Charter Arms Undercover .38 problem

[tbeb]

I just bought a Charter Arms Undercover .38 that is 25-30 years old. Today I fired 73 rounds and on 4 of those the primer failed to ignite. Has anyone experienced this problem with their Charter Arms? If so then was the solution a new mainspring or was it something else?

 

[EJ]

If the pull doesn't seem exceptionally light -- the frame mounted FP might be gummed up a bit--
Make sure it moves freely and protrudes fully through the hole--
If not--Clean it up -- might solve the problem--
Mainspring could be weak or altered as well-
Check the F-Pin first though--an easy fix if it's just gummed up--

 

[DamnedDirtyApe]

If someone's been shooting +P out of it, the frame will have actually stretched and altered the distance between the cylinder and the firing pin travel.

It doesn't take many rounds to do it ... 10 or 12. Ask me how I know.

 

[foghornl]

Ask me how I know.

Probably the same way I learned NOT to shoot custom 200-Gr handloads out of MY M-1.



Hint: the hard way, at great expense to fix.....:banghead:

 

[Nick96]

The two Charter's I've used had light trigger strokes. A .44 Bulldog of early 1980's vintage would occasionally light strike - but set it off on the second go around. I would tend to suspect a light mainspring.

 

[EJ]

With revolvers we seldom think of a gunked up firing pin channel//opening -- even though that's a first thought with light strikes on a 1911 or similar semi-auto--

The Charters had Berillium copper FPs so they didn't corrode--
but the pin hole and channel does get gunked up--

This is why the frame mounted (read cheaper to assemble) on the new MIM (read no fitting or little fitting labor costs--mass produced) new S&Ws is such a shame--
Of course the prices on these new easier and cheaper to produce new S&Ws are so much cheaper --right--

Sorry for the anti-MIM rant----

 

[bpisler]

I would do a complete clean and lube and then try different kinds of ammo to see if the promblem comes back.