Revolver Roundup recently did a tour of the Charter Arms factory. They learned that the Boomer was in fact named after the company dog, who was also called Boomer and was caught chewing the grip of a Charter Arms revolver
Thanks, HR I'm an aged-in-the-keg Boomer! I started my career in LE the same year the Charter .44 Bulldog was introduced. While Charter revolvers (and the .44 Special cartridge) were not approved for duty use, the rules for off duty/backup carry were virtually non-existent. Many officers were buying this little .44 "boomer". It wasn't called "The Boomer" in 1973. It was blued only and had sights. Oddly enough, I recall the "common knowledge" was that this was a "new cartridge" and that it was "almost as powerful as", or even, "just as powerful as" the .44 Magnum. Thanks to "Dirty Harry" in 1971, everyone knew what a .44 Magnum was! And this was...well, "a .44". And the fact that "you can even shoot it IN a .44 Magnum" sealed the deal! No...very old cartridge, but revolvers for it weren't very common or well known in the early 70s, and the ammunition, as factory loaded at the time, was no where near as powerful as the .44 Magnum...or even the .357 Magnum. What many shooters now don't realize is that, in the early 70s, cartridges such as the .44 Special, .45 Colt, .45-70, .30-40 Krag were virtually "dead". I was a broke rookie in 1973 and had laid out all my disposable cash for my duty gear, duty revolver and an off duty revolver (both .357 Magnum) and didn't have the coin to add a Charter Arms Bulldog. By the time I was better healed, the shine had worn off and most of those officers that bought the Charter .44 had moved on to other things. I never bought one, I fired many of them, and do own 2 S&W revolvers in .44 Special and have handloaded and cast bullets for the cartridge for many, many decades. The .44 Bulldog has gone in and out of production, as the Charter Company has gone in and out of business, but seems to be getting more interest lately. Again. Good revolver, GREAT cartridge, but NOT "as good as the .44 Magnum", especially not in a small lightweight revolver like the Charter Bulldog. With good quality, reliable ammunition, I would consider it better for self defense than a .38 Special or 9mm. Not as good as a .357 Magnum.
Years ago I had a Charter Arms Bulldog .44Spcl. I eventually sold it to a cop friend for a backup intending to get the 4inch adjustable sight Target model instead. I had trouble with ammo issues (back in the late 70's only Rem. & Win. round nose lead were available ) . The problem was the heavy 240 grain Rem. loads would jump the crimp due to the recoil in the short barrel. What I did to cure the problem was adjust my RCBS Crimp Die to put a much firmer crimp on them and run all of the Rem. rounds through the die. I was able to hit a boulder on the hill side at about a 25 degree upward angle at about 350 yards 4 out o 5 times from a seated rest with that gun. You knew when you hit by the sound and the dust.
Thanks for the video, I love the 44 special and have been shooting and hand loading it for a little over three decades now. My first 44 was a Winchester model 94 trapper in 44 magnum/special. I still have that beautiful handy little carbine. I would love to see more videos on this versatile underrated cartridge and the firearms that fire it in the future. Keep up the great work!
I bought a similar 5-shot .44 spcl 25 or 30 years ago. It is a Rossi M720 with a 3" barrel and adjustable sights and all steel construction. That one ended up being my EDC for many many years. I never used my Skeeter Skelton loads in it, though. My load was a Lyman 215 gr lead SWC on top of Red Dot powder for a velocity of 760 fps. The same load got about 780 fps out of my S&W 4" model 624. It was/is accurate to 25 yards and I used to barely knock over poppers at 40 yards with resting on my knees. They just barely would fall, but they did fall. And, it was comfortable to shoot as long as I didn't try to get my grip too high. I started off being a .44 spcl fan and never changed my mind. I owned a bunch of them over the years.
