Charter Arms .44 Bulldog First Serial #

[DWalt]

I have been searching for awhile for what the first serial number was for the CA .44 Bulldog, First Model (Bridgeport). From what I have found, it seems to be reliable information that .44 Bulldog production began sometime in 1973, and also that all revolver production at Bridgeport stopped around SN 315xxx sometime in mid-1974. I ran across a posting from someone who had taken a Bridgeport CA plant tour n 1973, and .44 BDs were being made at that time. Apparently, all CA models were SNed sequentially, i.e., Bulldogs, Undercovers, etc. were numbered together in the same numerical sequence at that time. What I am looking for is the approximate first SN given to a Bridgeport .44 Bulldog. Does anyone know? I have read that CA has no SN data available for Bridgeport production.

I would also be happy to receive any .44 Bulldog SNs you have that are below 315xxx, as even that would be helpful. Using the xxx format is OK.

[Ameshawki]

As you've discovered dating Charters isn't easy. I have two Undercovers from Bridgeport, 62xxx and 84xxx, that I somehow dated to 1967. My Bulldog and Pathfinder are much later Stratford guns.

I like Charters, at least the earlier ones. In some ways I like them better than J-frames.

[Baxter6551]

I took my 2” Bridgeport gun to Charter for a check up. The president, Nick, said it was 1964 production. Serial 190xx. He also told me my Stratford address .44 was 1986. Ser. 8787xx. He had that info in his head - didn’t have to look anything up.

[DGNY]

My Bridgeport Bulldog is 2449xx. To the best of my recollection I bought it very lightly used in January 1982 at a gun show in western New York.

Years later I still realize, as I did just now taking it from deep safe haven, that it is a very handy size and caliber!

[kraynky]

My Bulldog is a Bridgeport # 251202. No box, but doesn't appear to have ever been fired. I plan to remedy that as soon as it warms back up a bit.

A j frame sized 44 special, is pretty "special". Mine will likely have some shot shells loaded in it for yard work this Spring.

Oh yeah, it's a 3" 44 special, just like my 696, but about half the weight, and smaller. Not meant for heavy 44 special loads.

[DWalt]

I suspected that the first Bridgeport .44 Bulldog had a SN somewhere in the mid-2xxxxx range, maybe will find out. But for sure we now know it is no greater than 2449xx. Mine is 2753xx.

[CZU]

My 44 Bulldog is 2681XX and I have it noted as made approximately '72-'73. Don't ask where I got that, I honestly don't remember.

[Muley Gil]

Originally Posted by kraynky

My Bulldog is a Bridgeport # 251202. No box, but doesn't appear to have ever been fired. I plan to remedy that as soon as it warms back up a bit.

A j frame sized 44 special, is pretty "special". Mine will likely have some shot shells loaded in it for yard work this Spring.

Oh yeah, it's a 3" 44 special, just like my 696, but about half the weight, and smaller. Not meant for heavy 44 special loads.

My PD used to issue duty and off duty/back-up guns. I checked out a .44 Bulldog and carried it in an ankle holster. I fired it with a few Skeeter Specials-a 240 or so grain Keith style semi wadcutter over 7.5 grains of Unique.

Even with rubber grips, it killed at both ends.

[DWalt]

Not to go off topic, but oversized Pach Presentation grips greatly tame the Bulldog’s recoil.

[BarryinIN]

Originally Posted by DWalt

I would also be happy to receive any .44 Bulldog SNs you have that are below 315xxx, as even that would be helpful. Using the xxx format is OK.

I just bought a Bridgeport .44 Bulldog, serial number 2245xx.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by BarryinIN

I just bought a Bridgeport .44 Bulldog, serial number 2245xx.

I'd guess that your SN would be very close to the inception of the first .44 Bulldog production at Bridgeport sometime in 1973. It is the lowest .44 BD SN I have seen so far. No way I can think of to find out how many of those .44 BDs were made at Bridgeport if the company has no internal sales and manufacturing records from that time period, and it seems they do not.
Assuming that Bridgeport .44 BD production was begun only during 1973-mid 1974 (and I have no proof if that is 100% correct), the presently known Bridgeport .44 BD SN range includes at least 2245xx to 275xxx. Note that this range also includes Bridgeport CA revolvers other than BDs. Are there any other Bridgeport .44 BD SNs known on either end of that range?

Another question. Does anyone know the SN of the Berkowitz "Son of Sam" .44 Bulldog? Or at least if it was a Bridgeport gun?

[BarryinIN]

I assumed it was early, just by being a Bridgeport. Looking through this thread was when I realized how early. I have emailed Charter Arms asking if they can tell me when it was made, but... We'll see if I hear back.

