[ have a Charter arms Bulldog; I believe it is one of the older models. I have not been able to find much out about it. It does shoot great, but the action is not at as smooth. Here some pictures as we all love pictures. Thanks for all the advice.[ATTACH][ATTACH]20200924_172439.jpg[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]ATTACH]472510[/ATTACH]I

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When I did a lot of gun shows in the 90's they were quite popular.
However I never became a fan and now I don't remember if they were cheap or expensive.

Well it sure looks clean and low mileage. I think the newer ones have a shrouded ejector but I don't know CA ages well. I kinda want one. I wonder how feasible it is to substantially improve the action??? I'm holding out for a newer stainless version but I'm not a gun buyer at the moment.

Edit to add: They still make a non-shrouded version as well as shrouded.

Charter actually makes a classic variant with an exposed ejector rod. Model # 34431 | Charter Arms

Nice looking gun and great pics.

I'm in W Central IL and see you're in MO ..... are we close?

Yes it’s an older gun. It has the Bridgeport address on the barrel.
According tho the interwebz the company was moved in 1976.
I’d be interested. I’ve got a stainless .44, a stainless 2” Pathfinder, and a blue Undercover Off Duty. I like them for what they are and don’t pretend they are something they’re not.

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I told you not to use Lifebuoy

I bought this one 4 years ago. It came with the original sales receipt dated 1985. They're good guns. But I think they're meant to be carried a lot and shot sparingly. But they should hold up to occasional shooting.
Honestly, I'd keep it if I were you. There's just something about a big bore pocket gun.

I have one of the same vintage as yours ME94. Mine is about 50k serial numbers newer than yours. Dee, the gal at the factory said it was made in 1973.
Yours is a lot prettier than mine.
They are great little pocket canons. I don't know how long or how well one will hold up to hot ammo, but I shoot mild reloads in mine almost exclusively. It seems to be holding up to them just fine.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Mine has pachmier grips and its recoil is still "Unpleasant"

Pawn shop I frequent had two of them on the shelf recently...both in the $350-$400 range. Not as nice as yours. I debated, because back in the day I wanted one of these, but passed.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I have one and really like it. There is alot about the design to recommend imho.

Looks like an early model. I had one with Pachmyers and traded it off when I ran out of custom loaded .44 Special wadcutters. 246 gr factory loads were a bit much, but a reload place up in Austin, TX back in the 70s had a nice line of .44 Specials loaded for the little Charter in shot and wadcutters. Geoff Who has been around awhile.

Call them @ 866-769-4867. Give them the ser#. Nice Lady on the other end will tell you when it was made. With original box & that condition, age will effect value.

My LGS has a stainless version Bulldog that appears to be otherwise identical for a good price. I've considered picking it up, but when I consider the cost and availability of .44 Special ammunition locally I have reservations. Thanks for sharing.

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M&PC FS BG Shield+ 642 686+

I put Herrett Shooting Stars on my 44 and it was quite pleasant to shoot.

Seems like the stainless versions of the older style .44 Bulldog are tough to find! I've only seen one and it wasnt for sale. Would make an excellent woods bumming gun. Another good reason to take up reloading perhaps.

Is that the Son of Sam model?????

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Forum consigliere

Yes, it's the S-o-S Model. I have an earlier .44 Bulldog, I handload ammunition as lightly as possible, also bought a pair of Pachmayr grips off eBay which are considerably larger than the factory wood grips. Both make it more shootable.

I was looking for a set of Hogues for my .44 being the new Pachmayrs seem to be iffy. I emailed them asking if they had a set and got a reply that they had nothing. I emailed and said they should look into making them being the popularity and offerings in many calibers.
I see they now offer them.

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I told you not to use Lifebuoy

I have mine since the 1970s, shoot it with Pachmayr grips. They are meant for a big bullet, not hot ammunition. Skeeter Skelton found his favorite 44 Special load of a 240 SWC over 7.5 grains of Unique kicked too much.

Sorry it took me awhile to get back. I live an hour west of St. Louis. The serial number is 2483xx. I will definitely call CA next week. The little revolver is accurate at least last time shot it I have only put about 4 cylinders though it. I am not sure it was fired before I shot it. Still up in the air about selling it. Thanks for the information and remarks

Beautiful gun. I bet it's worth a good bit of change in that condition with the box. Not Triple Lock money, but I bet you could get $600-700 for it.

I have one, also an early model. I've never dated it. I sent it back to Charter and had it refurbished internally a few years ago. Bullets in the 200 grain range are more pleasant to shoot than the heavies.

There were two styles of wood grips.
1) The service/magna style with exposed grip frame all the way around.
2) The semi-target style that completely cover the grip frame (front, back and bottom)

I've never shot mine with the service/magna style on it, and I can imagine it would be a lot less fun to shoot since they are about like a set of round-butt J-frame grips in shape and size.

I like the semi-target style grips even better than the Pachmayr Compacs that are on it in the picture I posted above. They are similar in size and shape, with no pinky notch, and they are much lighter.

That is the one thing I never liked that much about the Compacs - they're HEAVY. They feel like they have slabs of lead in them!

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

I carried a stainless one for years because I didn’t ha e a Smith .44 spl snub.I bought it used with a box of ammo for less than $200.00 I wish I still had it.

No need to look beyond CA for comfortable grips. They make these, and I find are very comfortable .