My grandfather owned a business in a shady part of town for several decades. When I was a kid, I remember a blued Charter Arms .38 with an exposed ejector rod in his desk drawer. I don't think Charter revolvers are very durable, and they're not very refined. Literally all 5 Charter Arms revolvers I have ever owned have had to go back to the factory for repair... Broken transfer bar, cylinder wasn't locking, timing issues, barrel ill-fitted, etc. But they always fixed and returned them promptly. Great customer service & poor QC. I always saw Charter as "light duty" options that were not meant for heavy, high-volume use. Kind of like my grandfather's desk drawer .38. Which means they're an adequate option for most revolver owners out there. Thanks for the video!
I have an “off duty .38spl” that I’ve owned and carried for decades now. Of course I don’t go through hundreds of rounds, but I surely can’t complain about it at all. It’s an older version, with wood grips. I really like it, and as I said, I can’t complain. I’ve looked at some of the newer models, they don’t seem to be built as well for sure.
I've owned the Charter Arms Undercover in .38 special for about 8 years. It has been a very good firearm with no issues. Not a Ruger or S&W but it's been a great gun for the money. The 44 special would be nice to have also. Thanks for the video.
Me and my brother both bought a Charter Arms 'Bulldog" in 44 special many years ago. It was a nice powerful snub but suffered from cheap construction. We sold them. Thanks for the new look at the current model.
Okay, HR, I really enjoyed and appreciated video. I will offer a few uneducated comments: > I’m a Smith and Ruger revolver guy, and I have been for generations. Charter Arms has been around for a long time, but - and I could easily be wrong - I have never fully trusted their quality (in comparison to S&W and Ruger . . . and obviously Colt too, but during the Cold War career Naval officers necessarily learned to live with austerity). > I have long appreciated the .44 Special; “big, heavy and slow” remains highly effective. The .45 ACP illustrates the enduring potency of the .44 and .45 “family” of handgun rounds. > Some years ago I downsized my home and unavoidably stopped reloading. As HR stated, the availability - and the cost - of .44 Special factory ammunition is a legitimate concern. > At that point, I purchased a Smith, N Frame, 625 Mountain Gun, chambered in .45 Colt as a replacement for my .44 Special revolvers. I believe the .44 Colt has a tremendous advantage in ammunition options - some loads can almost rival the .44 magnum, others are very sedate, and there are many in between . . . plus, they are far more readily available than .44 Specials. > “Social distance lawful defense” is critical, however, sometime a shot at ten, fifteen or even twenty yards may be required. I’d really prefer to have non-trench sights beyond (let’s say) ten yards. Finally, my wife was an attorney, so I absolutely understand your concern. Clients, deposition witnesses, and opponents are frequently under considerable stress . . . and occasionally less than entirely rational. How about a three inch barrel, spurless hammer, SP-101 or K6S, loaded with excellent .38 Special +Ps (my SP-101’s load is Buffalo Bore’s 158 grain LSWCHP)?
BOOM on, baby! 😂... I'm a little late to the show, but here I am. There's a lot of interesting comments here; pretty cool! And yeah - .44 Spl is pretty cool.
I LOVE my Smith and Wesson 442 Airweight MUCH more than I thought it would; I had no idea how accurate that little girl would be being a snubnose but DANG she's great
I'll never forget the words of a keen salesman at the gun counter at Kittery Trading Post in Maine. I asked to see a CA Bulldog and he said, "Charter Arms Bulldog, .44 Special. Son of Sam couldn't have been wrong!" 😅😅😅
You shoot well. I have had four .44 Charter Arms, two with three inch barrels, and bobbed hammers. No issues at all except they did not like the silver tip ammo….best for accuracy with lead swc loads. Thanks for this excellent video . 👍🤠
Great video. 44 spl still isn't for me. You're right about ammo. Tough to find. I have a 38 and a 357 Charter Arms. I couldn't be happier with them. I did sent my 357 back for a minor issue. Didn't cost me a dime. They took care of everything and it came back better than before. Customer service is outstanding.
