I’m thinkin’ about a .44 Special. Most particularly, a Charter Arms Bulldog Classic. despite of all of the .44 Special praise, I’ve never been attracted to the caliber in an N frame configuration. With that kinda bulk, I’d just rather shoot a 329,69, etc. I can’t deny an attraction the Model 21 Thunder Ranch types though.

In any case…with the larger guns, I just can’t see not getting a .44 Mag and downloading to my heart’s desire. Now with reference to smaller guns, such as the Charter Arms Bulldog, the S&W 296, and other smaller frame big bores…That gathers my interest pretty darn quickly.

It’s been my learnin’ that everything varies with a bullets performance, except for weight. A consistent heavy bullet is quite comforting to my mind. Even more so in the form of a cylinder full of wadcutters or semi-wadcutters.

I’ve kinda been feeling a tad burned out on S&W lately. Not a lack of love, but just…really expensive and getting a bit valuable to knock around in the truck, canoe, etc. I also have a thing for the older Charter Arms. Just kinda….classic in their own 70’s and 80’s way. They appear to be a real nice size between packability and controllability. Finally…it’s within my budget. I went through great lengths recently to purchase a Model 19-4 and a 617, so…revolver funds could use some recuperation time.

I do debate whether the .44 Special holds any appreciable advantages over my excess pile of .357s, but maybe that’s just another reason to try one so I can find out?

I did note a Charter Arms available in .45 ACP, but it doesn’t take moonclips, I don’t think there’s much in the way of speedloaders for it, and it doesn’t have the neat old school look. It’s not a gun I need, but more of a nifty toy that could be useful.

I’m also curious about the really light bullets…like 150-165 grain. Seems those might be fun to shoot under a light powder charge if you can keep them anywhere near point of aim.

So….44 Special…Charter Arms…Other brands….What are your thoughts? I’m interested.

Had a Bulldog in the '70s and quickly traded it. It's a knuckle buster.

Buy one. I wanted one for decades and never got one. Passed on a couple at very reasonable prices. Don't make the same mistake as I did.

__________________
Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

In may I bought a 14420. It's a good gun.
I shoot the HSM 220 grain Cowboy Action
loads thru it. And I loaded a bunch of my
cast 220 grain bullets with 5 grains of
Herco. Runs good.

And this gun has an excellent trigger in
a K frame size. Only down side is it a 5
shot.

__________________
never get out of the boat

Charter Arms quality has varied a great deal over the years depending upon who was in charge of the company. After the S&W 69 came out, I sold my Bulldog. I used the 44 special as a house/woods gun and was willing to trade out the lighter weight of the Charter Arms for the higher quality and strength of the S&W.

I had bad luck with 2 newer production ones I've owned. One had light primer strikes that I had to replace the hammer spring on. The other didn't seem very accurate. But I really didn't spend time with different bullet weights to further test it out. And I vaguely remember having some seizing-up while firing it issues?

A few months ago I found another used one for a good price but in .45 Colt. I ended-up purchasing it. It's been accurate and reliable with the .45 Colt ammo I've put through it. And it went through several cylinders without issues. It also works with the HKS 5 shot speed loaders for the .44.

Third time's a charm.

__________________
Watch & Pray

I have one of the old original 3" Bulldogs. I like it. It's a great little woods-walking and knock about gun. I load 240 gr cast hps over 700X or AA5. I paid $200 for it many years ago so its long since paid for itself.

I bought one new back in summer 2010 and prob have between 800-1k rounds thru it now and it’s been 100%. Got it for a good deal at the time, though I know they’ve gone up considerably since.

__________________
Some Might Say.

From the mid 90's to 2017 I had and sometimes carried a Taurus 5 shot 3" 44 Special. K frame size and weight. I really liked it, until I shot it so much, it quit lifting the hammer on DA. Some internal pins had a flat sides worn into them. It was a cheap/simple fix to rotate the pins, but I lost all confidence in it.

