Why did I want THIS gun? Part 4 Charter Arms Revolvers
Why did I want THIS gun? Part 4 Charter Arms Revolvers
Talking about the budget minded decent quality All American made, lifetime warranty Charter Arms Revolvers.
www.charterfirearms.com
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_Arms
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Berkowitz Som of Sam used a Charter Arms Bulldog 44 special revolver
I’ve had decent luck with Charter Arms revolvers during the times in my life that I couldn’t really afford anything nicer. My first one was a Bulldog that I purchased used in 1976 after I got out of high school. Oddly enough, this prompted a visit from the feds during the Son of Sam investigations. Two agents showed up at my house in Virginia and asked if I owned a Charter Arms .44, and I told them I did. They asked if they could see it, I showed it to them, and they thanked me and left. To this day I have no idea how many people they visited nationally. Weird.
I became a law enforcement officer in 1979, and bought a Charter Arms which I think was called an "Off-Duty" five shot for off-duty carry. It served well at the time, but soon after I was able to purchase a nickel finish S&W Model 49 Bodyguard that I carried in my left uniform trouser pocket as a backup and off-duty and sold the Charter. I wish I had kept it. Actually I’m considering another one now because my S&W revolvers are all classics and too expensive these days to have them taken as evidence should I use them in an actual shooting. I think Charters are very serviceable revolvers.
The Bridgeport models went from 1964 to 1974, and then switched to Stratford and the Stratford models started serial number 316,000 and went until 1991 and serial number just over 1 million. I have o ne that starts just over 600k on the serial number and is from the late 70’s. It’s also got a trigger that’s been reworked and rivals any Smith&Wesson trigger I’ve encountered. Most people talk about charter arms having a gritty trigger that’s over 10lbs in double action, but mine is smooth, doesn’t stack and is just under 10lbs in double action. The single action trigger is ridiculous though as it’s just about 2lbs and seems like it’ll fire if you breath to heavy on it. I have found it to be very accurate with 168gr semi-wadcutters so that’s what I carry in it, and I’m confident with this setup. 7 to 10 yards I can keep all 5 on a playing card no problem, and at 15 yards I can keep the groups smaller than my hands side by side easy.
*¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡""DAVID BERKOWITZ DIDNOT ACT-ALONE DURING THE-SON OF SAM SHOOTING-EVENTS, ""THERE-WASMORE THAN-ONE ACTIVE-SHOOTER IN NEWYORK BACKTHEN ACCORDING TO SEVERAL-EYEWITNESSES OF WHOM CAME-FORWARD WITH-INFORMATION OF WHAT THEVARIOUS-SHOOTERS OF WHOM-WERESMALLER IN BUILD COMPARED TO DAVID BERKOWITZ""!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
I’ve got a bulldog in 44spl with 3"bbl and I love it . You’re right though , it’s a handful to shoot .
Like anything else people get so hooked on name recognition. I’ve had Charter Arms, Rossi, Taurus and I’ve never had a problem with any of those revolvers. They held up well and gave me years of reliable service. I even carried a Rossi 357 Magnum on duty at the Sheriff’s Department. I do and have owned Smith & Wesson, Ruger and Colt revolvers outside of some minor styling differences they were no better or worse then the non-popular brands of revolvers.
AR 7 is on
I have a question when I load my revolver and roll the cylinder back in to place sometimes it feels like it skips a notch is this something to be concerned about mind you I’ve put a 100 round through it is all
Bought a new Undercover Lite in 38Spl some months ago. After less than 25 rounds, it began misfiring often 4 out of 5 rounds either single action or double action. Contacted the company and they sent a prepaid box to ship to the factory for repair. A month later, the weapon was sent back to me. This time around it began misfiring again in under 30 rounds! Being completely disgusted with it, I packed it up and sold it. The weapon was a total failure and I want nothing to do with Charter Arms weapons. There’s a reason why the saying "you get what you pay for" exists.
yass umm good gun.
The undercover model I bought new in the 80s & it was out of time. It would shear lead. I had a gunsmith fix it, he put in a paw that turned the cylinder. It was still doing the same thing so I traded it to him for a snake charmer 12 gauge. They aren’t much. Now I fix guns & love working on them. I bought a model 60 S&W to replace it.
Have had the same two Charter Arms Undercovers for a couple decades now. My wife likes the feel of the small grips that came on the gun; it’s her favorite carry. I shoot the Charter just as well as I do a J Frame S&W. Good small revolvers and fairly priced.
Looking to get the Undercover! Made in the U.S. with a great warranty!
Got me an Off Duty / Stratford, CT in matt stainless, great little 5-shot, 38 spec,,, never had any issues with it, it’s my back-up for my Sig-Sohn 44 mag Peace maker replica from Germany.
*¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡""ALMOST EVERYTIME I SEE SOME-VIDEO THAT SOMEBODY OR SOMEONE HAS-POSTED TO YOUTUBE ABOUT THE-INFAMOUS CHARTER-ARMS REVOLVER IN .44-SPECIAL, ""THAT-SOMEONE OR SOMEBODY ALWAYS-MAKES A REFERENCE DIRECTLY TO THE-SON OF SAM SHOOTINGS, ""AMERICAN-PEOPLE LOVE SERIAL-KILLERS, ""AN OBSESSION WITH MASS-KILLINGS AND MURDER AND TURMOIL, ""THE-BUFFALO MASS-SHOOTINS""!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
Nice review, but I didn’t see any cranky part at all.
Well, Will Graham used a Charter Arms .44 to take down Francis Dolarhyde in Manhunter so I guess they must’ve been on to something
*¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡""MOST OF YOU AMERICANS-LOVE DEAD-ANIMALS AND VAMPIRES AND CASKETS AND THOSE-TRADITIONS OF THEEUROPEAN-PEOPLE, ""UP-SIDEDOWN-CROSSES-OR INVERTED-CROSSES AND SKULL-RINGS AND SATAN""!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
In my opinion: Charter Arms may be best described as the evolution of the hardware store variety of revolvers. Like Iver Johnson, HR & Egal.
They would be well known to shoot out of time by police who carried them as back up. The rasons they hated them so much was:
1.) The breach plate would be staged upto the firing pin area causing the round heads to drag on the ramp up to the firing pin area. This would cause the revolver hand to wear prematurely especially noted on the 44 short versions.
2.) The frame tangs would bite the trigger finger & the back tangs chewed the web of your hand with recoil.
3.) The pocket cup under the hammer would allow the mainspring hammer strut to float around the pocket causing the action to jam or bind (biggest problem).
4.) The excessive use of screws that shoot loose.
5.) Their warrenty wasn’t all that great & shipping wasn’t always free.
6.) Their sight picture was seldom to the point of impact.
7.) Their 11 grooved rifling didn’t improve accuracy or bullet stability as they claimed to. However it was useful in identifying the type of gun to have shot a bullet because nobody else uses that may grooves & lands.
One other thing. A pistol is not a revolver & a revolver is not a pistol. Both however would be handguns.
I think the Shelton models are under lifetime warranty but not the older ones. I picked up a Stratford Undercover a few weeks ago, and the cylinder release latch seized up after a box of .38 at the range. Charter Arms agreed to fix it for me, but it’ll cost me a few dollars. Still, it’s a great little revolver, it carries very well, and Charter is great to work with. Unmatched customer care. Thanks for the info!!
Funny story, but in modern times, the "Bridgeport Models" are on Instagram… at least they call themselves "models"…
That’s how I got my stainless Undercover, by stopping by the shop and finding it there. I already owned two others, one purchased the day I got my badge in 1987, and the other inherited when my dad died in 2010. The latter dates from 1966 (my birth year) and he had also done time behind the badge.
My stainless appears to date from 1985 and looks identical to yours.
I’ve also acquired an original Undercoverette in .32 Long, which appears to date from around 1972. Haven’t tried that one out yet, though.
Incidentally, the transfer bar rides behind the firing pin, in front of the hammer.
Thanks for sharing.
Are they reliable that is what counts be very very sure
I’ve had several over the years with no problems.I have a current Police Undercover ,six shot .38 ,and I like it.
Im so sad that the stainless one is vintage and impossible to find.
I just bought the Charter 2000 yesterday. It’s my first revolver to own and I am excited to have it and look forward to getting it the range and shooting it
Thanks for the video
Why take a 38spl when you can get the 44spl at the same price.
Charter’s are good guns, better than Colt counterparts in my opinion.
Charter Arms deserves to be better known.
I sure prefer my, .38 C.A. over the Smith J , it just fits and feels better.
If I ever need to use it, I’ll be close enough to make 5 .38 Specials ruin someone’s day.😀🖖❗
Back in 1992 I purchased a used mint condition charter arms stainless off-duty back when they had a hammer I believe it was made in 1980s in Stratford it had no ejector rod shroud which I really like really love the classic looks it has been extremely accurate it is not plus p rated but there are plenty of standard pressured self-defense loads back in the 90s I carried it with Winchester silver tips and federal nyclads
I carried a Charter Arms Undercoverette .32 as a back-up to my on-duty service revolver. This was a 1970’s Charter Arms .32, blue finish, and six-shots. At the time of purchase no .38 Undercover was available and this little 16-oz snubnose would serve me over 4-decades as a back-up/off duty arm. Wore it in a ankle holster on my left leg, and I was so fortunate in that I never had to go to it in a crisis. When I retired in 2017, the original factory blue finish was almost gone from years of carry in a leather ankle holster. I had to qualify with my back-up yearly, so in a 40+year period do the math. This Undercoverette .32 had taken a beating on the outside, but mechanically it still functioned very well. This Charter Arms was my life insurance policy in case things went south. After retiring I sent my little snubby back to Charter Arms for a complete overhaul/test-fire/and new blue finish. Came back to me looking brand new again with the compact Charter Arms rubber grips with finger-grooves cut in. I retained my old factory service grips that looked awful from the years of heavy duty cop wear and tear. Oh, I laughed at the "gun experts" that told me my .32 was not potent enough. It provided me six-quick-shots of .32 S&W Long (wadcutter bullet), enough to provided me a few extra seconds to get the hell away until the cavalry arrived. God protected me and the life insurance policy was never used.
