Charter Undercover strength

[WestKentucky]

Tomorrow I have some older guns arriving at the LGS which I recently got on Gunbroker. Reading up on one of them, a Charter Undercover with Stratford Barrel address, is one I haven’t ever really paid much attention to. I know that Charter Arms over Stratford indicates that it’s a first model, and the serial puts it late in the run of first models. While reading a bit about their construction I ran across a couple references of them being “strength challenged”. Is this something as simple as the gun not being rated for +p because it didn’t exist when the gun was made? Is there a design issue that is a known weak point? I keep hearing that first models and very recent production guns are good to go while the Charco and Charter 2000 guns are sub-par. Aside from a normal revolver checkup, what do I need to inspect on this one before I pop in a few low level 38s and break a dirt clod?

 

[ontarget]

I have an early model from 1972. I called Charter directly. They are not rated for +P however I have never heard of one going bad from standard pressure 38s. From what I've read here and other places it sounds like they were a trusted back up and off duty gun for many LEOs. Mine is great. I love it.

 

[JERRY]

sparingly using +p isn't going to hurt it. its the regular diet of it that will. the charco et al. era was poor quality as in the parts fitting, finish, machining et cetera. btw, Bridgeport stampings were the first/original factory markings. my advice is to use standard pressure loads.

 

[Buckeye63]

I have owned ALOT of Charter revolvers over the past 30+ years .. I have 5 at this time , trying to get number 6 ....
my aluminum framed Goldfinger weighs 10.5 oz in its configuration... No .. Not shooting +P out of it
I have custom polymer grip panels for grips .. Ouch !

I carry Hornady 110gr FTX standard pressure

In my Charter Police Bulldog 6 shot 38 .. I carry
Remington 158gr LSWCHP +P ...

I have practiced with that load .. a bit snappy but very controllable

 

[Slamfire]

There could always be latent defects that neither you, nor the factory knew existed, but that is also true of every product made. I really doubt your Charter will have any issues what so ever as long as you only shoot standard velocity 38 Special rounds. I would not under any circumstance fire +P in those pistols.

 

[Blue Brick]

https://thehighroad.org/index.php?t...ndercover-not-stamped-p.857028/#post-11253112

 

[Buckeye63]

Honestly... I wouldn’t fire +P in a older Charter ...
Don’t need +P for practice... and they are standard pressure 38Spl carry options...

 

[Slamfire]

This is a link to the Nov 1965 Guns Magazine article when the Charter Arms Undercover was first introduced.

https://gunsmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/G1165.pdf

So, the author fired 25 over pressure rounds, might be double the standard pressure, in a fixture and the gun did not blow up. He never stated if the pistol was rated for +P , which begs the question, when did this +P start? I have not found the start date for 38 Special +P, but the first I remember, +P was in the 1970's, or 80's. Maybe some smart guy could research this further. Frair Frog has a table on +P pressures.

While it is great that the 1965 author fired 25 over pressure rounds, he did not fire enough of them to find out when the over stressed pistol failed. It is acceptable to have a standard pressure pistol grenade at round 100 of +P ammunition? In your hands, it is just fine, if that is what you want. I do not want that for me. Neither am I going to the coronavirus disco and party down with all of the dead men dancing. There are people doing that you know. There are also people who are blowing up cell phone towers because they heard 5G technology causes coronavirus. I am not going to do that either.

If you don't know if the pistol was rated for +P it is better not to load or fire the stuff.

 

[Blue Brick]

Skip buying used then. I would have used +P.