Help me find my Charter .38

kymasabe · August 9, 2020, 08:55 PM

I had Charter Arms build me a custom gun a few years ago, thought I'd have it forever. Well, fell on hard times and sold it to a "friend" who promised to sell it back when I got back on my feet. He gave it to his daughter and had told me he'd sell it back to me when she was done with it. I've been trying to buy it back for years and I check on it once or twice a year and was just told it's gone, it's been sold, he has no idea where it is so...I'm hoping the community can help me find my old gun, is unique and has custom serial #.
Charter Arms, .38 spec, 4" barrel, stainless finish with black trigger, black adjustable rear sight, had black wood grips , ser # MSS1967.

shoebox1.1 · August 10, 2020, 07:00 PM

I hope you get it back

shurshot · August 11, 2020, 08:50 PM

Good luck. Could be in a shoebox in someone's closet, at the bottom of a river, in a gun safe, under the seat of a pickup truck, or in a Police evidence locker. Once they hit the market, odds are, they are gone for good. Might be easier to just write it off as a loss and search for a similar replacement. Been there, done that, quite a few I regret selling over the years.

Bill DeShivs · August 12, 2020, 01:18 PM

Why not just have Charter build you a new one?

lee n. field · August 12, 2020, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

Why not just have Charter build you a new one?

How big a deal is it to do that? I assume it costs something.

Bill DeShivs · August 12, 2020, 08:18 PM

Don't know, but he did it once. Why not twice?

Grizzly2 · August 13, 2020, 01:31 AM

I think it was on this forum that I once said I'd like to have a 2" Bulldog .44 special with a front sight and without the ports cut in the barrel. Some extra polishing and bright bluing would also be nice. Someone said to ask them and that they just might build it. So, I guess it does happen. I suppose it just depends on how feasible the request is.

kymasabe · August 13, 2020, 05:15 AM

Regarding doing it again:
Doing it the first time was a favor. I"d bought a Charter from an estate sale, was new in box, had the original tag hanging off the trigger guard and came with a letter of provenance. I called Charter to get some information about the gun, and minutes later found myself on the phone with the (owner?/pres?) of Charter who said the gun I'd just bought was part of his father's old collection, had been given away by his father and he offered to buy it back. I suggested a trade would work for me, build me a 4"inch barreled. 38 with a custom serial # and I was good. I immediately shipped the collectible to Charter and a few weeks later my custom gun arrived at my FFL.
Unusual circumstance...they're not likely to build me another one, and my custom serial #is gone.

Buckeye! · August 13, 2020, 06:48 AM

Charter still does customs .. they are soooo covered up now just attempting to keep up with demands .... Im planning on having a custom build done when or if this buying frenzy is over... Im wanting a aluminum Bulldog frame ( boxer ) 7 shot 32 H&R with a 2 inch barrel
..

biblethumpncop · August 13, 2020, 09:11 AM

Correct, they will custom build one for you. I was notified yesterday that my special order guns were just shipped this week. It has been about a 5-6 month process, probably due to the panicdemic.

My guns are a 6 shot .38spl +P on a steel Bulldog frame (not the XL) with a 3" barrel and adjustable sights. I asked for them to put a stainless steel grip frame on them if they had them in stock. I don't know if they did. I will find out soon!

lee n. field · August 13, 2020, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biblethumpncop

Correct, they will custom build one for you. I was notified yesterday that my special order guns were just shipped this week. It has been about a 5-6 month process, probably due to the panicdemic.

My guns are a 6 shot .38spl +P on a steel Bulldog frame (not the XL) with a 3" barrel and adjustable sights. I asked for them to put a stainless steel grip frame on them if they had them in stock. I don't know if they did. I will find out soon!

Somewhere in the pile here I have a steel Charter grip frame. Probably fairly old.

biblethumpncop · August 13, 2020, 10:28 PM

Mine came with aluminum grip frames. Oh well.

Grizzly2 · August 14, 2020, 03:26 PM

What would you guess the weight difference amounts to between the steel and alum grip frames? An ounce or two? I always thought an extra ounce or two might help the old 3" Bulldog.

Please let us know how those adj sights work out. I was thinking of giving up on snub nose revolvers ever shooting to point of aim until this old SS Undercover arrived. Now I have to decide if I want to sent it in for repairs. I had to send the old Bulldog in for a new barrel to get it to shoot to poa.

jetinteriorguy · August 14, 2020, 03:42 PM

If you have any buddies in the sheriffs dept. and you know the SN. maybe they can track it down for you if it’s ever been sold by an FFL somewhere along the line.

kenny53 · August 14, 2020, 05:45 PM

I hope you can find the gun.

Bill DeShivs · August 14, 2020, 06:44 PM

"If you have any buddies in the sheriffs dept. and you know the SN. maybe they can track it down for you if it’s ever been sold by an FFL somewhere along the line."

Law enforcement does not catalog and coordinate gun sale serial numbers.

Cheapshooter · August 14, 2020, 09:32 PM

VVV

jetinteriorguy · August 15, 2020, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

"If you have any buddies in the sheriffs dept. and you know the SN. maybe they can track it down for you if it’s ever been sold by an FFL somewhere along the line."

Law enforcement does not catalog and coordinate gun sale serial numbers.

That’s why I used the word ‘maybe’.

1911_Hardball · August 15, 2020, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

"If you have any buddies in the sheriffs dept. and you know the SN. maybe they can track it down for you if it’s ever been sold by an FFL somewhere along the line."

Law enforcement does not catalog and coordinate gun sale serial numbers.

