CCW poll: Charter Arms .44 spl vs Ruger SP101 .357 mag

[Rifleman6555]

My "Bump in the night" handgun for the last 10 years has been a Taurus 44 Special. It has had a couple of thousand rounds through it with no problems and groups well at 25 yards with 200 gr. Speer Gold Dots and my own Oregon Trail Laser Cast 200 gr. RNFP bullets reloads.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I chose the SP101 over the Bulldog but not because of the caliber but because of the company who made the gun.

If you would have asked me to choose between the Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum or the S&W M396NG in .44 Special the choice would have been much harder to make.

 

[GaryP]

I own both the Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Spl 3" (28 years) & the Ruger SP101 .357 Mag 2.25" (12 years). Both are excellent CCW weapons, but I carry the Bulldog .44 Spl more mainly due to weight considerations.

My experience with Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Spl 3" # 713xxx and Ruger SP101 .357 Mag 2.25" # 572-42xxx

Accuraccy: Equal out to 15 yards then the Ruger shines
Durability: Both have been trouble free, but the Ruger is a heavier built gun
Reliability: Both have been 100% reliable over the years
Weight: The Bulldog is lighter by approximately 4 ounces
Perceived Recoil: About equal, mainly because the Ruger has been Magna-Ported.

CCW: Both are excellent CCW weapons

 

[Juna]

Thanks for all the replies. You guys just made my decision a lot easier.

 

[tinygnat219]

IMHO, the Ruger SP101 is light years ahead of the Charter Arms Bulldog.

I also vastly prefer .357 Magnum to the .44 Special.

I can shoot .38 SPL in it as well as having a much larger amount of defensive ammo available with the .357 loads.

 

[jjohnson]

Got a Bulldog, Would Rather Have Ruger

Having owned the Bulldog for a few decades, I'd go Ruger. I've owned many Rugers and like them a whole lot more than the Charter Arms.

Recoil on the Bulldog is stout with full house 44 loads, as you may expect. Even with Pachmayr grips, it's not pleasant. Still, it's reliable, concealable, and hard to imagine yourself as being undergunned with five rounds of .44 ammo.

That being said, the Ruger is a much better overall firearm, in my own opinion, and if you're worried about overpenetration, look for wildly expanding lighter bullets Some of the self defense ammo at 125 grains and under - or something like Glaser ammo - won't penetrate as much as say, a .44 Keith style bullet with a full powder charge.

I'm not saying the Bulldog is junk - I have never had a mechanical failure with mine - but I'd take a Ruger .357 if given a choice. It's a lot more fun to play with at the range with target ammo. I believe in shooting your CCW piece, even if you just play with wadcutters on a weekend.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

I really like the .44 Special cartridge, but the Charter Arms is not the gun the SP101 is. I'd opt for the Ruger. I've owned both Charters and Rugers. I still have some Rugers.