New CA Bulldog .44 opinions/experiences?

[PapaG]

I believe that was the bulldog pug with the shrouded barrel. The 3 inch tapered barrel guns didn't have this issue. I had a bulldog pug that experienced that issue I decreased between the barrel and the frame took a cotton and swap and put some red loctite and a soft smack with a rubber mallet to set it back against the frane and let it dry and it had that issue again.

That said the current bulldogs the shroud is part of the barrel itself or is the barrel itself and is screwed into the frame so no worries there on the above mentioned issue.

Also I had the issue happen with a scandium J frame 340PD S&W replaced the gun under warranty for me. So again this could happen with even expensive guns.

Yup

 

[megatronrules]

I also forgot to add that the stainless bulldog boomer I'm probably getting tomorrow morning has a nice trigger for a charter arms. If your not familiar with this particular gun I think the best way to describe it is as a modern reinterpretation of the magnaport backpacker from back in 1970's.

Which itself is a really cool revolver in its own right. If I end up with it I'm sure it'll made a dandy pocket or AIWB gun for EDC. I think I'd be just fine with 4 rounds of 44 special JHP or wadcutter rounds and a speed loader.

 

[W.E.G.]

Charter can produce some good guns.

And sometimes not.

Check the timing very carefully.

Also check the cylinder gap for EACH CYLINDER.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Yeah, I’m not a snob by any means. Show me another manufacturer making a 20 oz .44 Special and I’ll buy it, whatever the price, lol. It’s funny, one of my most expensive handguns, the Nighthawk Combat Special, is still back at the factory getting fixed. The Glock 42 .380 I bought on a lark at $379 is absolutely cruising and has turned out to be one of my most accurate pistols, seriously. I am still looking for a Star PD to replace the one I had 20 years ago. Paid $175 for that I think… most reliable and accurate subcompact .45 I ever had!

Alright… you convinced me! I need a baby Glock

 

[Shivahasagun]

Traded two bought new within the last couple years to a relative with disclosure. M44's snubs. Neither have more than about 50 rds.

Gun 1. Every screw loose. Snuggled them up. Light strikes, POI way off at close range. I traded it to him & bought another because I'm that stupid.

Gun 2. Every screw loose. Snuggled them up. Light strikes, POI way off, locked up. Sent back to Charter. They fixed the POI and it wasn't locked up now. But still light strikes, even with Federal primers.

So I installed a Wolff hammer spring. Only fired about 15 rds. No light strikes, but the trigger pull is atrocious now and I'm sure the transfer bar or something will snap because of that powerful spring.

These are junk guns. If it fires 25 shots without a problem and it hits COM at 7 yds you got lucky gun. Fire 15 shots every 2 yrs and you might get your money's worth. Hang on to the box and purchase info for when it has to go back.

My minimum practice schedule for a gun I might carry is 200 rds a year. But my primary carry guns get shot 500-2k of rounds per year.

They (Bulldogs) didn't work out for me.

 

[Buckeye63]

As others have stated.. u can get a bad one
And honestly they used to have great CS .. but thats spotty
I own 5 Charters now
All good
I did buy one three or four of years ago that had issues.. and I had a whale of a time getting it right …
From what I understand Charter has all new machinery now

 

[defjon]

You definitely hear good and bad, it's tough to make a call these days.

I'm fence sitting on a pitbull in 45acp. 5 rounds, 22 oz. Sameish weight as a 357 j frame I carry. I like the idea of subsonic 45 apps. Could carry a 1911 mag for a reload! I bet some of the 185 gr jhp might expand, if not, it won't make less than a .45 caliber hole...and probably tumbling from the 2 inch barrel. I have plenty of 45 acp on hand.

But, most of my smith's didn't even cost 460, although they were purchased in another time lol, another age. . .

Not to derail the thread. Just don't hear much on the acp model. No moon clips I like. I have 45 acp moon clips, a truck load for another gun. Even my Wilson combat moon clips will bend pretty easily.

 

[Buckeye63]

You definitely hear good and bad, it's tough to make a call these days.

I'm fence sitting on a pitbull in 45acp. 5 rounds, 22 oz. Sameish weight as a 357 j frame I carry. I like the idea of subsonic 45 apps. Could carry a 1911 mag for a reload! I bet some of the 185 gr jhp might expand, if not, it won't make less than a .45 caliber hole...and probably tumbling from the 2 inch barrel. I have plenty of 45 acp on hand.

But, most of my smith's didn't even cost 460, although they were purchased in another time lol, another age. . .

Not to derail the thread. Just don't hear much on the acp model. No moon clips I like. I have 45 acp moon clips, a truck load for another gun. Even my Wilson combat moon clips will bend pretty easily.

My 45 ACP works great
I emailed Charter about getting a 45 Colt Cylinder assembly… been two weeks without a response…. Which is odd ..years ago .. a email would be replied same day … or next day

 

[eddiememphis]

I bought a Southpaw that had a laughably bad trigger pull. It felt like it was full of sand. I took it apart and the parts looked like they were cut with a hacksaw.