I traded it in on a PC 629-20 2 5/8". The 629 weighs almost 3 time what the Taurus did.

I carried Silver Tip Hollow Points as SD ammo, and a 200/205 gr RNFP over about 4.8 grains of WW231 for plinking (my cowboy load).

Ivan

My shooting buddy has a Charter 44 Classic. It's a nice piece. The only thing I didn't like about it was the original grips. For me, it just didn't feel right. I imagine the Pachmyrs would be a HUGE improvement!
If I found one like his and cheap, probably buy it

__________________
Thread Killer.

I currently have a pair of .44 Special Taurus revolvers made in the 1990s, Model 431. 2.5" blued RB, 3" polished stainless SB. As was already said, they are almost exactly K-frame size, so hey fit in K frame holsters, but I don't carry them - they are both in near-new condition so they live in the safe. I have fired both, though, and they are a handful.

Attached Images

	431 New Grips 1.jpg (95.8 KB, 46 views)
	8el9dTF.jpg (70.7 KB, 45 views)

Best used .44 Bulldogs are those earlier production guns with Bridgeport and Stratford addresses on barrels. I do not carry or shoot mine often, more of a house gun. I use fairly light reloads with 200 grain flat point lead bullets, about 750 ft/sec. I have yet to fire a single factory .44 Special load. Pachmayr Presentation rubber grips are a necessity to control recoil. There is a weakness in design related to the cylinder release latch which is easily remedied with a drop of Super Glue.

Had mine since the 1970s, I second the use of Pachmayr grips. Skeeter Skelton wrote that his favorite load of a 240 gr SWC over 7.5 grains of Unique was too much for it.

I have one, a SS Pug. Good gun for what it’s good for ��. Recoil can be brutal unless light loads are used. I like 200’s with Titegroup. I carry mine some, but mainly got it to ride in the pocket of my life vest when kayaking. I think the Classic really looks good, but since my SS gun is usually soaked when I take it out of the vest pocket I’m happy with the finish I chose.

Dan

Still have an Taurus 445 UL. Put the older style compact rubbers on it, and have a hybird holster for it. Likely one of the smallest lightest 44 specials ever made, aand reminds me of old British "bulldog". Not a lot of fun to shoot with the 200 gn gdhp's at 870 fps, but didn't get it for range use. Didn't hesitate to dremel the sharp corners off.

I love the .44 Special and have quite a few guns in this caliber.
Some years ago I stumbled into a LNIB 1985 vintage CA Bulldog and jumped right on it.
To be honest, I don't shoot it that much and never carry it. But what use it has had has proven it to be solid, reliable and accurate. I like it!
As mentioned, CA's QC has been spotty at best for the last 10 years at least. I highly recommend an older gun if you can find one.
And a big +1 on the Pachmayer grips. This gun needs 'em.

I had an older 3" Bulldog. I'm a caster and only shot cast through it but it did it's best with 240-250 gr bullets. I quickly set aside the wooden grips and went with pacs. I have a large hand with medium length fingers and found it controllable, with a medium time second shot recovery. It wasn't anything like a triple tap from a High Power. I carried it as a shove down a bears throat gun if one came too close but never shot anything but paper. Mine was surprisingly accurate, but tended to print about 2-3" left at 25 yards. For what I wanted the gun to do that was fine.

__________________
Front sight and squeeze

There was another CA .44 Bulldog thread here not long ago. Probably the best used .44 Bulldog to search out for purchase would be from early Bridgeport production, 1973-74. The SN range will be roughly 200,000-300,000, possibly a little beyond each end. That SN range also includes Undercover .38 Special revolvers In addition to .44 Bulldogs. The Son of Sam Revolver is also a Bridgeport in that SN range.

Here's what I said about my one and only Charter Arms before, and nothing has changed my opinion.

I have had one of the early Bulldogs since 1978. I have been satisfied with mine. Can't say anything about the newer ones. As mentioned earlier, the screws like to loosen and pins like to walk, but routine maintenance and the judicious use of Loc-tite fixes most of that. The Pachmyars are a useful addition for me.

