Charter Arms Bulldog 45 Colt

[Zendude]

Pachmayr also makes their Gripper full size grip for Charter Arms revolvers in addition to their Compac model. The Gripper really soaks up recoil.

 

[yamahawarrior89]

Yamaha reported the cylinder on these are 1.6". That is the Smith L frame size right? May look for a different holster.

You are correct, but I have an L-frame holster from MTR Custom Leather and it doesn't fit. The trigger guard is shaped differently and it is very loose in the holster. The cylinder is the same size but the whole revolver could rock back and forth a good bit. Just giving you a heads up.

 

[the Black Spot]

Ah! Good to know, thanks!

 

[the Black Spot]

Greenmtnboy, you had a chance to test some handloads yet?

Fyi: my throats ran .454 and the barrel bore was .4515.
Mostlikely i will shoot cast lead wadcutters of 1:20 sized in the .452 sizer.
I may run a hundred or so copper bullets through it sometime.

 

[greenmtnguy]

I have some loaded up, and working on putting together some more. Maybe this weekend will get a chance to try them.

 

[the Black Spot]

This dog is eatin everything i've fed it so far.
Matts bullets 250 gr wadcutter with 7 gr of unique got me 2.5" groups at 15 yds.
1.5" groups with a NOE 454-250 WC in front of 4.6 gr of bullseye(15 yds)

Yall think the 250 WC and 7 gr unique load is a little much for cc load?

 

[greenmtnguy]

No range time today, unfortunately.. raining too much.

I don't think 7 grn of Unique under a250 gn bullet is anything but mild and shootable, but if the bullet is a deep seated WC then it may have more pressure than a RNFP bullet. Do you have a chronograph? Sounds like it is a good one to keep or refine a bit as far as usable accuracy goes.

I've got GT Bullets 225gn HP loaded up with 8.0 gns Unique, and some with 7.0 gns of Green Dot. I have also got a bunch of old Cast Performance 265 gn WFN bullets sitting on 7.9 gns of Unique to try.

Hopefully soon...

 

[dickydalton]

I'm thinking of 5 grains of Trail Boss under Matt's 240 grain hollow base wadcutter.....

 

[TTv2]

This dog is eatin everything i've fed it so far.
Matts bullets 250 gr wadcutter with 7 gr of unique got me 2.5" groups at 15 yds.
1.5" groups with a NOE 454-250 WC in front of 4.6 gr of bullseye(15 yds)

Yall think the 250 WC and 7 gr unique load is a little much for cc load?

Nope, only if you can't handle it. The Matt's .45 full WC is my new personal go to defensive reload for all things standard pressure .45 Colt.

No range time today, unfortunately.. raining too much.

I don't think 7 grn of Unique under a250 gn bullet is anything but mild and shootable, but if the bullet is a deep seated WC then it may have more pressure than a RNFP bullet. Do you have a chronograph? Sounds like it is a good one to keep or refine a bit as far as usable accuracy goes.

I've got GT Bullets 225gn HP loaded up with 8.0 gns Unique, and some with 7.0 gns of Green Dot. I have also got a bunch of old Cast Performance 265 gn WFN bullets sitting on 7.9 gns of Unique to try.

Hopefully soon...

The Matt's wadcutter is not a deep seated target style wadcutter that we see in .32 S&W and .38 Special. It's more of a SWC, but without the SWC taper profile.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

The last Charter Arms I handled was in the early 80s. The triggers were horrible and reports I saw said that little could be done to smooth one out.
What is the trigger like in the current crop?

 

[the Black Spot]

Its not like a ruger lcr, but mine feels smooth in DA and breaks clean and crisp in SA.

 

[the Black Spot]

The only thing i dont like about the trigger is the grooves. I'd rather it be smooth.

 

[Drail]

Charter triggers can be smoothed out just like any other revolver if you know what you're doing. What is limited is how light you can get the DA pull because of the hammer and trigger geometry. It is nothing like a S&W. I have an old Charter Bulldog from the 80s that I have worked on over the years. The DA pull is actually pretty good but it is a longer stroke and it stacks a little bit at the end (but it's nothing like a Python trigger - those things STACK. Never liked them). Removing the serrations is very easy.

 

[the Black Spot]

Does the trigger have to be removed in order to remove the serrations?
Rat tail file and emory cloth?

 

[Drail]

Yes, it SHOULD be removed if you don't want metal filings in your action - and you really don't. You can't get all the way around the trigger face if it's installed in the gun - you will most likely gouge the trigger guard trying to do it in the gun. It's not that hard to tear down a Charter all the way (except for the cylinder release - don't touch that sucker unless you really want to go insane. It takes at least three hands to get it back together right). Ask anyone who has ever done it. Leave it alone. Don't even think about it.

 

[Walkalong]

Removing the serrations is very easy.

Did that on mine. It's smooth and slick now, great for DA (IMHO). Both the SA & DA is very good on mine.

 

[the Black Spot]

Alright, thanks!

 

[greenmtnguy]

The first batch of my loads in the CA Bulldog 45Colt ranged from "not that great" to "promising", but I think a little tweaking could bring more joy. I was kinda pressed for time, and the sunlight was failing, and I was shooting without any rest, so the results weren't beautiful. Next time, I'll have a dab of paint on the front sight, too.

GT Bullets 225gn HP, WLP, Starline (1.275") and 8.0 gn Unique - some vertical stringing apparent, not great groups at 10 yards and a fair amount of black, sooty cases. Think it needs a few more tenths of a grain for better performance. Cases eject very easily

Cast Performance 265 WFN with GC, WLP, Starline (1.275") and 7.9 gn Unique - These are snappy in the little Bulldog, though I generally run these same bullets with larger charges for an accurate hunting load in my Ruger Blackhawk that are definitely outside of Bulldog territory and they are not that active in a big revolver that weighs almost a pound more. Cases eject OK, except for the (1) chamber that was giving me issues with the Federal 225gn SP ammo.... I am not keen on sending the revolver back as it is working good except for the one chamber that sticks with some ammo, but it may come to that..

GT Bullets 225gn HP, WLP, Starline (1.275") and 7.0 gn Green Dot - Very easy shooting load at 10 yards, consistent, similar recoil to Federal 225 gn HP, clean shooting. Cases eject very easily. I had 1 flier that was just off the bottom of this target - otherwise shows (2) cylinders full @ 10 yards, about 5 seconds per shot..

This comparison with a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt shows how much shorter the cylinder are in the bulldog - you gotta watch your COAL carefully when loading for the Bulldog

 

[greenmtnguy]

 

[the Black Spot]

Thanks for the update!