Charter Arms Forum?
- Thread starter microman
- Start date
I just called Charter Arms and asked for it in a 5" barrel, model 74050. They said no problem, will take a few weeks to put through the assembly line. I think it was like 10 days. Since I'm LEO, I needed a letter from the agency for it to be shipped to the station. Got the letter on Dept. letterhead, scanned it, emailed it to Charter Arms.
I should have asked for target sights, this has a rear blade that is black with the brushed stainless front ramp sight. Not the best sight picture.
I'm under the impression you can call Charter Arms and ask for another barrel length on their revolvers if its only offered as a short barrel online.
I should have asked for target sights, this has a rear blade that is black with the brushed stainless front ramp sight. Not the best sight picture.
I'm under the impression you can call Charter Arms and ask for another barrel length on their revolvers if its only offered as a short barrel online.
lee n. field
New member
Interesting. Back in the summer my preferred FFL had a bunch he was selling. I picked up a .38 Undercover at the time. It took a trip back to Shelton for intermittent misfires, came back working fine.
The design is interesting. Quite a bit different from the S&W and Taurus revolvers I'm used to.
I contemplate doing a review of it.
I also contemplate getting their .44 snub.
Actually, there are very few .38 Special snubs to be had (except for some foreign ones like Rossi and Taurus). I also tried getting one the the S&W Classic Model 36s and it was unavailable. I suspect everyone is clearing their inventory for end of the year reasons. I had a similar problem a few years ago. Seems like October-December and even early January it's hard to get some models of guns.
I think this thread needs some more pictures.
Here's a nice old Undercover made at the Bridgeport factory in the late 60s. Was obviously a sock drawer gun.
Here's a really nice Bulldog .44spl from the Stratford factory that was made some time in the 80s.
Here's one I don't often see. It's a Police Bulldog .38spl and was made in the 80s at the Stratford factory. It is in excellent condition. The stocks need a little Tru-Oil, but that's it. It is a 6-shooter. Nowadays, Charter's 6-shooter .38 is called a "Police Undercover".
Here's my new-production Bulldog .44spl wearing old style NOS wood grips that I found on ebay. The wood grips are great for concealment.
Here's is a new-production Mag Pug .357 Mag. It conceals great, but I don't care for the ported barrel (spits debris back at my face), and the gun just doesn't group well. My problem child of the group. At least it always goes bang.
Here's a group pic. I have one more Undercover, but it looks the same as the other one, and didn't warrant a close up. The Mag Pug is wearing Pachmayr Compac grips in this pic.
Here's a nice old Undercover made at the Bridgeport factory in the late 60s. Was obviously a sock drawer gun.
Here's a really nice Bulldog .44spl from the Stratford factory that was made some time in the 80s.
Here's one I don't often see. It's a Police Bulldog .38spl and was made in the 80s at the Stratford factory. It is in excellent condition. The stocks need a little Tru-Oil, but that's it. It is a 6-shooter. Nowadays, Charter's 6-shooter .38 is called a "Police Undercover".
Here's my new-production Bulldog .44spl wearing old style NOS wood grips that I found on ebay. The wood grips are great for concealment.
Here's is a new-production Mag Pug .357 Mag. It conceals great, but I don't care for the ported barrel (spits debris back at my face), and the gun just doesn't group well. My problem child of the group. At least it always goes bang.
Here's a group pic. I have one more Undercover, but it looks the same as the other one, and didn't warrant a close up. The Mag Pug is wearing Pachmayr Compac grips in this pic.
Charter arms bulldog
I baught a Bulldog and just got it out of Law-a-way last month and I could not find any .44 Spl ammo for it. But I found plenty of .44 S&W Russian from Black Hills. I have to admitt that the 44 Russian shoot alful good and very accurate in my Bulldog at least and a joy to shoot. Very controlable recoil with the 3 in. barrell.
V/R
J Budd
I baught a Bulldog and just got it out of Law-a-way last month and I could not find any .44 Spl ammo for it. But I found plenty of .44 S&W Russian from Black Hills. I have to admitt that the 44 Russian shoot alful good and very accurate in my Bulldog at least and a joy to shoot. Very controlable recoil with the 3 in. barrell.
