Opinions on Charter Arms 44 special?

NOTPARS

I'll admit maybe the price is part of my interest. I like to hike in the woods and state parks. Sometimes you run across some "interesting" people out there. As I sometimes have my 9 and 11 year old daughters with me, I pack a little protection. Usually its in the form of a Manurhin .380 auto. I was thinking about something with a little more punch and in stainless to fend off the effects of Missouri humidity (yes, I clean my guns often and thoroughly). My gun broker told me he can get me a brand new Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special, 2 inch barrel for $286 including taxes.

Anyone have any opinions on this revolver? From the charts, it appears that the .357 is superior in velocity and energy but I don't know how that factors when you consider the larger bulet and surface area of the .44 special. And, is this a good price?



"Hitler was a socialist..."

v35

I've got a Target Bulldog in 44Special that is as accurate as my other 44 Specials and Magnums on single action. Double action is a little rough but with practice can be acceptable. Because of the light weight recoil can be a brute with bullets over 200 grains. I have shot the Elmer Keith load of 18.5 grains of 2400 and a 235grain gas check hollow point that produces magnum velocity and super expansion. Judging on his experiences, I would trust that load against any threat. I have tried several grips and settled on the factory rubber grips that I modified by grinding the back of the grips flat to remove the sharp edge which bites into the palm.
I dont believe you can buy any more power in a lighter, smaller package.

NOTPARS

For v35,

Hey thanks, that was a big help. Its great to get opinions from people who actually use the products. It sounds like this might work for me. Again, its just something for personal defense at close distances. I have a Ruger SP 101 and its a bear to hold onto with the factory grips shooting 158 grain .357 rounds. But the Bulldog, at $286 seems too good to pass up. Again, thanks for the answer.

nmyers

I had this discussion with a friend who wanted to buy a .38 snubby. I recommended a S&W or Colt, but he insisted on the Charter because it was cheaper and looked almost the same. Ever since, I've had to listen to him constantly complain about how heavy the trigger pull on his Charter is.

Yes, the .44 is a nice cartridge, but it makes for a bulky revolver; you can buy a .38 load for just about any threat.

Buy the best that you can afford; you'll never regret it.

Neal

NOTPARS

NMyers,
Good point. The trigger on my Ruger SP 101 is not the best. It comes all the way back until it almost touches the trigger guard, and then you still have to give it a little oomph to make it go. This results in shots that shoot to the left and low (if you are right handed). I tried firing it single action and they went right down the middle. If I could fix the trigger this would be a great gun. But like you said, at first we over-look these little problems and then they bug us later.

king999

Charter Bulldog is hands down, the best small package you could want. Think about it, you have the ballistic equivalent of the 45ACP in a pistol that weighs just a bit over a pound. This makes for great comfort for carry purpose. Unfortunately it also makes for great recoil! It can be controlled, but it does take a bit of practice and determination. My experience has led me to prefer bullets in the 180 to 210 gr area, and I like cast or swaged lead SWC's. Have fun with it. Be careful!!
Morty

boeboe

I had the Charter .44 Bulldog several years ago and it was quite acceptable. Nothing at all wrong with it that hasn't been mentioned (heavy trigger pull) BUT for the kind of money you are talking about, you might want to consider the Taurus Compact or Ultralite in .45 Long Colt. CDNN Investments has them on sale for $269.00. They have the 2.5" shrouded barrel, 5 shot, ported, and are probably a step up from the Charter Arms. The Compact is stainless, the Ultralite is stainless on an alloy frame. While the $269.00 price is dealer's cost, if you were to pay your dealer up front you could probably get it for not much more money than he's quoting you on the Charter Arms, probably a bit over $300.00 after all's said and done. Or they have the same 2.5" barreled stainless in .41 mag for $249.00. You might ask him to check into those, CDNN's number is 1-800-588-9500.

The .41 Mag would probably be right at $300.00 if you paid up front from your dealer, or if not, you should probably look for a dealer who would do it for you at that price.

I have a Taurus stainless 7 shot revolver, .357 with the 2.5" shrouded barrel. I was once a S&W fanatic, but with the political climate putting pressure on Smith I started looking for alternatives. The Taurus is very much like the Smith, one heck of a fine firearm as far as I'm concerned. If you like S&W you'll be very much satisfied with a Taurus. And I think the quality is much better than a Charter Arms.

The .45 Colt (or "Long Colt") or the .41 mag is really all the stopping power you'd ever really need in a handgun.



Edited by - boeboe on 04/27/2002 00:15:18

azgunnut2@yahoo.com

Hey , go for the charter 44 , I have one that Ive had for years , even carried it "off duty" while working fora "revolver" department,
its a great package....and really good premium ammo is available in this cal...its still one of my favorite revolvers I own..............
by the way , we can "slick" one up real nice if needed ............
azgunnut2@yahoo.com
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