Charter Arms Undercover 38 special

[tideguyinva]

I just got a Charter Arms undercover 38 special from my dad that he has had a long time. Serial #89xxx. Overall it is in good shape but the cylinder is hard to turn and has a little rust on the hinge where it swings open. Would it be a good idea to take off the wooden grips and soak it in oil for a few days? Or whats the best procedure for cleaning this thing up.

Oh and it had some ammo in the box with it but they were silver in color not brass or copper or whatever these new ones are. Any ideas what they are?

 

[jeepmor]

Winchester silvertips for the ammo, most likely.

Some good cleaning and oiling with gun oil should take care of the rust issue. A super fine steel wool works well, but be careful, it could also dull or scratch or remove the blueing.

 

[bannockburn]

Be careful with the finish on the CA; I had an older one, (late 70's), and I remember the bluing being very thin overall. Try something like Flitz on the rust area before resorting to steel wool. Also try using an actual copper penny in conjunction with the Flitz as it is less likely to scratch or harm the bluing as steel wool would.

 

[Ala Dan]

The original Charter's (late 70's production) were fairly good guns.
The Undercover and Off Duty models that I came in contact with were
dependable, well made pieces that sold for a fraction of what a Colt or
Smith & Wesson would have cost you~! The company folded a few
years after the initial run; and has never regained much popularity cuz
of QC issues with their products. I would not buy one of todays
models~!

 

[AJMBLAZER]

The company folded a few
years after the initial run; and has never regained much popularity cuz
of QC issues with their products. I would not buy one of todays
models~!

Keep in mind that since the original company THIRTY years ago there's been at least 3 changes of ownership. They are now owned by MKS who, along with the current leadership that held over from the last owners, is working hard at making quality guns at good prices.
People bad mouth them but 95% of them have never held/shot/seen one of the guns produced lately. I've gotten favorable reviews from the few people I could find online who have actually gotten one. Their customer service also gets high marks.

Sorry for the slightly off topic reply.