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John

Heavy loads are not for the lightweight .44 Bulldog. One shot will drive home that lesson. My loads use a 180 grain lead bullet at about 650 ft/sec, and even those aren't comfortable with the factory wood grips in place.

I have two , one like yours and one stainless target model bought about 15 years ago . I shoot the Skeeter load in both and don't have a problem with the recoil. The stainless had a polymer grip frame and compact rubber grips from the factory , hated both . Found a older aluminum frame on ebay and swapped it out . Bought a set of grips for the CA Undercover and ditched the rubber . They are a tad small for my hands and I am still looking for a set of the older Bulldog factory grips at a good price to replace them .

A couple of years ago the used old style Bulldogs were bringing under $200 around here . Larry's in Huntsville had several priced at $165 and $185 at that time but I now see them at about double that . If it were mine I would keep it .

Eddie

PS: A few years back my youngest son Killed a nice deer with my Target Bulldog using the Skeeter load , he didn't think it kicked too much either .

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

I have had a Bridgeport built Bulldog for many years. A set of Pachmyrs makes for more to hang on to as well as taming the recoil some. The Lyman 429251 and 6.5 Unique are more accurate than they have a right to be. You will know you set it off, regardless.

An old Bianchi 5BHL holster marked small revolver fits the Bulldog and a 3 inch Police Positive Special perfectly.

One small nit to pick is that with extended shooting the trigger pin has a tendency to walk to the right.

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Nice looking gun...

You will regret selling it.

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Foster Positivity.

"They are great little pocket canons. I don't know how long or how well one will hold up to hot ammo, but I shoot mild reloads in mine almost exclusively. It seems to be holding up to them just fine."

Although I stick to very mild handloads, I have read that they will handle about any .44 Special load that will fit in the chambers. Not sure about that, as the chamber walls are not that thick. Mine is one of the very early (1973) Bridgeport-made guns. Charter also made the Bulldog in .357 Magnum, but I don't remember ever seeing one of those.

I sold one to a friend years ago. I still regret it. Especially now that we have CC.

I like the design. One piece steel frame with aluminum grip frame, no sideplate. Frame mounted firing pin. Transfer bar ignition. Fast lock time.

I have 2 of them. One 3" and a 4" "target model. I need to sell them. They just take up space vnow days. Have a 296, a 396 and a 696 no dash if I want to shoot 44 specials or carry one.

Good guns, just not interested in them anymore.

I have a 44 bulldog from Stratford . (according to CA its about a 1987 vintage IIR)Looks like new. I use Winchester Silvertips which are 200 grain Hollow points. Very manageable recoil. Got a Bobbed hammer on it (available from Charter for $30 and takes 2 minutes to change). Also have a Crimson Trace on it. Drop it in a pocket and out the door! Love it! In my opinion its about the best pocket gun money can buy! I wouldn't part with mine for any amount of money. Its 22.7 ounces loaded with Silvertips

Ok so I finally got around to calling Charter Arms. No nice lady answered the phone, but a gentleman man did; I gave him the serial number and he told me late 60's, so a little disappointed. I believe the bulldog started manufacturing in 1971 I believe. I do think I am going to sell the revolver. I am thinking $625 shipped to a good home. I think from what I can tell, that is a fair price for an early bulldog. I watch them go fo around $750 on gun broker. As always advice is greatly appreciated

I put Pachmayr Grips on mine (early 3" exposed ejector rod).
even with light loads the triggerguard 's right side bleed makes my index finger

I have a 5" stainless Target Bulldog, I've had zero problems with it. May not have the spit and polish of a SW but, works well and, accurate enough.

I sold this one a couple of months ago for $550. A farely rare factory nickel model with original box & papers. I'd say the OP's blued gun is probably in the $450 - $500 range. Mine also had the factory installed target grips rather than the standard oversized grips as on the OP's gun.

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I purchased a Classic when they reintroduced them. It came with the rubber grips, but I figured a blued revolver really needs wood grips. Not too long after that the FedEx man showed up with a new set of wood grips unsolicited (at no additional cost to me). Now that’s good customer service!

I picked this one up at a Pawnshop I do business with, I think it was about 3C out the door. Had the rubber grips on it but like others have said, a blue gun really needs wood grips. A member here offered up some targets and a speedloader so I took him up on it. It doesn't like the 180 gr PMC that I had on hand so I'll have to try some other bullet weights.

To be clear - this is not true. There is a reason that some manufacturers state that some of their loads are not suitable for Bulldogs, and Underwood very sadly discontinued their 44 SPL JHP load that was +P+ (though they did not describe it as such).

I love Bulldogs and they make for great CCWs, but they are a bit too light for the potency of a full tilt 44 SPL load.

I find it hard to believe a used Bulldog can fetch(pun intended) $700! But then I’m not that much up on the current market.
I’ve been thinking about selling off my 2” Taurus 445UL in .44 spl., which is more comfortable for me.

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I told you not to use Lifebuoy

I bought one of the .357 Magnum Target Bulldogs not long after they came out . I was in my 20's and thought everything I loaded needed to be run at max velocity . It stood it with the exception that the aluminum sleeve covering the barrel would walk . Didn't like that so I found a fix and then sold it . They are pretty tough and will stand a reasonable diet of hot but 100% of the time might not be good for them long term . Same can be said for S&W and Colt though .

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun