Charter Arms Bulldog story

Jessie

Jessie

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I have a 3" Bulldog from the 70's.
Good gun and accurate.
I wanted the stainless version for a woods gun.
I bought one, a 2 1/2" model.
It shot 2" right and a foot low at 30'.
I know the front sight is made high to be able to file it down.
But, I found the barrel was torqued too tight putting it 2 degrees past center.
I contacted Charter Arms and they sent a FedEx label to send it back under the lifetime warranty,
They said 7-10 days for the return.
I want this to work and so far am ok with their process.
I'll post the results when its returned.
I tried to move this to the"Other than S &W thread " and couldn't.
Moderator help?
 
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I'd be interested to know.....

I'd be interested to know how it turns out. I've never owned a Charter gun but I've always been curious about them. You just don't hear of them as much as the 'main' brands. I like the idea of a small gun with enough barrel to get some velocity.
 
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Yeah, I like a light big bore revolver too .
I wish more would make them, but....
 
I happen to have 2 Charter Arms Target Bulldogs in 44 special. One is new in the box because of the serial number. The other I have shot a bit. They are light guns but shoot pretty well. Think I shoulda bought a 357 Target Bulldog. Would be easier to shoot than a 44...especially with 38 loads
 
Always wanted a .44 Bulldog, never could justify buying one. Only Charter I ever had was an early "Undercover" .38. It was a great CCW, sorry I sold it. Don't even remember why I sold it, must have been some reason.
 
I had wanted one of the original 3" .44 Bulldogs for many years, yet struggled to find one where the condition of those I found and the price I was willing to pay intersected. I finally, through impatience, bought a NIB current production stainless Bulldog Pug.

019_zps798b3d52.jpg


The action was smoother than I expected, a bit heavy, but lightened up and got even smoother with a modicum of tweaking. Unfortunately, the lockup...and the alignment of the cylinder to the barrel...was such it did not inspire confidence. A range trip would ultimately tell the tale.

Halfway through the second cylinder of lead-bulleted, factory-equivalent reloads, I noticed excessive blast and spitting from the barrel-cylinder gap. Inspection revealed a good sized wedge of the forcing cone broken away on the port side where the misalignment caused bullets to impact. A call to Charter's CS resulted in a faxed shipping label and home it went.

10 days later it reappeared with a new barrel installed and the entire revolver so full of machining grit and shavings I could barely cycle the action. The alignment of the barrel/cylinder was improved, but still far less than perfect. A+ for speed...D- for quality. After the necessary complete strip and flush, the subsequent range trip resulted in light firing pin hits and misfires. I rectified that problem myself, and additional testing has resulted in no further problems, although the lockup still concerns me.

I haven't put more than a hundred rounds through it since, the vast majority standard velocity loads. I did try approximately 20 rounds of the "Skeeter Load" and the little pistol handled it just fine, although recoil was becoming noticeable. It will take much more to resolve my distrust.

It currently resides in the cabinet above our toilet in case I'm disturbed while....reading. Hey, if it's good enough for Taffin, it's good enough for me. I still covet an original 3".

Roe
 
Thanks for the report Strangle. The cylinder on mine has real nice lock up. I hope it comes back that way, too. I can't see a reason why they'd mess with it.
Sorry to hear of your experience with yours. Sounds like we may have had the same quality inspector.
 
I own one. Love it. Carry it often.


Did a writeup on it, has a couple thousand rounds through it now. It is a great desert gun. First shot is always snake shot for me the other four some form of 200 or 240 gr HP.


Shoots a hair low.

My writeup:

https://thedesertsedge.wordpress.com/2014/06/17/the-charter-arms-bulldog-44-special/


I get it pretty dirty and it goes on many desert rides with me. I just cannot justify paying 1K + for a classic smith they don't make anymore to use as a desert gun. Most I have seen are WAY too nice. Maybe if I find a shooter grade one one day but most of the ones I have found have been really nice collectors pieces. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a 27 conversion or something. My 28 is nice just too heavy and bulky to hike with and or carry all day, especially with other gear, So for now, charter it is for me. Although the model 69 has piqued my interest but I really want a 2.5-3" barrel
 
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Jessie said:
I have a 3" Bulldog from the 70's.
Good gun and accurate.
I wanted the stainless version for a woods gun.
I bought one, a 2 1/2" model.
It shot 2" right and a foot low at 30'.
I know the front sight is made high to be able to file it down.
But, I found the barrel was torqued too tight putting it 2 degrees past center.
I contacted Charter Arms and they sent a FedEx label to send it back under the lifetime warranty,
They said 7-10 days for the return.
I want this to work and so far am ok with their process.
I'll post the results when its returned.
I tried to move this to the"Other than S &W thread " and couldn't.
Moderator help?
Click to expand...

I used to work for Charter Arms when they were in Stratford Ct. I made a lot of Bull Dogs 1975.76 . Picked up a 38 Snuby for my dad back then :) I also made some of their new .357 then as well.. But I did not like the Sleeve over the barrel! Thanks for the flashback :)
Congrats
 
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Radco said:
I used to work for Charter Arms when they were in Stratford Ct. I made a lot of Bull Dogs 1975./6 . Picked up a 38 Snuby for my dad back then :) I also made some of their new .357 then as well.. But I did not like the Sleeve over the barrel! Thanks for the flashback :)
Congrats
Click to expand...
You may just of had a hand in my 3" Bulldog. That's close to when I bought it.
 
A quick update; I called and confirmed that Charter has received the gun. The label they sent didn't provide tracking or insurance other than the standard FedEx $100.
That made me nervous and I beat myself for not scrapping their label and paying for my own.
I lucked out.
I asked if there would be tracking (yes) and insurance(no) when returned.
I told them I would pay the extra for insurance, but they said it wasn't possible to do things that way.
She did say that THEY would insure it from their end since I was concerned about a 75% loss if it never arrived.
I'm happy now and it goes to prove the point of asking nicely and you'll usually get what you need.
Now its a waiting game.
 
Hopefully it works out for you. I am sure it will.

I wish Smith would make a lightweight 44 special but they do not.... the market is singlestack plastic guns now and of course 38/357 revolvers which are great in their own right, but as a handloader, I love the 44 special round. Love it. Love it. Love it.

While my model 19 was dad's and he carried it on duty, I would have a hard time not choosing the 44 special as my primary round if I could only have just one. It does everything I would ever want in a handgun round with less recoil.

I currently have a couple thousand rounds through mine now from snake shot to 240gr Keith style bullets. It has been great. It has gotten filthy from riding on the rhino, it is great for hikes with the first chamber ready to go with snake shot and the other 4 some 200gr speer gold dot handloads. I don't feel it at all on long hikes because it is so light and I know it will get the job done accurately if I ever need it. It also serves as the permanent home defense gun with 5 200gr speer gold dot handloads. I run the pachmayr more than the wood grips these days just because it is so easy to shoot with them. It's definitely the first one I grab before heading out to the desert. Which is often.

It truly is one of my favorite handguns..... and it isn't a Smith, Colt, Ruger, or Glock..... but find me another 2.5=3" 44 special revolver that runs is sub 30oz that isn't made by taurus..... Charter is the only game in town.

aa3b54fda4b5e91d6b487270d3af8d01.jpg


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Skeet 028 said:
I happen to have 2 Charter Arms Target Bulldogs in 44 special. One is new in the box because of the serial number. The other I have shot a bit. They are light guns but shoot pretty well. Think I shoulda bought a 357 Target Bulldog. Would be easier to shoot than a 44...especially with 38 loads
Click to expand...


Yes I can see where you would have trouble shooting 38 loads out of the 44. :)
 
So far, so good. Received word that the Bulldog is on its way home today.
Turn around time is good, it just remains to be seen if its right.
 
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