The steel frame LCR's are a fine revolver and all, but not $600 fine imo. This is why those who have asked for a .32 Mag LCR built on the lighter. 38 LCR frame is not something I would be against because I have seen those .38 LCRs go for under 350 in years past. Make it .32 Mag and keep it under 400 and I'm game, much more so than the Charter Undercoverette.
MSRP on the LCR .327 Mag is $859. Have owned many Rugers over the years, but the LCR is completely overpriced for what it is. As for Charter Arms...
I have the current 2022 production Undercoverette .32 H&R Mag 6-shot with the aluminium frame. Revolver is a champ, currently just under 500 rounds through it (and twice as may dry fires). My Hornady 85 XTP handload makes 1000 fps, and shoots a 3" group @ 15 yards. Can't ask for more than that. Transfer bar works fine.
My 2013 production Bulldog Classic just passed 1700 rounds (and twice as may dry fires without "snap caps"). Original transfer bar is still original and working fine. Usual practice load is a 200 FPL @ 775 fps, serious load is a 190 SWCHP @ 900 fps. Just shot this again last week and the accuracy is excellent. At 7 yards, it's a one-hole group; sights are blocky for distance, but still does 5 shots under 4" @ 25 yards. The new Hogue grips available make this a very controllable shooter.
My 2019 production 41 Mag Pug in .41 MAGNUM works just fine. It's a 5-shot on the XL frame. If there was a revolver that might break some parts, it would be a 21 ounce snub .41 Magnum. 200 rounds into it, shoots very well. Remington factory 180 grain XPB does 1220 fps (recoil in excess of 18 ft lbs) and 5 shot group at 15 yards is under 2". Put Pachmayr grips on this one. Transfer bar - 100% reliable!
Recently bought a 2022 production Police Undercover 6-shot .38 Special with the aluminium frame. Really enjoying this one. Only 300 rounds - plus 900 dry fires - through it after a couple months. Remington 125 grain BJHP +P shoot into 2" at 15 yards, but too low for my taste. After a bit of front sight filing, both my practice load of a 155 SWC @ 780 fps, and the serious load of a 145 SWCHP @ 870 fps, hit point of aim at 15 yards and the group shoots into 3". Oh yeah, transfer bar is still in one piece.
I have own/have owned well over a dozen Charters over the years. Some had to go back to the mothership for repair. Bought a Bulldog On Duty some years ago and the hammer would not release in SA mode. Unloading and making that one safe was a cautious experience! Returned to Charter - came back and shot great for 500 rounds. Sold it only because I wanted to buy something else. I bought one of the original Professional 7-shot .32 H&R Magnum models, and it shot horribly low. Sent it back, they made it right. I liked that one so much, I bought a stainless version! I did have a .22 Magnum Pathfinder that suffered from hard extraction. Sent it back to Charter and was returned much better, but Winchester ammo was still difficult. BTW...have never broken a transfer bar in any revolver.
Charter will also send you parts such as mainsprings, and sell you almost every part in the revolver. Try calling S&W and Ruger and ask to BUY parts. They won't sell you anything.
Have had numbers of S&Ws that had to go back over the years. Had the same exact hard extraction problem with a S&W 651 .22 Magnum J Frame. And that one cost me 4 times as much as the Charter Pathfinder! Others, canted barrels, rough actions. These are guns that are 2-3x the price of a Charter. This year, I purchased a brand new S&W Model 10-14 Classic. Revolver was nearly inoperable out of the box. MSRP is $869. S&W completely replaced it a couple months after I sent it to them for repair. The replacement is beautiful! Over 35 years ago I had a S&W Model 13-3 that broke three (3!) hammer noses in a row. Never broke a Charter FP or transfer bar. Maybe I should have sworn off S&W guns? Hardly.
No manufacturer is immune. The current corporation that calls itself Ruger is a shell of its former reputation. In 1985 I returned my 4-year old Security-Six to the factory after shooting over 8000 mostly double action rounds through it, about 1/3 magnums, and resulting in a slightly out of time and end-shaked lead spitter. They gleefully repaired it within three weeks and returned it without charge, noting the work done.
Today, the amount of flimsy junk that leaves the Ruger factories is mind-boggling, especially considering the grossly inflated prices they charge for what was originally - compared to Smith & Wesson - a reasonably priced and durable, but aesthetically challenged tool. In the past 5 years, I've had to return a couple Rugers with less than 200 rounds though them. Ruger CS will argue with you about returning the gun, and when it comes back, the chances of it being fixed are not good. And down the road they went!
Taurus. Had three over the years. All three either stopped working in short order, with repair being a dismal experience, or were so inaccurate that they were unenjoyable. After retiring I worked at my LGS once a week, for the past 3 years. Every new Taurus that was sold had to go back. LGS stopped stocking them, and only does transfer orders of them now. Some have had good experiences - they probably don't shoot them. More power to them!
Colt. I wish them well, and the new Pythons are nice to look at - despite them being unable to offer a polished blue revolver - but the misfires and poor trigger return is beyond disappointing in a $1700 revolver. The one 3" King Cobra I have seen looked very nice. But what good is it, when it is made of unobtanium.
It's not 1985 anymore. Ruger & S&W have both raced to the bottom. So I can cut Charter Arms some slack. When you call they are very accomodating. They make revolvers with features which others don't do, and the price for them is quite reasonable. They are not works of art. Nor are they competition guns designed for 5000 rounds a year. They are tools. I have many such tools, but my own Charters work great, and I depend on them without reservation.
OP, when yours comes back, shoot it and decide.
