thinking a charter arms

[KarbineKrazy]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=74428389

I am thinking about getting a stainless charter arms...

This will be a pocket gun and BUG, if I shoot 1000 rounds out of it the rest of my life I will be surprised!

The reason I am considering a charter arms is I want a cheap hammerless, smiths are impossible to find at decent prices here and it will be a new gun. Am I crazy?

I really want a detective special, but they are heavy and not hammerless and I would probably baby it and not want to carry it if I got one.

What do you think, should I go CHARCO?

 

[bpisler]

That's most likey not a Charco made gun
but a charter 2000,the Charco made guns
like they were not very well made and the
Charco company didn't last very long.

The Charter 2000 built revolvers seem to be
all right but i think i would want to look at
the one i'am buying first.If it checks out
alright then that's not a bad price for a
stainless revolver.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I'm seriously contemplating a new Charter Firearms .44 Special Bulldog. I don't think it'll hold up to a lifetime of steady, heavy shooting like a Ruger or S&W will, but I think it'd make a nifty car gun. Plus, if it got stolen, I wouldn't be out much. Also, I doubt .44 Special is common on da street these days, so the ammo that was with the gun would likely be all my theif would have.

 

[ACP230]

If a dealer will bring them into your state for you there are a bunch of Smith snubs on internet firearms sale sites.

Outfits like J & G Sales, Summit Gun Brokers, Cherry's Fine Guns, etc have snubnoses from time to time.

I had a Charter Undercover. It was an OK shooter, slightly smaller and lighter than my Smith 649s, but cruder in finish and with a trigger that was not the quality of an old Smith trigger.

 

[MikePGS]

I was thinking the same thing nightcrawler, but after some looking around i was pretty much assured the thing would fall apart after a few shots :S

 

[fiVe]

NC:

If you "pull the trigger" on this purchase, please keep us updated on the status/condition/performance of your Charter .44 spcl. I, too, am interested in this revolver, but I keep hoping someone else will get one and provide a first-hand opinion/review (hint, hint).

 

[Jeff Timm]

One local dealer stopped carrying the Charter Revolvers, too much hassle sending them back to the factory.

Geoff
Who looked and was unimpressed ever at $250.

 

[White Horseradish]

I have a stainless Charter Arms Undercover and I am pretty happy with it. I try to fire off at least 20 rounds every range session out of it, and had no problems whatsoever.

 

[johnny blaze]

I do not like their short warranty period.

 

[Dustinthewind]

I purchased a Charter Arms .44 Buldog for my wife for personal protection and so far we have both been pleased with it. That being said, I would stick to factory loads in it. It is a small lightweight gun that was designed for personal defense. It is not in the same class as a Smith but I found the cylinder lock up and endplay on the Bulldog to be better than the Taurus .357 snubby that we were considering.

 

[Gator]

I was thinking the same thing and looked at a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog last Saturday. The shop also had a Taurus .44 Spl snubbie, which I ended up buying. The Taurus was made SO much better than the Charter, and cost less too



Taurus has discontinued them, but the shop I was at still had a couple on the shelves.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

I really want a detective special, but they are heavy and not hammerless and I would probably baby it and not want to carry it if I got one.

Well, ad wording to the contrary, that Charter isn't hammerless either. The gun in the auction has a bobbed hammer. I do think that Charter makes one with a completely enclosed hammer. Looks like a rather poor copy of a S&W Centennial.

You know the Detective Special was available with aluminum frames, riight? Look for the Cobra and Agent. I see them every now and again. Shouldn't be to hard to scare up a shooter quality gun. A fair number of shooter Detective Specials around. The hammer can also be bobbed on these guns. Simple job. I know the dangers of getting one that is too nice. I bought one in excellent condition via auction. I intentionally didn't look for one ANIB b/c I wanted to shoot it. Well, the dealer lied, the tags had never even been taken off the gun. Not even a hint of ever being fired. It sits in my collection unfired. Everytime I screw up the courage to shoot it, I appreciate the pristine finish and end up fondling it and putting it away.

Personally, I'd get a Taurus 650 (actually I did). It's a pretty good copy of the S&W Centennial. Paid just under $300 OTD NIB. I still see them for $290 (what I paid). There is also the 850 (same gun just available in .38 special only). Both guns were made with aluminum frames if you like light. They're both also available in stainless.

I'm occasionally tempted by the Charter Bulldog. I do have a Taurus .44 Special 3 inch (431, long discontinued). I often regret not picking up a 445 (newer version snubbie in .44 special). They're really hard to find around here. I wish Taurus would reintroduce them in limited runs. I have a Tracker snubbie in .45ACP that I like. Lightning fast reloads with that one.

 

[PTK]

I do not like their short warranty period.

I seem to recall the literature that came with the last .44spl Bulldog I handled said unlimited lifetime warranty for new production revolvers.

 

[Gator]

Yeah, they come with a lifetime warranty. Of course how short a period that is, is up to you.

 

[Blue .45]

I bought my Bulldog .44 back in 1989. I rarely shoot it anymore, but I still don't want to get rid of it. Although I never had a problem with mine, my brother had to send his back for repair for trigger/cylinder issues. We bought them at the same time, BTW. I really liked the concept of such a small gun chambered for the .44spl. I already had my Bulldog by the time Taurus introduced their five-shot .44, or otherwise, I might have gotten one of those. Charter Arms used to make a decent cheap gun. However, for an inexpensive .38 snubby, there are probably better options available today.

 

[WC145]

I have a Charter 2000 Bulldog Pug .44spl that I bought used at a local gun shop a couple of years ago for just $165. I sent it back to Charter Arms late last year to have it checked out and tightened up and asked them to clean up the action, install a bobbed hammer, and install the really small boot grips from the Off-Duty .38 (the 642 "clone"). They did all of that for me, including milling down the grip frame to fit the small grips, and now it is a completely different gun. Much more comfortable to carry and easier to conceal and it points much more naturally. the action is better but it's still no S&W but I doubt it could ever be. It is plenty accurate at "Oh Sh*t" range and 100% reliable. I carry it often (a coupe of days a week) and keep it loaded with CCI Blazer 200gr HP's.

 

[Hank Zudd]

just bought a real dog of a beater

Charter Arms Undercover .38spl; just pitiful ugly, but no pitting or deep scratches. Blueing worn & jackass bobbed the hammer. Mechanicly seems great. Not bad for $100; dealer had another just the same with a little more blueing for +$65.00. I could stash this somewhere with ammo & never miss a beat.