Charter Arms??

[Flinter]

I remember this company from when I was a kid. I thought they had gone out of business though.

This months American Rifleman has an add for them........I always wanted one of their "Bulldogs".

Anyone know what their quality is like these days?

[Steven Mace]

http://www.charterfirearms.com/images/revolvers/bulldog.jpg

Charter 2000 Bulldog Model

Flinter, back in 1998 Charter 2000 Inc. (http://www.charterfirearms.com/index.php) aquired the rights to reproduce some of the original Charter Arms revolvers. The original Charter Arms firearms had a reputation of being of just average quality. I haven't had any experience with the 'new' Charter 2000 company and it's products.

Steve Mace

[Rew]

The original bulldog was a mid frame 5 shot .44 spl. As Steve said quality was a hit or miss thing. I have handled a newer small frame .38 spl and was not impressed. ;)

[Flinter]

You guys may have just saved me a couple of hundred dollars.

I thought the Charter Arm "Bulldogs" were well thought of in the 80's. Of course, I was only about 10 or 11 and it may have just been one gunwriter that I was reading who was praising them. My memory tends to fade.

Either way, I found this under the FAQ's part of their website. I'd never trust a company who recommended "expanding FMJ's" for defense :thud: ;


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Q. Can I shoot +p in my .38 five shot revolver?

A. Charter .38's are the smallest revolvers in this caliber, they can handle +p but we do not recommend a steady diet. Studies have shown that +p ammo is not a great defensive round because the bullet travels so fast that unless a critical area is hit the perpetrators may not be stopped. We recommend hollow points and full metal jacketed ammo as it will open and have a better chance stopping the intruder.

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Thanks again guys, I think I'll stick with Smith. :up:

[sisyphus]

That old saying about "you get what you pay for" holds true with this manufacturer.

I've owned two .38 Undercover models (similar to S&W's model 36) and one Bulldog .44 SPL. They're all from the early 70's and aren't anywhere near the quality of a Smith, Colt,or Ruger. I think even Taurus has them beat. They are definitely better than Rossi though, in my opinion.

Although they aren't "impressive" as stated in the above post, mine have all been reliable and accurate for my needs. They just aren't something to brag about for looks or value. I think they do the job they were made for and no more.

There are some sites that deal a little more in-depth with them, but it's probably not worth a lot of time if you're looking to get a serious and quality revolver. I understand that the ones made during the time they were starting-out are better than some later series, but I can't speak from experience. Only that mine do what I bought them for.

It's probably best for you to save a little more and get something you'll be glad you bought.