[DWalt]

If anything comes from your inquiry, please post it here.

[BarryinIN]

I got a reply. Interesting.

Hi Barry,
This serial number is from around 1972.
Thanks,
Eric

[gunbarrel]

I had a first generation Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Spl. It was a great revolver, but last year I sold it to help me pay for an other S&W. Recently, a friend of mine offered me another first generation Charter Arms NIB for $280. He had bought this .38 Special Undercover from a gentleman whose father owned it and never shot it. What a great little revolver!

The best information I've found online on the Charter Arms company I found at this website; click on the link below. BTW, if you are interested in a holster and a couple of other items for the bulldog, send me a message.

Charter Arms Revolvers

[DWalt]

A problem with Charter Arms references is imprecision. There does not seem to be much, if any, reliability and consistency in dates. One record says CA moved from Bridgeport to Stratford in 1976, but other information says 1974 or mid-1974, at a SN around 315xxx. Both dates can't be right, but both can be wrong. Pick one. Most references say the .44 BD was first produced in 1973, yet that CA reply says "around 1972." I suppose you could say that 1973 is "around 1972." I did find one reference saying that the first run of .44 BDs was made in 1973 in the SN range of around 175xxx. Not verifiable, so you can believe it or not. But I can sort of believe that, even though there is no substantiation. Too bad no one at CA at that time was acting as a company historian and keeping archival documentation records of important changes and dates as what SN information you can find from an internet inquiry is not to be trusted.

Aside from my .44 BD, the only other CA Revolver I have owned was a .38 Undercover I bought used in the mid-1990s then sold to a friend who needed it more than I did. It was a nice one, near-NIB, and I fired no more than a couple of boxes through it prior to selling it.

[Fishinfool]

DWalt - Found an expired listing on Guns International for a Bpt. Bulldog ser#193621. Link below
Charter Arms Bulldog - 44 Special - Early Bridgeport Gun

Also found one in the National Museum Of American History that numbers at #271371. It was provided by the FBI for display. Maybe "Son of Sam's" gun?
Charter Arms Co Bulldog Revolver | National Museum of American History

I had a Stratford made Bulldog back in the early 1980's when I was a serious backpacker. Lot of juice in a small package.

Larry

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by Fishinfool

DWalt - Found an expired listing on Guns International for a Bpt. Bulldog ser#193621. Link below
Charter Arms Bulldog - 44 Special - Early Bridgeport Gun

Also found one in the National Museum Of American History that numbers at #271371. It was provided by the FBI for display. Maybe "Son of Sam's" gun?
Charter Arms Co Bulldog Revolver | National Museum of American History

I had a Stratford made Bulldog back in the early 1980's when I was a serious backpacker. Lot of juice in a small package.

Larry

Indeed 193621 is a Bridgeport .44 BD, and that does push back further toward the first .44 BD SN. Perhaps the 175xxx range I earlier mentioned is now more confirmed.
Strange that the FBI BD pictures are not identified in any detail. It could be the SoS gun but nowhere is that stated. From its SN (271371) it is a 100% certainly to be a Bridgeport gun as my Bridgeport BD's SN is just a little higher. I remember reading that David Berkowitz bought his BD from an individual in a different state. However, I did find a fairly clear trial evidence photo of the SoS BD, but it did not show its SN. There are several key features of the SoS evidence gun, mainly turn lines on the cylinder, which do not match the FBI pictures, so I conclude they are not pictures of the same gun.

[6GUNSONLY]

My Bridgeport .44 and I just got back from a Sunday afternoon walk in the woods. It's sn is 260xxx

[DWalt]

To summarize - So far, the SN range within which Bridgeport .44 Bulldogs will be found is established to be at least 193621 to 2753xx. However, not every SN within that range is a .44 BD, and it is also likely that other Bridgeport .44 BDs will be found outside that range, with SNs possibly as low as 175xxx and as high as 315xxx, all produced in 1973-74 (one Bridgeport .44 BD has been reported with a SN in the 320xxx range). Maybe more will be discovered and reported. There was one unsupported claim found indicating that approximately 50,000 Bridgeport .44 BDs were made. I am very suspicious it would be that high.

[fjruple]

I purchased one in the early 70's, serial number was 2060##. I remember the State Police coming around wanting to look at the pistol as I lived in a neighboring State from where SOS did all of the killings. They told me they were tracking all of the Bulldogs since very few were made at that point. I believe later the SOS gun was found to come from Texas second hand. Could be wrong on that.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by fjruple

I purchased one in the early 70's, serial number was 2060##. I remember the State Police coming around wanting to look at the pistol as I lived in a neighboring State from where SOS did all of the killings. They told me they were tracking all of the Bulldogs since very few were made at that point. I believe later the SOS gun was found to come from Texas second hand. Could be wrong on that.

