Author Topic: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog  (Read 1886 times)

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Offline Wolfgang

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Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« on: September 21, 2007, 10:46:30 AM »
Hi All,

I just wanted to get the word out on a revolver that I just got.  I ordered a Charter Arms .44 Special from my FFL dealer a while back.  It came in and when I got there to pick it up I was very disappointed.  The gun was full of machining marks and there were burrs on the cylinder flutes, the grip frame was loose, the cylinder would not carry up on one of the chambers, and the upper portion of the frame had not been machined evenly and looked terrible.  I told my dealer that I could not accept it.  He tried to send it back to the wholesaler and they gave him a hard time about it and it started quite a problem.

At any rate, I sent an E-Mail off to Charter Arms then I placed a phone call and spoke with Kelly Walton of MKS.  He told me that he had gotten my E-Mail and after a run down with him of what had taken place, he told me that he would check into the matter and get back with me.  I told where the gun had been sent back to and gave him my phone number and after hanging up never expected to hear from him again. 

I then got a call back a very short time later (same day) and he told me that the gun was coming back to him and he was going to check it over when it got there.  A few days after that conversation, I got another call from Kelly who said that the gun was back at MKS and that he was looking at it as we spoke.  We went over the problems with the gun and he agreed that it was lacking in many areas.  He advised that he had provided my complaint to the Charter Arms company and that he would return the gun to the factory for repair or replacement and asked me if I was still willing to give Charter Arms a chance.  I told him that I was but in my mind I figured that the gun would still be a mess.

A few days after speaking with Kelly on the phone, I received another phone call and this time from Nick Ecker the President/Owner of Charter Arms.  I spoke with him and again we went over some of the problems with the gun and he assured me that it would be corrected when the gun made it back to the factory.  By this time I was impressed at least by the time I had been given by both Kelly Walton and Mr. Ecker.  I thought to myself that even if the gun is not up to par I had gotten a little satisfaction by getting to speak with these people about their product which is more than I can say about other companies that I have tried to deal with.

My dealer called me a few weeks after speaking with Mr. Ecker and said the gun was back.  I arrived and held my breath.  I had to check the serial number to believe it was the same gun!  What I received back from Charter Arms was a very smooth, clean, good looking and very functional revolver.  All of the problems that I had found on the gun had been addressed and then some.  In addition to taking care of the problems with the gun Charter Arms returned it with a set of their wooden grips which to me are very comfortable.  My dealer also handed me two tee shirts that had been sent along with the gun one of which he now has.  Beyond this, Kelly turned my dealer on to some other distributors that he could use for the things he needs and not have to jump through the hoops that he had to before.

I just wanted to get the word out that although many think that the Charter Arms guns are junk, I know better.  The company was a joy to deal with and stands behind their products.  Their guns may not be quite as pretty as some of their competitors products but they are built well and functions as good or better than revolvers that carry a much higher price.  And by the way it shoots very well!
"We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."

Offline Woodbutcher

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2007, 01:20:57 PM »
Dear Wolfgang: Thank you for your report. Greatly appreciated! Woodbutcher

Offline Shawnee Gene

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2007, 08:30:43 PM »
Wolfgang, Thank you for that report.  A Charter Bulldog is my planned next purchase.  Again, Thank You!  ;D
"Wheel guns are Real guns!"

Offline papajohn428

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2007, 04:15:56 AM »
Good to hear they did the right thing, and went above and beyond to make it all up to you.  I looked at a Charter 44 a month ago, it was very well-fitted and clean as a whistle, you musta got one made early on a Monday!  I think the price is fair, and I'm seriously thinking about buying one for CCW.   I just hope it can stand up to a lot of shooting, I like my 44 Specials on the warm side, and I like to practice a LOT. 

If you're going to carry that piece for SD, I highly recommend the Speer Gold Dots and the Winchester Silvertips for defensive loads.  Both performed VERY well in my testing.

PJ
If you can shoot home invaders, why can't you shoot Homeland Invaders?

Offline Wolfgang

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2007, 05:35:02 AM »
papajohn,

It's stoked with Gold Dots as is the Taurus 431.  I am still a believer in you have to hit the right spot and I guess I wouldn't be too upset if all I had available to me was my 250 grain LSWC's  but that soup bowl looking hollow point sure is impressive! ;D
"We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."

Offline totallycustom

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2007, 07:37:10 AM »


-TC-
-TC-

Offline papajohn428

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2007, 02:06:35 PM »
In the new issue of Guns Magazine John Taffin discusses the newer Charter 44's, and mentions that he's had one of the older 3-inch guns for twenty-plus years.  IIRC, his favorite practice load is a 250 SWC over 7.5 grains of Unique, which sounds like a pretty stout 44 SPL load.  I've had some misgivings about the durability of the Charters, but that makes me feel a bit better about buying one.  Years ago I read warnings from some gunwriters that the recoil shield would peen or bend if heavy loads were used.  It sounds like they got the bugs worked out!  I hope so, because if I buy one, it's getting a steady diet of warm loads, loaded to the same specs as the hottest factory ammo!

PJ
If you can shoot home invaders, why can't you shoot Homeland Invaders?

Offline shermbob

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2007, 12:57:09 PM »
Charter Arms will tell you NO +P ammo in the bulldog.
shermbob

Offline powhs

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2007, 02:23:49 PM »
I bought a new Bulldog last year. After two box's of factory round nose ammo the barrel worked loose. I returned it and they fixed the problem. No more trouble out of it. I have a three inch Bulldog thats 20 years old. It has never givin any trouble.

Offline warrior1

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2007, 11:15:35 AM »
guns &ammo's recent issue did an article on the bulldog.
Dan Deluca aka "warrior1" has passed away.  Dan was a frequent poster here and on several other sites.  He passed away on 12/29/08 from a massive heart attack. RIP Dan.

Offline Blowtorch53

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Re: Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2007, 12:52:36 PM »
I have a used (new model) Bulldog and it is a very nice, well finished gun.  My dealer told me a guy bought it for his wife and traded it back in after she shot it few times and it certainly looked like that was true.  I'm sure she only shot it on the way to church on Sunday and it was uphill both ways.  I wouldn't recommend anyone shooting super duper hot loads in this gun for an extended period of time.  It's so light it really bucks when you warm up the loads.  I have shot a lot of pistols and I think this one will shoot loose with abuse.  I don't think it was designed for that.  With a good moderate load and a good lead semi-wadcutter, it should do anything anyone needing protection should ask.  I think it is more important to be able to use it safely and put the bullets where they need to go by practicing a lot, than trying to get it to shoot through a 36" oak tree everytime you pull the trigger.  It's plenty powerful for defense even with the factory loads.  Just my opinion.  BT53
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