Charter Arms Bulldog double action light strikes/misfires

[Tackleberry]

I recently picked up a .44 Special Charter Arms Bulldog, with nice Pachmayr oversized grips for a very good price (<$250) I wonder...though..did the Sellor know that the revolver misfired regularly on double action mode?  My thoughts are yes. Single action mode fired perfectly, No problems, but in double action mode every third round misfired, and it was not the cartridges because run back through they fired fine on single action. The primer hits in Double action were very light.
 
A little research turned up not much on these revolvers except they are fairly reliable although not in the same league as S&W or even Taurus. People do try to lighten the double action trigger pull by trimming the length of the hammer spring. So I thought I'd try there. Wolff Springs ( http://www.gunsprings.com/ )Manufacturing makes a replacement Spring for this revolver at a very reasonable price. When was the last time you bought a gun part and the price didnt go over Ten bucks until you added shipping?
 
Received and installed the new spring. The new one did not look significantly longer than the one in the gun, but went ahead and installed. took about 3 minutes.
 
The range Test: perfect operation in Double Action and Single Action. Actually ran 50 rounds thought the little revolver, including some cowboy loads, and some fairly hot Blazer loads, no light primer strikes. Recoil on the revolver is quite manageable with these grips. I'd hate to shoot it with the original woode grips.
 
So, in retrospect, I think I got a bargain...
 

[blaze]

I'm glad you found and solved the problem with your Charter Bulldog.  Too many guns these days on the used market have been tampered with in  some way by previous owners ,people who think they know what their doing - but don't and then pass their problems on to others.  I've owned quite a few Charter handguns and found that the older, blued, guns are very very reliable (Undercover/Pathfinder/Bullgun, etc.).  I've not owned any of the newer Charters, but hear satisfactory reports.  Enjoy you .44.

[coyotejoe]

My early model 3" bulldog has the same problem, glad to hear there is an easy fix, I will be ordering a Wolf mainspring. Don't be too hard on the previous owner, he may have never even tried the double action, most people do thumb cock. As to grips, I have tried a couple of later model Bulldogs with the rubber grip and I find the old walnut grips to be much better for heavier loads. The walnut grips are much thicker at the top and spread the recoil over a larger area and allow the gun to slip just a bit in the hand. The narrow rubber grips concentrate recoil in a small area and grab the skin, pulling it with the recoil movement. I handload a 180 grain bullet to 1050 fps and can shoot that load all day with the walnut grip, 15 rounds with the rubber grip will tear off a dime size patch of skin from the web between thumb and fore finger. The very thin bit of rubber at that point provides no recoil absorption.  Gun makers didn't go to rubber grips because they're better but because they're much cheaper.
And I should add, Charter Arms is certainly not the only revolver with the problem of light pin strikes in double action mode. When a cartridge fires the primmer is pressed back around the pin so the indent looks quite deep but if you try a cylinder full of dud primers many people would be surprised at how light the pin indent may be.

[Tackleberry]

note the hole in the spring shaft just north of the spring retainer plate...while still installed in the gun, slide the spring up past the hole and slip in a jewelers scerewdriver or something small as a retainer pin..the whole assembly will come out to the left. When re installing it, put the new spring on and with the shaft (gently padded )in a vise , force the spring down with the plate until you can slip a pin thro, then reinstall opposite the way you took it out. Once in, and the shaft end ball seated proerly in the hammer, pull out the pin....I hope it works for you like mine did...

[Mike in Virginia]

Nice to hear you fixed it.  I'm no gunsmith, so I'd never buy a used Charter Arms.   

[tacklebury]

I bought an Undercover Light "Pink Lady" for my wife for CCW.  Hers is perfect.  Trigger beats most of the smiths that my buddies have with slight grittiness due to the surface finish they use on most of their stainless.  I can put 5 into a 6" dirty bird target fast firing at 15 yards and I can put all 5 in about 10" fast fire at 30 yards.  I can walk a tin can from 15-20 feet and get er bouncing out to about 15 yards before it stops.  hehe  I actually really like it.  It weighs like 12 oz. so for a dependable back-up or ccw gun, it's great.  Handles 38+P with no Hiccups and I reload 110 gr. Hornady XTP's over Unique for her carry loads.  I have heard that there is some quality issues, but on the 3 I've messed with there weren't any.  During change of ownership a few times, (read history at their site), quality had some ups and downs.  Mostly, they seem to be good quality weapons so far.    I think the OP did great. 

[coyotejoe]

I just bought a new Charter Arms "target" Bulldog, 4" barrel and adjustable rear sight. I haven't yet tried double action with live ammo but I get frequent misfires in single action. I've been using the Winchester primers marked "for standard or magnum loads" and think perhaps they are a harder cup but they worked fine in Ruger Blackhawk and my Rossi '92. I will be shopping for some Federal primers to see if that helps and I will be getting a Wolf mainspring. I have temporarily installed a much heavier spring but it is so heavy it makes double action really awful, compared to the just pretty bad double action it came with. 
I just ordered a three pack of the Wolf extra power springs and there was a notice that due to the high number of orders they are running two to three weeks behind in shipments. I knew gun sales are up but now it seems gun springs are in high demand as well.

[gcrank1]

I should have kept my matched pair of 1970s something 44 blue Bulldogs........they never bobbled on me, pointed well and nice carry in my vest pockets. One was a little smoother and more accurate than the other with the same 44 'American' equiv. loads I made (44 Spl. factory were more than I liked for playin'), but for social work I had WW Silvertips. IIRC.
I just ordered a new SS snub pathfinder in 22LR for my wife to practice with since it is similar to her S&W 442 38Spl. Airweight. If I have any d.a. trouble I'll try your fix, or shim up the mainspring with a small washer.

[Buckeye]

I really enjoy my Charter 44 Spl Pug  and 357 Mag pug   ,charter has great customer service


glad you have your 44 up and running !!!