Dan-O
Member
Yeah the 296 humpback.
Charter Arms makes a few .44 special varietals.
Charter Arms makes a few .44 special varietals.
Any 3" revolvers in .44 spc weighing in the 20-29oz range?
- Thread starter Oninotaki
- Start date
They also made a DAO "hammerless" model. Can't remember the model name.
Edit: it was the 296 Airlite already mentioned above.
Last edited:
Biblethumpncop
Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2009
- Messages
- 402
Yes, Charter Arms Bulldog 3" stainless steel .44spl with a pocket hammer and Herrett Shooting Ace grips.
OP
OP
Oninotaki
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2022
- Messages
- 398
Thanks for all the feedback everyone. It was really helpful, and if the Taurus, Rossi, or Charter Arms had been readily available I would have picked up one of them.
Sadly all three are currently unavailable in my area and online as far as I can tell, so in my impatience I ordered a S&W 629 Deluxe. I don't have it in my hands yet, but once I do you better believe I will share my thoughts on it.
Sadly all three are currently unavailable in my area and online as far as I can tell, so in my impatience I ordered a S&W 629 Deluxe. I don't have it in my hands yet, but once I do you better believe I will share my thoughts on it.
vanfunk
Member
Congratulations! The 629 Deluxe is one Hell of a revolver. It’ll be much easier to shoot than the Bulldog, that’s for sure!
357smallbore
Member
OP
OP
Oninotaki
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2022
- Messages
- 398
TLDR: if Charter arms is putting any effort into any of their revolvers to be better than just a budget revolver, the .44 spc Bulldog Classic is where that effort is going.
I saw a Charter Arms .44 spc Bulldog Classic out in the wild while looking for the new S&W J frame Ultimate Carry in .32 h&r, and I was really impressed with the quality of the Bulldog. Especially in comparison to my three other CA revolvers (2 professionals in .32 h&r, one stainless, one black nitride, and one pitbull in .380)
Everything about it is just the best I have seen from Charter Arms.
-The bluing and on it is very nice, as is the barrel crowning.
-The color case hardened trigger and hammer look fantastic.
-The double action trigger is nice and smooth, the single action is very crisp and short. The double action pull transitions very smoothly to a staged single action, & manually cocking the hammer is smoothest I have experience from a Charter Arms revolver.
-The feel, fit, and finish of the wood grips are the best I have seen out of stock Charter Arms grips, and the medallion is nicely done.
-Lastly Charter Arms has finally figured out how to make the labeling of the firearm look attractive. The font, coloration and layout of all the wording and numbers on the revolver look fantastic.
As for how it handles while shooting, well color me very impressed yet again.
-The grips performed well when firming basic to light .44 spc loads(I dont have any hot, nor would I fire anything hot in a 20oz revolver).
-It was a pleasent and accurate shooter at self defense distances which was not what I was expecting at all. I was expecting to only want to shoot one or two cylinders, but found myself easily shooting a box of Magtech 240 cowboy loads, and a box of PMC Bronze 180 gr JHP.
-Recoil felt just a tad hotter than 38 special on the Magtechs, and significantly less than .45 acp out of the Governor, or .327 out of my sp 101 with the PMC Bronze loads.
-I do not feel the need to change the grips to some ugly but very functional rubber grips like I thought I would.
Only downside I can see is that you are not going to be able to use a speed loader with the stock grips without modifying them.
All in all if a light revolver that shot slow and heavy bullets was what you wanted from pocket carry, this seems like it would be an excellent choice. Out the door it ran $431which is just about $60 less than MSRP.
Please excuse the poor pictures they were taken in haste on my way out the door, on my work bench which has very yellow lighting.
Lastly a picture comparing the black nitride finish of my Charter Arms Professional to the Bulldog Classic.
I saw a Charter Arms .44 spc Bulldog Classic out in the wild while looking for the new S&W J frame Ultimate Carry in .32 h&r, and I was really impressed with the quality of the Bulldog. Especially in comparison to my three other CA revolvers (2 professionals in .32 h&r, one stainless, one black nitride, and one pitbull in .380)
Everything about it is just the best I have seen from Charter Arms.
-The bluing and on it is very nice, as is the barrel crowning.
-The color case hardened trigger and hammer look fantastic.
-The double action trigger is nice and smooth, the single action is very crisp and short. The double action pull transitions very smoothly to a staged single action, & manually cocking the hammer is smoothest I have experience from a Charter Arms revolver.
-The feel, fit, and finish of the wood grips are the best I have seen out of stock Charter Arms grips, and the medallion is nicely done.
