charter arms bulldog

[rswartsell]

I purchased a CA .44 spl. Bulldog new in 1978 and agree with 1911Tuner and .32magnum (posts 12 and 14 except I feel the SW N frame 624 or 696 L frame? are certainly more durable). Not a good choice to put a lot of hot rounds through (rip your thumb off and beat up the piece) and one should consider this if contemplating for CC. The S&W equivalent (though certainly larger and heavier) is more comfortable and hardy. I personally would want a gun that I fire frequently and enough to be intimately familiar with as a daily CC piece.

That being said it is a perfectly serviceable SD piece with authority. Given the price it could be quite a good deal depending on intended role.

 

[Elm Creek Smith]

I bought a Bulldog with the wood combat grips in the mid-1970's (Stratford address) from Western Auto! I practiced with 246 grain LRN and carried Winchester 200 grain STHPs for self-defense. It concealed well on my then svelt frame and worked well for me. A guy with a 3 inch S&W Model 36 really wanted the Bulldog, so we worked out a trade. The little S&W was harder to shoot accurately because I hot-rodded the .38s I was carrying (using a load Jeff Cooper suggested). It didn't work any better, it was just prettier. If I hadn't been poor (young married Sergeant/E5)at the time, I'd still have both of them and the Argentinian M1927 I got when I swapped the Smith.

My brother still has the early Charter Undercover he bought at the Rod & Gun Club in Germany back when he worked...well, when he needed to carry discreetly. I had it tuned up and Parkerized for him for his birthday since the finish didn't hold up.

ECS

 

[32 Magnum]

Calaverasslim,
I know for a fact that CA serial number 500,000 was reached on Sept. 30th 1979.
S/n in the 540,000 range most likely would have been made within a few weeks of that date.

"Serial is 5414XX. Wonder when it was made. Bought it from a retired LEO, who never fired it. I got it NIB"

 

[jjohnson]

+1 With Starter52. "Good-enough."

...he said: The 1980's Charter Arms Bulldogs were good-enough guns. I've had one for 20+ years.

Yep. They're NOT pretty but good-enough, indeed. I think Charter Arms is another one of those companies that had good times and bad times in manufacturing. I bought mine in the 80's, used, and while you can't mistake it for a S&W, it's well enough made and sturdy.

Now, as far as "comfortable," well, no. At least not with "full house" .44 loads. The "cowboy" stuff is pretty tame. I put Pachmayr grips on mine after shooting a box of stout 44 loads and getting religeon. The grips are the only thing I'd put on a Bulldog.

Yep, it's handy and reliable, packs much more juice than a six-shot .38 of the same size.

 

[zenmedic]

I guess I just got lucky!:dunno:
I have a 1st gen Stratford Conn. Bulldog Pug in 44 Special that I picked up used.
It goes bang every time I pull the trigger. The double action could use a little work, as it's breaking at 14lbs. Recoil from a 44 snubby is a little rough, but as its been said it isn't a range gun, it's a belly gun!
My 2 cents.

 

[Water-Man]

Had an older Bulldog that did exactly what it was designed to do.

 

[Armed 24/7]

I have shot one, and I really liked it, It's on my list of future guns...

 

[Owen Sparks]

I have several. All 80's models with the 3" barrel. I have no reservations about betting my life on any of them. It is true that they are not built to stand up to many thousands of rounds like a S&W. I have worn a couple of them out over the last 28 years. I tend to keep one gun primarily for practice and one for carry. The reason I like the Bulldog so much is that they are light and easy to carry but still pack a punch. I like the CCI 200 grain Gold Dot for carry and my own lead reloads for practice. Avoid the 246 grain round nose for defence.

 

[Mojo-jo-jo]

Had 2nd Gen Bulldog Pug at one time. It wasn't really bad, but it wasn't really good either. Biggest problems I had was that .44 special was too expensive and that I had to bring a screwdriver to the range to keep tightening up the side plate.

Great? No. Did it go bang every time? Sure did.

