Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Charter arms 44spl

Saw one of these devils today in 44spl and what I think was 5" barrel. I really like the small form of the fre and cylinder. Has adjustable sight it appears and they look small for compared to my N frame smiths, GP100, and Ruger Redhawks.

The size and form factor is cool in theory but the question is should I just forget it and be content with large framed Smiths and Rugers?

They have a certain cool factor, being so small and light, yet packing five rounds of .44 Special punch. I had one throughout the 1980s. I wish I hadn't sold it near the end of that decade. To make up for having sold it, I now have three. I have a beat up example of the original model, and one of the more recent productions that looks more modern in styling. Then I discovered they were making the old style guns again, and had to buy one of those, too. Here's the latter wearing some Pachmayrs like the one I owned and carried back in the 1980s. .

Get yourself a M69 Smith and Wesson.
Best of both worlds.
2.75 inch or a 4.25 inch. Both have adjustable sights.
Use 44 Specials in it or 44 Magnum.

Yeah, I got one as well as an 629, 29, and an Ruger 45 colt. The Charter Arms is just a good deal smaller than any S&W.

Roughly the size of a Colt Police Positive.

The Charter may be a nice carry gun. Don’t know about durability. I have a 3” GP100 44 Special that I carry most of the time. It is neither too big or too heavy for that purpose. I shoot it a lot and know that I’m not going to wear it out in my lifetime.

I have a few strictly business heavy bulky Colt and Smith revolvers...what is on my hip when I stumble my fat ass beyond the trailhead? Yup, Charter Bulldog .44, for 25 years and counting. When it's cold, no holster, just put it in the pocket of the old Filson Cruiser. My theory, as yet untested, let the bear swallow me and then shoot my way out, never miss a shot that way. And, in the unlikely event of a death charge by a tender young grouse, 3 gr of Bullseye and a case full of #8's out of the snubby barrel provide a pattern without holes out to 35 feet.

I've never tried one of the Charter Arms guns but I always thought they looked handy.

Several years back I stumbled across a Smith model 696 which is a .44 special with a 3 inch barrel built on an L frame, It's considerably lighter than the N frame guns and more pleasant to tote around. S&W was even kind enough to port the barrels on these pistols at the factory.

I knew a guy who'd cracked a couple of the grip frames, but the cylinders held up well enough. He liked them enough to own several. He was a hardcase of the old-school, and a Marine on Ie Shima, he won a Bronze Star there.