Charter Arms Research

[Flash]

I'm having trouble posting pictures, can anyone help? Joe

Here is the sticky, "Guide to Posting Pictures" under the "Support" section:

http://forum.pafoa.org/support-sugge...-pictures.html

Flash

[muffler man]

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/c...a/100_0094.jpghttp://i524.photobucket.com/albums/c...a/100_0089.jpg Sorry it took so long to post these pictures. This old man just struggles with technology. The date this gun was bought was 1978.

[muffler man]

I'll keep trying

[Pizza Bob]

Wow! There can't be too many of those floating around out there. Does your friend with the adjustable sight version still have his also? I think you posted, but I've forgotten, what caliber is this? .38 Spl or .357 Mag.?

Now I wish more than ever the OP would chime in and fill us in on what his research has revealed.

BTW, you were right the first time - it is a 6" barrel. By your tape, it is 5.5" to the face of the frame - there is an additional half inch of threads & forcing cone to bring you to the face of the cylinder.

Very interesting. Thanks for perservering.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[muffler man]

Like I said, this pistol was bought in 1978. When my friend bought his, it was around 1981 or 82, and his was the 6" bull barrel with the adjustable sights and was renamed the Target Bulldog. Joe

[gunbuyer76]

I also saw a Charter Arms 44 special that was so small it looked like it held only 3 rounds (just kidding) but I was thinking damn I wouldn't want to fire that thing.
It was a lot smaller then there well though of 44 Bull dog. I like Charter Armss in 38spl.

I Have the latest incarnation .44 CA Bulldog Pug, it weighs about 6 oz less than my 640 but doesn't kick near as bad

[Jeff Holt]

Spam I am....

[32 Magnum]

Sorry for the delay in responding - I had my left leg busted up pretty badly earlier this year and haven't been able to sit at the computer for very long - up untill just recently - I'm determined to answer or at least add some data to all the previous postings, but it may take a couple days to do so. Thanks, Jim

The box is a generic Charter Arms box with a sticker on one flap with "Charter 2 38 SPL" and the serial number printed on it.
Box should be Black - flat on half and shiney on the other.
It's a nice old gun, looks like it's well made. I never heard of a 5 shoot revolver. Trigger guard and handle frame look like there aluminum. Hammer looks like hardened steel. Wooden grips.
This model was the ORIGINAL issue from Charter Arms Corp. and was a 5 shooter from the start (the 6 shot PATHFINDER in .22 lr and .22 WMRF {originally called the POCKET TARGET} was derived from this model). The trigger guard and grip frame assembly (one piece) are made of anodized aircraft grade aluminum. MOST 1st Gen. CA revolvers were made this way - however, I have a couple pieces in stainless steel that also have stainless trigger guards and grip frames. Triggers and hammers on the blued versions are case color hardened.
The barrel is about 1 1/4 inches long so I'm guessing it's the 2 inch barrel model I have been reading about on the web. The 4 scans are the entire manual.
The barrels, measured from the front face of the cylinder, were offered in 1 7/8" or 3".
So is it a Undercover or a Undercoverette ? And when was it made ?
It is the UNDERCOVER in .38 SPECIAL. The UNDERCOVERETTE was chambered for 6 rounds of .32 S&W LONG and is basically the same frame. The name change seems, to me, to be merely an advertising ploy to interest female LEOs or female shooters, who, at that time, were felt not to be able to handle the .38 SPL rounds. From my research, which now includes close to a thousand data points, your piece was made sometime in 1981, probably late summer - I have data on s/n 625962 indicating production in April of '81

Jim Hauff

[32 Magnum]

I have two Charter Arms revolvers, both in .44 Spl., both with the Stratford, CT barrel impression. The one is a Bulldog Pug, which was purchased new ca Sept 1987 and is serial Number 1018XXX.

The BULLDOG PUG will have a 2.5" barrel - with an aluminum shroud over the barrel with underlug and fixed front ramp sight. From my data - I'm pretty certain that the year of manufacture, due to serial number, is late 1983 into early '84. I have a magazine article which indicates that in Feb. of 83, the serial number range was approaching 1 million. Also have data on s/n 1067176 with factory dated papers dated 1/1/89. This is all based upon my assumption that the different models were produced in "batches" of up to a couple thousand, this includes all the different frame sizes ( small, medium and large) and assuming that s/n were stamped on the guns upon completion and not held for some period of time, already numbered, and completed at some later date. I just don't know at this time, need more data.
The second one was purchased new in January of 1990 and is a Target Bulldog. Even though this was purchased more than two years after the Pug, the serial number (735XXX) precedes it by quite a bit (assuming sequential serial numbers). I believe this resulted from the fact that this sat on the dealer's shelves for a long time. I purchased it during a clearance event for NOS guns. Not something I normally would have purchased, but couldn't pass it up for the price.
I have two Target Bulldogs - a .44 s/n 434040 and a .357 s/n 529787 - I know that s/n 500,000 was reached in Oct. 1979, so I agree with your assumption on sitting on the shelf. The highest TARGET BULLDOG that I have date on is s/n 768837. I know that s/n 683874 (an Undercover) was made in 1981 - so see above - can we extrapolate your piece to '82??? again, need more data.


I have the original walnut grips, box and all papers for the Target Bulldog. Grips on the Pug are original. I may have the box and papers for the Pug also, but it would take some digging.
Is the Target box Tan and Yellow? If you could find the Pug box, I would like to know the color scheme, but it's not imperative.

Let me know if I can be of further help.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Thanks for the info, hope my response helps.

p.s. I'm at a point where more complete serial numbers are very helpful - especially in determining run/batch quantities. If you would be so kind as to supply full serials or s/n with only the last digit blanked out, I would very much appreciate the data. You can e-mail me at: www.bobell01@aol.com - please note that this is "ZERO ONE" not "OH ONE". Thanks.

[32 Magnum]

I have a Bulldog, 6" barrel, blued, .357 Magnum, fixed sights #996xx, five shot. My father bought it for me about thirty some years ago.

This is a fairly uncommon model - it had fixed sights on a 6" tapered barrel. I have s/n 485307 and data on a couple others within a fairly narrow s/n range. Are you sure of the s/n? A piece in that 90,000 range should have a BRIDGEPORT CONN. barrel address and kind of upsets my data. If correct, it would indicate DOM pre 1974, during a time when I thought nothing but .38s and .22s were being produced??? Perhaps the right grip panel is obscurring the first digit of the s/n???? Please confirm, thanks.
Jim