reliability of CA 44 bulldog

[curly45]

Have read or heard that some of the Charter Arms are better made than other ones due to dates made ect. Would like to get information on this before buying one. Any valid information welcome. Thanks

[ligonierbill]

I'll let someone who has the knowledge fill you in on the history, but I can tell you my recently (last 2-3 years) made Bulldog has been problem free. Be aware that heavy "Skeeter" loads may be too much for the little dog. I have loads for my Blackhawk that I would not run in the Bulldog. That said, it is as advertised - a heavy hitter in a small package.

[SIGSHR]

Yes, when Skeeter and George C. Nonte reviewed the Bulldog back in 1974 they found Skeeter's favorite load of a 240 grain SWC over 7.5 grains of Unique to be too much for it. I haven't fired mine that much, always worked for me. Reliability problems in revolvers usually involve springs.

[bamaranger]

I had one back in the day, not long after they first came out. Loved it......but, I loaded 250 gr LSWC and 6.5 gr Unique and shot it out of time, much the pity. Never did replace it.

[Drm50]

Second rate firearms.

[joed]

I had one back in 2005 made by Charco I believe. Worst gun I ever owned. The cylinder would bind, the bullet jackets would shave and it would not shoot to POA at 10 ft. After the first range trip I sold it, you couldn't give me a Charter Arms gun.

[44caliberkid]

Bought my Bulldog in 1976. It shot low, but I like fixed sight guns with an extra tall front sight so I can file it to POA with whatever load I'm using. I ended up splitting down the side of the cylinder with a handload of 7.5 grain Unique under a 180 grain JHP. Sent it to Charter and they installed a new cylinder plus gave me a new rubber grip along with my original wood stocks. Tried a lighter main spring once to lessen DA pull, but was getting light primer strikes. Put the stock spring back in. I've always wanted to bob the hammer spur. I have carried this gun more than any weapon except a duty sidearm. Twice in my life I have sold all my guns, for houses, kids, etc. except for my Browning Auto 5 Light Twelve and the Charter Bulldog.

[curly45]

thanks for all the replys appears it may be hard to find a lot of sites list as out of stock but am in no hurry.

[Cheapshooter]

thanks for all the replys appears it may be hard to find a lot of sites list as out of stock but am in no hurry.

Probably not the only gun "out of stock"!
My newly manufactured Bulldog (5 years or so) has been quite reliable, and surprisingly accurate. Especially being the bobbed hammer DAO version. Round count is probably in the 500 range. Not a real torture test, but in reality, how much will a light weight, pocket 44 Special be shot? It shoots well with no sign of any problems. But I don't try to make a magnum out of it by shooting hot loads.
It is well.made considering it doesn't carry the price of gun snob accepted brands.

[Trooper Joe]

I posted this on another forum several years ago.


My new Charter Arms Classic, .44 Special.

First time at the range. Shot this group at 15 yards with PMC 180 grn, JHP (it will be my ammo of choice.)




Interesting enough, I first shot some 240 grn, lead FN, Magtech cowboy action ammo. It recoiled harder, shot about 4" high at 15 yards, and could only get about a 3" group.

I have since found a great S&W 624, .44Special, "L" frame gun. It is a lot heavier but a real classic.

The CA Bulldog is really made well and very accurate.

Trooper Joe

[silvermane_1]

Originally Posted by 44caliberkid

Bought my Bulldog in 1976. It shot low, but I like fixed sight guns with an extra tall front sight so I can file it to POA with whatever load I'm using. I ended up splitting down the side of the cylinder with a handload of 7.5 grain Unique under a 180 grain JHP. Sent it to Charter and they installed a new cylinder plus gave me a new rubber grip along with my original wood stocks. Tried a lighter main spring once to lessen DA pull, but was getting light primer strikes. Put the stock spring back in. I've always wanted to bob the hammer spur. I have carried this gun more than any weapon except a duty sidearm. Twice in my life I have sold all my guns, for houses, kids, etc. except for my Browning Auto 5 Light Twelve and the Charter Bulldog.

Yep, the "Davy" era 44 Bulldogs were some of the best made ones I've heard.

[Buckeye!]

I own several Charters .. usually you can get them at good prices but now .. they sell fast and higher than normal during this frenzy ...
I have a Pitbull 40 S&W , Pitbull in 45acp , Boomer 44spl , Bulldog 44spl , Police Bulldog 6 shot 38spl , Target Bulldog in 357mag , Professional 6 shot 357 mag , Undercover lite 38spl

I have had at least one Charter in my safe over the past 36 years ..
My next handgun will be a Charter also ...
Local shops can’t keep them in stock ...

They now starting to build the 32 H&R Undercoverette as a 6 shot
They are starting to make a Aluminum Bulldog frame called The Boxer
A 3 & 4 inch barreled 41 Mag in the future

[Safestuffer]

Had a bulldog pug, when I bought it the lockup was solid, no serious play.
I loaded up some 240gr. cast lead at about 775fps, not a seriously heavy load, upper midrange of the loading data I was using.
Within 200 rounds of that load, the frame had stretched enough that the cylinder could be moved back and forth enough to make a "clackity clack" sound

I'd stick to 200gr. or less at moderate velocities.