I've looked up some commercial loadings information on 44spl. Seems like it makes 380acp or 38spl energy but costs as much as 44mag ammunition. Not really any use in it for me, but I do like revolvers
I have long wanted one of these. I have an Undercover in .38 spl and am very happy with that. And HR if you were born in 1964 like me we are at the end of the boomer cohort which goes from 1946-1964.
If you haven't taken the Boomer back yet, I'd like to see a Part 2 of you trying your more standard shooting drills. I carried a Bauer .25ACP pistol as a backup weapon, and the sights on it are tiny. I ended up painting a red "sighting plane" down the center rib of the slide, including the tiny front sight. It gave me SOMTHING to reference when I was shooting it. I don't know if I ever shot it past 7-yards, or maybe even 5-yards, but with that red line to reference, I shot decent with it. Maybe cut a thin strip of red or green tape to run along the barrel.
@@BrokenBarBox The other models are not ported, the front sight is very sharp and can snag, and they have a shroud that encompasses the ejector rod. What I envision is a low half oval or half ellipse front sight running the full length of the barrel.
I think Taurus makes a nice small 44 magnum that obviously will shoot 44 special. It’s a nice alternative to consider because Taurus makes nice revolvers.
It's amazing how good you can get with reactive, point shooting, without using the sights. It does help if you reload. After a few hundred rounds shooting paper and you build your muscle memory you can take that to the field and go after jack rabbits. You'll be surprised how good you can get.
GenX! It's your Nile Barrabas haircut (he was the hero of an action-adventure book series in the '80s; a white-haired mercenary) that makes one think you're a Boomer haha
"The Boomer" is a modern factory remake of the old Mag-Na-port Backpacker custom gun. I shoot my handloads through my Bulldog. 200grain wadcutter, 4.8 grains of Bullseye. Very ".45 ACP"ish expeience. Lots of things to say. Charters tend to break more than I'm comfortable with.
Great video! I bought a Bulldog when they first came out and have owned various versions over the years. Only problem I ever had was the cylinder release fell off. I locked tighted it back on and never had a problem after that. I chronoed the Skeeter load from a number of 3 inch barrels and it went 830 fps. Should make a good load at about 800 fps from the Boomer. The Keith loads goes 985 fps from a 3 inch and might be a bit much for the Bulldog. If you handload, the 200 gr cowboy cast RNFP with a minimum load of AA#2 makes a good practice load that wont tear up your hand. For a carry load, the Speer Gold Dot 200 gr HP would be good. It chronoed at 830 fps from a 3 inch. That is, if you can find it. I have a good stock of it. It will probably expand from the Boomer. There are some wadcutter loads for the 44 Special and those should be good too. For sighting, you can get laser grips. Work great indoors and in dim light. I am a proud Boomer. You will notice that there a few dumb Boomers walking around. That is because our parents let us play with guns, knives and fireworks when we were kids. The dumb ones didnt make it.
I brought my Charter Arms revolvers home from an auction house. Those cases were covered in police evidence tape. One had a bent crane. Charter arms fixed it fast and for free. I liked the Pitbull 9mm so much I got two more, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. I can reload them from my autoloaders' box magazines and so can anyone else. I can hand off a 9mm revolver and 1 ____ magazine and a second person has a gun that is easy to use, and a way to reload it 2-3x. That warranty may or may not transfer. They are really good with their warranty policy.
I am a boomer(born 1955) and have a CA .44 special, nice small gun with plenty of power, just a bit expensive for .44 special ammo, .44mag being most popular, but whith reloading its affordable and fun!
Thank you HR. I own three CA revolvers, one being their 44 "Target" Bulldog, a 4-inch version. Don't know whether it's the extra 1-inch of barrel, or their new grips, but it is much more comfortable than the 3-inch original Bulldogs I've fired. My thoughts on the Boomer are; I've read that "porting" on a defensive revolver is ill-advised, in that, if fired from the hip, the gasses from the fired round are directed upwards, possibly harming your eyes; and I wonder if any handgun, without a front-sight, might be used against the user in a criminal or civil suit, in court, as being somewhat negligent, if the intended threat were missed and an innocent were harmed? Un-aimed fire is what I'm thinking.