My dad has a early-mid 1980's Charter .38 "Undercover," and it's really quite nice.

 

[Gunner4h1r3]

Bought a Bulldog Pug recently and I don't see what all the fuss is about it being a POS. Goes bang every time, wait belay my last, it goes BOOM! every time and it is light and compact enough for carry.

I usually run 240 grain LFP through it and it is a powder puff to shoot when you use the Cowboy Action Loads. I handload a 180 grain SJHP with 13.5 grains of Blue Dot and it will definitely turn heads at the range.

My friend and I went shooting on Tuesday, strictly a wheel gun day for us. He had a S&W M-60 with him. I brought my Bulldog, a SP-101, and a S&W 638 Airweight. Not a whole lot of people at the range, but a decent amount.

Using .38's no one paid much attention. The .357's got a couple of looks and questions. The .44 turned everyone's heads and they came up to see what all the noise was about.

When we walked out the guys who ran the store/range asked us what the hell we were shooting, and more so what was I shooting.

The Charter isn't the prettiest lady at the prom, but she'll turn a head or two.
I find it comforting when I see the Silver-Tips that I use for SD/CCW.

All in all, it is a good piece to work with. Granted not a loudenboomer like a Ruger Redhawk, it will do the job. It won't win a bullseye match but that isn't what this wheel gun is for.

It's designed for those times when you're up close and you need something to put whatever it is down, be it two or four legged. That's the original concept of the Bulldog style of revolvers. Ever see those Webley Irish Constabulary revolvers, or maybe the much coveted "Fitz Special" Colt New Service? It's a carryin' piece, not some silhouette gun.

Just swap out those pancake grips for a pair of Pachmayr Compacs or some Charter wooden combat grips, you'll be fine.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

If you are thinking about getting the .44 magnum, remember 357 magnum is statistically a better threat-stopper(as long as you are talking about defense against humans.) and with less recoil.
(this might be different from a 2 inch barrel though.)

 

[nicksterdemus]

I like the .44spl coz even if my shot placement is off maybe that slow, heavy chunk of lead will snag some clothes cause an infection & kill 'em slowly a few weeks down the road...

 

[Loosedhorse]

Consider that this is after all the revolver "recommended" by Son of Sam. For those who don't believe in karma or superstition, there should be no problem...

 

[Z71]

Hmmm....Just bought a Bulldog today!

An older one. Has the Bridgeport address. Serial 241XXX

This one is definately well used, but still is reasonably tight and functions fine. I managed to find time to put 3 cylinders full of some milder 240gr reloads through the gun this evening. Not a bench-rest event, however accuracy was quite decent I thought.

Oh! And no. My dog didn't advise to buy the gun. Just saw the old gun price tagged fairly cheap, whimpered about the price, and the store owner knocked of another $30! I had to buy it then! Maybe the dog talked to the store owner?

 

[Dan-O]

I have two .44 spcl's and a .38 Off Duty. They have all been flawless. I had some custom work done on my stainless .44 Spcl.

 

[Chester32141]

I have a 6 shot .38spcl Bulldog Snub ... I want to find a holster for it ... They generally don't list Charter Arms under gun lists on holster sites. Can anyone tell me what size S&W or Colt would take the same size holster ?

Thank you ...

I bought my Bulldog in '87 and it is very well made ...

Chester

 

[popeels]

I have a Q for 32 Magnum.

Out of all the early first generation models which group exhibits the best workmanship and reliability?
Unmarked Bridgeport, Charter over Bridgeport, or Stratford?