[natman]

The CA Bulldog is a very light gun for a 44. Do NOT shoot hot loads in it, it will shoot loose. Standard 44 Special loads will provide a quite adequate level of recoil as it is. If you get one that hasn't been abused, it should be quite reliable as a carry gun.

[JERRYS.]

reliability and durability are not the same thing.

are the C.A. Bulldogs reliable? yep. are they durable? not for regular range training.

[tallball]

My perhaps incorrect understanding:

1) The company made good revolvers, but was sold to other owners.

2) There were a couple of other owners, and they made not-as-good revolvers.

3) The company returned to the original owning family, and they are making good revolvers again.

I own four CA revolvers. I've had the Bulldog over five years and have had no problems with it.

[Buckeye!]

Tallball is right ... ..

There is absolutely nothing wrong with standard pressure 44 Special ammo ...

If you want more juice.. would have to get a bigger revolver... but then ... you don’t have a handy , lightweight , .430 dia ..240gr lead slinger !!!

[Cheapshooter]

are they durable? not for regular range training.

They are as "durable" as anything else if you don't try to make a magnum out of a Special!
Just use standard loads from a reputable company, and not some World beater wonder loads from some boutique ammo maket.

[rclark]

...not for regular range training

I would tend to agree. Because it is built so light (a good feature), I just don't feel right about putting 100s of rounds through it every month. For the occasional 'yea, it shoots where I point it still' ... it works good. Mine stays either on my belt for CC (where it shines), or close at hand in the house. I have other .44 Special revolvers for general range use and for the woods where you open carry.

[44caliberkid]

I've been putting Winchester Silvertips in mine for decades. I think they used to be 175 grain, but the current loading is 200 grain.

[JERRYS.]

Originally Posted by 44caliberkid

I've been putting Winchester Silvertips in mine for decades. I think they used to be 175 grain, but the current loading is 200 grain.

win STHP .44spl has been a light loaded 200gr. slug for at least 3 decades; in both the aluminum jacket and the zinc washed copper jacket. if it was something else before 1988 I can't comment.

[44caliberkid]

I stand corrected.

[TruthTellers]

I think it's important for us to understand what your intended use for this will be. The CA Bulldog is strictly a carry gun, it's not meant to be a plinker to have thousands of rounds shot thru it every year. If you're okay with only putting 50 rds thru it once a month, it can do that.

If you're looking for something you can shoot a lot and be a good carry gun, I can't recommend the Bulldog, not from all that I've heard about them. If you want a small, light, inexpensive big bore revolver you can shoot a lot, look at the CA Pitbull in .45 ACP or the Taurus Poly Public Defender in .45/.410.

[lee n. field]

Originally Posted by JERRYS.

reliability and durability are not the same thing.

are the C.A. Bulldogs reliable? yep. are they durable? not for regular range training.

So, "it goes bang until it doesn't"?

Originally Posted by curly45

Have read or heard that some of the Charter Arms are better made than other ones due to dates made ect. Would like to get information on this before buying one. Any valid information welcome. Thanks

Charco and Charter 2000, said to be not so great. Internet hearsay, no personal experience.

Once upon a time I had bookmark to a thread on one of the forums, Highroad, I think, where someone laid out Charter Arms dates, serial numbers and manufacturing locations. If I can find it I'll edit it in.

(Found it. Check out the second post in this thread Please help Identify Bulldog 44 Special.)

Originally Posted by Cheapshooter

Probably not the only gun "out of stock"!

Ha ha! No.

I did a spot check the other day. Went to Midway USA, sorted handguns by availability. On page 5 of 35 it went from Available or Mixed Availability, to Unavailable. Available stuff appeared to me to be mostly high dollar stuff and single action revolvers.

My newly manufactured Bulldog (5 years or so) has been quite reliable, and surprisingly accurate. Especially being the bobbed hammer DAO version. Round count is probably in the 500 range. Not a real torture test, but in reality, how much will a light weight, pocket 44 Special be shot?

I keep reading that Charters are "carried a lot, shot a little". That's not how I work. If I'm carrying it, it goes with me and gets shot every time I go shooting.

My personal experience with Charter Arms revolvers earlier this decade involved too much breakage to trust it. Broken transfer bars, mostly. Sold it off and moved on. Would be willing to try again, if I thought they made the transfer better now, of if they just "had a bad batch of transfer bars".

I would, seriously and honestly, on the low end be more interested in finding one of Taurus' .44 Special snubs. Practically, the XDS45 gets you to exactly the same place for a self defense gun.

[TruthTellers]

^ I can attest to the broken transfer bars. My Professional broke after probably 800 dry fired trigger pulls. My guess is that all their transfer bars are MIM and while I don't hate MIM like some do, when it comes to parts that have to take repeated impacts, a transfer bar is the last part I would want to be MIM'd.