I have a few ported revolvers. I have never noticed an issue while shooting them from a retention position. Regarding the potential for civil or criminal liability, anytime a bullet goes somewhere it shouldn’t, that potential exists.
Great video HR! Always love your content. Tough to find content on anything Charter Arms makes except their five shot Undercover model. Big Charter Arms fan here! Thanks!
Not a Boomer either; I'm a War Baby. The .44 Special IMO is an oft overlooked cartridge that is truly outstanding. I'm also a huge Skeeter Skelton fan and may have seen him once although we didn't speak. His articles in "Shooting Times" were a must read every month and I have a few of his books. The Charter Arms Boomer is interesting although arthritis in my hands makes shooting revolvers generally unpleasant. Still, the review as interesting and well done.
Many, MANY years ago, I had the opportunity to fire one of the original 80's era .44 Spl. Bulldogs, in the blue steel 3" barrel configuration. While it DID have a bit of a kick, I was used to K-frame .357s and 1911's, so it wasn't anything really challenging. In fact, as a carry piece, I actually thought it would probably be a pretty good bet; decent punch in a relatively concealable (even for a smaller fella like me) package. However, on this iteration, the lack of a front sight would be a deal-breaker for me every time... I don't care what they say about the percentage of shootings that occur at point-blank range, because those same stats say I'm almost more likely to be struck by lightning than get into a gunfight! If the odds are that much against me already, I want every advantage I can get!
Not bad shooting... for a Marine. 😆 And great video, as always. For such a young kid. Hey, let me tell you what I stumbled across last month. I went to a local gun store (which now that I think of it, is owned by a Marine), looking for some 38 caliber wadcutters. They were selling guns on a court-ordered consignment sale (domestic violence, resisting arrest, discharging a firearm... little things like that) i feel sorry for the guy, but his loss was my gain. Among the guns was a very early production Undercover. You could shave by its bluing, and it didn't appear to have been fired after leaving the factory. Almost no cylinder ring, and the release latch was beyond stubborn. It now resides with me. I phoned Charter Arms, read them the serial number, and they told me it was produced in Oct or November, 1964. When that gun was manufactured, I was a 17 year old Navy boot at RTC, Great Lakes! That's the second find I( have like that. The other is a Smith & Wesson M & P pre model 10 snubnose, that I got at a gun show in Muncie, while looking for a set of wood grips for my Taurus 856 UL. The Smith & Wesson was manufactured in 1948, making it one year younger than I am! I know this has NOTHING to do with your excellent video, but I'm so thrilled I had to share it with you (the info, not the gun). Of course it was an excellent firearm... it's a Charter Arms.
The WW Silvertip Hollow Points are 200 grains. Those are what I use for self defense rounds in both my 2 1/2" Charter Arms Pit Bull .44 special and my 3" Taurus model 441-S five shooter. (Think of a K-Frame, square butt Smith & Wesson that shoots .44 specials in stainless steel.) My third .44 Special is a 6 1/2" Smith & Wesson model 24, which was their limited edition reissue of their 1950 Target model. The one Elmer Keith worked up his loads to convince S&W and Remington to come up with the .44 Magnum in. My "Keith" loads in that one are for hunting back up in case of a predator attack - either the two or four legged variety. I miss reading "Skeeter" as he, along with Keith was one of my influences in buying my first Charter Arms Bulldog & will look up his hand loads. I will not use them for self defense, however, as most DA's here in Calipornia will interpret non-factory rounds as an indication you were just looking for someone to shoot at the first opportunity.
@@hrfunk, I bought enough when I did (mid-'90's) to last me a lifetime. I'm now 83. I've basically duplicated the load power wise for practice with handloads, but only use factory loads for self defense.