I spent some time filing, sanding and polishing and it works fine now. It was about $250 brand new so I was not expecting much but still got less than I paid for.

This is the hammer, before and after.

The Bulldog may be different but on mine, the entire lower frame is plastic. Once it is bolted into the aluminum frame and has a grip on it, you'd never know, but on it's own, it is very flexible.

 

[golden]

CHARTER ARMS revolvers all have the same problem, in my experience and I have owned a few and shot others. My family has about 6 of them.

The action is gritty and needs a trigger job. Back in the 1970's, my borther and I and many of our associates bought CHARTER ARMS Undercover's and a few of us bought BULLDOGS. They all worked as advertised, but went straight to a local gunsmith who did wonderful action jobs for a reasonable price. The S&W J-frames had no advantage on these post trigger job guns.

So, either you accept the rough trigger or plan to get it polished.

On the BULLDOG, their is a separate issue and that is recoil. I finally sold my BULLDOG after taking it out recently and shooting it with cowboy loads. It was hard to shoot with a slow recovery time. Recoil is the culprit. If you are younger and stronger, they may not be a problem for you. For me, it was too much of a good thing. By the way, I sent my BULLDOG to MAGNA-PORT and they ported it. It was still to much.

I also installed PACHMAYR rubber grips and would not evan consider the oversized wooden grips. I tried them when I first go the BULLDOG and never again.

Another problem, is with .44 Special ammo. It is hard to find and the selection is limited. Yet I like the .44 Special round. In my model 24, it is a very gentle kicking and accurate round.

Either way, good luck with it.

Jim

 

[vanfunk]

It is a hard-kicking round. I have Pachmayr Compacs on mine and they’re much more comfortable than the stock palletwood grips. I’ve decided on Hornady Critical Defense 165 grain loads for carry most of the time. They do 925 fps from mine and they’re controllable. For woods carry, I use handloaded 200 grain DEWCs loaded to 800 fps with Unique or a 185 grain LSWCHP at 850 fps. I think all three of these loads will do anything the gun needs to do and I can put 50 rounds through the gun without fatigue.

 

[megatronrules]

I love the charter arms bulldog I just got a stainless steel 3 inch barreled one. It was made in Stratford,CT in 1986. It's like brand new tight lockup and a nice double action trigger.

It also has the factory pocket hammer. It's a very soft/smooth shooting gun and more that accurate enough for its intended purpose.
I carry it loaded with either 180 grain federal punch JHP ammo or critical defense 165 grain JHP. Both of these rounds are very controllable and they have exhibited good penetration and explanation from the bulldog's 3 inch barrel in my own testing.

A buddy of mine had some 10% ballistics gel and we also used water jugs as well. Through a piece of content t shirt and 2 layers of denim,both rounds performed flawlessly. Not the most scientific testing even done but encouraging to be sure.

 

[Buckeye63]

I have read a few posts , about how Charter Bulldogs , can’t handle 44 +P loads
Well they’re no such round … they are people and companies that load the 44spl over manufacturing specs…
I don’t really see the need , or the “want” to hotrod a 22oz small frame 44spl revolver…
A .429 200-240gr hard cast LWC or SWC at modest velocity will poke a .429 dia hole
And the Speer Gold dot is specifically made to expand at lower velocity..
UW makes a fine lower pressure load that is a 200gr HCWC … that is a good option..
Personally if Taurus/ Rossi would come out with a 5 shot 44mag on the Tracker frame with a 3 inch non-ported barrel… it would be nice …
But Taurus is so out of touch with the Tracker format… porting everything

 

[Buckeye63]

I also forgot to add that the stainless bulldog boomer I'm probably getting tomorrow morning has a nice trigger for a charter arms. If your not familiar with this particular gun I think the best way to describe it is as a modern reinterpretation of the magnaport backpacker from back in 1970's.

Which itself is a really cool revolver in its own right. If I end up with it I'm sure it'll made a dandy pocket or AIWB gun for EDC. I think I'd be just fine with 4 rounds of 44 special JHP or wadcutter rounds and a speed loader.

Pic of my Black Nitride over stainless Boomer as compared with my 642 ..
The Boomer is my jacket pocket carry revolver.. also NY re-load for my 44spl Bulldog

 

[silicosys4]

I fell out of love with the .44 special Charter Arms after my first go around.
I think the buffalo bore quip about the Bulldog is probably the best summary I've seen.

This ammunition is for use in ALL 44 SPL and 44 MAG. firearms except for the Charter Arms Bull Dog. No, this ammo won't blow up your Bull Dog, but if you shoot more than a few hundred rounds of this ammo in a Bull Dog, the gun will get looser than it already was, will go out of "time" and stop working.

Heavy .44 Special Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

Heavy .44 Special Field Proven pistol and handgun ammo. Maximum firepower bullets. Best ammunition for pistols and handguns for sale. Buffalo Bore. Strictly big bore. Strictly Business.

www.buffalobore.com

Which was exactly my experience with the one I had. 300 rounds of handloads, 240's at 750fps, made the cylinder endplay go from just a hint of tickety tick to clackety clack at full lockup..

 

[Buckeye63]

Read post #38