It did come from Texas. As I remember, Berkowitz bought the BD from an Army buddy who had bought it from a gun store in Houston (Spring Branch Jewelry and Loan Company). I don't know the timeline but early enough that it could have been from Bridgeport.
"The handgun was illegal. It was acquired through a "straw purchase" for Berkowitz by an old Army friend, Billy Daniel Parker, on June 12, 1976, in a Houston, Texas gun shop. Berkowitz asked Parker to buy the revolver so he would have protection on his drive back to New York City. He could not have legally purchased a gun in Texas himself, as he did not have the proper identification."

Stop the presses. I did find a video on YouTube that stated the SoS .44 BD's serial number was 212927:
"One thing that may be of interest to you: Berkowitz's bulldog was serial number 212927, which means the barrel must have said "Bridgeport," not "Stratford." (See: The Journal News from White Plains, New York, October 12, 1980, page 17.) This also dates the gun to pre-1974."

[Goony]

The Rock Island Auction Co. has occasionally sold examples of this model, but unfortunately none of these appear to stretch the serial number range for Bridgeport production.

See: Charter Arms Bulldog Double Action Revolver with Box | Rock Island Auction

And also: Three Double Action Revolvers -A) Charter Arms Bulldog Revolver | Rock Island Auction

And finally: Two Charter Arms Bulldog Double Action Revolvers | Rock Island Auction

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by fjruple

I purchased one in the early 70's, serial number was 2060##. I remember the State Police coming around wanting to look at the pistol as I lived in a neighboring State from where SOS did all of the killings. They told me they were tracking all of the Bulldogs since very few were made at that point. I believe later the SOS gun was found to come from Texas second hand. Could be wrong on that.

The State Police comment about "very few were made" is interesting. I would like to know just how many of the Bridgeport-made CA revolvers from the 1973-74 period were .44 BDs. My wild guess with no substantiation whatsoever would be no more than around 10K, and that number may be high. I think nearly the entire CA production could have been .38 Special Undercovers then as they were probably much higher demand items than BDs. Without factory shipping information, which seemingly does not exist, there is no way to know.

[wyo-man]

My Bridgeport CA .44 spl. BD is 290XXX.

wyo-man

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by wyo-man

My Bridgeport CA .44 spl. BD is 290XXX.

wyo-man

Today I found a mention of a Bridgeport-stamped .44 BD with a SN of 340xxx, a little higher than the earlier 315xxx sometimes stated as the upper limit SN for Bridgeport guns. But no verifiable documentation to prove it. Thanks for providing 290xxx.

[Model 15-4ever]

So many Bulldogs, so little time...

[sw702]

A few years ago spoke with a very nice lady at Charter Arms about this Bulldog. She took the serial number and a few hours latter called me back. Said that it was made in the first year production'73. She had no info on the pocket hammer.

[Goony]

Observed today - #313815, Bridgeport marked.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by Goony

Observed today - #313815, Bridgeport marked.

That has to be very near to the end of the line for the Bridgeport production.

[BRING_GUNS]

Late to the party but I have a Bridgeport Bulldog SN 194075. Found this thread trying to figure out what year it was made, sounds like it's probably a very early one made in 1973 if I'm understanding right?

[Hawg Rider]

Wow, it seems that there are a bunch of Charter Arms fans here on the Forum. I've looked at them several times because of the design and the price, but I've always put them back down. I have never found a CA with a smooth action and decent trigger pull...and that includes well used examples. Obviously most folks choose the CA revolvers for EDC, but if it takes 500 to 1000 rounds just to smooth them out what's the advantage over a nice S&W? I've never found a CA that could compare with a S&W out of the box. This is not a attack on Charter Arms, or Bulldogs in particular, just my experiences and preference.

[mtgianni]

I bought a 4" CA Target Patriot about10 years ago. It was their 327 Federal chambering. Interesting to me they had no literature specifically for that model and all the instructions were for the 44 Bulldog model. I traded the gun off on something else.

[walnutred]

#196436 is a 3" Bridgeport revolver.

[SnidelyWhiplash]

I picked this Charter Bulldog up for short money in a local auction a while back. All but new if not actually new and unfired. Very smooth action.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by SnidelyWhiplash

I picked this Charter Bulldog up for short money in a local auction a while back. All but new if not actually new and unfired. Very smooth action.

WIth that grip style, I suspect it is not a Bridgeport production revolver.