That groove in the top looks like what we boomers called a gutter sight. To align the sights on a gutter sight, the target goes in the middle, with the gutter's sides equal in appearance and the top of the barrel at the bottom of the gutter. If you are off to the left or right one side of the gutter will not match the other. You may need to put your target just above the gutter on some revolvers. Gutter sights are normally good out to ten to twelve yards.
Fantastic Review of the boomer. I have the bulldog classic and tried those grips you used in this video and the wooden grips that come with the classic and can say I was highly impressed with both. If people are tempted to try a Charter Arms bulldog because of this video, but are uncertain because of the lack of a front sight and the exceptionally short barrel, I can say with confidence that the classic is worth looking into.
Good review. The problem I have with the idea of this gun is simple; I have long been aware that I don't get to dictate the terms of a self-defense engagement and I am unwilling to consider a gun with such a limited effective range to be a viable choice for me. Maybe the odds are you won't need a longer effective range, but if you're involved in a self-defense shooting the odds are already out the window.
Don't use a "Death Grip". Use a firm, but still relaxed grip (no, that's not an oxymoron) and, personally, I usually use a Weaver stance and let my upper body sort of absorb the recoil. Including with my Keith(like) loads for the S&W Model 24. I'm 5'10", 145/150 lbs w'a small boned frame & have no problems with recoil. Just like guitar: "Practice".
The "Son of Sam" murderer used a .44 special Charter Arms Bulldog. I really don't think that Charter Arms will ever be able to lose the bad publicity created by that MONSTER. (i read the book years ago and it creeped me out )
My friend had two charter arms 38 specials that were manufactured in the '80s in charter arms Stratford plant.. he put charter arms rubber grips on them.. and in the early 1990s..he took them to charter arms factory which 15 minutes away from us in Shelton Connecticut.. to have them Bob the hammers. On both revolvers. ....charter arms Bobbed the hammers installed new springs.. and when he went to pick the guns up and pay for it the guy at the counter said NO CHARGE SIR !!
Way back in the 70s I owned several of the charter arms weapons and one of them was the bulldog chambered in .44 special & one in .44 magnum which would fire the .44 special but one of the weapons I owned was a charter arms undercover model chambered in .44 special , don't to this day know if it was a pre model or just a fluck and was not suppose to be released from the factory or as it turned out it was made for a special customer and they had to remake it for him for I would not sell it back to them for a reason , It was originally made as a .38 revolver and was marked .38 special but when I got it and went to load it the 38 went straight through the cylinder and would also do the same thing in the barrel, so started checking other loads until I hit upon the ,44 special , So I Had A Mis Marked Weapon with Company Name and Logo on it which made it a high Collector's Item and Later sold it back to Charter Arms For Many Many Times the original price time 1000 , They were very anxious to get it back
44spl is a fantastic cartridge. For defense, pretty nice. Not having a sight bothers me on this gun. It's definitely a "get off me gun." Not my cup of tea. 44spl is a handloaders dream. Lots of flexability to go light bullet lots of speed or big bullet lots of speed and everything in between.
@@MichaelSisley-fw3xr The 3" and 2.5" Bulldog can both be pocket carried if you want, you just need deeper pockets esp for the 3" That is why a 2" with a rounded sight would be a good addition. I load 215 swc, it shoots to the sights but I don't try to get anywhere near the Skeeter load. I don't think the Bulldog can stand up to too much of that. I carry the Underwood 200 full wadcutter in it and Silvertips on a strip. Practice with reloads. Good old cartridge.
@@craigcarroll6161 I agree. I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk That I load with 210 grain flat nose lead bullets, about 900 fps. The hardness is around 12. (that is fairly soft, like a cowboy action type lead). I have flattened many a wild hog to that load. Because it is soft it expands like crazy. 44Spl is a fantastic old cartridge. For defense work in a 2" I would think you are well heeled. Seems the young ones really do not appreciate a big bullet and its momentum.
