OK, there's been three different "Charters".
The first Undercovers had exposed ejector rods, and quality was usually good, often downright excellent. Towards the end of that company's lifespan, quality started to go downhill.
For guns of this era, you should know how to check out a used revolver. If it's nice and tight, cool, do most of your practice in .38 standard pressure but carry +P and shoot light amounts of same, it's a good gun.
The later Charcos ranged from "acceptable" to "horrendous". The design was good, but execution often stank.
The new Charter 2000s are also the same basic (excellent) design, and we haven't heard reports of them coming unglued the way Charcos used to with alarming regularity.
The design is weird because it doesn't have sideplates - look carefully, and you'll realize the grip frame, trigger guard, trigger and hammer assembly "forks" into the rear of the grip frame. It's really cool, but tricky to work on, many gunsmiths won't bother with 'em. So, if it's good as is, cool, but don't buy one as a restoration project.
Mine is the early open-ejector-rod type, and of excellent quality. Lockup is rock-solid, barrel gap is .002" and timing is perfect. I can hit torso-sized targets out to 50 yards
. I always assumed it had been tuned by a gunsmith, but we've had other reports of factory Charters of late-70's vintage being found in that state brand new...believe me, no S&W or Ruger or Taurus comes that tight from the factory!
A good Undercover can be the best .38snubbie you'll ever own.