-Lastly Charter Arms has finally figured out how to make the labeling of the firearm look attractive. The font, coloration and layout of all the wording and numbers on the revolver look fantastic.
As for how it handles while shooting, well color me very impressed yet again.
-The grips performed well when firming basic to light .44 spc loads(I dont have any hot, nor would I fire anything hot in a 20oz revolver).
-It was a pleasent and accurate shooter at self defense distances which was not what I was expecting at all. I was expecting to only want to shoot one or two cylinders, but found myself easily shooting a box of Magtech 240 cowboy loads, and a box of PMC Bronze 180 gr JHP.
-Recoil felt just a tad hotter than 38 special on the Magtechs, and significantly less than .45 acp out of the Governor, or .327 out of my sp 101 with the PMC Bronze loads.
-I do not feel the need to change the grips to some ugly but very functional rubber grips like I thought I would.
Only downside I can see is that you are not going to be able to use a speed loader with the stock grips without modifying them.
All in all if a light revolver that shot slow and heavy bullets was what you wanted from pocket carry, this seems like it would be an excellent choice. Out the door it ran $431which is just about $60 less than MSRP.
Please excuse the poor pictures they were taken in haste on my way out the door, on my work bench which has very yellow lighting.
Lastly a picture comparing the black nitride finish of my Charter Arms Professional to the Bulldog Classic.
Last edited:
vanfunk
Member
Nice write-up on the new Bulldog Classic. I am in complete agreement with you and my Bulldog (a few posts up) has been the surprise hit of the year as far as my new purchases go. I have handloads that consist of a 185 grain LSWCHP at 900 fps, a 200 grain wadcutter at 850 fps, and a 240 grain LSWC at 750 fps. I typically carry Hornady Critical Defense in it, however, if I am expecting social trouble. It’s so light I can literally slip it in the pocket of my bathrobe if I am out with the dogs in the middle of the night. For $400-something, it was an absolute bargain. And it’s a frickin’ .44! 
OP
OP
Oninotaki
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2022
- Messages
- 398
I completely agree that it is the surprise hit of the year for me as well. Everything else has performed at and has been of the quality I expected. The Bulldog is the only one that feels like it is trying to be better than it's price point.Nice write-up on the new Bulldog Classic. I am in complete agreement with you and my Bulldog (a few posts up) has been the surprise hit of the year as far as my new purchases go. I have handloads that consist of a 185 grain LSWCHP at 900 fps, a 200 grain wadcutter at 850 fps, and a 240 grain LSWC at 750 fps. I typically carry Hornady Critical Defense in it, however, if I am expecting social trouble. It’s so light I can literally slip it in the pocket of my bathrobe if I am out with the dogs in the middle of the night. For $400-something, it was an absolute bargain. And it’s a frickin’ .44!
Are you talking about the 165 gr .44 special critical defense loads? If so how do they feel from the Bulldog?
vanfunk
Member
Yes, those are the ones. They seem to do pretty well in ballistic gel testing, for what that’s worth. They shoot well, with the lightest recoil of the loads I typically shoot. However, they do shoot 2-3” low at 15 yards. Hardly a consideration at bad breath distance, but it should be known. For woods carry (where I have a modest risk of a coyote or rabid skunk encounter, etc.) I actually prefer the Rim Rock hardcast 200 grain wadcutter over 6.5 grains of Unique. It does 850-860 fps, cuts big holes in things, and penetrates deeply. It shoots to the sights when using a combat hold. I dabbed the tip of the front sight with a little day-glo green paint and that makes it easier to pick up in the shady woods. I sometimes have to go in the city, in an area where carjackings are an almost daily occurrence, and I like having the Bulldog with me loaded with the Critical Defense loads. It stays put snugly between my seat and the center console - out of sight but easy to get to and present. I can’t draw quickly from a pocket or belted holster when I am in my car.
ontarget
Member
So, what ever happened to the 629 you ordered?
OP
OP
Oninotaki
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2022
- Messages
- 398
Oh I have it as well. It is a very nice revolver, probably in the top 3 that I own. Surprisingly pocketable considering the weight and extra thickness. It was exactly what I was expecting to get. I can't shoot .44 mag out of it worth a damn yet, but .44 spc is very smooth.
I am surprised at how much nicer it feels than my pair of gp100s. I really feel like I got my money's worth out of it.
357smallbore
Member
My Rossi 720c weighs empty at 27.5oz
Had the bobbed hammer, but I put one on as I like a hammered revolver.
S&W copied this to a degree and made their 696.
I'll stack this 3in Rossi up against any 3in 44 Special. Accuracy, reliability, durability, conceal- ability. It's a great CCW piece. K Frame with a J frame grip.