Very interesting and fun video. We had gun shop from 1979 to 1981. We sold more than a few of the originals probably thanks to David Berkowitz. I had one with the wood grips and it was quite a handful. Thanks so much
The OEM wooden grips were an ergonomic nightmare on the Bulldog, especially the too sharp checkering. (Yes, any decent wood worker can fix that, but I preferred the Pachmayer after market ones I replaced them with instead. The wooden ones on the Bulldog Pug are a great all around ergonomic improvement.)
I love the 44 special cartridge other than it cost. It’s not a high-pressure round so the recoil is more of a thump than a snap. A lot of people don’t realize that. A 38+ P has more snap than a decent 44 special self-defense round in the same gun.
I’ve been considering buying either a charter arms or the new Taurus produced “heritage Roscoe” just so I can make a FITZ! I’m not fully decided on caliber, make, or model yet. Something I’ve had mulling around in the back of my head for awhile. The Fitz revolvers were aesthetically so cool, very 1930s hard boiled detective looking to me.
That aluminum trigger guard is a seperate piece and I think it would dangle/flop around if you "Fitzed it". The Roscoe is just a gloss version of the old Taurus 85 and is all steel so it would be a better choice to Fitz.
I have a Bulldog On-duty. It's stainless with a shrouded hammer. It's been a fantastic gun. With "Skeeter loads" it's far better than any .38spl you could carry.
You should have gone back to 7 yards. Also try the grove in the top strap to aim. Long ago there was a sight made for small S&W 9mm autos called the "Guttersnipe" that was almost just a groove, but it had a slight taper to the groove. So using that groove as a sight may work better than you think. But then a Crimson Trace laser grip would solve things nicely. There is also and S&W Model 69 that is a five shot 44 mag/Special, based on the L frame, that will use the same speed loaders as the Charter Arms. Those old 246 grain lead loads were probably loaded to be safe in very old Peacemakers. Hornady makes a 'Critical Defense' load for 44 Special. I think Galco makes a shoulder holster, maybe not for that pistol. It is in white leather and is meant to be worn under a white shirt with the middle buttons undone, a tie would cover the buttons for executives who may work in 'dicey' locales.
I had a .357mag with a 3”“ported” barrel that was just totally unpleasant to shoot! The concussion was ridiculous! I got it for a vehicle gun but quickly realized that it was definitely something I didn’t want to fire within the confines of a vehicle!! Holy cow! I traded it pretty quickly. How would you feel having to use the Boomer indoors or in a vehicle?? Without earpro!
First of all I love charter arms.. I have a stainless off duty .38 so that was manufactured in the 1980s intheir Stratford CT plant.. I purchased it used in 1992 one of my favorites in just a few years ago I purchased a stainless mag pug 357 with two and a quarter inch factory ported barrel.. fantastic gun especially for the money
I have the original Bulldog in steel, and the current "target Bulldog" with long barrel. The old one is a great gun, and easily handled. The new one, isn't as accurate, but acceptable. It cycles fine on double action, but needs help in single. I roll my own, for this round.
Now that I've finally found time to watch, great video! I had to get my Bulldog 45colt out to compare. It's 22.3oz empty & 26.2oz with 5 225 grain loads. It's definitely a handful with standard 45colt ammo but not bad at all with cowboy loads. Not one I'd do a lot of practice with but I "had" to have it "just cuz". It was used when I bought it & Charter honored the warranty even though I wasn't the original buyer so take note of that. I looked at the Bulldog 44's but wound up getting a GP100 in 44special that I'm sure is more pleasant to shoot. Shame 44special & 45colt ammo is so hard to find: I'd probably carry one of those if I could find enough to practice with. Finally, awesome tack driver shot!
I’ve got the 2 1/2” bulldog with the semi shrouded hammer. It’s really cool only problem I’ve had with it is if I don’t use it and or lube it the cylinder release seems to stick and its hard to get it open sometimes. Quality is kindof hit or miss on these. 👌
You talk about "crunchy"? Before I ever shoot a new out of the box gun I always oil it up and play with it a while. Also run a brush and several oiled patches down the barrel. New guns are shipped with a different oil than you or I would use to lubricate and clean them with. Call it packing grease if you wants but... never just pull a gun out of the box brand new and fire it. Make sure the sticky oil is gone and and insure the action works like its supposed to. But never ever fire any firearm straight out of the box. Clean and lubricate it first. Then make sure everything function correctly. If it don't it can ruin you day.
