun that started my revolver addiction.
Click to expand...
Once I get this thing fixed, Ill probably run 50 or so rounds through it, to confirm ignition, then bury it with a couple boxes of ammo in a waterproof tube for "just in case."
🤪
 
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dh1633pm said:
At least the firing pin wasn’t made of unobtainium. Glad you found a replacement. Let us know it goes after you get it back together.
Click to expand...
Its funny, the only repair part Charter lists on their site are hammers. The hammer is probably the stoutest part on the silly gun. If you break one, you likely have bigger problems!
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
I'd really like to find another vintage Pocket Target, the precursor to the Pathfinder-
View attachment 1185912
Only ever seen one in the flesh, and foolishly passed on it.
Click to expand...

They are sweet little revolvers. I'd bet the first gen Pathfinders are just as good.

index.php
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
...and, wouldn't ya know, it was broke.

Picked it up this little Pathfinder snubby last week, and took it out to the back yard to plink some tin cans. All I got was 'click, click, click.' -almost no primer indents.
View attachment 1185822

Well, they come apart easy enough. Problem was pretty obvious-
View attachment 1185823

Broken firing pin. A little bit of the tip actually fell out of the channel and was likely preventing it from its full travel.
View attachment 1185824

Not sure what it's made of but it's nonmagnetic. Bronze maybe?
Charter doesn't sell them, or at least doesn't list them on their website. 😠 $13 in stock at Numrich, though.
Oh well, the gun was used and cheap. Fortunately it also looks like a cheap and easy fix.
Turns out they are that bad- at least this one was! 🤪
Click to expand...


I believe they used to advertise it was beryllium copper alloy. Betcha Numrich is hardened steel :)
 
Mark_Mark said:
thanks for letting us know about CA!
Click to expand...
Some folks have a good experience and like them.
I paid less than a quality Luger magazine for it and wasn't expecting much, so I can't say I was surprised. Its just a casual plinker or trainer at best anyway.

If I get it running, it'll probably be squirrelled away for a rainy day- certainly not in my carry rotation.
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
Some folks have a good experience and like them.
I paid less than a quality Luger magazine for it and wasn't expecting much, so I can't say I was surprised. Its just a casual plinker or trainer at best anyway.

If I get it running, it'll probably be squirrelled away for a rainy day- certainly not in my carry rotation.
Click to expand...
my little model 36 will fit the baby gun category well!
 
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