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Charter Arms…quality ok?

J

jeffrefrig

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So, as in the title, I just wanted to ask about Charter Arms revolvers’ lately. I bought a new one a couple years or so back and for the money it met any needs if I needed. I’ll hang onto it. It has that cool yellow/green pipe front sight that is very easy to pick up. The trigger sucked so I changed the hammer spring and all’s well.
Anyhow, I’m asking about the LCR hammerless they call the “Off Duty”. For $430, if it’ll make Bad Bart go away then I would be cool with it; like paper plate at five yards or so. That would be fine for any possible emergency situation. I would hope. Anyone have any bad or good reviews? There’s gotta be a reason why they are half the price of a SmithRugerColt, but I’m not investing in any particular brand, but they are made in the USA at least. Ugly as all heck, but I’ll be checking it out tomorrow morning. They also have a Ruger hand cannon that has been sitting for a while. Perhaps a two-for discount.
Anyway, any plus or minus is appreciated for this old human gas dispenser.
 
I’ve owned two Charter Arms.

One Under Cover .38 Special snub nose, and a Pathfinder Model 2223 22LR. The Pathfinder has less than 50 rounds through it and still in the original box with the receipt.

The Under Cover had less than 50 rounds though it when I gifted it to a female friend.

Both performed flawlessly.
 
The Charters I've owned over the years have all worked find. They're not Smith and Wesson's or Colts, but put holes in the paper about like I expected them too. That's all I asked of them.
 
I don’t own any new production Charter Arms but I don’t hear a lot of complaints about them and my buddies gun shop sells a fair number of them being located close to the factory here in CT. The Owner (son of one of the original owners) is a nice guy and stands behind his products. I’ve gone there twice with revolvers I’ve purchased to have them inspected and cleaned and they have taken care of it while I waited at no charge. My 3 are Bridgeport .38s and Stratford production .44 Stainless. The trigger pulls are not as smooth as S&W but they function fine and have better sights than J frame.
 

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CajunBass said:
The Charters I've owned over the years have all worked find. They're not Smith and Wesson's or Colts
Click to expand...

They were never expected to be...they were designed as a less expensive alternative to Colt and S&W and marketed as such.

As far as quality goes...generally the earlier the better. After being sold a couple of times quality became suspect...much like Colt and S&W as new management changed things and not always for the better.

After Charter went to sleeved barrels there were many examples of the barrel sleeve coming off...an obvious slip in QC. There were some marketing mistakes as well...why would any company market "Bonnie" and "Clyde" revolvers...why venerate criminals?

Still...Charter Arms has found a market segment to fit in. I have an Undercover .38 and an older .44 Bulldog. The Bulldog is still new and unfired. Neither is worth big bucks...but that's not the point of a Charter Arms.
 
IMO, based on a sample of one (a Bridgeport), they are cool and no one else makes a 44 that size; but they are a PITA to work on. Definite tricks to assembly. It’s a clever design but everything is so inter-related that they can be difficult to troubleshoot. I find it a little hard to trust mine because of that.

OTOH, as you will hear from others, many are happy with them. I guess I’m neutral.

Service when buying parts, A+. Answering emailed questions, F.
 
No complaints about my Pitbull .45 ACP. It hits where aimed, and always goes bang. It didn't hit where aimed when I bought it. CA paid for shipping both ways, replaced the barrel, and had it back to me in two or three weeks. And they were nice about it on the phone.
 
I had a "Professional" that had cylinder binding, went in for repairs, and still bound up, so I got rid of it. I had a .22LR snubbie that keyholed almost every round so I got rid of that one too.

Other than that, they were nice revolvers. :rolleyes:
 
FWIW, I’m not a great fan of the Charter Arms revolvers, but at the shop I help at, they are certainly an alternative to higher priced (and quality?) revolvers. We recently got in a new model, in .32 H&R Magnum, which is priced several hundred bucks less than the Ultimate Carry.
 

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I can't comment on the latest production models. I've had a few in .38 SPL. The first one I bought was in stainless steel, way back when S&W model 60's were as scarce as hen's teeth. I always liked the big blocky sights on the Charter Arms Undercover revolvers. I've always thought of them as carry a lot and shoot little revolvers. This target was fired double-action at 15 yards.
pEPlks7.jpg
 
Got on a Charter kick a few years ago. The early Stratford and Bridgeport guns are fine. There was a period of time when the upped their game and were rivaling the big guys. The later Charco and Charter 2000 guns were spotty at best. I have no experience on the new ones, but have not heard many complaints.

I'm down to one Charter, a 44 Bulldog from the "good" era. I like it a lot tho I confess it doesn't get out much. I've owned three Undercovers and a Pathfinder. I should have kept the Pathfinder and I kind of miss the three inch UC. But a two inch 63 replaced the Pathfinder and I have more three inch 38s than I can kept track of.
 
I recently purchased a Professional Model chambered in .32 H&R w/a 3" bbl. Very nice firearm for the money except for the fact that when the cylinder was open, it would wobble 3/16" of an inch due to the crane being loose in the frame. I figured I could live with that, but then the transfer bar broke. It went back to the mothership for warranty repairs. I've gotten it back but haven't taken it to the range yet. I've kind of lost trust in it for self defense purposes. JMHO & YMMV
 
I've never been a fan of Charter Arms revolvers...I don't care for the styling, and the mechanical operation always seems to be very stiff and gritty. However, you can't argue with the prices and if the buyer has budget restrictions then a Charter revolver makes a decent choice...it may just take some time to break it in. There are lots of options for revolvers these days, and Taurus is now producing some outstanding guns for reasonable prices. Although Colt, S&W, and Ruger are still industry leaders, companies like Kimber, Henry, RIA, Taurus, and others are catching up.
 
Walkin Horse said:
I have the newer Bulldog. It has held up well laying in my safe for the last 4 years.
Click to expand...

So, it has never let you down!? That's a plus.
Besides the one I own now, the few I've handled don't like to easily cock the hammer all the way back. That safety bar works well. The double action only works fine for that issue. I'll take a look at it later today.
I appreciate the responses from yinz all.
Jeff T.
 
I have had two Charter Arms revolvers; a .357 Magnum and a .44 Special. Both guns were 100% reliable and shot well. Each gun was sold to different friends who wanted them.

They are not the quality of a Colt or S&W, but mine got the job done just as well.
 
Charter makes “OK” guns, the .44 spl being most useful. Current UC is $430 and a 642 is $450. The 642 is wort the difference. Joe
 
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