Charter Arms .38 Undercover (Old Model)

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KilgorII

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Someone has offered to sell me a Charter Arms .38 special Undercover in a private sale, no papers. It's an older model, I believe manufactured in the 70's. Has an exposed ejector rod.

Here's a pic that looks just like it down to the grips:

chauc382u379.jpg


It's extremely tight. Cylinder gap about 2-3 thousands. With the trigger pulled and hammer down the cylinder is rock solid front to back and side to side. The owner says it's been riding in a glove box for years and has had about 20 rounds through it in its life.

What's it worth? Decent gun?

Kilgor
 
I can't tell you what its worth but I would definitely buy it if you found a good price. Get is because it's different.

justinr1
 
Originally designed to meet the needs of person's
seeking to get a Smith & Wesson model 36, or a Colt Detective Special at a time when both were
popular and kind'a scarce the Charter Arms Undercover sold for about $129.95 NIB. A later
version called the Charter Arms Off-Duty sold
for just a few dollars more; somewhere around
the $135.00 price range. In today's market,
either one rated in N.R.A. excellent condition
should fetch approximately $150.00. Hope this
helps some!!!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
BUY IT!

That one looks exactly like mine, including solid lockup and tight cylinder gap. I had always figured mine (bought a few years ago) must have been tuned up by a good gunsmith but if this thing is bone-stock, maybe the factory was shipping 'em that way.

It may not look like much, but those suckers shoot NICE. I can hit a torso-sized target offhand 100% of the time firing SA, at 50 *yards*.

These beasties lock up at three points, including the crane. By pulling the ejector rod forward, you can open the cylinder even if the cylinder release at the rear fails somehow. The grip frame and trigger guard are aluminum, the frame is steel and the barrel is steel-core, aluminum shroud. They'll take a limited diet of 158+P no sweat.

Packmeyer still makes a good rubber grip for 'em, if that's your thing. And it feeds off of standard J-Frame speedloaders, such as the HKS36.

Early Charter Arms in *good* shape are possibly the best overall 5-shot snubbie ever made. Weight is lower than an all-steel S&W but heavy enough to control recoil.

I'll never part with mine.

One thing: there's no sideplates, which helps the strength BUT they're kinda funky to wrench on, so only buy one that's tight like mine or the one described above. Since finding a gunsmith may be tricky, as nice as these are, pass on a "project specimen".

But definately grab this one.

Calif legal thing: The new "Charter 2000" corporation brought the design back, with the only major change being a full-underlug barrel and covered ejector rod. They sell under the name "Undercover", and added it to the DOJ "list" recently. I would *assume* that means that old Undercovers like this one are also "on the list", since it really is the same design? Problem is, the "company name" is now "Charter 2000" versus "Charter Arms". I doubt DOJ staff would notice, nor that most gun shops would care. Being "Calif transferrable" they'll probably go for a slight premium out here; in my opinion the gun pictured above in that condition is something I'd pay $200 to own and not even blink, even if that's "slightly over book". I'd carry that baby in preference to ANY Brazilian .38 and it's really as good as most S&Ws, better than some. Only the Colt Detective Special and variants were a better .38snubbie.

Jim
 
Heh. Mike, I'd missed that thread, incredible :). Is your Charter an "exposed ejector rod" variant?

One other thing about all Charter family revolvers: they use Ruger-style transfer bars with frame-mounted firing pins. Also, the hammer on the Undercover pictured above (and mine) is case-hardened, which is why it looks "mottled". This is generally considered a good thing.

On mine, the anodize job on the aluminum bits is a nice blue, and the frame is *brown*. Funky, but looks quite good, seems very scratch-resistant.
 
I had one of those back in 1985. Since I was in love with Smith & Wessons, I traded it off. It sure was ugly, but that is the only complaint I can remember having. Buy it!
 
justinr1,

Thanks, I probably will.

Ala Dan

Thanks! That's exactly what I was loking for.


Jim March,

Lots of good info there. I think you convinced me. :D

Mike Irwin,

:eek:

Hankrearden2000,

Thanks!

He wants $150 for it, which according to you guys isn't out of order. I think I'll go see how he responds to 5 $20's and go from there. I may even pay what he asks if he wants to be hard nosed about it, I'll have to think about it somemore.

Anyone else have (had) one, please tell us about it.

Thanks again guys, a wealth of information here to be sure.

Kilgor
 
Jim,

Yep, mine's one of the older guns with an exposed rod.

I think I paid $125 for it used in 1986 or so, right around the time that I got my CCW after my 21st birthday.
 
Does anyone know about the quality of the newest Charter 2000 specimens?

When Charter 2000 first shipped some .38s last year, I examined one at a gun show. Clearly the same basic design, seemed mechically OK but "cosmestically rough" like some of the old 80s-era Rossi or Taurus were. Including a pretty sorry blue job.

Have they gotten better? Do those first ones shoot OK?

They also do a .357 based on the old Bulldog .44spl frame, and of course more .44Spls. That's the only .44Spl I can respect, because all the other small .44Spls can be had with two more rounds in .38/357. The Charter .44Spl *barely* holds five, it's more "size efficient" for the power level :). Too bad they're not shipping the 3" barrel in .44Spl, like they used to.

So are these newest Charters any good?

Sidenote: what are the odds five rounds of .44Spl would fit in a Ruger SP101? The cylinder walls would get pretty frightening :) but Ruger uses a real good grade of stainless...damn, wouldn't THAT be a good gun?

Jim
 
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I just bought 2 undies this afternoon for $90 each plus 2 870's for $150 each.I have a 3in.one that i'v been shooting for over 25+years,decent guns,buy it.:)
 
They got a terrible rep during the Charco days but the design is better than anything S&W ever brewed up in that size and weight class, at least in .38.

Jim
 
I'd be curious to know what the reliability and quality is on the 2000 Charter Arms myself. I've got one of the "OLD" Charter Arms "Off Duty" 38s I keep in my safe. Ugly and a bit weather worn, but it ain't not shot yet! Anybody shot the .357? How to they stack up?
 
I went through a bucket of fairly spicy non-+P 158 grain 38 reloads in my Off Duty Charter Arms this weekend, must have been at least a couple hundred rounds. I bought the gun in the box at a local gunstore last year for $149 it was probably a 70's or early 80's vintage and I doubt if it had more than a box of shells fired through it. I've owned S&W's and Colt snubs and would be the first to admit that the Charter Arms is pretty sad looking in comparison, but it's about the smallest snub 38 i've owned and it shoots very well, it seems to have just enough weight to be controllable during rapid fire strings. It does seem to shoot a bit high with the 158 grain loads I was using, but a faster bullet would undoubtably shoot lower. It's a good pistol and I wouldn't hesitate to buy the one your looking at if the price was right.
 
charter arms

my model 60 smith shoots high with the 158 gr lswchp+p also,but the 110 gr. +p loads are right on the pimple at 5o ft.
 
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