I got a snub nose for range use.

[Oldfrt]

I ordered a Charter Arms 357 Mag Pug from from the armed forces exchange website last week and picked it up about 4 working days later. I wanted something inexpensive and a challenge to shoot at the range. With my current back problems it was getting too hard to carry all that weight for the 460's and the 686 shoots so nice it's not much of a challenge. A box of 38 +p's and a box of 357's latter and it was pretty much all I wanted. Lots of fun and not a lot of weight to lug around. This thing will defiantly take some time to become proficient with, I was all over the target at 10 yards.

As a side note it took two forms of ID for me to take possession of the gun, my military ID to get on the base and my drivers license to prove I lived in that state. I also had to sign a couple extra forms one of which was acknowledge base regulations on firearms, then I got the perk walk out of the exchange before I was handed the package.

 

[SC_Mike]

I've never owned a Charter but I understand they have made some good guns.

Enjoy your purchase sir.

 

[Fishinfool]

Congrats on the new gun. I like Charter Arms revolvers. I have owned a couple, and they are reliable. Maybe not as pretty as a Smith, but they work.

I was just about to buy a new CA .44 spl with the adjustable sights for woods packing when I ran across a S&W 69 with the 2.75 barrel, so went with the 69.

Snubby revolvers have a so so reputation for accuracy, but it's usually not the gun per-say. Short sighting radius, small grips, light weight, and often poor sights all contribute to making them hard to shoot well, but can be overcome with practice. Once I got dialed in with the 69, it has proven to be just as accurate as my 4 inch N frames. Mastering a snubby will make you a better shot with any handgun.

Larry

 

[ACORN]

I like Charters too. I have a .44 Bulldog and a .22lr 2” Pathfinder. I’d like to find an old production .38 Undercover. For years I wouldn’t consider one. The first one I held was a customers gun that he brought in for service. Cylinder was jammed closed. When I finally got it opened the extractor star was missing a finger or two. There was a lot of rotational play too, but I think that it was Skeeter Skelton that had an article way back that extolled the virtues of the .44 Bulldog and that planted a seed.
I happened upon the latest iteration and like it.
I wanted a “kit gun” for woods walking but didn’t want to pack either of my Smiths for fear of stumbling and bashing then on a rock of something. A dealer “near” me had 3 used ones appear on his site so I made the 60 mile round trip to check them out. They were the stainless framed model rather then the aluminum light weight ones. It has an excellent SA trigger an nice DA.
I don’t like the tiny factory wood stocks and somewhere around the house I have a set of the larger walnut factories I’m going to try when I find them. For now my Bulldog wears a set of Herrett Shooting Aces I bought from a member here. I just ordered a second set of them this week. They feel good and look classy.

 

[BB57]

Congrats on the new gun. I like Charter Arms revolvers. I have owned a couple, and they are reliable. Maybe not as pretty as a Smith, but they work.

I was just about to buy a new CA .44 spl with the adjustable sights for woods packing when I ran across a S&W 69 with the 2.75 barrel, so went with the 69.

Snubby revolvers have a so so reputation for accuracy, but it's usually not the gun per-say. Short sighting radius, small grips, light weight, and often poor sights all contribute to making them hard to shoot well, but can be overcome with practice. Once I got dialed in with the 69, it has proven to be just as accurate as my 4 inch N frames. Mastering a snubby will make you a better shot with any handgun.

Larry

I agree Charter arms revolvers work just fine and are not the quality assurance **** shoot that you have with Rossi and Taurus.

----

Short barrel revolvers are capable of fine accuracy, they just require a bit more attention to sight alignment. Obtaining and then maintaining precise slight alignment requires a very well developed grip as well as very good trigger control. But those are just the fundamentals of shooting any handgun accurately.

When I hear a shooter claiming a snub nose revolver isn't accurate beyond a few yards, it speaks VOLUMES about the lack of skill and knowledge of the person making the statement. I don't usually say anything, I just put a target out at 20-25 yards or so and shoot a group that's a lot smaller than whatever he's shooting at 5-7 yards. That usually gets 'em to stop bothering me.

 

[robertrwalsh]

The trouble with Charter Arms revolvers as I understand it (I have owned only one) is that the grip frame and the "main" frame are different. The grip frame is alloy, and is pinned to the main frame. This means it is not as sturdy as a more conventional weapon and you will never be able to get a really first-class trigger on them due to flexing between the main frame and the grip frame. Back in the day when the NYPD carried revolvers Charter Arms would never pass the longevity test for NYPD and consequently were never approved for carry. That being said, for the amount the average person will shoot one that should not be an issue. I THINK the longevity test was 10,000 rounds.

 

[MCorps0311]

I have the CA Bulldog .44 Special I really like the revolver. Congrats on yours.