I love the fact that they make a 6 shot .38 called the Police Undercover. It’s much smaller, lighter and cheaper than a K frame. Makes a great 6 shot pocket gun.
Accuracy of these guns is hit and miss
My first revolver I bought in the 70’s was the Charter Arms Undercover38spl.Sold it to get a Colt 1911.45.
Did they fix the barrel shroud on the guns let me know please
Don’t overlook the Undercoverette. The .32 revolver doesn’t get the love it deserves.
YOU NEED the exposed ejector rod! why? these little guns shed the screw (often sheered) for the cyl latch. when that happens? you can just pull the rod forward.
I think they’ve had some QC problems lately. I had to disassemble mine and polish the internals to get the cylinder to rotate smoothly. Seen some similar stories from other youtubers.
I had nothing but bad luck with a new model Charter Arms Undercover (special stainless Hi-Polish model) Now the customer service was wonderful and they would’ve honored the lifetime warranty but shipping labels and putting guns in the mail marked "unfinished machine parts" ain’t my cup o’ tea. I sold it at a big loss. The finish inside the frame around the back of the cylinder and inside the top strap was ATROCIOUS. It should have NEVER left the factory looking like that, and as stated I paid a premium for my particular Undercover as it was a limited run "highly polished" model… Aside from the severe cosmetic problems I experienced light primer strikes in DA mode about every 3rd round. Nothing existed to try and rectify the issue except send it back to the factory or pay a gunsmith out of my own pocket. Again, I contacted customer service and they were prompt, polite, and apologetic, but like I said. I’m not playing hot potato with a gun in the mail when it should’ve been squared away from the factory. I am hesitant to purchase guns online sight unseen to this day because of my experience. I’m glad most other people have better luck with Charter Arms than I did, and I wish them well (along with every other domestic firearms manufacturer) but I doubt I ever buy another one. For the sake of reference I ended up with a Taurus 856 Snubbie and have been beyond satisfied with it. Finish is uniform, parts are well fitted, and it’s been dead-nuts reliable. Funny ol’ world, seeing as lots of people have nightmare stories to tell about owning Taurus guns 😂
Goes to show, it’s all just luck of the draw at the end of the day, no matter the maker.
I have the exact gun(blued finished) that you have in the video. I took off the small wood grip and put on a larger rubber grip which makes it much more comfortable to shoot…. It’s a fantastic shooter….Mine says Stratford Connecticut on it but I do not know the year it was made
had a bunch of em in the 70’s.. they work.
Working part time as an armed security guard a Glock 17 is my primary weapon. However a Charter Arms Bulldog in 44 special is my back up. It’s also my concealed gun since when I’m not working as a guard, it easily fits inside my front jeans pocket. A friend poo poo’d me not getting just a 44 magnum and putting 44 specials in it if I wanted. Try finding a 44 magnum this size and price.
I’m currently searching for a decent deal on an Uncoverette or a Blued Vintage model. The quest continues. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Good information about things like the history of the transfer bar. Appreciate the video. Thanks.
I used to have a Charter Arms bulldog chambered in .44 special, I ended up selling it because at least where I live it’s next to impossible to find any .44 special, so I bought a Taurus Tracker in .44 magnum
I own examples like yours. I like S&W J frames as well, but EDC the CA guns much more often.
My wife didn’t show any interest in her hammerless “Off Duty” birthday present. I wear it regularly and no it’s not the pink one… not that that’s a bad thing.
are they 38 +p rated because as far as I can see they are only stamped for 38
I have the Pitbull in .45acp and it’s very accurate for a snubby.
Do they shoot 38 plus p ammo
Absolutely agree with you. Myself, I own a .44 Special, Bulldog Pug from the Charter 2000, Era. And, I absolutely luv it. I carry mine everyday. It’s an excellent small big bore Revolver. Right on, Bro! 🙂 Peace, Stiletto 🙂
I got the 38 undercover. Love it. It was my first non 22lr revolver.