The fit and finish are OK. It will deliver hand size groups at 50 feet shooting factory Remingtons double action. It fits the same holsters as a 3 inch Detective Special.

Shooting it in IDPA matches would likely wear one out in short order. A steady diet of Elmer's .44 loads would quickly stretch things out. But if a defensive carry gun that will deliver five big soft bullets at moderate velocity fits the mission, it will do that!

If Smith made a 5 shot K-frame in .44 Special I would want one. Since they didn't, I bought the Bulldog.

I've been in CA for a long time and have seen only 1 CA Bulldog in all that time, all the gun stores I've regularly hit up and this is it -

IMG_0752.jpg

I bought it same day as a Smith 696 no dash, total $1K. If I had to pick one over the other ..... I'm not going to say.

Well, my M696 is on the night stand or on my side more then any of the many .357's I have.....

__________________
Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I have a Boomer and it's cool BUT, it kicks hard!

I have a Bridgeport 3" Bulldog and a S&W 696 no dash. They are both nice guns that hold 5 rounds of 44 special, but way different (of course).

For eas of carry, the CA wins hands down. It seems closer in size to a J frame gun to me, which makes it not so pleasant to shoot for an extended time at the range. But boy does it carry nicely.

The 696 is not exactly a range gun either, but it's weight makes it much more comfortable to shoot, naturally. And it's stainless construction eases my mind better when it comes to perspiration when packing it around for extended periods of time.

Each has it's place in my mind and both are going to stay in my possession for as long as I can still handle shooting them (maybe even longer).

I really need to find a nice 624 I think ............

I regret selling mine. For a carry gun, yes. For a range gun, no.

You can't fool Mother Nature. A light gun is going to wear with a lot of shooting.

I've got a mid '70's 3" Stratford mfg. and one of the newer Boomers. Bought the 3" in 2019. I've not had any issues with it but have not shot it a lot and only with light handloads. Have not had a chance to shoot the Boomer yet.

Attached Images

	Charter Arms Bulldog a.JPG (205.7 KB, 316 views)
	Left.JPG (123.7 KB, 315 views)

I’ve had this early Stratford gun for a few years with no complaints. I like it but it’s not a S&W and never will be, It does good for what it is, shoot a little, carry a lot.

I recently bought the "On Duty" version. I like it fine, but it does not compare to my S&W 696. The shrouded hammer looks good and works as intended as a pocket piece. It is very accurate and reliable. It rides in my front left pocket as a NY reload. It does very well, very, very well, indeed, with 200 grain Silvertips.

I had to smooth some roughness off with a Scotchbrite pad. The ejector star had such sharp edges that you could use it as a serious cutting tool! I smoothed it with a stone. The ejector function was also very rough, as there was a burr inside the ejector rod channel which I removed. I also worked the action vigorously and then sprayed it clean with Gunscrubber and CLR.

All this should have been done at the factory of course. I was properly warned, and if you like you can just send it back and they will do all this finish work for you for free. Basically, Charter Arms' business model is to use you, the end user as their quality control division. This works for me.

Buy this gun for approximately $400, if you are willing to accept that at the worst you may need to do a little finishing or send it in for some finishing.

__________________
696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

The only hands on experience I have had with Bulldogs is handling a buddies newer production. Felt cheap, thin and not so great a trigger.

Also look into an Interarms Era Rossi 720. I love mine, handles great, accurate and can handle heavier loads the Bulldogs cannot.

And, if yours is like mine it has adjustable sights.

Attached Images

IMG_0922.jpeg (46.8 KB, 20 views)

I own 4 of the older 3 inch variety. All have pachmyr grips but one. I bought all used and cheap. The odd one I bought as it is now. It has a ported barrel shortened to just in front of the ejector rod. It has a hip grip and tyler T grip. I shoot cowboy loads for practice and a speedloader full of cowboy loads for reload. My carry load is Buffalo Bore wadcutters made specifically for lighter guns in 44 spl. I carry them as woods guns. I LIKE THEM A LOT. I carry 2 j frames in 357 but with 38 Buffalo Bore wadcutters for self defense

__________________
SWCA 3417 HF 642 NRA-TC

"Charter Arms Bulldog .44special..five shot loaded with Glasser saftey slugs".....Manhunter(it worked hor him w/he needed it!