FIRST GENERATION
0001 - <4000 Bridgeport 1964 - ? CHARTER ARMS CORP. right side of barrel marking only
~4000 - <300,000 ? - ~1970 CHARTER ARMS CORP. over BRIDGEPORT CONN .marking
~300,000 - <1,080,000 - ~1970 to 1991 - CHARTER ARMS CORP. over STRATFORD CONN. markin

 

[32 Magnum]

Charter Arms

Popeels,
This is the updated serial number info that I have - based upon around 600 data points
The earliest 1st Gen - ~0 to ~3000 NO ADDRESS company founded in 1964, first production pieces of the Undercover model produced in 1966
Bridgeport address - ~3000 to ~31,500 1967 - 1969
Stratford address - ~31,600 to ~1,090,000 1970 - ~1991
All marked as Charter Arms Corporation

2nd Generation - CHARCO, Ansonia Conn adress - 1,100,000 to ??? ~1991 - 1999

3rd Generation - CHARTER 2000 - Shelton Conn - 0 to where ever they are today.

From the 26 pieces in my collection (all 1st Gen) and from dozens more that I've had the opportunity to observed and fondle, I'd say that around s/n 600,000 the finish was made a lot finer - although the integrals (lock work, action) was at least as good as the earlier ones. I have or have read magazine articles that cover pretty much of the production life of the 1st Generation, and during that period (around late 1980, early 1981) it seems that CA attempted to capture more of the market by doing so, also in April of 1981, they introduced Stainless Steel revolvers into the mix, for the first time. Some of the articles lamented that the earlier pieces, although rough finish, were rather inexpensive and when CA began their "modernization" process, the finishes got better but the prices increased to about 85 to 90% of the S&W line for comparable models.
During the 2nd Generation, the CHARCO (Charter Arms COMPANY), under new management and reorganized, the quality was definitely more spotty and haphazard. I've seen CHARCO produced guns with Stratford marked barrels, obviously using up old stock.
The earliest CHARTER 2000 pieces I had the opportunity to handle (some fairly early 4 digits s/ns - were uniformly, poorly fitted and finished and had some horrendous and gritty actions. That seems to have been rectified under MKS's new leadership and the most recent pieces I've handled - s/n's in the high 100,000 range have been "decent" but not as fine in finish and action as the mid years of the 1st Generation. This is simply my studied opinion based upon experience.

 

[gwalchmai]

Resurrecting this thread because I found a 1Gen Bulldog.

Is there a nickel's worth of difference ballistically between the .44SPL and the .45ACP?

Thanks!

 

[crashdummy]

for 32 Magnum,
My undercover has the Bridgeport address with sn 57,3XX

 

[tenmikemike]

I'm on my second old CA Bulldog. The first was bought new in the mid '80's (blue w/ lightweight aluminum frame, 3" bbl), lost that in a bad marriage somewhere around early '90's.

Went into my favorite gun pusher about 6 months ago, there sat a consignment stainless Bulldog pocket hammer, 3" bbl (late Stratford serial number). I immediately plunked down my savings and left with it, no regrets.

 

[gwalchmai]

I have a 2.5" Stratford Bulldog. It's great, but Saturday at the range it locked up. The trigger won't reset and the hammer locks about halfway through its cycle in DA or SA. I took it down and can't see anything obvious. Any ideas about what's wrong? I'm going to give Charter a call later today.

 

[tenmikemike]

I've had two of the OLD style Charter Arms Bulldogs. Those were great guns, great value for the money.

 

[joed]

I had the misfortune to buy a new Bulldog about 3 years ago. I don't think the gun was worth more then $10. After the first trip to the range I took it back to where I bought it and put it up for sale on consignment. When I bought it the store owner told me there would be no returns on it as they are made that badly.

I'm told the older ones are OK. Don't waste your money on a new one.

 

[Jross]

I have a new model Bulldog. For me fits my hands well, I like the grips, carries very well, and shoots every time - but the rounds are then sticky in the chamber and have to be forced out. So after the 5 rounds a fast reload is out of the question.The rounds fall in and out before firing, but after firing are sticking. Each hole is the same. A
m I doing something wrong, or is there any way to fix this?
It does shoot nicely and shoots to point very well so I'd like to use it for CC but not if I can't reload under pressure. Like someone mentioned it is the kind of gun where you would not shed a tear if it got dinged or wear marks, but it carries good on the hip and if it is reliable would be a good CCW.