Charter Arms, where are they made?

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jski

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I looked on their website and they had a dead link to a youtube video about their manufacturing processes. No live links tho.
 
How's their Pitbull 45ACP? I have a friend who's looking into getting a .45ACP wheelgun but doesn't want to spend S&W prices. He's like to have it for home defense.
 
I like the original Charter Arms revolvers just fine. Current Charter Arms guns are quite the gamble in getting a good one.
Is that the result of "financial issues"? You would think/hope that in these time where everyone is looking for security their business would have picked up some?
 
Is that the result of "financial issues"? You would think/hope that in these time where everyone is looking for security their business would have picked up some?
No way to know for sure. From my reading and personal experience my hypothesis is it is a workforce issue since COVID. Problems started popping up around then. If you check the few posts here you will see some QC issues. The designs are not new, prior to a few years ago they seemed to be humming along fine. Their customer service is very good and they honor the warranty, no questions asked.
 
I used to think they were clunky

. . . but compared to my recent poor quality control issues with Ruger and S&W, they look better LOLOL
 
I have had an older model Charter Arms in 357 Magnum (made in the 70's) for many years. I shoot it often with P+ 38 Special loads and sometimes with factory 357 Magnum ammo. Other than having to tighten a screw here and there once or twice in the last 30 years it has been accurate and reliable. In my opinion the combination of good quality and reasonable prices make it hard to beat if a revolver is what you want. . Lately I have been considering purchase of a smaller handgun for CC and the choices include a modern CA snub in 44 Special or 45 ACP vs a subcompact 45 ACP polymer pistol.
 
How's their Pitbull 45ACP?
I sold mine a couple of weeks ago. I used it mostly for hiking as a snake gun. After CCI quit loading .45 ACP snake shot, a friend of mine started loading it for me with very good results. He found a way to crimp the mouth over the card and shot. That aside, I decided that a .22 was enough for the mission.

The good is, Pitbull was lightweight when compared to something like Redhawk. It weighs about 30 oz. Makes a big difference when it's on you whole day long in 100+F heat in Nevada. The less revolver you carry, the more water you can take with you.

The action felt okay. But it's middling in other aspects. The barrel on mine was unscrewing itself while shooting. Well referenced local gunsmiths (not armorers) could not figure it out. Although granted, a trip to the factory cured it. Maybe they replaced the barrel. Accuracy remained very poor (obviously with bullets, not shot).

On the range, I reloaded mine from 1911 magazines instead of speed strips. Always a conversation starter.

A deaf old guy bought it off me for $300 cash at a gun show. He used an real book, printed on paper, as a reference for gun values. I seriously thought I was ripping him off, but hey, it's nothing personal.
 
Their WEB site claims 100% American Made, 100% American Parts and 100% American Owned.

That is 100% true and now that one of the original partners are back at the helm the Ecker family has brought Charter Arms back to their original high quality and reliability. It's not like the several incarnations they went through the worst being Charter Arms 2000.
(no, I have no affiliation with them, I just like American companies)

Now if someone would resurrect American Derringer I would be very happy lol...
 
Their WEB site claims 100% American Made, 100% American Parts and 100% American Owned.

That is 100% true and now that one of the original partners are back at the helm the Ecker family has brought Charter Arms back to their original high quality and reliability. It's not like the several incarnations they went through the worst being Charter Arms 2000.
(no, I have no affiliation with them, I just like American companies)

Now if someone would resurrect American Derringer I would be very happy lol...
My Charter Arms 2000 bulldog .44 is great, its the generation before it thats crap
 
My Charter Arms 2000 bulldog .44 is great, its the generation before it thats crap
My mistake, Charter Arms was founded in 1964 and by 1996 filed for bankruptcy. That's when the Elder family too over under the name Charter Arms 2000. If your Bulldog was made between 2000 and 2005 you do have a very good revolver. It was from 2005 on the company lost it's way after the Ecker family filed for bankruptcy. I don't recall what year the Ecker family came back and took over for that supply company who ran it into the ground.

Hey, I'm getting old and get things wrong sometimes lol...

Edit to correct mistake in dates, sorry...
 
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My mistake, Charter Arms was founded in 1964 and by 1969 filed for bankruptcy. That's when the Elder family too over under the name Charter Arms 2000. If your Bulldog was made between 1996 and 2005 you do have a very good revolver. It was from 2005 on the company lost it's way after the Ecker family filed for bankruptcy. I don't recall what year the Ecker family came back and took over for that supply company who ran it into the ground.

Hey, I'm getting old and get things wrong sometimes lol...
But I think the company came back again more recently and so current production should be good.
 
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