Correct. By Federal law, ATF is the only entity allowed to trace firearms, and they may only do traces by request from other law enforcement agencies and only if it's in involved in a criminal investigation.

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/...tracing-center

kymasabe · August 15, 2020, 09:19 AM

For the record, I'm not asking anyone to try and track it down thru law enforcement channels. I posted in the highly unlikely chance that someone might say "my buddy just bought one like that" or "I just saw a gun like that on gunbroker/gunsamerica/armslist, etc...".

August 9, 2020, 08:55 PM	#1
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	Help me find my Charter .38 I had Charter Arms build me a custom gun a few years ago, thought I'd have it forever. Well, fell on hard times and sold it to a "friend" who promised to sell it back when I got back on my feet. He gave it to his daughter and had told me he'd sell it back to me when she was done with it. I've been trying to buy it back for years and I check on it once or twice a year and was just told it's gone, it's been sold, he has no idea where it is so...I'm hoping the community can help me find my old gun, is unique and has custom serial #. Charter Arms, .38 spec, 4" barrel, stainless finish with black trigger, black adjustable rear sight, had black wood grips , ser # MSS1967. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all. Last edited by kymasabe; August 10, 2020 at 04:57 AM.

August 12, 2020, 01:18 PM	#4
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	Why not just have Charter build you a new one? __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 12, 2020, 08:18 PM	#6
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	Don't know, but he did it once. Why not twice? __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 13, 2020, 05:15 AM	#8
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	Regarding doing it again: Doing it the first time was a favor. I"d bought a Charter from an estate sale, was new in box, had the original tag hanging off the trigger guard and came with a letter of provenance. I called Charter to get some information about the gun, and minutes later found myself on the phone with the (owner?/pres?) of Charter who said the gun I'd just bought was part of his father's old collection, had been given away by his father and he offered to buy it back. I suggested a trade would work for me, build me a 4"inch barreled. 38 with a custom serial # and I was good. I immediately shipped the collectible to Charter and a few weeks later my custom gun arrived at my FFL. Unusual circumstance...they're not likely to build me another one, and my custom serial #is gone. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.

August 14, 2020, 06:44 PM	#16
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	"If you have any buddies in the sheriffs dept. and you know the SN. maybe they can track it down for you if it’s ever been sold by an FFL somewhere along the line." Law enforcement does not catalog and coordinate gun sale serial numbers. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 10, 2020, 07:00 PM	#2
shoebox1.1 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2006 Location: mckinney tx Posts: 122	I hope you get it back

August 11, 2020, 08:50 PM	#3
shurshot Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2006 Posts: 1,819	Good luck. Could be in a shoebox in someone's closet, at the bottom of a river, in a gun safe, under the seat of a pickup truck, or in a Police evidence locker. Once they hit the market, odds are, they are gone for good. Might be easier to just write it off as a loss and search for a similar replacement. Been there, done that, quite a few I regret selling over the years.

August 13, 2020, 01:31 AM	#7
Grizzly2 Member Join Date: September 5, 2017 Posts: 88	I think it was on this forum that I once said I'd like to have a 2" Bulldog .44 special with a front sight and without the ports cut in the barrel. Some extra polishing and bright bluing would also be nice. Someone said to ask them and that they just might build it. So, I guess it does happen. I suppose it just depends on how feasible the request is.

August 13, 2020, 06:48 AM	#9
Buckeye! Senior Member Join Date: September 1, 2008 Posts: 849	Charter still does customs .. they are soooo covered up now just attempting to keep up with demands .... Im planning on having a custom build done when or if this buying frenzy is over... Im wanting a aluminum Bulldog frame ( boxer ) 7 shot 32 H&R with a 2 inch barrel ..

August 13, 2020, 09:11 AM	#10
biblethumpncop Junior Member Join Date: March 27, 2020 Posts: 13	Correct, they will custom build one for you. I was notified yesterday that my special order guns were just shipped this week. It has been about a 5-6 month process, probably due to the panicdemic. My guns are a 6 shot .38spl +P on a steel Bulldog frame (not the XL) with a 3" barrel and adjustable sights. I asked for them to put a stainless steel grip frame on them if they had them in stock. I don't know if they did. I will find out soon!

August 13, 2020, 10:28 PM	#12
biblethumpncop Junior Member Join Date: March 27, 2020 Posts: 13	Mine came with aluminum grip frames. Oh well.

August 14, 2020, 03:26 PM	#13
Grizzly2 Member Join Date: September 5, 2017 Posts: 88	What would you guess the weight difference amounts to between the steel and alum grip frames? An ounce or two? I always thought an extra ounce or two might help the old 3" Bulldog. Please let us know how those adj sights work out. I was thinking of giving up on snub nose revolvers ever shooting to point of aim until this old SS Undercover arrived. Now I have to decide if I want to sent it in for repairs. I had to send the old Bulldog in for a new barrel to get it to shoot to poa.

August 14, 2020, 03:42 PM	#14
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,173	If you have any buddies in the sheriffs dept. and you know the SN. maybe they can track it down for you if it’s ever been sold by an FFL somewhere along the line.

August 14, 2020, 05:45 PM	#15
kenny53 Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2015 Location: My back yard Posts: 971	I hope you can find the gun.

August 14, 2020, 09:32 PM	#17
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	VVV __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

August 15, 2020, 09:19 AM	#20
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	For the record, I'm not asking anyone to try and track it down thru law enforcement channels. I posted in the highly unlikely chance that someone might say "my buddy just bought one like that" or "I just saw a gun like that on gunbroker/gunsamerica/armslist, etc...". __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.