 

[kraynky]

All of these gun owners and not one picture! tsk, tsk.......

 

[cherrypointmarine]

There was a post a while back about their new 7 shot 32 magnum . That's what I'm waiting for . Nobody seems to have them , I'm guessing they are popular . Who said the 32 magnum was going to the wayside ?

 

[pasound]

I had a Charter 44 Bulldog, and a 22 Pathfinder, at one time. So sorry I had to sell them both. Both were better than good shooters (the 44 is a handful, but not unmanageable).

 

[GeoJelly]

Ref the Exchange - I have bought all of one from them - a Bodyguard .380 years ago. Gettin' close to 70 so I can remember when the PX's all carried handguns and the prices were good. The selection is OK at Belvoir, but their prices are pretty close to retail + the whole perp walk thing that you mentioned. I have never owned a Charter especially since there are so few on the used market around here. The one and only decent LGS here has one small, maybe five-foot, section of used and consignment revolvers (no Charters), and prolly 150+ autos with the majority being Tupperware ...

 

[walnutred]

I've had a few Charter revolvers over the years and liked them both. Hope yours works as well as mine did. Two favorites were a 357 Bulldog Tracker and 9mm Federal Pit Bull.

 

[Oldfrt]

I got my wife a Chic Lady a couple years ago and she puts about half a box threw it on a regular basis. I found it easy to clean and maintain, I could just remove the cylinder assembly and dunk it in the ultrasonic cleaner for a few minutes, dry it out then lube it and it's good for another thousand rounds or so. For those who haven't gotten a new Charter Arms a schematic of the firearm is contained in the box with part numbers, makes it easy for the weekend gunsmith.

The Mag Pug is just a little larger than the wife's 38 Chic Lady and I find that I prefer a five shot over a six, it's easier to manage the spent casings for reloading not having partial boxes laying around.

I will probably make the exchange the preferred route to buy guns in the future. I may not be able to pick it up, walk into the range and make it bark right away but it does make me take it home and give it a good wipe down first. While their prices are pretty close to retail if you are spending several hundreds or thousands of dollars on one the tax savings can really make up for it (they got some nice 50BMG's), plus it lets us visit the commissary while were there.

 

[Mikerbike]

I bought my Charter Bulldog when I was looking for a used .44 Special, but they seemed to be unavailable or overpriced because they had been discontinued. My LGS took one Bulldog on trade and made me a very reasonable offer, which I accepted and took it home with a hundred rounds of cowboy ammo. The next week, I bought some defensive ammo and carried it. No, it's not beautiful and I'd still like to have a Smith or Ruger in that caliber that is not oversized or too heavy for daily carry like the magnums are. I don't carry it every day any more but when I do, I'm confident that it will work if I need it to do so. I enjoy it at the range, too. I'm a fan of big slow bullets, I guess.

 

[MOONDAWG]

Been buying and using Charter Arms since 1973 with positive results.

They are rugged well make light weight "tools" that work.

Customer service is good too; chances are that if you ever call them the company's owner Nick Eiker will answer the phone personally.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

then I got the perk walk out of the exchange before I was handed the package.

Some bases will not only insist that you drive off immediately they might get you a military escort!

 

[Alk8944]

I ordered a Charter Arms 357 Mag Pug from from the armed forces exchange website last week and picked it up about 4 working days later. I wanted something inexpensive and a challenge to shoot at the range. With my current back problems it was getting too hard to carry all that weight for the 460's and the 686 shoots so nice it's not much of a challenge. A box of 38 +p's and a box of 357's latter and it was pretty much all I wanted. Lots of fun and not a lot of weight to lug around. This thing will defiantly take some time to become proficient with, I was all over the target at 10 yards.

As a side note it took two forms of ID for me to take possession of the gun, my military ID to get on the base and my drivers license to prove I lived in that state. I also had to sign a couple extra forms one of which was acknowledge base regulations on firearms, then I got the perk walk out of the exchange before I was handed the package.

The word is DEFINATELY, not defiantly! Look it up and you will see why defiantly makes no sense. It seems someone makes this same mistake nearly every day.

 

[BC38]

I have the CA Bulldog .44 Special I really like the revolver. Congrats on yours.

Same here. About the smallest lightest package there is for a gun in a caliber starting with the number 4...

 

[BC38]

The word is DEFINATELY, not defiantly! Look it up and you will see why defiantly makes no sense. It seems someone makes this same mistake nearly every day.

Yeah, always good for a chuckle, but since I know what was meant, meh, not worth correcting...

 

[6518John]

^^^Your defiant in support of defiantly which is definitely a nice and gracious way to be. Since the intent was clear, why correct a forum brother? I celibate your being gracious.