V/R
J Budd
lee n. field
New member
I think it's pretty much a given someone shooting .44 Special will be handloading for most of his shooting needs
A note of caution to any of you who are staking their lives on a Charter, please be aware of the following:
(1) If you drop it, and it hits on the grip, you have a much better than average chance of cracking or breaking the aluminum grip. More than likely, if it is a complete break, the gun will be out of action.
(2) If you drop it and it hits somewhere else besides the grip, you have a chance of jarring the hammer strut out of its cup on the underside of the hammer. The strut will then lodge to the rearmost portion of the underside of the hammer. You won't realize it until you go to either cock the revolver or fire in DA; The hammer will travel part way back then stop cold.
(3) Always make sure the cylinder stop plunger is properly lubricated and moves freely, or the cylinder will "free wheel," possibly causing a misfire.
The first two problems are easy to fix, the plunger is a little more complicated, but it pays to be aware of the potential for it to happen.
(1) If you drop it, and it hits on the grip, you have a much better than average chance of cracking or breaking the aluminum grip. More than likely, if it is a complete break, the gun will be out of action.
(2) If you drop it and it hits somewhere else besides the grip, you have a chance of jarring the hammer strut out of its cup on the underside of the hammer. The strut will then lodge to the rearmost portion of the underside of the hammer. You won't realize it until you go to either cock the revolver or fire in DA; The hammer will travel part way back then stop cold.
(3) Always make sure the cylinder stop plunger is properly lubricated and moves freely, or the cylinder will "free wheel," possibly causing a misfire.
The first two problems are easy to fix, the plunger is a little more complicated, but it pays to be aware of the potential for it to happen.
lee n. field
New member
The grip frame is plastic these days.
The only plastic grip frames are on the Undercover Lite. The Bulldog and Pitbull are aluminum frames. If you don't believe me, write to Charter. The owner or one of his family members will reply. They are very friendly folks.
Quality control as well as quality on the Charter guns has gone UP a great deal since the 80s and 90s. Be suspect of those talking about breakage.
And please, don't go around dropping guns. It's just not a good idea. If you have a severe case of dropsy, carry peppergas.
Quality control as well as quality on the Charter guns has gone UP a great deal since the 80s and 90s. Be suspect of those talking about breakage.
And please, don't go around dropping guns. It's just not a good idea. If you have a severe case of dropsy, carry peppergas.
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When I was working through the 80s, I had (if I recall) three with broken grip frames, all of which had been dropped. While I can't fault the gun directly for that, accidents can happen. Fortunately, it was an easy fix, and (again, if I recall) the grip frames weren't that expensive.
The main problem that concerned me was the dislodging of the hammer strut. I actually saw that probably half a dozen times. Again, it was an easy fix, but it was something that the owner wouldn't realize until he needed to use the gun.
The biggest PITA was the tiny spring loaded plunger that acted on the cylinder stop. It would either (A) corrode in the hole (dissimilar metals) or (B) the owner would use WD-40 and, when the WD-40 turned to varnish, it would stick in the hole.
(B) was also easy to fix, but (A) took a little doing.
lee n. field
New member
What would be a proper lubricant for that area?
Mine gets dry fired a lot. I'd notice.
My steel Undercover has a plastic grip frame.
I took mine mostly apart. (Dumb thing, don't ask.). The trigger is a major PITA to get back in to place.
lee n. field
New member
I don't see why not. And I don't see why you would. This grip frame appears to be a fiberglass impregnated plastic. It should be quite strong.
I see metal grip frames on ebay a lot. (Scouting somewhat for a wood stock set for it.)
Next time I see a current Bulldog, I'll check to see what the grip frame is made of.
One must remember that revolvers, by their very design, are nowhere near as rugged as semi-autos. So dropping them on hard surfaces can cause all kinds of problems, no matter WHO makes them. Drop a Colt or S&W on the ground and you can easily knock the cylinder out of alignment. Same with using a revolver as a club, like so may movies show being done.