New Charter Undercoverette question.

[Mr_Flintstone]

OK, I finally bought a Charter 32 magnum revolver, and I picked.up some Ultramax 90 gr lead flat point ammo. When I took it out the first time to shoot it, the POI was about 6 inches below POA at 30 ft.

I took special care to make sure I wasn't pulling the POI off. I fired it in SA, and the trigger pull was light, but it was still hitting low. I fired my Taurus 85 at the same target, and.it was dead on.

After half a box of ammo, and some frustratuon, I noticed that unburned powder was accumulating on my hand. I made up some very light 38 special one time with autocomp, and fired from my Taurus, and it did the same thing.

I don't have any other ammo to test with right now. Do you think this might be a gun problem, or an ammo problem?

 

[Zendude]

If I load 32 H&R too light, it will shoot low in my Undercoverette. I know it’s the ammo because when I shoot a Hornady Critical Defense round, it’s dead on in the bullseye.

And congrats on the new Undercoverette. The 32 makes shooting a snub fun. It’s good practice that transfers well to shooting better with my 38 Undercover.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

I tried some Critical Defense today. They shot just like the Ultramax. Maybe a half inch higher. I also found a couple old 32 SWL. They shot about two-three inches low. I decided to check the front sight alignment by using an index card through the rear sight trough. The front sight base was about 1/8" higher than the rear base. For comparison, I checked my Taurus 85 38 special. The front sight base on it was 1/8" below the rear base, and the front post was shorter than the Charter. I don't know if that's relevant because they are two different calibers, but it seems weird that the front sight is that much higher.

 

[entropy]

Ammo problem. Try to find out what bullet weight and velocity it was regulated for, or you could take the sight down a little at a time until POI=POA if you want to stay with that load.

 

[Monac]

I think this is why some revolvers are made with adjustable sights. Even if the fixed sights are to factory standards, not everyone grips the gun the same way, or aligns the sights the same way, so results are different for different people. I consider myself lucky when a fixed sight gun shoots to point of aim with one of the first loads I try. Some never do with anything I try.

Good luck with your gun. At least shooting low can be corrected by grinding down the front sight, which seems easier than building it up. Unless I have the adjustment backwards?

 

[jeepnik]

Find some 100 gr ammo. Then shoot all of the ammo you've tested and the 100 gr stuff off a rest. See what happens. As mentioned everyone holds differently, and has a different resistance to recoil.

 

[old fart]

my brother inlaw has a 357 mag pug charter, at 10 yds it shoots 8-10 inches low. he called charter they said send it in and they would file the front sight down, he doesn't want that done so it sits in his safe.

 

[Starter52]

Here is a possible cheap solution to try:

Get some orange nail polish and paint the LOWER half of your front sight ramp.

I prefer first white, then bright orange. Two coats.

This new sight picture might cause your groups to land higher.

I'd try this before going to a file, but filing down the front sight WILL raise your shots.

 

[Merle1]

try putting a line of typewriter correction fluid (white out) about midway up the ramp on the front sight, and use the top of the new line instead of the top of the blade - trial & error will get you there - then more durable paint and you're good to go...

 

[Kaeto]

Here is a possible cheap solution to try:

Get some orange nail polish and paint the LOWER half of your front sight ramp.

I prefer first white, then bright orange. Two coats.

This new sight picture might cause your groups to land higher.

I'd try this before going to a file, but filing down the front sight WILL raise your shots.

I use model paint (a thin coat of white then fluorescent orange) on my Charter southpaw

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Instead of guessing why not call or email Charter Arms and ask them which ammo their 32 Mag was sighted in with. They are usually very helpful. It will save you from pulling out your hair lol.

 

[Spug]

Lots of good replies here. Different caliber, but my Charter Bulldog in .44 Special shoots several inches low with 200 gr., and a little higher but still low with 240 gr. The front sight really sticks up quite a bit, and I'll probably end up filing it down. I'm just waiting to find "the load" I want to keep in it. I'm not all that worried about preserving my investment in what is really an inexpensive revolver, but it almost looks like the front sight was left high just to allow for that sort of permanent adjustment. It might even holster better with the sharp edge taken off.

But I may try painting the front ramp part way up before I take the file to it, as has been suggested, and see if I like the sight picture enough to leave the front sight height unchanged

 

[W.R.Buchanan]

The fixed sights on pretty much all revolvers are regulated to one specific bullet/ velocity. The elevation is usually directly tied to the velocity of the load which in turn correlates to the amount of time the bullet is traveling in the barrel and the amount of muzzle rise during recoil. In other words all things being equal, the slower the load the higher it will shoot. Or in your case the faster load shoot lower.

My S&W 696 (5shot .44 Special) shot a foot high at 25 yards with my first load with 190 gr boolits at about 700 fps. Since the rear sight was all the way down I couldn't lower it any more to compensate.

I switched to a 250gr Keith Style Boolit and more powder and all of a sudden the gun shot to the sights and I was then happy. IN other words I found the velocity where the bullet exited the barrel at the appropriate time that yielded shots going where they were aimed.

If you don't reload you will just have to keep trying different types of ammo until you find the one that shoots to the sights.