It's a strange day when I can recommend a Charter Arms revolver over the comparable S&W model all week long, and twice on Sunday. For less than 1/2 the price, you are getting the same or greater practical functionality, and the same warranty, with somewhat of a loss of aesthetics.

I have a thread on here about the current craptastic production, assembly and repair of the S&W Model 36 Classic. Purchased factory new, I've yet to be able to fire it, and it's on its THIRD trip back for repair. One botched job after another. S&W appears to be having a rough patch.

I've owned a small army of Charters over the years. A few have needed factory service, most have not. My last three have been perfect. For the price point, you're not getting a S&W trigger pull or finish - when S&W does it right. The accuracy of all my Charters is sufficient to keep all their rounds on a standard police silo target @ 25 yards.

I have a Charter 41 Mag Pug that is just fine after 200 rounds. If Charter was a weak design it would not be able to be chambered in .41 Magnolia.

I've had about a dozen Bulldogs over the years, some purchased new, some pre-owned. After 1000 rounds of too-warm handloads, one had to go back for end-shake issues. Charter gladly repaired the gun, for free. My current Bulldog is the 3" barrel Classic. I have 2000 rounds through it, and it's working fine, I carry it with confidence, it is lightweight, powerful and recoil is not excessive.

In regards to .44 Special, the only factory load in my testing that expands from a 2.5-3" barrel is the Hornady 165 grain FTX Critical Defense. This load makes ~900 fps for ~300 fpe, penetrates 12" and expands to .70... what's not to like? The Federal 200 grain SWCHP load is disappointing, does not expand.

Factory practice ammo is rather expensive, and recoil not pleasant in the lightweight Bulldog. If you handload, a 200 grain cast bullet @ 750 fps is an accurate milder load. Serious handloads using a 190 grain SWCHP @ 900 fps is a great round within SAAMI pressure specs when using modern propellants.

Charter used to advertise the Bulldog with the line, "Carries like a .38, Hits like a .45". That's not too far from the mark.

Be Safe.

IMG_6333.jpeg

IMG_7977.jpg

The .44 BD is designed to be a compact but reliable package that will punch above its weight in close-range HD/SD engagements when needed. Any other use is secondary.

Back in the 1980s I worked on a Bulldog for a client. I don't recall why it was in the shop, but while there, the yoke/crane disassembled itself. It seems the tube the cylinder rotates on was a separate part from the other part (hinge). No clue what was supposed to hold the parts together. No sign of silver solder, if it was press fit, that was long gone. Can't recall if I tried and failed to get another part from Charter, I'd have had to create a jig to hold the parts in alignment that would have cost more than the gun to solder the parts back together.

Client and I had a discussion about a resolution. Unless they've done some redesign, I'd be reluctant to bet my own carcass on one.

My wife bought me a Bulldog in '75 to use as a BUG, bless her.
In the interim, it has gone away replaced by a Target Bulldog,
a Taurus 441, and a pair of 431s. All are useful. All recoil sharply.
The Target is lighter and "feels" cheaper, but it always goes bang.
It has stayed tight over the years.
I've never heard or read of a Bulldog blowing up. Maybe someone
could do a destruct test.
There is a reason they've been in constant production for 50+
years.