The Skeeter Skelton load in a 19 ounce revolver? You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din! I don’t know if this would increase cost, but I wish that they had gone for the old “guttersnipe” sight from the 1980ish Asp custom pistols. That would help make up for the lack of a front sight I’m going to speculate that the best factory load for the Boomer is the Hornady Critical Defense 165 grain load. Thanks for a very interesting video.
Cool! I'm Reviewing Various Charters..NEW 6" RDS Mastiff 9mm, BEAUTIFUL Bling Undercover 2 6shot .38 16 ounce, & Pitbull .40 20 ounce Pocket Rocket! As for NO SIGHTS, Today I did all with Red Dot turned off to showcase Point Shooting! .44 is Awesome if you are a reloader but too $ for me. Meanwhile .40 I really LIKE..More than a .38 or 9mm, but less recoil than .357 & I shot 125 to 205 grain in it, will carry with 165 Punch! I like the bigger caliber to still expand through heavy winter clothing..and bigger doesn't shrink! FUNNY Tack Driver!
Hey - I picked up one of these used at a recent gun show. Mine has the finger=groove wood grips, in the nitride finish. It is a handful to shoot, but a perfect belly gun. (I do want to pick up the rubber grips to make it a little more compact.) At about 6 yards, I have to "aim" (really just pointing) at the belt-buckle to get rounds in the chest area. I carry it in a horizontal belt holster at the 12 o'clock position. (It conceals really well with the shirt untucked, and is actually fairly comfortable like that when sitting) I got mine for about $300 total, and it is well worth the money. I have heard of folks getting accurate shots out to 25 feet or more when they used laser grips. I seem to be getting about 4" groups at 5 yards out of mine. I would only consider using it as a "get off me" gun, and would rely on my LCP Max from my front pocket as the primary tool.
Im glad you got a decent one. I bought 2 new Charter .44's in the last 3 years. Both misfired and / or broke, didn't shoot to point of aim (vertical or horizontal, had sights) and had to go back. They did repair them. These Charters can break at any time. They aren't meant for "shooters". Shoot / dry fire very sparingly.
yes! The skeeter load or.. mine which is about the same for bullet and velocity but uses a cleaner powder. and yes the round pretty much duplicates a 45 acp load in a 5" or in my Uberti Colt SAA clone "gunfighter" length I use a 250 grain cast (and coated with HT) load
I have a Charter2000 Bulldog. That was one of the names the company went by years ago after a reorganization. The grips met at the back unlike the example shown and the seam would open under recoil and pinch the palm of my hand. I replaced them with some Packmeyers which helped the problem but were themselves so bulky it was no longer concealable. The side latch spring broke and it had to be sent in for repair. It never shot point of aim and the barrel was twisted slightly from torque. There were also a lot of sharp edges. It seemed like a good idea that was poorly executed. Blazer used to make a real good 200 grain jacketed hollowpoint in an aluminum case that would be ideal if you were to carry one.
I was pleasantly surprised for you that the gun was as nice to shoot as it was; physics is hard to beat. I have a Taurus 445. Even with light cowboy loads, it is a bit of a knuckle buster
I have a Bulldog, I hand load with 174gr cowboy action bullets over 8gr of Unique, have put just over 1000 rounds through it. After 400 rounds, I did have a small issue with it , sent it back to Charter Arms, 6 weeks later I got it back, and it performs perfectly.
Recently picked up a Mag Pup 3" w/adjustable rear sight. With Full load 357 in it, its a cannon. Lots of recoil. Minimal accuracy at longer distances for me.. Point blank to 3 yards with those loads for me. +P 38 loads much better for me.. My 44 mag 8" has way less recoil, but shes a hefty girl.
