Charter Arms - worthwhile or not? UPDATED - PLEASE READ! Need advice/answers.

[ericire12]

Uh,..... Marshal'ette needs to make a DRTV rule,..... If you post about getting a new firearm, you have to give us a picture to see it.

Speaking as kind of a gun voyeur, some new gun porn would be great! Especially when just back from the range and dirty!

Congratulations! Let us know how you like the recoil. Stick with "normal" loads,,, They're plenty.

Thats great.

[Michael Bane]

I mean, Charters don't have the fit and finish of an S&W or a Ruger, but they're 'way cheaper and my experience with them has been very good indeed. I've had a couple of .44s and have one now, and I like my current one bunches. It's been overhauled by Magnaport and it's slick, but it was a workhorse before I sent it to be overhauled. I cleaned it once by accident. I've carried it a lot in a Simply Rugged pancake, both in the backcountry under a vest and in citified situations under a jacket.

I'm going to get one of the red and black Charter snubs, maybe .38, maybe .327, because...well, because! A red and black snub offers me major choice in wardrobe selection, always a critical issue. Good taste is timeless...

Michael B

[Wheelgun Dunn]

Thanks for all the input guys!  I actually drew responsive fire from our fearless leader Michael Bane!  Always good to hear from the Major Domo!  Appreciate all the responses and rest assured I will have a range report and pics as soon as they are both complete and available.  Thanks!

Wheelgun

[Michael Bane]

I think of myself more as Fearful Leader...I'm in television, after all!

mb

[Obiwan]

I went through the Charter phase in the late '70s/early 80s.  I got a 4" Target model (TERRIBLE rear sight would not hold zero.  I had to put shims in both sides) and an original 3" as a backup.  The 4" had to go back to the factory due to repeated light strikes.  It turned out to be a burr.  The problem with carrying one of them was always the reload factor.  I really wish Bianchi made .44 speed strips! that would have been the answer.  I used an "ammo wallet" for awhile.  Both guns are now house guns loaded with Glaser Blues with Silvertips in speed loaders.  There are companies (DeSantis I think) that make slide on the belt ammo holders.  That would work also.   Off duty (don't ask) when I go "low profile", I find that a Kahr K40 gives me as much power, is slimmer, is easy to reload with an easily carried extra magazine, and has higher round count in the gun.

I like the Charters.  They're no nonsense close in defensive guns.  On the other hand I really wish Ruger would make a SP101 or a GP100 in .44 Spec.  I'd be one of the first in line.

[Sponsor]

[mudman]

In front of fearful leader?

[Walter45Auto]

I've recently gotten bit by the Bulldog bug. I've handled them at local shops and gun shows. And I'd like to get me one.

[Rob10ring]

I've seen some good comments on Charter Arms and some bad. Probably the one that made me pause on pulling the trigger the most was that someone had pins coming loose. I also saw one about the gun not ejecting. After reading about others' experiences here (particularly the "fearful" leader's) and the review in the last Combat Handguns, I made my move and started my 10-day wait. This is the standard stainless Undercover. Even if it isn't as fit as a S&W, I can buy almost 3 Charter at the price a Smith costs in the O.C.. I'll give them a fair shot and I have some faith in the fact that this is the steel version. You can't get any of the aluminum guns in California yet. I would have liked the Off-Duty, but it hasn't gone through CA certification yet.

I think that Charter should send Mr. Bane his Red and Black Undercover, as a reward for his fair reporting on them. I know that I was definitely a victim of the gun store guys calling everything inexpensive "junk."

I'll report if I have any problems, but I don't expect any.

[brosometal]

10 day wait?  Ouch, yet another reason that I live in FL

[Rob10ring]

Yep! California getting bad. Next year may be the last year that we can get any handguns. The guns will have to microstamp the serial number onto every primer and if a couple more laws pass, they'll also have to be "smart guns" and we would only be able to have 50 rds transferred to us a month. All of the manufacturers are saying that they just won't sell to California. I've heard that they even say they won't sell to our police or service them. I appreciate our police, but I hope that the gun companies make that statement. It's the only way that we'll have these laws overturned. Barrett stopped selling to the police after our 50 cal ban, and when LAPD sent their rifles for service, I heard that they refused to send them back.