__________________
I'm with her

I didn't have the money to invest in a great gun like a S&W pre model 24 or even a Model 24 but wanted a short barreled .44 special. I bought a Charter Arms Bulldog when they first came out, and carried while driving bus in sketchy parts of town and didn't exactly try to hide the fact I was packing. I had the thing for quite a few years, they are not designed for target practice but I felt very confident with mine and that was part of the reason for keeping it. I later sold or traded it to a good friend of mine when I upgraded to something I felt was better. He was carrying it when a friend of his poorly shot a large black bear sow, resulting in her charging them both, his friend was unable to get it together to clear the spent shot and reload another for a follow-up shot. Time was of the essence, my buddy pushed his friend out of the way, levelled the old Bulldog and fired all five shots into the bear before ducking behind a large pine. She slammed into the pine on the other side, knocking him backwards butt over teacups. They later found all five shots were delivered into her shoulders and chest cavity, one passing through her lower jaw, one through her heart.

I have n older 3 inch that needs to have the screws tightened on occasion or the cylinder is tough to swing out. I also have one of the newer ones . Had my hand on it hours ago as it rides in my coat pocket whenever I head out onto my property. Has some of the best grips for a gun that size.

__________________
balin
NRA Life Member

Hard to beat little big bore snubby! Lightweight and a good semi bobbed hammer from the factory. Not too bad to shoot with the factory grips. I've had this one for a long while and I think it's from the '80s.

Keep fighting the Good Fight.

Fred

Attached Images

	PXL_20231027_143827531.jpg (129.6 KB, 17 views)
	PXL_20231027_143905744.jpg (140.1 KB, 10 views)

Inspired by all this, I loaded around 100 rounds of .44 Special yesterday and for the first time in about three years, I took my .44 BD to the range this morning. My loads used Speer 240 grain JHPs. Charge was 6.0 grains of Unique. I did not chronograph the loads, but they were fairly mild, much more so than similar factory loads (which border on being painful in the BD). I could keep nearly all the hits on a 12" x 12" steel plate at 25 yards. I tried the same target at 50 yards, but as most of my shots missed the plate, I gave up. No difficulties with the BD.

I've never considered myself a pistolero, I am confident with all of mine at what I consider pistol range. Friends of mine ask my why I never practice at 25 yards. I tell them at 25 yards I have options, one of them the fact that usually I have a rifle. I have watched with amazement as people shot 1 gallon milk jugs with highly tuned 1911's, rarely missing. I started shooting pistols at rock chucks which got me into reloading, we were using Ruger Super Blackhawks in .44 magnum. Holding the revolver between our knees and shooting at between 50-75 yds, it was a ton of fun and gave me confidence at distance. Some folks are borne naturals with a handgun, I watched a young man with relatively little experience shoot a three inch group in the center of a 25yd target, first time out. Being young and strong is an advantage, but can't beat old age and treachery.

Six grains of Unique behind a 240 grain bullet is approaching the upper limit for me with the BD. Lighter bullets (180 and 200) are barely tolerable at 7.5 and 7.0 grains of Unique.

My 720 has performed flawlessly since the day I bought it NIB many years ago. Shown with my 696.

Attached Images

100_1346.jpg (111.8 KB, 4 views)

__________________
S&W Accumulator

I have one and am pretty happy with it.
Quality control is still pretty spotty, but on average they are better now than in the past. Don’t be surprised if you have to buy 2 or 3 or 4 to get a good one, but when you do find the good one you will probably never sell it.
Factory ammo is scary expensive and hard to find and so it is primarily a reloader’s cartridge. I load mine with 200 grain lead semi-wadcutters at about 750+ fps to keep the recoil from being painful.
As far a I know, the Bulldogs are the biggest caliber in the smallest and lightest package for a regular production gun out there.

I think Taurus also makes better guns now than S & W, and I have always been a big S & W guy.

I thought about one for years, but never bought one till a friend was hard up for cash. It was still unfired in the box, I figured it would make a great truck gun.

It's never gave me any trouble, has a good kick with Gold Dots.

Sorry, I am a Brand Snob. Buy cheap revolvers and you will regret it later. CA has been junk for 50 years. JMHO. (BTW any LE issue CA?) I take my S&W revolvers hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, backpacking, etc.

If you are not a reloader you will not get anything out of 44 Special.