Sorry to hear you are "a Gen Xer" but we can make you an "Honerary Boomer" in light of the way you handled that snubby without sights. Nicely done. Honestly, inside of 5 yards I have always had a tendency to "point and shoot" with good results. At close range it is much faster and nearly as accurate, with practice, coming out of the draw.
Ive got a smaller lighter boomer that looks just like that 44 but its in 38 special... Its an older one from Stratford. Great gun easy to carry anywhere.
You proved sights are not needed under five to seven yards. In my training, the instructor termed point-and-shooting as indexing over the gun. I’ve considered Charter Arms a number of times. I would like the Bulldog in 45 Colt as that caliber is more available, but it appears CA only lists the gun but does not manufacture it.
Thank you for the interesting review. For me I never understood a 5 shot, snub nose 44 Special since basically the 44 Special and 45 ACP are ballistically equal. So equal that relading data has the exact same loads. Why not get a sub compact semi auto? The only reason for this firearm is you want a revolver.
I figured this can only be used as a get off me gun to keep in the pocket. I don't think I would use it as a desk gun, though. I would rather keep a jugg or a 1911, or something with more usable sites and capacity.
Thank you for your review.. Two Charter Arms .44 Special revolvers disappointed me and I sold them back to the gun shop at a big loss. First was a DAO which would release the hammer in the last millimeter of travel - I often wondered whether it was going fo fire or not. The second was a DA/SA Bulldog - beautiful revolver that I wanted to like, especially in .44 Special. Unfortunately, when testing it, the cylinder started to lock up around the 45th shot and at 50 shots the cylinder would no longer turn and the hammer could not be pulled back. After cleaning, all was normal. As a carry gun, this fault would not likely be a problem, but I'd never had a revolver simply lock up like that. It seemed to be a poor choice of materials. That made me question its quality overall and I just wanted to be rid of them. This was in 2008-2009.
I love .44 Special and have several revolvers chambered for it. But as the arthritis in my hands has gotten worse, it does not love me back. I just got a set of Hogue tamer grips that they make for the X frame for my S&W Model 69…. I need to get to the range and see if they help. Nice video!
And most likely, the hollow point won't open up. The short barrel just doesn't allow the bullet to reach the expansion threshold. So poke a bigger hole.
I am impressed with the close accuracy and controllability I used own a 1989 smith and Wesson 629 44 magnum mountain revolver which has a tapered barrel. The worst load I ever fired was the Winchester the recoil was so severe it caused the cylinder stop to unlock and cylinder rotated backwards. That factory load was too much for me and revolver. Th fired cases stuck in the chambers that required several force full taps on the ejector rod. I was wearing a padded shooting glove. It felt like you started, getting whacked in the hand with a bat.
i bought one when they first came out. i put a set of bulldog wood grips on and a smith Wesson J frame Tyler T grip. i have it in a leather holster hid under my computer board i am now typing on. it is always inches away from my hand, i handload XTPHP but i also have my smith Wesson model 12-2 on my side any time and everywhere my pants are on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Thanks hr, I recently got the bulldog version. Havent shot it much yet. Sidenote on the Tisas Raider, sent mine back and got it back in about 8 days. Thanks
@@hrfunk worked fine, never had the issue for the recall. Like you, trigger appears replaced but I didn’t disassemble it to look at the sear or disconnector.🇺🇸
I have and carry a newer style Bulldog DAO. I keep mine loaded up with 180gr. JHP's. I installed some smaller wood grips along with a "T grip" only because I like the "old school" look, lol.
I had a stainless steel charter arms 44 bulldog and I tell you what that was a fantastic little carry gun and I love that thing and it got stolen oh gosh I bought it in 2014 and it got stolen about 4 years ago and I've had a number of firearms stolen from my business.
I have. The flash basically looks like two rabbit ears, bracketing the target. It’s not any worse than the fireball you see when shooting a non ported gun
